Deciding between the Wahoo Roam vs the Bolt v2?

[Mike_P]

I use the Varia with either a Garmin or a Bolt and certainly the LEDs on the Bolt are easier to see when the display is glared out almost by the sun. The downside with the Bolt is knowing whether a row of red LEDs is approaching traffic or a navigation error.

 

[si_c]

I use the Varia with either a Garmin or a Bolt and certainly the LEDs on the Bolt are easier to see when the display is glared out almost by the sun. The downside with the Bolt is knowing whether a row of red LEDs is approaching traffic or a navigation error.

I've been using my recently acquired varia with my garmin units, works well enough, although @Sea of vapours comment that the display does cover some of the screen, i've not found it to be problematic. Never had any problems with sun glaring out the display on either the 820 or 1030+ even in the brightest sunlight, but I did put some tempered glass screen protectors on both to protect the display which may have an antiglare coating.

Not least because it only shows when there is a car approaching, and I've found that information more pertinent most of the time than the data in the fields that it partially obscures (usually speed, HR etc), any nav prompts I already had on the left side of the screen so weren't covered. I'm sure that you can organise the Roam the same way.

With the Garmin units I've found you also get a coloured highlight to the display at the edges (red when a car arrives, green when it disappears) from the radar, which is a useful visual cue. But to be honest I don't spend all my ride staring at the screen so I miss a lot of the approaching cars on the display anyway and so the LED lights on the Wahoo wouldn't add anything for me anyway.

 

[Two-Wheels]

Having rectently acquired a Varia, and using it with a Roam, I think I'd disagree. Perhaps the Varia information looks 'prettier' on the Garmin head units, but the Roam has the considerable advantage of being able to use the side LEDs to display approaching vehicles. The benefit of that is that none of the screen real estate is in any way affected by the Varia information at any time. I started off with the Varia data on the screen, but it's overall a more elegant display mode when using just the LEDs. And, whichever you prefer, you do have the option, unlike the Garmin devices.

Maybe you misunderstood me - that's what i meant ('prettier').
I actually don't mind it on the Wahoo as it functions. I've been using it a few months now and only once has it let me down which was actually yesterday - I knew a car was behind me but it didn't flag it until very very late. Every other time bar none it's worked flawlessly & as someone who isn't the most confident in the world on the bike I would say it's by far and away the best bike 'thing' i've bought, even moreso than the bike computer. Even the time it let me down yesterday, I can't rule out that perhaps it'd jiggled out of position maybe.
But it tells me what it's supposed to tell me, tells me the difference between someone approaching & someone nailing it up behind me. Just doesn't look as 'pretty' as you say.
Though I didn't consider the screen real estate so all in all you're probably right.

Oh, I was just thinking about your use of a GPS watch and wondering about eventually buying one rather than something like a Roam!

I actually bought a second hand Garmin watch recently (735XT) to see if I could make the move to a Garmin watch from a Samsung Galaxy watch (2 totally different beasts I appreciate).
I'd have to look at something packing more features I think if I was to make the shift. I like some things about it but there's things that I don't. It's not the most accurate with reporting how much I've climbed. My times on segments are generally either the same as the Roam or slower, very rarely quicker.

I use the Varia with either a Garmin or a Bolt and certainly the LEDs on the Bolt are easier to see when the display is glared out almost by the sun. The downside with the Bolt is knowing whether a row of red LEDs is approaching traffic or a navigation error.

Ah I forgot to mention - I don't really use the LEDs so I'm missing out there. I really should learn to use them to be honest.

 

[Two-Wheels]

Oh and thanks to all - Wahoo have got back to me.

Seems like it's beyond official repair at least - they've offered me 40% off a new device as they don't cover crashes under warranty (I didn't expect them to).

They also provided the following links as potential workarounds:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/94F3VGDEH/wahoo-mount-fixer-female-to-male-adapter-plate
https://www.racewaredirect.co/shop/wahoo-back-tab-repair/

They say these methods are not supported by them but they're aware of people having done this.

Got to say, in both examples, the mount is intact when these adapters are being put in place. My mount is smashed to bits.


Looking like 40% it is. Since the guy bank transferred me the money for a new one then it's not too bad.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Oh and thanks to all - Wahoo have got back to me.

Seems like it's beyond official repair at least - they've offered me 40% off a new device as they don't cover crashes under warranty (I didn't expect them to).

They also provided the following links as potential workarounds:
https://www.shapeways.com/product/94F3VGDEH/wahoo-mount-fixer-female-to-male-adapter-plate
https://www.racewaredirect.co/shop/wahoo-back-tab-repair/

They say these methods are not supported by them but they're aware of people having done this.

Got to say, in both examples, the mount is intact when these adapters are being put in place. My mount is smashed to bits.


Looking like 40% it is. Since the guy bank transferred me the money for a new one then it's not too bad.

Make sure the driver pays for any replacement as well as your other costs.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Oh, I was just thinking about your use of a GPS watch and wondering about eventually buying one rather than something like a Roam!

I'd far rather have the Suunto gps watch than the Roam. The only reason I have the roam is for doing multi-day routes where I might need to dynamically re-route / change plans. Given that I don't carry a phone or a laptop, that's not possible on the watch.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Not least because it only shows when there is a car approaching, and I've found that information more pertinent most of the time than the data in the fields that it partially obscures (usually speed, HR etc), any nav prompts I already had on the left side of the screen so weren't covered. I'm sure that you can organise the Roam the same way.

With the Wahoo implementation on the Roam you don't ever have obscured data. Rather, there is a permanent, vertical strip on the left which shows green for 'nothing coming' and red/amber for 'vehicle approaching', as well as the graphic of the car moving along the strip. So you permanently lose something like 10% screen area to the radar display, making the fonts slightly smaller in most fields. It's different from the Garmin implementation, which permanently has that coloured fade at the edges.

I use the Varia with either a Garmin or a Bolt and certainly the LEDs on the Bolt are easier to see when the display is glared out almost by the sun. The downside with the Bolt is knowing whether a row of red LEDs is approaching traffic or a navigation error.

The Bolt doesn't have a column of LEDs on the left edge, does it ? On the Roam, those are what's used to show the position of approaching vehicles, in amber or red, so there's no confusion with navigational information. (You probably know this. Just pointing it out for anyone reading this thread and wondering about the different Varia display implementations.)

 

[Alex321]

The Bolt doesn't have a column of LEDs on the left edge, does it ? On the Roam, those are what's used to show the position of approaching vehicles, in amber or red, so there's no confusion with navigational information. (You probably know this. Just pointing it out for anyone reading this thread and wondering about the different Varia display implementations.)

On the Roam the LEDs are also used to indicate a turn coming up, or a missed turn in navigation. They can also be used to indicate the status of a highlighted field (such as Heart Rate).

 

[Sea of vapours]

On the Roam the LEDs are also used to indicate a turn coming up, or a missed turn in navigation. They can also be used to indicate the status of a highlighted field (such as Heart Rate).

Indeed. I didn't want to over-complicate things. The Roam implementation means that this multiple use never seems to be a problem, especially since the top/horizontal LEDs are the ones predominantly used for navigational cues and, instantaneously, I'd rather know about an approaching vehicle than my HR zone or whatever. My original comment was addressing the OP's concern that the Bolt V2 screen might be too small for him and pointing out that you 'lose' some screen area if you have a Varia on a Bolt.

 

[Two-Wheels]

Make sure the driver pays for any replacement as well as your other costs.

Got that sorted. The guy was literally like 200yds from his house. Went back & he gave me the bank transfer there & then.

Talking to my mother about it today. Said he should've given me more than the cost of the Roam because of everything being his fault etc.

But then really where do you start drawing the line & moving on. I'm sure many others would've handled it differently but it is what it is. It was my first incident on the bike. Wasn't really sure how to handle it to be honest. I know in the event you're in a car & hit another driver you stop and exchange details. You're both insured so you let the insurance sort it out & job done, that's what you pay for.

But I really wasn't sure what to do. Looking back I guess it's something I should've found out before I started getting in to biking. I still don't know now tbh. Just made an on the spot call.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Got that sorted. The guy was literally like 200yds from his house. Went back & he gave me the bank transfer there & then.

Talking to my mother about it today. Said he should've given me more than the cost of the Roam because of everything being his fault etc.

But then really where do you start drawing the line & moving on. I'm sure many others would've handled it differently but it is what it is. It was my first incident on the bike. Wasn't really sure how to handle it to be honest. I know in the event you're in a car & hit another driver you stop and exchange details. You're both insured so you let the insurance sort it out & job done, that's what you pay for.

But I really wasn't sure what to do. Looking back I guess it's something I should've found out before I started getting in to biking. I still don't know now tbh. Just made an on the spot call.

I have insurance through CTC membership. I’d have pursued it through that avenue. The driver pulled out without paying due care and attention. I think it’d be important to have on his record, if only in the insurance records. Make him think twice that little bit more about paying due care and attention when in charge of a motor vehicle.

 

[si_c]

Given the driver sorted this out amicably and restitution for your loss has been paid, I'm not sure what else could be done.

I'm half with @Ming the Merciless here in that having insurance through CTC/British Cycling is helpful and provides legal assistance and having a record of the incident is useful, but equally sometimes having a simple and easy hassle free resolution is worth more. Could always report the incident to the police so they have it on file even if they don't do anything with it.

 

[vickster]

Got that sorted. The guy was literally like 200yds from his house. Went back & he gave me the bank transfer there & then.

Talking to my mother about it today. Said he should've given me more than the cost of the Roam because of everything being his fault etc.

But then really where do you start drawing the line & moving on. I'm sure many others would've handled it differently but it is what it is. It was my first incident on the bike. Wasn't really sure how to handle it to be honest. I know in the event you're in a car & hit another driver you stop and exchange details. You're both insured so you let the insurance sort it out & job done, that's what you pay for.

But I really wasn't sure what to do. Looking back I guess it's something I should've found out before I started getting in to biking. I still don't know now tbh. Just made an on the spot call.

There’s a sticky here.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/accident-advice.226114/
Were you injured? If so, the police should be informed

 

[Mike_P]

The Bolt doesn't have a column of LEDs on the left edge, does it ?

The Bolt 1 has a row of LEDs across the top which indicate a variety of info, above/below avg speed for info. In terms of the Varia you get red or green ones along with a graphic on the side of the screen. I presume Bolt 2s have a coloured graphic.

 

[BurningLegs]

Given the driver sorted this out amicably and restitution for your loss has been paid, I'm not sure what else could be done.

I'm half with @Ming the Merciless here in that having insurance through CTC/British Cycling is helpful and provides legal assistance and having a record of the incident is useful, but equally sometimes having a simple and easy hassle free resolution is worth more. Could always report the incident to the police so they have it on file even if they don't do anything with it.

Yes, I can completely see why people might take either route and see it as a personal choice.
By the book and in an ideal world I would say formal channels are better. There will be an indication on the drivers record, the collision will be available as a data point in council reports etc but it will likely roll on for months and possibly be quite stressful.

If the only damage was to property, the driver is amenable and genuinely looking to make things right off their own back then I think I’d also go down the informal route, as OP did in this case.

If I had as much as road rash and a sprained wrist I think I’d be quite likely to lay in the road and wait for the police/ambo to be honest.