[Closed] MTB Watch vs Computer (or Apple Watch)

In my opinion.

If you want mapping/route directions, get a bike computer.

Anything else, get a Garmin.

A Garmin GPS watch will do all that for you. Doesn't have to be one of the top of the range ones. I've been using a Vivoactive HR for a few years now. I've only recently bought a bike computer (Garmin 530) to add navigation as well, but still quite often go out with just the watch.

I think any new Garmin will do that for you.

I find notifications easier to spot on a headunit than a watch. It's easy to miss the vibration on your wrist when you're riding.

Garmin etc will do basic notifications.

AW is a smarter smart watch but uses the GPS of your phone anyway if it’s connected. I can take calls, answer texts/emails on my watch if I want to.

Went through same choices and bought an Apple Watch. If you have an iPhone it’s kind of a no brainier. I went for the SE as I’d no interest in blood oxygen or ecg. Does everything I need.

Be careful with cheaper Garmin watches as my mate’s won’t display notifications if Strava is running in the background. Apple watches handles multiple apps running no problem.

Bike computer option ok for display but still need to retrieve phone from bag to respond or take calls. Watch does it from wrist. Siri works well for responding to texts and also has basic preprogrammed responses.

Not an Apple phone / watch user so can’t comment on them. But I do have both a Garmin watch and head unit (830).

I just can’t get on using the watch for navigating. I find it too distracting to take a hand off the bars to read the watch, particularly on MTB rides. So the head unit gets used pretty much exclusively when on the bike.

You get the SMS, WhatsApp and email notifications on the head unit, so I’d go that route personally. You can also set it to reply with some basic pre-set responses.

Apple watches handles multiple apps running no problem.

Never had that issue in the 4 garmin watches I've had. Apples embarrassingly low battery life and high cost meant they're a no brainer.

The Garmin 830 looks like a decent option and In budget with the extra bundle.

Garmin 530/830 works for me. Decent mapping, shows phone notifications (big enough so you can read them too), syncs to Strava. I like the 'give me a 15-mile ride starting here' option too if I'm in a new area. Isn't the 540/840 due soon? Might be some deals.

Also, have a Garmin Instinct, that would do the job too, but smaller screen and you have to take a hand off the bars to look.

Currently trying a Galaxy Watch, as interested in the ECG and BP readings. But you'd soon get fed up with battery life I think with a smar****ch.

Don't think watches are a good idea on MTB unless you intend to use it across various activities.

I wanted a watch with good colour mapping to replace an Instinct with a failing batteries. In the end, went with Apple + WorkOutdoors - cheaper than a Fenix, arguably more useful, already trapped in iOS land, plus you don't look like Sport Billy etc. WorkOutdoors is excellent on trails.

I have a Garmin Edge Explore and a Garmin Forerunner 645 watch

Both recieve messages/txt's from my phone and i can reply with pre programmed txt

The Edge Explore is mainly used as its much easier to look at when riding (bigger map with more detail) and no need to take your hand off the bars to look at it properly

The watch is handy for tracking my day to day activites

One thing to look out for if using a watch on the bike is some are touch screen and some are button only, i opted for button only watch as sweaty hands/wearing gloves and dealing with a watch's small touch screen means id get frustrated with not doing what i wanted it to do whilst riding along is a sure way for me to have an off!

Polar and Suunto GPS watches show notifications as well. Garmin and AW do have more advanced notification features, e.g. you can reply to message from watch (at least with some phrases stored in watch).

If you go Apple ensure you use an app call workoutdoors.
http://www.workoutdoors.net/

I would like a device to track my mileage etc but would also like it to show incoming texts/calls.

The lowest end Garmin computer will do all this - Garmin Edge 25. Added advantage of not looking like a total nobber with a phone sized computer (or even worse an actual phone), strapped to your bars.

I have an older Garmin (Edge 510) which I use on road rides & commuting when I want to know my speed or the time etc. On my MTB I don't really care about that and prefer uncluttered bars so I just use my (Apple) watch to record rides. It's a PITA to check anything on the watch while riding anything remotely tech, but that's no hardship for me.

I'd like a 4G Apple Watch that can make/receive calls/text without being tethered to a phone, then I could leave my phone at home. But they work out quite spendy.

I have a Garmin 245 music. Bought it primarily for running with music, Nowhere to put phone in most running clothes.
Use it to Track mountain biking too. Cant fault it.

I've currently got an Edge Explore, Edge-25 and FR-25 (Edge/FR-25 are both very old, pretty basic units), My missus has a Vivoactive 3, all of them will display incoming notifications/messages from a paired phone via BT.
I think it's pretty much a core function for most Garmin sports devices now.

I'm not sure I'd be buying an apple watch as a sports tracking device, not when you can have a cheaper, dedicated device that still shares the notifications you want and isn't such a financial risk strapped to your bars/wrist while you clatter about on a bicycle...

If you only want it for cycling get a bar mounted edge, if you do a mixture of stuff consider a forerunner, whichever model suits your budget...

It's also well worth looking at the reviews (and comments) for anything you are considering on the DC Rainmaker site....

I've had an Wahoo Bolt for 9 months it seamlessly connects to my iPphone. Its got a backlight so I can see what time it is on night rides. I can also set it up to automatically send my wife a link to my current location.

Garmin Explore - it's great for the money. Own a 705 and a 200 also. Mapping is great and you can acknowledge a text from the Garmin unit (preset responses). It also says 'sent from my garmin'.

Apples embarrassingly low battery life and high cost

I bought a Series 2 for £70, it does everything I want it to and with GPS recording its battery life is comparable to a Garmin GPS.

I wouldn’t use it for navigation while cycling, but I do use it for navigation while hiking and running, using either WorkOutDoors (mentioned above, an absolute must-have app) and/or Komoot (they’ve recently overhauled the app but I’ve not checked the new version out yet).

That said, a Garmin 810 will do all you want and more besides, and you can get one of those for a similar price. Just depends whether you’re more likely to get benefit from additional Apple Watch features (I find it quite handy after being a dyed-in-the-wool user of simple analogue watches) or the additional mapping and data on a Garmin.

I've got a Sunnto Spartan - it shows notifications and stuff if you want them. I don't, but ive had them running and it works fine. However, if I didn't use it for more than just on the bike (i.e. for hiking, running & snowboarding too) then i'd be going for a head unit, and I'm actually considering one anyway for most of the reasons everyone else has mentioned. Colleague has a Wahoo Roam and that definitely does notifications too - but i think if i was definitely in the market, I'd be considering the Hammerhead Karoo 2 - they're getting awesome right ups.