The app counted cycling as walking today

[AsaJohanna]

Hello, I have used the Active10 app for the last few days and have enjoyed the challenge and enjoyed seeing when I have walked during the day (rather than just a total step count) and when it has been brisk enough to count. I cycle to work everyday. Yesterday the app counted my walk from the bike cage to my desk, a couple of minutes. This morning I was surprised to see that I had walked 24 minutes already by the time I got to work, of which 9 where brisk. It had somehow counted my cycle ride as walking. Any thoughts?

[AlMorr 1000miles per year]

I used MapMay Walk when I was running, that way it tells you how many steps you have 'walked', MapMyRun doesn't tell you how many steps you have ran, hence the walk, not sure about the cycling part, when cycling your feet does not contact the ground like when you are walking or running.

[Realfoodieclub]

I suppose it uses forward motion and the legs moving to record actuve10, it probably can’t distinguish between the two. I once forgot to turnoff my running watch before getting on the bus, it recorded me as running 😂.

[fabcira Active10Researcher]

It may happen if you keep your phone in a front pocket. The movement of the pedal may be confused with a step. We debated quite for a long time if cycling should have been counted for Active 10 as it is exercise. In the end we decided to include running as brisk walking and to exclude cycling. But walking and cycling may be confused some times

[MountainMachine]

I find Active 10 sometimes records cycling as brisk walking depending on where I stow my phone. Obviously the app uses gps to determine speed and I assume it uses an accelerometer in the phone to detect the oscillatory motion of walking. I find that when my phone is hanging round my neck the app thinks I am walking as the phone swings a bit and similarly, if my phone is in a bumbag or back pocket of my cycling shirt, the movement of my pelvis, particularly when I'm applying some effort, gives the phone a rhythmic motion. What I have not tried is stowing the phone in my tool bag under the saddle where it would get a relatively smooth ride apart from bumps in the road; must try that this week! (I was out for about 90 minutes on my road bike this evening; at an average speed of about 14 mph (I had some hills to contend with) and with my phone in my bumbag, Active 10 recorded 76 minutes of "walking"! On other occasions with less vigourous riding the app has recorded only a few minutes of "walking".)

[MountainMachine]

In my previous reply the 76 minutes and the few minutes are of course recorded as "brisk walking".

[AsaJohanna]

Thanks all. I tend to have my phone in a rucksack in a basket on my bike. It still records cycling as brisk walking which is a shame. I have the same issues with pedometers so I guess a lost cause...