Cycle or die?

[cyclebuddy]

As an overweight, middle-aged man...

Same here. And very conscious of my own excessive weight...

I’ve had two different models of FitBit, and various cardio monitor devices, and 'phone fitness apps... and all have been horrendously inaccurate. There is a credible news article on the internet somewhere where they strapped maybe 10 different models of cardio/fitbit type monitors to a seasoned runner, and all turned out to give vastly different readings... so believe these devices at your own peril.

My own awakening to this false reality was waking up, having a shower, breakfast, getting in the car and driving 80 miles to an event... and then finding my FitBit telling me I’d apparently walked 2000 steps when in fact I’d only been sitting on my arse, in my Mercedes, whacking up the M1.

Anybody who believes any of these “fit-bit” devices (or similar “apps” on their ‘phone) is deluding themselves... they certainly don’t measure anything real that you can truthfully reference to. Yes, they may show exertion and increased heartrate, but IMHO it's all meaningless tosh... you may in fact think you're simply working your heart at a good rate given your BMI when in fact you're putting yourself into serious danger.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Fitbit's assessment of your walking is never going to be accurate. You should think about its strengths rather than its weaknesses.

I've had mine for about three months now. I have a pretty good handle on how far I walk, ride and what else I'm doing. Overall, I think the fitbit does a pretty good job of tracking what I do. I'm not an unthinking dunderhead. I'm a technical person and I'm continuously assessing the plausibility of the Fitbits measurements. If I thought that it's measurements were ficticious, I'd have chucked it after the first week. I would recommend one to anyone. They're a lot of fun and very informative. The only downsides are having to take it off in the bath/ shower and having to re-charge every 5 days. It emails you when the battery gets low!

 

[cyclebuddy]

Overall, I think the fitbit does a pretty good job of tracking what I do. I'm not an unthinking dunderhead. I'm a technical person and I'm continuously assessing the plausibility of the Fitbits measurements. If I thought that it's measurements were ficticious, I'd have chucked it after the first week.

That's your reality d8veh. It's not mine. I'm not an unthinking dunderhead either. I'm also a technical person and continually assessing measurements. I even used to teach others in "thinking for themselves"... but, for me, both my FitBits (and other devices too) appeared hideously inaccurate - notably when compared against each other. I chucked both of my FitBits after a couple of months of open-minded trials. I genuinely did want them to provide meaningful measurement - but none did.

If your FitBit appears to work properly for you, that's great (I'm sure some at least must be accurate). But what exactly are you referencing it to to know yours is in fact even remotely accurate?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Maybe they've improved. Mine's the Fitbit Charge 2. Also, I got an aftermarket magnetic adjustable strap, which keeps it in the right position on my wrist all the time. Maybe that helps. With the original one, it used to slide down.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Maybe they've improved...

I'd genuinely love to believe that. But how do you KNOW the measurements your FitBit is giving you are even remotely true? Unless you buy and wear two or three simultaneously and compare them all together, you'll never know. Past published tests where this has been tried doesn't bode well.

It'd be great if we could really believe in the useful information these devices claim to provide. But (having tried several myself) I remain a cynic and am yet to be convinced.

 

[nemesis]

When i run these days at age 56 i still need assistance.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

When i run these days at age 56 i still need assistance.View attachment 20964

That's cheating, isn't it?

 

[LeighPing]

That's cheating, isn't it?

It is when they drag you past Usain Bolt.

Canicross (running attached to a dog or dogs), is similar to ebiking, in that it makes you a bit super-human. It's also a great way to get fitter. You basically jog on the spot and the power and speed of the dog(s) makes you fly.

 

[BornAgainCyclist]

More fun that a treadmill, less fun than being on rollerblades.

 

[nemesis]

That's cheating, isn't it?

I have been running with dogs for 15 years and you wouldn`t believe how many cheating comments i`ve had,more than e-bike ones.

 

[cyclebuddy]

My Resting heartbbeat is about 53 BPM. When riding my bike normally, it averages around 100 BPM and it goes up to about 150 BPM on the long hills with the odd peak at about 170 BPM?

So, bypassing the frivolous albeit humorous comments here...

d8veh has a resting heartrate of 53bpm and works it up to 150bpm... according to his FitBit. Assuming d8veh's Fitbit is maybe even as much 20% inaccurate, who cares? He won't kill himself.

d8veh's resting heartrate is 53bpm. My resting heartrate is 96bpm. At what point am I supposed to work my heartrate up to before I suffer cardiac arrest given my current grossly unfit state if I were to rely solely on the known/proven inaccuracy of FitBit?

It's just a thought... we're not all as slim, healthy and fit as you d8veh, and for us "fatties" we do seriously risk over-exerting ourselves if we are to believe the mis-information from these hopelessly inaccurate FitBit devices.

Don't you think I'd love to have a Fitbit give me realistic information to help me optimise weight loss? I'd argue my need is far greater than yours d8veh, where your interest does mostly seem to be more of technical interest rather than necessity!

 

[LeighPing]

Available technology can only give us a good indication of our health. Only you will know when you're really over exerting yourself to the point of ill consequences. Obviously, you shouldn't go too mad, too soon. Take it easy.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Oh yes, I do get that. My body tells me when I'm taking things too far. Available technology - devices like FitBit - I'm sure do hold promise, but at the moment they seem to me to be a fairly erratic and useless technology in telling the truth about what's really going on.

 

[Gubbe]

This is all a bit too techy for me. I have no idea about the accuracy of the pulse measurements on sports bands. However, last year a Swedish sudy found major errors in calculations by activity watches/bands. With an error of between 20 and 50 percent when it came to energy consumption. Dr Mikael Mattsson at The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences saw possible negative consequences....

"For example, if you try to lose weight and trust too much on these numbers, you might eat 50 percent more than you should because the bracelet says you've made 50 percent more energy than you actually done"

When it come to losing weight; be honest to yourself about how much you eat and exercise and step on the scales. I know when I've overindulged by using excercise as an excuse or even what true hunger can feel like.

In the last few weeks e-cycling has allowed me to reconnect with my body with moderate aerobic activity in the outdoors. It has been better than any gym (torture chamber) that I have been to and it has lifted my spirits. After an half-hour or so I tend to forget about speed, time and all the other stats and get that buzz of having a sence of flow.

 

[LeighPing]

In my line of work I sometimes have to fight for my life against crazed assailants. That's OK when you're in your 20's, but not so much fun in your late fifties.

I try to keep my cardio at a reasonable level for when those occasions occur. A couple of years ago, they were tending to suck the life out of me. So I had to step it up a bit.

Keeping fit is a necessary chore, which can be too much like hard work at times. Hence, using an ebike. It's got to be one of the best options in regulating that effort needed to gain good health and keep fit. Especially as you get older.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's just a thought... we're not all as slim, healthy and fit as you d8veh, and for us "fatties" we do seriously risk over-exerting ourselves if we are to believe the mis-information from these hopelessly inaccurate FitBit devices.

What????? I was 105kg at Xmas! I'm 65 years old and probably spent more time in the hospital last month than I did riding my bike. How heavy, fat and unfit are you?

 

[cyclebuddy]

What????? I was 105kg at Xmas! I'm 65 years old and probably spent more time in the hospital last month than I did riding my bike. How heavy, fat and unfit are you?

I was 115kg at Christmas, and still 115kg despite cycling 400 miles on my e-bike since. I'm 56... and spent some time in Hospital... but, hey, you've got me truly trumped. Oh well, it seemed a good argument at the time. Humble pie eaten.

FitBit's are still s**t, though.

 

[LeighPing]

I was 115kg at Christmas, and still 115kg despite cycling 400 miles on my e-bike since. I'm 56... and spent some time in Hospital... but, hey, you've got me truly trumped. Oh well, it seemed a good argument at the time. Humble pie eaten.

FitBit's are still s**t, though.

Don't forget that muscle is a lot heavier than fat. Those 400 miles might have been more beneficial than you think.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I start getting worried when I am at around 80 kg, I just don't feel right so I increase walking, cycling whatever. I used to row a lot.

A while back I was at 81 kg and very unhappy so I got stuck in and my weight rose to about 82-83 kg but my waistline went down as I grew muscle. Then it went down to 78 kg. My form weight is 76 kg and I managed to attain that at 58 years old by rowing about 60 to 70 kg a week. And eating the fish I caught while rowing

I have ridden about twice that distance since Christmas and I am feeling pretty lazy, I would have preferred to have done 1000 m / 1600 km

 

[LeighPing]

you wouldn`t believe how many cheating comments i`ve had more than e-bike ones.

Me too. Although I didn't get any today.

We've not done this for quite a while. I soon remembered why though.