Why Multi-Gear Tracking Matters

If you run, you probably track your shoes. Maybe you use Strava, Nike Run Club, or Garmin Connect to log how many kilometers your current pair has covered. That makes sense — running shoes have a limited lifespan, and worn-out shoes lead to injuries.

But here's the thing: you don't run in just shoes.

The Problem with Single-Gear Tracking

Every major fitness app treats gear tracking as a one-to-one relationship. One workout, one piece of gear. Strava lets you assign a single pair of shoes to a run. Garmin does the same. Nike Run Club doesn't even go that far.

This creates a blind spot. When you head out for a morning run, you're not just wearing shoes. You might be wearing a GPS watch, a running jacket, compression socks, or a heart rate monitor strap. Each of these items has its own lifespan, its own wear pattern, and its own replacement cycle.

The same applies to cycling. Your bike gets tracked, sure. But what about your helmet? Your cycling shoes? Your bib shorts that are slowly losing their padding? Nobody tracks those — because no app lets you.

What Multi-Gear Assignment Actually Means

Multi-gear tracking means assigning multiple gear items to a single workout. Went for a run? Tag your shoes, your watch, and your jacket. Finished a bike ride? Tag your bike, helmet, shoes, and gloves.

This simple shift changes everything about how you understand your equipment:

Accurate lifespan tracking — Your jacket doesn't just age by time. It ages by use. If you run 4 times a week in the same jacket, it wears out faster than if you rotate between two. Multi-gear tracking captures this.
Real cost per use — That GPS watch you bought for $400? If you've used it for 300 workouts, that's $1.33 per workout. Suddenly it doesn't seem so expensive. But you can only calculate this if you actually track which workouts used which gear.
Smart rotation — When you can see that one pair of shoes has 600km while another has only 200km, you know which pair to grab next. Spread the wear, extend the life.
Condition awareness — Running shoes degrade after 600-800km. Climbing ropes should be retired after a certain number of falls. Bike helmets need replacement after impact. Multi-gear tracking means you know the exact state of every item you own.

Real-World Examples

The Runner

Sarah runs 5 days a week. She owns 3 pairs of running shoes (daily trainer, tempo shoes, trail shoes), a GPS watch, 2 running jackets, and various accessories. Without multi-gear tracking, she knows her daily trainers have 450km. But she has no idea how many runs her rain jacket has been through, or whether her watch battery life has degraded after 18 months of daily use.

With multi-gear tracking, every run captures the full picture. She can see that her rain jacket has been used in 89 workouts, her watch in 312, and her trail shoes are due for replacement at 720km.

The Cyclist

Tom rides road and gravel. He tracks his bike's mileage religiously — 8,500km and counting. But his helmet? No idea. His cycling shoes? Who knows. His bib shorts are starting to feel thin in the chamois, but he can't tell if that's after 100 rides or 300.

Multi-gear tracking solves this. Each ride tags the bike, helmet, shoes, and kit. Tom now knows his helmet has 6,200km of use and his bibs have survived 180 rides. Time for new padding.

The Skier

Maria skis 40 days a season. Her boots, skis, poles, helmet, goggles, and jacket all take a beating. Ski equipment is expensive — a full setup easily costs over $2,000. But nobody tracks how many days each item has seen. When should she replace her helmet? How many days until her boot liners pack out?

With session-based tracking (because skiing doesn't have a meaningful "distance"), every ski day logs every piece of equipment. After 3 seasons, Maria can see that her boots have 120 days on them and her helmet has taken one impact — time to consider replacements.

Beyond Distance: Category-Aware Tracking

Not all gear wears out the same way. A smart tracking system understands this and adapts automatically.

Distance-based gear like running shoes and bikes degrades with every kilometer. Sole cushioning breaks down, drivetrains wear out, tires lose their grip. 800km on a pair of running shoes means you're approaching replacement territory — and that can happen in just a few months of regular training.

Session-based gear like swim goggles, ski equipment, and gym gloves wears out per use, regardless of how far you go. Chlorine eats away at swim gear. Ski boots pack out over days on the mountain. 150 ski days spread across multiple seasons is a very different timeline than 800km of running — the gear lasts longer in calendar time, but every session counts.

Time-based gear like electronics and clothing degrades whether you use it or not. Battery capacity drops over years. UV light breaks down fabrics. A GPS watch bought three years ago has lost battery life even if it sat in a drawer for half that time.

When your tracker understands these categories, "75% used" tells you something meaningful. For running shoes, 75% might mean you have a few weeks left before you need a new pair. For ski equipment, 75% could mean you still have an entire season ahead of you. Same percentage — completely different urgency.

The Bottom Line

Tracking a single piece of gear per workout is like tracking your car's mileage but ignoring the tires, brakes, and oil. It gives you a partial picture at best.

Multi-gear tracking gives you the full picture. You know what you own, how much you use it, what it costs you per use, and when it's time to replace it. For anyone who takes their sport seriously — whether that's running, cycling, skiing, climbing, or anything else — this changes how you think about your equipment.

Your gear deserves better than being forgotten. Track all of it.

GearBro is the first iOS app built for multi-gear tracking. Assign multiple items to every workout, track condition across 14 gear categories, and never wonder "how old are these shoes?" again. Learn more at gearbro.app.