Polar M460 bike computer

£154.50, polar.com

The mid-priced GPS market is more competitive than ever before, but at a few quid over £150 and with a host of on-trend features, there’s no reason why Polar’s M460 shouldn’t gather up a fair share of the popular vote. Provided you can overlook one thing.

Polar is sticking resolutely to sensor pairing via the Bluetooth protocol, which means any ANT+ device you have will not be compatible. That said, most peripherals these days will transmit in Bluetooth, plus Polar has brought the M460 right up to date regarding power meter compatibility, meaning it happily accommodates everything from Powertap P1 pedals to Stages crank arms.

The M460 is a standalone GPS unit, but it won’t do turn-by-turn directions so isn’t a navigational aid. For Strava lovers, Polar has added Live Segments, which means the device gives you a run-in (in metres) to your next KOM challenge; for communications lovers, it pairs to smartphones for live notifications; and for those ensconced in Training Peaks the new firmware processes Normalised Power, Training Stress Score and Intensity Factor.

There’s also an in-built LED headlight for ‘be seen’ safety, and with a claimed 16-hour battery life it’s a decent proposition for the asking price.