Bike computer?

Strix

Strix

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have experience? With the “wahoo elemnt bolt v2” I need a bike computer it is in the price range thinking about the bundle. HRM/cadence and speed sensor. It’s like 350$ or under. Or should I get the Garmin 540 without the bundle?
 
Get ready to hear arguments for either. Long time Garmin user, currently using a 520 on multiple bikes with wheel sensors on 2 bikes. Also have a Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch.
 
JDurk said:
Get ready to hear arguments for either. Long time Garmin user, currently using a 520 on multiple bikes with wheel sensors on 2 bikes. Also have a Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch.
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Lol videos on YouTube only make me more confused I usually get good advice from you guys.
 
the crowd here is just as polarized as any other forum or group.

Im so embedded in the Garmin ecosystem I would find it hard to change to Wahoo or anything else. My former 510 device lasted 10+ years and never really gave me major issues before it died. My curent 810 is just as old but after a few recent wet rides its acting a little wonky. I did ask my boys for a new 1040 for Xmas this year mostly because I need the bigger screen since my eyesight sucks these days.

Regardless of the device, when the ride fails to record or gets corrupted it feels just as shitty regardless which device you have.

Unless you want/need the bundle its not necessary if you already have an HRM and sensors for your bike.

I would do a quick search in here there's a long running thread about this topic with a lot of info and feedback on multiple models.
 
iman29 said:
the crowd here is just as polarized as any other forum or group.

Im so embedded in the Garmin ecosystem I would find it hard to change to Wahoo or anything else. My former 510 device lasted 10+ years and never really gave me major issues before it died. My curent 810 is just as old but after a few recent wet rides its acting a little wonky. I did ask my boys for a new 1040 for Xmas this year mostly because I need the bigger screen since my eyesight sucks these days.

Regardless of the device, when the ride fails to record or gets corrupted it feels just as shitty regardless which device you have.

Unless you want/need the bundle its not necessary if you already have an HRM and sensors for your bike.

I would do a quick search in here there's a long running thread about this topic with a lot of info and feedback on multiple models.
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Thanks,
Yeah I don’t have any of those yet that’s why it got my eye.
I have no loyalty to either brand cause I never owned one before so in a way I have the upper hand there.

I did try and search for a previous discussion on bike computers but didn’t come across it.
 
Doesn't really matter either way. I was long-time garmin but got tired of screen freezes so went wahoo. Do have a garmin varia radar tail light.
 
Strix said:
Does anyone have experience? With the “wahoo elemnt bolt v2” I need a bike computer it is in the price range thinking about the bundle. HRM/cadence and speed sensor. It’s like 350$ or under. Or should I get the Garmin 540 without the bundle?
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First things first, what features are you looking for?
 
iman29 said:
Regardless of the device, when the ride fails to record or gets corrupted it feels just as shitty regardless which device you have.
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This is the key. I started with a Garmin 530, then an 830. I ride with a buddy who had a Wahoo, on long road rides. I ditched the Garmins and use a Hammerhead Karoo 2.

The Garmin was fine at recording my ride. But so is Strava on a phone. Where the Garmin really failed is navigating a route. After around 12 or so miles, the Garmin stopped giving turn instructions. The screen would show "Off Course" of course, as it had stopped giving navigation instructions. I would turn around and ride until the screen showed I was back on course, which grew as weary as a game a three year old never gets tired of playing.

When faced with a road detour, the Garmin could not recover. The screen would only give me "Off Course", on course, and go south, sending me back to the detour, like some petty school teacher. Then the Garmin would power itself off since I was ignoring the instruction to go south. I realized I bike for fun, and the two Garmins were fun-suckers.

Meanwhile, my riding buddy's Wahoo runs flawlessly, which means after 12 or so miles, he is calling out turns like we did before we had navigation.

The Karoo2 plays none of these games. It is built on an Android phone, and just works. It never fails to give a navigation instructions, although on a few occasions the instruction came late, the navigation turns from yellow to red, and the missed turn is displayed. This could be a Karoo2 error, or spotty satellite signal, but it is a recovery that Garmin would not do. In testing the Karoo2 I intentionally missed turns from navigation instructions, and kept riding off course. The Karoo2 acts like car navigation, gives up on the missed turn, and gives me a way to get back on course without going back to that missed turn.

The Wahoo uses buttons. The Karoo2 based on an Android phone uses touch screen and still has buttons should the screen get wet. The Karoo2 has a big bright color display as you would expect from a phone.

I think Garmin is putting their software effort into avionics and boats, and is shortchanging cyclists.
 
FWIW I have a Garmin Edge 530 for no other reason than to connect it to my ebike, specifically the Shimano EP8 motor. If I didn't need to do that then I suppose any bike computer will work. Before the Garmin I had a Bryton for years and it did everything I wanted to do (speed, distance, altitude gain, averages, smartphone connection for Strava and Relive, heartrate and speed sensors connection, etc.). The only thing it doesn't do is connect to my ebike. Basically what I'm saying is just pick one and stick with it.
 
I like the easy to use push buttons on my wahoo elemnt bolt v2. They work with wet and thick gloves. Besides that, my wahoo is wildly inaccurate- with and without the speed sensor. It works much better on road rides but not so much in the woods.
 
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I definitely agree with what's been said about the Edge 530 and navigation. It's fine when you're on course and things aren't too complicated, but if you deviate from that at all, it tends to be more confusing than helpful. That goes for its integral road navigation or the Trailforks app navigation. Other than that, mine's been pretty flawless, so it's definitely down to what you prioritize.
 
a.s. said:
I like the easy to use push buttons on my wahoo elemnt bolt v2. They work with wet and thick gloves. Besides that, my wahoo is wildly inaccurate- with and without the speed sensor. It works much better on road rides but not so much in the woods.
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That’s good to know
 
ebarker9 said:
I definitely agree with what's been said about the Edge 530 and navigation. It's fine when you're on course and things aren't too complicated, but if you deviate from that at all, it tends to be more confusing than helpful. That goes for its integral road navigation or the Trailforks app navigation. Other than that, mine's been pretty flawless, so it's definitely down to what you prioritize.
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I just saw a video today that said the wahoo don’t work with the garmin smart light. Is that’s true that sucks
 
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