Great move wahoo, watch with keen interest to see how the firmware goes. They’ve nothing to loose and masses to gain entering the market, touch less transition function is brilliant I never remembered to press the button when I raced.
it's amazing how different peoples experiences can be, i had 2 different Garmin cycle computers and they were both terrible, I've had a Kicker Snap and a Bolt and they have both worked straight out of the box and so far never gone wrong, i guess its just down to luck whether you get a good one or a bad one. there are so many watches out there its almost impossible to choose...
The touchless transition feature and the ability to go back to the previous activity if something goes wrong is a great idea. I've given up on Garmin's triathlon mode after a number of accidental presses during races. It's too easily done, especially when trying to rip off a wetsuit at speed. I just record individual activities now. However, this watch isn't enough to tempt me away from Garmin just yet as it's lacking too many features that my Fénix provides. ie. no maps, no pay and no music. Love its look though.
My Garmin wrist HR (Vivoactive 3) is awful! Glad to see it's not just me. Chest strap or arm thing is the only way to go it seems... Thanks for the vid as always Shane 👍
Great to see Wahoo growing their ecosystem to now record health data. This was one thing they lacked compared to Garmin. Thou now I have years worth of data with Garmin its going to be hard to switch to Wahoo
I have never been able to work it Shane. I have a kickr bike and that works fine but this watch is too complicated. I just would like it to control in erg mode but I can never get it to work😢
Definitely have the same issues with wrist based HR monitoring so was really keen to see what the Rival is like. I have used Whoop before and considering it’s expense is dreadful. Would be great if this could be improved
@@gplama thanks. I set it to automatically broadcast on the pairing app, but it didn’t show up on the zwift pairing screen. You have to press bottom left hand button on the watch to access the menu and manually turn on HR broadcasting ( just Incas anyone having that difficulty!)
Yo Mr Miller these are on sale at $169 AUD, had to buy one for that price. thanks for review, you were a bit more hush than usual my guess sleeping baby.
Can you use the watch like you would your biking computer? Does it partner with all the wahoo sensors? I ask because I have a wahoo computer for my road bike and would like to either purchase another computer for my mtb or the watch. I would like the watch as I have broken items on the handlebar in the past. Does anyone know if it can be paired to wahoo sensors including the heart rate monitor?
If its ok for me to speak on behalf of Garmin; Welcome Wahoo. Seriously. Welcome to the most exciting marketplace since the GPS sports watch revolution began X years ago and we congratulate you on your excellent Fenix clone. 😂😉😘
It's only exciting for triathletes and runners. Cyclists don't care. For cyclists, garmin is garbage. All the features in the world done matter if your device doesn't work...which garmin cycling computers don't. Their watches are good as far as I've seen though.
@@mitchellsteindler as 10 years Garmin edge unit (705/810/1000/1030 and now 1030plus) user I can say your claim doesn’t hold up. I’ve done multiple endurance rides/races 200/300/400/600/1000 and 1200km nonstop and they always worked fine for me. Even when navigating on them during the long rides and at night.
Pales in comparison to new offers from Garmin like the new 745... blows this out of the water. Seamless transition is a tough sell to make this better than other offerings. As many others have commented - a few years late there Wahoo. Maybe stick to head units and trainers. love my Roam still and Garmin watch.
Seamless transition is a winner for me. Agree with others that compete in triathlons. I have messed up too many times with buttons at transition areas for me not to try this one out.
Do you know if I could record walking (with elevation, etc.) by Rival? It looks nice for riding / running, but sometimes I like just go for a walk or trekking and it could be great to also use Wahoo for it.
I could’ve sworn I saw the Rival in the FCC listings back when you made the video “fitness equipment teardowns thanks to the FCC” I wonder why it took so long to release
Solid Pun: Price Wise yes; can possibly get the cyclist market too which I suspect they are targeting. Would i rather just save up another 100 bucks or so and get a fenix though....yes; i might one day take up golf or wind surfing or something?
Great review - I don’t know if I missed it or not but how is the display indoors and outdoors? I had a polar vantage v loved it but the display was awfully dark - in your opinion how would it compare?
For the average consumer who is not a triathlete there's no reason to move from apple watch to this device. Because the iwatch can do a lot of things including steps, cycling etc.. and the huge bonus is a smaller form factor.
Of course. They’re very different markets. The Apple Watch is very much a lifestyle/everything watch. Wahoo are targeting the tri market with this one.
Hey Shane, what’s your thoughts on the Rival now with all the updates? Thinking about getting this as a backup on my rides and only use my Apple Watch for everyday use.
It's a few steps ahead of where it was on launch. The next update will have an alarm feature! (woohoo! Something a LOT of people have asked for). I still bounce between this and the FR945.
Varia support pretty useless in a triathlon watch, unless you want to keep track the distance for no drafting events (if you put the radar in front of the bike) :)
Hopefully it doesn’t suffer the same cycle as the elemnt: firmware update fixes some issues, next firmware update breaks something small, next firmware fixes the issue but now element won’t sync with phone, next firmware update fixes everything, then cycle starts all over again with next update 🤯
I am a shameless Wahoo Fan boi ... but....i'll probably stick with my Fenix 6s. Just thinking the competition in that price bracket is savage. I dont think wahoo is going to be able to compete with Garmins range....but then again I cant think of many pure "cycling" watches.
Well, every single unit I had from wahoo broke, except my roam. Kickr broke 3 times, climb broke 1 time, tickr (one and two) 4 times and my headwind one time. So I’m done with this cheap units with the extra price tag.
Agreed, bought a Kickr v5 and it was broke right out of the box (flywheel made an extreme loud noise). Sure, it could be a damage due to transportation, but the many negative experiences from people around the internet lead me to believe in a lack of quality control. This shouldn't happen at all for this price tag. Going to use a product from ELITE in the future.
apparently M1 from Apple version 1 is much better than Rival from Wahoo version 1 ;-) good to see "new" player in the game - pity it is so far from the competition - it might stay on version 1 for ever and then die
Wrist based HR data seems to be erratic. It's usually fine for everyday monitoring running and other sports, but not so much for cycling. I think it's because your wrist twists when riding a (road) bike. (Source: me, wearing a Garmin watch 24/7 for the last 4 years ;))
Gutsy play, Wahoo... This is clearly aimed above the casual fitness enthusiast (good thing, as Apple and Fitbit own that space)... Not sure you've made a compelling argument against Garmin/Polar (yet)... Good luck!
Btw my ELEMNT mini just can’t set up “speed” in customization page. They made a bug and never fix since they stop selling this computer, will never buy wahoo products again
This first version of the Wahoo rival is like a glorified Fitbit + ANT and Bluetooth sensor compatibility. Or a garmin from 10 years ago minus the optical HR sensor and text alerts. And for 500 bucks they can keep it. Saying that, i know Wahoo is a good company that will more than likely keep on piling the features on this watch. But as it stands, i absolutely would not even give this watch a second look, when you can have the Coros Pace 2 for less than half the price and half the weight 👍 I'm not even bringing the Fenix 6 or the 945 in here, because that's a no contest. Also, Wahoo needs to come up with a smaller lighter version so i don't have to swim with an anchor on my wrist. But, just by adding ANT+ sensor conectivity, i will buy this Wahoo over the latest Polar or Suunto offers. Both Polar and Suunto haven't gotten the memo that ANT+ connectivity is a must especially when riding indoors pairing your sensors with the iPad and your watch at the same time.
Shane your consistent updates on new product & gear thrills me!
Best part, you even share updates about firmware updates.
Firmware updates are awesome! More features for things we already own!
@@gplama so true.
Great info from the cyclist’s perspective! 👍 Thanks for the shout out!
Great move wahoo, watch with keen interest to see how the firmware goes. They’ve nothing to loose and masses to gain entering the market, touch less transition function is brilliant
I never remembered to press the button when I raced.
Great initial review!!! Thanks Shane 🙌🏼
Henscreen size reminds me of the Felix 5 and prior with the large borders surrounding the screen
it's amazing how different peoples experiences can be, i had 2 different Garmin cycle computers and they were both terrible, I've had a Kicker Snap and a Bolt and they have both worked straight out of the box and so far never gone wrong, i guess its just down to luck whether you get a good one or a bad one. there are so many watches out there its almost impossible to choose...
The touchless transition feature and the ability to go back to the previous activity if something goes wrong is a great idea. I've given up on Garmin's triathlon mode after a number of accidental presses during races. It's too easily done, especially when trying to rip off a wetsuit at speed. I just record individual activities now.
However, this watch isn't enough to tempt me away from Garmin just yet as it's lacking too many features that my Fénix provides. ie. no maps, no pay and no music. Love its look though.
6:56 Pure cycling flex
Garmin watch behave very similar. Sometime the optical sensor fail to pick my heart rate too.
One thing it does show is that Garmin have to get their watches configurable via the app.
Yeah, just like the bike thingies
Shows how good it would be but I guess they’d counter with the other things their watches do that this doesn’t...
My Garmin wrist HR (Vivoactive 3) is awful! Glad to see it's not just me. Chest strap or arm thing is the only way to go it seems... Thanks for the vid as always Shane 👍
so I'm not the only one having issues with the Vivoactive 3 :D
Probably a butt probe would work
Wait, Lama emoji? Shut up and take my money! Thanks for the review Shane! Best intro ever!
Great dad content.
I'm with you on the Varia radar. It's a must have feature.
I'm thinking the RIVAL should have been spelled as "RIVL"... maybe it's just me.
Great to see Wahoo growing their ecosystem to now record health data. This was one thing they lacked compared to Garmin. Thou now I have years worth of data with Garmin its going to be hard to switch to Wahoo
I love Wahoo, but a first gen is a first gen. I’m gonna stick with my samsung watch active for now. Great video as usual btw!
We have the exact Same turtle !!!!! La La La La la ...... LOVE THAT !
Your video is great - thank you!
LOVE this. Straight in my basket.
I have never been able to work it Shane. I have a kickr bike and that works fine but this watch is too complicated. I just would like it to control in erg mode but I can never get it to work😢
Thanks for the video as always. At first, second and third glance....that looks like the fenix 6
How do you change the wrist band?
Can I sync Elemnt Rival with TrainerRoad and upload workouts to it?
Definitely have the same issues with wrist based HR monitoring so was really keen to see what the Rival is like. I have used Whoop before and considering it’s expense is dreadful. Would be great if this could be improved
Shouldn't it be the RIVL?
Good point.
Is there any possibility to upload hiking , climbing or trekking mode from the app into watch ⌚?
This is my second most passionate sport
any stress functions , sleep mode, walk step
This would be a great watch 10 years ago. It’s far behind all other brands
How do we upload run from watch to strava? It’s on automatic but has not worked, sold our forerunner 935 for this rival and think made a mistake.
Is it good for triathlon ? Specificlaly for long(er) sessions and distance/speed acuracy ??
does anyone know how to pair the rival heart rate monitor on the Zwift pairing screen? Thanks
It needs to be in HR broadcast mode.
@@gplama thanks. I set it to automatically broadcast on the pairing app, but it didn’t show up on the zwift pairing screen. You have to press bottom left hand button on the watch to access the menu and manually turn on HR broadcasting ( just Incas anyone having that difficulty!)
Yo Mr Miller these are on sale at $169 AUD, had to buy one for that price. thanks for review, you were a bit more hush than usual my guess sleeping baby.
Can you use the watch like you would your biking computer? Does it partner with all the wahoo sensors? I ask because I have a wahoo computer for my road bike and would like to either purchase another computer for my mtb or the watch. I would like the watch as I have broken items on the handlebar in the past. Does anyone know if it can be paired to wahoo sensors including the heart rate monitor?
It’ll pair to the same sensors.
If its ok for me to speak on behalf of Garmin; Welcome Wahoo. Seriously. Welcome to the most exciting marketplace since the GPS sports watch revolution began X years ago and we congratulate you on your excellent Fenix clone. 😂😉😘
*far inferior Fenix clone.
It's only exciting for triathletes and runners. Cyclists don't care. For cyclists, garmin is garbage. All the features in the world done matter if your device doesn't work...which garmin cycling computers don't. Their watches are good as far as I've seen though.
@@mitchellsteindler haha my 530 is working flawlessly for a year now. Im not a fanboy but they do work
@@mitchellsteindler as 10 years Garmin edge unit (705/810/1000/1030 and now 1030plus) user I can say your claim doesn’t hold up. I’ve done multiple endurance rides/races 200/300/400/600/1000 and 1200km nonstop and they always worked fine for me. Even when navigating on them during the long rides and at night.
@@raphaeltiziani7476 wasn't it this year they got hacked? Yes!
Any idea if they are going to have a system like Garmin's ConnectIQ to let the users develop custom data fields/apps/etc?
Unlikely.
@@gplama Bummer, that one of the things I really like about the Garmin ecosystem.
Pales in comparison to new offers from Garmin like the new 745... blows this out of the water. Seamless transition is a tough sell to make this better than other offerings. As many others have commented - a few years late there Wahoo. Maybe stick to head units and trainers. love my Roam still and Garmin watch.
Seamless transition is a winner for me. Agree with others that compete in triathlons. I have messed up too many times with buttons at transition areas for me not to try this one out.
How do ya switch the watch off? Mine just locks and unlocks.
Press and hold bottom left button. Scroll down to 'Power Off'.
Is this watch compatible with zwift run?
Do you know if I could record walking (with elevation, etc.) by Rival? It looks nice for riding / running, but sometimes I like just go for a walk or trekking and it could be great to also use Wahoo for it.
I could’ve sworn I saw the Rival in the FCC listings back when you made the video “fitness equipment teardowns thanks to the FCC”
I wonder why it took so long to release
The Rival To the Garmin Fenix?
Solid Pun:
Price Wise yes; can possibly get the cyclist market too which I suspect they are targeting. Would i rather just save up another 100 bucks or so and get a fenix though....yes; i might one day take up golf or wind surfing or something?
Not even close. Fenix feature overview will not fit on one video frame.
Great review - I don’t know if I missed it or not but how is the display indoors and outdoors? I had a polar vantage v loved it but the display was awfully dark - in your opinion how would it compare?
😍
That fact that it does not have music is a deal breaker for me.
For the average consumer who is not a triathlete there's no reason to move from apple watch to this device. Because the iwatch can do a lot of things including steps, cycling etc.. and the huge bonus is a smaller form factor.
Of course. They’re very different markets. The Apple Watch is very much a lifestyle/everything watch. Wahoo are targeting the tri market with this one.
Is anyone else also wearing a Wahoo Ticker strap whilst cycling or spinning and a Rival? Ticker Strap has been acting wonky...
Which Fenix level is this up against. Upto 6x or below thanks
Way below most if not all of the Fenix watches. I have a Fenix 6x Pro and this is no where near it.
Not sure it's for the runner that rides but a park runner cyclist they will probably sell loads
Not really. They need some cheaper models for that. 300+ is for triathletes, there are plenty of cheaper watches which have cycling and running
I hate my wahoo Tickr. Its a constant battle
I need to find a good sports watch.
Does it work with Today's Plan and TrainingPeaks workouts?
No structured workout support.
Well in that case the Garmin Fenix is still the better option for serious triathletes
Hey Shane, what’s your thoughts on the Rival now with all the updates? Thinking about getting this as a backup on my rides and only use my Apple Watch for everyday use.
It's a few steps ahead of where it was on launch. The next update will have an alarm feature! (woohoo! Something a LOT of people have asked for). I still bounce between this and the FR945.
@@gplama so in all honesty between the FR945 and the Rival for cycling only use?
FR. Tap and go payments with that are handy for coffee shops!
Varia support pretty useless in a triathlon watch, unless you want to keep track the distance for no drafting events (if you put the radar in front of the bike) :)
Hahaha. That's why you didn't say anything in the live a couple days ago! Hehehe. Finally
What OS is running on those watches?
Hopefully it doesn’t suffer the same cycle as the elemnt: firmware update fixes some issues, next firmware update breaks something small, next firmware fixes the issue but now element won’t sync with phone, next firmware update fixes everything, then cycle starts all over again with next update 🤯
I am disappointed that when you put the quick start guide aside that you did not throw it off the screen.
I am a shameless Wahoo Fan boi ... but....i'll probably stick with my Fenix 6s.
Just thinking the competition in that price bracket is savage. I dont think wahoo is going to be able to compete with Garmins range....but then again I cant think of many pure "cycling" watches.
also love that i got 8 videos about this and yours was first on the list (even ahead of wahoo....naughty ;) )
I was BANG ON embargo to the second. Maybe 12:00:01 am here.
@@gplama IT Guys respect the change window. :)
looks like fenix 2 and 3. macho look.
Summary: basically a fenix replica without the navigation feature.
And a lot less
@@Juan_More_Mile Emphasis on a lot. Even the $199 Coros Pace 2 has a lot more features.
no, its more like a $99 AUD fitness tracker at the moment
Well, every single unit I had from wahoo broke, except my roam. Kickr broke 3 times, climb broke 1 time, tickr (one and two) 4 times and my headwind one time. So I’m done with this cheap units with the extra price tag.
Agreed, bought a Kickr v5 and it was broke right out of the box (flywheel made an extreme loud noise). Sure, it could be a damage due to transportation, but the many negative experiences from people around the internet lead me to believe in a lack of quality control. This shouldn't happen at all for this price tag. Going to use a product from ELITE in the future.
Bloody hell, that's pretty appalling. They should be given you a heavy discount for your continued loyalty !
I just came here hoping shane was going to go for a swim, I am kinda disappointed !
Too bad they didn't come out with this a year or two ago.
apparently M1 from Apple version 1 is much better than Rival from Wahoo version 1 ;-)
good to see "new" player in the game - pity it is so far from the competition - it might stay on version 1 for ever and then die
If only both came in 16 inch versions! :)
As a confirmed Wahooligan I'll stick with my Apple Watch Series 3.
TIL: The ELEMNT app has dark mode. I guess I’ve only been riding during the day.
Wrist based HR data seems to be erratic. It's usually fine for everyday monitoring running and other sports, but not so much for cycling. I think it's because your wrist twists when riding a (road) bike. (Source: me, wearing a Garmin watch 24/7 for the last 4 years ;))
Usually, HR from wrist is worse on cycling. Running is much better
Gutsy play, Wahoo... This is clearly aimed above the casual fitness enthusiast (good thing, as Apple and Fitbit own that space)... Not sure you've made a compelling argument against Garmin/Polar (yet)... Good luck!
Doesn’t polar have throw away bike sensors when the batteries died, which were expensive to replace? That was awful...!
This looks exactly like my fenix 5 just the buttons have been reversed
Btw my ELEMNT mini just can’t set up “speed” in customization page. They made a bug and never fix since they stop selling this computer, will never buy wahoo products again
i still hang on my GMN 935, the best!!!
Technically Wahoo is not entering the wearable space, they’ve been making HR belts for ages
I'd call those sensors.
@@gplama that you, you know, WEAR 😉. Just kidding.
This first version of the Wahoo rival is like a glorified Fitbit + ANT and Bluetooth sensor compatibility. Or a garmin from 10 years ago minus the optical HR sensor and text alerts. And for 500 bucks they can keep it. Saying that, i know Wahoo is a good company that will more than likely keep on piling the features on this watch. But as it stands, i absolutely would not even give this watch a second look, when you can have the Coros Pace 2 for less than half the price and half the weight 👍 I'm not even bringing the Fenix 6 or the 945 in here, because that's a no contest. Also, Wahoo needs to come up with a smaller lighter version so i don't have to swim with an anchor on my wrist. But, just by adding ANT+ sensor conectivity, i will buy this Wahoo over the latest Polar or Suunto offers. Both Polar and Suunto haven't gotten the memo that ANT+ connectivity is a must especially when riding indoors pairing your sensors with the iPad and your watch at the same time.
Yesterdays news, but without music or maps. Good for Garmin naysayers though..
Elephant in the room....battery life?
No elephants. It’s mentioned and shown in the video when I cover the specs.
good and insteresting from wahoo, but first gen is first gen
Too expensive as without the navigation function.
😄 @ littleyou
Everyone will swoon at it though as Wahoo give UA-camrs free stuff and Garmin don’t!
Please stop pointing at the virtual assets of your setup, we see them and you look naff doing it.
Thanks for.... pointing that out. 🤣