View daily distance traveled without manual activity start

Bichael
29 days ago

Is there a way to view the total distance traveled throughout the day without manually starting an activity?

If it's not a built-in feature, could an app achieve it?

As a last resort, perhaps automatic activity start when movement is first detected for the day.

  • 0 29 days ago in reply to druidh

    That won't start a new activity the next day unless I end the previous one manually, will it? 

  • 0 29 days ago

    What is the problem with hitting start in the morning and stop in the evening? Don't see the issue.

  • 0 28 days ago in reply to Bichael

    Right.  It won't stop recording and save/discard an activity without pressing Stop then Save/Discard, and will continue that activity until you do, even over multiple days. 

    There's nothing wrong with your use case, but with the Edge units being specifically designed for cycling, I don't think it was considered or accommodated.

  • 0 26 days ago


    I do use the Edge exclusively for cycling (recreational) and I like to see at the end of the day how much distance I've travelled.
    I've previously used a basic cycling computer, which had the "daily distance" feature, so I was surprised that the Edge doesn't have it.

    Does Edge record distance data without starting an activity? If so, perhaps the data can be accessed by an app?
    Or could an app auto stop activity and start a new one upon first movement on that day?

    I also see that the built-in "Starting the Timer Automatically" wouldn't work, since I usually don't enable GPS. I'd need my connected speed sensor to be used for the movement detection.

  • 0 25 days ago in reply to Bichael

    Edge units only record after starting an activity.  That activity can be paused and resumed in a number of ways (manual or auto-pause, sleep mode, power down), but it will be one activity until it is stopped and saved or discarded.  There is no recording outside of that. Not having tried it, I don't know for certain how auto-start and auto-pause works with GPS off and a wheel sensor, but I assume it would work OK.  FWIW, I always use wheel/speed sensors despite having sat nav enabled. 

  • 0 9 days ago

    Does anyone use Garmin Speed Sensor 2 and can confirm that it allows viewing total and daily distance in an app, without having to start an activity?

  • 0 8 days ago in reply to Bichael

    I don't think I understand why you want this feature? Is it just to replicate the simple device you had before?

    The simple device is just adding up numbers through its life, and I suppose it makes a daily summary for you.The Edge is not just a calculator or odometer, it does a lot more than that but its function is to record your stats and GPS location to file for training, map creation, and other purposes. Your previous device was kind of "always on". So let's say you use your bicycle sporadically throughout the day. You can enable auto start and auto pause then at the end of the day you press stop and save. However this will cause a lot of battery use. By its design it has to be activated to keep record of any numbers. The simple device may have functioned for months on a single button battery but the Edge is more advanced and powerful so it doesn't do always on. Hope that helps.

    Also, yes the speed sensor starts and stops exactly as it should without GPS. I use it on a dumb trainer indoors sometimes. I set the flywheel's circumference in the speed sensor's settings page so that the distance and speed are more accurate.

  • 0 8 days ago in reply to 6978990

    Yes, I'd like to replicate the two features of my previous simple cycling computers.

    I would still power on the Edge manually every time, but want data from the speed sensor (along with the current date) to always be recorded when Edge is powered on. So I don't see how battery drain would be an issue. 

    Actually Edge could implement a low power mode that would only enable odometer data recording from a speed, even if it's "off", just for the odometer function. Alternatively, just receive Garmin Speed Sensor 2 data recorded when the Edge was off once it turns on (it possibly works like that already).

    I just don't get how a more advanced device lacks such simple features.

  • 0 8 days ago in reply to Bichael
    Bichael said:
    I just don't get how a more advanced device lacks such simple features.

    Because the underlying premise of Edge devices is recording an "Activity".