As we head out the door on a ride, there’s often a desire to add functionality through a bike computer or a smartwatch. Modern technology means GPS-enabled devices can pair with relevant sensors and track our performance as we ride. The same devices can also help with pacing, keep track of our fitness progression, and allow us to follow complex routes to find new adventures. The more advanced the devices, the more they offer but it’s not always clear if it makes more sense to choose one of the best bike computers or the best smartwatch for cycling.
Personally, I never leave my house without some means of tracking the ride. I have spent a lot of hours staring at screens while covering long distances. I’ve even put those computers to the test while riding indoors to see the limits of what they can offer. As much I love bike computers though, there’s also a pull to the relative simplicity of a smartwatch. It’s right there on your arm, always ready to go, but can it offer the same features? If you are looking at deals on both options and wondering what makes the most sense for you, keep reading to see what’s worth considering.
1. Do you want a big screen that’s always in your view?
This is often the easiest way to distinguish between the two choices. With a bike computer, you’ve got a screen that sits at the front of your bike. There’s no need to fit on an arm so the screen size can vary from something that’s relatively small like the Garmin Edge 130 or the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, all the way up to the 3.5-inch screen you’ll find on the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar or Garmin Edge 1030 Plus. Even a big watch like the Elemnt Rival tops out at 1.2 inches. If you want to see a lot of data at the same time, a bike computer is the clear winner.
The actual size of the screens isn’t the biggest differentiator though. The best smartwatches come from a team of talented designers who’ve spent a long time figuring out how to present the info you need to see in a way that makes sense with the hardware limitations of a smaller screen. No matter how good the UI design is though, they can’t get around the watch living on your arm vs the bike computer being on the front of the bike. If you want to see what your smartwatch is displaying you’ve got to bring your arm into your field of view and look. Your bike computer needs just a slight redirection of your eyes.
That makes constant…
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