How to avoid Garmin Connect

ugo.santalucia
ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
in Road general
Since it's been down for nearly a week now, is there a way to upload a ride from a Garmin unit without having to plug it to a computer?

Please no "buy a Wahoo" comments
left the forum March 2023
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Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    ... I mean upload it to Strava
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    ugo.santalucia said:

    ... I mean upload it to Strava

    Well just upload it to straight to Strava.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    joe2019 said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    ... I mean upload it to Strava

    Well just upload it to straight to Strava.
    How do you do that without using a USB cable?
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    Why can't you use a USB cable?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    joe2019 said:

    Why can't you use a USB cable?

    I can, but it's always been a pain... half the time the computer doesn't see the device... had the same problem with the older Garmin too, possibly a cable issue or a USB port issue... don't know why. I was wondering if there was a way to automatically upload bypassing Garmin Connect
    left the forum March 2023
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    It's easy peasy with a laptop and a usb cable. Takes a minute or so ?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    fenix said:

    It's easy peasy with a laptop and a usb cable. Takes a minute or so ?

    read above
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    edited July 2020
    ugo.santalucia said:

    joe2019 said:

    Why can't you use a USB cable?

    I can, but it's always been a pain... half the time the computer doesn't see the device... had the same problem with the older Garmin too, possibly a cable issue or a USB port issue... don't know why. I was wondering if there was a way to automatically upload bypassing Garmin Connect
    I've always, since 2012, uploaded to Strava, via USB and never once had an issue.

    It's certainly not 'a pain'.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    RIght, great, but not helpful

    This is what I am already doing
    left the forum March 2023
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    I’ve never found any other way 😔 You can’t file-transfer via Bluetooth from the head unit on to an iPhone, I’m not sure whether you can on Android though.

    I expected that I could sync my activities to Garmin Connect on my ‘phone without it being in contact with Garmin servers, but the app either crashes or won’t recognise my headunit so there’s no way of pulling the data off that way either.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    ugo.santalucia said:

    fenix said:

    It's easy peasy with a laptop and a usb cable. Takes a minute or so ?

    read above
    I'd posted at the same time as you so hadn't seen your post.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    s_j_pwmb said:

    I’ve never found any other way 😔 You can’t file-transfer via Bluetooth from the head unit on to an iPhone, I’m not sure whether you can on Android though.

    I expected that I could sync my activities to Garmin Connect on my ‘phone without it being in contact with Garmin servers, but the app either crashes or won’t recognise my headunit so there’s no way of pulling the data off that way either.

    Thanks... What I suspected then... well, hopefully they'll fix it at some point
    left the forum March 2023
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    ugo.santalucia said:

    RIght, great, but not helpful

    This is what I am already doing

    It's really not difficult.

    Garmin has been hacked, get used to it, until they pay the ransom :)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    Last time I answer your unhelpful comments.

    I know it's not difficult, however, it might well be that my cable or my USB port have some issues. Occasionally, I have to plug the device 7-8 times before finally the laptop agrees to see it.
    Hence if there was a way to avoid it, that would have been wonderful
    left the forum March 2023
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    s_j_pwmb said:

    I expected that I could sync my activities to Garmin Connect on my ‘phone without it being in contact with Garmin servers, but the app either crashes or won’t recognise my headunit so there’s no way of pulling the data off that way either.

    Yeah I expected that too - save to your phone then upload to Garmin/Strava.
    I think this is how it works normally, but when it can't contact the Garmin servers it won't even start syncing.

  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    ugo.santalucia said:

    Last time I answer your unhelpful comments.

    I know it's not difficult, however, it might well be that my cable or my USB port have some issues. Occasionally, I have to plug the device 7-8 times before finally the laptop agrees to see it.
    Hence if there was a way to avoid it, that would have been wonderful

    I have to say I have similar problems. This afternoon I tried five different micro-USB cables In two different USB ports, and rebooted my laptop twice, before my Edge830 was recognised. I have no idea why it suddenly worked, but at least I could upload my ride.
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    thistle_(mbnw) said:

    s_j_pwmb said:

    I expected that I could sync my activities to Garmin Connect on my ‘phone without it being in contact with Garmin servers, but the app either crashes or won’t recognise my headunit so there’s no way of pulling the data off that way either.

    Yeah I expected that too - save to your phone then upload to Garmin/Strava.
    I think this is how it works normally, but when it can't contact the Garmin servers it won't even start syncing.

    I tried turning my ‘phone to airplane mode and it still won’t recognise the Edge830 is even connected, The only Garmin sync which is working is the step-count on my Fenix. I believe that Garmin stopped local syncing in favour of direct uploads ages ago, that’s why when you sync after a ride the activity doesn’t appear in Garmin Connect immediately, it has to go to the server and the is downloaded back to the application.

    Another option which may work is Garmin Express, it’s older software from the era of local-syncing. Unfortunately I haven’t tried using it as my MacBook Pro is away at the menders at the moment and I don’t have Garmin Express on my work Windows machine, has anyone else tried syncing with Express?
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    ugo.santalucia said:

    Last time I answer your unhelpful comments.

    I know it's not difficult, however, it might well be that my cable or my USB port have some issues. Occasionally, I have to plug the device 7-8 times before finally the laptop agrees to see it.
    Hence if there was a way to avoid it, that would have been wonderful

    Well, there's no way around it, so maybe get a new cable.

    Do you only have one USB port?


  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    s_j_pwmb said:

    thistle_(mbnw) said:

    s_j_pwmb said:

    I expected that I could sync my activities to Garmin Connect on my ‘phone without it being in contact with Garmin servers, but the app either crashes or won’t recognise my headunit so there’s no way of pulling the data off that way either.

    Yeah I expected that too - save to your phone then upload to Garmin/Strava.
    I think this is how it works normally, but when it can't contact the Garmin servers it won't even start syncing.

    I tried turning my ‘phone to airplane mode and it still won’t recognise the Edge830 is even connected, The only Garmin sync which is working is the step-count on my Fenix. I believe that Garmin stopped local syncing in favour of direct uploads ages ago, that’s why when you sync after a ride the activity doesn’t appear in Garmin Connect immediately, it has to go to the server and the is downloaded back to the application.

    Another option which may work is Garmin Express, it’s older software from the era of local-syncing. Unfortunately I haven’t tried using it as my MacBook Pro is away at the menders at the moment and I don’t have Garmin Express on my work Windows machine, has anyone else tried syncing with Express?
    The whole Garmin 'eco-system' is down, so Express is useless too.

  • dowtcha
    dowtcha Posts: 442
    edited July 2020
    s_j_pwmb said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    Last time I answer your unhelpful comments.

    I know it's not difficult, however, it might well be that my cable or my USB port have some issues. Occasionally, I have to plug the device 7-8 times before finally the laptop agrees to see it.
    Hence if there was a way to avoid it, that would have been wonderful

    I have to say I have similar problems. This afternoon I tried five different micro-USB cables In two different USB ports, and rebooted my laptop twice, before my Edge830 was recognised. I have no idea why it suddenly worked, but at least I could upload my ride.
    The contacts get contaminated and the constant plugging in and out cleans the contact and it will eventually work. You could use a q tip and clean the contacts to see if will help. I had an older 800 and it did not have the upload over wifi feature and was a right pain to upload. I changed to another companies computer but can not tell u which one as it might upset ugo.
    ugo.santalucia said:

    s_j_pwmb said:

    .

    Thanks... What I suspected then... well, hopefully they'll fix it at some point
    hopefully they'll fix it at some point should be their company moto.


  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    dowtcha said:



    The contacts get contaminated and the constant plugging in and out cleans the contact and it will eventually work. You could use a q tip and clean the contacts to see if will help. I had an older 800 and it did not have the upload over wifi feature and was a right pain to upload. I changed to another companies computer but can not tell u which one as it might upset ugo.


    Ah, that makes sense... keep the contacts clean...

    left the forum March 2023
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,218
    s_j_pwmb said:

    I tried turning my ‘phone to airplane mode and it still won’t recognise the Edge830 is even connected, The only Garmin sync which is working is the step-count on my Fenix.

    Steps, calories, active time etc. all show up on my Garmin Connect. I suspect these are read using BLE like they are on a Fitbit - it's just a handful of numbers that can be read quickly rather than transferring a big file which seems to use regular bluetooth.

  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Sell it and buy a Wahoo.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,798
    Mine won’t transfer data on a generic cable. Has to be an actual Garmin device cable.
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    carbonclem said:

    Mine won’t transfer data on a generic cable. Has to be an actual Garmin device cable.

    I've just tried my phone charging cable (Samsung) and it seems to work fine.
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    StillGoing said:

    Sell it and buy a Wahoo.

    couldn't live with massively overinflated climbing figures.
    left the forum March 2023
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    ugo.santalucia said:

    StillGoing said:

    Sell it and buy a Wahoo.

    couldn't live with massively overinflated climbing figures.
    Not sure where you get this from, or if it was a problem before, but defo isn't now. The climbing figures between two gps units will always be slightly different but every time I ride with a mate or the club the climbing stats are all usually pretty similar.

    One thing the garmin does have which wahoo should try to copy is the climb pro data.
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    redvision said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    StillGoing said:

    Sell it and buy a Wahoo.

    couldn't live with massively overinflated climbing figures.
    Not sure where you get this from, or if it was a problem before, but defo isn't now. The climbing figures between two gps units will always be slightly different but every time I ride with a mate or the club the climbing stats are all usually pretty similar.

    One thing the garmin does have which wahoo should try to copy is the climb pro data.
    Wahoo's are still fugly though
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    What's the best route planner out there for garmin now ?

    I liked their popularity function - it meant you didn't choose a road that nobody else has done because it's usually not a passable path...
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    I used to use an app called Sportablet "Uploader for Garmin" a couple of years ago via an OTG cable into a phone - don't know if that would still work or if it would do bluetooth now.

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