Leaked New Features for Garmin, boosting Cycling Ability, Course Demands, Power Guide, Nutrition and Hydration Guidance

Source: via @JohnW

A new leak from a trusted source has confirmed that Garmin will soon have new and improved cycling features. The significant changes cover two main areas: enhancing Garmin’s understanding of your cycling ability and applying that to comprehensive event-day advice covering new factors.

The new features help you better understand how your power capabilities match the course demand by including your tailored anaerobic capacity, aerobic capacity, and endurance capabilities, adding far more nuance than an FTP-based approach. This then impacts the race day recommendations for your fuelling strategy. Additionally, race day weather is used to build a hydration strategy.

Cycling Ability (2023)

More: Garmin Cycling Ability Profile

Let’s take a quick step back.

One of the changed features I’m talking about today is Cycling Ability, which was introduced in its original form in 2023 on Edge devices (540, 840, 1040, 1050) and some high-end watches like Fenix 7 and Epix. The metric looks at your power signature and heart rate – two people with the same FTP and weight could have differing abilities depending on their anaerobic capacity, aerobic capacity, and aerobic endurance.

To date, this feature is device-centric.

The leak hints at exposing these metrics more in Connect with the richer feedback opportunities offered by larger screens.

Cycling Ability and Rider Type Classification

Garmain’s existing features that cover Cyclign Ability and Rider Type Classification are also about to get some love.

This will also be more exposed on Garmin Connect, perhaps also becoming a Connect+ paywall feature with AI Insights (everyone’s favourite 😉 ) explaining a deeper understanding of each rider type and how you can move from one type to another.

Course Demands for Race-Ready Prep

Course demands are being further integrated with Power Guide.

Course demands will be used to refine the training Garmin recommends to you for that course (e.g., sprints for a flatter course) in the context of your ability.

The resulting power guide for the course will be tweaked as race day approaches to account for your Ability levels rather than simply basing it on FTP/CP.

Nutrition and Hydration Guidance for Optimal Fueling

A new addition will give nutritional and hydration that fits the course, the course weather and your abilities. For example, recommending more carbs for punchier riding and more fluids for hot, dry days

Impact for Cyclists

The revamped plans seem to be improving on several fronts. Clearly, there are more details and scientific improvements for perhaps more serious riders; however, there are also plans to introduce motivation features with a broader appeal “Excellent endurance! You’re in great shape to resist fatigue”

Take Out: What’s Next for Garmin’s Cycling Features

These changes are coming soon. I would assume before mid-October.

As we have seen with other Garmin features, they can start in one sport and then spread to others. Initially aimed at cycling, these features will likely cross over to running at some point, although I have no intel on that.

The interesting thing here is that the source specifically mentions AI support, which likely means we could see these improvements to the existing features go behind the Connect+ subscription paywall (TBC).

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tfk, the5krunner
Sports Technology Reviewer and International Age Group TriathleteWith 20 years of testing Garmin wearables and competing in triathlons at an international age group level, I provide expert insights into fitness tech, helping athletes and casual users make informed choices.

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