Garmin or Wahoo? Which bike computer is best?

[@richardnadler1843]

I swim in the Garmin ecosystem . . . Edge 1030, Varia Headlight, Varia Radar, Varia Vision, Vector 3 pedals, S2 Smart Scale and the king of the roost . . . a Fenix 6 Sapphire. No connectivity or touch screen issues. The Edge 1030 syncs its data with the Fenix 6. Then the Fenix 6 uses that data along with it's own data to produce daily suggested rides, workouts or rest days. Collecting everything from every device, the Garmin Connect website and mobile app both track tons of data. Everything. . . from VO2 max, down to weight. It's like having a personal coach. I have definitely gone way beyond the point of return. As they say 'No way out.'

[@donofd9626]

I bought a Garmin 800 at the end of 2010, this year the battery started fading and the power button rubber disintegrated. 11 years and no other issues. I bought a 530, hated the buttons, sent it back and got an 830 with touchscreen. Review in 10 years, if the Wahoo is still great I’ll give it a look.

[@jacekjankiewicz1939]

I don't comment on you tube at all, but I have to make an exception here ... This is the best review of this stuff on YT! straight to the point and without unnecessary marketing bullshit. Good job & keep it up gentlemens! Greetings from Poland!

[@DialedCycling]

Thank you, Jacek!

[@bremnet1812]

I've used Wahoo devices for years. I've never once experienced any issues with them and they as simple to setup and use. However, I wanted to try a touch screen. Having other Garmin devices such as my Garmin Fenix 5x, I purchased the Garmin 830. After the painstaking, daunting task of setting the POS device up I used it about a dozen times before I went back to my trusty Wahoo Bolt. The Garmin 830 device did nothing but have constant issues, on almost ever ride like freeze ups, lost GPS signal, Bluetooth disconnects and/or would just power off. Garmin, replaced the head unit, but the headaches just continued with it. I went back to Wahoo for good and still issue free. Like DC Rainmaker has said on his KZbin channel about Wahoo in comparison to Garmin, Wahoo just works. Ohhh... If anyone is looking to try out a Garmin 830, I can point towards a farm field where I left mine.

[@TexasNightRider]

One of the funniest closing comments on KZbin I've seen in a while.

[@musinguzimark2012]

Sell me the 830

[@bremnet1812]

@@musinguzimark2012 It's in a farm field. You're welcome to go by and see if it's still there.

[@Mathiasbendiksen]

edge 830 now and have used garmin for 6 years. love garmin. had bolt for 3 weeks and nah. garmin is my home and heart

[@chaiinspace2]

I had the 810, then 520, then 820. Tried the wahoo elemnt, never going back.

[@podunkman2709]

All garmin I had was a total #%**

[@MelbourneExclusive0]

@@chaiinspace2 which element?

[@chaiinspace2]

@@MelbourneExclusive0 I have both the elemnt and the roam. I hear the 1040 is v good but I don't like touch screens when full fingered gloves, from experience with the 810 and the 820.

[@mateuszhulboj4347]

Best review on the internet! You guys have a great energy together! Thanks a lot for your knowledge and passion! 👏

[@darbycurrie3391]

I've tried to love the Garmin, but's tripped me 3 times to change over the years... always been happier with Wahoo, particularly for outdoor workouts!

[@DialedCycling]

Thanks for the feedback! Enjoy your Wahoo 👍

[@joekosanda6687]

@@DialedCycling I have both the Wahoo element and the Garmin 530 Wahoo elemnt massivley better than the garmin. much easier to use, It does the basics much better. The garmin has 4-10 sec delay on speed , 2-4 sec delay on wattage,

[@bellis6323]

Been considering getting a computer and this video has really helped. Great stuff guys. Plus thanks for being so good with grammar- yes, it's fewer things NOT less. As an ex language teacher, that makes me HAPPY.

[@bicyclecoffeeguy1045]

One of the best comparison between these two units i’ve seen in yt so far so thanks for that guys. Just bought my first bike computer ever for a couple moths ago (garmin 830) and no flaws yet. Also happy that did not seen this one before i made a purchase cause otherwise it would have been way too difficult to choose between these too. :)

[@DialedCycling]

Thank you for watching and feedback! Enjoy that 830 👊

[@yute-hube779]

I thought the Wahoo at first but after looking at what's better about the Garmin and how the better stuff about the Wahoo doesn't seem as significant, I'm back thinking the Garmin is probably better. Wise choice my friend wise choice!

[@flattire60dauer79]

Wahoo added Climb PRO. I also have a EDGE 1000, I find that the Wahoo ELMENT Roam has a much longer battery life than the Edge 1000. On some long days in the saddle, the Garmin EDGE 1000 almost runs out of juice.

[@giutubospatubo1546]

I switched to Wahoo Bolt and I like it better than my Garmin. Mainly because of user interface. It´s more friendly and has better connection. Great review, by the way.

[@gregmaher6728]

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Bolt V2!

[@DialedCycling]

Stay tuned... The testing is about to start :)

[@PuneethBedre]

@@DialedCycling waiting…

[@DialedCycling]

@@PuneethBedre We've been actively testing them for about a month now and a video is starting to come together... stay tuned!

[@HardBoiledGregADV]

Wahoo has Trail Forks integration now.

[@nicolemitsi]

I decided to try a Wahoo thinking the grass would the greener (coming from Garmin) but I was wrong haha. After a few months I went back to my Garmin Edge 530. There were a few reasons for this that I don't feel were discussed in this comparison. 1. You can only change the screen pages on Wahoo in one direction... which, if like me, you have many different pages can be extremely annoying to go through. The Garmin, however, you can go forward and backward, so if you accidentally go past a screen you can easily just go back rather than go through ALL of them again. 2. You can't discard a ride when you finish on Wahoo... such a simple feature, I don't understand why Wahoo hasn't included this. So if there's a ride you don't wish to upload, you have no choice and have to go through ALL platforms (Strava, TrainingPeaks etc) and delete it. Whereas on Garmin you can choose to delete the ride so it doesn't upload everywhere. I use my bike computer as a backup on the trainer whilst on Zwift (just in case it crashes), and when Zwift uploads my ride I will simply discard it on my Garmin... no problems. But on the Wahoo I couldn't do this, so would get double uploads which was really annoying. 3. I can't change anything on the computer itself... it relies on my smartphone. Easy to set up and change stuff, I agree, but if I don't have my phone or my phone dies on a ride then I can't change anything on the unit. I prefer being able to do everything on the bike computer itself without too much reliance on my phone. 4. When a battery is running low (e.g. power meter, di2 etc) the Wahoo will say 'Low battery' but won't actually tell me WHAT has a low battery... so left me guessing half the time. The Garmin however, tells me exactly what is low so I can replace the battery/charge it asap. 5. The Wahoo HR monitor died twice within 6 months (I had to get warranty). My Garmin HR monitor has been solid for 5 years... (I've heard others report the same experience) P.S. Not sure if points 1 and 2 have changed since I used a Wahoo unit (let me know if it has), but these things were annoyances that I just couldn't get past... I went back to using my Garmin Edge 530 and to be honest I feel like the software and connectivity has improved over the last 6 months. I haven't had any issues with it, uploads my rides within a minute of walking into my home (through my wifi) and everything works seamlessly. Garmin are the gold standard for a reason. :)

[@lheppler]

These are great points. Thanks for sharing

[@roilev]

With Wahoo you don't need so many screens. You can zoom in and out of one screen. I had mine with 5 important metrics, and then time of day, temperature and totals below them, hidden when I don't need them. With simple clicks on the side buttons you show them without losing the important data fields above.

[@nicolemitsi]

@@roilev I get you, but I like to have a seperate screen for lap data (workouts), climbing metrics and all those other metrics. Having it all on one screen doesn't really work for a lot of people.

[@roilev]

@@nicolemitsi That's one of the good decisions on Garmin, to have specific profile with separate settings - one for racing, other for training, third for MTB. On Wahoo you can achieve similar results by having different screens for different use cases. And turn off the other screens. Having 3 screens makes scrolling easy - one click going forward, two clicks for going back.

[@shred3005]

The cyclists I know have been ditching Garmin to go to Wahoo for years for the simplicity and reliability of setup and phone connection but also all the 5hitFcukery Garmin has with its updates and firmware flakiness that drives people mad. You described it and it’s real for many users. I had an 810 and and 820 that periodically drove me nuts and I gave up in the end. I’d find it hard to trust Garmin again after that bollocks. The Wahoo Roam and Bolt V2 screen clarity is much better with fewer reflections than I had with my Garmins too. Garmin seems to have gotten better with the last few models but hard to give them a chance again

[@joshgray9035]

I had multiple Garmin computers and all of them had various bugs and eventually issues requiring warranty service. Eventually I saw said I'd never use one again, bought a Wahoo and it's been rock solid for years. No Garmin again, ever.

[@rayF4rio]

My first "computer" was a distance odometer on the front hub back in 1974. I've since used just about everything. But liked the Garmin 500, then tried the Wahoo Bolt and loved it. Since I wanted to use the Varia this year I got an Edge 1030+. Did not love it that much. As soon as Wahoo came out with the New Bolt with the color screen, I got one. I have to say it's the best cycling computer out there for staying focused on riding and not getting distracted by a screen. And the Varia works even better than with the 1030+.. NEW BOLT all day long.

[@Dangling_Carrot]

Went from Garmin to Wahoo bolt 2 love it I’m sold. Used Garmin for years. Complete System with the Kickr.

[@bikegeek2323]

Do you use a power meter? Can you tell me if your average power is accurate? I’ve used 3 different Bolts and 2 different PMs and the average power displayed during the ride and in the workout summary is low (the more coasting, the lower it is). Strava and TrainingPeaks show the correct average power once the raw data is uploaded to them. Wahoo can’t seem to average it correctly for me.

[@sirchasm1625]

First time watching your channel and first time bike computer buyer. Excellent review! You guys have a great chemistry, are clearly very experienced with cycling and associated tech, and make it enjoyable. Thank you!

[@DialedCycling]

Thank you, and thank you for watching! 👍

[@hustom]

Having bought a Roam and the screen developing a black spot Wahoo replaced it no problems. The replacement developed the same problem within only two months which to be fair Wahoo replaced again for free - I chose to sell that and purchase the Garmin Edge 530 which has been bulletproof. Garmins interface is a tad more clunky BUT it won’t break - easy choice

[@2006Whippet]

When I got back into cycling a couple of years ago, I came to the bike computer decision. Garmin or wahoo. I ultimately went with Wahoo for the simple fact that you configure the pages on your phone (nice big screen) instead of having to button mash your setup on a tiny screen on the unit.

[@MstrRo1]

My Element Bolt just died, after 3 years. It was never dropped or rained on. In that time, the cover over the micro-usb port cover, broke in-half, and the cover over the power button worked its way out of however it was friction fit. These did not cause the unit to fail but makes me reluctant to even think Wahoo, right now.

[@RobertoConcheiro]

After using Wahoo for many years (Element then the Bolt), I made the change to the Garmin ecosystem. I've never looked back. I prefer the ecosystem since my everyday watch is a Garmin and I love the data Garmin provides. The ONLY issue I've had with Garmin is what you guys mentioned, the Strava Live Segments during MTB ride (since the trails are so close to each other).

[@DarrenKelland]

Thanks for this. My Wahoo made its way into the washing machine with the rest of my kit and now won't play with me any more. Had thought about shifting to Garmin but you really helped with the decision to stick with Wahoo.

[@mamadove76]

Garmin for life! I have the 1030 plus and love it. Lance, if you bike fast enough your sweat won’t hit your computer. 😉

[@DialedCycling]

The 1030+ is a great unit, glad you like it! Thank you as always for watching, Dove ☺️

[@lheppler]

Or I could just dehydrate myself so I stop sweating.

[@frinlucas3924]

Thanks for the detailed pros and cons. I am going with Wahoo now.

[@kevinjones4559]

Been on a 700 mile cycle through Germany and Austria with a group. I used a Garmin Edge 130 for navigation and it was patchy, missing major junction turns and reporting minor curves as major turns. Usually quickly reported wrong way which was good. Wahoo users seemed very happy with their navigation.

[@Chirp296]

Wahoo has been on my radar for years, but when it comes down to it, I always seem to pick Garmin since I have the most experience with their products. My Fenix 7x and Edge 1040 work flawlessly together to give me nearly every metric I'd ever want to nerd over.

[@DialedCycling]

We really love the Wahoo computers… Especially the Roam. However, Garmin is really good, too. For you, if it ain’t broke, it’s probably best not to fix it. 👊

[@PALADiNFiLSBALL]

I got the Garmin 530 and I had never issues with it also not with updates. I have it since two years now and it works perfectly.

[@L333ENG]

Great review. Seriously thinking about jumping ship to Wahoo…

[@DialedCycling]

Thanks and go for it! This video is a little old, but we still hold our same thoughts and feelings. We are working on an updated video that will also include the new Hammerhead Karoo (v3), so stay tuned!

[@nreamer]

Good, honest review, no bashing. Just honest opinions. Garmin user for years also. Just made the switch to Wahoo. Never going back. Why? Like you said, it just works..... Pairing sensors, piece of cake. I have a Garmin Varia radar which paired with and worked flawlessly with the Wahoo --- until I paired it with my wife's iphone. Then, the Wahoo would see it, but not connect. Bummer, here we go again. Unpaired from Wahoo, repaired (still simple process). I could see I was getting a good signal on the phone app, but no radar integration. Came home, did some research and found I could reset the Varia with an 8 second push of the power button. Unit immediately paired with Wahoo. So, I call that a Garmin fail. It got me again. I may try the experiment one more time to see if it happens again. Just one of those annoying things that since I had switched to Wahoo I have not had to experience. I do have to say, the hill thing sounds nice! It is always disheartening to get to a false summit when bike packing or touring and have another mile or two to go!

[@Sokeresa]

Don't get too excited about the ClimbPro feature, the other day i was on a route, a hill came and the screen popped up, halfway the hill turned into downhill and the 830 still showed a lot note to go, talk about inaccuracy

[@jackreher2302]

Thanks for the comparison. Finally giving in and getting a computer. Refrained for YEARS. But this sold me on Wahoo. I'm a Mac guy. That line did it for me.

[@markmalewski]

I wish we could have a side-by-side comparison of the Garmin vs Wahoo for each bike computer class/segment. For example compare the Garmin 530 vs Wahoo Bolt V2. Then compare the Garmin 830 vs Wahoo Elemnt Roam. Then have the Garmin 1030 Plus compared to whatever is the equivalent in Wahoo. So we can get a better understanding of how each compares, and what would be the better choice (for the price). Thanks again for your great video, and I hope you can do more bike computer comparisons in the very near future. Also please include a detailed comparison video on the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus vs Hammerhead Karoo 2! (and whatever the best that Wahoo has to offer). I would love to see the comparison! Please and Thank-you!

[@elguntor]

Having used Garmin, Wahoo, and the Karoo 2, I personally prefer the Karoo 2 to all of them.

[@DialedCycling]

Thanks for the feedback! We have not had the opportunity to test the Karoo 2 just yet, but there sure seems to be a lot of people who speak highly about them. We will be reaching out to them to see if we can get our hands on one soon!

[@roilev]

You've hit the nail on the head, I've been comparing Garmin and Wahoo for the last 5 years. 520, Bolt and now 830. I agree that Wahoo 'just works'. And you're the first one I know that likes the lap popup of the Garmin. It drives me crazy that it hides all important information for what seems like an eternity. You can dismiss it not if you've locked the screen. And it is too much hassle to do in the middle of a race - I just need my power, cadence and HR information! But I need to do the lap click in order to get information for the specific climb. This is in line with the general hate against Garmin that they push useless junk to us, with no opt-out option. Like the stupid useless virtual partner. Or their mapping and routing over the track that I have imported - quite often it stresses me to do U turns, or get off the route even if I'm on track and it continues straight. There are actually two kind of direction information - one is coming from the route cues that I manually add. The other is from the mapping navigation that it insist on me. ClimbPro sounds like a nice feature, but it is useless for me. I can't change the data fields, and I care less about elevation and grade than power and cadence. And it is just another annoying popup that blocks the important information. It would be better to integrate it in the elevation screen, coloring the elevation depending on the grade. And none of such issues on Wahoo, 'it just works' there. But I think Wahoo are focusing 100% on road and ignoring MTB. And there are serious dealbreakers for me there - the mount doesn't support 35mm handlebars, the quad lock is rotated 90° so you can't use 3rd party mounts either. But the bigger issue is with GPS accuracy - the recordings from Wahoo are way off the course, much more than these on Garmins. When looking at other people's stravas I can guess if they used Garmin or Wahoo just by that. Garmin probably uses other sensors for accuracy aid since it tracks me correctly when going under the roads and I turn several times to get across. But the biggest issue with Wahoo is that when it loses GPS accuracy it thinks you're off track even if you still are - and it CONSTANTLY beeps annoyingly that you're off track. And then back on. And then back off. When doing tight switchbacks in the mountains, it goes crazy and unless I turn it off, I go crazy too! The leeway should increase when the GPS accuracy goes down! And Garmin simply works there, no such issues at all! Apart from the occasional "DO U TURN" navigation prompts that I can't turn off. Even if there wasn't the TrailForks integration, I'd still prefer the Garmin's idiocracy than Wahoo's inability to follow an offroad track.

[@squiresuzuki]

Thanks for this comment, my experience matches exactly. I had terrible bugs/glitches with my old Garmin 800 (losing rides, etc), switched to Wahoo Bolt (now a Roam) and it's been solid, but the GPS accuracy is terrible. I've also noticed it on Strava but wasn't sure if it was just confirmation bias on my part. Have you experienced any bugs/glitches on the 830 (beyond the UX/UI problems you mentioned, I can deal with those)?

[@roilev]

@@squiresuzuki No, 830 is rock solid. All the features work, it looks nicely tested. The battery life is greatly improved too, esp. if using the extra features (map screen, route following)

[@miguelmoreira5248]

@@squiresuzuki You're a MTB rider as well, right? The accuracy on the road is good with the Wahoo, correct?

[@squiresuzuki]

​@@miguelmoreira5248 I ride road and MTB. I ended up buying a Garmin 530 and unfortunately, the Garmin 530's accuracy is noticeably better than the Wahoo Roam on the road as well, even with a clear view of the sky, and especially if going on a road through the woods. I wish it weren't the case because the Wahoo is better in almost every other way.

[@miguelmoreira5248]

@@squiresuzuki strange.. where are you from? I see people commenting that wahoo is accurate on the road but not on the trails. Is it not on the road too? :/

[@s.j.5850]

Best review by far that I have seen about these bike computers. If I am going to spend that amount of money for such a small device I want to know that it will perform true to it's specifications. Thanks for pointing out the features & quirks so that we can decide which bike computer better suits our preferences. Great job guys!

[@DialedCycling]

Thank you!

[@ghostrider7103]

I’m sticking with my Garmin Edge 1040 and Garmin Varia 715. It works for me. 🚴🏾

[@nryme]

Very useful video. As a beginning cyclist it was very helpful to decide on a bike computer.

[@ajameslee]

I believe wahoo is to the iPhone where Garmin is to android in regard to being user friendly. I just bought the Bolt v2 and can’t wait to get going with it.

[@WillN2Go1]

Thank. I was going to buy the Wahoo to use on my bicycle but also in my kayak as a speedometer. The Garmins were on sale and I got suckered. I bought the model just below the touch screen. I've yet to be able to use it. I turn it on and it jumps to some strange window, and it's just not worth interrupting my paddle or swim or ride to fuss with it. I intend to sit down AGAIN and go through the instructions. Frankly, the hassle is so Garmin like that I feel like I've been suckered again by Garmin. (I've owned handheld Garmin GPS devices in the past and the interface and hardware design was so bad I gave up on GPS until it was part of my iPhone. One Garmin device had expensive batteries that would last 7-8 hours. My paddles are 3-4 hours. This meant that I either had to replace the batteries every second paddle or I'd have to take a break and change them on the water. I chose to change them on the water. Step one: remove the device from it's bracket that is connected to my kayak. Step Two: pry with great difficulty open the battery compartment... $400 third trip right into the ocean. F* Garmin. btw my iPhone has a touch screen and it's waterproof enough that it's around my neck on a lanyard. Water or sweat on the screen- a problem? I've never noticed it. (I do have to wipe my finger but it doesn't have to be bone dry so it just works). "Hassle" Yep. I bought the GoPro version 2. I'm a nerd, I read the instructions, but sitting at my desk I could not get it to work in 45 minutes. How's that going to be on the ocean? Sent it back. Got a Kodak Sport. Last year I bought another GoPro, it has a few quirks, but it always works, and I can always get it to work. They've fixed almost everything that gets in my way. Why can't Garmin, now a monopoly, fix it's generation after generation of terrible interface?? So if I had the Wahoo, I'd be using it. Thanks. Is there anyone you dislike I could give this Garmin POS to? And I'm a complainer so here's another one. I wanted an EMTB. I thought it would be the perfect way to get me to ride more, get up into the mountains more.... and the bike videos I saw looked terrific. But then I started hearing all the stories about how the motors and drive trains break, how unreliable they are. I held out hope for two years, I was going to spend $8000 on an EMTB, but I didn't see any sign the problems had been fixed. Instead I bought a Tesla. There's a company in Australia that has just driven an older Tesla 280,000 km - total repair bill US$3700. Not only is there no one with an equivalent experience with an EMTB (say 2500 miles) there's an endless litany of broken motors and expensive out of warranty repairs - that are at best temporary fixes. The net result? I'm still peddling (but less frequently) my 30 years old mountain bike (but I did replace all the bearings). I don't have a GPS unit that's as useful as the one on my iPhone. I know these companies put a lot of effort into their stuff, but the bottomline is, because I didn't have pragmatic 'This works' information about the cycling I wanted to do - I'm paddling my kayak more, and driving my Tesla and not riding much. I really appreciate the information. I can see buying the Wahoo and just leaving the Garmin on the side of the road somewhere.

[@waynerenshaw-multi-outdoor4521]

Garmin devices started having problems in 2015 when they brought out live segments, since then they have never sorted the issue out, I told them when I had the Garmin 810 , they gave me Beta software to try out, but the Garmin device would crash and switch off and you'd loose all your data, so Garmin wasn't listening and I moved over to Wahoo Element then over a year ago I crashed and damaged my Wahoo Element and Wahoo gave me 25%off my next Wahoo Bolt V2 .. never looked back... The issue Garmin have with all there devices is live segments and it's that , that's caused all the issues.... Wahoo's are by far more reliable and faultless... 😎👍🚴

[@joslyndresen]

You probably missed that big Garmin 8.0 update. That fixed the issues I had with routing. I don't have any connectivity problems with my current 830. I had with my previous 530.

[@joesantos7196]

Thanks for the fantastic review fellas. I have the Roam and it is my first bike cpu. No problems so far. Connects to all my sensors and does not lose connection. My riding buddies have garmins and they love theirs. Cant go wrong with both.

[@matic2601]

Hammerhead Karoo 2 is also a strong contender here!

[@MrEMann]

The 'off course' thing with strava routes on Garmin is unbelievably frustrating. I get 'on course' then 500 meters later... Off course make a u-turn. I've wanted to throw it in the trash! 😂

[@billeterk]

I skipped through a little bit but I think (not mentioned) the Garmin is the only one you can develop for. Really nice for things like My Bike Traffic where it embeds car passes in the FIT file so you can check speeds, locations and plot on a map

[@heinz_fiction]

True. Even the old devices are able to process third party maps from Openstreetmaps, Velomaps and other sources, which are by far more up to date than the official material. As far as i know, Wahoo doesn't support that.

[@thierry7290]

Super great review! Just quite upset that this video wasnt the first one that popped up for me.

[@JeremyClow]

Every issue you mentioned is exactly why I just bought the Roam V2 to replace my 1030. The constant sync issues, the horrible integration with Ride With GPS, the after update issues and horrible touchscreen that often takes numerous presses to activate and is completely useless in full sun. Not to mention my Fenix 5X which has been a complete piece of unreliable, garbage between syncing issues and charging issues. So much so that I don't even wear it anymore. It's funny though that I just moved and found my old Edge 705...I remember it working way better than their current lineup. I'm a bit bummed about the smaller screen size, but the flexibility of laying out the screens and the really cool zoom feature should alleviate that. Looking forward to a much more reliable experience with Wahoo.

[@haydensimpson2830]

I always lock the 830 screen and then use the Shimano buttons to change screens on my road and gravel bike and the Edge Remote on my MTB bike.

[@josemanuelvalverde9342]

For me a great advantage of Garmin is the integration with Xert throgh Xert workout player and Xert data fields Apps. Knowing Xert metrics such as maximum power available, time to recovery, time to exhaustion, focus, fats and carbs consumed, etc during the ride on real time is a precious information. In fact I changed from Wahoo to Garmin because of this

[@clumsytriangle2436]

I've been a Garmin disciple for many years. Started cycling again and started looking at tech for my bike and have splurged on the Wahoo system - waiting for my Wahoo Kickr Snap indoor trainer and my Roam which I just ordered online this week. So glad I made a good choice. Though I do feel guilty for abandoning Garmin.😉 I never had any major complaints while using them before.

[@The_Rumpo_K1d]

I've owned the Garmin Edge 520, Edge 800 and Edge 1000. All of them locked out on me on a number of occasions. I bought the Wahoo Bolt when it was released and it never let me down once. Unfortunately I lost it out on MTB ride so I bought the Edge 530 for the MTB features. Unfortunately the device let me down on a number of occasions and I also found the whole interface clumsy to use. Too many clicks to get too what you want. It felt slow and unresponsive at times. I sold it after a few months and purchased the Wahoo Roam. It's not let me down once.

[@braggland8451]

I love my wahoo and it’s simplicity. Honestly can you go wrong with either one?

[@whazzat8015]

Easy, Buy one. 1 ride in 5 will crash unless you have a very very simple setup. Use your phone.

[@Check-it-out]

Yes you can ! Garmin is a SCAM-COMPANY. Only a few weeks after warranty expired the battery died of my 820. Garmin tried to charge me 120€ for a new battery. Yes... 120€ for a part that costs them less than 3€ !!! Want to hear about my Edge 1000 ? I guess not. You won't have enough time because EVERYTHING was wrong with that abomination. What a garbage-company !

[@salvatorevolpedotbe]

I think you can compare it like an Android for Garmin and iPhone for Wahoo

[@mikequinn]

I've had a Garmin 800, 1000, and now the 1030 Plus. You don't need special gloves to use the touch screen, I've used numerous different gloves over the years and never had any issues with any of them. And being in Scotland I've cycled in many different types of weather, including lots of rain, and never had any problems with the Garmin screens doing weird things in the wet. So really surprised by your comments in the first 5 minutes.

[@mikequinn]

And never had firmware updates causing any issues with my screens or any other functionality.

[@y_red_gold_a4280]

Great video guys. I really cannot wait to have your Hammerhead Karoo 2 review and comparison vs. the Garmin and Wahoo.

[@jeffgrimm8887]

I have been using Garmin devices for the past 10 years and every issue you brought up about the Garmin I have also experienced the same problems. Garmins 530 UI is so frustrating, there are so many buttons to push to make a change on the screen. As for the Garmin updates, I also avoid updating to avoid any problems. Right now I am really wavering about switching over to Wahoo and this is probably one of the best head to head comparisons I have seen. Good job guys.

[@mc20117]

Great review guys, thanks, wish I’d watched this before buying my 530

[@robnewman19]

I’ll buy it

[@robwalker4653]

Great video guys. Been looking for real life experiences with wahoo and garmin rather than videos that just highlight the marketing blurb of the two.

[@HanOfGod13]

For climbing on the Wahoo, if you have a route planned, it will show the profile of the route so you can see when hills are ahead on the map page and climbing page. But it does not have any metrics or scale or colour differentiation for steeper sections. Nowhere near the information you get on Garmin's climb pro.

[@cristhianalonsobatistacast1114]

Great comparison! Had a 500 edge for a long time, 8 years, then i bought a 820, and man that unit sucks, connectivity issues, battery lasts about 2.5 hours now, and my big drawback is i have the memory of a goldfish. Moved to another city for study and I do rides with locals, but man all those turns are impossible to remember for me. So I use routes a lot, just to repeat rides. 820 does routes okay, but the battery doesn't cut it for me, 6-10 hours rides following routes is a necessity for me. I just bought a 1030 and I really hope battery life will be enough to stop carrying the usb powerbank I have attached to the handlebar. Will we ever see a unit as good as a middle tier phone? Will we ever get an app that gives all garmin information on the fly so it can be our new gps unit?

[@markbentley4343]

Had both. Wahoo Bolt did what it said on the box, Garmin doesn’t. I now have my second Edge 830 after the first broke (charging port). The features are great, but now the touch screen is no longer rain proof and starts getting activated by rain drops. The only way to fix it is to lock the screen during a ride. A shame these glitches spoil what us otherwise a great product

[@Mmalebogo]

I have the same problem with the touchscreen reacting to raindrops. There is a screen cover I was told works, but haven’t found it yet

[@Nebulacore98]

I borrowed my friend's Garmin 1030 before deciding on acycling computer and after a week of using it, it wasn't user friendly and it was irritating to use. Navigation was good on the Garmin, especially for Mountain Biking. But I've gone with the Wahoo Element Bolt V2 and whole Wahoo Ecosystem (Speedplay Zero Powerlink Dual-Sided Powermeter Pedals, Speed Sensor, Cadence Sensor & Heart Rate Monitor). It's customizable and easy to use. The app also is great and have no issues even up till today. Personally, I'd say the Garmin is great for Mountain biking but I would prefer the Wahoo for Road biking. I don't use the Varia Radar since I don't see the need for it as I've been riding solo for a long time and even in group rides, I don't see much point in it. If they do come up with a front light radar that can detect cars on the left and right for T-Junctions, that'd be great.

[@craigthomasutube]

This video popped up in my suggested watch and I was really hoping the comparison would have been between the bolt v2. That said, you guys covered everything important to me and done very well. I’ve been a Garmin Edge user since the early days and reluctant to switch teams due to familiarity. I did get a 530 for Father’s Day which is a really nice upgrade from the 520. A few UI changes that I’m scratching my head about but overall the screen and features are worth it. Looking forward to trying Trail Forks and the climb page once I figure out how to install them. HOWEVER, like this video mentions, I have nonstop issues uploading my rides and maintaining BT connection with Garmin and my iPhone. That’s ridiculous. After the 1st ride using the 530 I spent an hour trying to get the pairing reestablished. Finally restarted both phone and 530 and got the ride uploaded. I’ll give it another week or 2 and one more issue will jump me to the Bolt v2.

[@michaelk7321]

I'm having the same issues with my 530 and have also my garmin fenix. From my point of view Garmin connect just gets worser. Everytime Garmin sends an update (latest was 8.10) then I had to delete/pair plus factory reset the whole unit just to get it to sync with my phone. Garmin adds a bunch of features but almost always breaks the basic stuff. My guess is that a lot of the code is written in cheap labor countrys with people (QC) that themself never ever use these units.

[@alexclark9514]

Good one to test out is the LEZYNE MEGA XL. Enjoy the video keep up the good work

[@Metulskie2010]

Great comparison. Sums up my experience on the Edge 830 pretty good. I have some sort of connectivity issue almost every ride. Even climb pro used to trick me here in Germany quite a lot. Either the climb is longer than stated or it’s not even recognized die to the (weird) metric behind.

[@austinalling8480]

I’ve used garmin for 4 or 5 years. I had the smallest one on market at the time, the edge 25. I upgraded to the 530 about a year ago and I’ve actually liked the 530 over the 25. Bigger screen, maps, elevation, etc.

[@fjqtaxch9]

2 likeable reviewers who did a great comparison.

[@henrikl1954]

Didn’t you expect to like the 530 over 25? I have 25 and I’m endlessly annoyed with the turn prompting not adding significant value because of the lack of an “underlying” map..

[@kencook4956]

Excellent review guys. Appreciate it.

[@fiacobelli]

I use an old Garmin 820 and my friend uses a wahoo elemnt bolt. We both experience quirks, weird gps advice and software glitches. I wish my Garmin had the clarity of wahoo's screen, but I also wish wahoo had the detail of the map of the 820, and many of the features (i actually like when Garmin replaces the screen with the turn directions) For what I ride, the 820 is perfect.

[@mcdo0gal1985]

820 is so SLOOOWWWW for me

[@Brrunoc1]

I moved to a Wahoo Roam a year or so ago. I moved away from Garmin 810 as it kept crashing especially at the end of long rides. Found other Garmin users hsd the same issue. Also the app was not stable and had issues syncing. On the Wahoo roam sometime it has problems seeing the Wahoo tickr heart rate monitor when connected to phone at same time.

[@jw2par]

Great info. I've been with garmin so so long just hard to switch .

[@coolcat2005dj]

best of the best run through those two devices. Thanks for the video review. weldone and keep up the good work..

[@SignorLuigi]

Nice job, guys! The bezels look huge on the Wahoo. In fact, large bezels seem to be a "feature" of all bike computers. Seems like a waste of precious real estate and a dated design feature. I'll be honest, I've been pretty pleased using my iPhone with a Quad Lock Pro mount and case. Quad Lock produces very impressive hardware. I use the app Cyclemeter on the iPhone and it is teaming with as much data and map info as anyone could want. Plus, there's no cycle computer on the market with a screen that comes close to the beautiful screen on the iPhone. The one issue is battery life. If you are going to go on a whole day ride, the battery on the iPhone will not make it. But I have an Anker "lipstick" battery charger in the end of my handlebar and run its USB cable under my handlebar tape up to the phone in case I do go on a longer ride. No lost connectivity. No software quirks. And the price is right!!

[@Fugedibobo]

I'm currently trying to decide which more serious bike computer to buy as I have a simple Magene C406 $70 Aliexpress bike computer. I've had GPS issues with it and used Cyclemeter too on my high-end Android phone and the difference between GPS accuracy is night and day. There's a segment on my regular route that goes next to a main road with tram tracks between the bike lane and the road, but it's a fairly open area with good GPS signal. The Magene is usually somewhere on the road while Cyclemeter on the phone is always right on the actual bike lane. I still think that a dedicated computer is better than a phone especially when going on long ride and using navigation as you mentioned, plus I think it's annoying to have a massive 6.7 inch 200g phone on the handlebar. But if a $300 Garmin or Wahoo has the same dumb GPS inaccuracies as my cheap Chinese computer then it makes me think really hard whether I actually need to buy one. I'm also able to customize the display items or any settings of the Aliexpress computer on my phone then send it to the computer with one click through bluetooth. Apparently this is something the $300 and even the $600 Garmins are unable to do which is frankly just pathetic.

[@SignorLuigi]

@@Fugedibobo Hi Fugedibobo! Great reply. I guess I have got used to the size of my iPhone and since I am riding a vintage 1998 Raleigh SuperCourse the weight of my iPhone gets lost in all that steel! The Quad Lock system makes everything look just like a dedicated bike computer except for the size. I actually like having a large screen when using the map and navigating as it is easier for me to see. But, I do understand your point about the size and weight. Good luck with your decision!!

[@socaljoe]

Agree with the connection issues with garmin. You gents so switch sides or move the light to the other side so that the Jake is closer to the light with his darker hair, lance further away with his lighter hair

[@amramweismann6162]

try the Hamerhead 2 and give us a review please i used Garmin moved to Wahoo and never looked back i have a booster attached to my stem powering the unit constantly also back up power for my phone and Di2

[@jarivanpolen4497]

Loved the vid. I personally own a Garmin 830 and I have loved using it. One thing that I love is that on the 830 you can easily start a saved route from the device. Or start a navigation to a address mid ride. Recently while riding with a group. The start point of our ride was just before the finishing point (we crossed the finish point at the start of the ride) and all bike computers stopped working because they thought we finished the ride (garmin and wahoo). I had my Garmin up navigating again within 30 seconds whereas my friends with wahoo had to get their phones out. Thats one thing I'll give to the 830. Otherwise I don't think the difference is too big except for the fact that I love the touchscreen! Great vid!

[@azbikenut]

Very nice review. Now that Wahoo has the new (v2) bolt that is Roam-like, it would be nice to hear your thoughts on it.

[@DialedCycling]

It’s in the works 😉… Thanks for watching, Chad!

[@billybrokerpianist7520]

Use the Garmin edge 1030 plus. Rock solid reliable, no problems with updates, big improvement over my old 820.

[@alexandroskomianos8259]

Very helpful video! You mentioned that you soon will have a video about wahoo bolt v2.. Do you have it? Because I couldn't find it.

[@yute-hube779]

Based on the talking points in the video: Garmin Edge 830: 6 points Wahoo Elemnt Roam: 11 points Here's how I scored it - if one beat the other, the winner gets one point, the loser gets no points: Battery life: Garmin Map detail: Garmin MTB trails: Garmin Onboard storage: Garmin Climb Pro: Garmin Lap Info: Garmin Touch screen: Wahoo Price: Wahoo Update frequency: Wahoo Ease of setup: Wahoo Phone pairing: Wahoo Strava live segments: Wahoo Screen glare: Wahoo Screen layout: Wahoo Screen zoom: Wahoo Ease of use: Wahoo Phone text/calls: Wahoo It's not so simple though is it, when the points the Garmin wins on *are pretty big things* like longer battery life and better looking maps! The Wahoo wins on more points but do they matter that much? Touch screen: I scored it on the basis that having a touch screen is worse, not better, because of what's mentioned in the video about raindrops changing settings, that's quite absurd that the Garmin is like that, but at least you can turn off the functionality - assuming you always remember to. Most of what the Wahoo wins on, could be tolerated by most people. I don't care if my bike computer tells me about phone calls, that's not what it's meant to be there for. A lot of the other stuff the Wahoo wins on is based on ease of setup and ease of use. Again, that's not exactly a killer blow to the Garmin, it's a minor thing. I'm back thinking maybe the Garmin again now 😂

[@DialedCycling]

This is great! Thanks for the breakdown!

[@yute-hube779]

@@DialedCycling I ended up getting the Garmin Edge Explore (2018, used). It's pricey even as a used item and it's quite a learning curve, but once setup it's solid. The main thing was turning off re-routing and turning off "Off Course Warnings" that's on another menu entirely to the usual "Ride Settings > Routing" menu. Once that stuff is tweaked, and I have added a "BroTect" matte screen protector while remembering not to wear my polarizing sunglasses... this Garmin is a good unit. The pairing with my cadence sensor was as simple as it gets. One thing I noticed is, you have to put a GPX route on the device and can't rely on the Garmin itself to create routes for you... it will have you carrying your bike over stiles and going down rough farm roads. It seems OK now I've realized these limitations. Maybe the Wahoo is just the same as far as routing goes, I don't know. The device is only as good as the maps it has loaded onto it. I just use "cycle.travel" to create a "01" route to the destination and a "02" route back again. Save as a GPX file (with the mountain button icon clicked so elevations get saved) and load to the Garmin, it all works OK then.

[@karencanzoneri8880]

Found this review in a Google search while paralyzed by indecision between the Garmin 530 and the Wahoo v2 Bolt. Yesterday I bought the Bolt v2. I know that isn't the model you were reviewing but your review of the Roam seemed to indicate that they're fairly similar. The comparison between a PC and a Mac is what sold me on the Wahoo. I'm definitely a Mac person! Looking forward to your review of the Bolt!

[@hagaiv]

Great composition, detailed yet fun to watch. I tend to stop in the middle of long reviews, but yours was informative and fun all the way. Which has a better Livetrack? I use it alot when bikepacking... thanks

[@SuperbikeRob]

I own 2 Wahoo Roams and the Bolt V2 and have owned a bunch of Garmins......i'm not sure why your tests showed what i would consider poor battery life? I use routes, HR monitor, Garmin radar & Power meter on rides all the time and the battery life is AWESOME!!! I would say 17 hours has been accurate for me.......and now they have the climb pro page that totally kicks ass!!! thanks for the review

[@katsura98]

I'm using the 830 since last Summer and had never any Problems with gloves in winter or summer (no special gloves) Also no issues with the app (on Android). The Rain thing is an issue, you have to switch of the touch function, otherwise it is possible that your fields are getting messed up.

[@DialedCycling]

Great feed back, thanks!! Glad your 830 is working out great for you 👍

[@Sokeresa]

I too got an 830 and I'm very happy with the unit. The Climbpro feature on mine is a bit messed up, the other day i was following a route and on a climb the page popped up. Halfway through the climb the road went downhill and the climb pro still had me in a climb - weird. Strava segments don't pop up on mine, i even starred them but no. What i like best about my 830 is that i can search loops around my house with different mileage and then just follow the navigation, its great. I have autolap turned off but i do have smart alerts for hydration and calories and is nice to remind you to drink or eat. After the ride when you hit the start/stop button sometimes it pops a screen where you can adjust how much fluids and calories you took and sometimes it does not - again weird. My verdict is i love the Garmin but sometimes it doesn't work as expected which is frustrating.

[@thesorus]

Never had any issues with the Garmin (520+ and 530). The only thing I don't like is that it is not easy to customize. (please, create an off device app to customize the device)

[@jtracy50000]

Great video guys. It was my first time coming across your channel and you have a new subscriber. I use a Garmin and love Garmin Connect for diving deep into the data. It would be very interesting to hear a comparison on the underlying apps of Garmin and Wahoo.

[@tee_ef_em]

Great work, guys!

[@DialedCycling]

Thank you!

[@goodyguy83]

Question: if you have a garmin watch and a wahoo bike computer, you wouldn't have a way to sync performance and fitness metrics from Wahoo to the garmin app? I guesa no? I have a garmin fenix and a 530. Was exploring a wahoo for the same reasons you dont like the 530. But i use garmin's fitness metrics often. I guess i would lose that functionality?

[@thepedalsadvocate7389]

Great video guys!

[@Snaproll47518]

I have a 1030+ and find the software marginal. A recent speed sensor update was so bad I eliminated my wheel mounted speed sensor and now rely on GPS speed. My next upgrade will be Wahoo.

[@colombianrider]

You made it easy to decide! Going for the Wahoo! Thanks guys!

[@kaushikiyer3859]

You didn't touch on cycling dynamics! The garmins out does the Wahoo on that. But then I don't see any other devices really taking the advantage of the Cycling dynamics which was freely available by Garmin to all PM manufacturers and device manufacturers

[@powereduprobotics5288]

I was going to say this. Also, unless I’m very mistaken wahoo only lets you upload work outs from training peaks.

[@miguelmoreira5248]

what is cycling dynamics?

[@kaushikiyer3859]

It's the suite of different pedaling metrics

[@miguelmoreira5248]

@@kaushikiyer3859 oh OK. I don't have a power meter and will very likely not buy one for years to come so it's fine for me not having that. :) ty!

[@captaincoyote1792]

This was a great review…both of you did a phenomenal job of presenting the differences. It sounds as if your primarily interested in tracking your performance, speed, distance, etc. I’m retired, from two professions fraught with potential danger (military and federal law enforcement)…I have no desire to risk dangerous situations, dealing with vehicles and drivers probably looking at a screen, rather than paying attention to the road. So, I’ve really taken an interest in “off pavement” riding, and doing long distance “gravel tour bikepacking”. I need a unit that can direct me - based on those parameters - to my destination using trails, rail trails, dirt roads, etc….Is there such a device? Again, gents, Bravo-Zulu….a value added video. While in my work, we used Garmin devices for back country navigation….im still unsure of the device for me. I guess I’ll keep researching…thank you, again!

[@obidavekenobe]

the annoying thing i found with wahoo is that is the post ride analysis. sure there is a summery page on the unit and in the companion app, but you’ll have to connect the wahoo app to a third party service for any kind meaningful analysis. you have to setup another account and maybe even another subscription costing money. Garmin Connect is a one-stop-shop for all you data, training, and performance tracking. This difference in ecosystems is huge. do want to setup multiple accounts to analyze your data? p.s. i just upgraded my 1st gen. Bolt to the shiny new 1040, and loving it!

[@SaddlesAndBars]

I really like(d) the Elemnt Roam but battery capacity on my device is going down, now to less than a day. Wahoo’s customer service is not helpful and is not willing to guide me on battery replacement options. Looks like I am heading back to Garmin soon.

[@charlied1675]

Had 2 Wahoo Element Bolts. Liked the interface but build quality wasn't there. The plastic port coverings came off both. The screen on the 1st one fried. The replacement had similar issues. Went back to Garmin. Their UI on the 530 is not very friendly but it has no build quality issues. Software seems to work pretty well also. Fewer glitches than Garmin used to have. Your mileage may vary.

[@DialedCycling]

Thanks for the feedback! Were you using the v.1 or the v.2 Bolt? The newer v.2 Bolt and Roam computers have a much better build quality in our opinion.

[@charlied1675]

@@DialedCycling Must have been the v.1 since it has been years ago now.

[@joekawasaki]

I had been running an edge 820 & the only faults I've found is that if my ride goes over 5 hrs or so it has to be switched into power save mode(no screen visible), & it would be finicky with when it would send my girlfriend the live track(so she wouldn't worry). The other thing is I wanted to try one of the modern climb features (not available on the 820). I thought about checking out a wahoo but for obvious reasons I've just updated to the 1040 solar! The price tag was hard to swallow, and it weighs twice what the old one does, but it's everything I needed! Live track has sent out both rides so far. 9 hours of riding & I'm at 74% still(which would have killed the battery twice). The climb feature also has helped me with pacing as to not blow up during climbs(not just going for it is always a problem for)! The price is high but I'm happy with the purchase.

[@JeffShepherdphotos]

could you review the re-routing on both units please.

[@pedalwithus]

Great video but based on my last conversation with Garmin....we will never buy another Garmin head unit. Garmin does not back up their products. The dog ears broke on my 5 month old 830, they would not warranty it, told me buy another, so I did but when this one fails or sooner I will be getting a Wahoo.

[@PeterBlackMTB]

I have a bolt v1 which suffers from very poor gps signal in tree cover, my friends garmin seems to be spot on so going to make the move.