Smart Watch Ideas?
 

I'm getting back into cycling this summer (I haven't been able to at all while at school) and I'm making some upgrades.
1. Proper padded bike shorts and jersey
2. Clipless pedals and quality shoes
3. Health and fitness tracking.

For that third one, I used to use a FitBit Charge and it has since kicked the bucket. I'd like to use whatever wrist-mounted device with Strava, and I'm thinking along the lines of a used Apple Watch? I'd at the very least like to track heart rate and use the device with Strava. Any ideas?

Why don't you look through Strava's FAQ and support page and see what devices they give detailed information for using with their site. If you can't find much info about a device on there, then likely they don't have a lot of users with that device.

That will be a clue to me that maybe the device is a poor choice. At least a poor choice for use with that particular site. Others might handle it. Otherwise just realize that some devices work well with some sites and others don't.

If you aren't dead set on Apple, then Garmin, Fitbit and others have various wrist worn fitness trackers in watch and other styles. Some very inexpensive, some real expensive.

I've been using a Garmin Instinct. The Garmin connect app automatically uploads to my Strava.

I use my Samsung Frontier II. It's connected by LTE to GPS. Usually reliably. It gives me speed, GPS data, distance, elapsed time, pulse, etc. What it does not give me is cadence ... if it did that I'd be happy man. I have to say that I'm very happy with it ... except for the cadence thing.

I have an Apple Watch 6 and it works nicely with Strava. May be a bit of overkill, but it's a nice option.

apple watch kinda sucks for this. the apple fitness bike app wont pause when you stop and all your averages will be off. plus battery life sucks. A garmin watch is a much better choice. longer battery life if you get the right one you can hook up cadence sensors and speed sensors and such to it. one with a altimeter will give you more info on How much you climb. I had both for awhile but two watches was a pain. the apple watch works ok with strava but the garim watch tends to cost less.

I love my Garmin Fenix.

I use a Garmin 245 for running and biking. Both of my bikes have speed and cadence sensors. Prior to getting the watch I used my phone but I don't like carrying my phone when I run.

mike

I have a Polar Vantage and a Garmin Cadence Sensor 2 on the bike.. Polar has a good training app.

I'm another Garmin user. And like some of the others I also have a speed and cadence sensor. Linking the Garmin and Strava accounts is very easy. In fact I like the way my Garmin works so well, I bought a Garmin Edge and it can read HR data from my Garmin watches for a little more data.

Also with Garmin (and possibly other devices like Wahoo) you can turn your lights on automatically when you start a ride which I like.

Do you also have a bike computer, or do you use your Fenix for that purpose too?

NoWhammies I use the watch as a bike computer. Used to have a separate one and it was nice, but for my purposes, the watch is all I need. I don't do very short intervals, I can roll my wrist in every few minutes, see how much power I'm making, go by RPE until the next time I check ... I'm mostly doing sweet spots in terms of riding to power, so I don't need to see it constantly. Bigger maps are nice but the watch can keep me on track 95% of the time and I have a phone when it can't.

Great. Thanks for the feedback Seattle Forrest

Between my iGS50E and my VivoactiveHR things are pretty well covered. Not much difference in the data numbers between the two. But I prefer the Garmin Connect to the iGPS app.
The iGS50E is mostly for the instant array of info at a quick glance.

Cheers

HJ