I would get the stainless steel metal band version. You can always find aftermarket leather straps that are way better than the OEM leather strap but it's harder to source a metal band that matches.
you can pedal faster as well as use different muscle groups. i.e. pulling up with your legs will use different muscles than pushing down. This will help you recover quicker when you fatigue one...
I would just save up the extra $$$ and get the Oris. Don't think you'll be happy for settling for anything else. Nothing looks similar in the <$600 range. All similar looking watches are around the...