Most of what a casual cyclist wants from a bike computer can already be accomplished with a smartphone.
If you're just commuting or take the occasional weekend ride, it's hard to convince yourself that you need to buy another screen for your handlebars.
An Apple Watch can track heart rate and cycling activity, connect to Bluetooth speed, cadence and power sensors, and display the workout on an iPhone through a full-screen Live Activity.
A good mount is much cheaper than a cycling computer and apps can be used for navigation and GPS ride recording.
Today's bike computers can run GPS and navigation while keeping the display visible for many hours without touching your phone's battery.
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Your phone may be all you need until battery life, navigation or rough conditions start getting in the way.
Most of what a casual cyclist wants from a bike computer can already be accomplished with a smartphone. Install it in a secure handlebar mount and it will give you turn-by-turn directions, log a ride and display your speed, distance and elapsed time. If you're just commuting or take the occasional weekend ride, it's hard to convince yourself that you need to buy another screen for your handlebars.
A fitness smartwatch makes that decision more difficult. An Apple Watch can track heart rate and cycling activity, connect to Bluetooth speed, cadence and power sensors, and display the workout on an iPhone through a full-screen Live Activity. For a lot of riders, it won't do that.
The phone has a cost advantage since you already paid for it. A good mount is much cheaper than a cycling computer and apps can be used for navigation and GPS ride recording.
Google Maps provides bicycle directions in areas where it supports them, but there's one annoying thing if you're going somewhere where reception is not great: cycling directions don't work offline, even if you've downloaded the map of the area.
An old GPS-equipped phone can also serve as a good bike computer. Fill it up with routes via Wi-Fi and leave your primary phone in a safer place, since GPS recording and downloaded navigation do not need an active SIM.
Today's bike computers can run GPS and navigation while keeping the display visible for many hours without touching your phone's battery.
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