Top 10 Cycling Watches
Smartwatches Designed for Cycling
Smartwatches designed for cycling are becoming increasingly advanced.
Some mid-range cycling watches are now surpassing top cycling computers in terms of features and data analysis. In addition to matching the same level of functionality, they offer added benefits by being worn on the wrist, allowing for smarter tracking of the body’s activities both on and off the bike.
Due to being worn on the wrist, they can monitor various sports such as running, swimming, hiking, rowing, skiing, and even golfing.
While bike mounts are available with some, they’re not necessary and you need not concern yourself with removing them when stopping. Additionally, if you go off-road, it won’t get as muddy as a computer.
Similar to bike computers, GPS smartwatches can connect with external sensors, such as power meters and heart rate monitors. Additionally, most GPS smartwatches come with built-in optical heart rate monitors on the wrist.
Smartwatches come with navigation features, and high-end sports models may provide the same cycling data as a dedicated cycling computer.
Watches for Cycling at the Top
1. Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar
The Forerunner 955 Solar from Garmin is loaded with various features, serving beyond its functions as a GPS unit or activity tracker – both of which it excels in.
This timepiece gathers an extensive amount of information, supplying insights into your recuperation, readiness for exercise, anxiety levels, and additional factors.
It does this thanks to two light diodes situated on the back of the watch, which track your heart rate and your heart rate variability. From here it can measure your performance ability, and then track your progression and recovery accordingly.
Concerning the mapping, we discovered that the display with a circumference of 33.5mm facilitated user-friendliness and tracking.
The maps revealed bridleways and divergences in the route when zoomed in, which provided sufficient guidance for navigating. Even if we attempted to lose our way, the ability to zoom and scroll allowed us to easily return to the correct path.
The battery life was outstanding during our four-month test, enduring through the winter and remaining charged for more than seven days each time.
Without this feature, the 955 model is not likely to appeal to as wide of an audience as the solar version, which will vary depending on location and exposure to sunlight. Price £549.90
2. Wahoo Elemnt Rival
The Wahoo Elemnt Rival shares the exact same user-friendly, intuitive functionality as Wahoo’s excellent cycling computers and uses the same app.
Furthermore, in contrast to its peers, this smartwatch is very light and comfortable. Its GPS functionality is highly precise, and it boasts an impressive battery life. In addition, the optical heart rate monitor it features may very well be the most dependable available.
Wahoo has stated that the Elemnt Rival is “radically simplified” and lacks features such as navigation, sleep tracking, and adaptive training guidance. While this may make the watch seem less functional compared to other wearable devices, Wahoo has designed the Elemnt Rival to cater specifically to experienced and committed athletes who do not require these features.
While the Rival is simple to operate, it falls short in providing comprehensive performance analysis and is unsatisfyingly devoid of navigation features.
Nevertheless, you can utilize the Rival simultaneously with the Wahoo Kickr as a wearable controller. Furthermore, its feature of ‘touchless transition tracking’ instantly records your progression between the various sections of a triathlon and furnishes you with timings for each phase and transition.
Our recommendation for avid cyclists would be to invest in a specialized Wahoo cycling computer instead of other alternatives.
The Elemnt Rival is the perfect sports-oriented watch for those who desire Wahoo’s signature clean aesthetics, dependable connection and synchronization, user-friendly application, and remarkable battery longevity. Price £199.99
3. Garmin Epix 2
With the Garmin Epix, you can enjoy most of the features found in the Garmin Fenix 7; however, instead of the MIP touchscreen, the Epix comes with a more vivid and lively AMOLED touchscreen.
Even though it lacks solar charging functionality which the Fenix 7 possesses, the battery life is still commendable, lasting approximately 6 days when utilizing GPS for activity tracking.
The Epix provides comparable features to top-of-the-line cycling computers, with the ability to utilize it for both navigation and connection to external devices like a power meter. Additionally, it comes with built-in capabilities for heart rate monitoring and pulseox.
By wearing the Epix round the clock, you can access a full range of health data provided by Garmin, including heart rate variability, recovery time, and sleep quality. The Epix impressed us so much that we awarded it a five-star rating. Price £598.00
4. Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch Ultra is both more durable and has a lengthier battery life compared to other models by Apple. Furthermore, it features a spacious 1.9″ sapphire glass touchscreen that remains illuminated at all times.
The Apple Watch Ultra incorporates various tracking features such as HRV, pulseox, body temperature, and ECG. Its built-in HRM closely monitors a chest strap while the GPS trace consistently follows a cycling computer. Additionally, the device offers precise sleep tracking.
Despite having built-in cellular connectivity, the battery life on this smartwatch for cycling still falls short compared to the top models and requires pairing with an iPhone to access all of its features. However, if you purchase a SIM card, you can utilize the device for mapping, messaging, and calls without the need for a phone. Price £849
5. Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
The Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar boasts an abundance of features in a compact form factor. These features include GPS tracking, Bluetooth, ANT+ and WiFi connectivity, optical heart rate monitoring, and pulse oximetry to gauge oxygen saturation in your blood. However, these power-intensive tasks can quickly deplete your battery.
Garmin has introduced a solar coating on the Fenix 7’s glass face, which converts sunlight into an energy boost for the battery, providing up to 5 days of GPS tracking and 5 weeks of smartwatch usage. The Fenix 7 comes in three sizes, with various casing and strap options, and can also be purchased without solar charging.
With its wide-ranging capabilities and intuitive design, this tracker offers everything you need and more. From base maps and navigation to onboard music, it has all the features you could want. Plus, the touchscreen interface and buttons make it user-friendly once you’ve determined what you want to keep an eye on. Price £579
The interface of the Garmin Connect application is pleasant and can also be tailored to cater to your athletic preferences.
6. Garmin Forerunner 945
Immediate Media
- Excellent battery life in GPS mode
- Countless features
The Garmin Forerunner 945 offers athletes additional features and everyday functions, making it more attractive than its predecessor, the Forerunner 935.
With a newly added optical heart-rate sensor, this device’s software can analyze your aerobic and anaerobic benefits post-ride. Featuring a 30.4mm screen, the display is easily legible and the battery boasts an impressive 36-hour lifespan while in GPS mode.
Equipped with ANT+, Bluetooth, and WiFi connectivity, the watch promptly shares ride information with the majority of top-notch cycling apps available.
With the Forerunner 945, you can play music straight from the watch to Bluetooth earphones and use Garmin Pay for touchless transactions.
The sole drawback of this Garmin cycling watch is its expensive price tag, but we found it to be the finest one we’ve tried. Price £439
7. Amazfit GTR 4
The Amazfit GTR 4 retains the superior features of its predecessor, the GTR 3 while enhancing its user-friendliness.
According to reports, an advanced optical biometric sensor can capture 33% more data than its predecessor. Additionally, the updated software has fewer glitches and results in faster touchscreen responsiveness.
Using Bluetooth connectivity with your phone, the smartwatch allows for the handling of calls and messaging, boasts a built-in music player, and is resistant to water. Moreover, the battery capacity of the Amazfit GTR 4 smartwatch is impressive as our reviewer utilized it over seven days even whilst regularly utilizing GPS and Bluetooth.
There are eight standard activity modes, including outdoor cycling, and the GPS receiver quickly acquires a signal.
Although the heart rate monitor takes time to respond to more exertion, it eventually yields data similar to that of a Garmin cycling computer and heart strap. Price £199.00
8. Coros Pace 2 smartwatch
The Coros 2 is a more appealing choice for cyclists and especially for multi-sport athletes, as it comes with several enhancements in comparison to its previous model.
The enhancements consist of an increase in RAM by a factor of five, resulting in quicker processing, and storage has been quadrupled. The watch can sync with any possible device through ANT+, and there is a training schedule function that collaborates with the Coros app.
The watch is more suitable for cyclists who are also fond of running, as opposed to those who are solely interested in cycling.
The device offers running power measurement and uses a two-button system instead of a touchscreen, which is simple to operate while running but can be challenging with thick winter cycling gloves or while holding onto a handlebar.
The absence of navigation or routing features can eliminate it as an option for a large number of cyclists.
Nonetheless, the Coros Pace 2 asserts to have a battery lifespan of 30 days when used normally and 30 hours when utilizing full GPS mode, and our investigations confirmed this to be accurate. Price £179.00
9. Polar Ignite 2 GPS fitness smartwatch
Designed for outdoor activities such as cycling and running, the Polar Ignite 2 GPS fitness smartwatch is the perfect companion.
During testing, the watch was able to handle GPS duties almost as proficiently as a specialized GPS cycling computer, exhibiting slight difficulties only in heavily forested areas where the GPS tracking seemed to deviate.
Even though there was some invalid data obtained from the heart rate monitor due to intense activity, the fact that wrist-based monitors are typically less trustworthy than other types makes it difficult to criticize the watch.
The Polar Ignite offers additional metrics that, although not exclusive to cycling, were unexpectedly beneficial. These metrics comprise sleep statistics and everyday activity tracking, where workout progress is expressed as a percentage to advise you on when you need to take a break.
If you’re an informal cyclist who doesn’t want to invest in an expensive product or if you’re interested in obtaining more comprehensive knowledge on fitness, physical strain, and sleep patterns, the watch is a suitable option. Price £179.00
10. Polar Vantage V2 Mutisport GPS HRM
The Polar Vantage V2 features various metrics for a variety of activities, but it specifically caters to cycling with dedicated functions and exams like VO2 max and Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
The Fuel Wise feature of the watch provides recommendations on when to consume food and beverages that are tailored to the intensity of the ride. This is determined using the heart rate monitor on the smartwatch.
When connected with Komoot, this Polar smartwatch is equipped for navigation but its visual guidance is simplistic despite its bright display. Additionally, it can be synced with Strava to provide real-time segment updates.
Even if gloved, the touchscreen is functional, but if necessary there are buttons. The battery holds up for an admirable 38 hours while using full GPS mode (supposedly it can last up to 40 hours), and the GPS signal reception and retention are noteworthy. Price £399.00
Cycling Functionality on Smartwatches
