Best cycling watches in 2025
Looking for a watch to record all your rides and help you navigate? Read on for our expert recommendations.
Although many cyclists favour bike computers for recording their rides, the best cycling watches fulfil the same function and much more besides.
Post-ride, they stay on your wrist, tracking other activities and measuring your recovery and sleep quality, for example. The best cycling watches’ versatility beyond fitness functions, since many will let you answer phone calls and make contactless payments.
It can be hard to work out which is the best cycling watch for you because the market for smart and multisport watches is large and growing. Luckily for you, at 220 Triathlon we test a lot of watches, so we’ve been able to make a shortlist, saving you a lot of internet searching.
Immediately below you’ll find the reviews of the best cycling watches we’ve used and at the bottom we’ve included a buyer’s guide to cycling watches.
How we tested
The watches featured here have been tested by 220 Triathlon‘s expert gear testers. Between them, they have a combined 50 years of experience testing triathlon, sport and outdoor kit.
Each watch has been tested over a period of at least a month, with many being worn and used for much longer than that.
During the test period, we’ve taken the watches for rides, mixing up the intensity across sessions to see how they track heart rate.
To assess GPS pickup and accuracy, we’ve ridden in town and countryside alike. Meanwhile, we compared the in-built heart rate monitor to accurate chest-strap monitors.
Throughout the test period, we’ve also analysed battery life, usability, how good the accompanying app is, additional fitness features and how well the watch fits into everyday life.
Lastly, we judge ever-important value for money in relation to the spec and the competition.
For more information on how 220 Triathlon tests and scores products, head to our how we test page.
Tried and tested: best cycling watches at a glance
The Garmin Fenix 8‘s fantastic screen, array of features and accurate GPS are superb for cycling
For long-distance rides and bikepacking, the Garmin Enduro 3 is a top choice
Thanks to a series of upgrades, the Coros Pace Pro is a quality and keenly priced contender
Garmin watches not your thing? The Suunto Race is our favourite alternative to the market leading brand
Best watches for cycling in 2025
Best cycling watch if money is no object
Garmin Fenix 8
220 Triathlon Verdict
A vast price tag is matched by stellar performance. Score 93%
Pros
- Large, AMOLED screen
- Very good battery life
- Lots of lifestyle features
Cons
- That cost
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Screen | AMOLED, 35.56mm (1.4″) |
| Price | $999.99 / £949.99 |
| Battery life | Up to 29 days (13 days always on) |
| Weight | 102g (stainless steel), 92g (titanium) |
The Garmin Fenix 8’s class-leading AMOLED screen is an excellent choice for cycling because it’s bright and clear enough to be seen from your wrist or handlebars.
Huge battery life, accurate multi-band GPS and loads of storage for routes and maps are great to have when navigating by bike.
Yes, it’s very expensive but the Garmin Fenix 8 will also record almost any sport or training you do, while providing a plethora of fitness metrics. HW
Garmin Enduro 3
220 Triathlon Verdict
A cycling watch that’s hard to beat for venturing far afield. Score: 87%
Pros
- Battery life for days
- Impressive routing
- Solar charging
Cons
- Screen isn’t AMOLED
- High price
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $899.99 / £769.99 |
| Weight | 63g |
| Screen | 1.4in, 280 x 280 pixels |
| Battery life | 320 hours |
Unusually the Garmin Enduro 3 is cheaper than the model it replaces while performing better.
Due to a new efficient screen and solar charging, battery life can extend up to 320 hours, according to Garmin. The screen’s not AMOLED, but it’s sufficiently clear to read while pedalling
Multi-band GPS ensures routing is reliable and the Enduro 3 will helpfully recommend local routes to complete in the time you have to ride.
The list of features isn’t as long as the Fenix watches, but you get multiple cycling modes, ClimbPro, Garmin Pay and you can download music.
Read the full Garmin Enduro 3 review for more. JW
Best value cycling watch
Coros Pace Pro
220 Triathlon Verdict
Coros’ best cycling watch to date and still better value than most. Score: 87%
Pros
- Great AMOLED display
- Battery life still good
- More route storage
Cons
- Strap could be more comfortable
- No Spotify support
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $349 / £349 |
| Weight | 37g |
| Screen | 1.3inch AMOLED |
| Battery life | Up to 31 hours in GPS mode |
The Coros Pace Pro is the brand’s first sports watch to gain an AMOLED screen and the added brightness and resolution bolsters its cycling suitability.
You can store more routes and maps than before while the intuitive Coros app is a good platform for plotting your own courses. Coros claims the Pace Pro will run for 31 hours in GPS mode, which should be enough for a long tour.
Along with several cycling modes, a strength training setting numbers among dozens of activity profiles.
Storage also increases but battery life dips slightly to a claimed 31 hours in GPS mode and 20 days of daily use.
To make such a good watch at this mid-tier price, Coros has omitted compatibility with music streaming services and the strap feels a bit cheap. Read my full Coros Pace Pro review for more. JW
Best non-Garmin cycling watch
Suunto Race
220 Triathlon Verdict
An excellent alternative to Garmin’s cycling watches at lower price. Score: 88%
Pros
- Lots of training tech
- Good navigation
- App works very well
Cons
- Doesn’t pair wth multiple sensors
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $449 / £389 |
| Screen | 1.43in AMOLED touchscreen |
| Weight | 83g |
| Battery life | Up to 40 hours in GPS mode |
The Suunto Race is a data-rich cycling watch with a good AMOLED touchscreen along with quality buttons that shows you don’t have to go down the Garmin route.
It has ample storage for routes, which are easy to create in the impressive Suunto app, and they are simple to follow on the bright screen. In terms of cycling modes, you get road, gravel and commuting settings to name a few.
The Suunto Race will pair with sensors such as heart rate monitors and power meters, but it can only remember one device of each kind at once. It does help you monitor your training status by recording Training Stress Score and other metrics.
At a claimed 40 hours in GPS mode, the battery life should see you through several weeks of riding.
Read my full Suunto Race review for more. JW
Wahoo Elemnt Rival
220 Triathlon Verdict
Wahoo’s cycling watch won’t give Garmin sleepless nights but it’s a decent option. Score: 82%
Pros
- Straightforward to use
- Works well with other Wahoo devices
Cons
- Needs an update
- Slow GPS pickup
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | £349.99 / $379 |
| Screen | 1.2inch, colour |
| Battery life | 14 days in smartwatch mode |
| Weight | 53g |
The Wahoo Elemnt Rival is looking pretty long in the tooth now, lacking some of the physiological and training insight of its rivals. It looks of dubious value at full price, but you’ll often find it cheaper.
The GPS is sluggish to locate your location, but if you’re an existing Wahoo user, the Rival will seamlessly interact with all the brand’s tech from heart rate monitors to turbo trainers.
As with Wahoo’s bike computers, ease of use is the Elemnt Rival’s strong suit and the screen is clear to read on the go. Software updates have added health and wellness metrics.
Read my full Wahoo Elemnt Rival review here. JW
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar
220 Triathlon Verdict
Better battery life and features amount to a quality cycling watch. Score: 87%
Pros
- All the cycling modes, data and connectivity you need
- Touchscreen and buttons make for easy operation
- Solar charging enhances run time
Cons
- Doesn’t feel deluxe but is still pricey
- Screen isn’t the best around
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $599.99 / £549.99 |
| Screen | 1.3inch, 260 x 260 pixels |
| Battery life | Up to 20 days in smartwatch mode |
| Weight | 53g |
The Forerunner 955 Solar is one of Garmin’s smaller watches but it has received a series of upgrades that make it better than ever for cycling.
In addition to cycling activity profiles, you get accurate GPS with technicolour maps, fitness and health tracking, and Garmin’s ClimbPro feature for live climbing data.
Moreover, the Forerunner 955 Solar can hold up to 2,000 songs and the combination of a reactive touchscreen and buttons makes it a breeze to operate.
Although it doesn’t have the premium screen and build quality of the top Fenix models, it’s much lighter and cheaper.
There’s solar charging, and Garmin says the battery will last for 20 days in smartwatch mode and up to 42 hours with GPS on.
Read my full Forerunner 955 Solar review here. JW
Garmin Epix Gen 2
220 Triathlon Verdict
A brilliant cycling watch if your wallet and wrist can take it. Score: 92%
Pros
- One of the best smartwatch screens
- Wide range of features and modes
Cons
- High price and weight
- Fenix 8 screen is now better
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $799.99 / £899.99 |
| Screen | 1.3inch, AMOLED, 416 x 416 pixels |
| Battery life | Up to 16 days |
| Weight | 70g |
The Garmin Epix Gen 2 screen remains one of the best in the business due to its size and AMOLED clarity, so it’s clear to read while cycling.
Together with several specific cycling settings, the Epix Gen 2 provides trustworthy and easy-to-follow routing, and stacks of fitness and health insights.
The absence of solar charging and the energy consumption of the screen drop battery life to 42 hours in GPS mode and up to 16 days of everyday usage.
See my full Garmin Epix Gen 2 review for more. HW
Buyer’s guide to cycling watches
What should you look for in a cycling watch? Well, there’s lots of crossover with the best multisport watches, but there are several things that make a watch more suitable for cycling than others.
GPS and routing
Reliable and accurate GPS is essential for the activity-recording function of a cycling watch, otherwise you won’t be able to upload your ride to your preferred cycling app, such as Strava.
Whether you need to be able to sync routes and receive turn-by-turn directions depends on whether you’ll use your cycling watch as your principal navigation device.
Some cyclists rely on the best bike computers for routing while also recording with their cycling watch. Others just use a cycling watch, making the navigational prowess of the watch more important. If this applies to you, make sure the watch has multi-band GPS, where it uses multiple satellites to get the best possible signal.
It’s worth noting that since a cycling watch screen isn’t that easy to closely follow from your wrist, you can fit some models to a handlebar mount after removing the strap. Garmin sells an adaptor for this purpose.
Screen
To use a smartwatch for cycling, it’s best if the screen is large, like some of Garmin’s bigger models, and high resolution or AMOLED. This makes it easier to read maps and data in different light conditions.
Connectivity
Look for a cycling watch that has Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity so you can pair sensors like power meters and heart rate monitors. Although cycling watches have in-built HR measurement, it’s not as accurate as a quality chest strap.
Battery life and solar charging
A bright and clear screen eats into battery life. But this won’t necessarily be a problem unless you need the cycling watch to run for days and days, for example on a long bikepacking trip without access to charging.
Compromising slightly on battery life brings the cost down and it’s a problem if you don’t mind charging the watch more frequently.
As for solar charging, our testers find that in the UK this brings minimal benefit and could be a costly gimmick.
Lifestyle features
Top-end cycling watches will have lots of nifty functions for use on and off the bike. While it’s handy to be able to stream music, reply to phone notifications, make contactless payments and more, this tech adds to the cost. Consider if it’s worth it for you. A simpler cycling watch from Coros and Suunto do without some of these, but are still excellent performers on the bike.
Jack Evans
With contributions from
