GPS Bike Computer: Wahoo Elemnt Anatomic Review

   

   

Two years ago, I started riding one or two per week, no matter how tired I was, to become healthier. Since then, I stongly felt I needed to collect my riding data for efficient training, so I used to begin my smartphone and Strava instead of GPS bike computer. GPS bike computer seemed anachronistic to me in the age of smartphone.

But, whenever my riding mileage was over 100 miles, battery capacity of my phone was too small... so sometimes my phonetrava(the term used in South Korea, to mean phone+strave) became dead...

That is why I decided to buy GPS bike computer.. !! Garmin 820... At first, I considered buying it. Fortunately, The distributor of Wahoo products in S. Korea gave me chance to review Wahoo Elemnt GPS Bike computer. Surprise.. !! I have used "Elemnt" for two months.

   

  Unboxing   

Wahoo Elemnt bundleset that I receive includes RPM speed&cadence sensor, TICKR heartrate sensor, and Elemnt bike computer. EPM speed&cadence sensor is similar to Garmin S&C sensor in that magnet is no longer needed.

   

I think the Pakaging design of the Elemnt is one of the best I ever seen.. I feel Wahoo says "We exert every effort in this" ... I agree.. !!

   

In the Elemnt box, there are three types of mount : Stem, out-front bar, and a TT-bike aerobar. Wahoo also provides USB charging cable and zip ties. Elemnt mounts is better than the mount of Polar V650 which I had used for 1 years.

   

Zip ties are used in stem mount, and the other mounts don't require zit ties. I don't prefer zip ties because of aesthetic reason, and so I put the stem mount in the box... instead I choose out-front mount...

   

The wahoo Elemnt measures 57.5mm * 90.5mm * 21.2mm, which is a little big size for bike GPS computer. Compared with Garmin 820, Elemnt is a little larger than I expected. Yes.... I felt the bezel of Elemnt to be wide... so, in terms of design, this wide bezel is negative.

   

Compared with credit card, Elemnt is a little big.

   

   

   

   

  Features I love   

   

1. Turn by Turn Navigation

   

I love this feature, which I think is better than route guide function of Garmin. "Turn by Turn Navigation" guide pops up, no matter which page you choose. This is very useful, because only when necessary, Turn-by-turn pop-up automatically appears in some part of the current page, and I usually can view the other data, including Cadence, Speed, Time and so on.

If you want to use this function, you have to make route on RidewithGPS. How..? You can see how to do this in below video.

I strongly recommend this if you put navigation function first before anything else.

      

2. Customized for Uphill

I love uphill.... so I do uphill as many as possible. Wahoo Elemnt provides special data page for uphill. Once you enter the uphill course, Elemnt automatically switches to Uphill data page, which encourages me to ride on uphill course efficiently.

  

3. Strava Live Segment

Strava Live segments are available in the Wahoo Elemnt... This is good feature for Record(KOM) hunters, including me. The feature, Strava Live segments in Elemnt, starts and provides information about whether you are ahead or behind your PR. I love this, but this usually frustrates me because I cannot smash my PR...

   

   Things I am unsatisfied with   

   

1. Hardware button

The Wahoo Elemnt lacks touchscreen, so you have to control the Elemnt through the 6 hardware buttons on the both sides and bottoms of the gear. But the feel of pusing the buttons is uncomfortable... since they are hard to push.. that is, they are very stiff. This is main shortcoming... I wish touchscreen of next generation will be available.

   

2. Inconvenience of Update 

The Wahoo Elemnt unit can be updated through Elemnt app, but RPM S&C sensors are must be updated through Wahoo Utility app, not Elemnt app. At first, I didn't know the difference, which made me spend long hours updating my sensors. I have a suggestion to Wahoo that all updates can be possible only one click in only one app.