Originally Posted by Iride01

I may well be wrong, but the bolt has maps and it's software will calculate a route based on those maps. All you have to do is give it a destination. The edge 520 will not. It will only follow a course that you create from an existinge ride you have done or import into it from another source such as RWGPS, Strava, etc.

The specs on the garmin edge 520 say that it has a basemap. I've never seen what the 520 basemap is, but on other garmin devices the basemap is basically just the interstate and highway system. The 520plus specs says it has the ability to load other map. That's something.... now at least you'll be able to see the trail you are on if you have the correct map. But I don't see where the 520 or 520 plus does any route planning as the Wahoo Bolt's specs seem to show. But admittedly I know way less about the Bolt or any other Wahoo compared to Garmin.

So to me any comparison of the two is seriously flawed if you don't consider what you are not getting with the Edge 520.

That said, I own about 10 or so garmin devices, marine, trail, auto, cycling and others. I regularly use an edge500. It doesn't have maps either. I don't need maps. I seldom use courses as they typically mess up at the one spot on the ride where I need them the most. But the Wahoo Bolt does give you much more bang for the buck, especially if maps and route planning on the device is something you want. But double check that I'm correct Bolt does route planning. Their marketing seems to alude that it does.