# Apple Watch for mountain biking?



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

I am planning my next smart/sports watch and leaning towards the apple due to its good heart rate monitoring. For those that use the Apple Watch with workoutdoors or strava app, is it effective in tracking rides and also viewing a map with the various bike trails and tracking segments? Or should I ditch this idea and get a Fenix 7?


----------



## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

Some of my riding cronies went with the Garmin Fenix 6 or better watches (some of whom were Apple Watch users for tracking rides prior to jumping on this bandwagon) and are really happy. The stats reporting detail/features are also potentially better on the Garmin along with privacy (if you don't post to $trava for example). 

I dislike Apple Watches (won a 1st gen and gave it away) and Garmin's too (never owned a single one... others have a boneyard of old/dead mono and color screen ones lol). 

I use a Wahoo BT strap with a phone app for HR and route tracking.


----------



## Squirrel in the Spokes (Apr 9, 2021)

I don’t have one but both people I ride with who do complain that it’s route tracking is inaccurate


----------



## Catmandoo (Dec 20, 2018)

Or get a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. Great watch, tracks, smartwatch, has near month battery life (or more if you are in sunlight a lot), easy sync with Connect or other activity apps. The series 2 has much better accuracy for HR.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

My Apple watch has been great (series 6). 

Tracking is much better if you turn your phone to "airplane mode". If your phone is around, the watch will default to the phones GPS reading and the watches internal GPS has proven to be more accurate for me. Putting your phone in airplane mode will disable the phones GPS so that the watch takes over. 

I had the Garmin Fenix and it was simply alright. Way too expensive for what it is, very poor heart rate monitor and after a year and half the battery shorted and Garmin informed me it was now a $600 paperweight as they are 100% non-repairable or serviceable.


----------



## mostlyeels (Apr 9, 2020)

I switched to one last year (a Series 7) from a Garmin Forerunner 235, and have been very happy with it. Strava has been good, and I like how it integrates so well with the phone.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

FrankS29 said:


> My Apple watch has been great (series 6).
> 
> Tracking is much better if you turn your phone to "airplane mode". If your phone is around, the watch will default to the phones GPS reading and the watches internal GPS has proven to be more accurate for me. Putting your phone in airplane mode will disable the phones GPS so that the watch takes over.
> 
> I had the Garmin Fenix and it was simply alright. Way too expensive for what it is, very poor heart rate monitor and after a year and half the battery shorted and Garmin informed me it was now a $600 paperweight as they are 100% non-repairable or serviceable.


Thanks, good advice on the airplane mode. Did you find the body battery and recovery metrics useful? I would plan to use a chest strap on rides mainly as I don’t think any ohr will be accurate on janky Squamish trails.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

mostlyeels said:


> I switched to one last year (a Series 7) from a Garmin Forerunner 235, and have been very happy with it. Strava has been good, and I like how it integrates so well with the phone.


Do you know if strava tracks segment times for trails?


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

If you're going to use a chest strap, why not get a dedicated device for your stem or bars? If you're after sleep and life metrics it's a bit different of course. 
I can't talk, I have an Edge 520 on my stem, Garmin Approach S62 on my wrist and sometimes a G-Shock. Though to be fair I don't ride with the last two. 
Garmin pushes the data to Strava. So when I finish a ride and press stop, save and then it syncs with my phone (which is usually buried in my backpack) and Strava has the data a few seconds later.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

bikerCanada said:


> Thanks, good advice on the airplane mode. Did you find the body battery and recovery metrics useful? I would plan to use a chest strap on rides mainly as I don’t think any ohr will be accurate on janky Squamish trails.


I found the Garmin recovery metrics to be silly at best.


----------



## Jolyzara (Jan 11, 2022)

Apple watch didn't work for me. Got a Garmin 55 and it does everything I need.


----------



## billb0872 (Sep 6, 2007)

I have both an instinct solar and edge 520. For ride tracking, I use the edge 520 almost exclusively. TBH I am not happy with the gps on either garmin device. It’s adequate, but I hate it when I feel like I crush a segment and it doesn’t even register on my ride. I was thinking a higher end garmin may better in that regard, but don’t feel Ike the $800 layout just to see.

I have been considering an Apple Watch. Seems the 6 and 7 are the same spec, the 7 having a better screen. The HR monitor seems to be better on the apple watch, but if it reallly mattered I would go with a chest strap because I just don’t believe an optical monitors can perform that well in a MTB environment.


In normal use, I get 7-8 days out of the instinct solar. It would get 30 if I turned off all functions. It does charge quickly tho.


----------



## celswick (Mar 5, 2020)

I’ve had an Apple Watch 7 for about a week and I like it. You can record rides through the watch’s Workout app or Strava app on the watch. Both seem accurate. They sync up so your workout recordings can upload to Strava and vice versa. 

I’ve been running the workout app because I can see my heart rate without taking my hands off the bars. The heart rate feature seems to work great. It also has an announcement every five miles that you can use to track your distance without looking at your watch. It also shows elevation gain. 

Here are screen shots of each. Strava blurs out all the info unless you raise your wrist, but on the Workout app you can still see all the data with your hand on the bars. 


















































Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## gastonbx (Oct 15, 2009)

I use garmin edge 830 and a vivosmart 4 on everyday basis, when travelling or racing I only use an instinct solar. 
All of them worked great so far, you only need to use the watch well strapped to avoid weird measurements on rides that shake your arms. HRM bands did not work for me, and edge 530's screen was to little, plus 830 has more features.


----------



## mrallen (Oct 11, 2017)

I can't comment on Apple Watch metrics or accuracy, but I've been running Garmin for a long time and it pretty much works great other than the wrist heart rate. Wrist heart rate just flat doesn't work for me as it misses the fast spikes and then reads low until my HR comes back below what it thinks it is. With a chest strap, I have no issues with the Garmin. 

As for what I DO know about riding with an Apple Watch is that two guys I've ridden with had them. I saw both get destroyed on falls - one bad, one minor. The guys running Fenix watches including myself have smacked them off tons of trees, rocks, possible rogue wildlife, etc. They are all still working. I would consider an Apple Watch for something other than mountain biking, but I don't think they are robust enough to ride with.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

celswick said:


> I’ve had an Apple Watch 7 for about a week and I like it. You can record rides through the watch’s Workout app or Strava app on the watch. Both seem accurate. They sync up so your workout recordings can upload to Strava and vice versa.
> 
> I’ve been running the workout app because I can see my heart rate without taking my hands off the bars. The heart rate feature seems to work great. It also has an announcement every five miles that you can use to track your distance without looking at your watch. It also shows elevation gain.
> 
> ...


Amazing, looks like maybe the Apple Watch is the way to go.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

mrallen said:


> I can't comment on Apple Watch metrics or accuracy, but I've been running Garmin for a long time and it pretty much works great other than the wrist heart rate. Wrist heart rate just flat doesn't work for me as it misses the fast spikes and then reads low until my HR comes back below what it thinks it is. With a chest strap, I have no issues with the Garmin.
> 
> As for what I DO know about riding with an Apple Watch is that two guys I've ridden with had them. I saw both get destroyed on falls - one bad, one minor. The guys running Fenix watches including myself have smacked them off tons of trees, rocks, possible rogue wildlife, etc. They are all still working. I would consider an Apple Watch for something other than mountain biking, but I don't think they are robust enough to ride with.


Fair point regarding durability.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

mrallen said:


> I can't comment on Apple Watch metrics or accuracy, but I've been running Garmin for a long time and it pretty much works great other than the wrist heart rate. Wrist heart rate just flat doesn't work for me as it misses the fast spikes and then reads low until my HR comes back below what it thinks it is. With a chest strap, I have no issues with the Garmin.
> 
> As for what I DO know about riding with an Apple Watch is that two guys I've ridden with had them. I saw both get destroyed on falls - one bad, one minor. The guys running Fenix watches including myself have smacked them off tons of trees, rocks, possible rogue wildlife, etc. They are all still working. I would consider an Apple Watch for something other than mountain biking, but I don't think they are robust enough to ride with.


have you used trailforks on the watch?


----------



## Simplemind (Jul 17, 2006)

I’ve been using a series 4 Apple Watch for years. Works well for riding metrics, but mostly just use Strava and Trailforks. I believe the HR monitor to be pretty accurate. The main dislike is the horrible battery life. Have to charge every day, just like the phone.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Meh, I crashed hard about 2 weeks after getting my Apple Watch. The watch (and myself) landed right on rocks. It scratched the face, but the watch functions perfectly fine still.


----------



## Lostmanifesto (Jun 30, 2016)

bikerCanada said:


> I am planning my next smart/sports watch and leaning towards the apple due to its good heart rate monitoring. For those that use the Apple Watch with workoutdoors or strava app, is it effective in tracking rides and also viewing a map with the various bike trails and tracking segments? Or should I ditch this idea and get a Fenix 7?
> 
> View attachment 1971544


I use both my Apple Watch and Wahoo Roam. The Wahoo does a better job if you want to follow a map or attack a KOM. It’s features are truly built for that. The Apple Watch does a great job collecting health data. I dislike chest and forearm straps for HR. They are not comfortable.

For every ride, I start the Wahoo to collect ride info and mapping if needed. I start a workout in the apple fitness app on the watch under outdoor cycle. Now I have everything I could need. I’ve learned that watching HR and HRV plays a huge roll in my fitness and endurance.

When finished, I stop both and choose to sync one or the other to Strava automatically. I usually go with the Wahoo data because I don’t use Strava for HR data. I keep all of my HR data in my Health app on my iPhone. I’ve got years of ride data I can look through and see how my fitness has changed. Times of year how it changes. When I ride more mountain vs road changes. If you aren’t a data junkie or don’t compete, this may not be important to you.

I’d say, if you just want to collect ride info, go for a Wahoo or Garmin with a chest strap. If you want what the Apple Watch offers plus all of its other features like I can control my music while riding, I can answer calls if needed from my watch, I can see important notifications, etc. It really depends if you want all that. I do.

Enjoy


----------



## SoDakSooner (Nov 23, 2005)

My fenix 5x is 3+ years old and no issues. The glass is still intact with not a scratch at all with the sapphire glass although I am getting some of the finish rubbing off on the bezel. just normal watch wear. The HR is not that good, but works well with the chest strap. I can get almost 10 days out of a charge too. Don't have to charge daily like an apple watch. I did the watch versus the handlebar mount so I can run and hike with it as well, and it's more cost effective than two devices. You do have to clean the charging pins really well if you don't have an optional cover.


----------



## Lionel_Hutz (Dec 8, 2021)

The Apple watch is a great fitness tracker. I've never found it wanting for any of the basic functionalities and it is more than accurate enough for my needs on HR and route tracking. Apple's health tracking software is strong and the integration with uploads to Strava is seamless. Can't say the same for any of the Garmin devices I've used. And I'm always wearing it so there's no separate equipment to remember to charge and pack. 



FrankS29 said:


> My Apple watch has been great (series 6).
> 
> Tracking is much better if you turn your phone to "airplane mode". If your phone is around, the watch will default to the phones GPS reading and the watches internal GPS has proven to be more accurate for me. Putting your phone in airplane mode will disable the phones GPS so that the watch takes over.
> 
> I had the Garmin Fenix and it was simply alright. Way too expensive for what it is, very poor heart rate monitor and after a year and half the battery shorted and Garmin informed me it was now a $600 paperweight as they are 100% non-repairable or serviceable.


I wouldn't do the airplane mode hack without a cellular-enabled watch. It is going to cripple the watch's ability to make an emergency call (including based on fall detection).


----------



## ghood (Dec 26, 2011)

Check out Coros. Their watches are really good. Battery life is phenomenal.


----------



## kasperilio (Oct 27, 2006)

Check out DC Rainmaker reviews of various gadgets. He's very thorough with GPS routing and features.

I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3, Apple Watch 6 and Garmin Edge 830. I found the apple watch to be pretty accurate when compared to the Edge, but I do notice that the watch will slide down and on rough trails and bounce against my wrist which isn't comfortable. For route finding I can't imagine the watch would be very good and use the Edge for that (or Trailforks on my phone), but I have synced routes from Strava to the Edge and that works well. Garmin will pretty much always do better GPS wise, but with the Series 6, Apple finally got the GPS more accurate.
I pretty much wear my Apple, but only use it if I forget the Garmin Edge or the batteries are low. Oh, speaking of batteries, the Edge battery lasts WAY longer than the Apple Watch. Apple watch has to be charged pretty much every day, Garmin can go many rides on a single charge, plus you can set it up with alerts from your phone.I also like that the Edge will give you a little "tada" when you get air or flow, which makes it kinda like Mario cart when cruising down trails and featuring off of things.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Lionel_Hutz said:


> I wouldn't do the airplane mode hack without a cellular-enabled watch. It is going to cripple the watch's ability to make an emergency call (including based on fall detection).


Depends on the situation. I'm almost always riding with someone else so the fall detection is not a big deal for me. 

Besides the fact that a lot of the places we ride have zero cell service anyway. 

If I'm actually worried about it and alone, I leave the cell service on for my phone.


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

I ride with a Felix 6 and a edge 1030. At the end of my rides they are pretty close to one another. My buddy has an Apple Watch and it is always a different number even though we usually ride the same route. 

I’ll tell him about the airplane mode

trail forks on the fenix is useless it’s even touchy to use on the 1030

to the prior poster about his garmin dying. Try reaching out to them. I’ve had really good luck with their warranty department.


----------



## mostlyeels (Apr 9, 2020)

bikerCanada said:


> Do you know if strava tracks segment times for trails?


Sorry, I don't. I should've been more accurate: I use the regular fitness tracker ("Workout") to track my rides, then it automatically uploads and syncs with Strava after the ride. I'm not viewing any Strava data in real time.


----------



## dvsone81 (Oct 12, 2021)

I never had good luck with HR tracking while syncing with Strava (on the Apple watch S2). I always got the flat bars on the HR analytics so I stopped using the watch for tracking and HR tracking. I have the Apple watch S5 now and haven't tried it again to see if it's better though. Maybe someone can chime in on their experience. I did notice that the screen on the S2 eventually popped off maybe due to the constant amount of vibration of the rides?


----------



## mostlyeels (Apr 9, 2020)

dvsone81 said:


> I never had good luck with HR tracking while syncing with Strava (on the Apple watch S2). I always got the flat bars on the HR analytics so I stopped using the watch for tracking and HR tracking. I have the Apple watch S5 now and haven't tried it again to see if it's better though. Maybe someone can chime in on their experience. I did notice that the screen on the S2 eventually popped off maybe due to the constant amount of vibration of the rides?


HR tracking has been rock solid on my S7. Big improvement over the Garmin Forerunner for me.


----------



## Mtns2C (Jan 28, 2015)

I use the cyclemeter app with an Apple Watch and iPhone and really like it. Extremely customizable. You have to pay to use cyclemeter on the watch, $10 a year I believe. I also got a wahoo speed sensor to integrate into cyclemeter because the iPhone’s gps was way to inaccurate.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Mudguard said:


> If you're going to use a chest strap, why not get a dedicated device for your stem or bars? If you're after sleep and life metrics it's a bit different of course.
> I can't talk, I have an Edge 520 on my stem, Garmin Approach S62 on my wrist and sometimes a G-Shock. Though to be fair I don't ride with the last two.
> Garmin pushes the data to Strava. So when I finish a ride and press stop, save and then it syncs with my phone (which is usually buried in my backpack) and Strava has the data a few seconds later.





I agree. I have and use both and a Garmin head unit (530 in my case) is much preferable for rides. The watch is better for 100 other things.


----------



## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

bikerCanada said:


> Apple Watch for mountain biking?


i'm curious. how does one ride said watch?


----------



## blaklabl (Mar 14, 2011)

I have gone the other way, and rid myself of my Wahoo and Garmin devices for tracking. I use only my Apple Watch S7 now, it gives me all the stats I need and coupled with a free app called "HealthFit" it aggregate everything into a nice feed of activity. I find the HR, GPS and other health metrics to good enough for my needs.


----------



## polentozer (Dec 22, 2020)

If you're going to use Apple watch, I can't recommend enough the WorkOutDoors app. Amazing app.

Regarding the satisfaction with Apple watch: tracking could be better, battery could and should last longer, but other than that it is fantastic.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

polentozer said:


> If you're going to use Apple watch, I can't recommend enough the WorkOutDoors app. Amazing app.
> 
> Regarding the satisfaction with Apple watch: tracking could be better, battery could and should last longer, but other than that it is fantastic.


What do you find great/useful with workoutdoors? I thought it was mainly for hiking…


----------



## WerewolfJones (Jul 26, 2016)

bikerCanada said:


> What do you find great/useful with workoutdoors? I thought it was mainly for hiking…


It puts a pretty good map on your wrist, and you can import .gpx files to give yourself a route to follow. It's four dollars with no subscription nagging or advertiser-intermediated-location-tracking or other annoyances/meathooks. AFAICT the gps/heartrate data is identical to what the builtin apple workout app would give you, and you can upload your ride to strava from your phone pretty easily if you want to.


----------



## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

FrankS29 said:


> My Apple watch has been great (series 6).
> 
> Tracking is much better if you turn your phone to "airplane mode". If your phone is around, the watch will default to the phones GPS reading and the watches internal GPS has proven to be more accurate for me. Putting your phone in airplane mode will disable the phones GPS so that the watch takes over.
> 
> I had the Garmin Fenix and it was simply alright. Way too expensive for what it is, very poor heart rate monitor and after a year and half the battery shorted and Garmin informed me it was now a $600 paperweight as they are 100% non-repairable or serviceable.


Airplane mode does NOT turn off GPS, it kills (edit to add wifi,) cellular and bluetooth radios.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Thoreau said:


> Airplane mode does NOT turn off GPS, it kills cellular and bluetooth radios.



🤷‍♂️

The issues I had with GPS tracking went away as soon as I put my phone in airplane mode.


----------



## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

FrankS29 said:


> 🤷‍♂️
> 
> The issues I had with GPS tracking went away as soon as I put my phone in airplane mode.


That may be, but doesn't change that the reason has nothing to do with the phone not having GPS turned on. GPS is controlled under privacy/location services. (GPS is only a receiver, not a transmitter, so there would be no point to turning it off on an airplane since it doesn't transmit anything that could potentially interfere with an aircraft.) Side note, NFC is also still turned on in airplane mode on iOS devices, presumably because despite being a transmitter as well, it's ultra-low range/power so not considered a risk. Plus, gotta be able to tap-pay for those in flight drinks.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Thoreau said:


> That may be, but doesn't change that the reason has nothing to do with the phone not having GPS turned on. GPS is controlled under privacy/location services. (GPS is only a receiver, not a transmitter, so there would be no point to turning it off on an airplane since it doesn't transmit anything that could potentially interfere with an aircraft.) Side note, NFC is also still turned on in airplane mode on iOS devices, presumably because despite being a transmitter as well, it's ultra-low range/power so not considered a risk. Plus, gotta be able to tap-pay for those in flight drinks.


Right, but despite the fact that the phones GPS is still on, does it mean that an Apple Watch will default to its internal GPS if its connected phone is in Airplane mode?


----------



## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

FrankS29 said:


> Right, but despite the fact that the phones GPS is still on, does it mean that an Apple Watch will default to its internal GPS if its connected phone is in Airplane mode?


On that, your guess is as good as mine (or better.) Couldn't pay me to own an iPhone, or an Apple watch. =) But in airplane mode, the watch has no connection to the phone at all (bluetooth down) so there's definitely zero chance the watch app is gonna get gps data from the phone anymore.

If the app developers are halfway competent though, a watch app SHOULD be using the watch GPS regardless, since that signal is, in theory, always available to the watch app, regardless of having an external device (phone) nearby and connected.) It's plausible they could write the app to pick whichever device has a better GPS lock and pick for itself, but that'd probably be more programming work than it's worth.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

Thoreau said:


> On that, your guess is as good as mine (or better.) Couldn't pay me to own an iPhone, or an Apple watch. =) But in airplane mode, the watch has no connection to the phone at all (bluetooth down) so there's definitely zero chance the watch app is gonna get gps data from the phone anymore.
> 
> If the app developers are halfway competent though, a watch app SHOULD be using the watch GPS regardless, since that signal is, in theory, always available to the watch app, regardless of having an external device (phone) nearby and connected.) It's plausible they could write the app to pick whichever device has a better GPS lock and pick for itself, but that'd probably be more programming work than it's worth.


What would you take over an Apple Watch?


----------



## FredCoMTB (Jul 25, 2020)

Bassmantweed said:


> I ride with a Felix 6 and a edge 1030. At the end of my rides they are pretty close to one another. My buddy has an Apple Watch and it is always a different number even though we usually ride the same route.
> 
> I’ll tell him about the airplane mode
> 
> ...


Did you use the trailforks on the watch for tracking, navigating, or both? I got a Fenix 6s last year but have been unable to ride while healing up from a back injury. The GPS and tracking on the native Garmin apps on the watch seem good (not great, not bad) but generally I've really liked the watch. My only comparison is a pretty basic fitbit though. 

I also saw a few people say the Fenix was 600 plus... mine was 350 but maybe a different model? I think there's a 7 that's about to come out (if it hasn't already).

Btw I definitely wanted something with incident detection...I have an InReach too but it's a little extra peace of mind. Garmin Pay is convenient too (and seems to work everywhere that takes Apple or Google Pay) 

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


----------



## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

bikerCanada said:


> What would you take over an Apple Watch?


I ride with a g-shock dumb watch. Something that's actually durable enough to crash with (tested that theory way too many times.) Tracking for me is done on a garmin edge 530. HR data coming from a wahoo chest strap connected to the 530 (along with the speed sensor, and axs bits.) 

Honestly I hate Garmins software ecosystem, but for the basics, it works reliably. Auto syncs the ride data to strava and the axs app, which is really overkill since all I really keep tabs on is mileage/elevation climbed to try and hit some semblence of fitness goals. 

I recently came close to trying the new Instinct 2 because it looked like it might do a halfway decent job at basic smart-watch duties (relaying notifications is about all I use that for) and throw in some added outdoorsey integrations with much improved battery life with the solar option, but even then I'd still just keep running the 530 and chest strap. And I don't do enough hiking these days to justify it for that... I just record that activity on my phone in that case, with the same HR strap.

Honestly I wouldn't even have a smartwatch if I hadn't got an absurd price on a Galaxy Watch 4 (vast improvement over past models since they finally ditched Tizen for the OS.) They're not even useful to me as backup call-for-help devices since I already keep a Garmin Inreach Mini in my pack =) $10/mo for LTE service on a watch vs. the same price for satcom? I'll take that for plan b every day of the week.

Of course, the above choices aren't everyone's cup of tea.


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

Thoreau said:


> I ride with a g-shock dumb watch. Something that's actually durable enough to crash with (tested that theory way too many times.) Tracking for me is done on a garmin edge 530. HR data coming from a wahoo chest strap connected to the 530 (along with the speed sensor, and axs bits


I have a large ish G-SHOCK and I don't wear it in case of a crash, not because I'm worried about the watch, but having my arm being snagged.
The Apple watches look delicate but yeah, I'm not keen on anything on my arms.


----------



## Thoreau (Jun 15, 2017)

Mudguard said:


> I have a large ish G-SHOCK and I don't wear it in case of a crash, not because I'm worried about the watch, but having my arm being snagged.
> The Apple watches look delicate but yeah, I'm not keen on anything on my arms.


I don't really have any branches to snag on out here. Just limbs sticking out of saguaros. If the g-shock is in any contact with that, I'm already screwed =) 

Funny ya mention not wanting anything on your arms. In the age of smartphones, I got used to never wearing any watch, and only sorta went back to it in recent years after splurging on a rangeman g-shock. When I go for a ride, I feel kinda naked without that thing on my wrist, even though it's a rare day when I look at it even once while on a ride.


----------



## Kevin Matherne (Jul 27, 2021)

Kinda like my apple watch and the safety it assures. It would come in real handy if you pile up solo and need to make a call for assistance. Raise wrist say siri call so and so and help is coming. Plus my s7 has way tighter heat tracks on my records compared to the ones off my iphone so it has a good gps. And the health data is all there. All in one for me so far.


----------



## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

I have an Apple Watch. It’s my third. I love it. But not for biking. I use an Edge 830 for data tracking and my iPhone 13 Pro Max for TrailForks. I still wear my Apple Watch but mostly because it’s on my wrist 7 days a week.

As for its ruggedness, over several years of biking, I have not sustained anything worse than a minor scratch to the glass. I have Apple Care though, so I don’t much care about that.

Edit: the Apple Watch does not play well either outside its ecosystem. I gave up trying to get the HRM to work with my Wahoo KICKR and Zwift. I bought a Wahoo Tickr Fit or whatever it’s called and my life instantly improved. The Apple Watch does a million things great. But I don’t find that to include much of anything that is biking related. That’s not to say you can’t use it for these things, but only that for me, it’s a little klunky.


----------



## lemonadejars (Sep 7, 2021)

I’ve got a series 4 Apple Watch and found the gps unreliable with Strava, was constantly misreporting when under tree cover so certain segments were always missing

It would only last a couple of hours with Strava running as well

I switched to a Garmin Edge 530 and Garmin HRM instead, which is so much better for riding


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

Thoreau said:


> I don't really have any branches to snag on out here. Just limbs sticking out of saguaros. If the g-shock is in any contact with that, I'm already screwed


Ha, I have a Rangeman too. I should have said, it's less of a snagging things while riding, it's more having something on my wrist should I hit the deck, again.


----------



## zooky (Jan 24, 2021)

Apple Watch S7 here. Record runs using a mix of the stock work out app, strava and workoutdoors.


----------



## Bearish (11 mo ago)

Had a Apple Watch Series 3 for a few years. Great integration but too much stuff dinging and buzzing all the time when everything is tied in. Had to turn off or delete stuff to find the correct balance. Good life watch overall when dialed in to preference. Grew to love it. Then I had that one spill where I hit it on a rock right at the edge of glass. Done.

After several weeks of research and deliberation, decided to try Garmin Fenix 6x Pro. Battery life 10x longer was the ultimate deciding factor. 6 weeks in I was regretting it. Much more limited on the urban life side, not near as comfortable, takes a lot of tinkering to get set right, hard to get used to clunky buttons after years of touch screen.

Didn’t get rid of it. A year later and I am fully used to and in sync with it. It has broken me in. Love not having to charge it every day. Week long camping trip with no charger, no problem. My wife can see where I am at in my ride. The screen is always easily visible no matter the lighting. I don’t have to wake it up and my gloves don’t press things like when the Apple Watch isn’t locked.

The second best part, have hit the glass and edges again and the nice metal bezel has protected it nicely. Best part, my watch isn’t demanding my attention all the time like urban life watches are designed to do.


----------



## billb0872 (Sep 6, 2007)

How is the Fenix under dense tree cover?




Bearish said:


> Had a Apple Watch Series 3 for a few years. Great integration but too much stuff dinging and buzzing all the time when everything is tied in. Had to turn off or delete stuff to find the correct balance. Good life watch overall when dialed in to preference. Grew to love it. Then I had that one spill where I hit it on a rock right at the edge of glass. Done.
> 
> After several weeks of research and deliberation, decided to try Garmin Fenix 6x Pro. Battery life 10x longer was the ultimate deciding factor. 6 weeks in I was regretting it. Much more limited on the urban life side, not near as comfortable, takes a lot of tinkering to get set right, hard to get used to clunky buttons after years of touch screen.
> 
> ...


----------



## MJRC5000 (Apr 13, 2021)

I compared my Garmin 1030 Plus against my Apple Watch SERIES 7 45mm Cellular version on the same ride at the same time:
















*Summary:
I used Both devices at the same time:

Garmin 1030Plus*
Miles Recorded: 7.43mi
Time Recorded: 50:13
Average Speed: 8.87mph

*APPLE WATCH 7 Cell Version ( Strava App)*
Miles Recorded: 7.78mi, _0.35mi more than the Garmin_
Time Recorded: 47:22, _3mins less than the Garmin_
Average Speed: 9.9mph, _1 mph more than the Garmin_

*Garmin Pro's:*

Records more data points than the apple watch ( good if you care about data)
is more resistant to impacts
battery last longer
you don't have to wear it on yourself ( at least my Garmin)
Designed for pro athletes
Accident detection ( at least my Garmin)
You have a Data Dashboard on your handlebar, easier to look
*Con's*

Data overload
Heavier device
Doesn't substitute your cellphone for Calls/texts or listening content.
Device that can only be used for the bike ( at least my Garmin, watches are a different story)
Expensive
*Apple Watch Pro's*

Weights less ( for the weight Weenies)
I don't have to carry my cellphone with me, I can make/ take calls / texts from the watch and I can listen to podcasts / music also without the cellphone.
Data is enough for a regular rider that wants to track performance
Accident detection
You don't have over whelming data that only helps the Elite riders.
*Con's*

Battery doesn't last long (at least over 5hrs of riding), if is a multiday event you will need to figure out how to charge it.
you have to wear it, I prefer to have no watch on me while riding my bikes. but this watch i designs to comfortable and it is.
if you have an accident , device is more fragile than a Garmin Edge
If you want to leave your phone at home and still have call/texts and internet, you will have to pay monthly for the service.
Is difficult to look at the data at your wrist while riding 
*Verdict:*

I like to leave my cellphone at home be able to call, text and listen to music with my apple watch while tracking my rides and heart rate.
The data provided by the Apple Watch is enough for the majority of the riders, unless you are a pro athlete you don't need the extra data provided by the Garmin.
The Data collected by the Apple Watch is accurate compared to other cycling devices. At least accurate enough for a rider that wants to substitute a Garmin edge for the watch.
You can pay using your Apple watch
You don't need a heartrate monitor with the Apple Watch
You can use your Apple watch for Cycling and your normal lifestyle as well
If you need to look at your MPHs, Maps or any other data easily and constantly, you need the Garmin Edge. or any other GPS mounted on your bike.
Apple Watch Recommended for regular riders, but carry some penalties.


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

FredCoMTB said:


> Did you use the trailforks on the watch for tracking, navigating, or both? I got a Fenix 6s last year but have been unable to ride while healing up from a back injury. The GPS and tracking on the native Garmin apps on the watch seem good (not great, not bad) but generally I've really liked the watch. My only comparison is a pretty basic fitbit though.
> 
> I also saw a few people say the Fenix was 600 plus... mine was 350 but maybe a different model? I think there's a 7 that's about to come out (if it hasn't already).
> 
> ...


I tried navigation. The display was just too small and the heads up and north up orientation, neither worked well. Even on my 1030 it’s too small. I use on a ride I do often and it’s fun to see where I am. For new rides I still have to pull out my phone if I get turned around. 
I don’t use trailforks for tracking ride. I just use the tracking ability in the watch itself. It connects with garmin I connect and gives me a slew of biometrics.

i really don’t think you can go wrong with either. It’s ford/Chevy, Coke/Pepsi. 
While I like apple products in general I just never liked the look of the I watch. That being said it has a slew more features than my garmin if you will really use them, I can’t say.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

I honestly find Garmin accuracy very suspect. When I had my Fenix, I also had 2 other buddies that I would hike or bike with, all three of us wearing an identical watch and going an identical route. 

All three of us would have different elevation, dist, speed. Sometimes small differences, sometimes pretty large. My one buddy consistently had A LOT more elevation gain than us. Multiple resets and making sure all settings are the same did nothing to resolve it. Then add in awful heart rate data. 

When I run my Apple Watch against my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, I always get almost identical values across the board; road, gravel and mtb. This includes heart rate data where I connect my Elemnt Bolt to a strap.


----------



## bikerCanada (Mar 7, 2019)

Thoreau said:


> I ride with a g-shock dumb watch. Something that's actually durable enough to crash with (tested that theory way too many times.) Tracking for me is done on a garmin edge 530. HR data coming from a wahoo chest strap connected to the 530 (along with the speed sensor, and axs bits.)
> 
> Honestly I hate Garmins software ecosystem, but for the basics, it works reliably. Auto syncs the ride data to strava and the axs app, which is really overkill since all I really keep tabs on is mileage/elevation climbed to try and hit some semblence of fitness goals.
> 
> ...


I got the inreach as well and it’s great peace of mind


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

FrankS29 said:


> When I run my Apple Watch against my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, I always get almost identical values across the board; road, gravel and mtb. This includes heart rate data where I connect my Elemnt Bolt to a strap.





FrankS29 said:


> I honestly find Garmin accuracy very suspect. When I had my Fenix, I also had 2 other buddies that I would hike or bike with, all three of us wearing an identical watch and going an identical route.
> 
> All three of us would have different elevation, dist, speed. Sometimes small differences, sometimes pretty large. My one buddy consistently had A LOT more elevation gain than us. Multiple resets and making sure all settings are the same did nothing to resolve it. Then add in awful heart rate data.
> 
> When I run my Apple Watch against my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, I always get almost identical values across the board; road, gravel and mtb. This includes heart rate data where I connect my Elemnt Bolt to a strap.


All GPS manufacturers use different algorithms for smoothing/calculating distance. This is particularly troublesome at slower (biking/hiking speeds). Even if wearing the same device they may measure readings at different time intervals or locations.

it’s easy to calculate a car going 60 miles an hour across one mile.

it’s much harder to calculate a rider standing still then going uphill at .5 mph then Down hill at 15 mph then slowing down to wait for a buddy and then turning around because they missed a trail or dropped a glove. It’s all an approximation at that point.

EDIT: in fact standing still is the hardest for them as gps units have an inherent flaw of accuracy within 10-50 feet. So even if your not moving you could be moving.


----------



## billb0872 (Sep 6, 2007)

I find the tree cover to be the nemesis of small gps accuracy. Sometime my garmin plots a course that i didn’t ride, or was potentially parallel to what I did ride. It’s not universal, but varies segment to segment.



Bassmantweed said:


> All GPS manufacturers use different algorithms for calculating distance. This is particularly troublesome at slower (biking/biking speeds). Even if wearing the same device they may measure readings at different time intervals or locations.
> 
> it’s easy to calculate a car going 60 miles an hour across one mile.
> 
> it’s much harder to calculate a rider standing still then going uphill at .5 mph the. Down hill at 15 mph then slowing down to wait for a buddy and then turning around because they missed a trail or dropped a glove. It’s all an approximation at that point.


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

billb0872 said:


> I find the tree cover to be the nemesis of small gps accuracy. Sometime my garmin plots a course that i didn’t ride, or was potentially parallel to what I did ride. It’s not universal, but varies segment to segment.


gps units have an inherent flaw of accuracy within 10-50 feet. So even if your not moving you could be moving.


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Bassmantweed said:


> All GPS manufacturers use different algorithms for calculating distance. This is particularly troublesome at slower (biking/biking speeds). Even if wearing the same device they may measure readings at different time intervals or locations.
> 
> it’s easy to calculate a car going 60 miles an hour across one mile.
> 
> it’s much harder to calculate a rider standing still then going uphill at .5 mph the. Down hill at 15 mph then slowing down to wait for a buddy and then turning around because they missed a trail or dropped a glove. It’s all an approximation at that point.



Correct, but my main point about the Garmin is that this was 3 identical devices on identical routes, at the same time, all of them showing different data, some of it (elevation) was very different. This was all the time. 

Typically, I would get the most distance and the least elevation gain, other guy lowest dist but most elevation gain, other guy usually got similar elevation gain to me but less dist. Some elevation deltas were over 10%. 

Didn't matter if it was rolling terrain or sustained climb and bomb down, biking or hiking, the typical format stayed the exact same. 

I simply find it amusing that 3 identical Garmin devices could never agree, yet if I use almost any other device next to another one they are usually REALLY close if not identical on almost all data points. Do the same test with a Garmin next to any other device, larger differences show up again. 

It makes me second guess how accurate a Garmin device really is.


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

FrankS29 said:


> Correct, but my main point about the Garmin is that this was 3 identical devices on identical routes, at the same time, all of them showing different data, some of it (elevation) was very different. This was all the time.
> 
> Typically, I would get the most distance and the least elevation gain, other guy lowest dist but most elevation gain, other guy usually got similar elevation gain to me but less dist. Some elevation deltas were over 10%.
> 
> ...



Again the inherent accuracy /algorithm can lead to discrepancies. 

i go around a corner my fenix measures me 50 feet inside the corner yours measures me 50 feet outside. That’s a difference of 100 feet in one corner. All gps units do this. That’s just the way they work and a limitation. Of course this is an extreme but very possible example. 

Are they all on the same type of data record? Smart vs time ?


----------



## FrankS29 (Oct 23, 2019)

Bassmantweed said:


> Again the inherent accuracy /algorithm can lead to discrepancies.
> 
> i go around a corner my fenix measures me 50 feet inside the corner yours measures me 50 feet outside. That’s a difference of 100 feet in one corner. All gps units do this. That’s just the way they work and a limitation. Of course this is an extreme but very possible example.
> 
> Are they all on the same type of data record? Smart vs time ?


100% agree that there is going to be inaccuracy, it's just the nature of the beast. 

It just sticks with me how _consistently inaccurate_ they were. 

Yeah, we made sure to do full blown resets/updates and scoured all settings to make sure each Fenix was set up exactly the same. Made zero difference, the same pattern always repeated. 

Only one of us is still on a Fenix, I'm using an Apple Watch most of the time (unless I'm riding road/gravel then I use my Elemnt Bolt). Other guy uses an Elemnt bolt all the time. The guy on the Fenix still, still always has the highest elevation gain, haha. 

It has turned into a joke for us. The guy that still runs the Fenix, with all the elevation gain, also likes to run a higher stack than I do (we both ride the same bike) and I joke that it's picking up all of the spacers under his stem.


----------



## Bassmantweed (Nov 10, 2019)

FrankS29 said:


> 100% agree that there is going to be inaccuracy, it's just the nature of the beast.
> 
> It just sticks with me how _consistently inaccurate_ they were.
> 
> ...


i hear ya. My buddy and I joke at the end of EVERY ride that I (garmin guy) rode further than he did (apple guy). 😂

it’s also a running joke that no matter how hard we ride he almost ALWAYS burns only 500 calories.


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

FrankS29 said:


> 100% agree that there is going to be inaccuracy, it's just the nature of the beast.
> 
> It just sticks with me how _consistently inaccurate_ they were.
> 
> ...


The only way to improve things is put a wheel sensor on. I've had one for along time so I take any other measurement with a grain of salt. It pairs virtually instantly and without prompting and batteries tend to last me a year. Not sure if Garmin ones will pair with an Apple watch but you never know. Someone will know but I think the wheel sensor measurement will over ride the GPS, so if you ride 20km with the wheel sensor and get 22km with the GPS , Garmin takes the wheel measurement instead.


----------



## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

Also with the Garmins, the watch case makes a difference.
I was getting more GPS wander and lower range for ANT+, BT and WiFi with the Fenix 6 than the 935 & 945 with the resin bodies.


----------



## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

gastonbx said:


> I use garmin edge 830 and a vivosmart 4 on everyday basis, when travelling or racing I only use an instinct solar.
> All of them worked great so far, you only need to use the watch well strapped to avoid weird measurements on rides that shake your arms. HRM bands did not work for me, and edge 530's screen was to little, plus 830 has more features.


The 530 & 830 have the same screen don't they?


----------



## gastonbx (Oct 15, 2009)

NordieBoy said:


> The 530 & 830 have the same screen don't they?












not mine's at least, but pretty close. However enough for me to be able to barely read values there.


----------



## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

bikerCanada said:


> I got the inreach as well and it’s great peace of mind


Me too.


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

gastonbx said:


> not mine's at least, but pretty close. However enough for me to be able to barely read values there.


Is that the standard layout on the 530? That's really different to my 520. A bit much going on. Don't think I'd need colour either.


----------



## gastonbx (Oct 15, 2009)

Mudguard said:


> Is that the standard layout on the 530? That's really different to my 520. A bit much going on. Don't think I'd need colour either.


mistyped - it's a edge 520 on the right, edge 830 on left


----------



## stripes (Sep 6, 2016)

I love these convos. Accuracy vs precision is the important thing. This will otherwise drive you crazy. 

Honestly how much of a difference is it going to make? As long as it’s consistently out of whack from the other, at least you know.


----------



## Mudguard (Apr 14, 2009)

gastonbx said:


> mistyped - it's a edge 520 on the right, edge 830 on left


I figured as much. Still I've never seen the coloured screen and the graphics. Mine is a really boring grid layout and black and white. But to be fair, I've never dug into once I had the metrics on it that I wanted to look at!


----------



## gastonbx (Oct 15, 2009)

Mudguard said:


> I figured as much. Still I've never seen the coloured screen and the graphics. Mine is a really boring grid layout and black and white. But to be fair, I've never dug into once I had the metrics on it that I wanted to look at!


yeah! that's the factory default, you have to install the apps via connect IQ
the one shown in those devices is "Graphic Cycling Dashboard with Power Meter":








Graphic Cycling Dashboard with Power Meter


[~ TIPS: Because one device only allow to connect to same device once, so if you want to configure PowerMeter Sensor ID manually, and show Balance/TE/PS, you need to disable Edge internal PowerMeter pairing ~]</p><p>-</p><p>Due to limitation of Memory size on Edge 520, I have create a Lite...



apps.garmin.com





and that's were Garmin fun begins


----------



## NordieBoy (Sep 26, 2004)

gastonbx said:


> mistyped - it's a edge 520 on the right, edge 830 on left


Yep, the 530 & 830 are both 2.6" screens.
I've got a 530 and would rather the 830 for the touch interface.


----------



## R3aPerCr3W (11 mo ago)

Apple watch battery depleted rather quickly and I am using Strava more on the watch compared to Apple native functions.


----------



## Bearish (11 mo ago)

billb0872 said:


> How is the Fenix under dense tree cover?


Had minimal time in dense tree cover so cannot thoroughly weigh in on that. The spots that I have done seem to track better than Apple Watch 3. 60-80ft pines with medium density. Medium meaning I don’t have to switch to a clear lense.


----------



## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I use my apple watch for riding, using the Strava app. While still use a stem mounted Garmin device, I use the Apple watch to record the ride. My older Garmin needs to be plugged into and downloaded and needs a more accurate chest strap (which stopped working, the Apple watch quickly downloads after the stop and save the activity and the HR function works, but not as well as a chest strap though.


----------



## itsky (Jul 26, 2011)

I use the Apple Watch, I like it a lot. The battery lasts fine, I’ve used it for a 6 hour ride with gps on constantly and it lasted fine. I use the stock “outdoor cycling” fitness tracker with amazing results. Paired with Spotify and beats fit pro headphones I can monitor my ride, communicate with family and play playlists with siri. It’s dope. After 2 years it still looks and works as new.
I’ll add that I have a wahoo tickr heart rate strap that I use with my peloton, the Apple Watch and wahoo usually show the exact same bpm.


----------

