Wahoo ROAM V2 In-Depth Review: What's Actually Changed?

[@richardgate1571]

Fully support them releasing the unit now, rather than waiting for the new software features. Anyone buying the old Roam would be pretty upset when the new one was released, amd let’s face it the old Roam was massively lacking versus the Bolt2. Interested if you could test the temperature accuracy, the Bolt 1 was great, the Bolt 2 is all over the place depending on the firmware updates!

[@vberga]

My ROAM has very bad accuracy in terms of temperature. I had a working ROAM that had a bad screen failure and the new unit sent to me will neither charge to 100% or measure the temperature accurately. I will probably move to a garmin device

[@mlegrand]

Maybe it should read "What have they been doing for three years?"

[@donovandewey4461]

Indeed. Insert sad trombone noise here. Went from Wahoo to Karoo 2 a year ago just to try something else, was worried when a new roam came out I would be tempted to go back. Nope.

[@mlegrand]

@@donovandewey4461 - Yeah, the Karoo 2 isn't perfect but they're doing some pretty cool stuff on the software side. Maybe battery life for bike-packer type people could be an issue with the Karoo 2 🤷‍♂ Something like that could make this Wahoo appealing but I'm guessing not too many people will be persuaded away from Hammerhead.

[@treadtyred9742]

@@mlegrand what is the Karoo2 battery life like?

[@mlegrand]

@@treadtyred9742 - It's not ideal. It depends on what other devices you have connected (powermeter, radar, etc) but I typically see something along 6-7 hours. Not that I bike that long too frequently but other brands are typically double that.

[@kondurny]

@@mlegrand That’s dramatic issue. I bought Wahoo Bolt just to forget about battery issue. It works 15 hours with many sensors connected (pulse, cadence and speed) and active gps navigation. I hate stuff like taking care about battery during long rides.

[@dorcashaslam4864]

Great content always, but the highlight which made my day is at 5:09 :) I lost my male Bostie unexpectedly yesterday so your beauty popping up was a delightful surprise to lift my dreadful day. Thank you DCR XXX

[@caponedf]

12:59 when we see all 3 devices on direct sunlight is reason why I have Wahoo device :)

[@Dcrainmaker]

It’s always challenging shooting with certain types of screens, but what you see in real life is simply the screen - no glare or reflections.

[@caponedf]

@@Dcrainmaker I know it is not this bad in real life but I just find Wahoo screen more readable than Garmin devices.

[@OYeahan]

​@@caponedfare Germin non-touchscreen devices like 540 a tad better or also worse than Wahoo? Why are they worse? They all use transflective TFT LCDs, don't they?

[@jamessalter5330]

​@@caponedfsame here

[@carterharris308]

The main reason that Wahoo's headunits are better than Garmin's: You can actually see workout metrics like Watts/speed/distance while following a route. Plain and simple. Features or no features, this is crucial on rides where you are exploring and riding in places you never have before. I believe this is called roaming.

[@pete1927]

Glad I didn't wait and picked up a V1 Roam for £199 two weeks ago. Had to get a Roam as the Bolt V2 was a tad too small for my eyesight, not noticed anything detrimental.

[@macx]

I'm totally fine with my Roam V1 and don't see any reasons for an upgrade. The difference between these two is minor.

[@ltu42]

It does feel like an incremental update of a successful product to newer components.

[@Carftymk]

i much preferred my bolt v1 to my 530, but if i had to pick between the new edge explore 2 and the new roam 2, it'd be a nobrainer for the garmin, even disregarding price

[@Fetucinee]

I find myself in somewhat the opposite camp. Having endured regular crashing/freezing and general lagginess from my Edge Explore (original version 1), I've soured on getting another Garmin. I wanted a simple stable device for navigation and thought I was getting that in the Explore 1. Leaning toward the Bolt 2 but not totally writing off the Explore 2 yet.

[@morneauh]

Explore 2 don't support AXS eTap or Di2, so it's a bit of a deal breaker.

[@455LT1]

I cannot believe this is what they delivered as an updated flagship unit. This looks like a device from the mid '90s. The bolt v2 is so much sleeker and I'll stick with that. If I upgrade, I'll move to Hammerhead.

[@Lazywiing]

Exactly my thought. The day Hammerhead makes a unit a bit smaller with better battery life, I'll move to them.

[@michahubert1179]

@@Lazywiing Out of three: "screen resolution, battery life, size" choose two.

[@iainmcdutube]

Totally agree. I was looking really looking forward to this "new" unit and ready to buy. But not now. Sorry Wahoo, but Karoo 2 is definitely now at the place you once were a few years back.

[@hiway60]

Coulda sold you my Karoo 2 a month ago. Total piece of junk, I went back to my ROAM v1. It may not be as sexy, but more importantly, the ROAM is rock solid and reliable whereas the Karoo 2 is a disaster. It frequently reboots in the middle of the ride, or in some cases stops recording. Very aggravating device to use in practice. Much is made of the Karoo 2 display, but in practice is very hard to read in direct sunlight.

[@vietle8157]

Hammerhead is a side grade. Go for the 1040 Solar

[@RYTHMICRIOT]

I have a Bolt V1. Had it for years. Never had any complaints about it. I've always gotten subtle enjoyment from watching it fire up. That being said, enough time has passed for Wahoo to show us some innovation and maybe even some completely new designs. This kinda feels low effort.

[@loganjackson9559]

the bolt V1 is an amazing device, with the exception of no routing/navigation besides breadcrumb. If it had actual routing/turn by turn, I would still be using it today.

[@baddriversofcolga]

True, though our wallets can breathe a sigh of relief as this doesn't really make you want to upgrade that badly.

[@marcelhunziker9017]

It’s the year 2022 and Wahoo offers to the bigger roam 64 colours, no touchscreen and a screen size, what is not bigger than the one from the Edge 530 from Garmin. 😮

[@Enzo575]

Im attracted to the led lights. Smartest feature i to get the wahoo. But the next version should shrink the bezel more to make the screen larger. It can be done.

[@OYeahan]

Guess it has a larger battery compared to the screen size thanks to those bezels, so it's a pity even 540/840 Garmin units reportedly outperform this battery-wise IRL while having a bit smaller bezels.

[@obikedog]

I guess count me in the One percenters here. I absolutely will not be buying a Garmin ever after weathering their fails for years on Edge computers and heart rate straps. In that respect Wahoo, while not perfect, was night and day improvement. I can do without knowing I went over a hill if it accurately pairs with my phone, navigates, measures my power and heart rate and most importantly STAYS ON AND SAVES THE DATA EVERY TIME.

[@markjohnson2125]

Agreed. My original Elemnt just died after 6 years of almost daily use- middle button stopped working. Super reliable and never let me down till now. I just bought the V2 Roam as replacement. I don’t need any more new features, just 100% reliability and real buttons, not touch screen.

[@galenkehler]

you could check the gradient by overflying a road with a drone that gradually gains altitude

[@Dcrainmaker]

Don’t give me too many ideas!

[@Neil_down_south]

How about Ray on a jetpack with a laser measure!

[@JSSBBB]

I’ve had a ROAM for 3yrs. I use it alot and I love everything about it. Everything except battery life. After 3yrs of regular use, my roam will no longer hold a charge. Like, at all. Nothing. This new roam has the same battery it seems. Since my roam is dead, I rode my first ride with a new garmin 1040 today. I do not like it as much as the wahoo but I’ll have to learn to like it. Very disappointed in Wahoo.

[@yolono9549]

I saw other long term reviewers not constating that

[@marcelhunziker9017]

I had once a Wahoo Element, and its battery was dead after only 2 Years and wahoo didn’t want to give me a replacement. This would never had happened with a Garmin device.

[@judegorjanc7857]

I recently had my V.1 Roam go kaput. 2.5 years old. Battery D-E-A-D dead. Wahoo's solution was to give me 20% off to buy a new one saying battery life issues were "fixed" on the v2. And, by the way, they advise not plugging it into an apple charging block but rather a 2-3 amp charger. Good to know...now. Thanks wahoo. No thanks.

[@Paulli1313]

My 3 sear old v1 couldn’t hold charge any longer, so I emailed the wahoo support and they sent me a brand new v2 within a week, so you guys weren’t lucky apparently

[@ryanwu685]

Great video. Can you make one to compare Roam v1 to v2? I recently bought the v1 at deep discount, knowing v2 was coming out. Other than the more colorful screen, I am not sure if other improvements are worth for me to give up the deep discount on v1. Thanks.

[@jdklc]

Excellent review - comprehensive, objective, well organized- thank you

[@shawnsee2688]

I just want my HR monitor to connect easily and not drop off, the app to track my power outputs, and to search through rides based on various categories.

[@bryanglover1272]

Soooooo just a larger Bolt v2.. got it!

[@PatrickKend]

I’m still using my Elemnt V1 and am very happy with it. No need to get version two as I don’t see a reason to spend my money for it this point.

[@BikePappyToo]

Whew. I was afraid for a minute there that Ray didn't get a unit to review. Everyone else has already posted.

[@jaimeb.7537]

Huge letdown from Wahoo in my opinion. There are no major upgrades and for it to be their flagship model, it is practically identical as the bolt. Thanks for the video!

[@Timtimzi]

Same here. Over 3 years battery degradation is huge. Luckily I just had mine warrantied by them. This new update is trash considering nothing changed. Wish they had integrated solar power.

[@savegcyclist]

Transferring workout plan on my wahoo bolt v1 was easy. As soon as the bolt boot up the the workout is there ready to go just Be sure the workout is in outdoor mode from the wahoo SYSTM app not indoor. The Only thing is once I cancelled it upon boot up I couldn’t find the loaded workout anymore.

[@CrabgrassFarmer]

Yeah I get the same thing if I cancel: can't find it. I have to turn the unit off and then turn it back on again.

[@kenoneill6133]

I just don't get it. They are releasing a device thats inferior, the selling company is saying trust us, new features on the way. When has that ever worked out well for consumers. If you want one, just wait. Happy days for hammerhead and garmin though

[@danmitchell3758]

I’m focused on navigation not so much all the workout stuff. Bike touring. I build the route on Ride with GPS on my laptop I have the companion app on iPhone then the roam unit. Getting confused with all the devices. What file runs best. Is it TCX or ??

[@infectme869]

Did you notice that the colors on the V2 map do not correspond to reality? For example, if you are in a forest area on WAHOO V2 it appears in gray or if you are in a desert on WAHOO V2 it appears green, Or paths and dirt roads appear in blue like a stream. Bike paths and single tracks appear in light blue and again it looks like streams. From the answer I got to WAHOO - the pointers are taken from the OMS color key

[@JensFredeRasmussen]

If only wahoo would allow users to remove the "pan+zoom" function. Redundant double work to enter routes.... Never used and will never use that pan + zoom

[@martinmoore1200]

Chevrons have disappeared off my ROAM V2 on routes. Working well up to last week end. Logged a ticket but Wahoos initial response hasn't made any difference. Any suggestions ( ROAM is only 5 weeks old )

[@katmai7777]

I am totally disappointed ☹️ What a crap from Wahoo. I was expecting something much better than Garmin 1040 or Karoo2. 3 years of waiting and they bring us... 64 colors, USB-C, bit better GPS and not yet working "climber". It's a joke.

[@Dali6266]

I’ve always been avid Garmin since the 520. For the past few months I’ve been testing a element V2 which I have found reasonably accurate & easy to use BUT the overall unit cosmetically looks old, chunky & outdated as does the Roam. The screen looks small in comparison to the unit size. Tech wise Wahoo are behind the 8 ball compared to Garmin. Garmin connect provides far superior data. Overall Wahoo works well but personally I’ll wait for the update 830 or 840🤞

[@radekgacek8050]

Wahoo roam/bolt v2 or hammerhead karoo 2 ? Which shouldI buy?

[@UK-Cycling]

Thanks Ray. Best regards Martin

[@paro64]

Wahoo SYSTM outdoor workout can be sync with Garmin bike computer?

[@andybrown141]

I guess you could view this as a consumer or as someone worried about marketshare for Wahoo or staying competitive (from the business/sales side). As a consumer I don't really care who sells more units, I just want good value and something that does what it says it does. But I can see where you are coming from with Wahoo releasing a product that doesn't have everything out yet for it. I think the fact you didn't have any technical issues is a huge positive if you think about how many half baked Garmin units got release over the years only to be quite buggy until a year or two afterwards. To that point, I've recently had two bad Wahoo Bolt V2's where they just crash randomly. I am on my first replacement, which Wahoo is excellent with customer service by the way...(take note Garmin). But I do not wish to get another Bolt V2 for fear of a greater hardware problem . So what I would look for is more about how the unit is durability and functionally as it stands today. So from that standpoint I think the Roam V2 would be a solid choice over my Bolt considering my recent experience.

[@ShaheenSaffy]

Does it have the recovery feature time as the garmin?

[@AlbaTech]

I was really looking forward to the release of the Roam 2 after Garmin took a massive dump on their 1030 Plus owners by not offering the 1040 OS update on a perfectly viable device. But even taking into account how much I despise Garmin, there is nothing here that makes me want to jump ship from the 1030 Plus. If Wahoo can’t even attract a very disgruntled Garmin user with this they should be worried.

[@M1402_]

Hard meh. Going to hold on to my Bolt v1 and see what Garmin is rolling out in the 5xx and 8xx series.

[@Carftymk]

I changed my bolt v1 for a 530 and really regretted it. I know the wait for 540/840 is long but for me the edge explore 2 is the successor to these. It's what I imagined the 840 would be

[@ltu42]

I went from Bolt v1 to v2 and was very happy with the result. In my view, the main advantages are: (1) much higher res screen, the maps are actually useful now, (2) colour-coded fields are nice, but colored gradients on the elevation chart are such an immense improvement in usability (3) real onboard navigation, fast rerouting when I get off course, (4) real-world battery life around 21 hours. After a 16 hour 360 km day with turn by turn navigation, auto backlight, power & heart rate, I had 23% battery left. My Bolt v1 was only managing around 16 hours when new, about 13 hours a couple of years in. As for the downsides, the temperature sensor on my v1 was pretty reliable, and on the v2 it's always underreading by about 3 degrees. 2-3 when it's cold, 3-4 when it's hot. I recommend upgrading to the Bolt v2.

[@MelbourneExclusive0]

@@ltu42 that's awesome!! Would you say the bolt v2 would be much better than the roam 2?

[@Carftymk]

@@ltu42 I was happy enough with mapping on the bolt v1. The grey map wasn't the most readable but the arrow was good. Garmin's colored maps are nice but the arrow is pretty bad One thing that was a CLEAR win for garmin was the climbing page. The wahoo bolt had no scale, no numbers, nothing. The gradient shown was utterly useless. Only good to show your VAM and current gradient

[@ltu42]

@@Carftymk It's improved a lot recently. The coloured versions have scale (lines and numbers) on the elevation graph since mid-summer, and the gradients on the graph are color-coded since March.

[@thomasmuller3089]

Great video... Very different question: Which kind of bar tape you are using (visible on your videos, when you ride with the different bike computers). Looks quite "grippy"? Thanks for sharing.

[@SonnyDarvish]

Every head unit comes out of Wahoo and Garmin still is like a pre-iphone mobile device. That's 15 years ago.

[@ralfmimoun2826]

So true. My Edge is not connected to the Connect (ha!) app anymore. 10 steps to reconnect, but it simply does not work. In 2022...

[@Marian82PL]

Hi, can I transfer my ride from wahoo unit to Garmin connect app??? Is there any way to do that??

[@mikeprytherch8875]

The world has been turned on its head... Ray only has one watch on 😀 great video as always Ray thanks, lets see if Route Sharing works as Garmin sharing never worked in my experience

[@m3gt2]

TyreWiz is still supported?

[@speedfrx]

This unit don’t deserve v2 number, at maximum v1.5. Wahoo, give us 30h battery and bezel-less screen! Come on, don’t be lazy

[@tariqkamil7853]

So this vs the garmin edge explore 2?

[@LOZUPONEJ]

Hoping for Christmas sales

[@AussieInJapan]

I bought the new Bolt to replace my last ROAM I destroyed in the rain (screen had separated slightly from dropping) as was on sale and a lot cheaper than the new ROAM. However after downgrading to the smaller screen I’m really missing the larger easier to read ROAM. Charging on the Bolt won’t work unless using 5v, so my USB C charging from battery packs doesn’t work. How is charging on ROAM? Thinking of selling bolt to get the roam.

[@iainmcdutube]

@DCRainmaker Any news from Wahoo on the general response to this release.? Surely their marketing folks must know by now just how much of a let down it's been.

[@j0ck3rp1]

Can you do an update to this video?

[@adamrichards7630]

Question for anyone who can answer. How long has your wahoo computers lasted ? How many years you getting out of it ? Thanks

[@Vladimir_pobeda]

Спасибо, очень интересно рассказываешь!

[@chrismccannIRL]

Honestly I struggle to see why anyone would choose this over a Garmin 830 or 1030 or even the hammerhead Karoo 2. It looks very poor and massive bevel and buttons.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Hammerhead has USB-C.

[@petrichor259]

@@JFomo Why would anyone go for this crap for just usb c. It's not that big of a deal to carry one micro usb

[@chrismccannIRL]

Yeah agree. The USB C adds little to the equation. I bought the original Roam and quickly sent it back and went for the Garmin 830. Also have the Karoo 2. Both are superb units in their own right. Garmins biggest issue is they’re a hardware company struggling with the software … hammerhead are the opposite being a software company struggling with the hardware. Already had a broken mount on the new Karoo 2 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ickeausberlin36]

I try to turn all my electronics for bikepacking usb-c. Less spares to bring, less switching cables when charging different devices. I just ordered a third party Etap battery charger just because it offers usb-c while the original doesn’t.

[@kondurny]

Battery life. Hammerhead is

[@jacksonqu4544]

Random question what happened with your Apple Watch ultra? Thought you did a review at one point and you look to have a series on rn.

[@Dcrainmaker]

I’m always testing new stuff. Apple Watch Ultra was with me this ride, but on that wrist was the Fitbit Sense 2.

[@tofadeisastart]

That border around the screen is very annoying. I could see if it was a solar gps. But wtf

[@awetdog73]

Come on Ray, new kickr bike review. Stop teasing

[@pe3117]

2024 and Wahoo doesn’t have bike profiles???? Like Garmin 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@atexnik]

No smart light control so far...

[@chuckb4375]

How does V2 screen brightness / contrast compare to V1? I've found that the V1 backlight level doesn't have the range needed for good visibility at dusk.

[@1984rbarker]

It looks really laggy too when going between screens.

[@jameskolar9655]

The V.2 is £349. That’s expensive, but tough luck! That’s the cost.

[@DRONIXAR]

Super as always

[@lterra72]

I just bought this (v2) bc I lost my elemnt. Picking up tomorrow but you took some steam outta my expectations the last few minutes of this review.

[@4toes1nose]

Thank you

[@sand9577]

From what I'm gathering Wahoo in cycling GPS is like Apple, playing catch up with everyone else when it comes to features others have had for years.

[@TransAm2k4]

Bet you they where trying to realase for Kona to capture some of the triathete

[@charng]

I am having trouble get any GPS lock out of the box. I am leaving it outside the house to get a lock right now.

[@charng]

OK. After a factory reset and leaving out of the house for a bit. I finally got a gps lock just now. Hope things get better after that. Now time to re-setup the pages.

[@HappyDuude]

We've moved on from EGA! Someday VGA

[@diggiediggz]

Basically... I'll stick with my Bolt V2

[@ivanyhtang]

Is it worth upgrading from the Bolt V2?

[@forsnowboard]

no way

[@jakepotter1274]

I have the original wahoo computer and feel like mine does everything and more that this does lol

[@motomoto898]

Such a pity. What is Wahoo R&D doing? Like so many, I too must echo this sentiment; for an Autumn 2022 release this unit leaves so much more to be desired. You had something good Wahoo, but you’re losing touch. Please get your shit together, listen to what your consumer base is asking for.

[@bikesavvy3654]

I would only consider if it worked with Garmin Connect. Hang on not released with new still to come features? What have they be for 3 years?

[@HECTORBIDO]

Hardware. Same slow processor

[@Carftymk]

i'm pretty sure the processor got a big upgrade?

[@Dcrainmaker]

Still kinda slow. Better, but slow.

[@Ravenblues]

Trailheads?

[@christerohlsson9034]

The best features is that it’s not a Garmin

[@richardtydryszewski8919]

So basically wahoo is always tryna catch up tp garmin

[@hgiusdfajgfds]

meh, the UI just looks way too janky for a flagship $400 device in 2022. And when it's that apparent even on a 30fps video, it probably looks a lot worse IRL.

[@ataricommodore]

This is a $ 399 software update, not a hardware update. Very disappointed. Copy Paste BOLT2. I was expecting a bigger screen, smaller frames, better resolution, 64 colors is a laugh. The final update is 256 colors? The price should be $ 299 max. Do turn by turn is also only up to 200km as in bolt2 and ROAM1? Is ROAM 2 already for ultra cyclists? Roam v1 freezes after 250km.

[@kevinbourke4038]

This must be a new to me, version of English.

[@BarryJHoffman]

One day maybe wahoo can figure out how to have your goal for strava live segments show like garmin. Until then.. Pass

[@damu6678]

Very disappointing refresh

[@BombDaBass2000]

The Display tend to have burn spots in some cases.

[@adrianmatilla548]

On the new one?

[@mbastos1000]

Question that will change your life: What is that orange box on you left side? That is the only thing I paid attention during the entire video. I even do not know what you were speaking about. The only thing in my mind is: what is that fu@#$%^&*cking orange box??????

[@Dcrainmaker]

The (red) box is simply a box. That is all. I put the Wahoo ROAM box in front of it, so it pops more - else, it gets lost in the clutter of the desk behind it.

[@bronzilla5]

The ugliest and most useless cycling computer ever, that being said, Wahoo please made the Bolt V3 with Dimensions (LxWxH): 89 x 47 x 21 mm, Display dimensions: diagonal 2.7" (69 mm) 240x400 pixels Merci

[@imixmag]

I purchased the Bolt V2 and the unit and software were so quirky that I returned it. Wahoo is not worthy of my money.

[@EagleEye-MJG]

There's no way, THIS is what a 👉"NEW"👈 Cycling Computer looks like.....in LATE 2022!🙄🙄🙄🙄🤯 STOP IT! Your milking the market now.🙄