Bryton active app

The majority of people will use the Bryton Active app primarily to link to Strava, automatically sync ride data and upload routes to the device. The app itself is well laid out with four primary tabs: results, plans, profile and settings. Like the device, the app is simple and straightforward to use. The app also makes it much faster to configure the Rider S800 through the settings tab. This way, I set up a number of data screens with a lot of data on them. Under results, I can analyse previous rides and see my mileage totals for the whole week. Under plans, I can simply create routes and trainings, but also load routes and trainings from third parties.  

Navigate

Navigation remains one of the main functions on a GPS bike computer. Bryton uses the regional OSM maps that are pre-installed and these allow for route guidance and turn-by-turn instructions. Bryton claims a battery life of 36 hours. This is very nice so I don't always have to put the bike computer on the charger and can enjoy (extremely) long rides. I haven't reached 36 hours myself, so I can't prove it yet, but on longer rides up to six hours, I notice to my delight that the battery is indeed very durable. The navigation works very well in practice. With the surprise me function called "explore", I select how far I want to drive and the S800 gives three routes from the starting point. Thanks to the large colour screen and clear visuals, everything is super clear. And if you should ever deviate from the route, the recalculation function will quickly get you back on track. A big plus is that you can always navigate home with this bike computer, even when it gets dark. Thanks to the built-in light sensor, the screen adapts to the circumstances. This way, the screen is extra bright when it starts to get dark.

Live track

If I had to think of one drawback, it would be the lack of accident detection. But what is nice is that you can generate a link with the Bryton Live Track. I have shared this with my girlfriend so she can follow me in real time. That way, I can ride around with a safe feeling when I'm alone in the mountains abroad. This track is also very suitable if, for example, you want people to follow your results closely during a Gran Fondo. Just don't forget to turn it off during the 'third half' on the terrace.

Climb challenge

The S800 has the Climb Challenge functionality. As an avid climber, I am looking forward to testing this feature. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try this feature so far, but I think it's great that Bryton offers it. When you approach a climb, the S800 switches to the climb section page, which gives an overview of the climb that is approaching. The climb is shown graphically and uses colour codes depending on how steep the climb is. This makes it easy to follow and to know when the hardest and steepest parts are approaching.

Group rides

The group ride feature is something I suspect I won't be using in the short term as my cycling mates haven't all switched to Bryton yet. With the Bryton Active app, you choose a route, invite friends into your group and then all group members get live updates, where you can see them all riding on your device. You can send encouragement or status updates to your friends by using voice input. For this you do need this specific Bryton model. 

Conclusion

The Bryton S800 is a sleek and versatile bike GPS computer with all the functionality I need as a keen cyclist. The 3.4-inch screen is nice and big, with excellent clarity in the sun or in low-light situations, ideal for displaying a lot of data or for good navigation while cycling. Thanks to the nice and slim design, I also like to use this bike computer during my cycle races and it certainly contributes to a well-dressed look! A good GPS bike computer isn't cheap, but when I compare it to other brands, the S800 definitely offers the best price/quality ratio. You will enjoy it for years, so what does it cost per day! In any case, I am sold!

This review was prepared by Robert van Dalen