Apple has understood the importance of offering real sports functions on its connected watches. He couldn’t miss out by releasing the Ultra version of his Apple Watch, particularly focused on outdoor sports.
In 2022, Apple Watches — all those compatible with watchOS 9 and not just the Watch Ultra — first won new running metrics (ground contact time, vertical oscillation and stride length). Apple watches were also able to estimate running power without the use of an external sensor and to manage heart rate zones.
In 2023, Apple is tackling cycling this time through the tenth version of watchOS, with the same desire to offer its sports customers the essential functions, capable of using the equipment dedicated to their practice. So we decided to put Apple’s newest watch, the Watch Series 9, and its features to the test on a bike tour of the Ile d’Yeu.
Cycling inside and out
In practice, these are the sports modes of indoor cycling and outdoor cycling that are evolving. Their functions are similar, the difference is whether or not they use GPS.
Use of GPS for the purposes of recording the route and calculating various metrics linked in particular to speed. Alas, there is still no question of following a GPS track directly from outdoor cycling mode. You can of course launch another application on the watch or on the smartphone in parallel with the activity, but it would have been interesting to benefit from a real navigation function integrated into the Bike mode of the Apple Watch, as knows how to do notably Garmin with its watches.
The iPhone as a bike computer
Especially since with watchOS 10, “Bicycle” activities launched with the Apple Watch are automatically duplicated on the iPhone to which the watch is connected. Practical for enjoying a complete and easily readable display without having to turn your wrist to look at your watch.
Different screens are available to display the measurements of heart rate, speed, time, distance, altitude and power. Making it easier to constantly keep an eye on the data that matters to us. You can also choose certain data on the watch and others on the iPhone.
As part of our test of the Apple Watch Series 9, we first used the watch alone during an unpretentious tourist stroll (around the island of Yeu), then we put it on put to the test in sports cycling activity, coupled with our iPhone.
Your background tracking
For our ride, the new “bicycle” features introduced by watchOS 10 do not change the user experience. We find the basic data that interests us and that we already had with previous versions of watchOS, namely the distance traveled, the average speed and of course the route of our journey. There is no need to monitor power, cadence or even heart rate here.
The Ile d’Yeu cycle route is easy and well signposted, so following a route on the watch is optional. It would have been possible to use an application like Komoot to add GPS track trackingbut it is also nice to forget the hyper connectivity of everyday life for a day by letting the watch record data without further use.
The essentials for occasional walks
For sports use, however, the needs are not the same. We played the game by replacing our usual Garmin GPS bike computer with our iPhonein order to check if we found our bearings.
Since its launch on the Apple Watch Series 9 attached to our wrist, the “Outdoor Cycling” activity is automatically displayed on our iPhone. We find the same information and color codes as on the watch, on a screen that is obviously much larger and therefore more readable. Compared to a dedicated bike computer, we gain in display areabut it is advisable to use a good smartphone holder and to ensure the autonomy of our device which will melt much faster with its screen always on.
THE Experienced cyclists will always prefer a dedicated bike computer however. More compact, more autonomous, it can also provide more complete data: power guides adapted to the elevation of a workout, coaching or even mapping, to name only the most common functions.
For a classic use however, it is clear that the essential is there. In addition to the power and cadence if the external sensors are well connected, we also benefit from the heart rate recorded by the watch. The Apple Watch Series 9’s cardio sensor being very precise, this is an additional advantage for those who do not wish to acquire or even wear a cardio belt. A functional solution, before possible acquisition of specialized equipment if cycling intensifies.
Furthermore, since the update, Apple Watches running watchOS 10 can now connect to external sensors for bicycles in Bluetooth. Power, speed and cadence sensors are thus supported, allowing measurements to be monitored in real time on the watch and of course, to summarize the results in the activity report.
Conclusion
So ultimately, can the Apple Watch Series 9 with its new functions appeal to cycling fans? Yes and no, depending on the intensity of the practice. By adding the possibility of using power, cadence and speed sensors, the brand offers a bike mode complete enough to satisfy walks and small sports training sessions.
But as it did for running, Apple does not offer particularly innovative functions for cycling on its Apple Watches. So if your cycling is intensive, turn to the App Store and its numerous third-party applications, or a dedicated bike computer. However, this involves additional investments.
Read also :
⋙ We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max: is Apple doing its best for your photos?
⋙ iPhone 15: in which countries does it cost less?
⋙ How to take a screenshot on iPhone?
⋙ How to reset an iPhone?
Some links are affiliated and may generate a commission for Femme Actuelle. Prices are given for information purposes only and are subject to change. The content presented was written completely independently by a professional journalist.