The GPS tracking, route tracking, touch screen, Ant+ connectivity or water resistance are just some of the features that have turned cycling computers into true onboard computers for cyclists.
A few years ago, these devices only recorded basic data such as speed or distance traveled. However, nowadays they allow you to calculate multiple real-time metrics, store routes, offer advanced navigation, and even sync with social networks.
How to choose the ideal GPS for your bike?
With the large number of models available on the market, it can be difficult to find the cycling computer that best suits your needs. The choice will depend on the type of cycling you do:
- For road bikes: If you want to train precisely, a GPS with advanced performance metrics, road navigation, and compatibility with Ant+ or Bluetooth sensors will be key to improving your experience.
- For mountain bikes: In MTB, a GPS with detailed maps, shock and water resistance, long battery life, and the ability to track on trails without signal will be a great advantage.
After years of using different devices on the road and in the mountains, I have tested different brands, ranges, and prices. In this article I will tell you how to choose the perfect GPS according to the type of use, beyond the brands.
If you are looking for the best GPS for your bike, here you will find the key information to make the best decision.
Not everyone uses the GPS system
Although we commonly call these types of cycling devices GPS, I would like to clarify that the correct term is cyclocomputer. GPS is simply the type of positioning system they use to obtain the location, which is then used to calculate speed, distance traveled, etc. While it is true that the American GPS (Global Positioning System) is the main geolocation method, it is not the only one used by cycling cyclocomputers. Brands like Garmin or Bryton (in some of their models) also rely on the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), providing greater accuracy in geopositioning. By using both networks, they also ensure that if, for some reason beyond the device, one of them temporarily fails, the other can be used to continue providing reliable data. It's worth remembering that another existing positioning network, the European Galileo, was down for two weeks last summer.
How much does a cyclocomputer for my bike cost?
As with any purchase you want to make, the first thing is to consider the price you are willing to spend, and based on this budget, look for the features that best match the type of cycling you practice. Fortunately, today there is a very wide catalog of both brands and devices. The boom in promotions on social networks and the great competition among manufacturers have caused prices to drop so much that they have practically put an end to classic odometers. By searching for deals, it is possible to find GPS cyclocomputers for as little as 35 euros. If you want the latest model on the market, it can cost you 10 times more.
Battery life, an important factor
With a cyclocomputer in your life, you add a new gadget to keep an eye on (as if there weren't enough already) to make sure it has a good battery charge. After all, it is not a simple odometer, with which a button cell battery would provide enough autonomy for months and months of use. Modern cycling GPS devices use lithium batteries. Depending on the screens they have, the connections, and the type of use each cyclist gives them, their duration varies greatly. There are models like the Polar V650 where the battery life reaches 10 hours. And other models like the Bryton 450 where it reaches up to 35 hours. So each person should assess how much priority they give to this feature. In any case, you can always use an external battery to extend the device's duration in a specific situation.
Does the size (of the GPS) matter?
Both the screen and the size of the device vary according to each user's preferences. There are cyclists who like to have a lot of data on the main screen. For them, the most recommended is a large screen that can display a great number of metrics at once. Some cyclocomputers have screens up to 3.5 inches. Others, on the other hand, prefer to have fewer but larger data displayed on the screen. You decide what type of metrics you need to know during the ride and which ones are secondary. Larger screens on cyclocomputers are not always the best.
Touchscreen? Only if it can be used with gloves
Another aspect about screens that you should keep in mind—especially so you don't overpay—is the type and resolution format you need. On the market, we can find very affordable cycle computers that use monochrome screens (thus saving battery consumption). But there are also GPS devices with huge full-color touch screens. As for whether it's better to have a touch screen or not, the answer depends on its sensitivity. It's not the same to use a touch screen with bare fingers sitting on the couch as it is with gloves on while pedaling at full speed. Fortunately, the latest GPS models with touch screens for cycling have a quality comparable to high-end smartphones, which makes them easy to use with gloves on and in adverse conditions. In addition, some cycle computers incorporate screens that detect so-called false touches, which can be caused by raindrops or mud.
Connectivity and phone
Although nowadays almost all devices come with Bluetooth and Ant+ connections to connect to our cadence, heart rate, speed, power meters, or smart trainers, you should also consider whether they have WIFI connection to connect to a network and thus upload new routes or download our workouts into applications like Strava. Currently, there are devices with an integrated SIM card, so we can always be connected to the Internet and send an emergency alert in case of an accident. It may also be interesting to know if we can connect our phone to the GPS device to receive notifications while we're on the go, such as WhatsApp messages. Without a doubt, this is a very appreciated feature by users.
Rainproof
Waterproofing is one of the features we often forget to consider when buying a cycle computer. And yet it's important. To avoid future disappointments, it's very important to find out which water resistance certification the device adheres to. This resistance is indicated by the last number of the protection rating: IPX7, for example, is the resistance of a bestseller like the Garmin 1030: 7. If you want to know what level of water and humidity resistance the different grades offer, check the following table:
- IPx0: No protection against water
- IPx1: Protection against water drops (falling vertically), at a rate of 3-5 cubic millimeters per minute for 10 minutes.
- IPx2: Protection against water dripping (up to 15º inclination from vertical), at a rate of 3-5 cubic millimeters per minute for 10 minutes. In practice, this means it is resistant to sweat.
- IPx3: Protection against water spray (up to 60º from vertical) up to 10 liters per minute.
- IPx4: Protection against splashes and low-pressure water jets (from any angle), up to 12.5 liters per minute.
- IPx5: Protection against pressurized water jets (from any angle).
- IPx6: Protection against heavy rain and high-pressure water jets, up to 100 liters per minute.
- IPx7: Protection against temporary immersion in water, up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes.
- IPx8: Protection against permanent immersion under water. It withstands complete and continuous immersion for the time specified by the manufacturer.
Tracking and maps
If you like discovering new routes, getting lost on trails, or seeing the profiles of the carrera you are racing in real time, then you need to get a GPS with maps and tracking. Find out about the device's storage capacity and how those maps are updated (not all offer free updates). There are models with little capacity that won't let you include all the maps you would like. Or they 'cheat' by loading maps with little detail so they take up less space, as happened with the old Garmin 520 (an error corrected in the new 520plus).
Cyclocomputers with Android system
Poorly designed software can make the device, even if it works correctly and fully meets the manufacturer's specifications, a nightmare to use. Ideally, operating systems should be as intuitive and visual as possible. Normally, almost all brands work with their own closed operating systems, but it seems this is changing. The manufacturer Hammerhead has revolutionized the cyclocomputer market with its Hammerhead Karoo model, a GPS based on the Android operating system. With the trend of incorporating ever larger and touch screens and the arrival of new models based on open systems like Android, it seems that the trend for these cyclocomputer devices is to resemble smartphones more than simple bike computers.
Tuvalum Team
