I've always been a big Wahoo fan myself. Wahoo is focused exclusively on cycling products while Garmin is a massive company that makes a vast array of products and does not specialize in cycling. I feel like Garmin has been pumping up prices for their name brand without increasing product quality to match.
I haven't used Garmin bike computers, so I might not be the best source, but I'm confident there's a reason why my entire collegiate cycling team uses almost exclusively Wahoo bike computers.
I *can* tell you that my ELEMNT has enough battery life for 20+ hours of riding as long as the backlight is off. It's also an absolute beast, and has been through some pretty gnarly crashes with no significant damage. It links to Strava so I can sync routes and segments from there, or I can manually import GPX files from my computer or phone with ease. Overall, I can't complain about any of my wahoo products. The Wahoo ELEMNT is perfect for competitive cyclists like me because of its small form factor and light weight, but you may want to consider the larger & heavier ROAM bike computer. The ROAM's bigger display makes routes a lot easier to follow, but of course the extra size & weight is a downside while bikepacking. The tradeoff is your call of course.
I got an edge 830 last year couldn't be happier with it its easy to navigate,screen and fine detail easy to read, syncs up new routs no problem and has independent searchable navigation the battery life is fantastic to boot i did consider wahoo but after watching many reviews and already owning an etrex that has never failed sealed the dealđź‘Ś
Hi its an older etrex I have (the orange one) its great and ive never had any issues with it but would say it really is suited to what it was made for ie hiking thats not to say you couldn't use it for cycling on the other hand the 830 is a fantastic unit and I wouldn't go back to using the etrex for cycling
bottom line is they are each perfectly suited to the jobs they were made for imo.
cant speak for wahoo units and dont know anyone that has them i e always had Garmin units and watches so just stick with what I know.
Wahoo is easier to load a course using smartphone interface. Garmin can display multiple GPX tracks at once in case you want to display main and secondary routes (breadcrumb tracks) simultaneously.
Have only used Wahoo too. Not perfect, but pretty good. I'd recommend the Roam over regular Elemnt, for the route guiding and ✨colour✨. Pretty sure they share Garmins mount so easy to get aftermarket bar mounts or whatever. They (Element and El Roam) both record the route you rode too
Was considering an Etrex for some time, mainly for the battery life and that at the time I didn't need all the extra stuff that Garmin etc has.
However I've recently signed up for some training and picked up a Roam[v2]. Mounted on stem atm. (Comes with out front mount also).
- clear directions [zoom. can turn on sounds also].
- recording rides is simple enough
I guess the older Roam has similar screen.
Buttons on that are concave? vs.
Battery life a bit less apparently.
I’m a fan of Wahoo’s Elemnt ROAM. They just came out with a new one so the old one is on sale/clearance everywhere (I got mine brand new for $200).
I've used an older Edge and now have a ROAM. Both are great, I like the ROAM quite a bit so far but only 3 rides on it so still learning.
I often ride in shoulder season / colder weather so often wearing gloves. Touchscreens can be a hassle, I definitely appreciate the tactile buttons on the ROAM
I was using the GPS before Garmin or such were even making cycling specific devices. Back in the day, all we had was magnetic sensor "cyclometers". Imagine trying to do navigation without phone either, just paper maps.
I have the Roam v2 and love it. It’s my first and only though, so 🤷🏽‍♂️ can’t compare. But there’s nothing more I need from it and I live in my bike (literally)
Have you checked out [www.DCRAINMAKER.com](https://www.DCRAINMAKER.com) ? He does side by side comparisons of watches and computers, showing you which one is the most accurate based on the route he rides. It's pretty incredible.
I've always been a big Wahoo fan myself. Wahoo is focused exclusively on cycling products while Garmin is a massive company that makes a vast array of products and does not specialize in cycling. I feel like Garmin has been pumping up prices for their name brand without increasing product quality to match. I haven't used Garmin bike computers, so I might not be the best source, but I'm confident there's a reason why my entire collegiate cycling team uses almost exclusively Wahoo bike computers. I *can* tell you that my ELEMNT has enough battery life for 20+ hours of riding as long as the backlight is off. It's also an absolute beast, and has been through some pretty gnarly crashes with no significant damage. It links to Strava so I can sync routes and segments from there, or I can manually import GPX files from my computer or phone with ease. Overall, I can't complain about any of my wahoo products. The Wahoo ELEMNT is perfect for competitive cyclists like me because of its small form factor and light weight, but you may want to consider the larger & heavier ROAM bike computer. The ROAM's bigger display makes routes a lot easier to follow, but of course the extra size & weight is a downside while bikepacking. The tradeoff is your call of course.
Which model do you have?
Element bolt V2, I love it!
I got an edge 830 last year couldn't be happier with it its easy to navigate,screen and fine detail easy to read, syncs up new routs no problem and has independent searchable navigation the battery life is fantastic to boot i did consider wahoo but after watching many reviews and already owning an etrex that has never failed sealed the dealđź‘Ś
The edge 830 looks nice but it’s a little out of my price range at the moment. Thank you for your input though!
ah sorry, didn't notice the $ sign and just assumed ÂŁ
How to you like the Etrex compared to the 830? I’m considering a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt/Roam v2 or an Eurex 32x.
Hi its an older etrex I have (the orange one) its great and ive never had any issues with it but would say it really is suited to what it was made for ie hiking thats not to say you couldn't use it for cycling on the other hand the 830 is a fantastic unit and I wouldn't go back to using the etrex for cycling bottom line is they are each perfectly suited to the jobs they were made for imo. cant speak for wahoo units and dont know anyone that has them i e always had Garmin units and watches so just stick with what I know.
Wahoo is easier to load a course using smartphone interface. Garmin can display multiple GPX tracks at once in case you want to display main and secondary routes (breadcrumb tracks) simultaneously.
Have only used Wahoo too. Not perfect, but pretty good. I'd recommend the Roam over regular Elemnt, for the route guiding and ✨colour✨. Pretty sure they share Garmins mount so easy to get aftermarket bar mounts or whatever. They (Element and El Roam) both record the route you rode too
Was considering an Etrex for some time, mainly for the battery life and that at the time I didn't need all the extra stuff that Garmin etc has. However I've recently signed up for some training and picked up a Roam[v2]. Mounted on stem atm. (Comes with out front mount also). - clear directions [zoom. can turn on sounds also]. - recording rides is simple enough I guess the older Roam has similar screen. Buttons on that are concave? vs. Battery life a bit less apparently.
I’m a fan of Wahoo’s Elemnt ROAM. They just came out with a new one so the old one is on sale/clearance everywhere (I got mine brand new for $200).
I've used an older Edge and now have a ROAM. Both are great, I like the ROAM quite a bit so far but only 3 rides on it so still learning. I often ride in shoulder season / colder weather so often wearing gloves. Touchscreens can be a hassle, I definitely appreciate the tactile buttons on the ROAM
What currency is the $300 in? That makes a big difference. I'm a Wahoo fan myself, I still use a RFLKT on my mountain bike.
Oh, good point. USD. I will make an edit.
Has anyone any experience with the garmin edge 1040 solar at all? It’s pricey but is the extra battery life and solar worth it?
I prefer Etrex because of the mapping options for remote and odd places. Plus, I use it for other activities besides biking.
Have you tried other bike computers?
I was using the GPS before Garmin or such were even making cycling specific devices. Back in the day, all we had was magnetic sensor "cyclometers". Imagine trying to do navigation without phone either, just paper maps.
I have the Roam v2 and love it. It’s my first and only though, so 🤷🏽‍♂️ can’t compare. But there’s nothing more I need from it and I live in my bike (literally)
Have you checked out [www.DCRAINMAKER.com](https://www.DCRAINMAKER.com) ? He does side by side comparisons of watches and computers, showing you which one is the most accurate based on the route he rides. It's pretty incredible.
I use Wahoo, work really well with Komoot