Recommended process for Vivoactive 4 and Edge 530 during for cycling

I'm wondering this myself! I have the Vivoactive 3 and looking at getting either the 530 or 830 and want the Vivoactive 3 for heartrate 

I would say buy the bundle of Edge 530 that way you get the heart rate monitor and all the sensors

Enable Physio True Up through Garmin Connect for both devices. Record and save on the Edge. After syncing both devices, you should see the details of your ride (and associated metrics) show up on your watch. (And also watch activities show up in the Training Status on your Edge).

It's not necessary to record at all on the watch, but as you want to use the Broadcast HR option for your HR source, record and discard on your watch at the end of the ride. Perhaps copy the Ride Indoors activity profile and create a new one call Ride HR (no GPS tracking to save battery).

Note that while the data is integrated, Garmin Connect only presents things on a per device basis. To see cycling VO2Max, you need to select the Edge (the watch will be the default) within GCM Training Status.

You can also just broadcast your HR from VA4 from settings, without starting activity:

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/vivoactive4_4S/EN-US/GUID-8EC8B7FE-2AC2-46E9-94FC-06416FF1E2ED.html

Benefit is no need to discard activity on VA4, and it will still calculate intensity minutes.

Not sure about VA4, but you might be able to add ”Broadcast HR” into your quick controls too for quick access

That's what I do with my 530 and 945 yet I found that using only broadcast w/o an activity on the watch will result in the watch counting steps and flours I didn't do as I was riding...

I found my training affect and V02 max is updating properly when cycling with my EDGE 530, and V02 max is updated when cycling on a bike with power meter with a heart rate monitor. I find watches to be fairly poor for HR measurements with trail cycling.

Likewise, my VA4 updates my training affect and V02 max too, when I go for runs or other intensive workouts. 

HR can be broadcasted from the VA4 to the EDGE 530, but I would really recommend a Chest HR monitor. Secondly, there are two V02 max numbers; One for cycling and the other for running. For cycling you need to have a power meter or a trainer with power measurements, while also having HR data (watch broadcasted or chest strap)

For running V02 max, you need to use the Running activity on the watch for at least 15min. Whether you walk or run.

Not long ago, my V02 max data was 51 for running and 35 for cycling, even though I'm a cyclist and do 7000km of trail riding a year. Only now that I get on a Wattbike or Spinning bike with power metrics, does my EDGE 530 actually update my V02 max, and after 2 rides my V02 max went to 51.

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback, few comments: 

- edge 530 only does VO2Max and training load with a power meter and heartrate strap, and I don't have those. (could still buy the strap, but the power meter is a bit too expensive)

- i believe physio true up is enabled, it correctly does Intensity Minutes and Activity syncing, but not the Training Load and Training Effect

- i can broadcast the HR even without an activity indeed, or just discard the activity - that is not really the issue (but thanks for the tip :) ) 

So, I still don't see a solution to use both devices to their full potential. Either I get 'Training Load' from the Vivoactive, or 'Training Effect' from the Edge, but not both. If I want both, I have to save the activities on both devices, and that messes up my logs of course. :/

Martijn

The EDGE provides a load too, and updates your Training Load as does the watch. I see it after every ride!

I only use the EDGE 530 or cycling, and the VA4 for walking and running...

NOTES: My training status is unavailable since I restored my watch yesterday back to V5.0 since V5.1 is a crap shoot.

The Data below was basically only from the EDGE 530 as I haven't run in a couple weeks

Never tried wearing the watch with HR belt as I only have a chinese one which is not that good...

Therefore, all my experience was either with indoor biking to transmit the HR or broadcasting of hte HR.

In the first one, floors and steps aren't accumulated while in the second they are.

I'll recheck tonight again with broadcasting only.