The latest edition Apple Watch SE and Garmin Forerunner 165 each start at $249 and boast bright, crisp touchscreens, onboard GPS, heart rate monitoring, and excellent wearability. Both devices also have a dedicated mode for tracking bike rides — but which is better? I decided to take advantage of an unseasonably beautiful spring day in the Pacific Northwest and find out. With a smartwatch strapped to either wrist, my bike tuned and ready to roll, I made my way toward the rocky shores of Seattle’s Golden Gardens.
The Watches’ Key Features
The entry-level Apple Watch SE is the best value smartwatch you can buy right now. Oozing with smartwatch features, the rectangular device is also a competent workout tracker. However, the SE lacks some of the wellness tech found on the Garmin, like a SpO2 sensor, as well as advanced fitness training tools. The Forerunner 165 is Garmin’s latest mid-tier running watch equipped with comprehensive training, rest, and recovery features for enthusiasts looking to step up their pace and/or reach a new fitness milestone. Unlike the Apple Watch SE, though, the Garmin is rather light on smartwatch features.
Garmin Forerunner 165: $250 @ REI
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is a sporty smartwatch designed with runners in mind, especially those training for marathons. It boasts a bright AMOLED touchscreen — also, physical buttons — as well as GPS, heart rate monitoring, sleeping tracking, and a whole lot of tools dedicated to training and recovery.
Apple Watch SE (2022): $249 @ Best Buy
The entry-level Apple Watch SE is more than a fitness tracker, it’s a companion device to your iPhone, offering many of the same features — and apps — as its bulkier cousin. Plus, you get heart rate monitoring and activity tracking for popular workouts like yoga, strength training, outdoor cycling, and dancing.
The Bike Ride
Back to the action: Gold Garden Beach is a roughly 20-mile bike ride round trip (that’s 32km, for my Euro friends) that winds past lakes abuzz with seaplanes and sun-kissed recreation revelers, active ship canals, industrial zones, postcard-perfect houseboats, and boxy apartment complexes — not necessarily in that order. The ride is notably flat for all but the very start.
