You are asking for smartphone features from a device that I feel was not designed to be a smartphone. I like the bolt (at least the original) because it just works without the need to have a ton of background processes for all the functionality you ask. Some users like just plain simple products without the hassle. Otherwise they would just strap an iPhone to their handlebars. The bolt is not that product, I think. Those extra features would work fine on a higher power, larger screen device, but not the bolt.
You would have right. But the problem is the price of all those shity bike navigations. They are all super simple devices in fact, but cost tone of cash comparing to smartphones. Such a simple naviagion computer should cost 100$ max.
I just upgraded from Garmin edge to Wahoo Bolt v2 and very happy with it. I like the Bolt V2 user interface, it seems very intuitive unlike the Garmin’s confusing buttons. I like the zoom in feature of Bolt v2, I can now read my bike computer without my eyeglasses!!! You mentioned about the cool software features that didn’t come with the new Bolt but I don’t need those features and will probably costs more to develop and add it to the product.
@@scugno i also have 1040 and those features make me sick i just want simple computer how its going with bolt v2 im about to sell it this week to get bolt v2
Thank you such an in-depth review. I love that you weren’t afraid to weave in such a unique take on product expectations in terms of modernism/postmodernism, although I have to admit as someone not previously familiar with these concepts I’ll probably need to do some more reading to fully understand the terms. What did surprise me was the standard or level of expectation that you were holding the product to in that your benchmark seemed to be “the perfect device” as opposed to “other offerings on the current market”. I was particularly surprised to hear you call out the element for being slow to respond since in my experience with the device I haven’t found this at all, whereas screen lag is something that has been a persistent issue with every Garmin unit I’ve tried, especially the touchscreen models. I think overall you’ve fallen victim to judging the device by “number of features” rather than recognising that for many (me included) the more critical yardsticks are to provide simple functionality via an intuitive and quality interface that minimises cognitive load - for me, it really delivers, with a super clear display, reliable performance, and an intuitive interface.
Well I can't talk about design if I can't take a good critique, so I appreciate that! Ultimately you're not wrong; compared to a lot of other devices out there, I do think it's pretty good. I think I tried to capture that in the beginning and conclusion. I think a lot of my frustration stems from this feeling that, other than mapping, I don't feel like these devices really do much more than my old Cateye Wireless from a decade ago. They're much more expensive, but functionally, still just data displays. Heck, Wahoo didn't even build out any integration between their sports watch and their Element; you can't go for a ride and have that training stress including in your watch's weekly totals. It’s things like that that just seem lacking; their software just doesn’t feel very mature to me. It’s like, they’ve built out the bare minimums and called it good. You’re very right though, minimal cognitive load is very important, and the color screen / data prioritization of the Bolt does that well. I really like the way. I can zoom into fields I care about. Color is nice because I can see at a glance or in the periphery where I’m at without even ‘looking.’ Overall, I do still prefer Wahoo to Garmin. And that’s what I tried to capture at the beginning: If you’re looking for a reliable (ish, once they nail down the firmware), easy to use device for displaying info and some nav, this is a solid one. But I always appreciate feedback on how to be more clear. :)
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanks for the reply and all very reasonable points! This is obviously getting way off topic but I did find the modernism/postmodernism stuff interesting - so you know any good references (online) that are good “idiots guides” on these to read up on??
Justin, I appreciated your approach to this review, a mix of philosophy, software development, and functionality. As an older cyclist, I have come a long way since the clicker mounted on my front wheel that I used when I rode cross country. I finally graduated to the Lezyne, and now I have the Wahoo Bolt V2. One of my real frustrations is how the rerouting function works. I cue a lot of tours, and sometimes I want to cut off mileage. Why does the unit always try and take me back to where I left the route? Maybe I have a setting wrong? I just end up turning rerouting off. Other than that, I am happy with the unit, going on 3 years.
@@thisgustin it is great, i didn't have too much time with it since winter came where i'm at but the few weeks i used it, it worked great. i like that you can sync up your workout and send it out to multiple different apps at once after a ride
I have a Bolt 2, my first bike GPS. I wanted it so I could follow routes. I'm very happy with it, it does what I want and more yet less of the stuff I don't want. The numerical display is excellent, very sharp and bold and easily configured to show the items you consider most important and zoom out to see more details but smaller print. The map is clear and easy to follow. The key is to get the zoom level right, zoom in too far means you can't see far enough ahead on the map to see where the next turn is, zoom out too far, you get a good, bigger picture of where you are (useful to see when you're lost) but not enough fine detail to show where your turn is if it's a dense neighbourhood. I have found the re-routing to get you back on track (clearly shown with blue arrows instead of black) is quite good and logical, taking you forwards where feasible to rejoin your route rather than backwards to where you went off (may have been blocked due to maintenance work or something). You see and absorb a lot of what you want with just a quick glance. I have had that feeling that the software is the weak point, though glitches that bothered me were fixed in an update so I agree with that comment about a hardware company doing software. I wish it wouldn't decide to do an update 5 minutes after I start a ride, it prompts first but if you miss it because you're watching the trail and scenery instead of the GPS, it decides to proceed.
Although I can see where it should be possible to provide all of those features that you mentioned, I am the type of rider who would absolutely never use any of them. I do appreciate 1. the color screen, 2. the re-routing functionality, 3. the new summits feature, as it will show the elevation profile for upcoming climbs, even when you don't use the summits screen (which I don't). Frankly, the biggest cycling improvement I've experienced recently was when I started using a radar unit on my bike. Being informed of traffic behind me with the ability to see how many and how far away is a real game changer, and the (Roam V2 for me) does this!
I have the Bolt V1 and love it. It's simplistic and very intuitive. I was turned on to the bolt after looking at Garmin devices. I went into my local bike shop to ask questions about the Garmin and they turned me onto Wahoo despite the fact that they sold both devices. The features on the Garmin devices are nice, but mostly gimmicks and certainly not intuitive or as simple to set up as Wahoo does. My father-in-law now has the Bolt V2 and has been able to get used to it very easily despite not being a tech person whatsoever. The rerouting would be nice but I simply don't use it. If I'm navigating anywhere, I'm using a gpx file or creating a route using the app.
That's the thing I like about the Bolt V1, it's easy to set up, there's no unnecessary extra features, the LCD display is easy to read at a glance, I almost never need to look at the map. The worst bit about Wahoo is their need for their computers to connect to Wi-Fi, this creates unnecessary effort at the end of a ride as the device won't simply connect and sync without first having the Elemnt app open on the phone, with the phone connected to the device via Bluetooth, and waiting until it connects to wi-fi to sync the data, and a ride doesn't always end at a place where there's predictable wi-fi which creates even more faff. I like the Garmin Edge 130 more, similarly it has a good display , reasonably easy to set up, and the thing I really like about the Garmin is that it just syncs at the end of the ride, I don't have to do anything, or think about anything, I don't even need wi-fi, it does it through the phone's Bluetooth automatically, the data is on Strava before I get a chance to take my cycling shoes off. Of course mapping is not the strong point on either of these devices, but I don't need it to be.
@@m1mbz it's hit and miss with me. A lot of times it will automatically upload to Strava, but sometimes I do have to pair manually. I have my phone anyway so it isn't a big deal. Using a phone for setup was actually something I liked given how difficult Garmin devices were to setup by comparison. It was just a lot more user friendly and straightforward and I didn't need to click through a bunch of menus on the device itself just to turn off the beeping on each button press. As for WiFi, the only time I need WiFi is for updating the software or maps. I tend to just use my phone's hotspot feature for this and it works out well. I'm mainly in areas with good cell service so it isn't really an issue unless I'm traveling and even then it's usually not an issue.
What a refreshingly honest and fair review! -I'm new to cycling and chose the Bolt V2. My frustrations surround the re-routing - firstly, why blue? Water's blue too so why not red? -Next, when lost (it's happened a few times when I've gone off route) I don't trust it to track me back because it isn't showing the whole route to get me back so it is a real leap of faith and that rerouting it chooses isn't always a very smart one. -Then there's charging - I agree fully with what you say - it is fussy about which cable it likes, doesn't give an accurate % of charge and has to be off in order to charge (so no on the fly topping up). -Finally, and not wholly a Bolt issue, why separate passwords for the app and the website? This should be an integrated, seamless experience and setting up screens should be a functionality available in both. I think you nailed it with the comment about Wahoo being a hardware company that is forced to use and manage software.
I'm just in a process of setting up my wahoo ecosystem after buying bolt V2. Can't comment on your first two points (about to go out with it for the first time in an hour) but, as for the charging, still an issue. The app and the website are integrated now though.
@@sureduck new to wahoo here, bought 1 months ago it was ok. Last week í rode about 100km return trip and that day there’s no direction for entire day. Lost faith in Wahoo
I agree with the blue chevrons during a reroute. I also hate the Bolt V2 for not showing the route after the reroute. You need to be exactly at the point where the reroute meets the original route to see the direction you need to go. Other than that: I like the easy to use bolt! The main reason not to buy a Garmin was the ease of operation
This video should be an example of how a review must be done. Great video. Been looking into these devices, but since I realy only care about ride recording and navigation... Its hard to justify the price because: The 4.5" phone from 2015 with Komoot app and offline maps still works just fine. In airplane mode it lasts 10+ hours, and Komoot has actual voice navigation!
I appreciate that! I try to make my reviews like I'd tell a friend my opinion. Completely understand the 'hard to justify.' I do personally care a lot about nav, so I could justify the 1 to the Color version, but without that, ehhhh. And completely agree, phone screen and maps is great! If I was doing bike touring or anything like that, that's actually exactly what I'd do.
Just one remark : the smartphone screen sucks if it’s sunny (mine at least) or in forrest where the light changes often, too much reflexion on it, I’m forced to stare at it too long to see where I’m supposed to go (but I admit that I don’t use vocal guidance).
I had a Bolt v1 for five years and mostly very happy with it. However the battery started to lose capacity so I asked Wahoo what was the process to get the battery replaced. They sent me a Bolt v2 for no charge. If it does all the Bolt V1 did but a bit better that’s absolutely fine for me. Note the Bolt v2 is compatible with Bolt v1 mounts but the v1 is not compatible with v2 mounts.
I switched from Bolt v2 to Garmin Edge 840, but 2 months later came back. The Bolt v2 has a certain elegance, a simplicity afforded by the things it does not do. At the same time, the data screens are so well-designed and information intensive in a way I was unable to replicate on Garmin.
I appreciate a well reasoned critical review. Your POV re: innovation is well taken. I've grudgingly migrated from Edge 500 > 510 > 520 > 530. There have been incremental improvements, but many of shortcomings remain. The lack of an app-based process to migrate settings is unforgiveable for Garmin or Wahoo. I've been tempted to switch to Wahoo many times, but the pain of setting up 3 bikes worth of sensors - again - has held be back. What I want is a mid-range computer that is entirely app controlled, so that a replacement or upgrade device can be easily restored when needed - and so settings can be intuitively adjusted without fiddly buttons and nested menus a-la Casio circa 1985.
@@Se0what No, it's not hard. However it adds time to an already low-value activity - to simply reestablish functionality I already have. I don't particularly like re-pairing BT devices when I get a new phone, either. However in this case, it's not particularly critical or secure - it's just cadence, wheel, hr sensors. Again, on 3 bikes. Why not incorporate the sensor IDs into a migration routine? I imagine that some people have more than 3 bikes... Have fun with that.
My original Bolt died and Wahoo quickly replaced it with a Bolt2. An unfortunate difference between the original Bolt and Bolt2 is that the buzzer on Bolt2 is much quieter than on the original Bolt. With normal wind noise I can’t hear cues for interval changes or Varia traffic. This is a real PITA and there is no adjustment. Other than that I am pleased with the unit and delighted with the navigation improvements.
Interesting! I wonder if (either of us) has a unit that's got early production hiccups. I can't say I've noticed any loudness difference between one and two, but it wouldn't surprise me at all.
He got a lot of valid points and criticism. This is why I haven’t upgraded my Bolt 1 yet, but are slowly starting to use my Apple Watch and iPhone for cycling. With watchOS 10 and 11 Apple is starting to become a real contender for the non professional cyclist.
THIS is THE most honest talk about "this" particular device, I've heard in MONTHS. All these review sites seemed to very content with giving a "pat on the back" for a Color Screen & New Buttons.🙄
Thanks for great critical view and not blowing smoke like most reviewers. Did I miss something no battery life difference review ? Come on now.....But, good lord no incidence reporting ? I just thought now a-days all $ bicycle computers had it. That is a deal killer for sure.
Thank you for your review and perspective, that was insightful. I'm new a this so this may be obvious.... does the Bolt V2 have voice navigation, or does the unit just notify you with a beep of an upcoming change of direction, and then you have to view the screen to see what turn is coming up next? Thank you!
Happy to help! It does a few things. It makes a beep, displays an arrow on screen, and uses the top LEDs to indicate direction. The auditory alerts themselves and alone do not tell you the direction to turn. I think a different sound for left or right would be a nice little feature.
I have the Elemnt Bolt v1 and went on a 80 mile, 5+ hour ride and the battery life was at 50% when I finished. I don't want a bulky smart phone on my handlebar. The Bolt is designed to be extremely compact yet displays incredible amounts of data on Strava. It weighs next to nothing. And my bolt is going strong after 5 years. The gaskets are all that did not last, so I used clear tape to protect it. It charges in less than an hour.
Thanks Justin - a great review, as a current Bolt owner who was thinking of upgrading to the newer V2, I think I will now wait for the V3 to see what that has to offer - ride on
@@francoisloriot2674 I can also choose bike computers and express my thouts the price is way too high for what they offer. However, you can buy those navs and enjoy paying fortune.
I never like anything, but you get big thumbs up for this review as it sounded like music to my ears. It’s seems like the companies have a product roadmap, putting whatever they can now into future models blueprints holding as much back as they can and still have a successful product… or they simply can’t do better.. either way we are stuck with yesterday’s technology.
Good review, though how many people were to transfer their setting to another Bolt device? I mean I have two bikes, two mount brackets and one bike computer, since that moves from one bike to the other. Also when I'm on my bike, I could care less about any messaging or social media. I'd rather have my eyes on the road (busy Dutch roads) rather than responding to a silly message that can wait till I'm done cycling. Coming from a Garmin Edge 810, this is a big enough upgrade for me already ;-)
Great points . I don’t get why people feel they need to be “connected” to social media all the time. Your on a bike, enjoy the scenery, turn off your connection to the word a bit. You’ll enjoy your ride much better.
Theoretically I agree. On practice, on 5 hour rides, it's helpful for people to get ahold. Facebook messenger is howany people, including my wife and I, communicate.
I ended up upgrading to the Bolt V1 (from an Edge 500) a relatively short time before the V2 came out and am pretty happy with it especially seeing how hard of a landing the V2 had initially. Getting off course sometimes is a pain, but I generally can look at the map to route myself back to where I need to be by zooming in and out (which I couldn't do with the Edge 500). I wonder how much of what you mentioned can be fixed through software updates or if things like the lag are just not enough processing power for what they're trying to do.
Yeah you really wouldn't have had a functional version two until just about within the last month. Have experienced a lot of crashing freezing and general unreliability. I certainly hope that they can improve it with software because if they can't that means that they made the actual processing power lower than the original which seems like a crazy thing to do. Hopefully it gets turned around. It's definitely not a bad device as a standalone thing but once you start comparing it to other stuff that exists in the world that's when it gets more frustrating
I just returned the "sale priced" Roam I thought would be better than my gen 1 Bolt. It actually was pretty unusable for any riding due to excess lag. The maps were pretty and the display was nice, but it was slow. If the new Bolt is not as responsive as the old one, I'd be interested in hearing. I use my Bolt to help me parse my riding efforts much more than as a mapping device. It was useful to have multiple color display, too...but the data needs to be real-time, not 5 seconds old. So be aware. Wahoo did accept my return, but before I roll that cash over to a V2 Bolt I'm wanting some assurance that it's not going to lag more than my current beat-up 4yr old bolt. Good point on the UBC C plug, too. That there may be a deal breaker for me. I have to be able to keep the devices charged without 'special' cords and plugs in every location, be it moto, home, car, van, RV or the wife's vehicle s. Thanks for the video... I'm of the school of "look at it as it is" not caring what it should be..I probably have functions on my current Bolt that I never bothered to learn. I wanted a basic gps and it's been great...but I got spoiled seeing that Roam's pretty display and bright LEDs..
You treid to appear smart and you turned out funny. Obviosly hooked on toys ....that I need a device to show me the pace 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.....You really made me smile 😂😂😂😂
No love for the Karoo 2? I was about to send my Karoo 2 back and get a Bolt 2, and the they added predictive climbing and heat maps and I’m thinking it’s a keeper. Thoughts?
This is such a good review. Clear, concise and helpful for people making buying decisions. I love the higher expectations you propose for these devices. Such a good point. I disagree on a few minor points. I for one like the new button design but overall really enjoyed this. Best Bolt V2 review on this platform. 👏
I bought the bolt 1, being a Garmin user I was excited, unfortunately I had a screen failure and had to return the unit. After using the bolt for about 3 months I just wasn't happy with overall usage and interaction, and wahoo app just not as good as the connect app. I have since gone back to Garmin with the 530 with the remote and really enjoy the feed back and performance of it, being a fenix user too and both using connect.. Like wahoo, just need to work on user satisfaction and the app imo
Hi Justin, many thanks for the helpful review. I'm going to go ahead and by the Bolt but I now know what to expect. May I ask you how you managed to fit an aero bar on on aero bike? I just bought a Trek Madone but I'm at Witt's end trying to get an aero bar to fit. Thanks for your helpfulness. Tom Colligan
Happy to help! So that's a Felt IA, and that's Felt's integrated bar designed just for that bike. So sadly, I can't be much help. :( I know there are some third party aero bar options that will attach to a standard stem, like the Zipp Vuka Aero, but be ready to pay big $$$. And with the Madone's aero handlebars, you're not gonna be able to do clip on aerobars. If your Madone has a standard round stem clamp (vs fully integrates,) something like the Vuka Aero could work. It's a tricky one though.
My biggest complaint is the lack of autopause under a certain speed. Garmins can cut out anything under 5mph. I like to have a nice average speed and I think the lag in autopause in the wahoo severely affects my true average speed.
What i don't get: everyone loved the simplicity of the Wahoo devices, especially the monochrome display, without any bells and whistles. Now they have turned it into a Garmin. If you wanna ride focused and safe, you don't need notifications in any form. Therefor you have a smartphone. Same with routing.
Ah comon. Messages from google meet and facebook? I go riding to leave all this things behind. To be with myself, to relax. I don't need all these messages, notifications and instructions. Just spin, relax, look around the great views and enjoy. Thanks a lot for the review. I decided that I need to buy it at 2024. Hope Wahoo will not release v3 in few months after I'll buy v2 lol. Have a great day!
Fantastic review. I have the v1 Bolt, but would've considered upgrading just for the better screen - the v1 really is meh in that regard. Unfortunately Wahoo's post-modernist approach means they made sure the aero mounts (which were kinda the whole selling point of the original Bolt) are incompatible between the two versions. Apparently it never occured to them that folks who buy multiple wahoo units may want to use them interchangeably between bikes. It would have been so trivial to make the mount back- and forwards compatible. Instead, Wahoo chose to give v1 users the middle finger.
@@paulmiddlemass6465 sort of... with a fugly gap that looks ridiculous and makes a mockery of all their aero claims. There just wasn't any reason to change the mount, I can't fathom why they did.
So I was thinking of upgrading but I’ve gotten into mountain biking as well… does ANYONE know FOR SURE that it work with/works WELL with Trailforks? I HATE pulling out my phone to figure out where I’m going. I know the garmins come with it installed. Help!
That's tough... Honestly probably still the Bolt for most people, or the Garmin 530 if you care a lot about navigation. Karoo looks interesting but I don't have enough hands on with them to have an opinion. Just at large, I think a lot of these devices really don't perform super well for what they cost. I'd actually also say that if someone asked me what to get, I'd also really consider recommending them something like a Cateye Wireless depending on their needs. Do we all really need GPS and power dynamics and HR tracking for every ride? Maybe, maybe not. You can save a lot of money if you just want to see how far you went and how fast you got there. Something to consider.
Thanks Justin I’ve been using the original Bolt for a year and a half and am happy with it. Since my heart rate monitor didn’t pair with my Fenix 3HR on the run and the crazy watch glitches out and lapped every 1/4 mile I was thinking of going to a a wahoo rival watch. And HR monitor next year but this makes me think who know don’t plan on a new head unit and way
Screen is just to small for me. Also wahoo should make good integration between wahoo computers and Garmin watches . I lot of Garmin users can't buy wahoo bike computers because they do running / triathlon and they have Garmin watches , so they stick to Garmin connect
I've been reluctant to get bolt v2 to replace my old -but sufficient- Garmin edge 500. I couldn't find much things that justify $300. Surprisingly, a few words are shaking my opinion towards V2 or towards another Edge new device; the word that turned me down from Bolt V2 is "bugs with USB-C cable". I still gravitated towards Garmin: because it has been smoothly tracking jogging and cycling activities in one harmonic ecosystem. I've invested much in this ecosystem. Not mentioning Garmin's openness to third party applications.
I've just bought the Bolt and I can say a USB-A to USB-C cable (not the one provided by Wahoo) *does* charge the device. A USB-C to USB-C connected to a PD port doesn't charge the Bolt.
I want to change my bolt V1 because my screen has dead pixels. I have it 3 years and is time for a change .Should i bye the bolt V2 or garmin 530? (280 euros vs 200 euros)
hi, does anybody know the size of the safety screw at the bottom? i read alot about that stock "safety loop" being broken. so i plan to install some kind of metal double eyelet instead of wasting money on the poorly designed plastic one. the bolt v2 itself seems to be awesome, just ordered mine.
Add also: the map language defaults to the country and can't change it or switch off. So becomes useless in foreign country. The planner didn't work for 180km ride, Wahoo's answer was its not designed for long distances.. but no mention of limit. Back to Google maps
This was done before that. It's definitely improved, but still not what I would call seamless, especially if I want to make a quick change at speed, etc. That sorta seems to be the Wahoo MO at this point: Give them a year of software updates to sort out their releases.
I'd go Bolt. I like the way Wahoo interface works more than I like Garmin. There's definitely some personal preference in there, but broadly, I prefer Wahoo.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanks for the response. The only feature holding me back from buying a Bolt unit is probably the smart notification. Me and my friends frequently use Facebook messenger when communicating during a ride so I'm quite disappointed with Bolt. 😔
@@onel810 YEP, that's a big annoyance of mine too. If you really need those notifications, Wahoo can't help you. They do SMS, but yep, no FB messenger. :(
I haven't had outright crashing since the first month or two of ownership (when it was crashing about once every 90 min, brutal.) The update they put out a few weeks ago did speed it up, but it's not at what I would call 'very good.' It still lags. Improved, though.
Appreciate the review and you make some good points. I really don't care about design philosophy vis a vis design choices made and what could have been -- as a prospective consumer, I care about function, features, ergonomics, reliability -- i.e. tangible, measureable (where possible) things -- how does it work on the bike for me now? [not in the context of some prior product]. Not working with common USB-C chargers is a major PITA that might be a deal-breaker [made me laugh as Raspberry Pi foundation made a similar mistake]. Menu/Feature navigation and buttons vs no buttons seem to be the prime differentiators between Wahoo and Garmin .
I watched this video for a third time now because i like your style of commenting on this wahoo bolt V2 A LOT! I am truly a „Modernist“ too, and i like this classification for being funny and to-the-point at the same time. Or, in other words, you „nailed it“! Apart from being very entertaining, your video is also very informative. It gives me a hard time now in choosing the new Bolt (as my first modern navi- and training computer) over a garmin edge 830. After a few days of diving into this topic and doing a lot of research and compairing i am still unable to make a decision. Should i trust in the long-time experience in that kind of devices that Garmin have? Or favour the simplicity and best viewable screen of a wahoo device - maybe with the new roam and its dual band gps that shall be working better in canyons? The more i research, the more uncertain i get... vicious circle!😢😟
I've used a Bolt v1 the past 5 years. This is a good review, pretty objective and I also like how you dare to basically ask "WHERE'S the beef?!". I disagree with a few minor things -- the Messenger point, I feel having text-sync ability is fine; people who exclusively use Messenger to the exclusion of texting...I have to think this is not a big user sample so I can see why Wahoo would not include it. But I like where you went with holding feet to fire and demanding true innovation (utilizing data points for improvement/better UX) and actual improvement (vs slow processing, funky button presses, etc). Makes me wonder why Apple has not gotten into this HU game. One *colossal* gripe from my v1 is lack of street names. I also use a Garmin Edge and it does list streets which is super helpful and def a leg up on Bolt v1...but does Bolt v2 have street names? I did not see any in the video. Thanks again, appreciate your viewpoints. Liked and subscribed.
Appreciate the video man. I can't decide between the Wahoo v2 or the Garmin 830. But after this video I may lean more towards the Garmin. What do you think?
An argument could be made either way. Lots of people use and like both. I'd go based on two big factors: How much you plan to really use navigation / routing, and how you feel about the Garmin or Wahoo interfaces. The v2 Bolt adds a LOT of capability re: routing/nav, but Garmin is still the high level winner here. Their POI and route options are still just more mature. If you are doing a lot of premade routes (and sticking to them,) or you don't ride in new areas that often, less important. Next, the Garmin vs. Wahoo interface. For non-quaintifiable reasons, I just prefer the Wahoo interface. I don't like how Garmin organizes things, and the 'page' interface of Wahoo just makes sense in my mind. At this point, both of these devices *can* do almost everything we reasonably need, so what you think you'd like using better is an important fact.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanx for the input bro. I've been really trying to figure out which one is best for me. The info definitely helped thank you man. I guess I'm still trying to weight in on whether dealing with Garmins interface or wahoos. Wahoo looks easier to use while garmin looks a bit more technical but I'm not trying to let that scare me. Trying to prep up for future races.
I don't know if it's too late, but I hate my Garmin 830. Garmin's routing has tried to take me through private property, through fences, and up ridiculously unnecessary climbs. It has no clue how to deal with road closures or detours. The touchscreen is almost impossible to use in the rain. Putting in multiple routes for a bike tour is really hard unless you use a physical USB cable attached to a laptop. Right before the last organized ride I went on, the Edge updated the map and verified that it was successfully installed. Of course when I started the ride, I found there were no maps installed at all and it only gave me a breadcrumb trail to follow. Oh, and when I was planning a bike trip in Scotland, I found out that I'd have to buy new maps from Garmin because my unit only comes with the North American map. Don't get the Garmin 830.
My biggest complaint is that if I miss a turn when riding a route that I put in, the system becomes almost useless. It tries to reroute me back to where I missed the turn even if it means riding east on a road that I am supposed to be going west on and then when I get to the point of the missed turn, making a U turn and riding that same stretch of road back west again. Ridiculous! It's fine if I know the road and just go against its recommendation, but even then it takes quite a while for the gps to recognize that I am back on the route and turn alerts seem to be off by as much as a half a mile for the rest of the route. I've never seen any turn by turn gps function this way and it really sucks. I called Wahoo and that is just the way it is.
im confused... the garmin also takes you back to start, re routes you if you come off course, you can select types of roads and its a garmin...so as fas as the actual navigation goes, thats what they started as and what they've always done, no? it also has climb-pro, trailforks and all those silly navigation extras
Between the Garmin 530 and this which is better in terms of displaying climbing data, i know garmin has climbing pro, i do alot of climbing so i would like to be knowing how many climbs left, what else is coming, does the Bolt V2 have this, in my region the Garmin is way more expensive, so i had been thinking of the bolt but im not so sure its climbing features are up to par with garmin.
Thank you for this review. I've been thinking about one of these devices for my road bike. I own "old" Suunto Spartan Baro watch before their major updates and they are still better than this computer.
A really great review. Totally concise and clear. A quick question, I wanna get a bike computer. My first one. Which one would you recommend under 400$ . I already have a kickr core, so will it be necessary to get a Wahoo computer?
This is a good review. The cycling informatics aspects are great, however the tech is from the Nokia era. Not being able to receive Facebook messenger notifications and not being able to isolate your maps to see only your friends and not every wahoo user is frustrating.
Just out of curiosity why would receiving notifications from facebook messenger be something of a concern? Do every other head unit has that feature & if so is it mainly for cycling purposes or do folks just like to have that added option?
To create a good software that will cover all the wishes you mentioned I think Wahoo does not want to pay a good money for it. It is real costly to develop such complicated software. Garmin has that kind of money and still their software far from ideal.
It's a good question. Actually, I left the Wahoo that's in this video on the roof of my car after a ride, and it fell off on the freeway. Faced with the real challenge of "What do I buy now," the answer was: A Wahoo Roam. I have a complicated relationship with all of these devices. I deeply dislike the Garmin interface. I don't think it's objectively bad, but I deeply dislike it. Hammerhead has a very, very high potential, but my encouters with it have felt... underbaked. Wahoo, *eventuallllllly,* will get their product to a reliable status. The Roam is now very quick to use, and its an improvement over the Bolt IMO. I still think it's crazy that we're paying near on 500 for such basic features. My Coros Pace 2 and 3s do far, far more, in a much smaller and higher quality package, for less than half the cost. So, basicaly: No, I can't say I'm wildly impressed with the Roam, but for me, it's still the best option.
Thank you for the very insightful and opinionated answer. Like it that way. I will get the Roam v2 and just get real active on their support site /roadmap requests @@JustinDoesTriathlon
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Based on your scathing review I was going to tell my friend to return the Bolt 2 bundle he found on sale for $299 last week. Glad I found your comment before busting his bubble.
Absolutely, this is a great idea. I'll look into adding better captioning. Currently I just let the UA-cam auto transcribe do it, but I know that it isn't perfect, especially on technical content. I'll make sure to improve that in the future. :)
@@ajwilliams7757 That's strange! Thanks for pointing that out. I don't know why it didn't auto transcribe that, and YT doesn't indicate it on my end either. Still, I'll make a point to check for that in the future. In the meantime, I generated auto captions in my editor and just attached them to the video. It indicates it'll take a few hours, but they should get on there. I'll come back this evening and double check/try to fix if not. Sorry about that! :) Edit: Looks like they're working now! 🎊
I would say so on the speed front. It's better than it was in this video, but a lot of the major complaints still remain. They added a Summit feature which attempts to auto alert for upcoming climbs. It works *okay.* A lot of times I'll be halfway into a climb before it starts, etc. And other times, it alerts me of a climb that's practically just a large bump. But overall, the speed issues are improved mostly.
Totally agree on the buttons. I loved the buttons on the V1 but the new buttons are shockingly bad!! And you nailed it with the dodgy buttons combined with the slow software making it even worse!
I gave a friend my Garmin 820 so he could suffer with that and decided to buy the Karoo 2 which is brilliant because it just works and works very well. Heavy yes but it’s the dogs nuts since it gets constant updates. Garmin are dead, Wahoo is just copying the dead guy and Hammerhead are doing things differently.
You are asking for smartphone features from a device that I feel was not designed to be a smartphone. I like the bolt (at least the original) because it just works without the need to have a ton of background processes for all the functionality you ask. Some users like just plain simple products without the hassle. Otherwise they would just strap an iPhone to their handlebars. The bolt is not that product, I think. Those extra features would work fine on a higher power, larger screen device, but not the bolt.
@Ober1kenobi I'll be in Berlin next week and I'll repost this so it's more valid.
You would have right. But the problem is the price of all those shity bike navigations. They are all super simple devices in fact, but cost tone of cash comparing to smartphones. Such a simple naviagion computer should cost 100$ max.
I just upgraded from Garmin edge to Wahoo Bolt v2 and very happy with it. I like the Bolt V2 user interface, it seems very intuitive unlike the Garmin’s confusing buttons. I like the zoom in feature of Bolt v2, I can now read my bike computer without my eyeglasses!!!
You mentioned about the cool software features that didn’t come with the new Bolt but I don’t need those features and will probably costs more to develop and add it to the product.
I love my Bolt, Like you I just switched from my Garmin 1040 and have not once looked back.
@@scugno i also have 1040 and those features make me sick i just want simple computer how its going with bolt v2 im about to sell it this week to get bolt v2
Thank you such an in-depth review. I love that you weren’t afraid to weave in such a unique take on product expectations in terms of modernism/postmodernism, although I have to admit as someone not previously familiar with these concepts I’ll probably need to do some more reading to fully understand the terms.
What did surprise me was the standard or level of expectation that you were holding the product to in that your benchmark seemed to be “the perfect device” as opposed to “other offerings on the current market”. I was particularly surprised to hear you call out the element for being slow to respond since in my experience with the device I haven’t found this at all, whereas screen lag is something that has been a persistent issue with every Garmin unit I’ve tried, especially the touchscreen models.
I think overall you’ve fallen victim to judging the device by “number of features” rather than recognising that for many (me included) the more critical yardsticks are to provide simple functionality via an intuitive and quality interface that minimises cognitive load - for me, it really delivers, with a super clear display, reliable performance, and an intuitive interface.
Well I can't talk about design if I can't take a good critique, so I appreciate that! Ultimately you're not wrong; compared to a lot of other devices out there, I do think it's pretty good. I think I tried to capture that in the beginning and conclusion. I think a lot of my frustration stems from this feeling that, other than mapping, I don't feel like these devices really do much more than my old Cateye Wireless from a decade ago. They're much more expensive, but functionally, still just data displays. Heck, Wahoo didn't even build out any integration between their sports watch and their Element; you can't go for a ride and have that training stress including in your watch's weekly totals. It’s things like that that just seem lacking; their software just doesn’t feel very mature to me. It’s like, they’ve built out the bare minimums and called it good.
You’re very right though, minimal cognitive load is very important, and the color screen / data prioritization of the Bolt does that well. I really like the way. I can zoom into fields I care about. Color is nice because I can see at a glance or in the periphery where I’m at without even ‘looking.’ Overall, I do still prefer Wahoo to Garmin. And that’s what I tried to capture at the beginning: If you’re looking for a reliable (ish, once they nail down the firmware), easy to use device for displaying info and some nav, this is a solid one. But I always appreciate feedback on how to be more clear. :)
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanks for the reply and all very reasonable points! This is obviously getting way off topic but I did find the modernism/postmodernism stuff interesting - so you know any good references (online) that are good “idiots guides” on these to read up on??
Justin, I appreciated your approach to this review, a mix of philosophy, software development, and functionality. As an older cyclist, I have come a long way since the clicker mounted on my front wheel that I used when I rode cross country. I finally graduated to the Lezyne, and now I have the Wahoo Bolt V2. One of my real frustrations is how the rerouting function works. I cue a lot of tours, and sometimes I want to cut off mileage. Why does the unit always try and take me back to where I left the route? Maybe I have a setting wrong? I just end up turning rerouting off. Other than that, I am happy with the unit, going on 3 years.
I just bought this lol..it's my first bike computer though so i'm still excited
Good! It's probably going to do really well for you, you shouldn't have any regrets
How’s it going so far? Any regrets? I’m contemplating buying one😩
@@thisgustin it is great, i didn't have too much time with it since winter came where i'm at but the few weeks i used it, it worked great. i like that you can sync up your workout and send it out to multiple different apps at once after a ride
This is way better than garmin for sure.
@@skyekingdom0 how is the routing , if you go the wrong way and such
I have a Bolt 2, my first bike GPS. I wanted it so I could follow routes. I'm very happy with it, it does what I want and more yet less of the stuff I don't want. The numerical display is excellent, very sharp and bold and easily configured to show the items you consider most important and zoom out to see more details but smaller print. The map is clear and easy to follow. The key is to get the zoom level right, zoom in too far means you can't see far enough ahead on the map to see where the next turn is, zoom out too far, you get a good, bigger picture of where you are (useful to see when you're lost) but not enough fine detail to show where your turn is if it's a dense neighbourhood. I have found the re-routing to get you back on track (clearly shown with blue arrows instead of black) is quite good and logical, taking you forwards where feasible to rejoin your route rather than backwards to where you went off (may have been blocked due to maintenance work or something). You see and absorb a lot of what you want with just a quick glance. I have had that feeling that the software is the weak point, though glitches that bothered me were fixed in an update so I agree with that comment about a hardware company doing software. I wish it wouldn't decide to do an update 5 minutes after I start a ride, it prompts first but if you miss it because you're watching the trail and scenery instead of the GPS, it decides to proceed.
Although I can see where it should be possible to provide all of those features that you mentioned, I am the type of rider who would absolutely never use any of them. I do appreciate 1. the color screen, 2. the re-routing functionality, 3. the new summits feature, as it will show the elevation profile for upcoming climbs, even when you don't use the summits screen (which I don't). Frankly, the biggest cycling improvement I've experienced recently was when I started using a radar unit on my bike. Being informed of traffic behind me with the ability to see how many and how far away is a real game changer, and the (Roam V2 for me) does this!
I have the Bolt V1 and love it. It's simplistic and very intuitive. I was turned on to the bolt after looking at Garmin devices. I went into my local bike shop to ask questions about the Garmin and they turned me onto Wahoo despite the fact that they sold both devices.
The features on the Garmin devices are nice, but mostly gimmicks and certainly not intuitive or as simple to set up as Wahoo does. My father-in-law now has the Bolt V2 and has been able to get used to it very easily despite not being a tech person whatsoever.
The rerouting would be nice but I simply don't use it. If I'm navigating anywhere, I'm using a gpx file or creating a route using the app.
That's the thing I like about the Bolt V1, it's easy to set up, there's no unnecessary extra features, the LCD display is easy to read at a glance, I almost never need to look at the map. The worst bit about Wahoo is their need for their computers to connect to Wi-Fi, this creates unnecessary effort at the end of a ride as the device won't simply connect and sync without first having the Elemnt app open on the phone, with the phone connected to the device via Bluetooth, and waiting until it connects to wi-fi to sync the data, and a ride doesn't always end at a place where there's predictable wi-fi which creates even more faff. I like the Garmin Edge 130 more, similarly it has a good display , reasonably easy to set up, and the thing I really like about the Garmin is that it just syncs at the end of the ride, I don't have to do anything, or think about anything, I don't even need wi-fi, it does it through the phone's Bluetooth automatically, the data is on Strava before I get a chance to take my cycling shoes off. Of course mapping is not the strong point on either of these devices, but I don't need it to be.
@@m1mbz it's hit and miss with me. A lot of times it will automatically upload to Strava, but sometimes I do have to pair manually. I have my phone anyway so it isn't a big deal. Using a phone for setup was actually something I liked given how difficult Garmin devices were to setup by comparison. It was just a lot more user friendly and straightforward and I didn't need to click through a bunch of menus on the device itself just to turn off the beeping on each button press.
As for WiFi, the only time I need WiFi is for updating the software or maps. I tend to just use my phone's hotspot feature for this and it works out well. I'm mainly in areas with good cell service so it isn't really an issue unless I'm traveling and even then it's usually not an issue.
What a refreshingly honest and fair review!
-I'm new to cycling and chose the Bolt V2. My frustrations surround the re-routing - firstly, why blue? Water's blue too so why not red?
-Next, when lost (it's happened a few times when I've gone off route) I don't trust it to track me back because it isn't showing the whole route to get me back so it is a real leap of faith and that rerouting it chooses isn't always a very smart one.
-Then there's charging - I agree fully with what you say - it is fussy about which cable it likes, doesn't give an accurate % of charge and has to be off in order to charge (so no on the fly topping up).
-Finally, and not wholly a Bolt issue, why separate passwords for the app and the website? This should be an integrated, seamless experience and setting up screens should be a functionality available in both.
I think you nailed it with the comment about Wahoo being a hardware company that is forced to use and manage software.
I'm just in a process of setting up my wahoo ecosystem after buying bolt V2. Can't comment on your first two points (about to go out with it for the first time in an hour) but, as for the charging, still an issue. The app and the website are integrated now though.
@@sureduck new to wahoo here, bought 1 months ago it was ok. Last week í rode about 100km return trip and that day there’s no direction for entire day. Lost faith in Wahoo
@@Reflection_Wave That's pants from them. I'm just on a half way break, 40miles in, so far no problems. Just me figuring out how it works.
I agree with the blue chevrons during a reroute. I also hate the Bolt V2 for not showing the route after the reroute. You need to be exactly at the point where the reroute meets the original route to see the direction you need to go. Other than that: I like the easy to use bolt! The main reason not to buy a Garmin was the ease of operation
This video should be an example of how a review must be done. Great video.
Been looking into these devices, but since I realy only care about ride recording and navigation... Its hard to justify the price because: The 4.5" phone from 2015 with Komoot app and offline maps still works just fine. In airplane mode it lasts 10+ hours, and Komoot has actual voice navigation!
I appreciate that! I try to make my reviews like I'd tell a friend my opinion. Completely understand the 'hard to justify.' I do personally care a lot about nav, so I could justify the 1 to the Color version, but without that, ehhhh. And completely agree, phone screen and maps is great! If I was doing bike touring or anything like that, that's actually exactly what I'd do.
Just one remark : the smartphone screen sucks if it’s sunny (mine at least) or in forrest where the light changes often, too much reflexion on it, I’m forced to stare at it too long to see where I’m supposed to go (but I admit that I don’t use vocal guidance).
I had a Bolt v1 for five years and mostly very happy with it. However the battery started to lose capacity so I asked Wahoo what was the process to get the battery replaced. They sent me a Bolt v2 for no charge. If it does all the Bolt V1 did but a bit better that’s absolutely fine for me.
Note the Bolt v2 is compatible with Bolt v1 mounts but the v1 is not compatible with v2 mounts.
What a great review. This guy doesn't just rattle off a list of features but explains what the feature does and why it is important.
Thanks Dan. There's enough prattle on the internet as is. :)
I switched from Bolt v2 to Garmin Edge 840, but 2 months later came back. The Bolt v2 has a certain elegance, a simplicity afforded by the things it does not do. At the same time, the data screens are so well-designed and information intensive in a way I was unable to replicate on Garmin.
I appreciate a well reasoned critical review. Your POV re: innovation is well taken. I've grudgingly migrated from Edge 500 > 510 > 520 > 530. There have been incremental improvements, but many of shortcomings remain. The lack of an app-based process to migrate settings is unforgiveable for Garmin or Wahoo. I've been tempted to switch to Wahoo many times, but the pain of setting up 3 bikes worth of sensors - again - has held be back. What I want is a mid-range computer that is entirely app controlled, so that a replacement or upgrade device can be easily restored when needed - and so settings can be intuitively adjusted without fiddly buttons and nested menus a-la Casio circa 1985.
is setting up sensors really that hard?
@@Se0what No, it's not hard. However it adds time to an already low-value activity - to simply reestablish functionality I already have. I don't particularly like re-pairing BT devices when I get a new phone, either. However in this case, it's not particularly critical or secure - it's just cadence, wheel, hr sensors. Again, on 3 bikes. Why not incorporate the sensor IDs into a migration routine? I imagine that some people have more than 3 bikes... Have fun with that.
Just ordered the V2, as the Wahoo sale and the fact it can now controll my music playing is enough for me now to push the button
My original Bolt died and Wahoo quickly replaced it with a Bolt2. An unfortunate difference between the original Bolt and Bolt2 is that the buzzer on Bolt2 is much quieter than on the original Bolt. With normal wind noise I can’t hear cues for interval changes or Varia traffic. This is a real PITA and there is no adjustment. Other than that I am pleased with the unit and delighted with the navigation improvements.
Interesting! I wonder if (either of us) has a unit that's got early production hiccups. I can't say I've noticed any loudness difference between one and two, but it wouldn't surprise me at all.
He got a lot of valid points and criticism. This is why I haven’t upgraded my Bolt 1 yet, but are slowly starting to use my Apple Watch and iPhone for cycling. With watchOS 10 and 11 Apple is starting to become a real contender for the non professional cyclist.
THIS is THE most honest talk about "this" particular device, I've heard in MONTHS. All these review sites seemed to very content with giving a "pat on the back" for a Color Screen & New Buttons.🙄
Appreciate it. Yeah, people have lower expectations than I think they should
The bolt V2 and my Samsung phone, what a great combo. Btw great vid, thanx.
Thanks for great critical view and not blowing smoke like most reviewers. Did I miss something no battery life difference review ? Come on now.....But, good lord no incidence reporting ? I just thought now a-days all $ bicycle computers had it. That is a deal killer for sure.
Thank you for your review and perspective, that was insightful. I'm new a this so this may be obvious.... does the Bolt V2 have voice navigation, or does the unit just notify you with a beep of an upcoming change of direction, and then you have to view the screen to see what turn is coming up next? Thank you!
Happy to help! It does a few things. It makes a beep, displays an arrow on screen, and uses the top LEDs to indicate direction. The auditory alerts themselves and alone do not tell you the direction to turn. I think a different sound for left or right would be a nice little feature.
I have the Elemnt Bolt v1 and went on a 80 mile, 5+ hour ride and the battery life was at 50% when I finished. I don't want a bulky smart phone on my handlebar. The Bolt is designed to be extremely compact yet displays incredible amounts of data on Strava. It weighs next to nothing. And my bolt is going strong after 5 years. The gaskets are all that did not last, so I used clear tape to protect it. It charges in less than an hour.
Thanks Justin - a great review, as a current Bolt owner who was thinking of upgrading to the newer V2, I think I will now wait for the V3 to see what that has to offer - ride on
Spot on review. Bike computers are embarrassing compared to even cheap smart phones.
what's your point? why do you compare them with smartphones?
@@francoisloriot2674 Because their price = price of smartphones. Highly too high.
@@zgr5421 ok so then stick with a smartphone on your bike. good luck with battery life and visibility in full sun
@@francoisloriot2674 I can also choose bike computers and express my thouts the price is way too high for what they offer. However, you can buy those navs and enjoy paying fortune.
Great review, finally someone with an idea instead of just summing up specs. Thanks!
I never like anything, but you get big thumbs up for this review as it sounded like music to my ears. It’s seems like the companies have a product roadmap, putting whatever they can now into future models blueprints holding as much back as they can and still have a successful product… or they simply can’t do better.. either way we are stuck with yesterday’s technology.
Thanks! Spot on agree. Either they can't do better or they're holding it back, and neither of those are good.
Good review, though how many people were to transfer their setting to another Bolt device?
I mean I have two bikes, two mount brackets and one bike computer, since that moves from one bike to the other. Also when I'm on my bike, I could care less about any messaging or social media. I'd rather have my eyes on the road (busy Dutch roads) rather than responding to a silly message that can wait till I'm done cycling.
Coming from a Garmin Edge 810, this is a big enough upgrade for me already ;-)
Great points . I don’t get why people feel they need to be “connected” to social media all the time. Your on a bike, enjoy the scenery, turn off your connection to the word a bit. You’ll enjoy your ride much better.
Theoretically I agree. On practice, on 5 hour rides, it's helpful for people to get ahold. Facebook messenger is howany people, including my wife and I, communicate.
I ended up upgrading to the Bolt V1 (from an Edge 500) a relatively short time before the V2 came out and am pretty happy with it especially seeing how hard of a landing the V2 had initially. Getting off course sometimes is a pain, but I generally can look at the map to route myself back to where I need to be by zooming in and out (which I couldn't do with the Edge 500). I wonder how much of what you mentioned can be fixed through software updates or if things like the lag are just not enough processing power for what they're trying to do.
Yeah you really wouldn't have had a functional version two until just about within the last month. Have experienced a lot of crashing freezing and general unreliability. I certainly hope that they can improve it with software because if they can't that means that they made the actual processing power lower than the original which seems like a crazy thing to do. Hopefully it gets turned around. It's definitely not a bad device as a standalone thing but once you start comparing it to other stuff that exists in the world that's when it gets more frustrating
I just returned the "sale priced" Roam I thought would be better than my gen 1 Bolt. It actually was pretty unusable for any riding due to excess lag. The maps were pretty and the display was nice, but it was slow.
If the new Bolt is not as responsive as the old one, I'd be interested in hearing. I use my Bolt to help me parse my riding efforts much more than as a mapping device. It was useful to have multiple color display, too...but the data needs to be real-time, not 5 seconds old.
So be aware. Wahoo did accept my return, but before I roll that cash over to a V2 Bolt I'm wanting some assurance that it's not going to lag more than my current beat-up 4yr old bolt. Good point on the UBC C plug, too. That there may be a deal breaker for me. I have to be able to keep the devices charged without 'special' cords and plugs in every location, be it moto, home, car, van, RV or the wife's vehicle s.
Thanks for the video... I'm of the school of "look at it as it is" not caring what it should be..I probably have functions on my current Bolt that I never bothered to learn. I wanted a basic gps and it's been great...but I got spoiled seeing that Roam's pretty display and bright LEDs..
im so hesitant to buy a bike computer exactly for these reasons. i want an Android Auto equivlenet for a bicycle.
You treid to appear smart and you turned out funny. Obviosly hooked on toys ....that I need a device to show me the pace 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.....You really made me smile 😂😂😂😂
No love for the Karoo 2? I was about to send my Karoo 2 back and get a Bolt 2, and the they added predictive climbing and heat maps and I’m thinking it’s a keeper. Thoughts?
This is such a good review. Clear, concise and helpful for people making buying decisions.
I love the higher expectations you propose for these devices. Such a good point.
I disagree on a few minor points. I for one like the new button design but overall really enjoyed this. Best Bolt V2 review on this platform. 👏
I wonder if it's early hardware with lots of device to device variability? I don't think you'd like my buttons very much. 😬
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Yeah, I bet you're right. Probably manufacturing issues.
I bought the bolt 1, being a Garmin user I was excited, unfortunately I had a screen failure and had to return the unit. After using the bolt for about 3 months I just wasn't happy with overall usage and interaction, and wahoo app just not as good as the connect app. I have since gone back to Garmin with the 530 with the remote and really enjoy the feed back and performance of it, being a fenix user too and both using connect.. Like wahoo, just need to work on user satisfaction and the app imo
Amazing review, I wish I could find it before I bought Bolt v2 and experienced all that buggy stuff. Had to return the item.
Ugh bummer 😔
Hi Justin, many thanks for the helpful review. I'm going to go ahead and by the Bolt but I now know what to expect. May I ask you how you managed to fit an aero bar on on aero bike? I just bought a Trek Madone but I'm at Witt's end trying to get an aero bar to fit. Thanks for your helpfulness. Tom Colligan
Happy to help! So that's a Felt IA, and that's Felt's integrated bar designed just for that bike. So sadly, I can't be much help. :( I know there are some third party aero bar options that will attach to a standard stem, like the Zipp Vuka Aero, but be ready to pay big $$$. And with the Madone's aero handlebars, you're not gonna be able to do clip on aerobars. If your Madone has a standard round stem clamp (vs fully integrates,) something like the Vuka Aero could work. It's a tricky one though.
My biggest complaint is the lack of autopause under a certain speed. Garmins can cut out anything under 5mph. I like to have a nice average speed and I think the lag in autopause in the wahoo severely affects my true average speed.
how long is the lag?
What i don't get: everyone loved the simplicity of the Wahoo devices, especially the monochrome display, without any bells and whistles. Now they have turned it into a Garmin.
If you wanna ride focused and safe, you don't need notifications in any form. Therefor you have a smartphone. Same with routing.
Ah comon. Messages from google meet and facebook? I go riding to leave all this things behind. To be with myself, to relax. I don't need all these messages, notifications and instructions. Just spin, relax, look around the great views and enjoy. Thanks a lot for the review. I decided that I need to buy it at 2024. Hope Wahoo will not release v3 in few months after I'll buy v2 lol. Have a great day!
Fantastic review.
I have the v1 Bolt, but would've considered upgrading just for the better screen - the v1 really is meh in that regard.
Unfortunately Wahoo's post-modernist approach means they made sure the aero mounts (which were kinda the whole selling point of the original Bolt) are incompatible between the two versions. Apparently it never occured to them that folks who buy multiple wahoo units may want to use them interchangeably between bikes.
It would have been so trivial to make the mount back- and forwards compatible. Instead, Wahoo chose to give v1 users the middle finger.
The v2 bolt fits the v1 mount
@@paulmiddlemass6465 sort of... with a fugly gap that looks ridiculous and makes a mockery of all their aero claims. There just wasn't any reason to change the mount, I can't fathom why they did.
very good and nuanced review that is making me rethink if I should get this now haha
Nicely spoken, my friend. Love the eloquent delivery.
I major in Philo and when you mentioned Modern and Postmodern -- I knew I'm in the right path...
:D
Wow, I was about to buy it, thank god I watched your review!
this USB-C situation is really embarrassing, ffs Wahoo
It's crazy
So I was thinking of upgrading but I’ve gotten into mountain biking as well… does ANYONE know FOR SURE that it work with/works WELL with Trailforks? I HATE pulling out my phone to figure out where I’m going. I know the garmins come with it installed. Help!
I didn’t catch if you mentioned it but which bike computer would you recommend at this time if we’re in the market for one now if not one from Wahoo?
That's tough... Honestly probably still the Bolt for most people, or the Garmin 530 if you care a lot about navigation. Karoo looks interesting but I don't have enough hands on with them to have an opinion. Just at large, I think a lot of these devices really don't perform super well for what they cost. I'd actually also say that if someone asked me what to get, I'd also really consider recommending them something like a Cateye Wireless depending on their needs. Do we all really need GPS and power dynamics and HR tracking for every ride? Maybe, maybe not. You can save a lot of money if you just want to see how far you went and how fast you got there. Something to consider.
Thanks Justin I’ve been using the original Bolt for a year and a half and am happy with it. Since my heart rate monitor didn’t pair with my Fenix 3HR on the run and the crazy watch glitches out and lapped every 1/4 mile I was thinking of going to a a wahoo rival watch. And HR monitor next year but this makes me think who know don’t plan on a new head unit and way
I really wish they all talked to each other too. Why doesn't the Rival watch know how much I've biked when I use an elemnt? It should.
This is quite probably the best review of anything I've ever watched on UA-cam. Bravo sir. Absolutely love the independence and the philosophy.
Thank you, I greatly appreciate that! This one is polarizing, haha. Some people love the format, others hate it. Oh well, that's just me. :)
Screen is just to small for me.
Also wahoo should make good integration between wahoo computers and Garmin watches .
I lot of Garmin users can't buy wahoo bike computers because they do running / triathlon and they have Garmin watches , so they stick to Garmin connect
Definitely true. I wish the screen was a bit larger too, but the zooming of the metrics helps. That doesn't help with the navigation though
I've been reluctant to get bolt v2 to replace my old -but sufficient- Garmin edge 500. I couldn't find much things that justify $300.
Surprisingly, a few words are shaking my opinion towards V2 or towards another Edge new device;
the word that turned me down from Bolt V2 is "bugs with USB-C cable".
I still gravitated towards Garmin: because it has been smoothly tracking jogging and cycling activities in one harmonic ecosystem. I've invested much in this ecosystem. Not mentioning Garmin's openness to third party applications.
I've just bought the Bolt and I can say a USB-A to USB-C cable (not the one provided by Wahoo) *does* charge the device. A USB-C to USB-C connected to a PD port doesn't charge the Bolt.
I want to change my bolt V1 because my screen has dead pixels. I have it 3 years and is time for a change .Should i bye the bolt V2 or garmin 530? (280 euros vs 200 euros)
Its good enough for Tadej Pogacar, its good enough for me 👍🏻
hi, does anybody know the size of the safety screw at the bottom?
i read alot about that stock "safety loop" being broken.
so i plan to install some kind of metal double eyelet instead of wasting money on the poorly designed plastic one.
the bolt v2 itself seems to be awesome, just ordered mine.
All the new garmin stuff glass is so reflective. At the price the v2 is good. Picking the bones ,are you expecting it to press on the pedals for you
Add also: the map language defaults to the country and can't change it or switch off. So becomes useless in foreign country.
The planner didn't work for 180km ride, Wahoo's answer was its not designed for long distances.. but no mention of limit.
Back to Google maps
Didn’t they release a firmware upgrade to improve the page load speeds? Was this review done before or after that update?
This was done before that. It's definitely improved, but still not what I would call seamless, especially if I want to make a quick change at speed, etc. That sorta seems to be the Wahoo MO at this point: Give them a year of software updates to sort out their releases.
If you would choose between Garmin 530 or this Bolt V2, what would it be? I'm a first time user of a Ccomputer. What would you suggest? Thanks.
I'd go Bolt. I like the way Wahoo interface works more than I like Garmin. There's definitely some personal preference in there, but broadly, I prefer Wahoo.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanks for the response. The only feature holding me back from buying a Bolt unit is probably the smart notification. Me and my friends frequently use Facebook messenger when communicating during a ride so I'm quite disappointed with Bolt. 😔
@@onel810 YEP, that's a big annoyance of mine too. If you really need those notifications, Wahoo can't help you. They do SMS, but yep, no FB messenger. :(
Really insightful review, great points, was thinking about upgrading prior to watching now feel comfortable waiting. Thank you.
Yeah if you need navigation definitely consider it. If not, 🤷♂️
How are the new updates? Faster experiences and less crashing?
I haven't had outright crashing since the first month or two of ownership (when it was crashing about once every 90 min, brutal.) The update they put out a few weeks ago did speed it up, but it's not at what I would call 'very good.' It still lags. Improved, though.
I faced a similar decision when updating my aging o.g. bolt. Well, ended getting the fancy garmin edge 1040.
Appreciate the review and you make some good points. I really don't care about design philosophy vis a vis design choices made and what could have been -- as a prospective consumer, I care about function, features, ergonomics, reliability -- i.e. tangible, measureable (where possible) things -- how does it work on the bike for me now? [not in the context of some prior product]. Not working with common USB-C chargers is a major PITA that might be a deal-breaker [made me laugh as Raspberry Pi foundation made a similar mistake]. Menu/Feature navigation and buttons vs no buttons seem to be the prime differentiators between Wahoo and Garmin .
My Wahoo Element Bolt V2 stopped working after a few weeks. Hope you guys are more lucky
Well that sucks.👎
Great philosophical review. Patients do get the way of forwarding progress.
I watched this video for a third time now because i like your style of commenting on this wahoo bolt V2 A LOT! I am truly a „Modernist“ too, and i like this classification for being funny and to-the-point at the same time. Or, in other words, you „nailed it“! Apart from being very entertaining, your video is also very informative. It gives me a hard time now in choosing the new Bolt (as my first modern navi- and training computer) over a garmin edge 830. After a few days of diving into this topic and doing a lot of research and compairing i am still unable to make a decision. Should i trust in the long-time experience in that kind of devices that Garmin have? Or favour the simplicity and best viewable screen of a wahoo device - maybe with the new roam and its dual band gps that shall be working better in canyons? The more i research, the more uncertain i get... vicious circle!😢😟
Wahoo if you want to see the display. ;-)
Dude. You just got a new subscriber from me. Not even for the content, but for your commentary and insight into postmodernism theory. Love it.
Nice, thanks for this Lyotard‘ish review. Came for specs, ended up learning something about postmodernism.
You never know when postmodernism will sneak up and accidentally describe your world. :)
I got one on the way. Paid 290 for the bundle but I got a fat veterans discount so I think i did good. 🤙
I've used a Bolt v1 the past 5 years. This is a good review, pretty objective and I also like how you dare to basically ask "WHERE'S the beef?!". I disagree with a few minor things -- the Messenger point, I feel having text-sync ability is fine; people who exclusively use Messenger to the exclusion of texting...I have to think this is not a big user sample so I can see why Wahoo would not include it. But I like where you went with holding feet to fire and demanding true innovation (utilizing data points for improvement/better UX) and actual improvement (vs slow processing, funky button presses, etc). Makes me wonder why Apple has not gotten into this HU game. One *colossal* gripe from my v1 is lack of street names. I also use a Garmin Edge and it does list streets which is super helpful and def a leg up on Bolt v1...but does Bolt v2 have street names? I did not see any in the video. Thanks again, appreciate your viewpoints. Liked and subscribed.
Hey there, nope, no street names on the general map. 👎
Appreciate the video man. I can't decide between the Wahoo v2 or the Garmin 830. But after this video I may lean more towards the Garmin. What do you think?
An argument could be made either way. Lots of people use and like both. I'd go based on two big factors: How much you plan to really use navigation / routing, and how you feel about the Garmin or Wahoo interfaces. The v2 Bolt adds a LOT of capability re: routing/nav, but Garmin is still the high level winner here. Their POI and route options are still just more mature. If you are doing a lot of premade routes (and sticking to them,) or you don't ride in new areas that often, less important. Next, the Garmin vs. Wahoo interface. For non-quaintifiable reasons, I just prefer the Wahoo interface. I don't like how Garmin organizes things, and the 'page' interface of Wahoo just makes sense in my mind. At this point, both of these devices *can* do almost everything we reasonably need, so what you think you'd like using better is an important fact.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon thanx for the input bro. I've been really trying to figure out which one is best for me. The info definitely helped thank you man. I guess I'm still trying to weight in on whether dealing with Garmins interface or wahoos. Wahoo looks easier to use while garmin looks a bit more technical but I'm not trying to let that scare me. Trying to prep up for future races.
I don't know if it's too late, but I hate my Garmin 830. Garmin's routing has tried to take me through private property, through fences, and up ridiculously unnecessary climbs. It has no clue how to deal with road closures or detours. The touchscreen is almost impossible to use in the rain. Putting in multiple routes for a bike tour is really hard unless you use a physical USB cable attached to a laptop. Right before the last organized ride I went on, the Edge updated the map and verified that it was successfully installed. Of course when I started the ride, I found there were no maps installed at all and it only gave me a breadcrumb trail to follow. Oh, and when I was planning a bike trip in Scotland, I found out that I'd have to buy new maps from Garmin because my unit only comes with the North American map. Don't get the Garmin 830.
My bolt 1 screen died so now thinking between bolt 2 and roam. Any suggestions?
Generally 2 unless you wanted a larger screen.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon That was a quick reply :). Thanks mate.
Very well made review. Very refreshing standpoint with great insights and recommendations. Thank you!
Thanks Tobias! I try. No point reading specs at you. :)
My biggest complaint is that if I miss a turn when riding a route that I put in, the system becomes almost useless. It tries to reroute me back to where I missed the turn even if it means riding east on a road that I am supposed to be going west on and then when I get to the point of the missed turn, making a U turn and riding that same stretch of road back west again. Ridiculous! It's fine if I know the road and just go against its recommendation, but even then it takes quite a while for the gps to recognize that I am back on the route and turn alerts seem to be off by as much as a half a mile for the rest of the route. I've never seen any turn by turn gps function this way and it really sucks. I called Wahoo and that is just the way it is.
I've had that happen and it's super annoying.
Great review. But why is Jason Kidd reviewing cycling computers?
Basketball thing just didn't pan out. 🤣
im confused... the garmin also takes you back to start, re routes you if you come off course, you can select types of roads and its a garmin...so as fas as the actual navigation goes, thats what they started as and what they've always done, no?
it also has climb-pro, trailforks and all those silly navigation extras
Between the Garmin 530 and this which is better in terms of displaying climbing data, i know garmin has climbing pro, i do alot of climbing so i would like to be knowing how many climbs left, what else is coming, does the Bolt V2 have this, in my region the Garmin is way more expensive, so i had been thinking of the bolt but im not so sure its climbing features are up to par with garmin.
Yes, it does now. Recent software update.
Thank you for this review.
I've been thinking about one of these devices for my road bike. I own "old" Suunto Spartan Baro watch before their major updates and they are still better than this computer.
A really great review. Totally concise and clear. A quick question, I wanna get a bike computer. My first one. Which one would you recommend under 400$ . I already have a kickr core, so will it be necessary to get a Wahoo computer?
I'd begrudingly say this one, as long as you're aware of the software quirks and want navigation.
great honest review, i am still using my edge 810 even thou the power button is kind of missing but it works.
Justin - Would love to hear your thoughts on the new Cannondale Synapse.
I think randomly allowing you to link with anyone near you also using a bolt may be affected by certain data protection laws now
This is a brilliant device. Its simple & works. There isnt lots of unnecessary complexity.
Garmin Edge 1040, 1030 plus, 840, 830 or 530, why struggle with a wahoo element?
Great video as always Justin, its a shame because i had my eye on a Bolt "2" currently slumming it with a Garmin 130 edge, hope your well dude! :-)
This is a good review. The cycling informatics aspects are great, however the tech is from the Nokia era. Not being able to receive Facebook messenger notifications and not being able to isolate your maps to see only your friends and not every wahoo user is frustrating.
Just out of curiosity why would receiving notifications from facebook messenger be something of a concern? Do every other head unit has that feature & if so is it mainly for cycling purposes or do folks just like to have that added option?
To create a good software that will cover all the wishes you mentioned I think Wahoo does not want to pay a good money for it. It is real costly to develop such complicated software. Garmin has that kind of money and still their software far from ideal.
Do you still use the wahoo bolt v2? according to this review, you appear to be extremely disappointed with your purchase. Have you switched to Garmin?
It's a good question. Actually, I left the Wahoo that's in this video on the roof of my car after a ride, and it fell off on the freeway. Faced with the real challenge of "What do I buy now," the answer was: A Wahoo Roam. I have a complicated relationship with all of these devices. I deeply dislike the Garmin interface. I don't think it's objectively bad, but I deeply dislike it. Hammerhead has a very, very high potential, but my encouters with it have felt... underbaked. Wahoo, *eventuallllllly,* will get their product to a reliable status. The Roam is now very quick to use, and its an improvement over the Bolt IMO. I still think it's crazy that we're paying near on 500 for such basic features. My Coros Pace 2 and 3s do far, far more, in a much smaller and higher quality package, for less than half the cost. So, basicaly: No, I can't say I'm wildly impressed with the Roam, but for me, it's still the best option.
Thank you for the very insightful and opinionated answer. Like it that way. I will get the Roam v2 and just get real active on their support site /roadmap requests
@@JustinDoesTriathlon
Which bike computer you do use now?
Element Bolt 2. It's fine.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Based on your scathing review I was going to tell my friend to return the Bolt 2 bundle he found on sale for $299 last week. Glad I found your comment before busting his bubble.
Wahoo, hire this guy.
Please consider adding closed captions to allow folks with hearing impairments to enjoy your content
Absolutely, this is a great idea. I'll look into adding better captioning. Currently I just let the UA-cam auto transcribe do it, but I know that it isn't perfect, especially on technical content. I'll make sure to improve that in the future. :)
@@JustinDoesTriathlon The auto transcribe works surprisingly well. It just isn't available on this video.
Thanks for responding by the way!
@@ajwilliams7757 That's strange! Thanks for pointing that out. I don't know why it didn't auto transcribe that, and YT doesn't indicate it on my end either. Still, I'll make a point to check for that in the future. In the meantime, I generated auto captions in my editor and just attached them to the video. It indicates it'll take a few hours, but they should get on there. I'll come back this evening and double check/try to fix if not. Sorry about that! :)
Edit: Looks like they're working now! 🎊
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Thank you so much! That really made my day.
as of today, has. the bolt v2 gotten better?
I would say so on the speed front. It's better than it was in this video, but a lot of the major complaints still remain. They added a Summit feature which attempts to auto alert for upcoming climbs. It works *okay.* A lot of times I'll be halfway into a climb before it starts, etc. And other times, it alerts me of a climb that's practically just a large bump. But overall, the speed issues are improved mostly.
@@JustinDoesTriathlon Is it possible to turn off sound alerts on Bolt2?
Great review. Please apply as product owner for Wahoo. Looking forward for V3. Thanks
Oh I don't think they'd like me as a PM/PO very much. 😅
@@JustinDoesTriathlon What they'd LIKE vs what they'd NEED may be the thin line to cross for them to deliver outstanding value. Chocolate/Brocoli!
No subtitles available ?
Me: I want to buy Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT V2(after i see other reviews on the YT), after i see this video, me again : i stay for a while with my smartphone.
Thank for this. Really great review. Indeed, there's should be something new, not just a minor update.
Happy to help! :)
interesting points, could it be that the battery limits what is possible?
Maybe? But it's higher battery than the first version
11:47 Are these features that Wahoo does not offer something that other companies include at this $289 price point?
Maybe it’s just me but why is FB messages so important while you are riding your bike? I do agree on the better outdoors workout routine though
Because that's how people get ahold of me.
I feel the same way. I wish I had just purchased the bolt v2
Totally agree on the buttons. I loved the buttons on the V1 but the new buttons are shockingly bad!! And you nailed it with the dodgy buttons combined with the slow software making it even worse!
Yuuuuuup it's a bad combination. 😕
More worse than Garmin Edge 530? Those buttons are shameful for such an expensive device.
I gave a friend my Garmin 820 so he could suffer with that and decided to buy the Karoo 2 which is brilliant because it just works and works very well. Heavy yes but it’s the dogs nuts since it gets constant updates. Garmin are dead, Wahoo is just copying the dead guy and Hammerhead are doing things differently.
I’m glad you did this review… I was debating getting one but I’ll keep my original Elemnt - for now… 😏
You modernist you 👍
@@JustinDoesTriathlon 🤣🤣🤣🤣