The best bike computers
From simple data screens to colour maps that reroute after a wrong turn: five GPS bike computers compared on navigation, battery and sensors.
A bike computer sits on the stem or out in front of the bars and shows speed, distance and time at a glance, recording each ride by GPS so it can go to Strava or a training app afterwards. The simpler ones stop there, with a black-and-white screen that lasts a long time between charges; the mapping ones add colour maps and turn-by-turn directions, and cost more.
Battery figures are the makers’ own and fall with a bright screen, maps and sensors in use, so treat them as a best case. Heart-rate straps, speed and cadence sensors and power meters connect over ANT+ or Bluetooth: the COOSPO reads only ANT+ sensors, so check what an existing strap uses before choosing it.
What matters
- Navigation: colour maps and turn-by-turn directions, or just the numbers.
- Battery life: the makers’ figures, which drop with maps and a bright screen.
- Sensors: ANT+ or Bluetooth, to match a heart-rate strap or power meter.
- Screen: size, colour and whether it’s a touchscreen.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Garmin Edge Explore 2
£229.99 RRP
A big 3in touchscreen that’s easy to read and to prod with gloves on, with cycling maps preloaded that highlight popular roads and trails for the kind of riding chosen. Paired with a compatible e-bike, it guides with the battery’s remaining range in mind.
What owners say: Owners like how reliably it leads them round a planned route, and find the screen bright and clear on the move.
A closer look: Rider-to-rider messaging, LiveTrack and incident detection all run through a paired phone, so keep the phone’s Bluetooth on for rides. The computer locks into the quarter-turn mount in the box with a twist, and battery saver mode stretches a charge towards 24 hours on long touring days.
- 3in colour touchscreen
- Preloaded cycling maps
- Up to 16 hours (24 in battery saver)
- Incident detection and LiveTrack with a phone
- E-bike range alerts
Best for: Easy maps and navigation
- Screen
- 3in colour touch
- Maps and turn-by-turn
- Yes
- Battery (maker)
- 16 hours (24 in saver)
- Sensors
- ANT+ and Bluetooth
- Waterproof
- IPX7
- Weight
- 104g
#2 of 5
Best premium
Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 3
£299.99 RRP
A compact computer with a sharp colour screen, dual-band GPS for a steadier fix in tricky spots, and LEDs along the top that light up for each upcoming turn. Wahoo started out in 2009 with a small ANT+ key that let an iPhone read heart-rate and cycling sensors.
What owners say: Owners like how smoothly it works with Wahoo’s phone app, which keeps every ride in one place, and find its GPS dependable.
Heads up: Charge it the night before a long day out: in reviewers’ tests it ran for roughly 16 to 20 hours.
A closer look: Routes planned in Komoot, Strava or Ride with GPS reach it automatically once the accounts are linked in the ELEMNT app, and finished rides upload the same way. Settings are changed in the app rather than on the unit, so set up the data pages at home before the first ride.
- 2.3in colour screen
- Dual-band GPS
- Free world maps, turn-by-turn
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ANT+
- Out-front and stem mounts included
Best for: Fast, compact navigation
- Screen
- 2.3in colour
- Maps and turn-by-turn
- Yes
- Battery (maker)
- 20 hours
- Sensors
- ANT+ and Bluetooth
- Waterproof
- IPX7
- Weight
- 85g
#3 of 5
Best value
iGPSPORT BSC100S
£34.90 RRP
Speed, distance and climbing on a 2.6in screen that’s easy to read in bright sun, plus heart rate, cadence and power from paired sensors, and up to 40 hours from a charge. Rides sync through iGPSPORT’s app to Strava, TrainingPeaks and Komoot.
What owners say: Setup takes minutes, owners say; they like how much fits on its crisp screen, and rides reach Strava without any trouble.
A closer look: Choose which of its 40-plus figures appear on each page, then fit it where a glance down finds them. With no route guidance it suits training rides, commutes and familiar roads. There’s no USB-C cable in the box, so charge it from a spare phone lead.
- 2.6in anti-glare screen, auto backlight
- Up to 40 hours
- ANT+ and Bluetooth sensors
- Barometric altimeter
- IPX7 waterproof
Best for: Ride data for less
- Screen
- 2.6in mono
- Maps and turn-by-turn
- No
- Battery (maker)
- 40 hours
- Sensors
- ANT+ and Bluetooth
- Waterproof
- IPX7
- Weight
- 67g
#4 of 5
Best budget
COOSPO BC107
£30–£50 Price range
Light at 64g and simple to live with: it records speed, distance and time by GPS, reads ANT+ heart-rate, cadence and power sensors, and runs for up to 28 hours between charges.
What owners say: Setting it up is simple, owners say, and they trust its GPS readings and like the compact size.
A closer look: Rides go to Strava through the CoospoRide app on a phone rather than by plugging it into a computer, so install the app before the first ride and set the time zone there. Sensors need to be ANT+, since its Bluetooth is only for the app.
- 2.3in screen, auto backlight
- Up to 28 hours with GPS
- ANT+ heart rate, cadence and power
- IP67 waterproof
- Syncs to Strava via the CoospoRide app
Best for: Recording rides on a budget
- Screen
- 2.3in mono
- Maps and turn-by-turn
- No
- Battery (maker)
- 28 hours
- Sensors
- ANT+
- Waterproof
- IP67
- Weight
- 64g
#5 of 5
Best maps for less
GEOID CC700 Pro
£75–£100 Price range
Colour maps with turn prompts and street names on a 2.8in touchscreen, for well under half the price of the other mapping computers here. It syncs over Wi-Fi, and with the phone app connected it plots a new way round after a wrong turn.
What owners say: Owners rate it as a first mapping computer, with a simple layout, accurate directions and easy pairing with heart-rate straps.
Heads up: The touchscreen can be slow to react, so use its three buttons to flick between pages mid-ride.
A closer look: With 4GB of storage, download maps for the regions a ride or trip needs rather than everything, and send routes across from the OnelapFit phone app. The tempered glass screen protector in the box is worth fitting before the first ride, and spare mounts come with it too.
- 2.8in colour touchscreen
- Offline maps, 4GB storage
- Rerouting with the phone app
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and ANT+
- IPX7 waterproof
Best for: Colour maps on a budget
- Screen
- 2.8in colour touch
- Maps and turn-by-turn
- Yes
- Battery (maker)
- 15–25 hours
- Sensors
- ANT+ and Bluetooth
- Waterproof
- IPX7
- Weight
- 104g
How they compare
| Feature | #1Garmin Edge Explore 2 | #2Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 3 | #3iGPSPORT BSC100S | #4COOSPO BC107 | #5GEOID CC700 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best value | Best budget | Best maps for less | |
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.2 |
| Price | £229.99 RRP | £299.99 RRP | £34.90 RRP | £30–£50 Price range | £75–£100 Price range |
| Screen | 3in colour touch | 2.3in colour | 2.6in mono | 2.3in mono | 2.8in colour touch |
| Maps and turn-by-turn | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Battery (maker) | 16 hours (24 in saver) | 20 hours | 40 hours | 28 hours | 15–25 hours |
| Sensors | ANT+ and Bluetooth | ANT+ and Bluetooth | ANT+ and Bluetooth | ANT+ | ANT+ and Bluetooth |
| Waterproof | IPX7 | IPX7 | IPX7 | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Weight | 104g | 85g | 67g | 64g | 104g |
| Best for | Easy maps and navigation | Fast, compact navigation | Ride data for less | Recording rides on a budget | Colour maps on a budget |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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