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Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT V2 Review - FeedTheHabit.com

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After weeks of careful evaluation and plenty of trail time, the Garmin Edge 830 rose to the top of the pack. This computer has a vibrant touchscreen and a few basic tactile buttons for controls. Scrolling around and selecting options is wonderfully straightforward. The menus and interface are well-organized, making them relatively intuitive and user-friendly. This computer seems less affected by water interference than other touchscreen devices, making it a little more practical to use during inclement weather. It also has a laundry list of useful features. A good portion of them are native to the device, but one of the biggest strengths is in the Connect IQ store, where you can find all types of third-party apps to download and improve its functional range. This device is a cool development that opens up a lot of possibilities. While it's a great GPS bike computer for roadies, it also has a lot of support for trail riding, mountain biking, and other off-roading. It's a robust device that most of us would be happy with for years of riding. 
There are a few things to consider before purchasing this computer, however. The level of features and performance comes at a premium price, making it one of the most expensive models we tested. We found that it had some infrequent but annoying issues while in navigation mode, which can be a pain if you're in unfamiliar, dodgy territory &#40;which you probably are if you're in navigation mode&#41;. Lastly, it occasionally had difficulty pairing with our smartphone. Regardless, we still feel it's a top-notch device that earns every bit of its award. 

After weeks of careful evaluation and plenty of trail and road time, the Garmin Edge 830 rose to the top of the pack. This computer has a vibrant touchscreen and a few simple tactile buttons for controls. Scrolling around and selecting options is impressively straightforward. The menus and interface are well-organized, making them quite intuitive and user-friendly. This computer seems less affected by water interference than other touchscreen devices, making it a little more practical for use during inclement weather. It also has a laundry list of useful features. A good portion of them are native to the device, but one of the biggest strengths of the Edge 830 is in the Connect IQ store, where you can find all types of third-party apps to download and improve its functionality. While it's a great GPS bike computer for roadies, it also has a lot of support for gravel riding and mountain biking. It's a robust device that should meet the needs of most riders. 
There are a few things to consider before purchasing this computer. The level of features and performance comes at a premium price, and it is one of the more expensive models we tested. We also found that it had some infrequent but annoying issues while in navigation mode, which can be a pain if you're in unfamiliar, dodgy territory &#40;which you probably are if you're in navigation mode&#41;. Lastly, it occasionally had difficulty pairing with our smartphone. Regardless, we still feel it's a top-notch device that earns every bit of its award. 
Read more: Garmin Edge 830 review

Upgrade Pick

The Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT ROAM shakes out to be one of the most versatile models we tested. It doesn't have a fancy touchscreen, but you'll never have issues playing around on the screen when it's pouring rain &#40;or sweat&#41;. And when the weather's not rainy, you can use the connected ELEMNT app on your phone's touchscreen to do whatever you need to do. The well-designed and user-friendly app is one of the main reasons we liked this GPS bike computer so much. The head unit is easy enough, but having it connected to the robust mobile app, which functions as an extension of your computer, is just brilliant. Setting up screens, navigating, and reviewing data is incredibly simple, and there are data screens for just about anything you can think of.
As great as this GPS bike computer is, it's not all roses. There can be some trouble getting it connected to the mobile app, limiting some of its practicality until it's connected. It is also an advanced device, so it might not be for everyone; folks who aren't tech-savvy may have a harder time operating it. Overall, it's a hardy GPS bike computer with robust functionality that especially suits mountain bikers, roadies, explorers, and any rider who loves their data. 

The Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT ROAM shakes out to be one of the most versatile models we tested. It doesn't have a fancy touchscreen, but you'll never have issues playing around on the screen when it's pouring rain &#40;or sweat&#41;. And when the weather's not rainy, you can use the connected ELEMNT app on your phone's touchscreen to do whatever you need to do. The well-designed and user-friendly app is one of the main reasons we like Wahoo's bike computers so much. The head unit is easy enough to control and use, but having it connected to the robust mobile app, which functions as an extension of your computer, is just brilliant. Setting up screens, navigating, and reviewing data is incredibly simple, and there are data screens for just about anything you can think of.
As great as this GPS bike computer is, it's not all roses. There can be some trouble getting it connected to the mobile app, limiting some of its practicality until it's connected. It is also an advanced device, so it might not be for everyone; folks who aren't particularly tech-savvy may have a harder time operating it. Overall, it's a hardy GPS bike computer with robust functionality that especially suits mountain bikers, roadies, explorers, and any rider who loves their data. 
Read more: Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT ROAM review

Budget Pick

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Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM GPS Bike Computer Review - FeedTheHabit.com

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 was one of our very favorite machines to have out on unfamiliar rural roads in the mountains. It's really easy to get caught up in the glitz or a fancy presentation, but this device is so much more than a flashy screen. It's the computer of Chris Froome and the Israel Start-Up Nation professional cycling team for a reason. The phone-inspired design is certainly a big part of that. Its touchscreen has the natural responsiveness of a smartphone, and its Android 8 OS &#40;sorry iFolks!&#41; ensures it uses an intuitive interface familiar to most smartphone users. It's definitely a device for early adopters who know their way around troubleshooting software or devices without having their hand held over the phone. Once some of the potential hurdles are cleared, it's a sweet beast with lots of potential and more functionality coming online all the time. Perhaps the group to love it the most is the explorer group. Anyone who relies on maps and navigation to find new routes will find the rich colors and clear, easy to manipulate maps and directions irresistible. It's hard to go back to nav on other devices once you've used the Karoo 2.
The most difficult thing about the computer is the initial setup with updates and the integrations. A lot of other cycling computers lean on their apps to help with setup and integrations with 3rd parties. For the Karoo 2, the head unit is the main node for that. The app has very little functionality, which seems like efficient streamlining, but ends up causing some headaches.

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 was one of our very favorite machines to have out on unfamiliar rural roads in the mountains. It's really easy to get caught up in the glitz or a fancy presentation, but this device is much more than a flashy screen. The phone-inspired design is certainly a big part of that. Its touchscreen has the natural responsiveness of a smartphone, and its Android 8 OS &#40;sorry iFolks!&#41; ensures it uses an intuitive interface familiar to most smartphone users. It's definitely a device for early adopters who know their way around troubleshooting software or devices without having their hand held over the phone. Once some of the potential hurdles are cleared, it's a sweet beast with lots of potential and more functionality through frequent updates coming online all the time. Perhaps the group to love it the most is the explorer group. Anyone who relies on maps and navigation to find new routes will find the rich colors and clear, easy-to-manipulate maps and directions irresistible. It's hard to go back to navigation on other devices once you've used the Karoo 2.
The most difficult thing about the Karoo 2 is the initial setup with updates and the integrations. A lot of other cycling computers lean on their apps to help with setup and integrations with 3rd parties. For the Karoo 2, the head unit is the main node for that. The app has very little functionality, which seems like efficient streamlining, but ends up causing some headaches.
Read more: Hammerhead Karoo 2 review

The Bryton Rider 420 really surprised us with its unassuming appearance and low cost. There's no denying that this device is a little workhorse. Bryton claims that this computer has over 70 different features. We're not convinced that's the most useful metric, but this device certainly has all the broad functionality you'd find on much more expensive computers, including smart notifications, power, and navigation. We were thrilled to find that it had navigation at all, much less the use of the major global nav satellite systems and a low drop rate! Its integrations with Strava, RidewithGPS, and Komoot made it possible to pull in routes and upload ride data, which is also a great value-add for this market segment.
On the point of navigation and display, there are still some considerations. If you loved Tamagotchis and Game Boys, sit down because you're in for a treat. The display is about what you'd expect out of an early 90s screen. This is, of course, part of the reason it comes at such a bargain price. It's really a good choice for utilitarian riders who just want the data and no fancy stuff, please and thank you. Those looking for a more advanced interface like a touchscreen with robust functionality might look a shelf or two higher for the expensive stuff. 

The Bryton Rider 420 really surprised us with its unassuming appearance and low cost. There's no denying that this compact and affordable device is a little workhorse. Bryton claims that this computer has over 70 different features. We're not convinced that's the most useful metric, but it has most of the broad functionality you'd find on much more expensive computers, including smart notifications, power, and navigation. We were thrilled to find that it had navigation at all, much less the use of the major global nav satellite systems and a low drop rate. Its integrations with Strava, RidewithGPS, and Komoot made it possible to pull in routes and upload ride data, which is also a great value-add for this market segment.
On the point of navigation and display, there are still some considerations. If you loved Tamagotchis and Game Boys, sit down because you're in for a treat. The display is about what you'd expect out of an early 90s screen. This is, of course, part of the reason it comes at such a bargain price. It's really a good choice for utilitarian riders who just want the data and no fancy stuff, please and thank you. Those looking for a more advanced interface like a touchscreen with robust functionality might want to look a price bracket or two higher. 
Read more: Bryton Rider 420 review

The CatEye Quick is going to be your best option if budget is a real constraint, and you're just looking to get the basic numbers: current speed, average speed, miles, and time. It's a no-nonsense bike computer that gives you the basics, and it's also a pretty cool-looking device despite its price tag. Truthfully, most basic bike computers look clunky and dorky with their messy wires and toyish head unit, but this thing is sleek, wireless, and elegantly designed. It has just a few buttons with a few functions, keeping it simple and easy to navigate. Setup is as easy as attaching the speed sensor and magnet and entering some basic data. To start it, you might need to hit a button to wake it up if it's been sitting for a long time, but it's a set-it-and-forget-it type of bike computer. When you start rolling, it starts recording. 
As we mentioned, this is a really basic computer for folks that just want the necessary numbers, so it's not going to have fancy functions or give you in-depth data or analysis. It is not GPS enabled, so you can't use it for navigation nor track your routes. There's no way to transfer your ride data to Strava or another third-party tracker, so it'll need to be done manually. This may suit many riders just fine, but for those that want a little more functionality, you'll need to look a little higher up the line for a more advanced, GPS-enabled computer.

The CatEye Quick is going to be your best option if budget is a real constraint, and you're just looking to get the basic numbers: current speed, average speed, miles, and time. It's a no-nonsense bike computer that gives you the basics, and it's also a pretty cool-looking device despite its low price tag. Truthfully, most basic bike computers look clunky and old-school with their messy wires and toyish head unit, but this thing is sleek, wireless, and elegantly designed. It has just a few buttons with a few functions, keeping it simple and easy to navigate. Setup is as easy as attaching the speed sensor and magnet and entering some basic data. To start it, you might need to hit a button to wake it up if it's been sitting for a long time, but it's a set-it-and-forget-it type of bike computer. When you start rolling, it starts recording. 
As we mentioned, this is a really basic computer for riders that just want the necessary numbers. It doesn't have fancy functions or give you in-depth data or analysis. It is not GPS-enabled, so you can't use it for navigation or track your routes. There's no way to transfer your ride data to Strava or another third-party tracker, so that needs to be done manually if you choose to track that info. This may suit many riders just fine, but for those that want a little more functionality, you'll need to look a little higher up the line at the more advanced, and more expensive, GPS-enabled models.
Read more: Cateye Quick review

Bike Computer Comparison