(Pocket-lint) – Cycling’s great – not only is it a great way to get your daily exercise, but because of the distances you can cover it’s also a really nice way to get out of your immediate area, especially if you’re spending a lot of time at home, like most of us.

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If you’re getting more into your cycling, though, you might be thinking about how to take your rides to the next level, and start tracking yourself more accurately. This can help not just in monitoring and ramping up your fitness but also just in understanding more about your performance.

We’ve gathered together some of the very best bike computers on the market for you to browse, but a warning in advance – stock is very limited at the moment, so it can be a little hard to find some of these! 

Our pick of the best cycling computers to buy today

Garmin

Garmin Edge 520 Plus

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Garmin make some of our best-loved fitness trackers, with premium designs that cater to those with particular interests, whether they’re mountaineering or diving, and it’s also a specialist in cycling trackers. Its Edge series has loads of bike computers to choose from, ranging from entry-level to really in-depth, and we think the Edge 520 Plus represents a great middle ground for most people.

While it’s far from cheap, its feature-set is hugely impressive. It’ll navigate you through your route turn-by-turn, tracking all sorts of metrics, from pace and cadence to calories, time, temperature and loads more. It’s easy to use and Bluetooth makes it a doddle to connect, as well. This is like having a cycling trainer on your handlebars. 

Cateye

Cateye Quick Wireless Cycle Computer

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If you fancy spending a good chunk less, though, and don’t mind losing some features to go with it, Cateye’s got a great, dead simple bike computer that actually has some of the cleanest design on the market. 

It’s nice and simple, but still tracks distance, speed, elevation, pace indicator and time, which is a great set of metrics for those starting out, and it’s all really intuitive to use and check while you’re riding. If you’re looking for a simple intro to the cycling computer world, this could be a superb first option. 

Wahoo

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt

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Wahoo’s another big name in the fitness tracking world, with heart rate straps some of its special items. Its bike computers are great too, though, and the Elemnt Bolt is one of its finest – we prefer it on value terms to the more feature-packed Roam.

This unit has a clear and easy to use screen, and tracks countless metrics while offering navigation and has thousands of pre-baked routes that it can call upon to help you find a great ride quickly. With ANT+, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi all on board, you’ll also find it easy to upload your data.

Garmin

Garmin Edge 25

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Garmin’s Edge range is extensive enough that it can offer competition when it comes to budget options, though, and its Edge 25 is a great entry in that category. It’s dead simple to set up and really simple to use, too, with a few metrics displayed at a glance. While it won’t win you over with a colour touch screen, it’ll track what you’re likely to want.

Connectivity is still solid, with Bluetooth on board, while you can also hook it up to a heart rate monitor, as so many users are likely to want to. If you don’t want to splash for the Edge 520 Plus but still want a Garmin, this could be the answer for you. 

Beeline

Beeline Velo

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For something a little different, you might want to check out Beeline’s offering, which strips out a lot of the stats to make a clean and freeing travel experience by bike. 

Its Velo is a simple puck that you can easily wrap around your handlebars. Using the companion app’s map, you set your destination and set off. The puck’s display simply points, as the crow flies, to your desired end-point. That’s it – the finer points of navigation are up to you, letting you find new routes and places while keeping track of your overall process. 

It’ll be too barebones for some, but we’re big fans of the attitude that this bike gadget encourages.

Lezyne

Lezyne Mega C

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Our final tracker does have a really solid screen though – Lezyne’s Mega C might have an odd name, but it’s got performance in spades where it counts. Its real speciality is a 32-hour battery life that should see you through even the most taxing of marathon rides, too. 

It’s got a really solid companion app that makes it easy to integrate with whatever platform you’re tracking yourself on and offers navigation using routes from your phone (though it doesn’t have any of its own stored. It’s a good package, all in all. 

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.