Currently, bike computers are replacing paper maps as well as the conventional front bike wheel-based speedometer. An excellent GPS Cycling computer can monitor your position, average speed, and even more than a smartphone. They are for cycle touring, other off-road cycling activities, and backpacking. Aside from that, they are quite durable, having a long battery life and turn-by-turn directions. This guide will provide the best budget bike computer GPS and their buying guide, including pros and cons, in addition to our experience with them.
Table of Contents
- Best Bike Touring Computer
- The Most Effective Mountain Bike Computer
- What Things Are Critical When Buying Cycling GPS-Enabled Computers?
- Alternatives to GPS cycling computers
- Summary
Best Bike Touring Computer
Garmin Edge 530
Advantages:
- Cheap bike computers
- It has standard mounts and built-in sensors that work with it and are commercially available.
- Includes hydration assessments, altitude adaptation, and the efficiency with which you descend steep mountain bike trails.
- Safety advanced features include group texting and tracking
- Outstanding 20-hour battery life
Drawbacks:
- As with other Garmin devices, they are prone to software problems and take a long time to fix them
Hands-on Experience:
The Garmin Edge 530 is compatible with a wide range of sensors, much like the other Garmin GPS computer.
Also, the maps will show you the most common routes to take, and they will recalculate your route if you go off track.
An alert and group messaging and tracking are included as safety measures, which might be helpful if your bike party separates.
The battery life is excellent, lasting up to 20 hours even if you activate the wireless bike GPS.
Hammerhead Karoo 2
Advantages:
- Extremely rapid re-routing, even over highly intricate route networks
- Various connectivity options through ANT+, Bluetooth, wifi, and USB Type-C
Drawbacks:
- Limited to 2 hours of battery life
Hands-on Experience:
The Hammerhead Karoo 2 takes a unique approach compared to similar cycling computers. Since it uses the Android operating system, you can expect a responsive interface and fields and motions that mimic those in Android apps. On top of that, it has a sharp color touchscreen with a higher resolution than its rivals.
Waterproof bike computer
Garmin Edge 520 Plus
Advantages:
- Directions are clear and easy to follow
- Information for training includes velocity, elevation, power, heart rate, cadence, etc.
- USB and Bluetooth smart for connectivity
- Connectivity options include ANT+, Shimano Di2, and SRAM eTap
Drawbacks:
- A bit expensive models
Hands-on Experience:
Features like FTP testing and monitoring, Di2 compatibility, VO2 max calculation, and suggested recovery time make the Garmin Edge 520 Plus ideal for professional cyclists.
Distance, speed, elevation, and, with the addition of a heart-rate strap and a power meter, heart rate and power are all measured by the portable device.
Using the Garmin Cycle Map instead of the ‘base maps’ preloaded onboard the regular 520 makes navigating much easier.
The Most Effective Mountain Bike Computer
Garmin Edge 830Do
Advantages:
- Superb mountain biking tracks, especially the ease with which you descend.
- Checks your VO2 max, fluid levels, and altitude acclimatization, among other things.
- Group chat and location monitoring are two of the many security features.
- 20-hour excellent battery life, which is better than average
Drawbacks:
- Garmin’s slow response to fixing connection and software problems
Hands-on Experience:
You may link the Garmin GPS computer to numerous external sensors to monitor your heart rate, VO2 max, assessments of hydration, and more.
Those who are mountain bikers will appreciate the MTB tracker. This versatile device can record your jump height, distance, and landing smoothness.
It also lets you recalculate if you go off course if you need to split up with your riding group for a short detour. Group messaging, location monitoring, and an alert are all functional safety tools.
Bike computer on a handlebar
Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT Roam
Advantages:
- Having maps of the whole planet
- The quickest path may be prioritized using filters
- Notifications on mobile devices
- Compatible with a plethora of applications and hardware
- Powered by a battery that you can charge with a maximum life of 17 hours
Drawbacks:
- No touchscreen devices
Hands-on Experience:
When you’re out on your bike, the Wahoo Roam is the best travel gadget you can have. You may save stops along the road, and new routes will appear on demand.
The fact that it works with many different third-party applications is another huge plus in our book.
You can integrate many other kinds of hardware, such as electronic gear shifters, wireless sensors for measuring oxygen levels in muscle tissue, and power meters.
Plus, it works for receiving alerts from your phone. The battery is rechargeable and may last for up to 17 hours.
Mountain bike cycling computer GPS
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt
Advantages:
- 15 hours of battery life
- Decent performance for a reasonable price range cycle computer
- Excellent compatibility with Bluetooth ANT+ devices
Drawbacks:
- There are no touchscreen devices
Hands-on Experience:
This GPS Bike Computer is a solid entry-level GPS cycling computer that meets the needs of the vast majority of recreational riders.
You can download routes automatically and sync with tens of other programs, such as Ride with GPS, Komoot, and Strava get helpful turn-by-turn instructions. In addition, it supports color screen display mapping.
Connect it to your smartphone to get texts and see detailed information about your workouts.
There’s no need to hunt for reading glasses. Wahoo presents info clearly and legibly on the easy-to-read screen.
What Things Are Critical When Buying Cycling GPS-Enabled Computers?
Connectivity
Connectivity to external fitness, maximum speed, and power monitoring applications is a must-have special feature of any top-tier racing bike computer.
Upon your ride’s completion, you can share your data via services like Strava, Garmin Connect, and others.
Onboard display on a bike
Cycling computer training functions
When coupled with a power meter or heart rate monitor, cycling computers may give real-time data statistics to help dynamic riders improve their training.
Some manufacturers of cycling computers claim their products can use this information to calculate VO2 max and FTP, as well as recovery time and training load.
Larger screen size and display type
More graphics can get shown on bigger touchscreen displays. In my case, it’s for those slowly losing their eyesight.
Big data visualizations are lucrative. GPS motorcycle computers with larger displays are naturally bulkier.
Installing a smartphone on the bicycle
Mapping
A key characteristic of today’s GPS cycling computers is the potential to plot your route on a map. Therefore, the precision of the mapping is high.
GPS primary devices like Garmin and Wahoo still offer a ways to go before they can compete with technology and improvements in smartphone mapping.
Battery life
The typical professional rider’s endurance is 5-6 hours. For some, the wait will be longer. These days, GPS gadgets have extended decent battery life. Various factors may affect battery life, including brightness, Bluetooth, wifi, cadence sensors, and temperature.
Any GPS riding speed equipment must have a minimum 12-hour battery life for me to buy one.
Turn By Turn Wayfinding
A bicycle GPS computer with turn-by-turn directions is useful for getting about town and exploring new territory.
Mounting
Commonplace on bicycle computers is a handlebar or stem standard mount. They have a mechanism that locks them into position as well. It’s perfect for mountain riding styles, bike touring, and bike packing, which often occur on rugged terrain.
Mountain biking
Third-Party Apps
Whether high-end or inexpensive, bike computers may now connect with many mobile applications.
Budget
The best bike computer prices don’t come economical. But a cycle computer with enough battery life and mapping will be sufficient for most individuals.
Alternatives to GPS cycling computers
GPS watches
Like a GPS cycling computer, several top watches for cyclists keep track of your data while you ride. However, they lack the mapping capabilities and navigation satellite features of many riding GPS computers for riders.
These electronic devices’ built-in heart rate barometric altimeter sensors are a definite plus.
The smaller pass-through display unit is a key drawback of these gadgets. A cycling-specific unit is recommended if you want to keep the smartphone on your bike computer.
Handheld Hiking Computer
Handheld hiking GPS accurately reports current speed and heading and lasts for a respectable period between charges.
A guy using a GPS computer
Smartphones
Smartphone apps are perfect if you don’t want to invest in a separate cycling gadget or want to try GPS navigation and cycle recording.
Smartphones with applications like Strava may replace cycling computers for recreational riding.
Summary
Ultimately, modern bike computers’ price tags will likely play the most significant role in determining your choice.
As you may need a hefty sum of cash to get high-rate quality. We hope this guide was informative. If you still have additional questions, feel free to contact us.
