geepondy

Hi, in my decades of relatively casual bike riding, I've only ever had the basic bike computers that give the basic speed, distance, etc and run on coil cell batteries. However with my new bike I think I'd like to make the jump up to a GPS mapping bike computer of which I know very little about. My overwhelming reason for this is I want to be able to plan and map out my rides and have the computer give me turn by turn directions, hopefully even with some audio, just like a car GPS. I'm not sure how the rides are typically mapped out but for me, ideally I would like to be able to do so on my PC with a big monitor and maybe just use a mouse to draw in the route on a monitor displayed map and somehow have this all transfer to the computer, maybe thru a cloud app or via phone's blue tooth. Does all of this sound feasible? I'm not interested in advanced features such as power meters, etc and I'm sure they all must collect the basic information, speed, distance, average speed, etc that my current computer does. I'm not sure how much of a difference a color display or black and white would make. It seems sometimes screens with too many colors could be too busy and less easier to intuitively view and comprehend then a good black and white screen? One accessory that looks interesting to me is the Garmin tail light / radar that will alert you to traffic coming up on your although at $200, it seems pretty pricy. Is this type of accessory only available for Garmin computers?

Thanks for any input.

WhyFi

The current generation of Garmin Edge devices will do turn-by-turn with audible cues, including street name, if you have your phone connected (wireless, via BT) and some headphones. In general, I've found navigation to be better on Garmin than on Wahoo (the next biggest player in cycling GPS computers), though my experience was with the previous generation, not the most recently released.

As far as the Varia, it uses a standard radar protocol that's open - any manufacturer can choose to include/connect to it. Garmin obviously does, as does Wahoo (though Wahoo, last I saw, didn't do ANT+ light control, which was kind of a bummer with the Varia).

biker128pedal

Get the Garmin radar. Tells me when to glance in the mirror. It will work with the Garmin and Wahoo computers. I went with a Garmin 1030 because I have other Garmin GPSs and use BaseCamp. Look at the YouTube videos.

I have an app on the 1030 that controls the Varia radar. And it controls my Bontrager 1300 Pro headlight.

jaxgtr

I liked the Garmin Computers....it's downfall is Garmin Connect. I swear old nazi scientist designed that piece of crap. I moved to Wahoo because of constant Garmin Connect issues.

rsbob 

Newish Garmin Edge 830 owner with Varia rear radar/flasher and have had no issues other than learning how all the functionality works. Garmin connect works fine for me = but it might be because I have the latest. The rural roads around here are pretty broken down and cracked except the center of the lane. The Varia is a real game changer of being able to ride far more comfortably and safely. Have not used the turn by turn navigation but every other function is solid. Love how text messages appear on the screen too. Have yet to learn how to import the routes I create on Strava - super easy and export them to Garmin.

Edit: Just saw by doing am interweb search there’s tons of help on how to export.

shelbyfv

I prefer Wahoo for ease of setup. I tried a Garmin first and didn't like it. Lots discussion of the pros and cons in the electronics/gadgets section. I'm considering a Varia for when I ride alone, seems useful. I use RWGPS for mapping, it's very easy to send routes to the Wahoo.

geepondy

For either Garmin or Wahoo, how easy is it to compose and input map routes?

PeteHski

I have a Garmin Edge 530 and the Varia rear light/radar.
Does everything you are asking for. Turn by turn nav is pretty slick. There are many ways to create your own routes to upload to it eg. Garmin Connect, Strava etc.
The Varia is a great safety feature and works flawlessly. I would not ride without one now, it has become an essential item on the road for me.

PeteHski

For Garmin it's easy enough using all manner of Apps. Garmin Connect is the obvious one and works okay for me. I also often upload routes from Strava, RWGPS and various other Apps too. Never had an issue.
I wouldn't say Garmins are what you would call intuitive to use, but once you've gone through the learning curve they are not too hard to set up and easy to use out on the road.

Don't know about Wahoo.

WhyFi

If you want turn-by-turn, you can do that with multiple sites (Garmin Connect, Strava, Ride with GPS, etc). On Wahoo, only RwGPS world get you TBT (though this may have changed with the latest generation). And, again, if you want audible TBT cues with street names, only Garmin.

Seattle Forrest

It's really not that important which computer you get, I mean get one that has the features you need, but they got fairly mature and any of them should work. It's not like Shimano vs SRAM.

Racing Dan

Or you could simply get at phone mount for your cell and use it with komoot, ride with gps or what not.

I use komoot to both plan (on the PC) and ride the route with the phone in a stem mount.. I have a hard time eying what I have to gain by moving to a dedicated device other than adding extra steps and running it all with vastly less processing power and a much smaller low res screen. Komoot does voice nav on the phone if that is important.

I get 4+ hours with my Huawei phone with the screen on. Plenty for me.

shelbyfv

I suggest you look at RWGPS (free) and try making some routes even before you get the bike computer. The site also has instructions for sending your routes to the various types of computer. It's fun to make routes and easy to send them to Wahoo. Probably not too hard with Garmin either.

Steve B.

Wahoo is tightly linked to Ride With GPS, a free online app you can use to generate navigable routes, save your activities, use routes created by others, etc.... The paid version is worth it IMO.

Garmins can do all the above using the Connect mobile app and the online Connect website, or you can load an app to the more recent Garmins using iQ that lets you easily grab routes created in RWGPS.

Or you can go with a Hammerhead Karoo 2, which I think does the best navigation and turn by turn instructions, though I'm not sure it does audio directions, which I would not want in any case.

It's very easy in RWGPS, or Strava, Kamoots, or Garmin Connect to create routes while on a computer, then send that route to the device.. My route creation work method with HH is I use RWGPS to create a route, I save it, an option is to share so I copy the link, I go to the Hammerhead Dashboard site, import the RWGPS link and then and when I have a WiFi connection on the device (at home or using a hotspot on my phone if remote) the device shows me the routes available on the HH Dashboard, I grab the desired route and start it. Garmin is about as easy.

Having used 3 different Garmins, as well as a Wahoo Bolt and a Hammerhead Karoo, I am of the opinion that Hammerhead does this the best, though the battery life is not as good as the Gamins (only important if doing really long day rides, or if you cannot charge a device for 3 days).

If your needs are not to use "performance" criteria (laps, defined workouts, etc....) look at the Garmin Explore, it does navigation as well as most, has a nice big touch screen which is useful to view and move around a map and runs about $250. it's oriented towards the touring cyclist as opposed to the weekend warrior.

biker128pedal

It is tedious but I usually create routes on the Garmin 1030. Also if I’m traveling to a new place the Garmin will create loop routes of the specified length and I can pick one to ride. The routes are from crowd sourced info. Good and bad. The bad is it has picked a bike path on a side walk about 20 feet from the rideable road.

I’ve also imported routes from RidewithGPS. It was so easy I cannot remember how I did it.

Canker

I just picked up a new GPS since my old one didn't work with power meters. I tried and tried to convince my self I needed to spend the money on a Wahoo but in the end I just couldn't justify it and went with a Lezyne Super Pro for $150. I actually just wanted the Macro Plus for $100 but nobody had them in stock and I got tired of waiting. The Wahoo and Garmin are cooler and do more stuff but being realistic all I care about is seeing a few metrics distance, speed, power, heart rate, ...... and don't need all the other fancy stuff. Even the cheap Lezyne does way more than I'll ever use. Lezyne is partnered with Komoot for their mapping but I haven't bothered to try it out yet.

SashaSolitaire

Just to throw my contrarian hat in the right, but I am pretty happy with my Lezyne. I have the Mega XL and it's been pretty much flawless for my needs over the last two years. And their customer support is great. They keep pushing updates very regularly to improve upon many aspects. I love that I can download all my data from their website without any proprietary interface.

geepondy

Still researching but will make a purchase soon. Right now between Garmin Edge 830 (Garmin's have $50 off at the moment) and Wahoo Elment Roam. Touch screen of Garmin looks nice to use in prep but maybe not so nice on the bike and navigating? I'm assuming with both computers, you can switch page displays on the fly like map map navigation on one screen and ride metrics (speed, total distance, average speed etc) on another? Like the fact you can program in a destination just like your car GPS with touchscreen with Garmin but if you can basically do the same with the Wahoo phone app and then have it transferred on the fly then maybe not such a big deal as the phone will always be with me as well. Garmin has higher res screen but one reviewer says Wahoo is more contrasty and easier to see if you have poor vision which would be me. The Roam seems clunky and in need of an update though. Really, 40 seconds to boot up? I don't read of any issues of the Wahoo hooking up to the Varia radar which of course would be a deal breaker if it could not do that.

Iride01 

You need to get something so you can get some real experience and learn your own likes and dislikes. Most of what we argue about is just our own preference for how our favorite brand works. Much like some only buy Fords, others Nissan's, Chevy's or Lamborghini's. <grin>

As for buttons vs touch screen, for the newer Garmin's, go with the touch screens. They absolutely will make getting to the nifty features easier while riding. Never used the other brands, so I can't say for them if the touch screens are better.

njkayaker

The touch screen is fine to use when riding. It's a bigger target than buttons. Rain can be an issue but you can lock the screen (I've never had to). Touch screens are better for navigation.

The 530 lacks a few navigation features (like POI lookup) due to being somewhat hard to use with buttons.

It's easy to change screens on the Garmins. Wahoo should be the same.

The Gamins don't need a phone at all (you might not have network access for a phone when you need it.)

The Garmin screens are a bit dim. You should look at on (any of them, actually) outside in sunlight and shadow. The Garmins screens are fine. The Karoo might be better). Screen shots on a computer screen are going to always look better (so don't rely on that to judge).

You should look at the Karoo too.

rm -rf

The "navigate to a selected destination" works okay on my Garmin 1030, but it's kind of tedious to select the end point, and I'm not sure if it reroutes on the fly if I decide to ride a different road.
I've used it's "return to starting point by the most direct route" and it's usually pretty good. It avoids big highways, and often picks roads I like. I just use this for the occasional shortcutting a ride.

I make routes on ridwithgps.com, then load them before I start riding. Even if I don't have the map on the screen, it pops up a turn display map with a countdown as I near the turn -- nice! I was dubious about a touch screen before I got this Garmin, my old one from 2011 used navigation buttons. Touch screen is better. Except for heavy winter gloves, which don't do anything. Thin gloves work okay.

ridewithgps.com
I've been using ridewithgps for a long time. I have a few routes from their first year that have a serial number in the 50,000 range. It's now around 38,000,000 ( routes and ride recordings get assigned the next sequential number)

Sign up for a free ridewithgps account. I have the pay version, which adds some features useful for planning group rides. And I want to support the site, since I use it so often. But the free version is fine for most riders. The have an app for smartphones, too.

Viewing a route on the web page, I see the red elevation chart at the bottom. I can drag a section of the chart, and it highlights on the map, and shows stats for that section--length, grade%, max & avg. Change the map pulldown to Terrain to see the topography.

It's easy to make a route. browse to the start point, click the map. Now click down a road, and it'll draw to that point. You can undo/redo or drag the white control points that are on the red route line to choose a different road. The red elevation chart shows the route so far, and the distance and elevation.
Save it, and give it a name. Easy.

I still use the simple upload method, no linking needed:
Export the .fit file
Plug in the Garmin as a USB device.
paste the downloaded fit file to the Garmin's Newfiles folder.
reboot the Garmin, the route is now on the Navigation--> Saved Courses list.

sfrider 

I got a Karoo 2 in December since I was going to spend 3 months riding in St Petersburg, FL (which is outstanding for flat, endless base mile riding) - which I was completely unfamiliar with. My Edge 530 is superior for data collection, but I wanted something that excelled in navigation. Not just turn-by-turn, but the Karoo 2 can also pop up names of major cross streets as you approach. I rode a lot on the Pinellas Trail (about 55 mi each way, with a 20mph speed limit), Fort DeSoto Park, and folded in the barrier islands (Clearwater to St Pete Beach along Gulfview/Gulf Blvd and the various causeways). I *loved* the Karoo 2 for that, despite only using TBT I think 3 times over 3 months. I put in about 2500 miles on it and love the just about everything about it - except it can't do things like cycling dynamics. It strikes a very good UX balance between touch and button control - the stuff you need to manage while riding is button based, or uses broad swipes. No trying to click on some tiny touch button while riding. The size is good (similar to my Edge 530 and original Wahoo Elmnt). The screen use in sunlight is better than the Edge, but not as good as the original Wahoo. The only thing I really missed (doing base miles) was a graphical gear indicator for Di2; it displays gear in numbers, which requires (for me) cognitively parsing them. Works with the Varia radar, PMs, lights, etc. Synced flawlessly with Strava all winter. It gets a serious thumbs up from me. Like with all the bike computers, set aside an hour or two to experiment with the various display options, setting it up, etc. The mapping was perfectly acceptable for my uses (seems better than the Edge), though to be honest if I'm lost enough to want to check a map I'll stop and pull up google maps on my phone, but that might just be due to where I ride. (Still, in the boonies, how much is there to navigate...)

Asgarde

The Cyclope bike app is great too. It allows, in addition to the classic functions of a cycle computer, to connect the cyclists in them. You can know the position of the other runners, have the time difference, communicate by voice like the professionals with their headset.

maartendc

I am in the market for a bike computer as well, and debating between the Karoo 2 and the Wahoo Bolt V2.

I have been using an iPhone SE (for small size) with a stem mount and paired with RidewithGPS as my solution for a few years now. But it is quite far from ideal:
- battery life is bad, even though the battery is new. Need to turn the screen off and back on occasionally to save battery. With screen on, I get only about 2.5 hrs of runtime.
- Screen visibility in direct sunlight is horrible, even on full brightness.
- Touch screens are not easy to use while riding. The button size on a smartphone is designed to be used while standing still. While moving, it is outright dangerous to take your eyes off the road and try and navigate the smartphone. (and no, I am not an old person with poor eyesight or hand/eye coordination).
- Even though iPhone SE is a small phone, it still looks big and clunky on the handlebars or stem.

Seems like a bike computer would solve all these issues. But I am still hesitant, as the reasons for not getting one several years ago still exist:
- Even though very readable in sunlight, the screens of bike computers are generally poor quality (with the exception of the Karoo 2 apparently).
- Sometimes the systems seem antiquated and more of a hassle, if I hear about the loading routes, changing destinations, syncing rides, etc. on a bike computer vs a smartphone.
- every bike computer out there seems to have some major dealbreaker for me:It seems like all these computers have some sort of glaring flaw that makes it not worth spending 400 bucks on. Am I wrong? Am I missing something here?

eduskator

The new Bolt has a color screen, FYI. I had one before my current Roam (the black and white one) and even under direct sunlight, it was very easy to read. The screen isn't reflective so it helps... The Garmin one seems to be a lot more reflective.

The interface and the Elemnt software are user friendly. The GPS also works like a charm to my standards. Plus, I heard Wahoo had a very good customer service. Never needed it though as both products I've owned have been flawless.