What bike computer?

My wife has just received some more (unexpected) inheritance from her late father and has decided that it's 'treat ourself money' - she's getting a new piano and asked me if there was anything I was thinking about buying of late to which I replied I've been thinking about getting a dedicated bike computer as the battery on my phone just isn't up to it.

My requirements are nothing special - plethora of data at a glance (speed, cadence etc), turn by turn mapping, ability to record and upload to Strava either directly from the device or indirectly through phone or computer, waterproof to a certain extent (I live in Scotland, nuff said), decent battery life in case I decide to do some longer days/bikepacking, the usuals.

My riding is mainly exploring new areas - enjoying tiling using VeloViewer & I'll soon be commuting to work 9 miles each way. Not a fast rider so not overly fussed about beating strava segments but it might make me a quicker rider if it's turned into a game where I can see my time on a segment whilst I ride it rather than miss out on a top 10 etc by a small margin.

Budget is realistically between 2 and 500 - have looked at the Wahoo Element Roam (I've bought heavily into the Wahoo eco system - Kickr, Climb, Headwind, HRM, Cadence sensor & speed sensor (Need to send this one back mind you as it's faulty)) and the Garmin Edge 1030.

If you were in my shoes what would you go for?

Cheers.

I've got a Garmin 800, it'll be 7yrs old in January and apart one occasion earlier this year when it turned off mid-ride I've never had a problem with it. Prior to that I had the 500 and 200 and only upgraded due to offers/man maths.

Wiggle has the 1030 on offer for £299 at the moment, only reason I've not purchased one is because my 800 hasn't died (yet).

Check https://www.dcrainmaker.com/ for reviews of nearly every unit ever made.

Garmin 530. It's currently the sweet spot for cycle computers in terms of price v functionality IMO.

I used an Elemnt Bolt for a couple of years, which worked fine, but the navigation and Strava integration in particular on the Garmin is miles better

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/garmin-edge-53...

As above. My Garmin 530 is great, particularly with the Varia rear light.

Wahoo elemnt of some flavour.

I have the bolt, simple to use, easy to see in bright sun light, links to ridewithgps and strava, and you don't have to deal with the garmin eco system

Thanks all.

I've opted for the Wahoo Elemnt Roam for a couple of reasons - I'm already in the Wahoo eco system with the rest of my tech, had bad experiences with water on touch screens before & I like the simpleness of the Roam's UI.

Another factor was Wahoo's support - they replaced my HRM after the strap broke after 8 months & have just started a warranty replacement of my speed sensor that's gone wonky 4 months in.

Do the Wahoo devices support the Strava segments like the Garmin units do? I find they give me a bit of motivation.

It does but you have to select them in advance for live segments to work. I don’t know how the Garmin units work but I went to a Wahoo ELEMNT from using Strava directly on my phone. My phone used to show me all live segments regardless but now I only get those I’ve pre-selected.

It’s fine if you’re generally riding the same routes and know any particular segments you’re interested in but it means you won’t get anything if you’re riding in new places.

I've been back and forth over the same over which computer to get myself. I've always had Garmin devices for running and never had a problem with them (use them for cycling too) so my instinct is to stay in their eco system and get the 520 Plus (although on Wiggle the 1030 price is tempting).

However, I need a good screen as my eyesight isn't the best. The Wahoo options seems to have a less reflective screen but most reviews seems to put the Garmin ahead of any Wahoo devices (not by a lot) in terms of the overall package.

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 design and interface looks nice from what I've seen on YouTube.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the Wahoo.

I upgraded to a Karoo 2 not long after my previous post, and I’ve been very happy with it. Faultless.
The screen is fabulous, navigation really good, clear and easy to follow, and if you go off route, rerouting is simple. I’d happily buy another. Only downside compared to some other devices is battery life, probably in the 10 hour or so range. Battery life is one reason why ultra distance riders shun them but with a dynamo or powerbank that problem goes away. The Karoo links to my SRAM AXS set up (told me on today’s ride that my front mech battery was getting low) which is a handy feature but I suspect they’ll all do this now.

Not sure what Karoo 3 will bring, suspect slightly bigger battery and not much else. Dunno,tbh.

Two of my daughters do ultra bike packing distances and both use a Wahoo Element Roam as it does all that they need. Smaller, lighter, better battery life but a much poorer screen. You pays your money, you take your choice.

Last Garmin I had was a 520, and as a basic device it was very good, although I found connectivity always an issue. I’m sure newer devices have improved. Not sure if they need you to have Garmin Connect app now, but I found it very awkward to use.