Integrating Garmin Ecosystem and TrainerRoad

Thanks heaps for the replies!

I’ll have to have a look, certainly I wasn’t getting VO2 updates or any other readiness metrics from my TR rides previously. Though that could be device specific. I’m upgrading to a 530 whilst looking at smarter watches so it might be that I see it anyway.

With regards HR accuracy, @dcrainmaker showed an impressive level of accuracy on the review of the 255 and Instinct 2. I understand it ups the power of the led during activity (so one other benefit to telling it you’re riding/recording the session). I use only Optical HR monitors these days anyway so it certainly won’t be a downgrade in that regards.

Thanks heaps everyone.

I still don’t know the exact best pathway. I like @WindWarrior idea of only doing the Garmin recording, nice and simple, but I genuinely enjoy the TR app system and wouldn’t like to move away from that. At least at home where my set up is pretty dialled.

I could definitely try turning sync back on once I have the new devices and see. It’s a shame we can’t specify slightly more detail on the sharing options. i.e. Tell TR not to bring in indoor riding, only outdoor.

I think that if I leave everything open between Garmin->TR that would do everything (with the added hassle of dual recording if that’s what is needed). It’s just how to differentiate between outdoor and indoor rides for Garmin->Strava, or if TR could send rides TR->Strava if they are Garmin recorded??

Obviously don’t agree with dropping ERG mode :wink:

But setting your TR workouts to “outside” and running them inside with your Garmin controlling your trainer in an option if you really don’t want to dual record.

Personally I dual record and delete the duplicates.

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Where do the duplicates appear most frequently?

The only one I can’t seem to avoid with sync settings is TrainerRoad sending the ride to Garmin as well as the one recorded with the Garmin - so I always have to delete that one on Garmin connect.

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Do you need to have the connection for activities open between TR → Garmin for other things? If you closed that, do you think all the other places would be clever enough to not show the duplicate?

If you do most rides inside or outside, you could likely optimize syncing and dups for your situation.

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Hi @IvyAudrain I’m wondering if you know what criteria TR uses to find duplicate workouts?

Or, more specifically, is TR able to know that a Garmin recording of say 4-5hrs, that starts at the exact same time as a TR workout, is in fact a duplicate even though it encompasses two TR workouts (for example)?

As others have said, this is all not a worry anymore. dcrainmaker even did a post on it about a year ago. I record on my forerunner 945 on outdoor only and even your concern about the sync up, before you perform an outdoor ride, you hit the “Send to garmin” button in trainnerroad desktop or on mobile just mark it as outside and it shows up on your garmin device within a minute or two. No sync up necessary because when you start the activity on your garmin, it should prompt you, do you want to do this scheduled workout, you say yes and boom trainneroad even shows the garmin work as the actual workout on your plan.

My vo2max updates all the time from trainneroad only recorded activities all the time, same with workout load etc. Pretty sure the 255/955 and all the cool HRV stuff should be just fine.

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Thanks very much for that. I’ll give the DC Rainmaker article a read!

I have been taking on board what has been said, I guess I’m just finding it harder than I really should be to wrap my head around it. Maybe it’ll all become obvious when my 530 arrives and I can actually see it all working.

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Seems like you guys were all 100% correct and this is all done between TR and Garmin already. Apologies for being dense.

Only thing I think to be gained by dual recording is the logging of HRV data, but given I’m not convinced of the value of HRV during exercise, I don’t think I’m missing much there.

One of the most key parts I missed earlier, which explains why I kept seeing TR activities on my old 130+, is that the device itself does all the clever load/stress/productivity metrics.

Thanks again everyone!!

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Yeah, it’s weird because when you look at the Connect data, it looks like it wasn’t captured, but then the Training Status data all somehow updates. There’s so magic happening behind the scenes.

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In my experience, the only reason to dual record is for outside rides, and then you have to either delete one, or stop it from sharing. The reason: Often either someone’s Edge or their phone will stop working, or logging a ride. Having two devices increases the possibility of ending up with the ride/event recorded. The person would still have to remove duplicates. Indoor rides? TR pumps to both Strava and Connect, with no duplicates, and everything is happy days. (Zwift feeds both too)

Until the computer flakes out in the middle of a ride. It so rarely happens it’s not an issue.

The only time I’ve usually had duplicates is if my Apple Watch decides to record a ride. Then I have duplicates but usually the Apple Watch ride is ‘meatier’, has more calories burned, longer distance. Weird, but it’s also not reading the various sensors. I ignore the Apple Watch if it wants to be helpful.

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I’m hoping to not have an issue there. I have had two occasions on race day where the device failed to record the entire thing.

Now with two devices with ~20hr battery life I should be ok :crossed_fingers:

What killed one ride for me was the Edge somehow tripped to an ‘inside’ ride, and I lost the entire route and some other data. OH I was pissed, the damn thing worked, but didn’t get the whole ride. I now have all of the profiles set to get GPS data, not because I want that for indoor rides, but if it trips up again, I won’t miss data. I so rarely use the Edge for indoor recording and when I do it’s only for testing and comparisons and the duplicates are hunted down and eliminated. SO having Edge dementia it’s a PITA, and I can see using two devices, JIC… But I’m there to ride, the wife says. But if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen… :wink:

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I recently started recording on my 530 because I was doing all my workouts outside. Only recently did it start updating my VO2 Max. When I would just record on trainerroad and let it import it never updated my VO2 max or my training status most of the time. Now that I have been doing everything outside the training status makes more sense. It says do more aerobic, I do more aerobic and it adjusts. Before it would just update my training load. So it seems like I need to dial record to get the performance stuff from garmin. Or get a speed sensor. Maybe the fact that distance isn’t being recorded is a part of it?

I have no idea if it matters, but for the record I just use my laptop, Neo, and iPhone (with Connect) and it does Training Status, Load, and VO2). I AM passively wearing my Fenix 6, but not recording the ride with it.

I have both Trainerroad and Zwift feeding into Garmin Connect. It works 99.99% of the time. Set it up as a ‘partner’, or whatever TR says, and it really honestly should feed automagically work. I have a Strava account, and it has helped in cases when TR tripped on feeding, which I have to stress that it rarely happens. I have had to ‘export original’, and import it into Garmin Connect. It’s a two step process, but provides an easier way to recover, at least I think…

It’s not literally magic, but it stumbles a time or two in a year.

The biggest thing I would recommend to people that covet their riding data, GET A UPS!!! (UPS= Uninterruptible Power Supply)

I have a generator, gut it drops power for 30 seconds or so and that kills your ride in TR, or Zwift dead. the resulting file is a murky stew of chicken bones and grass clippings that totally escapes the capabilities of Connect (and Strava)…

Yea I’ve done that. Garmin training status seems useless anyway. I can never make it happy. Not enough aerobic then not enough anaerobic or too much training load. How are you ever supposed to increase training load if it’s always too much?

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Think of it as a big picture tool:

and not something to drive daily workout decision making. And its ok to bump up or exceed the top of green range as it will adjust. FWIW I’m coached, averaging around 8 hours/week, it generally approves and agrees with my training. When I did TR plans it did seem pointless, which I attribute to a lack of focus on low aerobic in TR plans.

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Good to know! I’ve recently been adding
Volume but only aerobic volume and sticking with TR days for intensity. Maybe it will catch up then. Watching my beloved VO2 Max score drop ( as arbitrary as it may or may not be) hurts my soul a bit