Activity tracker for the active cyclst

[Matthew Strongin]

Does the Withings scale work without the watch?

Do I just need a smartphone/tablet and I'm good to go?

Yep. They're complementary but independent.

[rec head]

And the Withings scale works with the iphone but the fitbit scale doesn't.

Just got the Moto360 Sport. So far I like it but I need to figure out which apps to use. The HR seems pretty accurate.

[chrisn]

I dunno how to do screen shots from my iPad.

^^didn't see anyone answer this previously... Apologies of I missed it but here you go: Press the home button and on/off button together for about a second until the screen 'flashes'. The screenshot will automatically be saved in the 'photos' app.

I got a Fenix 3 watch about 3 or 4 months ago. Pretty big and bulky but I needed something that would work when swimming too. Works nicely with the iphone app and /or web portal. Since having it I've become less interested in data from bike rides, and more about other 'life' activity. lets face it that's what you're doing more of the time, so potentially has the biggest gains. I seem to average about 10-15k steps most days. I was amazed that I can clock up a few thousand steps in the morning rushing around the house getting the boys ready for school etc. Seems like a lot but the house is quite a large footprint (for the UK) I suppose which helps, and I'm probably running around like a headless chicken, so I think its accurate. And walking the dog once a day when working from home easily adds another few thousand steps. After a while, when the trends have been observed and most days are roughly similar there is less feeling of obligation to wear it all the time, and I prefer the look of a traditional swiss chrono watch. It has confirmed though that I don't get enough sleep, but I knew that already - for which I mostly blame our two year old! At least I can show both boys my sleep data when they are old enough to understand, to prepare them for parenthood (and make them feel guilty :-)

[Matthew Strongin]

Bumping this now that I've had the scale for a couple months. I've never been someone to weigh myself regularly or track my weight too closely, but I'm now finding that the Withings scale has become a regular part of my routine. It's been nice to see the data in the same app I use for the watch. For me, having the data all in one place has made me more aware of how my sleep, training, general activity and nutrition all fit together. As a result I'm sleeping about 30-60 minutes more a night and I've lost about 3-5 lbs and a couple percentage points of fat mass. It's not that I needed to lose weight, but just being more aware of where things stand has led to better food choices and helped me get leaner than I've been in years. I have some pretty big life changes coming so I'm interested in seeing how the scale and watch help me stay on top of things.

[AngryScientist]

Interesting Matt, and i've been using the scale now for a few months too.

i am more interested in a total integration typed "unit", likely something that uses gps as well as accelerometers to track movement. i would like to see, all in one place how much i move weekly, including bike miles. i figure some device must do gps + steps counted. also, i just cant make myself wear an activity tracker watch, i'm too hooked on mechanical watches to just give them up for a gizmo.

does anyone know of a tracker that will do all the usual sleep+steps+cycling miles all in one, and NOT be a watch?

[Matthew Strongin]

I'm hooked on my mechanical watches too, but the Withings has found a regular place in the rotation. Most days I wear it all the time. Fortunately I work remotely a couple days a week so I'm pretty casually dressed those days. On days I go to the office I put on an automatic, but the Withings is worn as soon as I get home until I get dressed for work in the morning. Sure I'm missing some of the data, but I get it for enough days a week that I'm comfortable with the trends. The upcoming Withings Go might be a cool option for something that you can toss in your pocket and not wear as a watch. I don't think it captures cycling, at least not like a GPS would.

[defspace]

I've got the scale too. Athlete/non athlete mode seems to make a big difference in BF%. I hope athlete mode is right, but I have a feeling it's not. I guess accuracy doesn't matter too much if precision is good.

[rec head]

I have no idea if the scale is accurate but it does seem consistent. I do basically the same routine before using it and get basically the same results. No variations that look crazy.

[EightySixer]

This is my Christmas list.

- Withings Activitie Pop

I have been looking them over the past few weeks and doing the compare contrast thing with some other brands. That Sachs endorses and uses these is what grabbed my attention, he will not put his name on a shit product. I really like the look of them and could wear it round the clock (ba dum) even at work and on dress up occasions.

I think I am going with the "Shark Grey" color (black) and going for the Pop model with the silicone coated stainless steel.

Anybody have any updates on their utility?

I am mainly interested in the sleep function as the past few months i have been all over the place. Even when I sleep a solid 7-8 hours I feel exhausted most days and the lethargy is getting the better of me. What's the verdict on this watch's ability to gauge both light and deep sleep?

Does it work as advertised i suppose is the question I have here..

Edit: I can't get over the aesthetics of traditional fit bit type activity watches, they are absurdly hideous imo. Also, the Withings are on sale right now directly through their website for 30 to 40% off which is drawing me bigtime. They're only $65.00-75.00 through Best Buy or Withings at the moment.

[Matthew Strongin]

Works great for me. Sleep tracking has really helped me be more disciplined about getting enough rest. And with a nearly 6 month old at home, every extra minute counts. It also occurred to me earlier this week that I've ridden with the watch every single ride for almost a year. I'm pretty consistently seeing that every mile of me riding corresponds to about 100 steps, so even though the watch isn't cycling specific it still works well to gauge activity alongside my occasional runs, long walks, etc.

Wearing the Activite and using the app is such a part of my regular routine that I'd feel naked without it. I'm thinking about giving one or two as gifts this year.

[AngryScientist]

Edit: I can't get over the aesthetics of traditional fit bit type activity watches, they are absurdly hideous imo. Also, the Withings are on sale right now directly through their website for 30 to 40% off which is drawing me bigtime. They're only $65.00-75.00 through Best Buy or Withings at the moment.

it's the "prius" effect. [most] people who wear the fitbit typed activity trackers want other people to know they are on the latest trend and tracking their activity. for years the prius competed with the honda civic hybrid, which was by all rights, just as good of an car, but the prius outsold the honda by the hundreds. people want their hybrid car to look like a hybrid. they want their neighbors to know they are "green". same thing with the fitbit mentality.

[AngryScientist]

also - i'm going to start running again this winter, and look to potentially do a half marathon in the spring. i just picked up a garmin fenix 3 to run with and use at the gym. massive functionality - much more than i'll ever use, but we'll see how it goes.

[Powerfibers]

Got my Activite Steel for Christmas. After a year with the Vivofit and trying the Pebble Steel for tracking, I think this is the most I have liked a fitness tracker in a long time. Cannot believe how nice the watch looks and how comfortable the strap feels.Probably headed out to buy the scale tomorrow.

[Andrevich4]

Got my Activite Steel for Christmas. After a year with the Vivofit and trying the Pebble Steel for tracking, I think this is the most I have liked a fitness tracker in a long time. Cannot believe how nice the watch looks and how comfortable the strap feels.Probably headed out to buy the scale tomorrow.

What's held me up from getting it is I'm mildly concerned that wifi and bluetooth are the new secondhand smoke so not sure I want that on my body all day. Anyway to turn that signal off?

[Matthew Strongin]

Got my Activite Steel for Christmas. After a year with the Vivofit and trying the Pebble Steel for tracking, I think this is the most I have liked a fitness tracker in a long time. Cannot believe how nice the watch looks and how comfortable the strap feels.Probably headed out to buy the scale tomorrow.

Very cool. I like the scale a lot. I had a similar reaction when I got my Activite Pop last year. I didn't have one of the other devices on the market and was a little unsure of how much I'd want to use the watch. It took about a week to work into my routine from a data collection standpoint, but it looks so nice and since it's very comfortable I quickly got in the habit of leaving it on almost all the time. So much so that I had to get a watch winder to avoid always having my other watch run down from just sitting around.

I recently got the new Withings Steel HR and I love it. It does everything my Pop does that I'm used to as far as sleep tracking and general activity, but the HR feature is a very nice addition. I ride with a Garmin for all the standard HR/power/cadence/etc. data, but the Steel HR has been a good companion and it's perfect for gym workouts, running (well the one run I did), and other non cycling activities. I've been using the workout mode pretty consistently to log activity along with everything else the watch/app tracks for me. I didn't expect to like the notifications (phone, text, meeting) but I actually do quite a bit. It's nice to see at a quick glance if something is going on without having to pull my phone out of my pocket when riding. Actually, that's turned out to be one of my favorite features.

Over the course of the first week I must have checked the watch HR data against my Garmin + chest strap a dozen times per ride and it's been very consistent as long as I wear the watch on the right place on my wrist.

Aesthetically I love that it's still very understated and when the display is off it just looks like a black dialed analog watch. So far I'm a fan.

[Powerfibers]

Very cool. I like the scale a lot. I had a similar reaction when I got my Activite Pop last year. I didn't have one of the other devices on the market and was a little unsure of how much I'd want to use the watch. It took about a week to work into my routine from a data collection standpoint, but it looks so nice and since it's very comfortable I quickly got in the habit of leaving it on almost all the time. So much so that I had to get a watch winder to avoid always having my other watch run down from just sitting around.

I recently got the new Withings Steel HR and I love it. It does everything my Pop does that I'm used to as far as sleep tracking and general activity, but the HR feature is a very nice addition. I ride with a Garmin for all the standard HR/power/cadence/etc. data, but the Steel HR has been a good companion and it's perfect for gym workouts, running (well the one run I did), and other non cycling activities. I've been using the workout mode pretty consistently to log activity along with everything else the watch/app tracks for me. I didn't expect to like the notifications (phone, text, meeting) but I actually do quite a bit. It's nice to see at a quick glance if something is going on without having to pull my phone out of my pocket when riding. Actually, that's turned out to be one of my favorite features.

Over the course of the first week I must have checked the watch HR data against my Garmin + chest strap a dozen times per ride and it's been very consistent as long as I wear the watch on the right place on my wrist.

Aesthetically I love that it's still very understated and when the display is off it just looks like a black dialed analog watch. So far I'm a fan.

I picked up the Cardio scale today, and I already know I am gonna love it after one scan. I would have consider the Steel HR, but my Galaxy does a pretty good job of taking that. Interested in seeing progress and linking to my TrainingPeaks account. Thanks!

[Powerfibers]

What's held me up from getting it is I'm mildly concerned that wifi and bluetooth are the new secondhand smoke so not sure I want that on my body all day. Anyway to turn that signal off?

No clue. I have not had a thought of those concerns considering the phone is always so close. Hmmm.

[joosttx]

I got a Whoop for Christmas. All it tells me is to sleep more.

[alexstar]

Do any of these track cycling activity properly? That's the key for me and the reason I still use Google Fit on my phone instead of a wrist-mounted piece of hardware.

[roseyscot]

The Fenix has GPS and can synch to power meter I believe. Much more of a real activity tracker than the popular Fitbit style. You pay for that though with the Fenix. $300+