In the era of pandemic, Peloton and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, the popularity of two wheels has risen more sharply than a Tour De France climb. Cycling has re-emerged as the primary means of exercise for millions. It taxes the lungs, boosts cardio fitness, and builds both power and strength (and once you’ve squeezed into those Lycra bib shorts there’s no hiding any work that needs to be done).
While there’s no substitute for putting in the work, technology is now on hand – from power meters to on-bike computers – to track real-time stats and take your cycling conditioning to the next level. Clip in for our pick of the best.
GARMIN ENDURO
From £699, garmin.com
Garmin’s latest tracker is a big, rugged multisport watch rather than a dedicated cycling tool, but the Enduro packs plenty of tools and tracking smarts for two-wheel pursuits. For a start, there are four cycling modes – including Indoor, Outdoor, Mountain Biking and Triathlon – plus daily suggested workouts based on your recent training and recovery.
But the big headline here is battery life. On paper, the Enduro packs an unrivalled 80-hour GPS battery life, extendable up to 300 hours in Endurance mode – all boosted by juice-saving solar charging skills that use the sun’s rays to top up the Enduro’s endurance. In reality, the watch lasted a staggering 30 days, with 30 hours of indoor and out GPS-tracked workouts on a single charge. An eight-hour outdoor effort with full GPS burns just ten per cent.
Beyond that game-changing battery, you also get Garmin’s full suite of training and recovery insights, with post-ride training effect, training load monitoring and training status to help you build fitness and avoid overtraining.