Nowadays, smartwatches and fitness trackers are some of the most commonly used pieces of technology that we take around every day, aside from our phones. They provide many extensive features that enhance the exercise experience and keep us on target with our fitness goals. 

Much like smartwatches and fitness trackers, GPS for bikes can be used to offer many health benefits as well. The GPS not only tracks location but also has additional features that are sure to help you reach your fitness goals. They are more convenient to use than phones and can be a great addition to an individual looking to improve their biking routine. 

The GPS devices offer more features to tracking your cycling routines than a phone can and are more accurate as well. Whether you are an active cyclist training for competitions or someone who just enjoys leisurely riding their bike, like the StreetStrider, the addition of a GPS tracker is sure to evolve your fitness routine.

Track Your Workout

One of the many advantages of having a GPS device for your bike is being able to track your progress. The device can easily be attached to your bike and remains out of the way from other parts of the bike, such as the handles and brakes. It is a simple gadget and versatile in any and all types of cycling routes you may choose to take. 

The device uses satellites, allowing you to precisely measure distance traveled, which will especially come in hand for individuals who are training for competitions. A log of your progress each time you take your bike out for a ride will help keep you on target to reaching your fitness goals.

Not only is the distance measured, but the route taken as well. In unfamiliar locations, a GPS can come in handy in showing you available routes to take to get you back on course. Adding a GPS to your bike may also be beneficial for individuals who are looking to find alternative routes to cycle on and are tired of taking the same routes. The location features on a GPS device are sure to boost your efficiency and motivation each time you go for a bike ride.

Monitor Your Heart Rate

A GPS device also has the capability to measure monitor heart rate and give you an accurate recording of your beats per minute while on the move. This can be a great addition to any fitness routine and ensure that you are reaching your target heart rate. Instead of having to stop and manually measure your heart rate, the GPS device has that built-in function to do it for you.

 Getting a reading of your heart rate can also tell you which biking routes were harder or easier than others. With this information, you can plan which routes to take, depending on the intensity of the bike ride you want for the particular day.

This feature of a GPS is definitely a great addition to have especially for individuals who want to meet a target heart rate. For those who use biking as their method of aerobic exercise, this is an excellent feature to have.  

Building Motivation

With the numerous amounts of features that a GPS device can offer, it is now easier to stay on top of your everyday goals. You can record your current activity level and plan for how you want to improve your workout routine accordingly. A GPS device certainly makes it easier to track your current progress and adjust your exercise plans to the intensity you want it to be. 

If you are looking to build a consistent biking schedule, then the GPS device will be able to help you meet this goal. You can be able to better customize the routes you want to take and track your improvements along the way. This can be very beneficial in building your motivation to reaching your personal goals. 

A GPS device can act as a motivational aid for those looking to improve. With this technology that can track your cycling statistics, you will be able to see areas of strength and weaknesses that you can better focus on. 

Increasing Safety

Having a GPS device can not only help with tracking your exercise stats and mapping your distance, but it can also be essential to ensuring safety. The GPS device tracks location in real-time and therefore can prevent and notify you in the event of a bike theft. In unwanted moments like these, the GPS device can relay location information to your phone, so you are always aware of where your bike is. This can be very useful, especially when biking in unfamiliar areas. 

The GPS device is small enough to be located in any part of the bike, most commonly in an inconspicuous area. Therefore, in the event of a theft, the GPS device will remain hidden and will activate upon departure of the place it was last left. This can come in handy for individuals who can not store their bike in an enclosed space and need to leave it outside. Installing this device onto your bike can give you peace of mind to know that you will always have surveillance over your bike even if you are not next to it. 

Additional Features

The GPS can track not only location but elevation as well. Though there may be some limitations to how high a GPS can track, it is still a very useful feature that will add to any cyclist’s biking routine.

For those who are training for cycling competitions, the GPS can measure your max speed, average your speed throughout your entire course, and lastly, record your speed at any given point. This can help to improve one’s performance, especially when it comes to long-distance rides. You will be able to better analyze your activity and figure out areas to improve during your cycling routines.

These additional features are some of the great reasons why adding a GPS device to your bike will enhance the fitness routine for an individual. It is definitely a helpful equipment that will aid in any individual’s biking experience, whether you are an experienced or leisurely biker. 

Alternative Trackers - Smartwatch

With the increasing amount of technology being produced every day, smartwatches are also quite popular. There are some differences and similarities between using a GPS device and a smartwatch when it comes to tracking your cycling progress. Some pros of using a smartwatch include its ability to track location, distance, and elevation. In addition, smartwatches can also record heart rate like GPS trackers. 

However, one of the cons of using smartwatches is that the watch is on your wrist. Therefore, if you are actively looking to see where your location is on the map, it may not be as convenient to constantly turn your wrist while biking. In contrast, a GPS tracker can be placed between the handlebars of the bike for full visibility. This would allow for greater accessibility when tracking location and distance. 

Another disadvantage of smartwatches is that they are not attached to the bike. Therefore, in the case of bike theft, you will not be able to track the location of your bike. This may not be ideal to some who prefer to have the added safety feature that a GPS tracking device can offer. 

Whether you choose a GPS tracking device or a smartwatch for your cycling routines, it is important to understand that both offer different functions. A GPS tracking device would be more suited for an individual who is looking to have a device that functions more so to record cycling stats. In contrast, a smartwatch has a host of other functions such as social media notifications or text messaging. If these features are not so much desired as features that are focused on tracking your biking routes and stats, then a GPS tracking device may be the preferred piece of technology. 

Conclusion

GPS tracking devices offer an array of features that are sure to help improve the way you bike. They can effectively track the distance, location, elevation, and average speed of every route you take. With all these statistics, you can better plan your next workout routine and map out routes that you may prefer to take for the next ride. GPS devices are an awesome addition to boosting an individual’s motivation to improve their workout. 

Additionally, GPS tracking devices can act as a security measure for your bike and alert you whenever it is being moved. This is a highlight feature of the functionality that a GPS tracker can have for those who are looking to keep their bikes from being stolen. All in all, adding a GPS device to your bike will definitely enhance the fitness experience and provide many helpful supplementary benefits from exercising along the way. 

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4272622/ 
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/gps/#:~:text=The%20global%20positioning%20system%20(GPS,location%20of%20something%20on%20Earth.&text=GPS%20receivers%20provide%20location%20in,circle%20Earth%20in%20precise%20orbits
3. https://findmykids.org/blog/en/gps-kid-tracker