Best bike computer 2024: top GPS heads units for cycling

The best bike computers – and GPS cycling computers in particular – have revolutionised how cyclists plan their rides and track their training. Whether you're a numbers nerd obsessed with marginal gains or an intrepid two-wheeled explorer who wants to get off the beaten track, a decent cycling computer can help you better understand your ride dynamics.

Today's GPS computers are a world away from old designs, pulling data directly from satellites flying high above Planet Earth or seamlessly - and wirelessly - communicating with smart sensors elsewhere on the bike or your body. Uploading your computer's ride data to Strava and poring over the numbers has become an essential post-ride ritual for many cyclists.

If you're into bikes, check out T3's best road bike and best electric bike guides.

Best bike computers to buy right now

Garmin’s latest set of cycling computers is arguably the best money can buy, with more data screens and ride-tracking gizmos than most cyclists will ever need. Those who love to pore over Strava figures or work out the power offset of individual legs can spend hours looking at graphs and crunching numbers. 

That said, the Garmin Edge 830 packs most of the 1030’s features but comes in way cheaper. So you do need to consider this larger – it can look quite bulky when strapped to the svelte aero bars of a road bike – and fancier unit.

If you intend to use it primarily for navigation, the big screen is an absolute boon, and it’s possible to calculate routes and change settings on the fly thanks to a larger, more responsive display. But for tracking data, the cheaper Edge 830 is arguably just as good. However, if you simply must have the best of everything when it comes to current bike computers, this is it.

Read our full Garmin Edge 1030 review.

In our review, we said this is "an excellent, full-featured head unit that has everything most cyclists could need." The best thing about the Karoo 2 is not that it's a brilliant device now but that we know Hammerhead will keep on adding new features in the future to make it even better value for money.

The new Climber feature is an excellent example, and it sets the Karoo 2 apart from other devices on the market. The Climber is built on the Predictive Path Technology that provides riders with a detailed look at upcoming elevations to help see the road ahead. The Karoo 2 is the first and only cycling computer on the market right now that can anticipate and identify upcoming climbs without pre-loading the route.

Read our full Hammerhead Karoo 2 review.

The ELEMNT Bolt is Wahoo’s mid-range GPS computer and, by our reckoning, is the best all-around option available to serious cyclists. The compact unit offers all the data a performance-minded rider could need, with excellent mapping, turn-by-turn navigation and impressive battery life. Crucially, it’s a breeze to use – and that certainly can’t be said for some top-level bike computers.

On top of that, Bluetooth Smart and Ant+ connectivity ensures compatibility with a range of third-party sensors, while Wi-Fi will automatically whisk your ride data to Strava when you return home from training. Other neat features include text, email and phone alerts, pre-loaded training sessions, Strava Live segments and a slick design with an integrated out-front mount which looks great on any bike.

The Garmin Edge 130 Plus is the perfect entry-level bike computer that's especially geared towards MTB riders. This comparatively tiny device might not look like much with its monochrome screen, but it offers lots of Garmin’s more advanced functionality in a smaller form factor.

There’s good connectivity: hook up to peripherals and a smartphone for even more data, while the Garmin Connect app lets you track and analyse your rides. If you happen to have other Garmin wearables, maybe even the Garmin Enduro watch or the Garmin HRM-Pro heart rate monitor, adding the Edge 130 Plus to your cycling ecosystem is highly recommended.

Read our full Garmin Edge 130 Plus review.

The Garmin Edge 540 Solar is certainly a step above its predecessor. The company's more compact head unit, the Edge 540 Solar, is much faster to make decisions and generally slicker to use. We found the screen is also noticeably sharper and more vibrant.

Battery life is a big selling point, of course. The integrated solar charging feature helps the Edge 540 Solar function for over 30 hours on a single charge, which is much better than your average cycling computer (see entries above).

It's worth stumping up the extra cash and plumping for the Edge 840 if, for nothing else, the touchscreen and better routing functionality. However, if you're happy to put up with the seven-button navigation to save some money – and learn Garmin's notoriously hard master navigation functions – you might as well give the Edge 540 Solar a try.

Read our full Garmin Edge 540 Solar review.

Overall, the Lezyne Super Pro GPS is a well-designed unit with lots of functionality, which should allow you to do pretty much anything you want to view and record your ride stats and analyse the outcomes afterwards. It’s rugged and very competitively priced, but the supporting apps are a bit more ragged around the edges than Garmin’s highly polished environment.

Read our full Lezyne Super Pro GPS review.

Strictly speaking, the Padrone Smart+ isn’t a GPS computer as it relies on your smartphone for that data, but it gets a spot in our round-up regardless.

Most of us will carry a smartphone while riding, and the Cateye Padrone Smart+ takes advantage of that by harnessing the power of your Apple or Android device. The Padrone Smart+ pairs to your phone using Bluetooth and essentially acts as a display for speed, distance and altitude data pulled from your device. That also includes text, call and email alerts. 

The Bluetooth connectivity also means the Padrone can display heart rate and power data when paired with compatible sensors. That data is displayed on a well-sized screen, and the unit itself is nice and slim. The coin cell battery offers up to four months of juice, according to Cateye, but we wish it was USB rechargeable.

The battery life is huge on the Mega XL GPS, far outperforming any other computer on the market. Lezyne claims up to 48 hours, but, as always, that’s a best-case scenario with some of the battery-sapping features (like Bluetooth and the backlight) turned off. Even so, you can ride for a seriously long time on a single charge, making the Mega XL GPS a very tempting option for audax riders, bikepackers or anyone who simply can’t be bothered to charge their computer.

The mapping is fairly simple (certainly not as detailed as the Garmin Edge 520 Plus) but covers everything well, and you get a turn-by-turn navigation. You need to create a route using Lezyne’s own software for that, and, generally speaking, it’s not as intuitive as the Garmin or Wahoo interface. If you want a colour screen, take a look at Lezyne’s Mega C computer, which is also smaller (but has less battery life). 

Setup on the computer itself is simple through Lezyne’s companion app, with all the data options you’d expect and need, as well as phone alerts thanks to Bluetooth Smart connectivity. The computer can auto-sync ride data to Strava, but it’s pretty slow. The device is chunky, but then that huge battery has to be housed somewhere.

FAQ

How to buy the best bike computer for you

Two things should determine the best bike computer for you: the features required and the amount of cash you are willing to part with. Needless to say, the more you spend, the more advanced your computer will be, but that’s not always a good thing. 

If you’re after a simple device to display the bare basics, then the number of configurable options on top-end computers can be confusing. Similarly, if you’re a performance-obsessed rider who wants complex data at your fingertips, or you plan on using your computer to go exploring, then you don’t want to be let down by a lacklustre choice.

Ultimately, you have four main things to consider when buying a GPS bike computer - mapping and navigation, data and connectivity, display and interface, and battery life - so let’s quickly run through each of those to help you to make the best choice. 

Broadly speaking, GPS computers fall into two categories: those with mapping and those without. Computers with detailed mapping and turn-by-turn navigation will cost more than those designed simply to display ride data (although they may also have basic mapping functionality). If you like to explore by bike, buying a GPS computer with mapping and navigation is a great way to head into unchartered territory, without getting completely lost.

Most computers with navigational functionality will allow you to either directly input a destination, with the computer then put together a route (often using quiet roads popular with other riders), or to design and upload your own course using the brand’s software. Unless you’re already out on the bike and going somewhere on a whim, the latter is a far better option. Computers that offer turn-by-turn navigation will let you know exactly how far you have to go before, well, turning, but it’s worth bearing in mind that this will put a strain on your device’s battery life. 

On a very basic level, all GPS bike computers will display simple data like speed (current/average/maximum), time and distance (trip/total), but that’s only scratching the surface of the capability of most units. 

All credible GPS computers will offer either Ant+ or Bluetooth Smart connectivity (often both), which in turn allows you to pair the computer with a range of third-party devices, including heart rate monitors, power meters and cadence sensors. These will then return a wealth of related data. 

Bluetooth Smart connectivity will also allow your computer to display call, text and email alerts when paired with your smartphone, while some devices have built-in WiFi to automatically upload your ride to Strava and the like once you get home.

In reality, the data served up by more advanced GPS bike computers, whether that’s from the device itself or a paired sensor, is so vast that you’re unlikely to use all of it. Far from it. Still, if there’s a particular feature you’re after, check out your favoured computer’s specs.

As for the display, your computer will either have a black-and-white or colour screen. In some instances, a black-and-white screen will offer improved contrast, but a colour display will enable more detail. Ultimately it comes down to preference and budget. 

Screen size is also worth considering: bigger is generally better for mapping and navigation, but the largest devices can be a bit cumbersome. All GPS computers will enable you to customise how data is arranged on the screen, with multiple fields spread across multiple pages, so you can have the most important numbers right in front of you and the less important stuff a quick click or scroll away.

On that note, most computers will rely on physical buttons to operate the device, but more expensive units will have a touchscreen. We tend to prefer buttons as touchscreens can be temperamental when covered in water or if you are wearing gloves.