Cycling is great as a bike gives you the ability to get fit and explore further than your mere feet alone can carry you. A cycle computer is a perfect upgrade as they can act as both a satnav and an on-bike activity tracker. They can be expensive, but that's where the Garmin Edge 130 comes in, with the computer and a heart-rate monitor costing you less than £200.
- Best bike lights: LED headlights for cycling at night
- The best cycling helmets 2018: stay safe on the roads
Garmin is one of the leaders when it comes to cycle computers, so when it announced there was a super affordable but super smart GPS device incoming, it was always going to be met with excitement.
It’s like a personal guide which doesn’t distract from the ride ahead, with GPS for navigation and so you can track your speed and distance, and a barometer so you know how high you've climbed. Turn-by-turn navigation is via on-screen prompts and voice, and it's not just for roads: the best mountain and gravel routes have been crowd-sourced from cyclists worldwide.
Another key feature is Assistance, which will your location directly to the emergency services in cases of unpleasantness. Hopefully you won't ever have to use this, but it's reassuring to have it along for the ride.
The Garmin Edge 130 offers you features such as turn by turn navigation to allow you to explore safe in the knowledge you won’t get lost, all while keeping focused. This device is for any bike, not just road, so it can be set for mountain bike rides if you’re in the mood to off-road.
The battery life of a hefty 15 hours should be plenty to keep you going all day, no matter where you ride to. There’s also the option to connect a heart rate monitor and power meter for more personal metrics like HR, power and cadence.
- Best mountain bike 2018: superb MTB for any ride
- Best road bike 2018: serious but affordable carbon and metal rides
The Edge 130 will Bluetooth connect to your phone so any calls or messages won’t be missed but will appear on screen so you can decide if you need to stop and respond. There are even weather alerts so you know if it’s time to turn tail and head home if rain is coming.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
The Garmin Edge 130 is available now for £169.99 alone, or with a heart rate sensor for £200. You can also get it in an off-road bundle with a mountain bike mount, remote control and silicone case, again for £199.99.
Luke is a former freelance writer for T3 with over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others Luke wrote about health tech, software and apps, VPNs, TV, audio, smart home, antivirus, broadband, smartphones, cars and plenty more. In his free time, Luke used to climb mountains, swim outside and contort his body into silly positions while breathing as calmly as possible.
-
This Versace fragrance was top of my Christmas list – it's almost $50 cheaper in early Cyber Monday deal
Pick up the iconic Versace Eros for less this weekend at Walmart
By Sam Cross Published
-
Nespresso’s best pod coffee machine is under $100 in Cyber Monday deal
Get 37% off the Nespresso Vertuo Pod+ in Best Buy’s Cyber Monday sale
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Microsoft's 5-star Surface with keyboard is Best Buy's killer deal
Best buy it at Best Buy!
By David Nield Published
-
Sonos' premium soundbar just hit its lowest-ever price in 5-star deal
Top-tier sound doesn't have to cost top dollar
By David Nield Published
-
Huge 75in Sony TV is now cheaper than ever in Amazon's Black Friday sale
You can now get a top-quality TV for less, with 100s of dollars off this set
By David Nield Published
-
Improve your Wi-Fi with 5-star Netgear kit – now cheaper than ever
This is one of the most powerful home Wi-Fi setups you can have – and it has hit a new low price on Amazon
By David Nield Published
-
Samsung's fan-favorite earbuds are cheaper than ever on Amazon right now
The Galaxy Buds FE bring with them a superb listening experience at a low price – and that price just got even lower
By David Nield Published
-
Insta360 Link 2 review: a dream webcam for power users
A long list of features, a neat design, and crystal clear audio and video
By David Nield Published
-
Creative Sound Blaster GS3 review: a fantastic value speaker for gamers
An audio boost for your gaming – and for your music and movies
By David Nield Published
-
iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15: all four models compared – should you pre-order today?
How do the 2024 iPhone upgrades compare to what was launched last year's iPhone 15 models?
By David Nield Published