Biking Sub-Types Not Working

[pedrojsoria]

Hi,

First of all please let me thank you for this great tool. For dataholics like me it is invaluable in order to don’t miss any second of the track just in case something happens.

I’ve tried today the “Synchronize Individual Garmin Activities with Strava“ and realized that selecting “Mountain Bike Ride” or “e-bike Mountain Bike Ride” doesn’t make any difference after uploading to Strava as it always show “Ride”. For me, to have this classification is important because I have bikes linked to each activity sub-types and a third app for maintenance plan reading directly from Strava bikes.

If I remember properly, this “error” is not exclusive for “Synchronize Individual Garmin Activities with Strava” and was also present at “combine separated GPS tracks”.

This is not a big deal as I normally edit later the activity at Strava for adding pictures but sometimes I forget to change the activity type.

Thanks a lot for your help!!!

Pedro

[fulmar2]

Hey pedrojsoria - What file format are you using when you export from GOTOES... FIT, TCX, or GPX?

In GPX and TCX, I can encode the activity type in textual format. These are plain text files, so you can see the words "Mountain Bike Ride" in the output file (for example). It's in there, but Strava doesn't delineate between these newer activity types from textual data. You can write them a feature request to improve their parsing of TCX and GPX files if you like.

In FIT files, however, I can specify the activity type numerically - first I specify "Ride" (which is sport: 2), and then "Mountain Bike" (which is sub-sport: 8). GOTOES does this, and you can double check using FitFileViewer. Strava DOES interpret FIT files correctly, as that is where most websites are focusing their efforts. FIT files can contain a lot more data than TCX or especially GPX.

If you are already exporting as FIT from GOTOES, please let me know because that would be a GOTOES issue. If you're using TCX or GPX, understand that this is a Strava bug, not a GOTOES one. Thanks!

[pedrojsoria]

Dear fulmar2,

Thanks a lot for your nice and fast answer.

I have make some tests and I think have found where the problem is.

If I send the activity directly from https://gotoes.org/strava/Transfer_Acti ... Strava.php without selecting "Edit or Merge Checked Files before sending to Strava", changes on "Activity Type" drop-down menu is not working for "Ride" subtypes. If I select another type like "Backcountry Sky" then it is working properly, but with "Mountain Bike Ride" for instance, it is not.

It is like if the app is checking if the dropdown menu selection main-type is different from Garmin type and, if not, then it is not changing anything. Thus, if you select "Mountain Bike Ride", as main type "Ride" is the same in both Garmin and Dropdown Menu, GOTOES is not adding subtype "Mountain Bike".

I have also checked in other modules and I found a similar behaviour when no other options (like "Embedding Distance" for instance) are changed. Thus, If I upload a file to https://gotoes.org/strava/Combine_GPX_TCX_FIT_Files.php and change only Ride subtype, this change is not affecting at all. If I select "Alpine Ski" for instance, then it is working properly. If I change another option together with Ride Subtype it is also working.

I don't know if I have properly explained myself but please do not hesitate to tell me if I can help somehow.

Best Regards,

Pedro

[fulmar2]

Since you wrote back, I went ahead and did a test, and it is working fine. Here is what I did:

1) I uploaded a sailing activity to GOTOES, and then set the sport as "Mountain Bike Ride". I exported from GOTOES as FIT format. This is critical for the detection to work; remember, Strava and Garmin do not auto-detect GPX or TCX activity types in all instances.


2) I took the export from GOTOES and uploaded it to fitfileviewer mentioned above. This app revealed that indeed the activity was exported as a Mountain Bike Ride correctly.

3) I then took the export from GOTOES and uploaded it to Strava.com, and it was listed as a Mountain Bike Ride.

You did not answer if you're exporting as GPX, TCX, or FIT... but my guess is that you're using either GPX or TCX. I *try* to export the activity types in those file formats.. but like I said, Strava stopped supporting the addition of newer fields several years ago, so the best bet is to ask them if they can start detecting textual "Mountain Bike Ride" from TCX or GPX if you really want this to happen. Alternatively, export as FIT From GOTOES and the issue will also be resolved.

Finally, when you transfer directly from Garmin (without doing the merge prior), GOTOES tries to retrieve the original file. If the original Garmin file is FIT (usually it is), then GOTOES will just send that file directly to Strava. In that instance, the FIT file likely has the proper sport/subsport and should be classified correctly.

Hope that helps!

[pedrojsoria]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for being so fast in answering.

I forgot to say but I am always using .fit. Actually, when sending directly from Garmin to Strava without editing or merging, I don’t have the option to choose.

You said that uploaded a sailing activity and changed to MTB Ride and worked properly and you are right. I find the problem when I upload a plain “Ride” activity and change to “Mountain Bike Ride”, “EBike Ride”… In this case nothing happens in the resulting .fit or in Strava.

I think the key is in the last paragraph you wrote. You are assuming that file from Garmin has the proper Sport/Subsport and send the file directly to Strava. In my case, I use a Garmin Edge 810 that doesn’t support “EBike Rides”, “MTB Rides”… they are always just “Rides”. Thus, I try to choose subtype in the drop-down menu and nothing happens. If I change main type, like from ride to ski, then it is working.

I can record a video later if necessary so I can explain better. Now I am at the hospital with my son and have no access to computer.

Thanks once again for your tool and help.

Kind Regards,

Pedro

[pedrojsoria]

Hi again,

I've performed (and recorded) some more detailed test and found the next:

At "Transfer from Garmin Connect to Strava":
-If I choose "Mountain Bike Ride" or "E Mountain Bike Ride" the app is NOT working properly and Strava shows a plain "Ride" activity.
-If I choose "E-Bike Ride", the app is properly working showing "E-bike Ride" at Strava.
-You can see it in this video: https://youtu.be/LTe0vTHMpPE

At "Combine FIT, GPX, CSV or TCX files for Strava or Garmin":
-If I choose "Mountain Bike Ride" or "E Mountain Bike Ride", the exported file is OK, showing "Cycling / e-bike mountain" and "Cycling / Mountain".
-If I choose "E-Bike Ride" at GOTOES the exported file is NOT correctly generated as it shows "Cycling / Generic".
-You can see it in this video: https://youtu.be/30_gvzcb0Ds

It seems like both apps are failing in an oposite way.

I really hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

Pedro

[fulmar2]

Pedro -

Thank you for the Videos. I started writing you an explanation of how this works... with screenshots of the Strava API... when I suddenly realized that Strava changed the name of the variable from "activity_type" to "sport_type"! So, I changed that in my code and it all works now! Thanks for letting me know about this! All of the Gotoes->Strava issues should now be resolved.

Just to address every aspect of your video, I noticed that in one example, you went directly into Garmin, changed the activity type, and then exported from Garmin. When you did that, the activity type was not the same as what you had changed it to in Garmin. I believe that when you change the activity type in Garmin, the underlying FIT file is not changed; Garmin simply displays the activity differently. That should account for that particular nuance.

Please can you test your files again now that I made those changes today?

[pedrojsoria]

Dear fulmar2,

¡Thanks a lot! I’ve checked it and it works like a charm!

Kind Regards,

Pedro