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Are you looking for the best watches and smartwatches for cycling but wondering which brand makes the cut?
Whether it’s going to be your first time to own a cycling watch or you want to upgrade what you already have, here are some of the best options to consider – depending on your budget.
Top Rated Smartwatches For Cycling Comparison & Rating
Preview | Waterproof | Battery Life | Heart Rate | GPS | Price |
y | 30 hours | y | y | Check Price on Amazon | |
y | 4 days | y | y | Check Price on Amazon | |
y | 9 days | y | y | Check Price on Amazon | |
y | 20+ hours | y | y | Check Price on Amazon | |
n | 18 hours | y | y | Check Price on Amazon | |
y | 4 days | y | y | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Cycling Watches Reviews – GPS & Mountain Bikes Smart Watches Revealed
Polar Vantage Multisport Watch
Polar takes smart technologies and integrates them in the Vintage to give you a multisport smartwatch that you can use for nearly any kind of workout.
It features a big, vibrant screen, which displays very clear content even in broad daylight. The vintage is not only available in different color schemes, but also features replaceable bands that you can get to personalize your Vintage.
Polar means serious business when they say this is a multisport watch. In the real sense, that’s exactly what you get for the price point. Whether you love swimming, running long distance races, or biking, you can use the Vintage smartwatch to capture key metric and use the results to improve future performance.
By combining optical sensors and bio-impedance electrodes, Polar has been able to make Vintage one of the most powerful and accurate heart rate monitors yet. They’ve taken this even further by adding 5 heart rate zones, making it easy for you to know how fast your heart beats depending on the intensity of your current workout.
Pros:
- High quality build
- Breathable strap
- Includes a wrist based heart rate with pulse zones
Cons:
- This smartwatch is expensive
Fitbit Ionic Watch
The Ionic was Fitbit’s first and only smartwatch. And while they didn’t manage to make it as cutting-edge as Apple Watch 4, it still serves its purpose quite well.
The Ionic first launched as an expensive fitness tracker. But its price has favorably gone down, mostly due to the debut of Charge 3, and it’s not an option for cyclists who are looking for a cheap smartwatch gets things done.
It’s made of aluminum, making it one of the most lightweight watches in the Fitbit’s product line. It has 3 buttons for navigation and the screen is fully touchscreen and responsive.
Like Polar Vintage, this smartwatch displays colorful content with a vibrancy that’s as high as 1000 nits.
On the Ionic, Fitbit brings the heart sensor very close to the skin. So the algorithm can detect every pulse rate, log it to the watch, and return reliable results.
Pros:
- A smartwatch with a decent battery life – up to 4 days run time
- Features a built-in GPS
- Tons of cool features and access to third-party apps for the price
Cons:
- Has limited smartwatch functions
- The design is a bit clunky
Garmin Forerunner 235
Garmin Forerunner 235 is one of the best fitness smartwatches in the market, mostly because it’s an accurate device with tons of built-ins.
Forerunner 235 sports an accurate heart rate monitor, a fast and reliable GPS system, and a thin, lightweight design.
When it comes to fitness tracking, this smartwatch can monitor sleep, estimate mileage, and give an estimate of distance covered.
And given that it’s a multisport smartwatch, you can use it for running, swimming, walking, and cycling.
Pros:
- The built-in heart rate monitor works 24/7
- Has a powerful, accurate GPS
- Lightweight and thin design with a clear monochrome display that’s easy to read even in bright sunlight
Cons:
- The app feels a bit clunky, some reorganization could give it a cool touchup and make it easy to navigate
- Sometimes the heart rate monitor gives inaccurate results
- Connection issues, while not common, is annoying
Garmin Fenix 5
If you’re in the market for a GPS smartwatch that can track any activity, then you should consider the Garmin Fenix 5.
It sports a rugged design that makes it strong enough to stand up to abuse. The display is not touch sensitive but the watch itself is easy to navigate thanks to the five circular buttons.
The colorful display is always on and easy to read even in direct sunlight. And when you’re indoors, the backlight makes it easy to see your fitness stats with ease.
When it comes to fitness tracking, the Fenix 5 almost feels like the all end all device.
From climbing and mountain biking to running and golfing, there’s almost no activity this device can’t track. In short, if you’re in the market for a multisport smartwatch, this is it.
Pros:
- This smartwatch has a decent battery life
- The design is cool and the display is easy to customize
Cons:
- An expensive smartwatch
- The screen doesn’t have the best resolution
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 4 is downright a big deal and a good pick for cyclists who are seriously looking for the best smartwatch in the world.
Everything about this watch, from the slim design and big screen to a better heart rate sensor and tons of fitness features, scream quality.
Thin design means trimmed weight, making this smartwatch lighter than the previous version.
Apple Watch Series 4’s smart workout detects the type of activity on your behalf, send you an alert, and then you have to initiate the tracking.
When it comes to fitness, though, this watch can only detect exercises in which there’s consistent movement, which is why it makes a good fit for cycling.
Pros:
- Has improved heart rate monitor
- Slim design
- Lightweight, you can have it on your wrist even for an extended period
Cons:
- Expensive
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa is one of the most popular fitness trackers in the market. It’s a watch that’s easily to love because it has all the features that you need for fitness tracking.
Versa features a lightweight silver aluminum casing with a replaceable silicone strap.
For navigation, the watch has one button on the left and the display is touch sensitive and very responsive.
The brand organizes the interface of the watch really well, making it easy for even the non-techies to navigate.
Versa uses an ambient light sensor, an SPO2, and an accelerometer to track your health and fitness.
It even includes a heart rate monitor that works well.
Pros:
- A sleek watch with a decent waterproof rating
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Heart rate monitor isn’t always accurate