This article was first published on 12.09.2024 - we have now updated it to include our Test results supplemented.
Garmin, Wahoo, Sigma - it's hard to avoid the three big brands of bike computers. Recently, however, smaller brands have also been trying to grab a slice of the big cake: Coros, Beeline or Twonav. Now the Swiss manufacturer Jespr is entering the market with its GPS sat nav of the same name. The company doesn't say much about itself, except that it was founded in Zurich in 2016 by Ariane Künzli, Matthias Peter and Andreas Roth.
The Jespr sat nav is said to be characterised by a large, high-resolution display and a particularly clear user interface. Jespr states that the display in particular has been developed to allow drivers to see metrics and map details at a glance without taking their eyes off the road. Compared to the new Garmin Edge 1050 you could say: Here comes the counter-design with a very reduced surface.
Based on the graphics and videos sent to us at the beginning, it is not yet possible to judge how the menu navigation or handling will be. However, Jespr says that the bike sat nav combines functions such as automatic route recalculation, course notifications, gradient detection, topographical view and wind information to create a "next-generation navigation experience" that impresses with "a completely new way of contextualising the ride". Find out more in our test below.
In terms of the sheer dimensions of the device, the Jespr is roughly comparable to the Garmin Edge 1050: at 69.5 mm, it is about 10 mm wider, but roughly the same length and height. At 183 grams, the Jespr is slightly heavier; the 1050 weighs 161 g, while the 1040 weighs only 133 g. The connectivity of the Jespr includes mobile radio, WiFi, Bluetooth and ANT+. The device uses GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou to determine its location.
Jespr bike computers: What are the new features?
The new Bike computer from Jespr focuses on simplicity and only provides information that automatically adapts to the rider's chosen terrain. Users can add many different bikes to their profile and select their ride type. The sat nav displays the relevant information, wind data and route options for the chosen activity, be it on the road, off-road, time trial, triathlon and more.
Driving modes
The Jespr bike computer includes specific riding modes which, according to the manufacturer, were developed in collaboration with professional athletes and performance trainers. From the spontaneity of the Free Ride Mode about the pleasant animation of the Direction Mode to the performance-oriented metrics of the Training Mode and the reduced screens of the Race Mode the display should be customised for each type of journey.
The connectivity of the bike sat nav
If you're serious about cycling, you can't do without peripheral equipment on your bike: Power meters, electric gears, but also heart rate monitors or a radar brake light are all part of it.
According to the manufacturer, the Jespr sat nav should connect seamlessly with all of these sensors and devices. But even for cyclists who ride without a power meter, Jespr can derive and estimate live power values from available ride data.
It sounds exciting that Jespr can connect to a bicycle radar and show approaching traffic on the display. Although Garmin sat navs can also do this, the display on Jespr is said to be slightly better or more conspicuous than on Garmin sat navs. Unfortunately, we were unable to test this due to the lack of a radar device.
The first bike computer with an internet connection
The Swiss company Jesprs goes one step further. The navigation device has what is probably the first integrated mobile data connection with an internal SIM card. This makes tethering - the constant data connection with the phone - superfluous. This means that navigation or wind data information, for example, is provided directly via the Jespr itself.
The platform my.Jespr.io also supports over-the-air synchronisation of routes and training plans with all major providers, including Strava, Training Peaks and Komoot. The device's settings are also synchronised with the Jespr platform and software updates are automatically transferred to the device.
Data subscription: free for the first users
The first Jespr customers will receive a free data tariff until the end of 2025, after which a subscription model will come into force, which the company is now initially quoting - or "estimating", as the press release puts it - at 5 euros per month.
Availability & availability of the Jespr bike computer
The Jespr bike computer is now available throughout Europe. It is not clear whether this refers to the manufacturer's website or also to specialist dealers. However, the price has been finalised: 540 Swiss francs, or around 580 euros.
Jespr bike computer in practical test
Like every product test, it all starts with the unboxing, i.e. the moment when the test object slips out of its packaging. Jespr is a beautifully designed device with a large display and rounded edges. The base of the is slightly larger, so that the device widens slightly in a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above.
At the bottom of the top are three physical buttons under a soft rubber strip - unlike other sat navs, there are no buttons on the sides. Only the micro USB port (not USB-C as is now common) on the lower side breaks through the closed design. The standard quarter-turn mount, which Garmin & Co. also use, is enthroned on the curved back.
The Jespr GPS sat nav is switched on with the centre button. After the very first start with set-up, which is done quickly, the regular boot process also takes 40 seconds; it takes 25 seconds for the logo to appear on the display for the first time.
This is relatively long and the first few times the stressed city biker thinks to himself: "Is there anything else to come?" But the Swiss are known for their proverbial cosiness and perfectionism. And so the sat nav menu is extremely tidy and clearly structured - a big point for Jespr.
The menu navigation works either via the three buttons or with the swipe finger on the display, which - this much in advance - proves to be a great advantage while driving. Wild display tapping on rough tarmac is a thing of the past, long live the button that can be operated with any glove!
How does the user interface perform?
Jespr's own software offers a choice of four mode options: Freeride, Direction, Training and Race. To Freeride it can be said that this is simply the simple tracking mode, in which the data is displayed depending on the connected peripherals from the wattmeter, heart rate monitor, etc. - and of course the route on the map.
What is exciting is the Direction-mode. Here you can view, upload and create routes or navigate to a point. As Jespr currently only allows integration with Komoot, Strava and Trainingspeaks, but not Garmin, Outdooractive or others, we quickly created our own routes and tours here.
Firstly, the software suggests a 50-km route starting from your own location. The length can already be adjusted here using a virtual slider. The classic "Edit" button then takes you to two further sliders with which you can adjust the surface (asphalt, gravel, MTB) and the profile (avoid incline, centre, prefer incline).
The somewhat misleading "Navigate" button allows you to view the planned route, elevation profile and ascents in the overview. There are no other options for editing here, you can only save or cancel, which then takes you straight back to the home screen.
Similarly, various Trainings (provided you use the platforms mentioned) or create it yourself in the device by specifying the time and target watt value, e.g. 10 min 110 watts warm-up, then 4 times 5 min each 150 and 210 watts alternating, and so on.
Under Races races can be uploaded - but we didn't try this out due to a lack of racing ambitions and experience.
We were very excited about the announced function of visualised wind data while driving, as Wahoo had recently presented it. A line pattern shows the direction from which the wind hits the bike and the wind speed is shown in the top right-hand corner of the display. Unfortunately, Jespr does not reveal how this data is collected and implemented on the ride.
What we couldn't test was the integrated mobile data connection. However, it was ok via the WLAN and/or smartphone connection. A connection to a bike radar was also not currently available to us.
Jespr Navi: You will look in vain for this
Jespr has already been conceptually developed as a device focussed on sport. You can see this in the clear data display and menu structure. But above all, you can see what is NOT on the bike sat nav:
- no music player
- No wallet
- No social media connection or messaging function
- No horn, bell or loudspeaker for weather announcements
And please, Jespr: leave it exactly as it is! At least for a middle-aged editor, it is very pleasant not to have countless widgets and apps or modes. You could almost say - on the positive side - that the Jespr sat nav brings back the functionality of the early 2000s devices paired with a modern display and software design!
The points of criticism
The display on the Jespr bike navigator is significantly larger than on the current Garmin Edge 1050 (101 mm diagonal vs. 88.9 mm), the graphics are only shown in black, a shade of green and muted colours on the map - actually the best conditions for good readability in bright light.
However, the high-gloss glass surface of the display is so reflective that the display is not bright enough to really stand up to the sun. Provided that the device is mounted on the holder in front of (or at least on) the handlebars, i.e. you are not looking directly at it from above, the sky is usually reflected in it. It is barely legible in bright sunlight. In addition, the map display uses very fine lines and no high-contrast colours. What a pity, as the graphics are so pleasantly tidy!
Unfortunately, the wind data visualisation was not comprehensible in many cases - almost to be expected from a layman's perspective. How can the device measure and display local, let alone individual wind conditions, apart from with a probe on the sat nav? During our test rides, there were some fresh gusts of wind that the device barely reproduced.
On the other hand, the display was accurate in light winds and over longer distances, regardless of how the bike was ridden against or with the wind. So the display is not really reliable. So the middle-aged editor looks further into the foliage of the trees and knows: "Yay, for the next 10 km I have a headwind from the NNE!"
Test summary of the new Jespr GPS sat nav
As the Jespr is still a start-up product and will probably undergo a few more revisions, we are hopeful that it will become a player on the market. There are some very good approaches. The software interface, the menu navigation, the deliberately reduced functionality and also the relatively long battery life, which has not yet been mentioned - all this is very positive.
Unfortunately, the display is difficult to read in the sun and the contrast of the map display is also not optimal. And why an antiquated micro USB connection? At the equivalent of around 580 euros, it is certainly cheaper than the Garmin 1050, but also difficult to compare. The competition is more likely to be the Wahoo ELEMNT (street prices around 240 to 500 euros, depending on the model) or a Sigma Rox (around 380/480 euros online).
Jespr bike computer: Facts and figures
- Device dimensions: 6.9 x 12.2 x 2.5 cm
- Display dimensions: 50 x 85 mm/101 mm diagonal
- Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels
- Weight: 183 g
- Connectivity: Mobile radio, WiFi, Bluetooth, ANT+
- Location data: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou
- Price: 540 CHF (approx. 580 euros)
- Available at: jespr.io
Marc Strucken
Editor
