Best Smartwatch For Cycling, Mountain Biking & All Day Riding 2024
/If you are a multisport athlete with cycling and mountain biking at the core of your fitness journey, it is crucial to have a smartwatch with all the tracking essentials to improve your performance.
Oftentimes, people would recommend getting a cycling computer if you’re super critical about mileage being perfect but the best smartwatch for cycling is not any other cycling watch, it offers versatility outside of cycling as well.
Watches have come a long way and I find myself picking a smartwatch for my day-to-day tasks and sliding into my cycling, running and swimming regime with ease!
You do not need to spend a bomb on these gadgets and here’s when I streamline the best watches that packs a punch and it’ll be able to include speed, cadence and heart monitor.
If you don’t give a crap about the latest stuff, and really want something tracks both off and on your fitness journey, then let me guide you through the best smartwatches for cycling and riding all day featuring Garmin, Samsung, Apple and other brands.
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Why Get A Cycling Smartwatch Instead Of A Computer?
Here’s the best smartwatch for cycling featuring garmin, suunto, polar, apple among others
A cycling smartwatch and computer are meant for two different reasons. The reason why having a cycling smartwatch is mostly because of versatility.
If you are going to spend that much money, might as well invest in a good GPS smartwatch that can be used for other multisport activities.
Accuracy is another factor that can make or break your purchase decision when choosing between a smartwatch and a bike computer.
With all that advancements in tech, smartwatches have come a long way and can be pretty accurate.
On the other hand, data from bike computers are far more accurate and often rely on satellite system to measure your cycling data.
Having said that while bike computers can be cheaper and easier to use and access while cycling along with longer battery life, the smartwatch is still designed to provide more than just speed, distance, and elevation.
It all boils down to personal preference and if you do want to get a fancy bike computer, you can opt for simple ones such as Sigma Sport, Garmin Edge 130 or Bryton Rider 15.
Also Read: 12 Best Sleek Bike Handlebar Bag (From Small To Large)
The Best Smartwatch For Cycling And All Day Riding
Suunto 9 Baro: GPS Sport Watch With Long Battery Life
When you have your mind set on a certain goal or adventure, you want to make sure your watch can also go the distance.
With up to 120 hours of continuous exercise tracking, the Suunto 9 is built to last for long performances and all day bike riding!
The battery life is incredible on this and it is made for long, arduous training and racing and extreme adventures!
It doesn’t just stop at cycling, the GPS system uses a special algorithm to improve track and distance accuracy.
This allows you to extend battery life by lowering GPS power without significantly compromising accuracy.
Polar M430: Great Affordable Watch for Running and Biking
If you want something sleek and fuss-free yet affordable, the Polar M430 combines all the best bits for cycling, running and any goal-oriented outdoors activity.
It has a robust wrist-based heart rate tracking, better GPS, sleep tracking and smartphone notifications.
You will be surprised to know that the Polar M range is Europe’s top-selling running watch and their products are generally made to sell and be wearable by almost anyone getting into cycling for the long haul.
Apple Watch Series 6: Packed With Personality & Performance
The all new Apple Watch Series is a great cross between having a healthy lifestyle and keeping your cycling performance in check!
The interchangeable bands come in different colours and sizes making it quite the look it gives for wearable smartwatch tech gear like these!
In terms of geeky analysis, the Series 6 watch offers GPS tracking, optical heart rate monitoring and an ECG app.
With the growing popularity of cycling, syncing into Strava and providing Apple Maps specifically for cyclists is a great addition with exact directions to key cities across the world.
Samsung Galaxy Watch: Full-Fledged Smartwatch With Insights
This fits the reasonable bracket and slightly inexpensive than Apple. The Samsung Galaxy Watch is designed to go beyond your sports activities offering a variety of sports profiles.
It is fashionable, functionable and flexible giving you a range of options intended for detail-oriented data.
You can use Samsung Pay with it including wireless connectivity for data when untethered to your phone or stream music. Gives you all the options if you’re on the saddle for a long period of time!
Garmin Forerunner 745: For The All-Rounder Cyclist
Garmin’s latest Forerunner 745 is made for multi-sport profiles like triathletes and cyclists who need detailed training stats and on-device workouts plus smartwatch functions like music, contactless payments and more.
It comes with preloaded activity profiles for cycling and pool swimming to let you round out your training routine, and the multisport profile consolidates data for your brick workouts.
You can even tap into various physio features like heat and altitude acclimation, training load focus and race predictor to meet your goals. Sync music from select streaming services (premium subscription required) to store on your watch for phone-free listening while you cycle around!
A budget-friendly option is the Garmin 735XT which has more or less the same features but not as extensive battery life.
Garmin Fenix 6: A Powerhouse for Cycling
If you want better control of your fitness journey and being able to maximise your rides, the Garmin Fenix 6 is a powerhouse that can’t match the Apple and Samsung Galaxy watches.
The rugged and overall built is meant for someone who is always battling the elements and being outside.
It is made to get muddy and survive extreme temperatures.
The Fenix 6 can last about 4-5 days or one week and if you turn off the SP02 sensor, that number increases to 10-11 days. In terms of accuracy, it has a whole lot of metrics meant to guide and optimise your rides.
You can use the PacePro feature which helps keep you on pace with grade-adjusted guidance as you run a course.
It is basically performance-based and meant for people who love geeking out on data and their rides!
Fitbit Charge 4: Sleek Fitness Tracker
If you prefer sleek fitness trackers that are as good as smartwatch without the bulk, the Fitbit Charge 4 is a great alternative with features and designed made for slimmer wrists.
This sleek tracker is packed with features that help you know your workouts and your body better when cycling —like built-in GPS, Active Zone Minutes, new exercise modes and sleep tracking.
And with Fitbit Pay and up to 7-days of battery life, you get more convenience on the go and more inspiration to reach your fitness goals.
The Fitbit Charge 4 is also great for short rides and runs, and you can load all sorts of activity types onto the device even if it is limited to six at a time.
Also Read: The Best Sony Mirrorless Camera for Travelers: Ultimate Camera Adventure Kit
Tell me in the comments below which smartwatch do you prefer and if you have a favourite?
