Best Cycling GPS Units In 2022

It was a fight for the top spot between Wahoo and Garmin, and in the end, Wahoo reigned supreme. To kick things off, they give you a lot in the package, including some extra mounts to position your GPS unit any way that you’d like. Right out of the package, this entire unit is simple to set up and get started with. Your control app is intuitive and easy to use as well.

But with that app, Wahoo runs into one problem: support. It’s a big buggy from time to time, which results in a three-second freeze on-screen, the app closes, and you have to launch it again. It’s aggravating at best, but all the functions still work well. You just have to encounter these little inconveniences from time to time. Along with timers and your clock working, you’re also going to get a mileage tracking function. It’s been known to be off at times, so I would just gauge your cycling trip based off of a Google Maps distance estimate.

Garmin makes some of the best outdoor gadgets of all time, but what they aren’t able to do is keep those prices low. You pay for quality, and Garmin knows exactly what their units are worth. While Garmin Edge 530 Cycling GPS Unit is a fantastic unit, there’s a large disparity between this unit and the Wahoo that topped our list.

That being said, Garmin has one of the best mileage tracking software around. Place your sensors in the appropriate section on your bicycle, snap the GPS unit onto the handlebars, and you’re good to go. Because Garmin is constantly making upgraded GPS functionality across their wide range of products (including smartwatches and rangefinders), this is always up-to-date. Garmin does a fantastic job of ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Technically, these are augments for your Garmin bike computer or watch. If you don’t want to spend the money on a whole new GPS unit and you already own a Garmin watch, then you’ll be able to sync these sensors with it to read your information. The thing is, it only works for Garmin products, so you’re not going to be able to sync this to your phone unless you have a Garmin app. The only structural problem I have with these is the plastic casing for the sensors. They’re difficult to get together, which means when you need to take them apart, you’re going to have one heck of a time.

Wearable4U Garmin Bike Speed Sensor Kit also includes a multi tool that allows you to install, adjust, and repair every part of these sensors and their mounting brackets. The tool itself is easily valued at about 25% of the total cost of these sensors, so it’s a nice added benefit.

Garmin Edge 1030 Cycling Bundle comes with a high price point, but it’s the last thing you’re ever going to need to buy for your bicycle. You get the GPS, tons of added pieces in the kit like a screen mount and spare gaskets, and a fully functional tail light that’s large enough and visible enough for cars to see. That’s a lot, and it justifies the price, but Garmin isn’t without issues here. For one, they still can’t get silicone cases right. It’ll do for a while, but you will need to switch it out after a few months of weather exposure. And while you get spare gaskets in this kit, some have said that a few will arrive cracked, signaling a lack of quality assurance.

But that’s on the spares, not the unit itself. What we really want is the GPS. The mount is excellent, and the data tracking is extensive. You can track your history from paths, courses, and training information to watch how you’ve scaled up over time. The resolution and durability of the physical unit are both excellent, and the screen protectors you receive are like adding bulletproof glass to your GPS. Altogether, a worthy unit with a few flaws. You may also be interested in some of the best bike phone mounts from our list, so check them out.

I like Garmin a lot, and it’s why I gave this Edge 530 Cycling GPS Bundle a chance. It’s a quality piece, but there’s a reason that they fell this far on the list. To kick things off, the screen resolution is fantastic, and the entire screen is pretty wide, so you won’t have any visibility issues while riding. On top of that, there’s an anti-glare coating to keep things nice and clear even when the sun is directly overhead. That’s all well and good.

But then you get into some of the quality control issues. They’ve had to improve this version quite a bit, and now it’s stuck on the 2019 model after they’ve fixed everything. When you encounter this many issues after product launch, it’s always a mess to fix, and it leaves some glitchiness to retrieving data. I’m also not a fan of the Garmin silicone case that they include with any of their models, and this one is no different.

We’re getting to the end, and that’s when you see some of the lesser-tier units on this list. iGPSORT did a bang-up job of making an inexpensive GPS, with all the issues that you’d expect. First of all, the screen is plenty wide and displays information with great contrast, which also includes an anti-glare coating to prevent obstructions on sunny days.

There’s even an IPX7 waterproof rating so that you don’t have to stop when the rain starts. iGPSPORT GPS Bike Computer and Road Map Navigator is built tough, but that’s just on the outside. The heart rate reader on this is basically inaccurate enough times that I wouldn’t even include it as a reason for buying this unit. Other than that, the mount that they give you is cut-rate. It’s going to last for a few months, but you’re going to quickly see it jiggling and moving around, so a replacement will be in order. Thankfully, you’re going to have a fairly simple time syncing this. There’s a strong Bluetooth connection, as well as an impressive amount of data storage. You can harbor up to 3,000 hours of your cycling info, so you can build analytical reports based on your health, and watch your progress scale up with time. You may also be interested in some of the best bike repair stands from our list, so check them out.

No glare, no distractions—that’s what you want in a good cycling GPS unit. The initial impression of Wantacme GPS Bike Computer w/ Bluetooth was that the screen was fairly low-res, but once you actually fire it up, it’s lit up beautifully and displays everything pretty well. There’s a day to night transition mode, so you’ll see a hint of blue in the light as the sun goes down, and it’ll be pale blue once it’s dark out, so you can still see without it blinding you or being too bright.

You can connect via Bluetooth to have access to all your information in the 15 different modes, but not all of those modes are useful as a fair warning. For instance, the heart rate monitor isn’t that effective, and a few other features are just roped in as modes when they’re really standard features. Between the screen and the price, it’s a good buy, but the excellent battery life makes this a diamond in the rough. Twenty-five hours of battery life is more than enough to get in about ten rides (depending on how long you cycle for) without having to charge it. The battery life indicator will display what’s left, so you can always be on top of it.

The Garmin Edge 830 is the mid-range model in Garmin’s cycling GPS unit range. It fits nicely in between the Garmin 530 and the Garmin 1030 and is perfect for anyone that’s looking for a premium cycling GPS, without paying the big bucks. The biggest problem that has plagued cycling GPS units for years has been the quality of the touchscreen. They’ve been sluggish and unresponsive compared to our smartphones, which isn’t helpful when you’re cycling along or out-of-breath. Fortunately, the Garmin Edge 830 has one of the best touch screens we’ve seen. 

Like all Garmin cycling GPS units, it features the routable Garmin Cycle Map, a worldwide map full of local trails and routes. This has always been the main advantage of Garmin cycling GPS units because it allows you to ride like a local, wherever you go. It also has a bunch of features geared towards serious MTB enthusiasts such as track jump count, jump distance, hang time, and Grit (a measure of the ride’s difficulty level). You can customize the device with all sorts of different apps, widgets, and data fields. Plus, it provides around 20 hours of battery life off a single charge.

If you already have an app on your smartphone, watch, or a GPS unit that’s in need of new sensors, CooSpo is one of your best options out there. These sensors come equipped with Bluetooth and ANT+ connection technology, as well as a way to set your sensors to different readings.

That’s either speed or cadence, but the problem is, the sensor only displays one at a time. Moreover, it needs to be reset manually by removing the battery and reinstalling it every time you want to swap the sensor output. Personally, I would rather just buy two of them and leave one on each setting than have to remove it, take the battery out, put it back in, and reattach it to my bicycle. CooSpo makes this individual sensor extremely affordable and easy to connect to. While installation can be a pain, one thing is for certain once it’s installed: it’s not going to come off unless you use the tools to pull it off. Be sure to also check out our guide to the best bike lights for more must-have products for cyclists.