(Ultra long term) Wahoo Elmnt gps review - 7+ years ownership!

[redefined_cycles]

Sometimes some companies just need a right good old mention. I did start a thread with a long term review when I first bought my first Bolt v1, but I cannot find it anywhere. Maybe it got lost during servers transformation.

First a bit about me that's relevant is that I have clinically diagnosed dyslexia (nor reading/writing, though reading does take me long to digest) with specifically organisational difficulties. I've owned the Wahoos (plural) since 2017 at least, but more like 2016 maybe, I think) but also in the meanwhile a few Garmin units. These included a 540, a 1000 and a couple of older units.

I won't slate Garmin, cos just because I never got along with them, I know they have their upsides and also I believe their customer service is top notch and battery life, now phenomenal. Right, back to the Wahoos.

Since ownership of at least 1 each of the v1 in ROAM and BOLT flavour, as well as at least 2 each of the ROAM and BOLT in the v2 flavours, this is my thoughts. Actually, I've owned 2 ROAM v1 but the second was a used unit from ebay with a duff battery. For which I got a full refund!

So, v1 BOLT: mapping used to be a little annoying, but only due to lack of memory. To mind, it was the one time that I ran out of map during a trip to London. So followed a breadcrumb line without a map behind it.

In comes the ROAM v1. Now, I'm not sure if it was this or the BOLT that I first used for a BB200. I remember the GPS going funny and frozen. But afterwards we learnt it was some NATO -FreezeGPS exercise going on overhead. Aside from a few resets over the 3 or 4 years, nothing really to report. Lovely units, but we needed better routing direct from the unit and also usbC.

In comes the BOLT v2. Wonderful upgrade and now in colour (well, a step up from the ROAM) and better graphics as well as postcode input function, or something like that. Then comes the ROAM v2, equally as lovely. Bigger memory and screen.

After toggling once or twice briefly to a Garmin unit, which would make my brain freeze up, I remained on a v2 or v1 in some way shape or form. Then a about August of this year, I was convinced a new unit must be coming soon.

So I sold the v2 ROAM (this, when I bought it off a chap who'd not used it, had a weak back tab which they replaced the unit for him immediately and without questions) and waited a few weeks. No choice and no sign of a new unit being announced, I went back (to Team Cycles I think) and bought another v2 in BOLT flavour.

Obviously, only 3 weeks later the new ACE was provisionally announced ), but no harm done. Now my last trip on which the v2 BOLT nav'd me perfectly on the WYCR, I had/have only one bone to pick.

Bottom left of the screen, where it says 1mi or 2000ft and a few ratios inbetween. Well, I'm not sure if I'm just getting old and my eyes 'bleary', but, it's always been annoying.

So to wrapup, in almost 8 years of ownership, sadly I can't add to my original long term BB forum review. But I can tell you, it's a 9.9995/10 from me. For both the unit and the aftersales. Fantastical and thanks to John on reporting back on them 'poor show' Columbia trousers, which then prompted this review.

For definite I'll be throwing almost half a grand on the new Ace, but only when the better offers start coming about. 2 months usage Bolt v2 anyone

[redefined_cycles]

Oh, and during my search for my original review thread, I came across this and left me a warm glow https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... oo#p230781

[Hyppy]

The Ace ain't getting ace reviews yet, but if or when they come close to a firmware update that means the claimed battery life is realistic then I'll be interested.

I still use the original ELEMNT (not ROAM) and while I wish I could load better (ie. TalkyToaster) maps onto to it, it does me fine for when I don't want to go full on eTrex for nav. 5+ years on and the battery still holds up ok. Not the 16 hours or whatever when new, but still a good long day out. I snapped the tabs off the back of it a little while back and got a 3D printed one to keep it going. The screen often mists up, but Wahoo told me this was expected behaviour for humid conditions. I'd say Cumbria is damp rather than humid, but hey … 

Anyway Shaf, I agree. They just work.

Addendum: I just remembered, back when he worked in a bikeshop it was Allen B of this parish who first recommended Wahoo to me as a viable alternative to Garmin.

[Dave Barter]

I was going to write a long missive about how I’ve been able to customise maps on my various Garmins, how they’ve never let me down and other stuff but couldn’t be arsed in the end.

TBH I’m not sure what you’re getting at Shaf? We all use gear and we all have our own personal preferences. For example my long term review of my Canyon would not be compared to a Specialized that I’ve also owned .. it’s a bit of a weird thread that I can’t see the motivation for?

[redefined_cycles]

I was going to write a long missive about how I’ve been able to customise maps on my various Garmins, how they’ve never let me down and other stuff but couldn’t be arsed in the end.

TBH I’m not sure what you’re getting at Shaf? We all use gear and we all have our own personal preferences. For example my long term review of my Canyon would not be compared to a Specialized that I’ve also owned .. it’s a bit of a weird thread that I can’t see the motivation for?

I think it's something that I've just wanted to get down on paper for a while. It didn't slate Garmin (did it?) just that I had come through and found it to just work for me.

Not commissioned by Wahoo (honest) and for some people might or might not prove helpful. Though I was gonna give the top tip of how to pick up a decent used unit, but I ran out of words

But now that I'm here, I'd say to ensure it's from someone who's been a little OCD about charging it in time and not letting the battery deplete to the bottom. Pointless thread, maybe... but aren't they all

[boxelder]

I recently got a SH Roam V1 on Facebook, as I've gone dynamo and can charge it. So far, so good. It seems to just work and the app is pretty intuitive.

[redefined_cycles]

One way (I think) I managed to keep my batteries healthy on all of my units Box', is by ensuring I never let them run down to 20%. Really helped IMO

Thanks @hyppy for that info about the Ace. It's one of the things that was gravitating me towards it (increased battery life) as well as the bigger screen. Think my eyes are getting old and I do like seeing that ratio/range/key in the bottom left of the screen. Irritates me that I can't see if it says 1 mile or 2000ft without really focusing!

[whitestone]

I can't remember Wahoo being around when I got my first Garmin bike unit. Karoo Hammerheads might have been. I'd already had an early Garmin Etrex from maybe 20yrs ago so went with them.

To some degree you just "get used to" how things work and sort of accept their shortcomings (a bit like mates really) and know how to work round them so there's quite a lot of inertia to overcome to jump ship as it were. The big bugbear for me with Garmin is their power management rules, just inconsistent and occasionally baffling. Also some systems work in a way that closely matches your own way of thinking/working so anything that doesn't can feel awkward/clumsy. This doesn't include Motorola's mobile phones - their menu system was/is a nightmare as each submenu could only have eight items so once they'd used those slots up the next item that should have been on the menu was somewhere completely unrelated!

There's an old programming adage: "Anyone who thinks programming time & date functionality is easy hasn't done any", you can modify that to "Anyone who thinks that creating user interfaces is easy hasn't done any" (see Motorola ref above). Earlier this year I was designing (in the loosest possible sense of the word) a web form: some people found it very easy yet others struggled - but it was exactly the same form! The problem is: both were right.

[redefined_cycles]

I suppose that was kinda the point for me Bob, to put my thought down. Especially since I started the thread 'long term review' when I bought my first Wahoo (after owning Garmins - but not Etrex) for a couple of years or so).

So on the WYCR when I realised that this (the size of the '1mile' key info - I forget the proper name!) was probably the only thing that's really annoyed me about it (Wahoo) over the years. Gave a nice excuse of a random thread

Yeah, I really struggle with forms and layouts. Though I've always been a good (IMO, brilliant) artist, layouts and placing things in the correct place have always been difficult for me. So too many options of how to do what, baffles me.

Ordering takeaway, I always insist on the wife ordering instead for us all (or at least me) and walking into places with massive menu systems. Nightmarish!

[whitestone]

I think the scale bar is part of the map software as it’s just as bad on the Garmin.

Trying to figure out just how people perceive things is a nightmare- a single wrong word can derail someone’s mental process. I’ve found it best to use selection drop down inputs as much as possible-no ambiguity, misspelling or similar. And if you think that words are troublesome just dive down the colour rabbit hole with all the various eyesight deficiencies!

Testing can be near impossible- a form with ten inputs has over 3.5 million possible ways of filling it out! So you try and guide users to an optimal path.

[Lazarus]

The big bugbear for me with Garmin is their power management rules, just inconsistent and occasionally baffling

Mine is 4 years old and still pops up a display, every few months, to warn me using the display uses more battery ( no sh1t sherlock) and then it keeps the screen on till you say ok to it

I hope it was a sarcastic coder rather than stupidity.
I always tale a phone for if i need to personally map and dont like touchscreens ( rain and glove issues ) but agree with whitestone just used to garmins ( screens are so small dont massively care about the map as useless for my eyesight)
Turn by turn is errwtic sometimes it gives dorections for a bend on a road sometimes it does not bother saying to turn....off course almost always work though)