Bryton’s new flagship Rider S800 is here
Posted by Trevor Barrett on
The Rider S800 pushes the boundaries of what cyclists should expect from their GPS cycle computers.
Designed with premium materials carefully selected to fully optimize every aspect of this device, the Rider S800 features a large 3.4” color touchscreen with an outdoor-tailored high-contrast display and unparalleled endurance with an exceptional 36hr battery life in addition to cutting-edge features, including Explore, Group Ride, Live Tracking, advanced navigation and workout features, as well as compatibility with indoor smart trainers, rear-view bike radar, cycling dynamics, and more! Cross the Threshold!
Bryton also says it’s worked on the outdoor viewing experience with an internal reflective layer that avoids screen shadow and an ambient light sensor to control the screen backlight. Charging is by USB-C, which should lower recharge time, too.
Bryton has included Google Voice Search on the Rider S800, which works with a paired smartphone to give you address and POI (point of interest) information without needing to use your phone or type on the screen.
You can also set up group rides with other S800 users and use voice-to-text to message your companions, as well as tracking their locations. There’s live tracking available for non-riders via a shareable link.
There are pre-set ride types for road, MTB, indoor cycling, cyclocross and gravel riding, and you can set up to three different bike profiles, customising screen data for each, either on the device or in the Bryton Active phone app.
Finally, there’s a status summary that you can display by tapping the screen as you ride, which gives you user-configurable information such as laps and a summary of your riding data, so you’ve got all your most interesting info in one place.
The Rider S800 joins an ever-competitive market when it comes to bike computers but, on paper, the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus looks to be the closest competitor.
The flagship Garmin’s screen is a little bigger, at 3.5in, but the Rider S800’s runtime betters the Edge 1030 Plus by a full 12 hours (we’re comparing claimed runtimes here).
The Rider S800 is a fairly compact unit, with physical dimensions 9mm shorter than the Edge 1030 Plus, the same 58mm width and a depth of only 14.2mm, against 19mm for the Edge.
As for weight, the Edge 1030 Plus is 124g, with the Bryton unit coming in at a claimed 106g.
There’s also the Wahoo Elemnt Roam computer, though the screen size shrinks to 2.7in, with a claimed battery life of 17 hours, and, as a relatively new entrant, the Hammerhead Karoo 2, with its 3.2in screen size and 12 hours of ride time.
These numbers only scratch the surface, though – functionality and performance out on the road or trail is what matters. We’ve got the new Bryton Rider S800 (as well as the Hammerhead Karoo 2) in to test at the moment, so look out for full reviews soon.