Does Garmin double-count activities from multiple devices?

If you record an activity on two devices, does Garmin know they’re the same?

I’ve got this Forerunner, which I’m attempting to wear all the time – so I do I use it to record my ride and not take my Edge? Or if I want to use my Edge for navigating a route will it realise they are the same activity and only log it once, merging the data?

It will double count if you record the same activity on both devices.  Doesn’t seem to recognise its the same

Why would you record on both? Recording on either will get the ride into garmin, and provide all the stats required, so I’m confused as you why you’d need to record on both.

I sometimes record on both my Garmin watch and Wahoo, because I like all workouts to be in garmin for general health stats and recording on just the wahoo wouldn’t do this, but I also want to use the wahoo for route following etc. so have to record on that.

But both garmin devices? :puzzled:

I have a fenix 6X and an Edge 530. When cycling I use the Edge but do wear the fenix, I just don’t start the fenix for a ride. This seems to work just fine. Make sure you enable Physio Tru-Up on both devices and then it GC will calculate your training load etc and sync this across them.

So with Physio Tru-Up, I do a run and record it on my fenix 6X and a bike ride using my Edge and both activities will sync across for the purposes of training load, rest, VO2Max etc. Allows me to wear the f6X all the time but not worry about dual records etc.

It records both.

I use my Fenix 5X for everything, but an Edge 800 for route following. It’s easier just to delete the activity off of the Egde (helps it needs to be plugged in via a mini USB lead, rather than syncing over WiFi or BT).

Just don’t start the activity on the watch if you’re cycling? Or am I missing something?.

Just don’t start the activity on the watch if you’re cycling? Or am I missing something?

Only reason I can think to start the watch is to measure HR, easily fixed with an HR strap. But yeah, just don’t start the watch.

Why would you record on both? Recording on either will get the ride into garmin, and provide all the stats required, so I’m confused as you why you’d need to record on both.

I might want to use nav, which I think requires me to start the ride on the Edge. However the Edge doesn’t log all the other ‘health’ stats that the watch does. I’m not exactly sure I care, but I was just curious if there’d be an issue.

Make sure you enable Physio Tru-Up on both devices and then it GC will calculate your training load etc and sync this across them.

This kind of thing – Edge Touring doesn’t have tru-up or training load and whatnot.

Can the two devices be linked together? – I have an Edge 820 and Vivoactive 3 and sometimes display the heart rate from the latter on the former.

Ahh, I see – does it let you pair a HRM? As that’s all garmin needs to work out training load etc.

If not then yep you’ll need to manually delete the edge touring gps log once uploaded. Also strava (if you auto sync to that) will upload the first ride that syncs if they’re identical, so complete the ride on your watch first, then the gps a minute or so later.

Ahh, I see – does it let you pair a HRM? As that’s all garmin needs to work out training load etc.

It does. My HR strap is now connected to both the watch and the Edge but the numbers displayed on each device don’t agree. It’s as if the watch is still using the wrist one.

Mm that is interesting – Strava is the source of truth. But I don’t want Garmin thinking I’ve ridden 40km if I’ve ridden 20.

There’s an option to set a ‘preferred activity tracker’ but that appears to be for steps and waffly metrics not the actual activities. I guess I can manually delete stuff if I need to. I think I’ll just go out with both now and see what happens.

You just choose discard instead of save on the device you don’t want to save.

Yes, I just bought a forerunner 35 for just this purpose. You broadcast your HR from the watch and it displays on the Edge. I’m quite impressed with even the budget forerunner so already thinking of upgrading. Anyone want to buy a 2 week old Forerunner 35 for £60?

You just choose discard instead of save on the device you don’t want to save.

D’oh. Of course this is the solution!

I’m going to try both and see what happens. I think that the watch will record my bike ride in some form or another as it’ll see my HR go through the roof but it won’t know why.

It does. My HR strap is now connected to both the watch and the Edge but the numbers displayed on each device don’t agree. It’s as if the watch is still using the wrist one

Certain wearables require you to disable the wrist HR for it to talk to the chest strap, Vivoactive 3 needs this, 4 doesn’t frinstance.

Certain wearables require you to disable the wrist HR for it to talk to the chest strap, Vivoactive 3 needs this, 4 doesn’t frinstance.

That’s ridiculous if you want to use it as an activity tracker. Manually disable the wrist HR before every run or ride then re-enable it afterwards? Bonkers.

EDIT, Garmin says this:

The first time you connect a wireless sensor to your device using ANT‍+® or Bluetooth® technology, you must pair the device and sensor. After they are paired, the device connects to the sensor automatically when you start an activity and the sensor is active and within range.

Garmin might say that, but for their earlier wearables, it’s not the case. Dunno how many times I forgot to enable it post run/ride.

Maybe they thought they had 2 user groups, one who used it as a fitbit lifestyle type, and one who was only interested in training numbers? who knows.

Yes, will double count so delete one. Unsure if you can have the Edge guiding you without recording, but if so, do that and record with your watch.

I’ve never had to disable the optical to make the chest strap work……

735xt.

It’s obvious when it’s using optical as I can’t talk but HR is barely above resting.

If it wasn’t automatic I’d have binned it long ago because optical HR is comedy -its about as accurate as the Speedo in my land rover

Swimming trunks in a landie isn’t a bad move though…😉

I’d suggest the Edge would be a better device for recording a ride if you have set it to record every second (rather than smart recording)…

I record on both my garmin watch and my garmin Edge. It may seem pointless to do both, but this is because I’ve had several failures of either watch or computer in the past and lost all ride data, which is a bit annoying. But I usually wear the watch all the time so think I may as well record it at the same time as the computer

So I start both devices and at end of ride, I usually stop the Edge and save it. Once I see it’s saved I then stop and discard the one on the watch.

But sometimes I save both by mistake and when I do this, sometimes garmin will see it as 2 separate rides and sometimes only the one. If it counts it twice I just delete one of them. But it is interesting to see the differences between the two devices, there is usually a small discrepancy between the distance, but usually a much bigger difference in the elevation gain.

Well, just to contradict everyone, Strava does NOT duplicate MY activities.

I’ve got an Edge 530 and a Forerunner 945 and if I record (and save) the same activity on both devices, I’ll get two entries in Connect but only one in Strava, so Strava seems to be doing some filtering. Wasn’t always the case when I first got the 945 about 5 months ago so maybe Strava improved it’s import process in the last couple of months.
(I’m a Strava subscriber, if that’s relevant)

I would simply record any activity you do on just one device, you can still wear your watch (which will count steps?) but only press record on your edge…

I do have a mate who records his rides on the Strava app on his phone, and also his Garmin, but just never syncs his Garmin, treating it like a dumb cycle computer, He’s not got a Garmin connect account or anything.

He was fascinated when I showed him how my Garmin devices auto-upload and then Garmin push the log to Strava… Fascinated but not actually interested.

Similar to Teethgrinder I have a Fenix 5X and an Edge 800 and record rides on both. I have a HRM linked to both. The Fenix uploads to GC, the Edge I have to connect via the PC to get that to upload. I have uninstalled the Edge from Garmin Express so that it can not upload to GC and duplicate the activity. The Edge 800 allows me to have separate Bike profiles so I can keep track of the total amount of miles done on each bike. This is something that as far as I am aware cannot be done with the Fenix or the newer Edge computers or even on GC. I also record the Edge rides on the old PC version of SportTracks before they tried to force all users onto their online pay service…
Also easier to look at the Edge on the bars than it is the Fenix during a ride.

I often use two devices and yes, they get double counted by Garmin – I manually delete one. Same issue with Strava – sometimes that only accepts one activity and considers the other as a duplicate which is actually more annoying as it usually “accepts” the wrong one.

Why use two devices? Yes, there is a reason.

Garmin “training effect” metrics only work on Garmin devices due to licensing – data from other sources (Wahoo head unit, Zwift etc) do not contain this data so don’t contribute to training effect and overall load in Garmin Connect.

So – for turbo training I record via both Garmin (for training effect and load etc) and also via zwift to get the pretty route maps etc on Strava.

I might want to use nav, which I think requires me to start the ride on the Edge. However the Edge doesn’t log all the other ‘health’ stats that the watch does.

Yes it does. Again, assuming you have Physio Tru-up enabled on both devices you will get the same health metrics across both watch and Edge (assuming both devices support Physio Tru-Up which most released in the last couple of years do). And yes, as others have mentioned a suitable HRM strap is needed also however if you want your heart rate recorded accurately this is a prerequisite anyway.

Which Forerunner and Edge do you have?

Maybe they thought they had 2 user groups, one who used it as a fitbit lifestyle type, and one who was only interested in training numbers?

Yeah probably but then the serious running one also does steps and silly stats, which makes it straddle the two.

I did record both, and I had to delete one. I’m not sure if Strava would have recognised this, but I’m quite sure Strava is asynchronous so it might’ve got merged later had I not deleted it.

I seem to see the same stats in GC with expected minor discrepancies, however for some reason the Forerunner has guessed the amount of fluid I’ve lost – that’s the only one I can see not missing. What I’m wondering now is if I don’t set the activity going on the watch, will it record my elevated HR as say, calories burned (or training stress or whatever), and then also add the calories burned from the ride? Probably.

Which Forerunner and Edge do you have?

It’s an Edge Explore, which isn’t on the list of compatible devices (boo).

you can still wear your watch (which will count steps?)

Will it realise I’m biking and not just count a shedload of spurious steps? Let’s find out in the next exciting installment of ‘Molly’s Two Devices!’

What I’m wondering now is if I don’t set the activity going on the watch, will it record my elevated HR as say, calories burned (or training stress or whatever), and then also add the calories burned from the ride? Probably

Doesn’t for me. GC is smart enough to see an activity recorded during that time and only count the calories once.

And just seen re: Explore – yeah bit of a bummer but a good excuse for an upgrade to a 530 😀

I’ve never had to disable the optical to make the chest strap work

I did say it’s not the case on all of them. Definitely the case on my vivoactive 3, I still have it as a spare – they were selling for 70 quid, so I kept it.

optical HR is comedy

I’ve come to the conclusion it’s dependant on the user, whether it’s an anatomy issue or who knows, as it defo works for some folks, and not for others.

yeah bit of a bummer but a good excuse for an upgrade to a 530

I like my Edge Explore, however I fancy going back to a power meter and I’ll need a new head unit for that, at some point in the far future.

Used a vivoactive 3 for 4 years, only upgraded last week and never had the issue with the optical HR being used over my chest HR strap. Would have noticed straight away as like you say, the optical is way off during an activity

I think the issue with optical HR is the watch moves around so then gives innacurate readings. I’ve used a Scotch rythm and that was great. Optical HR from a watch when not moving too much is great, so it’s a good solution for all day monitoring