Wahoo or Garmin 820?
Discussion
All,
Looking for some level of suggestion or guidance. Wahoo Element or Garmin 820?
What's most important to me? Turn by turn navigation, cadence, and battery life.
Speed, distance, etc. is all moot points - but still very much required. Strava innit...
I am not the sort of person who can just go for a pootle on the bike, i need a route to follow (which may deviate if i seem something interesting in the distance) which can be easily auto-calculated and corrected.
So for me the following is needed -
- Clear screen and details for turns/route
- Auto-generating and auto-correcting routes
- Clear and easily accessible buttons through gloves
- configurable screen - i'd like to be able to show turns and route details, with various statistics (cadence for example).
What would you suggest?
Looking for some level of suggestion or guidance. Wahoo Element or Garmin 820?
What's most important to me? Turn by turn navigation, cadence, and battery life.
Speed, distance, etc. is all moot points - but still very much required. Strava innit...
I am not the sort of person who can just go for a pootle on the bike, i need a route to follow (which may deviate if i seem something interesting in the distance) which can be easily auto-calculated and corrected.
So for me the following is needed -
- Clear screen and details for turns/route
- Auto-generating and auto-correcting routes
- Clear and easily accessible buttons through gloves
- configurable screen - i'd like to be able to show turns and route details, with various statistics (cadence for example).
What would you suggest?
I've got the Wahoo elemnt. I plan rides on ridewithgps, full turn by turn cue sheets. As most of the time, the app on your smartphone allows all the configuration, if you need to cut the route short it can provide you a route home, although in the field you cannot amend it.
Personally I find the screen size fine, buttons and different screens are configurable, you can move the various metrics around so you see what you want to see.
I bought the bundle kit, syncs effortlessly with the sensors, battery life hasn't been an issue, seems to get 16hrs between charges. Black and white screen works well in the sunshine, there's also a backlight for gloomy whether.
Personally I find the screen size fine, buttons and different screens are configurable, you can move the various metrics around so you see what you want to see.
I bought the bundle kit, syncs effortlessly with the sensors, battery life hasn't been an issue, seems to get 16hrs between charges. Black and white screen works well in the sunshine, there's also a backlight for gloomy whether.
BMWBen said:
I switched from the 820 to an Elemnt Bolt because I got fed up with the 820 constantly crashing and losing my data...
I don't miss it.
Despite initial teething issues with the 820 (buggy elevation, battery drain) I am now very pleased with it. Recent software updates appear to have corrected most issues (the elevation is still a little off) and it has never lost a ride for me.I don't miss it.
I particularly like:
- Seamless Synching with Garmin/Strava via bluetooth/wifi
- Improved workout/interval screen display (much improved over my old 500)
- Route Mapping
- On screen display of text messages
bigdom said:
I've got the Wahoo elemnt. I plan rides on ridewithgps, full turn by turn cue sheets. As most of the time, the app on your smartphone allows all the configuration, if you need to cut the route short it can provide you a route home, although in the field you cannot amend it.
Personally I find the screen size fine, buttons and different screens are configurable, you can move the various metrics around so you see what you want to see.
I bought the bundle kit, syncs effortlessly with the sensors, battery life hasn't been an issue, seems to get 16hrs between charges. Black and white screen works well in the sunshine, there's also a backlight for gloomy whether.
Hi,Personally I find the screen size fine, buttons and different screens are configurable, you can move the various metrics around so you see what you want to see.
I bought the bundle kit, syncs effortlessly with the sensors, battery life hasn't been an issue, seems to get 16hrs between charges. Black and white screen works well in the sunshine, there's also a backlight for gloomy whether.
If the Wahoo tells me to turn left, and instead i go straight on.... does it auto-correct and tell me to take the next left turn (ala TomTom?). Do you need the phone app all the time to make adjustments? even to send you back to the start if you need to cut the ride short?
I like the idea of the Wahoo - smaller company, more agile and dynamic about making changes, whereas Garmin are rather stuck in their ways.
TIA.
The Wahoo categorically will not do re-routing. You get turn-by-turn instructions (as long as you built your route using RideWithGPS) and a base map which is basic but functional (e.g. it shows roads but not street names)
There is no facility to edit or create routes on the device itself. If you want to get to an ad-hoc destination then you must use the phone app, search for your destination (or just tap on the map) and it draws you a route which you can then sync to the phone. You can't edit the route it draws.
However, if you understand all that it is a fantastic device. I've been using an ELEMNT Bolt for a couple of months now to replace my Edge 500. I prefer it to any of the various Garmins I've used, including ones with mapping. The screen is clear, the UI very adaptable, the physical buttons usable and responsive in all conditions and the battery life is excellent.
There is no facility to edit or create routes on the device itself. If you want to get to an ad-hoc destination then you must use the phone app, search for your destination (or just tap on the map) and it draws you a route which you can then sync to the phone. You can't edit the route it draws.
However, if you understand all that it is a fantastic device. I've been using an ELEMNT Bolt for a couple of months now to replace my Edge 500. I prefer it to any of the various Garmins I've used, including ones with mapping. The screen is clear, the UI very adaptable, the physical buttons usable and responsive in all conditions and the battery life is excellent.
jesusbuiltmycar said:
BMWBen said:
I switched from the 820 to an Elemnt Bolt because I got fed up with the 820 constantly crashing and losing my data...
I don't miss it.
Despite initial teething issues with the 820 (buggy elevation, battery drain) I am now very pleased with it. Recent software updates appear to have corrected most issues (the elevation is still a little off) and it has never lost a ride for me.I don't miss it.
I particularly like:
- Seamless Synching with Garmin/Strava via bluetooth/wifi
- Improved workout/interval screen display (much improved over my old 500)
- Route Mapping
- On screen display of text messages
I ended up having to ride with my old 500 recording in my pocket because the damn thing was flipping out so often.
I know that not everyone has had as many issues as I have, but I don't think there's anyone who uses a garmin that hasn't had it bug out and lose data at least once
I've had no issues with my 820 which is my current GPS and wouldn't be without it.
From my rather extensive use and testing of bike GPS https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfvwMRyMTecPVnsX... I have to say that I don't like to rely on any of them to re-route me if I deviate from a pre-set course. They will do it but sometimes they don't exactly pick the quickest route or cut chunks out of your original course as part of the re-route. I tend to be sensitive about wanting to maintain my course if i'm riding an unknown route as i've often used google street to scope it out a little as I prefer to keep off main roads.
I'm hoping to get hands on with the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt soon and will be interested to see if its as good as many suggest.
The Garmins with inbuilt maps such as the 1000, 820 etc will allow you to plan a route from A to B without needing to connect to anything else and have a nice round trip routing function which calculates 3 potential round trip routes to ride from a set start point (the distance of the route can be custom set).
The ability to navigate a course on the edge 1000, 820 etc with full turn by turn navigation was an essential for me and why I still have a Garmin on my bars. Check out some of the course navigation videos via the link above to get an idea of what they look like in use.
You mentioned gloves - my 820 seems a bit fussy and works fine with my summer gloves but is unresponsive to my Gore windstopper winter gloves - just something to be aware of. I also like that you can swipe the touch screen on the 820 / 1000 to move between data screens which I find easier than trying to locate a button.
I'm sure you've probably already found DC Rainmakers website but if you haven't then go check it out for some serious in depth product reviews.
From my rather extensive use and testing of bike GPS https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnfvwMRyMTecPVnsX... I have to say that I don't like to rely on any of them to re-route me if I deviate from a pre-set course. They will do it but sometimes they don't exactly pick the quickest route or cut chunks out of your original course as part of the re-route. I tend to be sensitive about wanting to maintain my course if i'm riding an unknown route as i've often used google street to scope it out a little as I prefer to keep off main roads.
I'm hoping to get hands on with the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt soon and will be interested to see if its as good as many suggest.
The Garmins with inbuilt maps such as the 1000, 820 etc will allow you to plan a route from A to B without needing to connect to anything else and have a nice round trip routing function which calculates 3 potential round trip routes to ride from a set start point (the distance of the route can be custom set).
The ability to navigate a course on the edge 1000, 820 etc with full turn by turn navigation was an essential for me and why I still have a Garmin on my bars. Check out some of the course navigation videos via the link above to get an idea of what they look like in use.
You mentioned gloves - my 820 seems a bit fussy and works fine with my summer gloves but is unresponsive to my Gore windstopper winter gloves - just something to be aware of. I also like that you can swipe the touch screen on the 820 / 1000 to move between data screens which I find easier than trying to locate a button.
I'm sure you've probably already found DC Rainmakers website but if you haven't then go check it out for some serious in depth product reviews.
Edited by Pot Odds on Monday 22 May 19:32
I got fed up with constant problems using multiple 810s, replaced under warranty. I switched to the ELEMNT last June and used it on the Transcontinental, as did a handful of others (it had only just added TBT navigation). I doubt there's a tougher testing group out there. A year later and all of us are still impressed with it. I'm confident enough with its reliability that I've just sold my eTrex and will use the ELEMNT as my only GPS on ultra races now.
It's not without some drawbacks. It only 'draws' the next ~5km of route so if you need to go off-route much wider than that you may not have much of a breadcrumb trail to aim for to rejoin it. I'd also like to see it include the option to flick to the map screen when a TBT cue pops up, so that I can use a data screen as my main screen and still have the map up for junctions and turnings. I believe the 820 ditched this feature too?
Those are minor issues though and pale in the face of reliability. That's a pre-requisite in my opinion, and something the Garmin failed at time and time again.
It's not without some drawbacks. It only 'draws' the next ~5km of route so if you need to go off-route much wider than that you may not have much of a breadcrumb trail to aim for to rejoin it. I'd also like to see it include the option to flick to the map screen when a TBT cue pops up, so that I can use a data screen as my main screen and still have the map up for junctions and turnings. I believe the 820 ditched this feature too?
Those are minor issues though and pale in the face of reliability. That's a pre-requisite in my opinion, and something the Garmin failed at time and time again.
CharlieCrocodile said:
Another vote for the elemnt. I don't use turn by turn routing, I just upload a strava route and glance down occasionally.
Exactly what I do - the Bolt still beeps at you and flashes red if you deviate from the route - I'm rarely travelling fast enough to not realise the turn I missed....I'm had a Bolt for 6 weeks now, as my first gps, and am impressed.
If I were using it primarily for navigating in strange places I'd go for the Elemnt with its larger display, but the Bolt allows you to delete the speed from the Map page, freeing up some displaay real estate.
Turn-by-turn is nice to have, but not essential. It's hard to go seriously wrong. No only does it flash red when you go off route but switching to the Map page will show where you are in relation to the intended track you are and it's not hard to navigate back.
My current minor gripe is using RideWithGPS to plan routes on a tablet touchscreen for when I go abroad (not wanting to lug a laptop around). Using fingers is hopeless; might a fine-pointed stylus work? Anyone have a solution?
If I were using it primarily for navigating in strange places I'd go for the Elemnt with its larger display, but the Bolt allows you to delete the speed from the Map page, freeing up some displaay real estate.
Turn-by-turn is nice to have, but not essential. It's hard to go seriously wrong. No only does it flash red when you go off route but switching to the Map page will show where you are in relation to the intended track you are and it's not hard to navigate back.
My current minor gripe is using RideWithGPS to plan routes on a tablet touchscreen for when I go abroad (not wanting to lug a laptop around). Using fingers is hopeless; might a fine-pointed stylus work? Anyone have a solution?
I wouldn't get the Garmin. I've had an 800 and 810 because, at time of purchase, they were the only game in town. I now have a 520, which I bought because "it can't possibly be as bad as the others, they must have sorted their software out", but it's a buggy piece of crap. Get a Wahoo.
A viable competitor for Garmin & Wahoo
Sigma Rox 12.0 Sport
http://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/fahrrad-comp...
According to one of the main commentators on such things Ray Maker
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/06/sigma-rox-12-0...
Sigma Rox 12.0 Sport
http://www.sigmasport.com/en/produkte/fahrrad-comp...
According to one of the main commentators on such things Ray Maker
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/06/sigma-rox-12-0...
Interested to read about these people having issues with their 800 series Garmins. I have had my 800 for around 5 years and it has never put a foot wrong. The navigation isn't perfect and I hardly use it now as I use set routes. The bluetooth syncing feature would be nice, but its not essential to me.
Based on my experience of Garmin devices, I would certainly recommend them.
Based on my experience of Garmin devices, I would certainly recommend them.
I've just bought a Wahoo Elemnt to replace my ageing Garmin. £50 cashback at the moment and with a little Wiggle discount it comes in at £185. Very impressed so far, and has all of the features that I need. Tested the routing function and all very clear, particularly with the LED alerts.
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