I currently have a polar vantage v2 that I use to track my activities, most of which b is cycling. It doesn’t work with my jetblack victory (it pairs, but doesn’t show power). Polar as a company also doesn’t seem particularly interested in cycling, so metrics like tss, if and np are hard to find or not there at all.
It was a gift so it’s been fine, but I’m looking to move on.
A couple of features I’m looking for
maps for hiking
All day activity and heart rate tracking
Cycling stats as first class citizens
Support for jetblack victory and assioma power meters
Colour - I do like a bit of colour - this is not a hard requirement though
I don’t care about smart watch features
I could probably get a Garmin, but their price rises seem crazy (1k for a watch?!?!)
Garmin 265 if you drop the maps requirement. Otherwise you are going to spend quite a bit more. These watches last a long time and have a rich feature set.
If you’re willing to go back a generation or two, a Garmin fenix 5X would fit your bill. They are pretty big, fyi. I bet you can get one for not a ton on the used market.
Suunto Race or Race 2 might fit the bill for you. I’ve been using the Suunto Run for the past couple of weeks, which works well for me, connects to my Assioma Duo and KICKR MOVE (so I imagine your Jetblack should be fine), stats seem accurate and relevant for me (they use Training Peaks metrics TSS, CTL, ATL, TSB etc.), but it lacks the full offline maps you mentioned, so the Race series (or Vertical) would be the best bet from Suunto’s offerings.
Coros Pace Pro, or Apex 2/Pro could be worth a look as well, I’ve not used them myself but heard good things.
I do enjoy DC Rainmaker! I read the recent review of the garmin crossover and was very intrigued. But they jumped the price for 300 to 700 between models, which seems crazy for a watch with no maps
One handy thing with the Garmin Fenix for bike use is that you can unclip the straps and easily mount it to your handlebars using Garmin’s ‘quarter-turn’ mount.
Look for a new-old-stock Garmin Epix Gen. 2. It’s the same as the small Fēnix 8 but doesn’t take the latest firmware - not a big issue, by the by. It has maps and all the awesome cycling features, an OLED screen, and excellent battery life. You can often find them for less than $400 without looking too hard online.
I think you need to differentiate between cycling and other sports, and during and post exercise needs.
Personally I found, a watch not great while cycling. A dedicated basic computer is much better. Similarly, a phone for detailed large screen “I don’t know where I’m going” navigation is miles better than a tiny low res screen, and then a smartwatch is best for lifestyle steps tracking, HR, swimming and so on. After exercise apps like TrainingPeaks and Golden Cheetah do miles more than a watch can, provided you have a device that collects data.
Regarding all these devices, feature overload is a real problem. Manufacturers use this to push “new” devices every year despite users just not needing these features during exercise. Instead all the clever stuff should run in software post exercise, meaning you can buy 2-3 generation old devices (or second tier non-Garmin) at bargain price. For instance, on the bike, a very basic device that does power, speed, time, distance, targets, averages and laps and targets and breadcrumb trails is enough. This is what a Garmin Edge 500 from 15+ years ago can do.
