watchOS 10 Cycling workout revamp makes me look forward to watchOS 11

Back in WWDC 2023, Apple announced watchOS 10 would revamp Cycling and Hiking workouts. Then, in September, with the official release of this operating system update, Apple Watch users could try all the new features.

While with watchOS 9, I immediately felt the changes when Apple revamped Outdoor Run workouts; it took me longer to try this watchOS 10 feature as I’m not much of a cyclist. Fortunately, when I visited my mom for Christmas, she lent me her bike so I could try at least one of the new functions of the Apple Watch Cycling workout.

With watchOS 10, the Cycling workout had these features improved:

• Automatically connect to Bluetooth-enabled accessories to add cadence, speed, and power to your Workout View
• When a power meter is detected, the Apple Watch will automatically estimate your Functional Threshold Power
• When starting a cycling workout from your Watch, it will automatically show up as a Live Activity on your iPhone

watchOS 10 helped me see my metrics while cycling for the first time in years

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

I’m so glad Apple could fix this issue I had with the Apple Watch for years: viewing my cycling metrics while exercising. Although I rarely cycle these days, a few years ago, I used to cycle to work, and even though Apple was always making the Apple Watch display brighter, I couldn’t see my speed, how many miles I had made, and so on because the way I hold the handlebar with the Apple Watch, it becomes too far from my eyesight.

With this Live Activity feature, I knew my speed and if I was hitting my goal because the iPhone display was right in front of me, which was so clever.

That said, I can’t wait to discover which will be the next workout Apple will revamp with watchOS 11. After improving Outdoor Run, Cycling, and Hiking, maybe we could see new features in Yoga classes, Walking metrics, or even new workout trackers. While the Apple Watch can track some of the most popular workouts, it doesn’t even come close to Gentler Streak’s 147 types of exercises.

Maybe watchOS 11 will expand trackable exercises so users can have more profound knowledge of their activities. Even if that doesn’t happen, I hope that Apple will, at least, change its approach to its Activity Rings, which is long overdue.