How to go from basic ride tracking to training with purpose

August 24, 2026

Beyond the basics of GPS, speed and heart rate data, these Garmin cycling products can help you stay aware of your surroundings and improve your overall ride performance.

If you already ride with a Garmin smartwatch, you know how valuable the on- and off-the-bike insights and features can be. But you want to beat yesterday.

That’s where the rest of the Garmin cycling ecosystem comes in. When you track and record cycling activities with a smartwatch, you’ll get basic ride data for cyclists. But we  recommend maximizing your rides with radars and lights, a bike computer, power meters and an indoor trainer.  Here’s why — and how — each of these products can improve your time on the bike.

Ride with a dedicated bike computer

When you ride with an Edge® bike computer, you get a better cycling experience. In addition to tracking your speed and distance, you can better navigate right from your handlebars, get road hazard alerts¹ and so much more. Plus, broadcast your heart rate from your compatible smartwatch or CIRQA™ Smart Band² to your compatible Edge cycling computer to stay on top of your performance and track recovery, health, sleep and more off the bike³.

Whether you’re a gravel grinder, roadie or casual commuter, there’s an Edge GPS bike computer for everyone that will help you navigate and monitor your ride — but we’ll mention just a few.

Edge Explore 2: Dependable and easy to use, Edge Explore 2 features turn-by-turn directions, ride type-specific maps, smart notifications and more.

Edge 550 and 850: These bike computers bring you dynamic performance monitoring, Garmin Coach training plans, superior bike-specific navigation and mapping, and more, all on a bright, vivid and compact display.

Edge 1050: Our premium flagship cycling computer, Edge 1050 offers a vivid touchscreen display and battery life up to 20 hours in demanding use cases and up to 60 hours in battery saver mode. You’ll also get advanced performance monitoring and training features as well as smart features that help bring your cycling community together.

Ride with safety-enhanced cycle gear that can increase awareness

To help foster a safer riding environment, be more visible to drivers on the road and make sure you can see them approaching too, Garmin rearview radars and smart lights — all created with safety in mind — do just that.

Varia™ RearVue 820: This powerful, precise and reliable radar and tail light gives you a wide field of view to detect approaching vehicles from behind⁴. For visual and audible alerts while you ride, connect this to the Varia™ smartphone app, compatible Edge cycling computers or select Garmin smartwatches (which can also provide voice alerts for approaching vehicles) — helping you stay more aware on the road. When connected, riders can see vehicle sizes and movement on their Edge or smartphone on the Varia smartphone app. And motorists sharing the road will be able to see the tail light and brake light up to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) away.

Varia Vue: This headlight camera records front-facing video in 4K (memory card required⁵_; sold separately) and automatically stores the video on the device if an incident is detected. With 5 bright light modes and an auto brightness control⁶, Varia Vue helps you see the road ahead. You can even control the camera and headlight settings from your compatible Garmin cycling computer or in the Varia smartphone app.

Ride while monitoring your effort with Rally™ power meters

Power data can help improve your training if you’re ready to take your rides to the next level. When cycling with a power meter, compatible Garmin devices estimate your functional threshold power (FTP). This key performance marker helps guide your efforts, optimize workout intensity and track changes in your cycling performance over time.

If you’re looking to bring power data and more to your rides, look no further. Garmin power meter pedals are highly accurate and versatile, easily transferring between bikes and pedal bodies so you can monitor your effort on every ride. Plus, when you track your training with your power meter, Edge cycling computer and smartwatch (or heart rate monitor), Garmin Cycling Coach can help you train for your goals.

Rally 110 and 210: Monitor your data, such as power data, cadence and more, in real time when you pair a Rally power meter with a compatible Edge smartwatch. If you opt for our dual-sensing power meter, Rally 210, you’ll also unlock advanced cycling dynamics, including left versus right foot balance, seated versus standing time and more, on select Garmin smartwatches or in the Garmin Connect™ app after a ride.

Ride indoors with a Tacx® bike trainer

When it’s time to take your rides indoors, stay on top of your training goals when you ride freely or track a ride on a Tacx bike trainer. If you pair your smartwatch with a smart trainer, your watch can control your trainer’s resistance automatically during a workout.

Tacx NEO 2T Smart trainer: For a powerful, highly accurate and virtually silent ride, choose the Tacx NEO 2T Smart trainer. Connect to training platforms like the Tacx Training™ app and Zwift to experience a real road feel, such as cobbles, gravel and more.

Tacx NEO 3M Smart trainer: The extraordinarily quiet, immersive and powerful Tacx NEO 3M Smart trainer offers built-in motion plates for comfort and realism. Our most accurate trainer, it can handle sprints up to 2200 watts and climbs up to 25%, and it comes with a preinstalled cassette that’s fit for most modern bikes.

Keep riding with your smartwatch on your wrist

All these products work closely with your smartwatch to help you get the most out of your training.

On compatible smartwatches, training features³ — including training readiness and free, personalized Garmin Coach cycling training plans — can help you take your training to the next level. Keep safety in mind with LiveTrack™ location sharing⁷, which shares your rides with contacts you’ve chosen in the Garmin Connect app, and incident detection, which sends a message to designated contacts with your live location if an incident is detected.

Off the bike, you can track your cross-training, ensuring every moment counts. With 24/7 health and fitness tracking on your Garmin smartwatch, you’ll get essential features such as Body Battery™ energy monitoring, sleep tracking, recovery time and more³.

With our cycling products, smartwatches and the Garmin Connect app, you’ll be able to make the most of your rides. When you’re ready to take your cycling experience to a new level, choose Garmin.

_{¹When used with your compatible smartphone and the Garmin Connect app}

_{²CIRQA Smart Band requires Garmin Connect+ plan}

_{³See Garmin.com/ataccuracy}

_{⁴When riding with your compatible Edge cycling computer or the Varia app on your smartphone}

_{⁵See Garmin.com/variavuememorycard}

_{⁶When paired with your Edge cycling computer}

_{⁷When paired with your smartphone; see Garmin.com/ble. For safety and tracking feature requirements and limitations, see Garmin.com/safety.}