11 Best Fitness Trackers for Cyclists

The Ionic is one of the best activity trackers from Fitbit, and it’s loaded with lots of great features, including a built-in optical heart rate sensor, auto-exercise recognition, and female health tracking.

Best of all, it has a built-in GPS, so you can use this Fitbit without connecting it to your phone.

Pros

• A large, clear, color screen
• Built-in GPS to track speed, distance, and route
• 24/7 heart rate monitoring
• Music storage
• Downloadable audio coaching and workouts
• 4-day battery life
• Third-party app compatibility
• Supplied with two wrist straps

Cons

• Date screens cannot be customized

Buyers Guide

Consider the following before parting with your hard-earned cash and buying a fitness tracker for cycling…

Price ranges

You can spend anywhere from $100 to $1000 on a fitness tracker. The most expensive models tend to have more functions and features, have longer-lasting batteries, and are often more accurate, but budget-friendly models can also be useful.

Pick a budget you are comfortable with, and then stick to it. Remember, you might not need many of the functions on a more expensive watch, and battery life is less critical if you are happy to charge your tracker every couple of days.

Straps

The key features to look for in a tracker strap are comfort and strength. Avoid leather and fabric straps, as they soak up sweat and will soon start to smell.

Look for straps that are easy to remove and replace. That way, you won’t have to ditch the entire tracker if a strap breaks, and you can also customize the look of your watch with a different colored strap.

Display size

While you should have no problem reading your tracker while sat at home, it’s a different matter altogether when you are outdoors cycling.

Assuming you don’t want to stop to check your progress, you should probably choose a tracker with a large, clear display. Full-color screens are nice but are often hard to read in bright sunshine, and a monochrome display may be better.

If possible, you should try before you buy to make sure you can read the screen both on and off your bike.

Heart Rate Monitor

If you are cycling for fitness, it pays to track your heart rate. Most fitness trackers have built-in optical heart rate monitors that measure your pulse at your wrist.

While this is a handy feature, this type of sensor is NOT 100% accurate, but it should be good enough for most recreational riders.

But, if you want to know exactly what your heart is doing during your workout, choose a tracker with Bluetooth connectivity so you can use it with an aftermarket chest strap sensor. With EKG accuracy, this is the best way to track your heart rate during exercise.

Some trackers allow you to enter or calculate your heart rate training zone, record your recovery rate, estimate your fitness via your V02, and warn you if your heart is abnormally high or low.

Additional features

As well as measuring things like your speed, distance, heart rate, and calories burned, there are a few additional features that may be useful for tracking your cycling workouts, including:

Audible cadence signal – make sure you are spinning your pedals at the most efficient speed

Downloadable workouts – some trackers allow you to create and save workouts for later use, such as interval training.

Ascent/descent – if you do a lot of hill cycling, you may be interested to know the highs and lows of your workout.

Navigation – record your route so you can save and ride it again or follow routes you’ve planned at home.

Third-party app compatibility – there are Android and Apple apps designed for cycling. If you want to use them, make sure they’re compatible with your device.

Waterproof – most activity trackers are water-resistant, but if you expect to ride in the rain, or want to use your watch for swimming, too, look for models that are waterproof.

Battery and Charging

Most fitness trackers are charged via cable, although some offer cordless charging.

Depending on the model, your fitness tracker may have a battery life of one day to two or more weeks. In many cases, more expensive fitness trackers have a longer battery life, but this may be negated if they have lots of power-hungry functions. Simpler models with fewer functions may last a week or more between charges.

Make sure your fitness tracker will not run out mid-workout by charging it before you set out on your bike. Also, look for energy-saving features like power-save screen modes, dimming the display, and turning off any apps or features you aren’t using.

Bottom Line

While you could just head out for a bike ride and have an enjoyable time, you’ll get fitter faster and lose more weight if you use a fitness tracker to monitor your performance.

With your tracker on your wrist, you’ll get instant feedback on your speed, distance, heart rate, and calories burned, and some will even record your route via GPS.

With your fitness tracker, you can adjust your workout based on the feedback you’re receiving and make changes to your training according to your ongoing results.

Used correctly, an activity tracker is like having a cycling coach on your wrist!

There are lots of different cycling fitness trackers to choose from, ranging from very budget-friendly to much more expensive.

Some are loaded with advanced features, while others are more basic, but they all have their uses.

Think about what you want your fitness tracker to do, set your budget, and then reread the reviews above to find the right product for you.

And remember, more expensive is not always better, especially if you end up paying for a whole lot of features you will never use! Visit the Fitness Equipment Reviews homepage for more expert reviews and advice.