Using an Apple Watch (v3 or v4) for ride+health stats?

[christob]

I found several Forum posts here (mostly talking about Nyon) that featured a mention of Apple's Watch...

But I wanted to gather feedback in one place, from members who are currently using the Watch regularly today (either v3 or the new v4)...
ie, commentary on the accuracy of built-in heart-rate monitor (particularly if you've personally compared its results against other heart monitors you have?)... plus favorite apps you use for tracking/monitoring your ebike ride stats, plus health/exercise-obtained stats, etc.

I'm considering the Watch, but haven't yet justified it to myself...

 

[Girl Bike]

No one *needs* the iWatch. But it sure is handy once you get one. No regrets. I have the iWatch 3rd generation. I haven’t validated the data from the watch with a bona fide heart rate monitor. Seems accurate enough though, based on my perceived level of exertion.The “exercise” ring on the iWatch measures the number of minutes exercising and it does correspond to the minutes spent biking recorded on my bikes computer. What I find most handy about the iWatch is being able to send texts by talking into my wristwithout fumbling around for my phone. Like at the end of a ride “Honey, Please open the garage door”.

 

[Girl Bike]

I downloaded the app Map My Ride for my phone and iWatch. I used it once so far. I can start, pause and stop it from my watch. The app tracks where you rode,speed, the elevation, HR, and some other stuff. It was easy to use but also easy to forget to pause it when you get to your destination. It meets my needs and I’ll continue to use it. What makes it convenient is using the watch app which also syncs with the watches activity tracker. It sure beats writing all the stuff down. It was a little under a mile off compared to the bike computer. Good enough for me so far.

 

[JimmyJ]

I have been using Garmin EDGE 510 with my road bike for years. Last year I upgraded to Garmin Edge 520. Syncing garmin data to Strava to share rides with friends. Last year, I got an apple watch GPS-Cell V.3.
I track my ebike rides using the apple watch.
When I go road cycling, I use the garmin 520 (Like I have done for years) because my road bike has cadence sensor, speed sensor, chest heart monitor etc, etc that connect to garmin and record all sorts of data.
The difference to me is that Garmin has an option to auto pause... meaning when you get to a stop sign (for example) it stops recording. Apple Watch does not (the new version has auto pause for running but not cycling). And the calories are always off... Garmin gives me very little, apple watch seems more accurate to me.

As far as accuracy, see my two readings from my road bike this past Friday. One is apple watch, second is Garmin (two pics). Almost identical except time and speed (because garmin has auto pause).
I really like the apple watch. I feel it is accurate.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Easy to forget to pause it (Ride with GPS on Apple Watch) when you get to your destination.

• Left : What happened when I forgot to tell Ride with GPS that the ride was over!
• Right : The ride corrected using the Premium (paid) version of Ride with GPS.
• You can make an error on your Apple Watch but you can’t fix it there.
• Link to this ride : Launceston, TAS : Oppy Gran Fondo. From pre-ebike days.

 

[Ncgo4]

I’ve had an A Watch for a few years. Just got the new one (4)and it has its own GPS so you don’t need to carry your phone. I’m on Hilton Head so my rides are flat but the watch tracks mileage, heart rate, speed and seems to be quite accurate. I do about 20 miles several times a week and it makes it very easy to track what you do. Expect my RAD ride in a week or so it will be interesting to see what I do then. My bike has a thing that measures speed and trip mileage using a magnet mounted on a spoke being read by some kind of a thing on the frame. The readings of both match remarkably closely.

 

[christob]

Thanks for the input, @Ncgo4 !

 

[christob]

Just an update - I got the Apple Watch4 in December, and have worn it constantly since then, for every ride. I'm happy with the tracking (in terms of it being very comparable to the bike's control-panel Odo. I like the extra motivation the Watch is giving to "close the rings" (3 rings daily, representing exercise goal, non-sitting time goal, and movement/calories burned goal.) There was only one day since using it that it behaved strangely / had a glitch, where during the ride (which was about 6 miles) it stopped tracking the distance traveled, but did not stop tracking the time traveled -- so I ended up with a 30 minute tracked ride -- that was 3 miles in length instead of 6. It hasn't happened since, and Apple Support only suggested that I reach out to them again if it becomes a noticeable pattern.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Recurring A/Fib caused me to buy my Apple Watch in December, a series 3. I don’t need the ECG function so much as the ability to spot and report an abnormal rythym. After the iPhone trained us for ten years not to bother with watches anymore, I had not intended to get one, since I just didn’t see any big benefit. However, I wear it all day and night now and wouldn’t part with it. The heart rate tracking is great, and I can review back as far as I want on the app on my iPhone, which I have done with my cardiologist on occasion.

The whole business about closing all three rings is surprisingly addictive, and good for you! I’ve been known to zip out at 11:30 at night just for a quick stroll around the neighborhood to close that last damn ring, weather be damned. My wife thinks it’s a riot.

I do my tracking with Ride With GPS, though I will log rides as workouts as well depending on how it all interacts together - if this damn snow ever melts.

Really love the watch. The voice recognition I swear is better than the phone. It never makes a mistake when answering or sending a text. Nice job, Apple.