Garmin or wahoo

07Lapierre

So .. which is better? Has wahoo finally knocked Garmin off the top spot? Discuss.

dahat

Depends on what you need from it.

I've switched to Wahoo after my Garmin died and I find it fsr better for power based training both indoors & outdoors. The non coloured display of the Bolt feels less cluttered than tje Garmin UI.

The Garmin 130 seems a good value entry level unit for basic information and then I've can go from there depending on what route they take.

Cee-Jay-Cee

My 520’s battery is slowly dying (down to 4hrs from full to empty) and I’m considering my options too. I’m tempted by the Bryton 420 which apparently has a 30+ hr battery life, has the same functionality as the Garnin 520 except without colour (which I don’t need anyway) but also adds the feature of being able to set up the unit on the phone app rather than having to do it on the unit itself which is a total PITA.

The garmin 520 plus is also an option but still has only half the battery life of the Bryton and better maps which I never use and don’t need.

I’ve emailed Garmin about my battery life so their reply will sway my decision considerably. If they offer a cheap battery replacement then I’ll stick with the 520, if not I think the Bryton could be the choice.

sy_flembeck

Earlier this year, after my patience with various Garmins finally broke, I switched to Wahoo. Not a single issue with it, very reliable. Build quality not quite up to Garmin standards but it did exactly what I needed it to do.

Two months ago I changed again to the Hammerhead Karoo and I feel that, even though it's early days, I've gone up another notch. Might be worth considering

Macy0161

I chose the Bolt over the 520/ 520 plus at the time, mainly due to battery life. If I was buying now, i'd go 530 though tbh. Nothing wrong with the bolt* (hence I can't justify the change), but I think the 530 trumps the Roam in all but TR Outdoor workouts.

*well the calorie burn is about my only issue - off the wall high compared to Garmin/ Power Meter, and doesn't even give an estimate if no HRM connected. I realise this may not be an issue to some.

dahat

The battery life is immense on the Bolt. I charge mine once per week with 3 x 90min indoor & 2 x 4hr spins at the weekend. You can't ask anymore than that from a device.

Alanbt

Got a 530 a few weeks ago after lost 520 somehow in work.
Really impressed with how much faster it is and the battery life is much better.
No experience of wahoo but really liking the 530

Luxman

As mentioned above my garmin battery started to fail and it was less than a year old. Also found it harder to read the shiny screen. Went to Wahoo and it’s flawless. The old school screen on the wahoo is not as bling but I only glance at it for the data. I’m not watching tv on it😂. Works every time and battery has not diminished at all over 2 years constant use.

ReReg Numpty

The bolt is a much better device, compared to any of the Edge series. Garmin have a disadvantage with their software base. The only positive thing you can say is that they offer more features, most of which are not useful.

This cumbersome code base means the more they try to improve their products, the more unwieldy, unreliable and expensive they become. Clearly Wahoo saw this and dealt them a fatal blow. The bolt offers the right features at the right price.

nilhg

After 6 years the battery on my edge 500 eventually started failing to the extent I couldn't be sure it would last out a normal long spin. I knew this day was coming so I'd been thinking about my options, plenty of lads in our club have jumped to the wahoo side of things but they've had the odd niggle too. In the end I went for a new Edge 530, the decent reviews and the fact that a couple of firmware updates seem to have ironed out any teething troubles were encouraging and I also wanted to be able to run the Xert connect IQ apps and data fields.

I have it now a month or so, very happy so far.

triggermortis

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

My 520’s battery is slowly dying (down to 4hrs from full to empty) and I’m considering my options too. I’m tempted by the Bryton 420 which apparently has a 30+ hr battery life, has the same functionality as the Garnin 520 except without colour (which I don’t need anyway) but also adds the feature of being able to set up the unit on the phone app rather than having to do it on the unit itself which is a total PITA.

The garmin 520 plus is also an option but still has only half the battery life of the Bryton and better maps which I never use and don’t need.

I’ve emailed Garmin about my battery life so their reply will sway my decision considerably. If they offer a cheap battery replacement then I’ll stick with the 520, if not I think the Bryton could be the choice.

you can get a replacement battery for around 20 euro

Sinbad_NI

IMO...Both will work well at the start. Both great devices.

Then what happened to me... after @6 months the Garmin will start to glitch and need to be reset, you’ll do this a few times over the next few years until you get fed up and end up getting a bolt.
I’d go for the Bolt all day long.

Michael_Myers

+1 for the Garmin Edge 530 !

I did lots of research into both Garmim and Wahoo options before buying...
The Edge 530 is Super fast compared to previous Garmins. Color display is crisp and vivid.
The Edge 530 has lots of functionality that does not come with Wahoo.

Have a look at DCRainmakers reviews and comparisons.

07Lapierre

Thanks All interesting to hear people’s thoughts. I’m currently waiting on Garmin to send me a Garmin 1000 back as I sent mine to them to be repaired. The power on/off button is a weak point on the 1000 as the rubber cracks over time. Going to stick with Garmin as I do like the color screen and the various apps I can download to customise the display,

Cionn

In the last 2 months I have gone from Garmin 820 to wahoo elemnt to sigma 12 Rox. For the Garmin and the wahoo it all feels like low technology now and cumbersome. The sigma feels.a.bit more modern but still doesn't feel cutting edge. Alas I don't think my ideal computer for the b hiike exists yet but for me it's all about battery no 1 and software no 2

rosman2603

triggermortis wrote: »

you can get a replacement battery for around 20 euro

Hi is it possible to get a replacement battery for a Garmin 800 and if so where thanks

RobertFoster

rosman2603 wrote: »

Hi is it possible to get a replacement battery for a Garmin 800 and if so where thanks

It seems like a straightforward replacement; a few screws and a couple of ribbon cables, no glue or difficult prising.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVkkYNyednY

Get the battery from eBay. Here's a listing with some tools included if you need them -- https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Battery-suitable-for-Garmin-Edge-800-Edge-810/302385528348. Search for "edge 800 battery" and you might find a cheaper or better seller.

Use Parcel Motel for cheaper postage.

G1032

Michael_Myers wrote: »

The Edge 530 has lots of functionality that does not come with Wahoo.

Like what exactly? Can you give us a quick summary please?

Michael_Myers

G1032 wrote: »

Like what exactly? Can you give us a quick summary please?

https://bikesboom.com/wahoo-elemnt-bolt-vs-garmin-530/


https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/garmin-edge-530-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html/amp

G1032

Michael_Myers wrote: »

https://bikesboom.com/wahoo-elemnt-bolt-vs-garmin-530/


https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/garmin-edge-530-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html/amp

I had read the Bikesboom article before I posted here this morning. I just don't see 'lots' of differences between the two devices, which is why I asked for your own summary and not just a link to a review.
The 530 has a colour screen and more 'robust' maps.
If that's 'lots' of extra functionally, then fine.
I don't know what more information you'd want on your bike computer that Wahoo doesn't provide.

nilhg

G1032 wrote: »

I had read the Bikesboom article before I posted here this morning. I just don't see 'lots' of differences between the two devices, which is why I asked for your own summary and not just a link to a review.
The 530 has a colour screen and more 'robust' maps.
If that's 'lots' of extra functionally, then fine.
I don't know what more information you'd want on your bike computer that Wahoo doesn't provide.

The big difference for me was the extra functionality available via the Connrct IQ app store,

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/devices/edge530/apps

As with all tech products, peoples use cases vary, so much of what's available there may not be of much relevance to many, but where it is it can be very useful.

Example below where a chap is using Xerts MPA field to pace himself in a crit race

Not possible on a Bolt either using MPA or W'Bal which is functionally very similar

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/wahoo-elemnt-users/-KhB66dlPRU

rosman2603

RobertFoster wrote: »

It seems like a straightforward replacement; a few screws and a couple
Thanks