If you consider yourself a cyclist or want to get into the sport, there are tools out there that can help you including bicycle monitors. These devices have many tools that can help you get the most out of your ride.
Trying to search through the best bicycle monitors on the market isn’t an easy task. Fortunately, a lot of research has been done, and we have taken a look at these monitors for you.
By looking at five of the top bicycle monitors out there, we can give you full reviews, and our opinion on what bicycle monitor might be best for you, no matter how serious you are about the sport.
Bicycle Monitors Comparison Chart
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1. Garmin Edge 520 Bike GPS
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2. LEZYNE Enhanced Super GPS Cycling Computer
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3. SY Bicycle Cycle Bike Computer
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4. Planet Bike Protégé 9.0 Bike Computer
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5. CAT EYE - Velo 9 Wired Bike Computer
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Our Bicycle Monitors Reviews
The Garmin Edge 520 is a great middle-of-the-road option for those who like the Garmin brand and who want to get a great bike monitor.
This monitor is highly reviewed, it is water rated, and when used with the heart rate and power monitors on, it can even report recovery time.
If you like to challenge yourself, you will love the in-ride challenges that are offered via live segments through Strava, too.
You can connect to your social media accounts, get call and text notifications, and of course, send and receive course data. This monitor also has a weather feature.
It works with both Android and Apple devices, and the display resolution is 200 x 265 pixels.
- Tracks time, distance, and speed using a wireless sensor: Yes
- ANT+ and Bluetooth–ANT+: Yes
- With GPS, Tracks speed, distance, time, and elevation: Yes
- Customizable screen option, uses a large LCD screen to display your performance: Yes
- Integrates with smartphone app: Yes
- Bluetooth communication: Yes
- LiveTracking, Strava live segments, turn-by-turn navigation: Yes
- LED indicators when zones are exceeded: No
- Electronic shifting integration: No
- Lightweight: Yes
- Battery life: 15 hours
- Mapping and navigation functionality: Yes
- Wireless capabilities: Yes
- Waterproof: Yes
- Accurate: Yes
- Easy to use: Yes
- Uses an accelerometer: Yes
- With incident detection: Yes
- Guided intervals and workouts: Yes
- SPECS
- WHAT I LIKE
- WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- Pros/cons overview
- VIDEO
- In-ride challenges through Strava
- Pairs with ANT+ indoor trainers
- Up to 15 hours of battery life
- Live tracking and smart notifications
- Shows weather conditions
- Resolution of 200 x 265 pixels
You really can’t go wrong when choosing the Garmin Edge 520 since it has everything you need to monitor your cycling, plus a bit more. I really like all of the sensors on this device, and definitely appreciate the accident detection feature, which notifies someone if there is an incident—safety first, right?
I also like that you can download rides, share maps of the local area, and it auto syncs to Strava. There is also a backlight, which is useful to view the screen when conditions are dim or at night.
You can easily justify the cost of this device if you are an avid cyclist, and the bells and whistles that come with it are easy to understand and use.
Yes, this is a great product, but there are some things that you might want to consider before you buy it. First, you can only put a 50GB map on this device. So, anything bigger than that won’t fit. There is also the fact that you will have to remove maps in order to add other maps.
PROS
- A shareable live tracker
- Accident detection alerts
- A lot of useful metrics
CONS
- Maps don’t zoom well
- Gradient metric can lag
- Limited space on the device
2. LEZYNE Enhanced Super GPS Cycling Computer
The LEZYNE Enhanced Super GPS Cycling Computer has all of the basic GPS functions you are looking for along with much more. This device is one of the best bicycle monitors for both road and mountain bikers and is a favorite option for long-distance cyclists.
This device has a 24-hour run time, and it can definitely enhance the ride of any cyclist, from beginners to pros. It monitors heart rate, power, speed, and cadence, and it can receive notifications from your phone.
With Bluetooth and GPS capabilities, it also connects to the Strava app, and it has both turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps, for those situations where you might not have service.
- Tracks time, distance, and speed using a wireless sensor: Yes
- ANT+ and Bluetooth–ANT+: Yes
- With GPS, Tracks speed, distance, time, and elevation: Yes
- Customizable screen option, uses a large LCD screen to display your performance: Yes
- Integrates with smartphone app: Yes
- Bluetooth communication: Yes
- LiveTracking, Strava live segments, turn-by-turn navigation: Yes
- LED indicators when zones are exceeded: No
- Electronic shifting integration: No
- Lightweight: Yes
- Battery life: 24 hours
- Mapping and navigation functionality: Yes
- Wireless capabilities: Yes
- Waterproof: Yes
- Accurate: Yes
- Easy to use: Yes
- Uses an accelerometer: Yes
- With incident detection: No
- Guided intervals and workouts: No
- SPECS
- WHAT I LIKE
- WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- Pros/cons overview
- VIDEO
- Wireless
- Lithium-Ion battery
- 24-hour run time
- Offline maps and turn-by-turn navigation
- Stores 400 hours of rides
The Lezyne Super GPS is a good value for your money, which is a huge perk for people who are looking for a bicycle monitor that is affordable. It is comparable to more expensive units but at a much lower price.
The battery life is fantastic, and the display is easy to read. It is also easy to change the contrast, which is convenient in varying weather conditions.
There are a couple of things, though, that you should consider before buying this bicycle monitor. For example, this unit wasn’t as easy to navigate via the navigation system as other units. Also, there is no out-of-the-box front mount.
PROS
- Excellent battery life
- Easy to read screen
- Full connectivity
- Good value
- Several color options
CONS
- Tricky navigation
- Reported connection issues
3. SY Bicycle Cycle Bike Computer
The SY Bicycle Cycle Bike Computer has an auto wake-up function that goes from sleep mode to on as soon as it detects motion.
It is small and lightweight, waterproof, and wireless. It measures distance, riding time, and speed.
The bright LCD is easy to see. It has a backlight that makes the display viewable even in low-light conditions and in darkness.
This device is a cinch to install, and it is customizable for accurate tracking of stats.
- Tracks time, distance, and speed using a wireless sensor: Yes
- ANT+ and Bluetooth–ANT+: No
- With GPS, tracks speed, distance, time, and elevation: No
- Customizable screen option, uses a large LCD screen to display your performance: No
- Integrates with smartphone app: No
- Bluetooth communication: No
- LiveTracking, Strava live segments, turn-by-turn navigation: No
- LED indicators when zones are exceeded: No
- Electronic shifting integration: No
- Lightweight: Yes
- Battery life: Three months
- Mapping and navigation functionality: No
- Wireless capabilities: No
- Waterproof: Yes
- Accurate: Yes
- Easy to use: Yes
- Uses an accelerometer: No
- With incident detection: No
- Guided intervals and workouts: No
- SPECS
- WHAT I LIKE
- WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- Pros/cons overview
- VIDEO
- Extremely affordable
- Auto wake-up feature
- Small size, lightweight
- Backlight for day and night
- Easy installation
- Customizable
The SY Bicycle Cycle Bike Computer is as simple as it gets, and if you want a barebone monitor that will tell you distance, speed, and riding time, this is perfect. If you want a device that is a bit more advanced, though, you are going to have to keep looking.
I love the easy to understand display, as well as how affordable this is. Does it compare with the other monitors on the list in regards to features? Nope. However, if you are a beginner or casual cyclist, this is perfect.
The SY Bicycle Cycle Bike Computer is as basic as it comes, so there are no fancy trackers or features. The one thing to consider in addition to that is that the device attaches to your bicycle with zip ties. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less, which makes me feel like it would fall right off or slip.
PROS
- Budget-friendly
- Lightweight
- Battery lasts for months
CONS
- Nothing fancy
- No mounting device
4. Planet Bike Protégé 9.0 Bike Computer
The Planet Bike Protégé 9.0 Bike Computer comes with nine different functions including ride time, dual odometer, max speed, average speed, distance, and temperature.
The easy-to-read MacroMonitorTM LCD has a large font and displays five pieces of data at once.
The mounting hardware is included. You will get a bracket and mounting kit, as well as one CR2032 battery.
- Tracks time, distance, and speed using a wireless sensor: Yes
- ANT+ and Bluetooth–ANT+: No
- With GPS, Tracks speed, distance, time, and elevation: No
- Customizable screen option, uses a large LCD screen to display your performance: No
- Integrates with smartphone app: No
- Bluetooth communication: No
- LiveTracking, Strava live segments, turn-by-turn navigation: No
- LED indicators when zones are exceeded: No
- Electronic shifting integration: No
- Lightweight: Yes
- Battery life: Three months
- Mapping and navigation functionality: No
- Wireless capabilities: No
- Waterproof: Yes
- Accurate: Yes
- Easy to use: Yes
- Uses an accelerometer: No
- With incident detection: No
- Guided intervals and workouts: No
- SPECS
- WHAT I LIKE
- WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- Pros/cons overview
- Nine different functions
- MacroMonitorTM LCD display
- Mounting hardware included
- Dual odometer
- Lifetime warranty
This is another simple bicycle monitor that is ideal for casual or beginner cyclists who are interested in tracking their data. The easy-to-read display is a big asset, and since you can see five data at a time, it makes your life simpler than going without it.
Again, there are really no bells and whistles here, so if you are a more serious cyclist, you will probably want a different monitor. That being said, you also might want to consider the fact that several reviewers have reported that the device stops working for no reason.
PROS
- Budget-friendly
- Large, easy-to-read screen
- Mounting hardware included
- Multiple functions
CONS
- No bells and whistles
- May stop working for no reason
5. CAT EYE - Velo 9 Wired Bike Computer
The Cat Eye Velo Wired Bike Computer shows stats like trip distance, total distance, maximum, current, and average speed, calories burned, pace arrow, elapsed time, and carbon offset, as well as displays the current time.
When the bike stops, the tracking stops when using this device.
The battery lasts up to three years.
- Tracks time, distance, and speed using a wireless sensor: Yes
- ANT+ and Bluetooth–ANT+: No
- With GPS, tracks speed, distance, time, and elevation: No
- Customizable screen option, uses a large LCD screen to display your performance: No
- Integrates with smartphone app: No
- Bluetooth communication: No
- LiveTracking, Strava live segments, turn-by-turn navigation: No
- LED indicators when zones are exceeded: No
- Electronic shifting integration: No
- Lightweight: Yes
- Battery life: Three months
- Mapping and navigation functionality: No
- Wireless capabilities: No
- Waterproof: Yes
- Accurate: Yes
- Easy to use: Yes
- Uses an accelerometer: No
- With incident detection: No
- Guided intervals and workouts: No
- SPECS
- WHAT I LIKE
- WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- Pros/cons overview
- VIDEO
- Displays 10 different stats
- Automatically stops tracking when stopped
- Wired speed sensor
- Tracks calories burned and carbon offset
- Battery lasts up to three years
This, too, is a straightforward device for cyclists. It only tracks what you want, and it doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. It is very affordable, which is a plus, and it is perfect for a casual or beginner cyclist.
Just like the previous units reviewed, there are no bells and whistles here, and for someone who is really looking for a great device, this probably isn’t it. This is a wired device, and the wire that attaches to the wheel is pretty short, so if your bike is larger, it might not work for you.
PROS
- Several basic functions
- Long-lasting battery
- Accurate device
- Easy to read screen
CONS
- No bells and whistles
- Only tracks basic data
- The wire is pretty short
Final Verdict
After taking a look at several devices, we were able to make a determination on which of these reigns supreme when looking at the best bicycle monitors out there: the Garmin Edge 520.
This was the first monitor that we reviewed, and we knew that the other would really need to step it up if they were going to beat this amazing monitor. Sure, it has a few considerations, most notably its small storage space, but all-in-all, it is a fabulous device.
It is on the expensive side, though, so if you are looking for something a bit more affordable, consider the Cat Eye Velo. With a price tag of just less than $40, you get all of the basics in a compact, well-designed bike monitor.
Buyer’s Guide
What Sort of Cycling Monitor is Right for You?
When you are in the market for one of these monitors, you definitely need to consider your needs. As you can see from the monitors we have reviewed, some of them are quite simple, while others are very advanced.
If you are someone who is riding 100 miles a week, one of the basic monitors might not be the best for you. However, if you are riding a few miles a day around town or you are a weekend warrior, the basic monitors might be perfect.
How Much Do You Need to Spend?
You really don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a bicycle monitor if you are only looking for a simple tracker. However, the ones with maps, GPS, and other advanced features will be more expensive than the ones that just track distance, speed, etc. So, you have to think about what you want and need from the device to determine what you want to spend.