Garmin Quick Release Mounting Kit Review: Turn Your Bike Computer Into a Sports Watch

Introduction

Sports watches keep getting bigger, but even the largest models on the market top out around a 1.4-inch display. Bike computers, on the other hand, come with genuinely large screens. The Garmin Quick Release Mounting Kit flips the usual logic around: instead of turning a watch into a bike computer, it turns your bike computer into a sports watch.

The twist is that this is not a new product. The kit actually dates back to 2007, yet it still works with plenty of current bike computers, and there is more to it than a novelty wrist strap. Here is what you get, how it works, and who it actually makes sense for.

What You Get in the Kit

The kit arrives in old-school plastic blister packaging, which famously carries a roughly fifty-fifty chance of slicing a finger on the way in, so keep some bandages handy. Once open, you get three pieces.

The centerpiece is a watch strap with a Garmin quarter-turn mount built into it, the same type of mount used on all Garmin Edge bike computers, with one difference in orientation we will cover shortly. You also get a small clip-on adapter for older Garmin units such as the Foretrex 201 or 301, and finally a third accessory that lets the strap accept standard 20mm watch bands, which opens up a surprising amount of customization.

Installation is exactly as simple as it sounds: put the strap on your wrist, grab your bike computer, and snap it into the quarter-turn mount. One quirk to know upfront: the mount orientation is rotated 90 degrees compared to how the computer sits on a bike, so it looks a little odd from a watch perspective. In practice, the sheer size of the display makes this mostly irrelevant.

Which Bike Computers Work With It

Compatibility is broader than you might expect. Garmin’s own Edge 830 snaps straight on, and the same quarter-turn adapter lets Wahoo’s Elemnt Bolt V2 and other quarter-turn equipped computers mount as well. If you want the biggest display possible, the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus is the monster of the bunch, and wearing it on your wrist is guaranteed to turn heads at any group run.

For touchscreen interaction, the Edge 830 and similar touch-equipped units are more convenient, since you can tap the screen while it is strapped to your wrist.

Using It for Running

The obvious question: can a bike computer actually work for running? Yes. There are a good number of data fields and apps on Connect IQ created exactly for this purpose, and plenty of people already run with their bike computers.

Cadence is where things get interesting. A Garmin RD Pod would not pair as a cadence sensor, and neither would a Stride foot pod in that mode, but a cycling cadence sensor paired without trouble. A cycling cadence sensor is not designed for a shoe, but third-party accessories exist to attach one, and it worked well in practice. Once paired, your cadence shows in real time on that enormous display, where you absolutely will not miss it.

Running power is also possible. Pairing a Stride foot pod as a power meter in the sensor settings reports power just fine, and the big screen makes those numbers hard to ignore.

Beyond Running: Recording Other Activities

There is a serious side to this whole idea. Plenty of people use their bike computers to record non-cycling activities and upload them. When you save an activity, it is stored in Garmin Connect under whatever you classified it as, then syncs to Strava as a ride. From there, you simply edit the activity type in Strava, and it converts the stats accordingly.

For example, a run recorded on an Edge 830 arrives in Strava as a ride with ride-related stats like average speed. Switch the activity type to run, and the data points change to average pace, with Strava also providing grade-adjusted pace. Pairing a heart rate strap to the bike computer covers indoor activities like weight training too.

It works well for other sports as well. One skier uses an Edge 520 Plus for both downhill and cross-country skiing with a chest heart rate strap. The Edge 520 Plus lacks an alpine skiing profile, but after changing the activity type in Strava, Strava automatically tracks her ski runs.

Strava’s own data backs up the trend: the most common non-cycling activity recorded on bike computers is running, followed by workouts, walking, alpine skiing, and nordic skiing. The most popular bike computer for non-cycling activities is the Garmin Edge 530.

Dressing It Up With Standard Watch Bands

The included 20mm adapter is the sleeper feature here. It lets you use any industry-standard 20mm watch band, which means your bike computer watch can be dressed up or down for the occasion, whether that is the office or a dinner party. With an Edge 1030 Plus on a solid gold band, jaws will drop, one way or another.

And if the Edge 1030 Plus still is not a big enough display for you, third-party stick-on quarter-turn mounts, such as those from Kom Cycling, let you attach a mount to nearly anything, including a phone case or, if you are truly committed, a tablet.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The rotated mount orientation takes some getting used to, and a full-size bike computer on your wrist is unapologetically bulky. Cadence tracking requires a cycling-specific sensor plus a shoe adapter, since foot pods do not pair in that role. And the packaging is genuinely hostile. None of these are dealbreakers, but they are worth knowing.

Buying Advice

This kit makes sense for two groups: cyclists who already own a compatible computer and want a playful, functional way to wear it for runs and other activities, and tinkerers who enjoy unusual sports-tech setups. If you already own an Edge 830 or Edge 1030 Plus, the kit adds a genuinely usable second life to hardware you already have, and the 20mm band compatibility makes it far more wearable than it has any right to be.

Conclusion

The Garmin Quick Release Mounting Kit is a decades-old accessory that still delivers something genuinely fun: a giant-display sports watch built from gear you already own. With Connect IQ running apps, cadence and running power support, and easy Strava activity conversion, it is more practical than the joke suggests. Just open the blister pack carefully.