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The Wahoo Elemnt GPS Bike Computer is Wahoo’s leading model. The display size of the Wohoo Elemnt is 2.7 inches. The battery is enough according to the manufacturer for 17 hours.

The Wahoo concept

Wahoo’s strategy is different from the competition: Wahoo does not include color displays or touchscreens in its GPS bike computers. In addition, the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt GPS bike computer is set via the Elemnt companion app on the smartphone. A similar concept pursued Lezyne (Mega C, Mega XL)

Light indicators

The Wahoo Elemnt has a total of eleven programmable light indicators in two rows. These can be used to set warnings or alarms.

Advantages of the Wahoo Elmnt GPS bike computer

  • Very good readability of the display
  • Enlarge data fields by pressing a button
  • Live tracking
  • Strava live segments
  • Programmable light indicators
  • No touch screen (depending on personal assessment)
  • No menu on the device (depending on personal assessment)

Disadvantages of the Wahoo Elmnt GPS bike computer

  • No color display
  • Routing functions
  • Routing on the go depending on the internet
  • No touch screen (depending on personal assessment)
  • No menu on the device (depending on personal assessment)

My evaluation

Verzicht auf einen Touchscreen

Waiver of a touch screen

In my view, the abandonment of a touchscreen is not a bad idea. Because the advantage of a touchscreen is only in the direct selection of a menu item. The display size of the display is small anyway. That’s why you have to scroll on the touch screen. The advantage is thus relativized. The advantage of operation with buttons in the rain, with gloves or wet fingers, however, is essential.

Menu at the Smartphone

Menu navigation with a small display is always a challenge for the manufacturer. I think it’s a good idea to use the phone for that. Everyone is used to the operation of the smartphone. The handling is known and therefore easier. Since smartphones have touchscreens, the missing touch screen on the device is further relativised.

But: What matters is how reliable the connection between GPS bike computer and smartphone works. And whether the smartphone runtime is claimed by the Wahoo app.

Cross references

A comparison between the Wahoo Elemnt and the Garmin Edge 1030 from 05.09.2018 can be read on the website of Handelsblattes.