My wife’s not happy. Five years ago, she bought me a Rolex Milgauss for our wedding anniversary, but for the past two years, my wrist has been married to a Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar. We’re pretty much inseparable.
It’s not every day I’m gifted an expensive Rolex, so what on earth possessed me to pass it up in favour of a smart watch? My love of cycling, of course. My Milgauss is a covetable classic, but it’s a bit of a one-trick pony – it only tells the time. The Garmin Forerunner 955, on the other hand, provides me with nearly everything I need to know to track my health and fitness goals. Plus, it is one of the best Smartwatches for Cycling after all.
Save 33%. The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is a multisport smartwatch with an enviable feature set. It rivals many of the best cycling computers and can also track key health metrics, including sleep patterns. The solar charging augments an already impressive battery life.
Don’t be put off by the Forerunner name, this is a multisport watch that’s as useful for cyclists, yogis, rowers, swimmers, kayakers… as it is for running. In fact, its capabilities as a cycling computer rival most head units, enabling it to track and display everything from heart rate (from the wrist or a chest strap) to power. It also features accurate turn-by-turn navigation and mapping, aided by multi-band GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, together with indispensable route features such as ClimbPro.
Things get really interesting if you choose to wear it 24/7 because the Forerunner 955 provides a multitude of real-time performance and health metrics. Training readiness, HRV status, stamina, VO2 Max estimates, stress levels, sleep tracking, recovery forecasts – it’s all there. Additionally, you can pay for your coffee using it via Garmin Pay and even hook up a Garmin Varia Radar.
The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar shares the functionality of many cycling computers but with additional multisport and health features too.
(Image credit: Simon Fellows)
The solar charging feature may sound gimmicky, but the reality is that I probably only have to charge my Forerunner 955 a couple of times a week, which takes about 20 minutes, perhaps less. The non-solar version, which is slightly less expensive, also boasts an impressive battery life of up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode.
Why buy one if you already own a cycling computer? The Forerunner 955 is more versatile; it tracks every sport I enjoy, from cycling to swimming and mountaineering. If you already own a Garmin Edge product, the health and performance metrics sync seamlessly via the Garmin Connect app on your phone. So, both happily co-exist.
I can’t ever see myself returning to my Rolex…
While I have waxed lyrical about the Forerunner 955 Solar here, there may be deals available in your region on the standard 955 as well; if so, they will be listed below. If you aren't in the market for a Smartwatch this Amazon Prime Day, check out all the latest cycling deals in our Amazon Prime Day hub.
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Simon spent his childhood living just a stone’s throw from the foot of Box Hill, so it’s no surprise he acquired a passion for cycling from an early age. He’s still drawn to hilly places, having cycled, climbed or skied his way across the Alps, Pyrenees, Andes, Atlas Mountains and the Watkins range in the Arctic.
Simon now writes for Cycling Weekly as a freelancer, having previously served as Tech Editor. He’s also an advanced (RYT 500) yoga teacher, which further fuels his fascination for the relationship between performance and recovery.
He lives with Jo, his yoga teacher wife, in the heart of the Cotswolds, with two rescue cats, five bikes and way too many yoga mats. He still believes he could have been a contender if only chocolate weren’t so moreish.
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