There are a number of accessories on the market today that can really help a keen cyclist to get the most out of the sport. While many of these are centered on improving efficiency and overall fitness, the usefulness of a cycling watch is often called into question. After all, what can a cycling watch offer that you can’t get from a regular watch?
However, for those who like to keep close tabs on their performance levels, a cycling watch is a handy little device that tells them everything that they need to know about their current ride, in addition to offering a host of other features.
There are a number of cycling watches available, all of which bring their own ideas to the table, but the following is a look at some of the general features being introduced in the new generation of cycling watches that we think you will find useful.
GPS
It seems like only a few years ago that GPS was being touted as a big thing for cars, but now the technology is so refined that it can be placed into a good cycling watch and used to help you find your way around.
This is ideal for people who are cycling on a new route and are wary of getting lost, or for those who are aiming for high efficiency and don’t want to have to carry an entire map around with them for a long distance ride. Your watch will be able to tell you where to go and is a feature that many people find desirable, not to mention tracking where you have gone and how quickly you went.
Texts and Calls
Newer cycling watches, such as those offered by Apple and Garmin, not only help you keep time and track your performance, but can also be used in a similar manner to cellular phones as well. This allows you to keep track of text messages and even take calls while you are on the bike, without having to stop or worry about the safety concerns that come along with riding one-handed.
Performance Tracking
The main reason that many people buy a cycling watch is so that they can track their own performance during a ride. Many good watches will come with features like a heart rate monitor, calorie counter and stopwatch to make sure that you can keep track of all of the important things in the ride, in addition to being able to set yourself targets that you can check on as you go.
Furthermore, cycling watches are much more compact than many other devices that offer a similar set of features, so you don’t have to worry about being bogged down with additional weight or made to feel less comfortable during your ride.
So Do I Need a Cycling Watch?
If you are using cycling for fitness, or to get yourself into the sort of shape that will allow you to compete at events, a cycling watch can be of enormous benefit simply due to the array of features a good watch has to offer. Being able to track everything from your heart rate through to the exact times that you start and finish a section of your ride allows you to determine where you are making gains and what areas you need to continue working on.
Additionally, if you link your cycling watch to a program like Strava then it is by far the best training log that you can keep.
However, if the bike is just being used for the commute or the odd weekend cycling trip, a cycling watch would likely be a poor investment, as all you might need it for in those cases is to tell the time.