Garmin has announced software and feature updates to select smartwatches and bicycle computers today to help you monitor your overall well-being and take your cycling “to the next level”.
Several of the features have been available since September, but only on Garmin’s latest Edge 550 and 850 bike computers.
Now, Garmin’s latest update brings insights such as smart fuelling alerts and gear-ratio analysis to its Edge 540, 840, 1050 and MTB models.
The smart fuelling alerts prompt you to hydrate and refuel during your rides. Garmin says the prompts are based on “current fitness, course demands, heat and humidity when using power guide or following a workout”.
The gear-ratio analysis enables you to see how much time you’ve spent in each gear ratio after a ride – but you’ll need electronic gears for this feature.
Elsewhere, Garmin says its real-time weather overlays will help you monitor the weather and “make more informed decisions in-ride with radar and wind direction overlays”.
If you use a power meter, you’ll also be able to manage your efforts thanks to the power guide updates, which will provide you with power targets based on “real-time stamina” and wind.
“For mountain rides or races, power guide will now also consider altitude acclimation and adjust power targets accordingly,” Garmin says.
The updates also bring Garmin’s GroupRide data comparisons to more of its bike computers. This enables you to see how speed, heart rate, power, cadence and other metrics compare to riders in your group.
Garmin is also pushing a “health status” feature to its Venu X1, Vivoactive 6, Fenix 8, and Forerunner 570 and 590 smartwatches.
Garmin says the feature will help you monitor your well-being by seeing whether statistics such as heart rate, HRV and respiration are “trending away from their usual range”, either directly on your Garmin smartwatch or in the Garmin Connect app.
“These changes could indicate added stress to the body and could be related to physical activity, potential illness and more,” Garmin says.
The free updates have already begun to roll out to compatible devices. You can update your smartwatch or Edge bike computer either by enabling automatic updates or using the Garmin Express app.
Alongside Garmin’s feature and software updates, the GPS giant has announced 3D maps in its Garmin Connect app for Connect+ subscribers.
“These maps can help users understand the terrain they are covering during an activity and can be viewed in logged activities and custom courses, as well as individual trails in Garmin Trails,” Garmin says.
