Tell me about bike computers

[PaulSB]

The 810 came out a long time ago, it's like writing modern Ford cars off entirely because you had a Capri fell apart with rust. Things have moved on somewhat since then, not least due to competition in the market.

Modern Garmin devices are superb, easily the equal of Wahoo, the only reason really to choose between the two is interface preference.

I understand what you're saying but would take an awful lot of convincing to buy Garmin. This is the problem for companies which produce poor products.

I am a very loyal customer. I've used the same LBS for 20 years. Five years ago I received outstanding service from Whalley Warm and Dry when looking for walking boots and now wanting another pair I've a fitting appointment in April. I won't look anywhere else.

Another LBS tried to sell me a bike based on what was in stock rather than what I needed. I've never been back.

If a company breaks the trust I place in them I don't go back.

 

[steveindenmark]

The two main players at the moment are Garmin and Wahoo. Over the past few years Garmin has improved a lot. They basically had a monopoly on the bike gps navigation scene. But Wahoo changed all that. Wahoo turned up with the Wahoo Bolt and took a huge chunk of the market. Garmin had to start raising their game.

The 2 devices I use is the old Wahoo Bolt and the Garmin 1030.

For simplicity in setting up, using and reliability. I would used the Wahoo Bolt, every time. Remember, I have the very old version. There is also the Bolt2 and Roam 1 and 2, I think.

I actually bought a spare Bolt in case mine ever went wrong. I doubt if I will ever use it as the old Bolt is so reliable.

The Wahoo Bolt works all the time and is totally reliable.

Garmin are improving . But even with the 1030, I still have that doubt about them. That could be because all the other Garmins I owned, let me down often.

If you want something simple and reliable and will not let you down. Get a Wahoo.

By the way. I am useless at PC tech stuff and the Wahoo is a doddle to set up and operate.

.

 

[2pies]

The two main players at the moment are Garmin and Wahoo. Over the past few years Garmin has improved a lot. They basically had a monopoly on the bike gps navigation scene. But Wahoo changed all that. Wahoo turned up with the Wahoo Bolt and took a huge chunk of the market. Garmin had to start raising their game.

The 2 devices I use is the old Wahoo Bolt and the Garmin 1030.

For simplicity in setting up, using and reliability. I would used the Wahoo Bolt, every time. Remember, I have the very old version. There is also the Bolt2 and Roam 1 and 2, I think.

I actually bought a spare Bolt in case mine ever went wrong. I doubt if I will ever use it as the old Bolt is so reliable.

The Wahoo Bolt works all the time and is totally reliable.

Garmin are improving . But even with the 1030, I still have that doubt about them. That could be because all the other Garmins I owned, let me down often.

If you want something simple and reliable and will not let you down. Get a Wahoo.

By the way. I am useless at PC tech stuff and the Wahoo is a doddle to set up and operate.

.

After speaking to some folks in my LBS and watching a variety of Youtube reviews, I decided that the Whaoo Roam was better for me. Slightly clearer navigation and much simpler to configure. So that should be delivered in the coming days.

While I've download the Wahoo app, it won't do anything until its paired with a device so its hard to know what it can do. I'm curious to know what services, if any, I will need to subscribe to. Do you need to pay for these services to send a route to Wahoo e.g. Strava, Ride with GPS, Kamoot etc. I could feasibly pay for one, but not all.

Thanks

 

[vickster]

I think Strava routes is pay only (about £50 a year but you can often get a 1-3 month trial).
Komoot is about £30 to get all of the routes rather than just one or two areas.
RWGPS never used to be subscription to create and upload GPX files but may be now.

A DCrainmaker review of the Roam will tell you about the Wahoo app functionality
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/05/wahoo-element-roam-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think Strava routes is pay only (about £50 a year but you can often get a 1-3 month trial).
Komoot is about £30 to get all of the routes rather than just one or two areas.
RWGPS never used to be subscription to create and upload GPX files but may be now.

A DCrainmaker review of the Roam will tell you about the Wahoo app functionality
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/05/wahoo-element-roam-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html

I'd be 99% sure that you don't need premium RWGPS to link your Wahoo to your RWGPS a/c.

The subscription aspect of RWGPS doesn't restrict GPX download. So it should work with a vanilla (non-premium) RWGPS account.

https://ridewithgps.com/help/why-go-premium

But custom cues and POIs are premium features. These go above and beyond vanilla GPX, so I don't think they will be involved here. Basically, if you create a route with lots of fancy extra info (eg an audax route with details of control locations as POIs*) then you need a premium RWGPS a/c to create it, and to download it (as tcx rather than gpx I think).

See also https://ridewithgps.com/help/wahoo-elemnt

* Points of Interest

 

[Alex321]

To note, it's £100 more than the Garmin Explore...why? And the Elemnt is only the same size as the 830 so smaller than the 1000 based Explore.
Do you still have to plan on the Wahoo app for on the fly routing (so need phone signal/battery) or can you actually do on the Wahoo device screen now?

You can do on the Wahoo screen if it is just "take me to x" (or "return to start"). If you want the more complex type of routing with multiple waypoints, you need to do it via an app then synch it.

 

[Alex321]

After speaking to some folks in my LBS and watching a variety of Youtube reviews, I decided that the Whaoo Roam was better for me. Slightly clearer navigation and much simpler to configure. So that should be delivered in the coming days.

While I've download the Wahoo app, it won't do anything until its paired with a device so its hard to know what it can do. I'm curious to know what services, if any, I will need to subscribe to. Do you need to pay for these services to send a route to Wahoo e.g. Strava, Ride with GPS, Kamoot etc. I could feasibly pay for one, but not all.

Thanks

That is the device I have, and I've been very happy with it.

You don't need to pay to use RidewithGPS.

I think the routes option in Strava may be paid service only - I do pay a Strava subscription, but that is the only one. I have used both Strava and RidewithGPS for setting up routes and transferring them to the Roam.

I think you can also download from Komoot without payment, can't remember if I actually have done.

 

[steveindenmark]

After speaking to some folks in my LBS and watching a variety of Youtube reviews, I decided that the Whaoo Roam was better for me. Slightly clearer navigation and much simpler to configure. So that should be delivered in the coming days.

While I've download the Wahoo app, it won't do anything until its paired with a device so its hard to know what it can do. I'm curious to know what services, if any, I will need to subscribe to. Do you need to pay for these services to send a route to Wahoo e.g. Strava, Ride with GPS, Kamoot etc. I could feasibly pay for one, but not all.

Thanks

I use Ridewithgps. It has taken me all over Europe with no bother. It is also the best one around for customising routes, adding points of interest and printing out maps and route cards if you want to. I also have Strava and Komoot. But RWGPS is my go to app.

 

[cycling_eejit]

Mio Cyclo 210 might have everything you need, I don't have a cycling computer but have been looking and have similar requirements to the OP and this looks like it meets them at a lower price point than Garmin or Wahoo devices.
Mio Cyclo review

 

[2pies]

First weekend with the Wahoo was great. Paired with an old Garmin HRM easily, clear navigation, easy to read screen. I really love the LEDs on it, telling you you're riding slower than average, which makes you ride a bit harder! Downloaded routes from RWGPS and uploaded rides to Strava without issue.

I'm sure there's plenty of other features and settings I'll discover but it does exactly what I wanted, so would definitely recommend.

 

[Mark pallister]

Get a Wahoo it won't let you down. Buy a Garmin and you're in the lap of the gods.

1. Yes

2. Wahoo has a "Take me to" option or you could plot in Strava, Komoot or RWGPS and sync with the Wahoo

3. With a Wahoo you can add multiple fields to any screen including the navigation screen. You'll easily be able to see the map, instructions, speed etc. Which fields you have on the screen is your choice. There are multiple screens but you needn't use them

4. Wahoo syncs when you request or can auto sync.

5. Wahoo integrates seamlessly with multiple platforms

I've used Garmin and Wahoo. I'll never buy another Garmin. I have tge Elemnt which I chose for screen size, I would suggest the Roam for the same reason.

When setting up a Wahoo or making changes to set up via the app this is instantly reflected on the device making the task very simple. Gadmin is a nightmare to set up.

I went from old garmin 1000 to a wahoo bolt ,that had a terrible screen so upgraded to wahoo roam
it was fine worked well enough then it went through the washing machine and died
so next was a garmin 530 ,I was a bit dubious as I’ve had lots of unreliable garmins in the past,but reading lots of reviews the garmin always came out on top
very happy with my choice,had it for two years now ,
I do ver 10,000 mls a year so it has been well used and has been completely trouble free
every thing is a bit quicker and more colourful than the wahoo and it has a few more useful features than the wahoo
garmin had to really up there game when wahoo came on the scene and the 30 series is in a different class than the old 20s

 

[JhnBssll]

I can't sing the praises of the Hammerhead Karoo 2 highly enough, fabulous little device. It's pricey but compares favourably against similar Garmin/Wahoo devices. It's main selling point has always been its navigation features with a nicer screen, clear mapping and better turn by turn directions than the competition, but its constantly evolving software means it's also extremely competitive in other areas. They've recently (in the last few weeks) added 'predictive path technology' whereby it predicts where you're going next with no route loaded and is able to give you information on upcoming climbs etc. - pretty nifty.

At the end of the day it's a bit of an apple vs android argument, people are always going to have favourites and you'll always find conflicting information on the internet, but DC Rainmaker and GP Lama are very useful sources of reference for these things if in doubt

 

[Big T]

In defence of the long-obsolete Garmin 810. I had one for 6 years and had no problems with it at all until the on/off switch broke a few months ago. I did several 12 hours Audaxes with it, and it still had battery left at the end, it synced easily to Garmin Connect and Strava and you could upload routes from Garmin Connect, Strava or MapMyRide and ride them, with turn by turn directions. I gave it to my son in law and he managed to fix the switch with a rubber band and a bit of Gaffa tape, so I still have it as a spare.

I now have Garmin 520 Plus, which again has been faultless in the few months I’ve had it.

 

[Mike_P]

I bought a Garmin 530 to replace a first gen Wahoo Bolt primarily for the navigation rerouting function. I like the nav instructions to pop up as relevant but otherwise to see the normal speed etc display. Their is no overall default setting for this, as well as the default Turn guidance you have to switch Always display on in settings for each navigation course (which does not seem to be the clearest description either)
Not very user friendly IMO

 

[Dogtrousers]

I bought a Garmin 530 to replace a first gen Wahoo Bolt primarily for the navigation rerouting function. I like the nav instructions to pop up as relevant but otherwise to see the normal speed etc display. Their is no overall default setting for this, as well as the default Turn guidance you have to switch Always display on in settings for each navigation course (which does not seem to be the clearest description either)
Not very user friendly IMO

Garmin menus are notoriously opaque.

However, I have a 530 and what you describe: "nav instructions pop up as relevant but otherwise to see the normal speed etc display" is exactly what happens all the time on mine.

Maybe I've set a secret default setting that you haven't found - and I've forgotten about