Best GPS Bike Computer: Buying Guide & Top 5 Reviews for 2017
When you’re out mountain biking riding the trails, the chances are that you’ll want to have a GPS on you. Even better would be a bike computer with GPS built in as one of the many functions so that you will benefit from turn-by-turn navigation over any distance. Well, you can now have the best of both worlds!
But what should you look for in a GPS bike computer?
One of the biggest things that you should think about is if you want it just to give you GPS or if you want it also to track your ride and give you data so that you can review your ride later. The latter of these two types tend to cost more, but they also hold a lot of neat features (i.e., built in maps, larger screens, navigation software, power meter, heart rate monitor, etc.).
Do you want to be able to connect your phone to the device? You might want to be able to do this so you can share information about your trip, control music, have spoken navigation, have incoming calls and text alerts, and so much more. But it’s all personal preference here.
How do you want to be able to connect the device to your bike? Do you want to be able to have the device attach to your handlebars or the stem of the bike? There are also others that can be worn as wristwatches which tend not to be ideal for viewing while cycling.
Screen size is also something to consider: Larger screen sizes allow you to see more data at once than smaller ones do. But they also have the downside of being a lot bulkier, even though they do cut down on the amount of page navigating you’ll have to do.
All of these things depend on how you cycle and the trips that you take. If you’re truly curious about which features would be best for the type of cycling you do there is plenty of research out there that can help you out!
To get you started, here is a list of the top 5 GPS bike computers that you can find on the market today:
Garmin Edge 520 Bike GPS
Price: $249.99
Key Features:
- Offers in-ride challenges through Strava live segments
- Pairs with compatible indoor trainers for data display and control
- It has automatic uploads, live tracking, smart notifications, sends/receives courses, social media sharing, and weather functions
Pros:
- The screen size is large enough to take a quick glance while you’re riding but small enough that it doesn’t take over your handlebars
- Battery life lasts 8 hours, as long as you don’t have the backlight on all the time
- The GPS assistance works wonders if you’re riding around on tricky paths and trails
Cons:
- The configuration of information can be somewhat unreliable; it can sometimes leave the screen reading off gibberish
- There is a lot of lag time when it comes to maps updating, using the cadence sensor, and the maps tend to freak out when you go on a new trail
Cateye Stealth 10 Cycling Computer
Price: $94.63
Key Features:
- Quick and easy set up
- Doesn’t require a speed sensor or syncing
- Full-time backlight
- Waterproof
Pros:
- Build quality is excellent; the mounting bracket is easy to install and fits perfectly on handlebars or a stem mount
- This GPS is waterproof so you don’t have to worry if it gets wet while you’re on your ride
- The GPS can be scarily accurate if you go off on the side of the road too far or take a turn too tight; it knows exactly where it happened
Cons:
- Sometimes the GPS satellite technology can be iffy. It can lose signal in wooded areas
- The display can be a bit too detailed for some cyclists’ liking, but it’s something that can easily be learned to work with
Wahoo ELEMENT GPS Bike Computer
Price: $327.50
Key Features:
- Has a companion app that allows for easy configuration and setup
- You can enter any destination, address, or point of interest to get an optimized route for cycling
- Automatic route downloads
- Package includes Wahoo Element, out-front, stem and handlebar mounts, and a quick start guide
- Bluetooth compatible
Pros:
- Incredibly simple to setup and get started with, plus you can easily customize the features on this GPS bike computer
- The screen contrast is amazing, no matter the angle, the amount of sun, or glare you can easily see what is on the screen of this GPS
- Offers navigation with an audible “beep” and light to let you know if you’re off the path
Cons:
- The buttons are rather awkward and hard to press, especially while you’re on a ride
Garmin Edge 1000 Color Touchscreen GPS
Price: $459.00
Key Features:
- Large 3-inch display makes it easy for you to glance at it while on a ride
- Bluetooth compatible so you’ll get phone notifications
- Three different types of navigation:
- Preloaded maps and points of interest
- Round trip routing to explore new roads
- Route planner that lets you customize your trip
Pros:
- The display is large enough that makes it incredibly simple for anyone to glance down and see
- This GPS computer shows your speed, cadence, heart rate, route progress, weather, text messages, etc.
- This device is incredibly customizable
Cons:
- Bluetooth is only compatible with iPhone 4s and newer
- This device is rather expensive, but it’s a great investment for someone who’s really into biking and wants a completely customizable GPS bike computer
Lezyne Enhanced Super GPS Cycling Computer
Price: $149.99
Key Features:
- Bluetooth accessible for Android and iOS
- Display can be personalized to show whatever you want it to show – 5 customizable pages
- Battery life of 24 hours
- Large display, easy to read, and incredibly durable
Pros:
- You’ll be able to get incoming notifications through this device, which can be relatively helpful
- You won’t have any issues with this GPS bike computer losing connectivity even on the more desolate trails
- The battery life is as amazing as they claim, you can go about 5 hours of riding and use only 20% of your battery
- Incredibly easy to sync and upload the rides that you do
Cons:
- Some people have issues getting the GPS bike computer to record their trips, but you can always look up videos on how to get it going
