How to open a .fit file?

I just did my first swift ride and went to download my workout file.  I was expecting an excel file but got a .fit instead.  How do I open the .fit file?  Can I upload this to garmin connect?  I am going to open a strava account soon, will Strava open these files also?  Any info on this would be great.   -Thanks Mark

Just about all major sports software programs should be able to open .fit files. Garmin Connect and Strava work just fine with .fit files, in fact, Zwift can even upload directly to Strava! I think Strava is a much better platform than Garmin Connect lately. While I love Garmin’s hardware, I think their software has been getting worse over the past 10 years or so that I’ve been using it. That being said, if you currently have all of your workouts stored in Garmin Connect, then I would recommend continuing to save in Garmin Connect. It’s great to have all of your workouts from the beginning of time saved in one place. Strava does have a sync option with Garmin Connect, so when you upload any new rides to Connect, they can automatically appear on Strava.

 

If you want to store your rides for offline use, I’d recommend Golden Cheetah. There is an option in Golden Cheetah called “edit” where you can view your ride data second by second, in a table excel-like format. GC may seem really complex when you first start using it, but I love all the information that it can tell you. I personally like using online options when possible because it’s so easy to see my workouts across multiple computers, but I haven’t found any free online programs that have the same functionality as GC.

 

Although these are just my personal preferences, I would recommend trying out a bunch of different programs and seeing which you like best. Just take one or 2 ride files and see how each program/online service handles it. Sporttracks is a common piece of desktop software, and Training Peaks is another popular platform both online/offline. Once you find something that you like, either use it concurrently with your current fitness tracking programs, or download all of your old data into your new software.

1 Like

Upload this .FIT file at www.velohero.com. There is also an Excel Export (CSV).

Thanks!  These all look like great options. I’ll test them out.

Kyle Polansky

It is as you say Golden Cheetah I spent the same (very complex) after knowing how to use and know how to use it and what makes it amazing that program.