by Stan Purdum
GPS computers are great devices for bikes, not only for navigation, but also for tracking your performance. Garmin and Wahoo are the big brands that most people are familiar with, but there are several other suppliers offering a range of choices. Here’s a roundup of all the available GPS bike computers we could find.
Not every feature of each unit is mentioned here, so be sure to look at the features and specs in the individual product descriptions online.
Most prices listed are the manufacturer’s suggested retail, rounded up to the nearest dollar, but several of the units can be found for less on the internet or in your local bike shop.
It’s remarkable how much better these computers are for road or mountain biking. Instead of an estimate of your speed and distance, you get the real numbers right from GPS. Some of the models even offer navigation options, and let you import routes you find on sites like MapMyRide or Strava, or save your own rides to these sites so you can look at them later and see how you did. It’s a great bike upgrade, and some of these are almost as cheap as a standard bike computer!
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.
Garmin GPS Bike Computers
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/cIntoSports-cCycling-p1.html
Edge 130 is the basic computer in Garmin’s X30 performance series. It sports a 1.8-inch display that’s easy to read in sunlight and low-light conditions. While offering neither a touchscreen nor maps, it includes navigation with turn prompts and directions back to your start point. It supports up to eight data fields per page and five data pages. It is compatible with Varia cycling awareness accessories and has connected features including smart notifications and weather when used with a compatible device. Rechargeable battery life is up to 15 hours. Suggested retail is $200. You can add either the either the Speed and Cadence Bundle (sensors) or the Mountain Bike Bundle (mountain bike mount, Edge remote control, silicone case) for $50 more.
See it on Amazon.
Edge 530, says Garmin, “goes beyond data collection — providing dynamic performance insights that can help you beat your best.” Its monitoring provides insights on your VO2 max, recovery, training load focus, heat and altitude acclimation, nutrition, and hydration. The 530 includes the features of the 130, but has a display size of 2.6 inches and also has a routable Garmin Cycle Map. It’s customizable with free apps, widgets and data fields from the Connect IQ Store. The battery will last up to 20 hours with GPS and can be extended up to 40 hours with the optional Garmin Charge power pack or in battery saver mode. Suggested retail is $300. Sensor and mountain bike bundles are available at additional cost.
See it on Amazon.
Edge 520 Plus is the forerunner of the 530 but is still available. With a slightly smaller screen, a slower processor and shorter battery life, it still features advanced navigation and the preloaded Garmin Cycle Map with turn-by-turn directions for on- and off-road courses. $280.
See it on Amazon.
Edge 830 has all the features of the 530, but it adds a touchscreen. Manufacturer suggested retail is $400, with sensor and mountain bike bundles available at additional cost.
See it on Amazon.
Edge 820 is the still-available forerunner of the 830. It’s has a slightly smaller screen, a slower processor and shorter battery life, but is like the 830 in most other aspects. $350.
See it on Amazon.
Edge 1030 is Garmin’s top-of-the-line GPS bike computer. It features a bright, color 3.5-inch screen, routing and navigation, rider-to-rider messaging, up to 20 hours of battery life and the ability to see Live Strava Segments. Suggested retail is $600, with a sensor bundle available for $100 more.
See it on Amazon.
Edge Explore is Garmin’s computer for touring. Its 3-inch touchscreen, visible even in direct sunlight, displays the Garmin Cycle Map with turn-by-turn navigation and Trendline popularity routing to find the on- and off-road routes most-traveled by cyclists. The built-in GPS tracks how far, how fast, how high and where you ride. Compatible with Varia cycling awareness devices, including smart bike lights and rearview radar to detect cars and alert drivers. Battery lasts up to 12 hours. Suggested retail is $250.
See it on Amazon.
Wahoo GPS Bicycle Computers
https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-computers
Elemnt Mini is a super compact unit that “makes it simple to see and share ride data” says Wahoo. Paired with the powerful Elemnt companion app, it will unlock enhanced features, such as ride tracking. The app will show your entire route map, elevation, and ride statistics after your ride. Unit comes with a speed sensor. Heart rate and cadence sensors can be added. $100.
See it on Amazon.
Elemnt is a wireless GPS bike computer with a 2.7-inch screen. Includes maps and turn-by-turn smart navigation. Komoot and Ride With GPS routes automatically download to the Elemnt with just a click. Via its free companion app, you can use your smartphone to customize your settings, configure workout pages and link the device to your favorite cycling apps and wireless sensors. Features LED indicators to monitor performance. Side buttons enable zooming in and out of curated data fields. Receives emails, texts and phone alerts, and includes Live Track, so friend can locate you on the route. $300.
See it on Amazon.
Elemnt Bolt is designed to slice through the wind, so this Wahoo’s GPS for riders focused on performance. Has a 2.2-inch screen but otherwise is almost identical to the Elemnt in terms of features. $250.
See it at Wahoo.
Elemnt Roam is Wahoo’s GPS device for tourers and explorers, “for those who view each ride as a new adventure,” says Wahoo. Same size as the Elemnt and has all the Elemnt’s features, but adds a color screen, an ambient light sensor that automatically turns the screen backlight on or off and adjusts the brightness of the screen and has additional smart-navigation features. $380.
See it at Wahoo.
Hammerhead GPS Bike Computer
We reviewed the Hammerhead Karoo in detail here. The Karoo comes with a very high quality, full color touchscreen made of Gorilla Glass. The computer is built on Android, so it’s very similar to using a smart phone. Great routing and navigation options, and also very good options to display all your favorite fields like speed, cadence, power, average speed, temperature, etc. $499.
See it at Hammerhead.
Lezyne GPS Bike Computers
https://www.lezyne.com/products-gps.php
Mini is Lezyne’s compact and lightweight, model, but has a sharp display and all the expected GPS features including customizable data fields and pages. Can pair with both Bluetooth devices and iOS and Android handhelds, which then provides turn-by-turn navigation, live tracking, Strava Live Segments and phone notifications. Battery provides 10 hours of runtime, and an optimized GPS recording system tracks all the necessary ride data. $100 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Macro is similar in features to the Mini, but has a larger screen (2 inches) and a battery that lasts up to 22 hours. $100 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Micro Color is similar in features to the Macro but adds Glonass to GPS, an accelerometer, a barometer and has a color screen. Battery life is up to 14 hours. $140 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Super has all the features of the Micro Color but without the color screen. Battery runtime is up to 24 hours. $150 manufacturer suggested pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Mega C has a 2.2-inch, 240×320 high resolution color screen and has on-screen preloaded maps, provides turn-by-turn navigation and off-line navigation. 32-hour battery. $200 manufacturer suggested pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Mega XL provides all the other good stuff plus a 2.7-inch 240×400 high-resolution screen, which can rotated for vertical or horizontal viewing. Battery runtime is up to 48 hours. $200 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Pioneer GPS Bike Computer
https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Cycle+Sports/Cyclo+Computer
SGX-CA500 features touch-screen operation, even with full-finger gloves. Its 1.87-inch black-and-white display is built to receive the unique directional-force information from the Pioneer meter. But even with the Pioneer-specific power features aside, it offers GPS tracking, Wi-Fi auto-uploads and ANT+ compatibility and lots of expected features of a GPS device. 12-hour battery. $380 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Bryton GPS Bicycle Computers
https://www.brytonsport.com/#/products
Rider 410 incorporates Full Global Navigation Satellite System, allowing you to get GPS fixed faster. It’s full compatibility with both ANT+ and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) sensors. Has a 2.3-inch black-and-white display. 35 hours of battery life. $150 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Rider 10 “records every moment of the ride faithfully, making analyzing, sharing and competing easier than ever,” says Bryton. With a 2-inch screen, the Rider 10 displays up to four cycling data readouts per page (five pages in total). It automatically adjusts its data field display when detecting paired sensors or you can customize your data fields and pages based on your training goals via the Bryton Active App. $77 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
Bryton also has other models available that aren’t mentioned here.
Polar GPS Bicycle Computers
https://www.polar.com/us-en/products/pro/M460-gps-bike-computer
Polar M460 comes with heart rate guidance, third party power compatibility, Strava Live Segments and Polar Smart Coaching. It’s compatible with most Bluetooth Smart power meters and links to Strava Live Segments. Gives you real-time data on your performance. GPS technology is coupled with a built-in barometer to accurately track your speed, distance, route, altitude and gradient. Battery lasts up to 16 hours. $180 suggested manufacturer pricing.
See it on Amazon.
https://www.polar.com/us-en/products/pro/V650
Polar V650 has a 2.8-inch color touchscreen and integrated GPS. Includes OpenStreetMap (OSM) support; you can download free map data for the area you are riding in and receive navigation support. Optional sensors record performance data including power, intensity, and training stress. Can link to third party services, such as Strava or TrainingPeaks and Bluetooth devices. Has web service and but offers only limited support for Android devices. Includes a barometric altimeter and a rechargeable battery that lasts up to10 hours. Comes with a free 60-day Strava Summit membership (for new Summit members only). $250 manufacturer suggested pricing, with heart-rate monitor.
See it on Amazon.
Magellan GPS Bike Computers
https://www.magellangps.com.au/products/devices/cyclo-series
Magellan’s U.S. presence in GPS devices appears to be geared toward units for autos and trucks. The company’s bike GPS units are marketed through their Australia-based website, but some of those devices are available in the United States through Amazon, Walmart and other third-party sellers. Here are two we found through Amazon:
Cyclo 505 and Cyclo 505HC, which have a 3-inch color touchscreen, come with the complete USA road network and OSM crowd source trail data and have a “Surprise Me” feature that suggests up to three different routes after entering distance or time criteria. Both have Bluetooth Smart connectivity for smartphones and sensors and are compatible with Shimano Di2 electronic road bicycle shifting systems with Di2 Wireless Unit featuring D-Fly. Both connect with your iPhone or Android phone. $135 for the 505 base unit; $245 for the 505HC, which is the same 505 base unit plus heart-rate monitor and speed/cadence sensors.
Additional models are available on the Australian site.
Sigma GPS Bike Computers
https://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/fahrrad-computer/gps/rox/rox-gps-11
Rox GPS 11.0 is “the training tool for users with the highest demands,” says Sigma. The data is transmitted via ANT+ from sensors included in the complete kit. Also works with Bluetooth Smart compatible devices. Includes Strava Live segments, GPS route navigation, eTap and DI2 compatibility. The navigation functions include: “Time to Destination,” “Distance to Destination,” “Of-route Alarm,” “Waypoint Alarm,” “Wrong Direction Alarm” and “Track View.” $211 manufacturer suggested price for base unit plus sensors and heart rate monitor.
See it on Amazon.
Sigma also makes other models.
MSW Bicycle GPS Computer
https://mswbike.com/products/miniac-322-gps-computer
The Miniac 322 GPS is for those who want to track miles, speed and altitude while on the bike, and then upload the data to their preferred ride tracking app after the ride. It does not interact with sensors and thus has a simplified setup. Up to 20 hours battery life. $70 manufacturer suggested price.
Cateye Bike Computer
http://cateyeamerica.com/CatEye-Padrone-Smart-Plus-Triple-Bundle-Speed-Cadence-Heartrate-CC-SC100B
Padrone Smart Plus CC-SC100B. The “plus” in the name indicates that the unit comes with a triple bundle: speed and cadence and heart rate sensors. While it has a full dot display, multiple customizable data screens, arrow navigation, and incline and lap functionality, it does not have built-in GPS. Rather, it tracks rides using your smartphone’s GPS. Your phone can be set in sleep mode and stay in your pocket, but it will still transmit GPS info to the Padrone Smart Plus as well as display notifications for calls, emails, text, and social media alerts on the cycle computer. After the ride, data can be uploaded to CatEyeAtlas, Strava and TrainingPeaks. The battery is not rechargeable, but lasts up to four months before needing to be replaced. $240 manufacturer suggested price.
See it on Amazon.
Other models also available from Cateye.
Nice Job on the list. Very Comprehensive. Joe D
You offered “Some of the models even offer navigation options, and let you import routes you find on sites like MapMyRide”.
But no where did you highlight this feature as being present on a particular model.
No SIgma ROX12, but you include the ROX11 which it replaced? The Magellan Cyclo 505 lost it’s major developers years ago and is an after-thought today (I owned it for years and thought it was ahead of the pack when it arrived.), but you have it on your list? The Hammerhead Karoo is still lacking in development compared with others including the ROX12. I owned the Karoo for 8 months and the ROX 12 for 9 months — the latter is significantly more reliable — and I don’t think your reviewer did more than a cursory look at the Karoo.
Sorry Stan but I think your list is suspect in accuracy and completeness..
Is anyone editing RBR weekly anymore?
I’m the one who picked which models that Stan would cover. Both including the Magellan and not covering the ROX12 were my errors. Sigma is not a familiar brand to me, and I haven’t used one personally or ever even seen one for sale anywhere. When I was looking at their site, Sigma made it seem that the ROX12 was something aimed maybe more at e-bikes, so I didn’t include it for that reason. I’ll update to include it, and thank you for pointing it out. I wrote almost 2,000 words on the Karoo, so I disagree that it was just a cursory look.
1,000 thanks for your GPS review. Just lost mine on a rough road, it popped off and bounced into the weeds. The model I used is discontinued. Anyway, I’m delighted to find the MSW GPS because it doesn’t need sensors. Just pop it on bike and go. But what’s strange, the MSW pdf instructions claim you need to input wheel size. I’m unsure why (almost all) GPS units need speed sensors. What I loved about my old GPS (Timex 2.0) was I could move it from road bike, to fat bike, to mtb bike without changing wheel size in the device. When I use my cell phone to capture my speed (in bike or car) it doesn’t request wheel size. So why do these GPS units require wheel size?
Daniel – I don’t know of any GPS devices that need speed sensors, although many do offer them as an option My Garmin (an old 510) has the option to use a speed/cadence sensor. And, if I choose to use the sensor, the unit needs to know wheel size – which it handles through bike profiles. So the unit would need to know which bike I was riding. But since I don’t use a speed sensor, I can use my Garmin on any one of my bikes without changing anything.