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Wahoo Bolt or Garmin 530

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Wahoo Bolt or Garmin 530

Old 07-02-21, 05:04 AM
  #26  
blakcloud
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The problem with Garmin is Garmin. I owned the 820 and now the 830 and the number of problems still astounds me. I could spend the next 30 minutes detailing the issues I have with both computers. I thought purchasing the 830 would fix the problems with the 820 and boy was I wrong. Live Track is hit and miss. Dropped sensors or unable to connect is another issue. Having connection to the phone is again more miss than hit. GPS that has maps spin in circles, so you can't figure out where you are. Pausing your ride when traveling less than 13 km an hour. Problem after problem.

Their firmware is version 8. You would think by now they would have most of the kinks worked out but you would be sorely mistaken. New updates always means new problems. Features that worked before, don't work anymore. Garmin really has to step up at least in the bike computer realm before I could even remotely recommend them.

Try looking at this, 78 pages of problems. https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fit...ing/f/edge-530
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Old 07-02-21, 06:00 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Yeah, I didnt think the 530 was touch when first looking at options a few days ago, but Competitive Cyclist strongly suggests it is touch when I saw the sale this morning and I went off that as reference.
https://www.competitivecyclist.com/g...-bike-computer
Clearly I need to still hold each and look at them.
CC says "touchscreen compatibility" (what that means I have no idea!).

The 830 is the 530 with a touch screen.

The 830 has some extra navigation feature the 530 doesn't because the 830 has a touch. screen

Last edited by njkayaker; 07-02-21 at 06:08 AM.
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Old 07-02-21, 06:59 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Yeah, I didnt think the 530 was touch when first looking at options a few days ago, but Competitive Cyclist strongly suggests it is touch when I saw the sale this morning and I went off that as reference.
https://www.competitivecyclist.com/g...-bike-computer
Clearly I need to still hold each and look at them.



Thanks all for the comments so far.
Lol - they're a buncha maroons. It looks like they took the ad copy for the 830 and a "find 8, replace 5"
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Old 07-02-21, 07:22 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by blakcloud
The problem with Garmin is Garmin. I owned the 820 and now the 830 and the number of problems still astounds me. I could spend the next 30 minutes detailing the issues I have with both computers. I thought purchasing the 830 would fix the problems with the 820 and boy was I wrong. Live Track is hit and miss. Dropped sensors or unable to connect is another issue. Having connection to the phone is again more miss than hit. GPS that has maps spin in circles, so you can't figure out where you are. Pausing your ride when traveling less than 13 km an hour. Problem after problem.

Their firmware is version 8. You would think by now they would have most of the kinks worked out but you would be sorely mistaken. New updates always means new problems. Features that worked before, don't work anymore. Garmin really has to step up at least in the bike computer realm before I could even remotely recommend them.

Try looking at this, 78 pages of problems. https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fit...ing/f/edge-530
Agree with this. I can't say I've abandoned Garmin, but after receiving my Hammerhead Karoo 2 I have not used my 1030 in a month and I don't miss it. My 1030 was a reasonably reliable unit in that it consistently tracks the ride and usually uploads. Sometimes I had to do a manual upload. Blue Tooth connection was a complete crapshoot, worse with iPhones than my newer Android, but i pretty much always had to always manually force a BT connection in order to use the added weather app. Live track worked about 60% of the time and I would get frequent messages on screen that LT had failed. What a surprise. The Karoo has been a pleasant surprise for a unit whose OS seems to be much more
refined and reliable, from a company pushing regular and frequent updates and features that work. I like that and will stick with my HH.
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Old 07-02-21, 07:24 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by blakcloud
The problem with Garmin is Garmin. I owned the 820 and now the 830 and the number of problems still astounds me. I could spend the next 30 minutes detailing the issues I have with both computers. I thought purchasing the 830 would fix the problems with the 820 and boy was I wrong. Live Track is hit and miss. Dropped sensors or unable to connect is another issue. Having connection to the phone is again more miss than hit. GPS that has maps spin in circles, so you can't figure out where you are. Pausing your ride when traveling less than 13 km an hour. Problem after problem.

Their firmware is version 8. You would think by now they would have most of the kinks worked out but you would be sorely mistaken. New updates always means new problems. Features that worked before, don't work anymore. Garmin really has to step up at least in the bike computer realm before I could even remotely recommend them.

Try looking at this, 78 pages of problems. https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fit...ing/f/edge-530
This kind of stuff is interesting to hear because of how much it differs from my experience so far. I get the occasional "Radar disconnected," but that resolves itself in literally one or two seconds. Other than that, I haven't had any connectivity issues with my phone (two phones, three versions of Android), power meter, speed sensor, light network, or HRMs. A month or so ago, my wife told me that there were a couple days where the corpse tracking wasn't working right, but that's about the extent of my problems.

Oh, and the re-routing when off-course is often super dumb. I wish that it was a little smarter with regard to alterations to the course, or at least a little less stubborn; telling me to make a U-turn for the fifth consecutive time, when I've ignored the four previous suggestions, is a bit much. Maybe tell me twice and then take the hint that I'm looking to connect further down the course and re-route accordingly.
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Old 07-02-21, 07:39 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
That’s useful. Your spouse can immediately start building her new eHarmony profile when she gets that notification.
My wife doesn't appreciate my "humor" when I refer to Live Track as Corpse Tracking and when I tell her that the Cycliq video camera is only there so that she knows against whom to press charges.
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Old 07-02-21, 07:41 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
This kind of stuff is interesting to hear because of how much it differs from my experience so far. I get the occasional "Radar disconnected," but that resolves itself in literally one or two seconds. Other than that, I haven't had any connectivity issues with my phone (two phones, three versions of Android), power meter, speed sensor, light network, or HRMs. A month or so ago, my wife told me that there were a couple days where the corpse tracking wasn't working right, but that's about the extent of my problems.

Oh, and the re-routing when off-course is often super dumb. I wish that it was a little smarter with regard to alterations to the course, or at least a little less stubborn; telling me to make a U-turn for the fifth consecutive time, when I've ignored the four previous suggestions, is a bit much. Maybe tell me twice and then take the hint that I'm looking to connect further down the course and re-route accordingly.
This pretty much mirrors my 830 experience. Sometimes my phone disconnects, but I think that probably has something to do with me keeping it in the back center pocket, the worst possible place for connectivity.
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Old 07-02-21, 08:07 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by cuevélo
Sometimes my phone disconnects, but I think that probably has something to do with me keeping it in the back center pocket, the worst possible place for connectivity.
Yeah, BT is subject to interference and it all adds up. There are areas where I'm much more likely to get a drop, usually most noticeable with my headphones getting choppy; I know that microwaves definitely wreak havoc with BT.
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Old 07-02-21, 08:20 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
Yeah, BT is subject to interference and it all adds up. There are areas where I'm much more likely to get a drop, usually most noticeable with my headphones getting choppy; I know that microwaves definitely wreak havoc with BT.
My BT ear buds stay connected to my phone at home when my phone is in the basement and I am upstairs and 50' away.
But when my phone is in a pouch in my back rear pocket and the buds are 3' away, they will periodically cut out if I turn my head to the right.

It's really quite funny. Look ahead- good. Look left- good. Look right- cuts out here and there.

Tech is goofy.
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Old 07-02-21, 08:49 AM
  #35  
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Hmmm. I don't get these phone connection problems with my 530. In general, I've heard that *if* you have the choice between an ANT+ device/connection and a BT device/connection, Garmins seem to work better with ANT+. I have a power meter and HR belt that use ANT+, so my only BT connection is my phone (which I keep in my pocket in the middle of my back). Maybe that's why I've been lucky. But I'm not about to run out and buy a BT power meter and BT HR belt and BT speed/cadence sensor just so I can check.
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Old 07-02-21, 09:52 AM
  #36  
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Sure Bluetooth interference can be an issue. Funny that it's only a widespread issue for Garmin Edge computers. Never had a problem with my Bolt. The only explanation must be that Wahoo's invented an anti-Bluetooth interference field.

The Karoos are a different beast because AFAIK they don't use it for connectivity, instead relying on WiFi or mobile data. So unless you want to shell out for a SIM card and data plan just for your bike computer (or rip it out of your mobile phone when riding), live track functionality (and whatever else requires a network connection) only works if you turn your phone into a hotspot.
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Old 07-02-21, 10:00 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by WorldIRC
My decision to go Garmin was due to the data that Garmin Connect makes available at no extra cost. With Wahoo, you’ll need to find an external source to hold your ride data (like Strava) if you want to see this data from a computer.

I agree that setting up a Wahoo is easier, but once that’s done it becomes a moot point. Moving from one Garmin to the next is now easy as the Garmin phone app will move the data over to your next computer.
I have the Bolt and 520 Plus I use at the Velodrome. I use Training Peaks for data but both Wahoo and Garmin apps give similar ride data
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Old 07-02-21, 10:22 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by surak
Sure Bluetooth interference can be an issue. Funny that it's only a widespread issue for Garmin Edge computers. Never had a problem with my Bolt. The only explanation must be that Wahoo's invented an anti-Bluetooth interference field.
My son has a Bolt. He's had problems with BT connectivity. I've never had a problem with my 530. I'm not sure Wahoo's anti-BT interference field is working for him.
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Old 07-02-21, 10:31 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by RChung
My son has a Bolt. He's had problems with BT connectivity. I've never had a problem with my 530. I'm not sure Wahoo's anti-BT interference field is working for him.
You might want to check whether he glows in the dark.

But in all seriousness, if he uses your 530, do you expect the Bluetooth issues to go away? I have direct A/B comparisons on the same phones (yes, multiple) over a period of more than a year on each of my 520 and Bolt (1st gen), not to mention that the trend is clear in this thread and everywhere comparisons come up of the directionality of defects.

​​​​​
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Old 07-02-21, 10:39 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by surak
You might want to check whether he glows in the dark.

But in all seriousness, if he uses your 530, do you expect the Bluetooth issues to go away? I have direct A/B comparisons on the same phones (yes, multiple) over a period of more than a year on each of my 520 and Bolt (1st gen), not to mention that the trend is clear in this thread and everywhere comparisons come up of the directionality of defects.
​​​​​
I would say that the trend is clear only if you're looking to confirm suspicions.
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Old 07-02-21, 10:47 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I would say that the trend is clear only if you're looking to confirm suspicions.
Wouldn't you know it, decisions about whether to spend $250+ to replace a defective Garmin head unit often comes with some investigation. The Internet happens to be seeded by those who've had to do the same thing.

I had to check that the Wahoo devices users FB group actually covered the Elemnt, because there are so few complaints about the Elemnt compared to every other product that every product group I joined has. In that case, I'd really have to go looking hard to find a trend opposite to the one that's pretty obvious.
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Old 07-02-21, 10:50 AM
  #42  
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I have a Garmin 530 that was a gift. If it wasn't for that fact, I'd have taken it back and gotten a 830 or 1030plus with a touch screen. Otherwise the 530 itself is a great device. But getting down to some of the useful features you might want to use while riding might be a little clumsy with button pushes and traffic zooming all around you.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:05 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by surak
Wouldn't you know it, decisions about whether to spend $250+ to replace a defective Garmin head unit often comes with some investigation. The Internet happens to be seeded by those who've had to do the same thing.

I had to check that the Wahoo devices users FB group actually covered the Elemnt, because there are so few complaints about the Elemnt compared to every other product that every product group I joined has. In that case, I'd really have to go looking hard to find a trend opposite to the one that's pretty obvious.
In my day job we use self-selected samples to uncover questions and form hypotheses -- but we don't use "convenience" samples to test those hypotheses. That means that I try not to use my kid's and my own personal experiences to generalize to the entire universe of head units, even though our experiences are about as convenient as we can get. Which isn't to say that sometimes when the statistical analyses are all done the initial convenience samples weren't valid -- often they are. But often the underlying reasons why something happens isn't as clear or as simple as you'd think when you first begin looking at a problem.

On the other hand, Gatorskins are clearly ****.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:21 AM
  #44  
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I have had some issues with my Bolt in terms of BT connectivity. It started after an update. Another update seem to fix it, but it does occur occasionally. Most of my rides start and end at home. When I upload the Bolt on the home WiFi, it does fine. My 520, I am never at home when I upload. It hasn’t had an issue.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:30 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by RChung
In my day job we use self-selected samples to uncover questions and form hypotheses -- but we don't use "convenience" samples to test those hypotheses. That means that I try not to use my kid's and my own personal experiences to generalize to the entire universe of head units, even though our experiences are about as convenient as we can get. Which isn't to say that sometimes when the statistical analyses are all done the initial convenience samples weren't valid -- often they are. But often the underlying reasons why something happens isn't as clear or as simple as you'd think when you first begin looking at a problem.
I know you have to assume that most people don't understand statistics when you wade into these type of discussions, but I can assure you that as my day job involves finding predictive patterns in data that are due to causal relationships rather than noise or correlational effects, I have a bit of an understanding about (biased) sample sizes, Bayes' theorem, etc. I avoided making any absolute statements except the facetious one that triggered you, but my purpose was to point out the smoke out there goes plainly in one direction, and that smoke ain't just from my anecdotal experience, while poking a hole at the speculative excuse that external circumstances were somehow the main reason behind the Garmin Bluetooth issues (put out by people who haven't directly compared the two). Unless you think Wahoo users are less likely to complain about their issues (and some reason only Elemnt users, not the Kickr and Tickr users who are verrrry well-represented in the support group), this doesn't just boil down just Garmin having a larger user population. I've done my research on BF before switching from Garmin to Wahoo, on DC Rainmaker, on the Garmin and Wahoo forums, and I made damn sure my money (and life when relying on my Varia actually working) was worth spending on an Elemnt.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:32 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by surak
Wouldn't you know it, decisions about whether to spend $250+ to replace a defective Garmin head unit often comes with some investigation. The Internet happens to be seeded by those who've had to do the same thing.

I had to check that the Wahoo devices users FB group actually covered the Elemnt, because there are so few complaints about the Elemnt compared to every other product that every product group I joined has. In that case, I'd really have to go looking hard to find a trend opposite to the one that's pretty obvious.
You don't think that replacing a defective unit would lead to a position of bias looking to be confirmed? Cyclists should understand confirmation bias, because BMW drivers are *******s, amiright?

As far as online chatter, have you looked at how the volume of complaints might reflect market share? Have you also considered that Garmin has forums where it's convenient and sensible for people to congregate and kvetch? Did you look at the number of unique kvetchers for both?
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Old 07-02-21, 11:41 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
You don't think that replacing a defective unit would lead to a position of bias looking to be confirmed? Cyclists should understand confirmation bias, because BMW drivers are *******s, amiright?

As far as online chatter, have you looked at how the volume of complaints might reflect market share? Have you also considered that Garmin has forums where it's convenient and sensible for people to congregate and kvetch? Did you look at the number of unique kvetchers for both?
You don't think that people who replace their Garmins with Wahoos don't check that the Wahoos actually will solve their problem before putting down money? Are you really that daft that you think people would only look at Garmin forums but not Wahoo's?

I can easily list a dozen issues on Kickrs that are reported in the same FB group that covers Elemnts (even Tickrs and Headwind fans get more complaints) as well as on DC Rainmaker and yet really have to dig for any pervasive flaws reported on Elemnts. And while there are fewer Elemnt users out there, there's still 1,500 comments on DCR's in-depth review, nearly the same number as the 520 and the 530.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:46 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by surak
You don't think that people who replace their Garmins with Wahoos don't check that the Wahoos actually will solve their problem before putting down money? Are you really that daft that you think people would only look at Garmin forums but not Wahoo's?
Do I believe that people believe that the grass is greener? Yes, yes I do.

Originally Posted by surak
I can easily list a dozen issues on Kickrs that are reported in the same FB group that covers Elemnts (even Tickrs and Headwind fans get more complaints) as well as on DC Rainmaker and yet really have to dig for any pervasive flaws reported on Elemnts. And while there are fewer Elemnt users out there, there's still 1,500 comments on DCR's in-depth review, nearly the same number as the 520 and the 530.
And?
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Old 07-02-21, 11:47 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by surak
Sure Bluetooth interference can be an issue. Funny that it's only a widespread issue for Garmin Edge computers. Never had a problem with my Bolt. The only explanation must be that Wahoo's invented an anti-Bluetooth interference field.

The Karoos are a different beast because AFAIK they don't use it for connectivity, instead relying on WiFi or mobile data. So unless you want to shell out for a SIM card and data plan just for your bike computer (or rip it out of your mobile phone when riding), live track functionality (and whatever else requires a network connection) only works if you turn your phone into a hotspot.
Correct about Karoo 2. They use BT to the phone for something I've not yet figured out (just looked - phone notifications/text/e-mail/calls), as they have a phone app. Maybe I'll play with it today. HH decided to skip the headaches that Garmins experience with the device - phone BT connection and rely on WiFi or cell data exclusively. It works every time, in my experience. You do not need a SIMM card for a Karoo, you can use HotSpot on a phone for a LiveTrack feature, or for uploading completed rides or downloading routes. I use HotSpot a lot when I'm doing remote rides as I will then upload to the web. It's very reliable all I do is swipe down on my phone, turn on HotSpot and the K2 immediately finds it. It's likely more reliable than the BT connection Garmin uses to do the same. It does work and in my experience did not drain the phone battery excessively.

And note that I am not necessarily recommending the Karoo 2 over a Bolt or 530. It's priced $100 more for one thing, not sure that's in the OP's budget. I personally think HH does a lot of things better than Garmin though there are still some missing features, like TrailForks, and additional map types (topo). It's a better device than an 830 for sure at the same price and almost as good as a 1030 Plus for $200 less.

Last edited by Steve B.; 07-02-21 at 12:25 PM.
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Old 07-02-21, 11:58 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
Do I believe that people believe that the grass is greener? Yes, yes I do.



And?
And why wouldn't the grass be greener for Wahoo users reporting that they're moving to Garmin due to Bluetooth issues? Your unspoken null hypothesis seems to be that the rate of Bluetooth errors should be the same, so shouldn't we be able to find plenty of Elemnt complaints? Is it because there are too few Elemnt users who are so quiet that they don't make a fuss online unlike Garmin users? The numbers I pointed out don't back that up, neither does the evidence that other Wahoo product owners have no qualms about complaining of their issues.
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