Virtual Handcycle

[spitfire_ch]

My Ergometer supports two modes: normal "bicycle" mode, and "handcycling". When it synchronizes the activites with Strava, I could manually change the sport type to "Handcycle" prior to the recent updates.

Since the recent updates, new activities are automatically tagged as "virtual" (which is fine). However, within virtual activities, there are only three sport types: Virtual Run, Virtual Ride and Virtual Row. Because the virtual tag cannot be removed, I have no way anymore of properly recording my activities as handcycle.

Hence, I suggest to add the sport type "Virtual Handcycle".

Probably, there are also other sport types that should have a virtual twin. An option could also be, to not limit the sport types within the virtual flag, i.e. instead of "Virtual Run", you can just choose "Run" with the virtual tag.

[Jane]

This post has been escalated to our Support team. If you have a similar question please submit a support ticket and we will investigate further.

[Jane · Accepted solution]

Hello @spitfire_ch 

Thanks for posting about this.  On Strava, we reserve "virtual" activity types for activities which contain virtual GPS, distance, elevation, and time data from a simulated (virtual) route. The activity must be originally recorded as a virtual activity using a supported virtual trainer or treadmill.

You don't mention if your Ergometer is recording and uploading virtual GPS data (typically Ergometers do not).  If it isn't, and your activities are still uploading as "virtual", we'll need to take a look at the files being uploaded from your Ergometer to see why we're erroneously classifying that activity as "virtual".

I'm going to escalate this post to our Support Team so we can work with you to see what's going on and help resolve.  

Thanks again for posting and someone will be in touch soon.

[spitfire_ch]

Hi Jane
Thanks a lot for your reply. My ergometer is a Nohrd Bike ( https://www.nohrd.com/us/nohrd-bike/ ), which I can either use by normally sitting on top, or sitting on the floor in front of it to use my hands (I figured that out when I had knee problems). It does send distance and power data, so this is probably what you would call "virtual GPS data". The following screenshot is from an activity before the recent updates. You can see the data that is transferred. Also, back then, it was not labelled as virtual and I could change the sport type to "Handcycle".

before the recent update

The following screenshot is from after the update:
After the update
Here, the sport type is fixed as Virtual Ride and cannot be changed. On the phone (Android), I can choose between "Virtual Run", "Virtual Ride" and "Virtual Row", but nothing else. I don't mind the virtual, it is virtual after all. I do mind not being able to set it to Handcycle anymore, though. I would like those activities to be categorized differently than the real virtual rides (sitting on top) as it's quite a different exercise.

Please let me know if I can help with more information.

Thanks once more for your great support and best regards

Pesche