The brand new Bryton S800 flagship GPS biking pc launched in Might with a deep characteristic listing, together with spectacular tech like voice search and the power to maintain you linked with different S800 customers in your trip, even speaking with them by way of the machine.
I’ve been utilizing one since launch, spending numerous time taking part in with the navigation and routing options. I’ve ridden street, gravel and mountain bikes with it, out within the huge open, and underneath dense forest canopies. The one characteristic I haven’t been in a position to attempt was the group driving connectivity since, nicely, none of my buddies have one.
Right here’s a whole overview of (most of) the options, with precise weights and closeup particulars.
Bryton S800 precise weights & field contents
The S800 comes with a smooth alloy out-front handlebar mount with spacer adapter to suit 26mm to 31.8mm bars. You’ll want a distinct mount to place it on 35mm mountain bike bars.
It additionally comes with a strap-on bar/stem mount with loads of bands, a Bungie-cord tether, USB-C charging cable, Allen wrench to put in the mount, and a soft-touch rubber cowl.
The hooked up mount puck that comes on the pc suits Bryton’s mounts, however they promote a Garmin mount adapter individually that matches any Garmin-compatible pc mount.
Simply word that the Garmin mount puck has the small nub within the center, so in the event you’re taking a Wahoo mount and rotating it, or have an older mount, you’ll wish to drill a small gap in the course of it. I went forward and did this to the Bryton mount, too, in order that I might simply maintain the Garmin puck on the pc.
Additionally, you’ll want a really, very tiny Phillips head screwdriver to swap pucks.
The S800 is available in at a reasonable-for-its-size 103g. The mount is simply 32g, and the rubber sleeve is 19g. Run all of it and also you’re including 154g to your handlebar.
On the bike
The Bryton S800 is their largest pc, nevertheless it’s nonetheless smaller than the most important Garmins, and about akin to the Hammerhead Karoo 2.
The buttons are simpler to push with out the rubber sleeve on it, however I do like the additional safety it gives. The ability button must be held down for longer than you’d suppose to show it on or off, however a fast press will lock and unlock the display screen.
It’s skinny, and seems a lot thinner with out the sleeve on it, so whereas they make no aero claims, it’s in all probability at the very least as aero as most different fashions.
Bryton S800 display screen and app setup
Obtain the Bryton Lively app to setup your machine, and maintain it up to date. It comes preloaded with three bike profiles – street, indoor, and MTB.
Every bike sort can have its personal setup and acknowledge it’s personal set of equipment (energy meter, HR, pace sensor, and so on.), and you’ll set the totally different screens up for every bike sort, too, which is a pleasant contact. Even higher, you’ll be able to change the screens whereas a trip is ongoing, so in case you are on a trip and resolve you’d wish to see totally different metrics, simply pull out your cellphone and alter them.
You possibly can arrange a LOT of various screens per bike, or flip some off to maintain it easy.
Graphically, I actually favored Bryton’s Pace Ring (left) and Energy Bar (middle, with a greater picture of it in motion additional down). You possibly can choose what number of knowledge factors are proven per display screen, however word that in the event you swap from 5 objects to six objects, no matter you arrange for the 5-item display screen received’t carry over to the 4- or 6-item screens…you’ll must set every item-count web page up individually.
The Map display screen can have 1 or 2 knowledge factors solely, so select correctly. I’d suggest “Distance to Flip” as one among them in the event you’re utilizing it for navigation, and I’ll clarify why in a minute.
Bryton S800 trip knowledge, navigation & routing
Following every trip, you’ll hit the highest proper button to pause the trip (or let it auto pause), then faucet the “Pause” icon on the display screen to cease and save (or delete) the trip.
When you’ve saved it, it’ll sync the info to the Bryton Lively app instantly in case your cellphone is paired. If not, it’ll sync the following time your cellphone is close by with Bluetooth on and the S800 can also be turned on.
The screenshots above present the entire element and knowledge it’s capturing, which is so much. The Outcomes present your whole recorded rides, click on on any of them to see the Abstract. Click on on Element to see a LOT of element for nearly each main metric, and Evaluation helps put a few of it into perspective.
In the event you’ve linked your Strava, Coaching Peaks, or different accounts to the app, it’ll push all of this knowledge to these, too.
Bryton talks so much about their navigation options, and there are some cool issues the S800 can do. When paired through Bluetooth together with your smartphone and the app is working, you’ll be able to faucet the Navigation button on the machine’s residence display screen (swipe up from the underside of the display screen throughout a trip), then click on the Microphone icon and say the vacation spot you need it to seek for.
It really works… OK. Generally it will discover no outcomes, different instances the outcomes have been of so-so usefulness.
The left display screen (above) reveals the outcomes for “Ice Cream”. The center display screen reveals outcomes for “CVS Pharmacy”, and it wanted me so as to add the phrase “Pharmacy” for it to work. I attempted “Walgreens” and it got here up clean. Imperfect as it might be, when it really works, it saves you from having to cease and pull out your cellphone.
The map on the proper reveals the path to the second CVS consequence, after which I might simply faucet the inexperienced arrow to start out my navigation.
You may also sort a vacation spot into the app for extra exact outcomes, however right here, too, extra element appeared to assist. I typed in “Nation Park” (the title of a neighborhood park) and relatively than type by relevancy, it types by proximity, so you might have to scroll some to search out the vacation spot you need.
The precise knowledge supplied for the vacation spot is sweet, although, displaying distance and an elevation map. However, it was routing me on some main roads relatively than backroads or a close-by greenway that finally ends up at Nation Park, and there are not any various routes supplied.
Sadly, after I clicked “Ship to Machine” it didn’t really appear to ship something to the machine. I discovered that on a number of events after I clicked Navigation on the machine, it mentioned I wanted to give up a previous navigation route first, however there was no apparent means to do this (or apparent indication that I really had a route going).
In Bryton’s protection, they frequently push out updates for the machine, and each brings enhancements. And so they take heed to suggestions, so my hunch is its performance will get smoother and higher over time.
From the machine, there are different methods to create routes:
- You possibly can drag the map and drop a pin the place you wish to go
- You possibly can inform it your required distance and have it make up a route
- You possibly can add your personal GPX (and comparable) recordsdata by way of their browser dashboard and so they’ll sync to your machine the following time it’s linked to the smartphone app
The browser dashboard is evenly featured, however does embody a fundamental route creation software. And by fundamental, I imply very fundamental, however, and that is necessary, it’s nonetheless greater than another big-name biking pc manufacturers offer you, and it’s free.
Above are two routes to the identical spot, one the place I chosen “Street” as my bike sort, and the opposite as “MTB”. In actuality, the MTB routing was a significantly better, safer route, so it’s value trying on the roads it creates and taking part in with the settings.
You may also construct your personal by dropping factors alongside the map, however there’s no technique to edit the factors when you drop them, and no technique to drop a brand new level halfway alongside the route. So, it might take a number of tries to get the route you need, however, once more, it’s free. In the event you’re in search of extra superior route constructing, attempt Komoot or Journey With GPS.
One factor I’d wish to see Bryton add is the power to see my saved routes within the browser after creating them…they’ll present up within the app, however when you’ve saved them, you’ll be able to’t pull them again up within the browser dashboard. And, at current, there’s no technique to export these routes into sharable recordsdata, so your mates would must be working an S800 additionally for them to share your route.
As soon as underway, the navigation is… OK.
The display screen is vibrant and straightforward to see in direct daylight, and the road to observe is clearly seen. However there are two issues that could possibly be higher:
- Flip by Flip instruction alerts don’t all the time pop up, and generally they arrive means too late to make the flip. So, in the event you’re not watching the map (and also you shouldn’t be, actually…eyes on the street, please), or you have got it on an information display screen as an alternative, there’s a superb likelihood you’ll miss your flip.
- Off Route alerts are additionally gradual, generally taking 1/8 of a mile or extra to pop up, after which even longer to start out creating new flip alerts.
Proven above are the first purple routing visible information (left), a blue rerouting to get again on the purple foremost course (middle), and an Off Route alert (proper) that stays on display screen till new flip directions present up.
My hunch is it simply wants a sooner processor, or for a firmware replace to assist it prep alerts a lot additional prematurely. The visible aids for turns are…OK, too.
In regards to the GPS
The S800 can observe just about each GPS satellite tv for pc community within the heavens, and one of many settings screens will even let you know what number of it’s at the moment studying. On one verify, it tallied 15. We talked to Bryton about how GPS monitoring works for a current Bikerumor Podcast in the event you’d wish to study extra about that; it’s fascinating.
Out within the open, the S800 does a high quality job of pinpointing my location. On the paths and underneath timber, it appeared extra more likely to pause my trip than another units I’ve used, and tallied up much less complete distance than I really did. My suggestion can be to make use of this primarily for street or gravel, or pair it to a pace or cadence sensor.
One other factor value noting are the notifications. You probably have your cellphone’s Bluetooth on (like, for listening to music) and the S800 is ready to point out cellphone notifications, you’re going to get ALL of the notifications.
I’m used to seeing textual content and name noti’s, however the S800 will present you Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, Discord, too, and possibly extra. It’s sufficient to possibly put your cellphone on DND mode whereas driving, or simply flip that setting off till an replace permits you to choose which apps it pays consideration to.
S800 Overview
Regardless of a number of quirks, the S800 has so much to supply, particularly in the event you usually trip with the identical group and wish to simply verify in on everybody’s place. Sadly, that’s the important thing USP that I wasn’t in a position to check.
I actually just like the graphical choices, which make knowledge simple to see at a look. The Pace Rings proven above may also be used for energy, displaying common and present for both of these metrics.
Or choose the Bar show to see your energy output in graph kind. I most well-liked the Rings, however this one was good for seeing how lengthy I used to be redlining it up a climb, which makes it useful for understanding when it may be time to again off a bit.
The S800 paired simply with numerous energy meters and coronary heart charge straps, too. It’ll even sync with Shimano’s D-Fly for gear indicators (however not SRAM AXS but).
The display screen is simple to learn in vibrant gentle and routinely adjusts to ambient gentle. Battery life is superb in comparison with its competitors, and you should use it as a coaching associate to regulate your indoor sensible coach, too (Jordan examined this characteristic and favored it on the Rider 750, and it capabilities the identical right here).
General, the Bryton S800 is a strong coaching associate for knowledge geeks with fundamental navigation expertise that proceed to enhance. MSRP is $399, or bundle it with a pace, cadence, and HR sensors for $479. Verify our launch protection for all of the tech specs and full characteristic listing.
