When trying to import a workout from Xert (format .tcx file) into Garmin Connect: it is not possible. Always get an error. What is the problem?
That won’t work. You need to hook up the Garmin to your PC, then upload the workout to the NewFiles directory on your Garmin.
Important is, that the workout has less than 100 steps - this is kinda hard to guess from the description, or maybe it is, but I haven’t looked into it.
For instance, Tabata’s 300 has over 100 steps, but Sweet-spot Classic 2x20 only has 15.
If the original workout has more than 100 steps, when you select the workout and start it, your Garmin will reboot, as you have already experienced. Otherwise, it will work.
Edit: not sure if the Smart aspect of a workout will also cause the Garmin to crash…
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Not likely. The number of interval steps is more likely to cause a crash than the smart intervals. When the SMART intervals are exported, they’re exported with the absolute time and absolute Watts. So if your fitness changes a lot over the course of a season, the same workout may need to be re-downloaded later.
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I know for a fact it does - it doesn’t like workouts that were imported with only the first 100 steps of the total - the Garmin unit will crash.
When I import a Xert SMART workout from a TCX export out of workout designer into my Garmin Edge 530 the steps, timing are all there but the power for the intervals is approximately 10 times the value they should be. The Garmin shows my correct threshold power on the screen but what it is asking me to do at each interval is incorrect. I have been exporting a TCX file placing it in New Files on the Garmin which moves it correctly to workouts. When I start the workout the power is incorrect. When I used another program to look at the FIT file converted to csv the power values were all 2000 plus the correct value. For example if the power was supposed to be 155 the value in the csv file said 2155.
If you want the SMART workout to process as designed why not import it using the Connect IQ app on the Garmin?
If you prefer interval graphs shown with Garmin workouts then create the workout without SMART intervals since those won’t export as such.
SMART intervals only work with the Xert Player (mobile or Connect IQ app).
I’ve brought up this issue with Garmin. They know it’s an issue on their end (you can open the tcx file with text editor and see the power targets are correct in the file). For some reason, they’re adding an extra 0 to each of the power targets.
haven’t heard back from them if there’s been a fix yet.
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The fact that all of this is so insanely complicated for the end user is ridiculous. The proliferation of platforms (with a relatively small number of leading bike computers) and no standardization is just causing headaches to end users.
It’s unfortunate that companies like Strava, Wahoo and Garmin are just worried about protecting their marketing advantage and ignoring user needs. In the end people will buy what’s easy to use (see Apple)
I can only imagine the pain for a developer to cover the majority of the use cases… need some kind of open standard.
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Marco you are right!! In the meantime it already a few months that Scott posted the problem by Garmin. Nothing changes…
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I received an email (weeks ago) confirming it was an error on their end, and that they were working on a fix. Haven’t heard anything back from them since. Perhaps I’ll follow up with them and see if there’s any update.
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Another very annoying problem. When you import a workout file as .tcx file and this workout (smart or not smart) contains more dan 45 steps (because you have created for the workouts a proper datascreen on your garmin device) and you want start to ride —> garmin (edge 1030) shuts down!
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@ridgerider2 I tried using the Xert Player through Connect IQ and it does not work without constantly having to RECONNECT to both get it started and then throughout the workout. I saw where someone suggested if the particular profile on my 530 was using other Xert fields that could cause it to drop the connection SO I made a profile that called XERT and the 3 pages in that profile are the Xert Player, Map, and one page that shows speed, hr, and distance. Tried it this morning and same problem. I had to RECONNECT to get it going and two minutes into my workout I had to do it again. I WOULD love to be able to use the XERT Player. I used it a few years ago on my Edge 500 and it worked beautifully. It is not working with my Edge 530 and I agree it is most likely a Garmin problem not Xert. I am coming from a very long layoff from cycling and used Xert for my training for racing. I trust it with hard work and listening to my body to help me get fit again in the most expeditious and efficient(SMART) way.
@ManofSteele thank you so much. Nice to have the ears of someone communicating with Garmin. I will look at the files with a text editor. Any idea if there is an editor to correct the translation error in the FIT file created from the import of the TCX file?
Do you mean reconnect to your smart trainer (indoor ride) or power meter (outdoor ride)?
Connections should be made under the Garmin settings not the IQ app.
@ridgerider2 I would have to RECONNECT to my outdoor ride’s Quarq Dzero powermeter. What I would notice is when starting the player the timer would not have started if I then went to RECONNECT it would start and I could see all the data and my power would show on the graph in the center in the green assuming I was in the correct zone. After a few minutes anywhere from 2 min-5 min I would see my power had stopped varying and the timer would have stopped. I would then RECONNECT and it would actually jump to the correct elapsed time and of course power would again display properly. My Garmin is configured to receive data from my Wahoo HR and Quarq powermeter.
@ManofSteele Thanks for the tip to look at the Xert generated TCX file and you were absolutely correct all the intervals and power settings are as the workout designer indicated. I wonder if you cannot edit the Garmin converted FIT file if there is a way to tweak the TCX file to get the right values in the converted FIT file? That would be quite a long workaround to something you would expect to work without the extra effort but until I can get the Xert Player and Garmin to place nice together I would be willing to make the effort.