This post with videos compares 7 of the best bike computers available, ranging from budget to premium. There are so many great bike computers that choosing one can be overwhelming. This post will help you figure out what works for your needs. It includes a handy comparison chart of the features of each bike computer. These bike computers made the list for one of two reasons: either because they are really cheap yet can do the essential functions; or because they offer an impressive range of features.
Chart Comparing 7 of the Best Bike Computers
 | Best Cheap but Very Capable and Popular Option Wired | Current, average, and maximum speed; trip distance; elapsed time; and odometer. The CatEye Velo 9 is an upgrade on an old favorite. The upgrade features a larger screen; simplified setup with pre-programmed tire sizes; calorie consumption; and carbon offset measurement. Simple 1-button operation. Universal bracket. Automatically pauses when you stop at stop streets or red lights. Simple set-up with pre-programmed tire sizes. Battery lasts up to 3 years! | $29.95 Wireless Option: Around $10 to $20 more - Please click here for current price |
 | Best Premium Bike Computer Wireless | Current, average, & maximum speed; trip distance; total distance; elapsed time; time of day; calories burned; GPS tracking; elevation changes; live tracking; smart alerts; new advanced performance & power analysis. Advanced training features. Turn-by-turn directions to Saved Places, places found on Yelp, and downloaded routes. Preloaded with Garmin Cycle Maps. Twice as fast as previous Edge computers. New features: ClimbPro; Mountain Biking Metrics, and fully integrated Trailforks app; new Performance Metrics; Water & calorie requirements; Better Structured Workouts; Bike Alarm; and more. Longer battery life. Smart Bluetooth & ANT+ connectivity to connect to sensors | Around $300, but please click here for current price on Amazon |
 | Best Premium Bike Computer at a Super Budget Price Wireless. Attractive option if you want to start quantifying & analyzing data, at an amazingly low price | Big screen; battery life up to 16 hours; easy smart Bluetooth connectivity; GPS; Wateproof; 3 satellite systems: GPS, Galileo (Europe) and QZSS (Japan); turn-by-turn navigation (for downloaded courses); smart notifications; uploads to community of choice, such as Strava; compatible with heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors; customizable data pages; download training plans; 2 different activity profiles; 2” crystal clear, high contrast display with built-in brightly illuminated backlight; weighs less than an oz (28 g). | $69.95 |
 | Smallest GPS-enabled Bike Computer in the World. Most of the features of premium Garmin Edge bike computers, but much more affordable. Wireless | Current, average, and maximum speed, trip distance, total distance, elapsed time, time of day, calories burned, GPS tracking of routes, elevation changes, ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect it to other devices, such as a cadence and speed sensor or a heart rate monitor | $199.99 |
 | Best Premium Bike Computer with Full Navigation Wireless | Current, average, & maximum speed; trip distance; total distance; elapsed time; time of day; calories burned; GPS tracking; elevation changes; live tracking; smart alerts; new advanced performance & power analysis. Advanced training features. Premium navigation with ability to chart courses on the bike, and give you turn-by-turn directions. Preloaded with Garmin Cycle Maps. Twice as fast as previous Edge computers. New features: ClimbPro; Mountain Biking Metrics, and fully integrated Trailforks app; new Performance Metrics; Water & calorie requirements; Better Structured Workouts; Bike Alarm; and more. Longer battery life. Smart Bluetooth & ANT+ connectivity to connect to sensors | Around $400, but please click here for current price on Amazon |
 | Best Cheap WIRELESS Bike Computer Wireless | Current, average, and maximum speed; trip distance; second-trip distance; total distance; elapsed time; and time of day. Very durable. Lightweight. Easy to use with buttons at base | $64.95 |
 | Best Budget Bike Computer with a Large Screen Wireless | Current, average, and maximum speed; trip distance; total distance; programmable odometer; new stopwatch feature; super large display | $54.95 |
Once you make your choice, please consider clicking through to one of our reputable and trusted affiliates to buy it. It is the only way we make a little money for the many hours of research we put into these reviews … and it costs you nothing at all – a real win/win situation!
No. 1: The CatEye Velo 9 Wired Bike Computer – Best Budget Bike Computer Option
The CatEye Velo is a long-time favorite with cyclists who simply want to know how far and fast they cycled. And who don’t want to spend a lot of money for this information! The CatEye Velo 9 is an upgrade to an old favorite, and is even better – for less than $35! This upgrade includes a larger screen.
Also, the setup has been simplified with pre-programmed tire sizes. Plus, CatEye has added calorie consumption and a carbon offset measurement – two great motivational features. The calorie consumption lets you see how much of a difference you are making to your body. And the carbon offset lets you see how much of a difference you are making to your planet!
For less than thirty dollars you get all of the upgrades above, plus the old standards. These include current, average, and maximum speed, trip distance, elapsed time, and odometer. Add in simple one-button operation and a universal bracket that you can easily install on your stem or your handlebar – and you have the hands-down best bang for your buck bike computer on the market! CatEye has been around since 1954, and is the global leader in bike computers. They know what they’re doing.
The Cateye Velo 9 is wired, but a lot of users find this to be more straight-forward than wireless bike computers. If you prefer wireless, you are going to have to spend a bit more money on one of the other bike computers in our top 7 best bike computers.
Video of the CatEye Velo 9
This short video shows you what the CatEye Velo 9 is like:
 | |
 |  |
Related Post: Which Garmin Edge Bike Computer has the Longest Battery Life?
No. 2: The Garmin Edge 530 – Best Premium Bike Computer at a Bargain Price
Update: I previously rated the Garmin Edge 520 Plus as no. 3. But with the release of the Garmin Edge 530, I have replaced the Edge 520 Plus at no. 3 with the Edge 530 at no. 2. The reason? In our opinion, the best value in bike computers for most people right now is definitely the Garmin Edge 530. With impressive upgrades at an attractive price point, it seems to be unbeatable, really. In fact, respected cycling authority DC Rainmaker has said that it “looks like the best bike computer ever.”
This bike computer is GPS and Glonass-enabled for extremely fast satellite acquisition. It offers wireless transfers of your data to Garmin Connect (or Strava, which you can read about here). It also offers advanced performance and power analysis. These include Time in Zone, FTP (Functional Threshold Power) tracking, cycling-specific VO2 and recovery and cycling dynamics. It is a rugged bike computer that will stand up to bad weather, and even a fall into water.
It goes way beyond just recording your rides. It also offers live tracking – which basically means your spouse can check where you are at any time. You don’t have to enable this feature if you don’t want to, of course! It also offers ANT+ connectivity so that you can connect it to other devices, such as a cadence and speed sensor or a heart rate monitor.
And on top of all that, the Edge 530 has a new processor that is twice as fast as the Edge 520 Plus.
Upgraded Navigation on the Garmin Edge 530 – But Still Not Perfect
Also, the Garmin Edge 530 can actually give you turn-by-turn directions – although not in all circumstances. With the Edge 1030 Plus and 830 you can input addresses while on the bike. They will calculate the new route for you, and give you turn-by-turn directions.
By contrast, the Edge 530 can only give you turn-by-turn directions for certain destinations. These include Saved Places, and places found on the included app, Yelp. It can also give you directions for routes that you download beforehand. However, it does have a full set of Cycling Maps onboard. So, it can help you out if you go off course, and get you back to Start.
You can connect this Garmin via a Shimano wireless transmitter to Garmin Vector 2S Power Meter Pedals, Di2 Dura-Ace 9070, Ultegra 6870 Di2, or Ultegra 6770 electronic gears.
Upgrades to the Garmin Edge 530 (and to the Garmin Edge 830)
There are a huge number of important upgrades to the Edge 530. These upgrades are also on the Edge 830. Below is a list of the most important ones:
- Upgrade no. 1: Speed: The processor is twice as fast.
- Upgrade no. 2: Full Navigation Maps (Garmin Cycling Maps): Re-route on the fly while cycling if you go off course! Use back-to-start routing.
- Upgrade no. 3: ClimbPro: Tells you on the fly about the grades ahead on downloaded routes. Great for serious climbers.
- Upgrade no. 4: Mountain Biking Metrics: Including Grit rating, Flow rating, Hang time, and fully integrated Trailforks app.
- Upgrade no. 5: Brand New Performance Metrics: Including Performance power curve; Heat acclimation; Altitude acclimation; Water and calorie requirements.
- Upgrade no. 6: Better Structured Workouts
- Upgrade no. 7: Bluetooth Smart connectivity, which means you can connect to more things, while using less battery power
- Upgrade no. 8: Longer Battery Life: Plus you can use an added battery charge pack, so you can have more than 40 hours of battery life
- Upgrade no. 9: Bike Alarm
- Upgrade no. 10: Find my Bike Computer
If you are someone that plans ahead, the Edge 530 offers all you could want in premium cycle training metrics and navigation, at a great price. But if you are more spontaneous, its inability to figure out how to get to new addresses might be a deal breaker for you. (If that is you, see our no. 5 pick, the Garmin Edge 830, which is more expensive – but more capable when it comes to navigation).
Button Control on the Garmin Edge 530
Note that the Garmin Edge 530 has button control, not touch screen control. I prefer button control. Sometimes I find screen swiping doesn’t work perfectly, especially in the rain- this is in fact a complaint I have heard about in the Garmin Edge 820. Button control gives you complete control, all the time, even with gloves on. The Garmin Edge 530 also has a beautiful color screen, and a great hand-feel – it feels very smooth, light, and high quality.
For more about the Garmin Edge 530, see our comparison of the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus vs 830 vs 530.
Related Post: 7 of the Best Budget Bike Computers
No. 3 on our List of the Best Bike Computers: Bryton Rider 15 Neo
Bryton has been around for ten years. They make absolutely nothing but cycling computers, so they are definitely laser focused! The Bryton Rider 15 Neo has a lovely big screen, making it easy to see while cycling fast and hard. The crisp black and white screen is easy to see even at night, when a good backlight kicks in. Even more important for most users is the fact that the Bryton bike computer boasts an impressive battery life, up to 16 hours.
This bike computer will enable you to do everything you would expect from a typical budget-priced cycling computer – but it adds in smart Bluetooth connectivity and GPS. Plus, you can save your rides to apps such as Strava. The Bryton Rider 15 Neo is in fact a serious option for those wanting to start quantifying and analyzing data, and even compete in the virtual world – at a real bargain-basement price.
Related Post: Garmin Edge 130 Plus vs Bryton Rider 15 Neo – Battle of the Entry-Level Giants
It is also waterproof, and works with 3 different satellite systems: GPS, Galileo (Europe) and QZSS (Japan). It includes:
- a barometric altimeter (to record your climbs);
- an accelerometer (to detect sudden changes in speed, and thus detect crashes);
- storage for up to 120 hours of history;
- turn-by-turn navigation (but only for downloaded courses created on the Bryton app);
- communication via Bluetooth 4;
- receives smart notifications (calls, texts, and emails);
- uploads to community of your choice, such as Strava;
- compatibility with heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors; and
- customizable data pages.
Plus you can download training plans, and have up to two different activity profiles.
Related Post: Garmin Edge 530 vs 830 vs 1030 Plus GPS Bike Computers: Full Review and Detailed Comparison of the Top Three Premium GPS Bike Computers
Garmin Edge 530 vs 830 vs 1030 Plus Bike Computers: In-Depth Comparison, Reviews and Videos
No. 4 on our List of Best Bike Computers: The Garmin Edge 130 Plus – Smallest GPS-enabled Bike Computer in the World
This is a premium bike computer with awesome training features, at a very reasonable price relative to other premium bike computers. It is small, compact, and intuitively easy-to-use. The range of training options and available data on this bike computer is pretty much unbeatable at this price.
It’s also great if mountain biking is your first love, because it comes with Garmin’s cool new mountain bike metrics pre-loaded. It is also a good buy if you have tons of useful sensor information, user profiles, etc., on an older Garmin unit. If you are anything like me, the auto syncing will put a big smile on your face!
Also amazing at this price, it comes with the very cool ClimbPro feature pre-loaded. Many cyclists find this a must for planning hilly bike rides.
Is the Garmin Edge 130 Plus for You?
Yes, if you are looking for premium training and data features in a budget priced bike computer. And you don’t mind black and white; you like button control; you like low-profile gadgets; and you don’t need much help finding your way around.
Related Post: Garmin Edge 130 Plus vs Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt: Which is Better?
Related Post: Garmin Edge 1030 Plus vs. 130 Plus: Premium vs. Budget Bike Computers
No. 5: The Garmin Edge 830 – Best Premium Bike Computer with Full Navigation
The Garmin Edge 830 received a massive upgrade last year, and now boasts the same twice-as-fast processor as the new Garmin Edge 530. It also shares all the same great new features. The main differences between the 830 and the 530 are that the Edge 830 has full navigation features, and it costs more (usually about $100 more). It offers true turn-by-turn navigation for any address you input.
This bike computer gives you an awesome range of data. This includes current, average, and maximum speed, trip distance, total distance, elapsed time, time of day, calories burned, GPS tracking of routes, elevation changes, route mapping, live tracking, smart alerts, new advanced performance and power analysis, including Time in Zone, FTP (Functional Threshold Power) tracking, cycling-specific VO2 and recovery and cycling dynamics.
It also has brand new features never before seen in Garmin Edge bike computers, including Group Track, Incident Alert, Battery Save Mode and Stress Score.
Related Post: Garmin Edge 1030 Plus vs. Garmin Edge 1030. What’s New about the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus?
New Features on the Garmin Edge 830
Also, it’s twice as fast as previous Edge computers, and has the following new features: ClimbPro; Mountain Biking Metrics including Grit rating, Flow rating, Hang time, and fully integrated Trailforks app. It also offers Performance Metrics including Performance power curve; Heat acclimation; Altitude acclimation; Water and calorie requirements. Plus, better structured workouts; Bike Alarm; and Find my Bike Computer. Also it has longer battery life than previous Garmin Edge bike computers. Plus, you can use an added battery charge pack, so you can have more than 40 hours of battery life. It has ANT+ and Smart Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect it to other devices, such as a cadence and speed sensor or a heart rate monitor.
You can connect this Garmin via a Shimano wireless transmitter to Garmin Vector 2S Power Meter Pedals, Di2 Dura-Ace 9070, Ultegra 6870 Di2, or Ultegra 6770 electronic gears.
Excellent for Navigation and Training
The Garmin Edge 830 is excellent for both training and navigation. Really, the only way in which it is inferior to the more expensive Edge 1030, is that it has a substantially smaller screen. This could be a problem if you are over 40, or have eyesight that is less than stellar for any reason, and you plan to use it for navigation. Like the Edge 1030, the 830 can calculate a route and then give you turn-by-turn directions. However, the maps are smaller on the 830, as the unit is smaller.
You can read an in-depth comparison of the three top Garmin bike computers here: Garmin Edge 1030 vs 830 vs 530.
Related Post: 9 Great Upgrades to the Garmin Edge 530 – Garmin’s Game-Changing GPS Bike Computer
9 Great Upgrades to the Garmin Edge 530 – Garmin’s Game-Changing GPS Bike Computer
No. 6 on our List of 7 Best Bike Computers: The CatEye Strada Wireless Bike Computer – Best Cheap WIRELESS Bike Computer
The CatEye Strada Wireless Bike Computer is small, light and very affordable, and will do all you want as long as you don’t want to track your rides geographically (it does not have a GPS) or upload your data to analyze. Basically it has a wireless sensor that you put on your fork, and it then calculates your speed, time and distance.
While you are cycling, the CatEye Strada will show a whole lot of data, including current, average, and maximum speed, trip distance, second-trip distance, total distance, elapsed time, and the time of day. In testing I found it easy to use, thanks to the handy buttons at the base of the unit. The CatEye Strada bike computer comes with batteries and a universal tool-free FlexTight bracket, and is easy to mount.
I agree with other reviewers that this bike computer is amazingly durable. One reviewer accidentally ran it through a washing cycle, and it is still going strong!
No. 7: CatEye Padrone Cycle Computer – Best Budget Bike Computer with a Large Screen
The CatEye Padrone Cycle Computer is a long-time favorite with many cyclists. It is a reliable, straightforward wireless bike computer with a huge display. CatEye claims it is the largest display on the market. Add in super lightweight and a battery that will last for a year, and you have a very attractive bike computer at a very affordable price.
Also, in response to customer requests, the Padrone has been updated with a stopwatch feature. The CatEye Padrone gets rave reviews from users.
Check Out Our Most Popular Posts! | ||
| ||
Did you enjoy this post or find it helpful? If so, please support our blog! We write this blog because we love cycling. But we also need to earn a living, so we REALLY would appreciate if you click through to one of our reputable affiliates for your online shopping. We are proudly affiliated with Amazon, which sells pretty much everything, and has outstanding shipping and return policies. When you buy from our affiliates we make a small commission, and this is the only way we earn any income. Plus, it costs you nothing at all - a real win/win situation! | ||
