While the best choice for recording or routing a ride is likely one of the best cycling computers, a smartwatch, such as Coros Vertix 2S, can be a versatile alternative.

It makes an attractive proposition, not only because it can be used for other activities, such as running, swimming or even climbing, but it will continue to track performance metrics throughout the day and night.

The sapphire glass watch face is a responsive touchscreen, a feature of many of the best smartwatches for cycling. Swiping up and down scrolls you through screens and menus, while tapping acts like the press on a phone screen or the click of a computer mouse. The controls are intuitive to use, but I did find the sheer bulk of the Vertix 2S on my wrist – it’s a full 50mm wide and 16mm deep – did take a bit of getting used to.

The 280 x 280 pixel LCD display is bright, clear and very easy to read – even when heaving your bike up a hill or running for a finish line. The watch face and data screens can be customised almost endlessly via the Coros app, which means setup takes a little time and experimentation. The benefit is that you’re served only the information that you want to see – useful when we typically only have a fraction of a second to glance at a watch while riding.

Bike mode supports basic interval training, including settings for interval time, distance, warmup and cool down. A recent release means that, with the help of a power meter, it can establish your FTP too. The watch is equipped with an optical heart rate monitor, which includes an electrocardiogram sensor, and will communicate with third party bands over Bluetooth but not ANT+. This enables it to record and/or calculate a myriad of fitness metrics, such as heart rate, stress, VO2 Max, training mode, intensity, recovery and so on, bringing in on a par with top-tier watches from Garmin, Suunto and Polar.