How to put cameras to the Apple Watch and iPhone to enhance riding performance

Mount your iPhone to your handlebars and turn on your Watch.
Apple Watch and iPhone are now equipped with a full-featured bicycle computer. Here’s how you can set up your device and add cadence, speed, and other sensors to track your rides. Since the Apple Watch was introduced, cyclists such as myself have wondered why the iPhone and Apple Watch can’t be used as a full-featured bicycle computer. Apple’s watchOS 10 and iOS 17, which introduced new functionality, allows the Apple Watch to connect with a variety of cycling-specific sensors. Apple has also redesigned the iPhone’s display of cycling data when paired with the Apple Watch. Apple Watch now supports Speed, Power and Cadence. The three main types are cadence sensors, power meters and additional speed sensors. Many cyclists use power meters and cadence sensors to train for races or events. It may not seem necessary to use speed sensors, since the Apple Watch measures speed and distance. Apple Watches and iPhones use GPS to calculate distance and speed. Apple Watch and iPhone both have excellent GPS tracking capabilities for estimating speed and distance. A physical speed sensor can provide more accurate data. When paired with the Apple Watch, the data is displayed. Apple has also improved the way the iPhone displays data when cycling. It now displays basic metrics as well as data from the new sensors. The problem with sensors. Bike computers are sophisticated tools that display cycling-specific information like cadence, power, speed, heartrate, and distance. They sample data from several sensors. Apple Watches could record basic metrics and data about a cycling session before iOS 10. However, they could not connect with third-party sensors. Apple only allows certain Bluetooth devices to be connected. A cadence sensor, for example, can make a huge difference in training. Apple Watches could be paired with headphones or speakers, but not Bluetooth exercise sensors. The Watch is not ideal for cycling because it can capture a lot of data but only display a small portion in real time. The Watch can display your distance, calories and heart rate during a ride. However, it does not show additional data such as elevation or altitude. The iPhone could not be used as a bike computer. The iPhone couldn’t be used as a true bike computer. Cyclists were forced to use third-party apps or check their watches periodically to track their rides. It’s not safe to ride while staring at your arm, so cyclists continue to use dedicated bike computers. Apple Watch’s usefulness was further reduced because it couldn’t track things like power and cadence. The iPhone could not display the data even though it was able to track it. Many cyclists now wear the Apple Watch and carry their iPhones while using bike computers. Bluetooth devices vs. Ant+ With watchOS 10 Apple introduced the ability for Bluetooth cycling sensors to be paired and overhauled Apple’s connection between the Watch, iPhone and Watch so that the iPhone displays much more cycling data and is more closely integrated with the Apple Watch. Apple Watch and power meter together can be used to evaluate cyclists’ fitness. A power meter can be used to measure your FTP. This is a measurement of the cyclist’s true abilities based on power. Power and the FTP calculation that results are features found on high-end bikes computers. Apple Watch can only be paired with Bluetooth sensors. This is a major limitation. Many cycling devices connect to bike computers using ANT+ technology. Fortunately, most ANT+ sensor transmit via Bluetooth, but certain accessories only use ANT+. Check the manufacturer’s website or box for information on the supported communication methods before purchasing a sensor. A cadence sensor is one of the most common types of sensors. You can find a lot of these tiny devices at Amazon and other bike markets. Normally, I don’t buy electronics from no-name brands, but cadence sensor are an exception. These devices measure how often they make a full-circle and are usually accurate because they track a simple motion. Cadence sensors are priced from $15 to $60. The biggest price differences are due to waterproofing. The Wahoo cadence sensor is not the cheapest, but it is a well-known sensor that is rated to submerge in up five feet of water. This is perfect for muddy road rides or mountain bike rides. The speed sensor and its cousin, the cadence sensor, are used to provide basic cycling information. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to use a speed sensor with Apple Watches and iPhones that use GPS, GPS signals can be blocked or distorted by buildings and terrain, resulting in inaccurate readings. Many cadence sensor can also be used as speed sensors. There seems to be very little difference between models, except for the case design. Most of them mount between the spokes of a bicycle. Some bikes, especially those in higher price ranges come with cadence and speed sensors that work with the Apple Watch if they support Bluetooth. It’s as simple as pairing headphones to pair a Bluetooth cycling device with the Apple Watch. Sensors enable new workout types. When a cadence or power meter are connected to the Apple Watch, they will allow for new workout types. You can create a workout that focuses on maintaining power levels, or one that focuses on cadence training. This functionality makes the Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad a powerful training tool for serious cyclists. How to connect Bluetooth sensor to the Apple Watch On your Apple Watch, navigate to the Settings application.
Select Bluetooth
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to activate or wake up your device. For example, cadence sensor transmit only when moving. Shaking the cadence sensor allows it to appear in the Bluetooth pairing screen iPhone like a high-end bike computer. When the iPhone is unlocked and a cycling workout on the Apple Watch is started, the iPhone displays in Dynamic Island a small icon of a bike along with a countdown timer for the duration. If the iPhone is locked a timer will appear on the lockscreen. Tapping it will bring you to the updated bicycle computer. The iPhone Lock Screen will show a new icon once a cycling workout has been started. Tapping the icon will launch the iPhone’s companion cycling display. You can swipe through the seven different screens on the iPhone for bike displays. All cycling screens display the elapsed times and the status of activity rings. Large buttons allow you to pause your workout, create a split and expand the display so that you can choose to lock the bike computer, or stop tracking. The first screen shows general information such as heart rate, average speed and elevation gained. The iPhone will display new data screens when you connect a sensor from the Apple Watch. Connect a cadence-sensing device and a screen displaying cadence information is unlocked. Apple Watch now accepts data from power meters. Power meters are preferred by serious cyclists and display an athlete’s output as watts. Power is important, because it can be quantified. You can feel great on a bike, but not be performing at your best. You can feel awful on a ride and still be performing well. Power meters remove the guesswork from performance and training, just as heart rate monitors provide a direct view of your body’s cardiovascular effort. With a power meter installed, the iPhone displays current power, averaged power, current cadence and a graph of power output over time. Power meters are expensive and are usually built into special pedals or cranks. Garmin offers a range of pedal-based meters, most of which are priced at around $1000. However, aspiring racers can get plenty of performance and data with the $650 Rally RK100. The power meter cranks can be found in systems that cost more than $1000. The correct model will depend on the components of your bike. Power meter systems are more accurate, but less flexible than pedal systems. You can move pedals between bikes, but you can’t move your cranks. Power meter cranks are available at your local bike shop, but you can also browse on sites such as Power Meter City. A second screen displays your current “zone,” which is how hard your heart is working relative to your maximum output. The Watch can capture the information without additional sensors. However, being able plot heart rate against power output gives a more accurate picture about fitness and health. Many training programs combine data to create a more complete profile for training or racing. To monitor workouts, the average cyclist and pro racer will need to be able to record and capture heart rate, speed and cadence. They’ll also need to know altitude, power and terrain. Maps One screen not included in the iPhone’s enhanced bicycle computer mode is mapping. The iPhone’s built-in mapping tool can provide cyclists with turn-by-turn instructions. Many cycling computers lack navigation capabilities, but higher-end computers offer advanced route mapping and navigation. Apple Maps is a powerful feature that can be used with any iPhone mapping tool. The Watch provides haptic feedback to guide you through turns, just as it does when using Maps for driving or walking. Apple Watch vibrates for upcoming turns in addition to navigation notifications. These cycling activity updates transform the iPhone into one the most powerful bike computers for cyclists.