Experiences of Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt vs Garmin 520?

doozerie

I'm in the market for a new GPS unit and I've narrowed my choice down to between the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt and the Garmin 520. Predictably, look for long enough online and you'll find a whole bunch of positive and negative reviews of any product, and these two are no exception.

So they both clearly have their pros and cons, and they both cover most or all of what I need, so it's the subtle differences that'll likely dictate my choice between them.

The basic features I need, that I believe they both provide, but am open to correction: support ANT+ sensors (HRM strap and power meter in my case); can save and display left and right power figures; provide an option to calibrate power meter; multiple screens; multiple bike profiles.

I'm leaning towards the Bolt right now because of the following:
* Claimed better visibility of the screen in all light conditions. This is a big one for me - I hate to admit it but age is catching up with my eyesight finally and my Garmin 500 display is getting blurry to me these days, and while the 520 is an improvement over the 500 I gather that the Bolt is a significant step up again.
* The LEDs along the top give the option of easily seeing which power (or HRM) zone I'm in without have to potentially squint to read the actual figures off the screen.
* The buttons seem to be more logically positioned than the Garmin 520 buttons, some of which seem like an afterthought (those two buttons on the bottom edge).
* Being able to configure the device via an app on my phone would be convenient I reckon, I'd prefer it to be an option rather than a requirement mind you, but still.
* After years of intermittent and frustrating issues with Garmin firmware I'd welcome a change, and Wahoo firmware seems to be more reliable (if sometimes limited in functionality by comparison).

On the other hand, one of the potential downsides of the Bolt is that I'm used to using Garmin Connect and its layout and features are comfortably familiar. I'm not sure I'll be able to upload rides to it from the Bolt. Mind you I haven't checked which file formats Connect accepts so maybe the Bolt files can just be manually uploaded without conversion? I'm concerned about losing the left and right info from my power meter as one example though so I'd be interested to know if anyone is successfully uploading such info from a Bolt to Garmin Connect and how painful the process is/isn't.

I'd welcome any views and experiences of people that use the Bolt, and all the better if you've used the Garmin 520 and have an opinion on how they compare.

doozerie

Oh, and a particularly lazy question: will the Bolt work with a standard Garmin mount?

I suspect no. I know that there are specific mounts sold for the Bolt, but I haven't dug deeper to find out definitively whether the Bolt is simply incompatible with the Garmin ones, so I'm hoping someone will be able to save me that effort

Luxman

second question first as its quick to answer. I have moved from 520 to the Bolt. The garmin mount won't work. It does come with its own out front mount and also a stem one. Now back tor reading the 1st post

Luxman

The firmware has been very solid so far, faultless in fact.

The screen is the reason I moved over to a Bolt. You can configure unto nine fields per screen and then zoom in on the go which makes the font larger.

Mapping is a bit Meh, bland, but I don't use it much.

Connectivity to the phone and GPS is 100%, never a glitch.

Pairing with sensors is a doddle and quick.

I don't use a PM so I cannot comment on that piece.

You can authorise the app to sync with third party apps, (TP, trainer road, ride with GPS, Strava etc) so when you finish the spin they all sync automatically. You move away from GC and reviewing all you history on the app with the Wahoo app, but more detail may be available on more sophisticated platforms (I'm not sure).

monkeyslayer

Plus one everything as above, I recently upgraded from a garmin 510... Iv never used it with my pc or connected it to it so it's 100% configured on your phone via a very usable app... The zoomable screens on the fly is a brilliant feature. Battery life seems great too, one charge lasts a few rides at least... I wish it blinked or something when its charging or fully charged but its a small gripe. Love the way it syncs automatically to strava when I'm finished. Buttons seemed weird at first but they make perfect sense after some readjusting from years of garmin... The out front mount is solid too, I think there was a stem mount in the box too. Handy I suppose if you have two bikes

Plastik

I've had a Bolt for the last 12 months, love it.

With regard to your particular requirements, it doesn't do multiple bike profiles, and it will only fit some Garmin mounts. The Garmin tabs are at 3 & 9, the Bolt tabs at 6 & 12, and are slightly wider than the Garmin tabs. If you have a fixed position Garmin out front mount that can't be rotated through 90 degrees then its useless for the Bolt. The stem mounts that can be rotated are fine however, and after you open the tab hole on the mount by about 1mm with a sharp knife it becomes compatible with the Bolts slightly wider tabs.

Alek

Bolt is great, super stable, gps reception is magnitude better than Garmin's, etc.... The only thing that drives me crazy is inability to set the map in North up orientation when following a route. Wahoo support said they rather won't bother fixing this, not enough users reporting....

Btw, I'm also using it with Garmin mounts rotated 90deg and trimmed ever so slightly at the tab - so now both Garmin and Wahoo devices mount correctly and securely.

monkeyslayer

Alek wrote: »

Bolt is great, super stable, gps reception is magnitude better than Garmin's, etc.... The only thing that drives me crazy is inability to set the map in North up orientation when following a route. Wahoo support said they rather won't bother fixing this, not enough users reporting....

Btw, I'm also using it with Garmin mounts rotated 90deg and trimmed ever so slightly at the tab - so now both Garmin and Wahoo devices mount correctly and securely.

I think what you mean is now possible, there's two settings in the app, north is always up and auto oriented map modes.

Alek

monkeyslayer wrote: »

two settings in the app

Hmm. I can only see Always Rotate Map - where's the other one?

CramCycle

Alek wrote: »

Hmm. I can only see Always Rotate Map - where's the other one?

What happens if ypu leave it turned off?

Alek

- Track up when following routes
- North up when otherwise.

doozerie

Re uploading Bolt files to Garmin Connect, the Bolt creates .fit files which in theory are supported by Garmin Connect. And you used to be able to upload them to Connect. From reading some online discussions though, something changed a few months back, either in the format of the files that the Bolt creates or something within Garmin Connect, and you couldn't upload them any longer afterwards.

It reads like a serialised trashy novel though, describing the breakdown of a (non-) relationship between Wahoo and Garmin, I've not got to the final chapter yet and maybe by then they'll have sorted out their differences and be madly in love again. In the meantime they both act a bit miserable, sharing their misery with the world by means of badly written firmware (my online reading has also disabused me of the theory that Wahoo firmware is entirely robust and reliable, sadly).

monkeyslayer

Alek wrote: »

Hmm. I can only see Always Rotate Map - where's the other one?

Ah I get you now. Sorry I meant two settings as in setting orientation to on or to off. Yes that it is annoying and something they should and could fix rather easily.

doozerie

Further info on the problems uploading Wahoo .fit files to Garmin Connect, including both an explanation of the cause (= Garmin) and a workaround, here: LINK

I deal with IT issues day in and out, it's my day job, ideally I'd like to avoid that silly headache for my hobby which is an escape from my day job amongst other things. I'm not so naive as to believe that's entirely achievable, not when I choose to have a computer attached to the bike and talking to other "computers" in the form of various HRM/speed/cadence/power sensors, but I'm keen to reduce the headache where possible.

For that reason I'd consider moving away from Garmin Connect, and the Garmin-specific issues/baggage that go with it, to Golden Cheetah in the hope of the latter being more neutral and better supported (albeit with its own headache of limiting me to a computer(s) with the software installed, etc.). Is anyone using Golden Cheetah with the Bolt and if so have you encountered any notable problems?

Hopelessone1

Sort for jumping in but I’m also considering going from 520 to the bolt. One question can u get an out front mount for aero handlebars for the elemnt bolt ?? Thanks

doozerie

Hopelessone1 wrote: »

Sort for jumping in but I’m also considering going from 520 to the bolt. One question can u get an out front mount for aero handlebars for the elemnt bolt ?? Thanks

From what I have read it seems you can buy an insert for K-Edge mounts to make them compatible with Wahoo devices. So if you already have, or can find, a K-Edge mount which is compatible with your bars, and it has a removable insert, that could be an option.

nilhg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GRHYTBK/

This comes with inserts for a whole range of computers, garmin, polar, wahoo, mio, magellan, cateye, powertap and bryton.

CramCycle

I thought the element bolt came with an aero mount when your buying?

Alek

Yes, but not necessarily fitting aero bars.

CramCycle

Alek wrote: »

Yes, but not necessarily fitting aero bars.

Silly me

monkeyslayer

Wondering actually, my only niggle with it really, can the bolt cycle through the pages automatically on a ride like the garmin can? I can't find the setting, its not annoying having to be hitting the button but it'd probably be a little safer

Luxman

monkeyslayer wrote: »

Wondering actually, my only niggle with it really, can the bolt cycle through the pages automatically on a ride like the garmin can? I can't find the setting, its not annoying having to be hitting the button but it'd probably be a little safer

No, not that Im aware of. I used the setting on the Garmin before but found it infuriating in that you would have to check the screen more than once if the data field youeanted was not showing at that exact moment

Plastik

Sagan uses a Bolt.

That basically settles it for anyone on the fence.

CrowdedHouse

Plastik wrote: »

Sagan uses a Bolt.

Noticed that in Flanders

(But in a photo gallery someone was using a Garmin 25 - maybe less is more!)

Photo 36
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/101-race-tech-photos-from-the-tour-of-flanders-gallery/

CramCycle

Can you put in comments on your map or route on either, much like tapping info of a race course to your stem, can either have it pop up on screen at a preselected point?

CramCycle

Anyone? Say I wanted to put in a note that when I get to a certain point on the map it would tell me to get ready for a hill climb or tell me to get into a certain gear. Notes I would have prepared myself.

Going to buy one or the other this week and am still no closer to deciding based on the commentary here.

Also all the talk of the app on the phone for configuring, what does it use? Bluetooth? can I configure through my PC?

Plastik

I'll test this evening.

App talks to the unit via Bluetooth, I don't think you can configure via a PC. Not sure why you'd want to. The integration with the app is excellent both in terms of setting it up, configuring screens, and using the route mapping/GPS on the fly. It is many light years ahead of the Garmin system in my opinion.

*Just looking on RidewithGPS and you can manually add Cues to your route so I would assume these would show up on the Wahoo when it's following the route, but will confirm later.

_Puma_

Ive had my Bolt for 6 months now. Its my first computer. "Rock Solid" is how id describe it. Connectivity, Sync,updates, display, Customization are all excellent. In fact I've never had an issue with a lost ride, missing something on the screen, GPS etc...

My friend who I go out regularly with is just waiting to have an "accident" with his 520 so he can buy a Bolt

CramCycle

Plastik wrote: »

I'll test this evening.

That would be great

App talks to the unit via Bluetooth, I don't think you can configure via a PC. Not sure why you'd want to. The integration with the app is excellent both in terms of setting it up, configuring screens, and using the route mapping/GPS on the fly. It is many light years ahead of the Garmin system in my opinion.

My phone is a heap of junk but I am not buying one for a long time, PC would be handier as my screen on the phone is rubbish and only works intermittently.

*Just looking on RidewithGPS and you can manually add Cues to your route so I would assume these would show up on the Wahoo when it's following the route, but will confirm later.

Haven't used RWGPS in years but may start, presume this would work with the 520 then as well.

doozerie

@cramcycle I went ahead and bought myself a Bolt last week (Wiggle had them reduced to under 200euro, without sensors or HRM strap, at the time). So far I've only used it twice and both times on the turbo, but even that was enough to show up some pros and cons versus the Garmin 520. I had a Garmin 520 for a few days several weeks ago, bought it used from Amazon but had to return it as it was faulty.

I'm planning to throw together a post on those pros and cons, it'll obviously be limited by my minimal experience of both units but it might give you something more to go on before making your choice. I'll do so over the next few days.

One thing though, you may already be aware of this but Wahoo chose a very different approach to Garmin when it comes to a number of things, and the means of getting routes onto the device is one of them. With a Garmin you connect it as a USB device and drop an appropriate file (from whatever source) into the appropriate directory and you can use it, whereas with Wahoo you can only download route files to the device from either of RWGPS or Komoot so you'll need to be happy using one or other of those two services. Both approaches have their merits of course, but it's one of the things to consider.

Luxman

doozerie wrote: »

@cramcycle I went ahead and bought myself a Bolt last week (Wiggle had them reduced to under 200euro, without sensors or HRM strap, at the time). So far I've only used it twice and both times on the turbo, but even that was enough to show up some pros and cons versus the Garmin 520. I had a Garmin 520 for a few days several weeks ago, bought it used from Amazon but had to return it as it was faulty.

I'm planning to throw together a post on those pros and cons, it'll obviously be limited by my minimal experience of both units but it might give you something more to go on before making your choice. I'll do so over the next few days.

One thing though, you may already be aware of this but Wahoo chose a very different approach to Garmin when it comes to a number of things, and the means of getting routes onto the device is one of them. With a Garmin you connect it as a USB device and drop an appropriate file (from whatever source) into the appropriate directory and you can use it, whereas with Wahoo you can only download route files to the device from either of RWGPS or Komoot so you'll need to be happy using one or other of those two services. Both approaches have their merits of course, but it's one of the things to consider.

I have played around with adding routes and although I don’t tend to use cues within a route you can create one using Strava and the bolt will sync with it (once authorised). I have only done this by creating a route from scratch and haven’t succeeded in using someone’s else route to download ( although I think you can when you are a premium member).