Micromobility is no longer just shared fleets that clutter urban streets. The personal micromobility revolution is underway, and people have definitively chosen e-bikes as their method of transport for a range of activities - be it hauling cargo, riding to and from work, or adventures off-road- e-bikes are the answer.
Modern sports watches have bridged the technical divide between running, swimming, free workouts, and, crucially, cycling. Most watches share the same set of broad features: GPS tracking, performance telemetry, navigation, and smartphone integration. We set out to find the best smartwatches across categories by scouring the internet for all its takes and opinions.
Here’s what we found.
Coros Pace 4
Wearable technology is a huge market, with several competitors. In this world, to set yourself apart is no small feat. So, we were not surprised when the Coros Pace 4 was one-half of the top step on the podium.
Priced between $249 and $289, depending on the retailer and the watch's material, the successor to the Pace 3 has all the features that made the previous watch great and adds more.
The fiber sub-35-gram watch features a 2-inch always-on AMOLED screen and mineral glass, and comes in either a fiber polymer or an aluminum alloy case. Customers lauded the watch’s construction, praising its digital dial and dual-button system for keeping you going when the touchscreen is less than efficient in inclement weather.
COROS also sells a suite of accessories, including shoe clips, a stride monitor for your shoes, and a solar-powered GPS bike computer.
Garmin Venu 4
Garmin is a mainstay in the world of fitness monitors and smartwatches. The Venu 4 will set you back $549. Every review online and in mainstream media says the watch is worth every dollar. Although heavier than the COROS at 46g, this watch has plenty of features, including an always-on AMOLED display, a 1.2-inch Gorilla Glass screen, multi-band GPS, touchscreen capabilities, and a stainless steel casing for protection. The watch is also waterproof up to 5 ATM.
Garmin estimates that the watch will run for up to 10 days in smartwatch-only mode and up to 18 days in battery-saver mode. The watch can also store up to 8 GB of music of your choice, all controlled through Garmin’s app. The watch also features a physical LED light, rather than turning its screen white, to give you as much visibility as you need, regardless of the weather or time.
Garmin offers a suite of cycling products, including dedicated heart-rate monitors, pedal sensors, helmet lights, and bike computers. The Venu 4 connects with that suite of technology to give you a comprehensive overview of your cycling data.
The Best Budget Watch
If you’re in the market for a watch that jams as many features in as possible, without taxing your bank account, look no further than the Amazfit Active Max.
At $170, this watch is one of the few that can boast an AMOLED display, an aluminum alloy frame, 5 ATM water resistance, and a suite of biometric sensors.
The Active Max boasts over 170 sports modes, but the one we care about is cycling. The watch can connect to your peripheral devices, such as a heart rate belt, a speedometer, and a cadence meter, to provide accurate telemetry for each ride. Even on its own, it can measure your VO2, acceleration, temperature, heart rate, and GPS-based navigation.
The Champions of the Ecosystem
Now, we feature the two most obvious contenders in the smartwatch space.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple’s flagship heavy-duty smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, will set you back $799. For that price, you get seamless integration with your existing Apple tech suite. Beyond that, you get a well-constructed button system and a digital crown. The watch sits in a titanium case and weighs around 61 g.
The watch can store up to 64 GB of data, including music, podcasts, and other media. It also features an electric heart sensor, a blood oxygen sensor, a temperature sensor, a depth gauge, a water temperature sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a high-g-force accelerometer.
The Ultra 3 uses turn-by-turn navigation and cadence sensors, and it connects to other sensors you may have. Finally, the Ultra 3 can run for up to 42 hours of normal use or 14 hours of continuous GPS tracking.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
A direct competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will set you back $649. This watch comes with an embedded SIM card and supports 4G/LTE and Bluetooth connectivity.
The watch also features 95 different workout modes, including cycling. The watch can connect to a range of bike-mounted tech to measure cadence, range, speed, and other cycling-specific telemetry.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra can store 64 GB of data and weighs just under 61g. The watch can run for up to 48 hours in an outdoor workout mode with GPS enabled. This mode fully activates the following: accelerometer, barometer, electrical heart sensor, gyro sensor, IR temperature sensor, and light sensor.
Uncompromising Performance & Luxury
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Amazfit, the ultimate financial investment in the wearable market is the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2. This rugged, high-quality, heavy-duty flagship can endure multi-day trips. It will set you back between $999 and $1099, depending on the size.
For this premium tier, riders get an exceptionally crisp, flawlessly readable, bright AMOLED display, detailed onboard topographic maps, and a multi-brightness LED light. In smartwatch mode, it can run for up to 16 days, or 6 days if it's left on the whole time.
It can measure your pulse, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate, and it comes with an ECG monitor. It is rated for up to 10 ATM of water exposure and weighs nearly 70g. It can store up to 32 GB of media and works off a multi-band GPS. It also features a respiration rate monitor, a breath rate monitor, speed and cadence sensors, and is compatible with most chest heart rate straps, making it ideal for cycling.
Whether it's an ultra-lightweight entry like the Coros Pace 4 or the Garmin Epix Pro, or a high-end model ripe with options for your next smartwatch.
