How to get the Tacx badges without using the Tacx app


In February Garmin added a challenge where you should ride 250 km with Tacx: Tacx Ride to 250. There is also a standard badge where you should log one activity with Tacx: First Tacx Ride

You can use the Tacx Training App to get the badges but you are limited to free cycling, a small number of courses and a few other things. Check out what functions are free and what needs a subscription:
Tacx Application Subscription Options
The price for a subscription is $9.99 USD a month or $99.99 USD a year. There is a also an HD subscription for $13.99 USD a month or $139.99 USD a year.
You don't even have to have a Tacx trainer. Instead you can connect a speed sensor like Garmin Speed Sensor 2 and use it as a "virtual trainer" in the app.

If you still don't want to log the activities through the Tacx Training App (maybe you like to use Zwift or some other service) then you can follow the guide below.

Note! Do not touch activities that belongs to challenges that have ended. There is a risk that you will lose those badges.

Ride!

Log your ride as usual, save and sync.

Download the FIT file and delete the original activity

  1. Browse to the activity in Garmin Connect Web (click the activity in the activity list)
  2. Click the cog wheel and click Export Original.
  3. A zip file is downloaded.
  4. Delete the original activity in Garmin Connect by clicking the cog wheel and click Delete (You can't upload an activity with the same id so you must delete the original activity before you can upload the modified file. Also you don't want to log the same activity twice).
  5. Extract the zip file to a folder to get the FIT file.

Set Tacx as the creator

  1. Browse to fitfiletools.com.
  2. Click Launch button for the Device Changer.
  3. Click "... or select files" button and select the FIT file you exported from Garmin Connect.
  4. Set Manufacturer to "tacx" and Device Type to "tacx_training_app_android".
  5. Click Go button, wait and when done click the link "Click here to download your file!".
  6. A file named fitfiletools.fit is downloaded.

Import the modified file

  1. Browse to the import page at Garmin Connect Web:
    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/import-data
  2. Click Browse, select the file fitfiletools.fit and click Import Data button.
  3. Done!










Comments

  1. Vincent Jones16 February, 2022 13:29

    I had figured this out some days ago myself. Even though I have the Favero Assioma Duo Side Pedals and a Garmin Edge 530. I still was unable to fully understand how to pair them with the Tacx Training app. Great Work, e7andy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. StevenD16 February, 2022 22:36

    In my experience, there is no need to select a device type, just select tacx as manufacturer and press Go. Also no need to set activity to indoor cycling, at least so far.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. StevenD16 February, 2022 22:37

      My activities have been set as MTB.

      Delete
    2. e7andy17 February, 2022 16:57

      That might be true but without the device type you will not get the nice image for the device :-)

      Delete
  3. Unknown17 February, 2022 17:56

    A correction. There is no need to have a "subscription" to tacx. If you have a tacx trainer and download the free app, you are able to access a small number of courses, plus other training, ie slope. These all work fine for recording tacx activities to get the badge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. e7andy17 February, 2022 17:57

      Great! I did the test run with the app but didn't test anything else. I will update the post a little.

      Delete
  4. Oli18 February, 2022 08:51

    Are the Garmin Legacy watches also in the 'Device typ' list? Can't find them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. e7andy18 February, 2022 08:53

      No, they are missing. I suggest you send a message to fitfiletools asking them to add them. If many asks for that they might add them.

      Delete
    2. dmmac19 February, 2022 00:49

      The Garmin Legacy watches are available on Gotoes - which will do the same job as fitfiletools. I have requested they be added to fitfiletools before but no luck. Gotoes also just added the TacX as an option.

      Delete
    3. e7andy19 February, 2022 08:49

      You can also use FitFileRepairTool. The watches are not added but you can write the productId and that will work.
      Rey 3498, Darth Vader 3499, Captain Marvel 3500, First Avenger 3501.

      Delete
    4. StevenD21 February, 2022 10:26

      Thank you for that, just edited my ride from May4th 2021 to a Darth Vader watch using FitFileRapairTool for two badges.

      Delete
  5. Beet19 February, 2022 17:51

    I tried another way and it also works. I'm using rollers and Magene speed sensor. I connect speed sensor to Tacx app and use virtual trainer.
    If I compare speed and distance with Fenix 6 (where I set wheel size manually) Tacx measured more. Does anybody know how to set proper wheel size to Tacx app?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Scott L20 February, 2022 05:47

    Do you know if there are any plans to take the physical challenge patches from the tacx app and turn them into Garmin challenge/badges?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. e7andy20 February, 2022 08:47

      I haven't heard anything about that, but it would be great if they did that. Those are really tough challenges.

      Delete
    2. Vincent Jones20 February, 2022 12:18

      Their badges are very nice to add to anyone's collection. Also a great motivation as well.

      Delete
    3. Scott L22 February, 2022 16:34

      I started with an easier one. The Scandinavian challenge. Just need Lustrafjord part 2 and 3 to finish but some of those challenges seem impossible for me, maybe in the future.

      Delete
  7. Paul Adams22 February, 2022 04:53

    Did you mention that there are now levels 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10? If so, I missed it. I just noticed it today when logging in to Garmin Connect. Apparently this happened two weeks ago. Level 6 is 620 points. Level 7 is 1,260 points. Level 8 is 2580 points.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. e7andy22 February, 2022 10:58

      I haven't written a post about it, but it has been discussed in the commments for some other post.
      Level 8 is 2540, level 9 5100, level 10 10220.

      Delete
  8. Unknown25 February, 2022 21:24

    Yes, you can't import an activity with the same name as an existing activity you've already got, but being a bit risk-averse at losing it completely, rather than exporting the activity and deleting it in Connect then modifying it and re-importing it, what I tend to do is export it, rename the .fit file (eg from 1234.fit to 1234A.fit), modify that and re-import. If it re-imports OK and my changes were what I wanted, *then* I delete the original in Connect. I've not done it to change the device to Tacx as discussed here, but frequently do it to split or merge activities or correct crazy HR readings, etc

    ReplyDelete
  9. Vincent Jones26 February, 2022 06:31

    Garmin Connect badges for March is out already. A Swimming badge has been added.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Vincent Jones26 February, 2022 06:38

    No Tacx badge has been added. All the other badges are the normal ones.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. StevenD26 February, 2022 08:45

      Looks like 5 new Tacx activity badges, plus a Starbucks Steps challenges in March.

      Delete
    2. e7andy26 February, 2022 10:09

      Thanks. I've made a new post with the March badges.
      Starbucks is not yet available.
      Neither is the Tacx ones.

      Delete
  11. apneacz29 March, 2022 20:45

    The easiest way to get the special-edition badges without any external tools, is exporting an activity in the TCX format, opening it in Notepad (or a similar editor), and changing the tag ProductID to the desired number (as Andy wrote: Rey 3498, Darth Vader 3499, Captain Marvel 3500, First Avenger 3501). You do NOT need to change neither the device Name nor the version number. The only value you have to edit to get the badge, is really just the ProductID. Then remove the original from GC, import the modified TCX file to GC, and change the date (if necessary).

    PS: do not use activities with valuable data, or those that made you gain other badges or challenges!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. apneacz30 March, 2022 10:58

      Ah, I wrote in the wrong thread. Sorry for that! I am going to copy it to the Noble Warrior Hero thread, where it belongs.

      Delete
  12. Zuzana11 February, 2023 19:25

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

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