Does your Garmin take forever when you try to upload your latest ride/run data? Has it been steadily getting worse? Here’s the fix.
Every time you record a ride, a file is written to the memory. Over time, the numbers of files build up and this has the effect of slowing down the upload process significantly. The solution is very simple, you can either just delete the files, or move them over to a backup location of your choice.
Option A – exterminate!
- Connect your device via usb.
- Navigate to the internal memory so you can see the folders.
- Open the folder called “Activities”
- Delete the .FIT files.
- Reboot the Garmin and enjoy speedy uploading again.
Option B – data backup
I prefer this option, and here’s why. Way back in the past I used to use the walmart of fitness apps – mapmyride. Then one day I wanted to export my data (yes, MY data) as I’d lost the original files, back in the days when I used a smartphone to track the routes. How quaint.
Anyhow, I was flabbergasted to discover that when you export your data (and it is yours, isn’t it?) from mapmyride, they only include the track points and strip out all the time data. Think about that. Yeah, useless.
It’s obviously a greedy thing to keep you tied to their service by preventing you migrating your data to a decent provider like Strava or RidewithGPS. So, the message is keep your own data backups, and you’ll be free to do whatever you want with it. Who knows what’s around the corner, right?
How to backup your data
- Connect the Garmin via USB.
- Navigate to the internal memory (not the SD card).
- Open the “Activities” folder Select all the files (on windows, Ctrl A)
- Cut the files (Ctrl X)
- Decide on a backup location, e.g. your My Docs folder.
- Paste (Ctrl V)
- This copies moves all the files.
For an additional safety blanket of digital goodness, you could also upload them to some online storage like Dropbox, or Google Drive (used to be Google docs). This will allow you to recover your data in the event of your hard drive bursting into flames in protest because you used mapmyride once too. You could also apply this to other digital keepsakes like family photos, but hey, get the priorities right.
I simply copy my ride each day to my computer’s hard drive, then upload from a file to Garmin Connect, Strava, and MapMyRide (if they have a challenge going on). This way, I have a copy on my Garmin, a copy on my personal computer, and copies on a couple of Web sites. I figure I’m not likely to lose ALL of them….
Option A definitely worked for me..Thanks 👍😎