there isn't a total fitness analytics solution
I've spent the last few weeks trying to find the best way to keep track of casual fitness data. Unfortunately, it seems that no one has been able to get it right. There are a number of ways to track information and I'm trying to find as many automated reporting devices as possible.
So far, I've signed up for DailyBurn and purchased a wi-fi enabled scale that also records BMI. I'm not really looking for weight to be a major element of determining my fitness but BMI seems like an interesting statistic to track. The scale automagically posts data to my DailyBurn dashboard! The scale likely isn't the most accurate device, but since I'm starting only a few weeks into training, I'll be able to compare the [possibly inaccurate] data as time goes on.
The real difficulty is finding the best way to track actually riding my bike. I've been using a great application, Cyclemeter [iTunes], which uses the GPS to track your rides. It is full of fun features, like Facebook integration so you can share your rides with friends. It will even read comments written on your ride start post! Sadly, it doesn't have integration with DailyBurn, so I have to manually enter information about the ride.
Now while this is all fine and good, it's separated from how the ride is actually making me feel. And this is where tracking becomes more difficult. There is a standard for low power wireless sensors called ANT+. The iPhone doesn't natively support this standard [does anyone know what standard NIKE+ uses?] so you have to install a dock dongle to receive data from connected devices. There also seems to be a few devices that use bluetooth to communicate with the iPhone. So in theory, an app should be able to keep track of your GPS location, heart rate, and cadence from another sensor mounted on the bike. And in my fantasyland, it has integration with DailyBurn, or something like it but better.
Here are the devices I've found so far:
Pedal Brain: looks to be the most promising but also might be vaporware [it was supposed to be out by now. the design looks great, but yet another monthly fee is involved.
Enki-Train: another interesting hardware + software option. there aren't a lot of reviews on this one and it's $224 dollars [ouch!]
Wahoo Fitness Fisica: a dongly thing that you put on the iPhone and it works with ANT+ enabled sensors made by other companies. The apps from the company look questionable at best.
Digifit Connect: well this one went from $80 to $9.99. I'm pretty sure that says all you need to know.
Sadly, I can't find a consensus on a functional system for cycling. And worst of all, data portability with these services is shit. This means that the data that I record from each of these devices gets sucked in and is difficult to share with other services. Even DailyBurn sucks with this.
And really, I should be working on my abysmal endurance instead of trying to find sensors anyway.
