Many people will opt for a specific GPS bike computer<\/a>, from the likes of Garmin or Wahoo<\/a>, and some will use a mobile phone with one of the best bike phone mounts<\/a> if they\u2019re looking to save some money.<\/p>\n However, I am in the minority who prefer using a cycling smartwatch<\/a>, and I have never been tempted away from my trusty Garmin Forerunner 45<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why the Forerunner 45? Well, any piece of kit that can withstand daily usage and the abuse (read: profuse sweating and dog attacks) that I\u2019ve put this watch through, should be \u2013 no, deserves to be \u2013 inducted into the pantheon of High-Mileage Heroes<\/a>.<\/p>\n First off, I enjoy the simplicity of my Forerunner.<\/p>\n While it may not feature the turn-by-turn directions or route-planning functionality that is baked into some bike computers and higher-end smartwatches, when I\u2019m commuting<\/a> to BikeRadar HQ, I don\u2019t need directions or any other data.<\/p>\n This leaves me to focus on just enjoying riding my bike, avoiding the usual perils found on a shared-use cycle path at rush-hour.<\/p>\n That does not mean the Forerunner 45 is basic. It tracks your heart rate, features customisable data screens, offers sleep tracking, and it can display phone notifications.<\/p>\n It might be blasphemous to admit this, but I also love running \u2013 possibly even more than cycling.<\/p>\n While I could take my Hammerhead Karoo 2<\/a> GPS computer out on my runs, it wouldn\u2019t be quite as convenient, and I like that I only need to think about one device.<\/p>\n High-Mileage Heroes<\/a>\u00a0showcases the products that have stood the test of time and become part of our everyday riding.<\/p>\n These aren\u2019t reviews, but rather a chance to talk about the kit we depend on and the products we choose to use when we\u2019re not reviewing fresh gear.<\/p>\n More from High-Mileage Heroes:<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> As you\u2019d expect from a piece of kit that is now almost old enough to attend school, it has had some bumps, bruises and scrapes along the way.<\/p>\n This has been accelerated by the addition of my six-month-old Flat-Coated Retriever puppy, Remy.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing Remy loves more than chewing on something she shouldn\u2019t be. High on her chewing hit list is my watch.<\/p>\n Despite being chomped (multiple times) there is no damage to either the screen or band. Touch wood\u2026<\/p>\n In fact, apart from the odd sweat stain and piece of muddy debris in the textured band, there is very little sign I\u2019ve used it.<\/p>\n The buttons are a bit smoother than when I bought it, but that just adds to the character.<\/p>\n The same cannot be said of my Karoo 2. One numb-fingered spring morning, I dropped it onto concrete and the computer suffered cosmetic damage. The hardy Forerunner has survived many such incidents.<\/p>\n One of the usual downsides of older tech is the dwindling battery life.<\/p>\n Just think about your phone \u2013 if it\u2019s anything more than a year old, you will know the battery lasts less time than a static shock.<\/p>\n The same cannot be said of my Forerunner. Despite being four years old, my watch lasts about a week if I don\u2019t use the GPS, or three to four days with four to five hours of GPS use per day.<\/p>\n When writing this article, I went back to check the smartwatch\u2019s claimed battery life, and at the time Garmin claimed up to seven days in smartwatch mode.<\/p>\n So even after nearly 1,500 days of use, I am still getting maximum battery life.<\/p>\n This is undoubtedly impressive, but doubly handy when Garmin insists I charge the Forerunner 45 using an easy-to-lose proprietary charger rather than the much more common USB-C or mini-USB.<\/p>\n Amidst all of the other tech built into the Forerunner 45, I appreciate how well it carries out its simple core functionality.<\/p>\n At the end of my run, cycle, walk or workout, I can wipe away the sweat and tell the time, and continue to do that day after day without complaint.<\/p>\n Sure, a GPS cycling computer might be able to do the same, but you can\u2019t strap them to your wrist and wear them as a genuinely fashionable piece of tech (if you do, remember you got the idea from me first).<\/p>\n Jesting aside, a smartwatch is a great way to start tracking your rides. It\u2019s cheaper than Garmin\u2019s least expensive computer, they\u2019re versatile and they provide more than enough data for even the nerdiest riders.<\/p>\n By Matthew Howes Published: Monday, 19 September 2022 at 12:00 am When it comes to tracking your rides and posting them to Strava for the world to see, there are plenty of options available. Many people will opt for a specific GPS bike computer, from the likes of Garmin or Wahoo, and some will use […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":41221,"template":"","categories":[1,36],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45.jpg",2400,1600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/09\/high-mileage-heroes-matts-garmin-forerunner-45-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Matthew Howes Published: Monday, 19 September 2022 at 12:00 am When it comes to tracking your rides and posting them to Strava for the world to see, there are plenty of options available. Many people will opt for a specific GPS bike computer, from the likes of Garmin or Wahoo, and some will use…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/41220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why use a smartwatch for cycling?<\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2022\/09\/Garmin-Matt-Edit-9e46685.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>BikeRadar\u2019s High-Mileage Heroes<\/h2>\n
Kit to stand the test of time\u2026 and dogs<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Impressive battery health<\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2022\/09\/Garmin-Matt1-Edit-bf242af.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>A simple watch for a simple man<\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2022\/09\/Garmin-Matt9-Edit-1f1ba9a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Latest deals<\/h5>
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