Ride Data Overlay

Garmin FIT workflow

How to Add Garmin FIT Data to Cycling Video

Export the original FIT activity from your Garmin account or bike computer, open Ride Data Overlay, select your MP4 or MOV clips and the FIT file, check the suggested time alignment, then preview and export. The FIT decoder reads only the metrics present in your activity.

Product demo: cycling telemetry rendered over ride footage by Ride Data Overlay.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. 1

    Get the original FIT file

    Use the original activity file when possible. It normally preserves more cycling metrics than a converted GPX file.

  2. 2

    Choose the ride video

    Select one or more MP4 or MOV clips from the same ride. The browser keeps the media local.

  3. 3

    Import and align the FIT activity

    Select the FIT file, review the timestamp-based suggestion, and adjust the offset if the first visible movement does not match.

  4. 4

    Preview available gauges

    Enable only metrics found in the activity, then scrub the timeline to verify route and sensor continuity.

  5. 5

    Export the composed video

    Choose the output settings supported by the browser and render the gauges directly into the video.

Why FIT is usually better than converted GPX

A Garmin FIT activity can carry recorded speed, power, heart rate, cadence, altitude, distance, GPS position, and timestamps in one compact file. A GPX export often keeps the route but may omit sensor fields.

Ride Data Overlay uses the Garmin FIT SDK and shows a metric only when usable samples exist. Missing power or heart rate cannot be reconstructed from GPS.

Before you export

  • Confirm that moving speed in the video matches the speed gauge at several points, not only at the start.
  • Check for pauses or auto-pause sections in the activity.
  • Check that every video clip belongs to the same ride and is in the intended order.
  • Use a short free export to validate synchronization before rendering a long 4K file.

Known limitation

The tool consumes a separate FIT activity. It does not read telemetry embedded inside an action-camera video, and it cannot add a sensor metric that the FIT file never recorded.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a FIT file downloaded from Garmin Connect?

Yes. Use the original activity export when available so recorded cycling metrics are preserved.

Why is the power or heart-rate gauge missing?

Ride Data Overlay enables gauges from actual samples. The gauge stays unavailable if the FIT activity has no usable power or heart-rate records.

Does the FIT file leave my computer?

No. FIT decoding and timeline processing happen in the browser.

Related guides

Last reviewed July 20, 2026. Report factual corrections to [email protected].