Best cheap cycling computers 2024 — get GPS on the bike for less and record speed, distance + more on a budget

Less expensive units that use GPS to replace the sensors of a traditional bike computer offer basic features for tracking essential ride data such as speed, trip distance and time, as well as recording your ride for later analysis.

They are unlikely to have features like turn-by-turn navigation, advanced training metrics, integration with external sensors (heart rate, power, etc.), or detailed mapping capabilities that are found in more expensive models.

If you go very budget and spend less than £40, unless you're buying second-hand or a reduced item it's unlikely your computer will use GPS to record data. These 'traditional' computers use sensors to track speed and distance based off the revolutions of your wheel instead of satellites. 

If you're someone who values accurate data tracking, navigation, and durability, a GPS cycling computer could be a worthwhile investment. However, if your rides are shorter and less performance-focused, and you're comfortable using your smartphone for navigation and data tracking, a cycling computer might not be as necessary. 

That being said, cycling computer tend to have a longer battery life compared to smartphones, are built to withstand the elements and can connect to sensors like heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, and power meters providing you with more accurate data for your training.

They are also useful for providing turn-by-turn navigation without having to constantly stop and check a map on your phone. 

GPS-enabled bike computers pick up signals from a network of satellites that orbit the earth at an altitude of about 20,000km. These satellites use atomic clocks to transmit time and position very accurately. A GPS receiver uses the signals from several satellites to work out its position to within five metres.

Technically, GPS is the name for the United States' satellite constellation and signalling system. Others includes Russia's GLONASS, the European Union's Galileo and China's BeiDou. The tech industry wants us to call these global navigation satellite systems, GNSS for short, but non-nerds seem unlikely to stop calling them all GPS any time soon.

No, only the more expensive ones. There are two types of GPS bike computer. Less expensive units use GPS to replace the sensors of a traditional bike computer and display data such as speed, trip distance and time, as well as recording your ride for later analysis.

More expensive GPS units have full satellite navigation functions, with map display and turn-by-turn navigation of a preset route, or one the computer generates on the fly.

Some GPS units are able to pick up signals from heart rate monitor straps and on-bike sensors to log additional data such as heart rate and cadence.