Waze is adding cyclists to its driver map. Riders who record with a Garmin device can opt in to appear as a small moving icon, and drivers close by receive a heads-up. Waze says the feature is rolling out globally on Android and iOS.
The link is Garmin’s LiveTrack, a live-sharing mode on Edge bike computers and Garmin watches. Turn it on for a ride, choose to share it with Waze, and you show up for motorists around you.
Privacy is the main selling point in Waze’s announcement. Motorists get only a short-lived alert that someone on a bike is nearby. A rider’s name, identity and exact route are not passed on, and the icon vanishes the moment the ride ends on the Garmin.
Only Garmin users are covered. Riders on other brands’ computers or watches will not show up, and Waze has not said whether other makers will be added or how near a cyclist must be to trigger the notice.
Many Garmin owners already use LiveTrack so family can follow their ride, so the cyclist side needs no new app. Drivers need nothing beyond the latest Waze update; the icons appear in the normal map view as the rollout reaches their phones.
Waze is owned by Google. Garmin’s own cycling range is aimed at road and mountain riders who log long outings, which is where fast traffic meets slow riders most often.
Waze says the rollout is under way now and has not listed per-country dates.
Cyclists who want to take part should check that LiveTrack is enabled in their Garmin settings before heading out.
