FR955 + Tacx Flux 2 + HRM Pro+: Data on Watch Not Matching Connect

Hey folks,

I recently picked up a new (old stock) Tacx Flux 2 trainer for a great price since the bike shop wanted it out of their inventory. I am overwhelmingly a runner, but at the moment I am dealing with recovery from some injuries, so I am adding in cycling to keep my aerobic capacity from detraining too badly. I am not new to cycling, but it has been a really long time since I rode for fun/fitness, and it was largely a form of transportation for me.

Anyway, I did my first workout today (30 minutes @ 200W which seems to be right at my base / "zone 2" HR) through the iOS Tacx app. It was super easy to use, and when I was done it copied over to Connect just fine. The Tacx app was reading my HRM Pro+ strap the whole time. When looking at the workout in Connect, it all looks fine: strap heart rate, cycling power, cadence, etc. I also see that it lists a training effect and exercise load, so that was also calculated. There was no performance condition shown though. Is that a bug, or is it simply because I have basically no cycling baseline data for it to work from and I need to get more rides in? I only recently stopped running, and the various training metrics are all still computing (I have been wearing the watch 24/7 for about a year), so there is plenty of existing performance data from my running.

The main thing is that what got copied from the iOS Connect app to the watch seems to be incorrect, or at least incomplete. The workout shows up on the watch, but the data is extremely limited. When I select it in my activity history, the only data screen visible shows distance, time, and "--" for speed. If I select "All Stats", the only information there is Distance, Time, Calories, and Source (Tacx Training App). Under laps, the heart rate column just shows "--".

On the heart rate graphs for the day, on both the watch and iOS Connect app, the values are clearly from the optical sensor on the watch during the workout.

This is getting long-winded (sorry). Is my issue here that I was wearing the watch while I was on the trainer, and the heart rate data is getting mixed up between sources? If I want to get a VO2Max calculation for the trainer rides, do I need to do anything special, or launch the workout from the watch rather than the Tacx app? I'd much prefer to just take off the watch if that works, rather than try to manage multiple devices lol.

Thanks!

0 5258636 2 months ago

You should record the workout using the watch to get the full set of supported metrics. Also without watch you won't get any intensity minutes for the workout. The watch ca control the trainer.

0 ZombieSloth 2 months ago in reply to 5258636

Thanks. I just ran a quick test with some 5 minute rides:

1. Watch on table, trainer controlled via iOS Tacx app. Same result as yesterday

2. Watch on wrist, trainer controlled by watch as an Indoor Bike activity. Fully populated data fields. So your suggestion is correct.

Is it possible to control the trainer via the watch and also get Tacx functionality (such as ride videos, challenge rides, etc)? It seems like I cannot do both...I either get an indoor ride via watch with complete performance data, or a full featured Tacx ride via an app but with a bunch of missing performance features.

0 ZombieSloth 2 months ago in reply to ZombieSloth

NVM

I just tested out running a workout on the watch and Tacx app at the same time. It works, but I end up with two activities in Connect which is a little wonky. I guess it is one or the other. Sadly when using the watch, the speed/distance values are significantly lower which seems to be a well known limitation since the watch simply uses the flywheel speed, versus the app which accounts for all sorts of stuff (and the app seems to have a much more realistic speed if I compare effort to real world ride speed).

I do not really care about speed accuracy that much since power + HR are the only inputs that count toward VO2Max and other performance metrics. But, it is a little annoying if I ever want to chase down some of the Tacx/indoor badges lol...I either have to pedal for 40% longer if I want good performance data form the watch, or I give up the performance data in favor of a more realistic ride time. It's an OK problem to have...

Maybe someday Garmin will support being able to import Tacx workout data into the watch and have it function in the native fashion...that would be awesome!

0 ZombieSloth 2 months ago

From a bit more reading, it looks like (for now) the Tacx app workouts will partially utilize the Physio TrueUp functionality that Garmin has developed. This was added a couple of years ago for Tacx workouts. So, hopefully at some point Garmin can further enhance integration with this feature and allow the watch to compute the full set of metrics for a user who is using a Tacx trainer + official app + Garmin HRM band. For the moment, I am mostly going to be doing the workouts through the Tacx app since it has much more accurate distance and speed values, and I can make my own courses and export them into the GPS workout feature which is just a lot more fun to do than stare at my handlebars or watch lol. I take the watch off during Tacx workouts so that my stress score does not get all messed up due to the "unexpected" higher heart rate since I am not running the workout through the watch. Maybe I will go back to using the watch once I get all the Tacx badges lol. I could then have both workouts running concurrently, and just delete the Tacx one from Connect when done.

I guess the other solution would be a set of Garmin's power measurement pedals, but I am not made of money, I don't ride enough to justify it, and riding in the wet months isn't my thing! Those would at least allow me to both get the full watch metric set and realistic speed data since the rides would be...real!