Garmin vs Wahoo odometer
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Garmin vs Wahoo odometer
Pardon me for asking this dumb question that has been asked before similar forms, but my reading of prior threads here and on Garmin and Wahoo support has not yielded any solid conclusions...
I'm about to get a new road bike — my dream bike — and the ideal computer would allow me to use it across multiple bikes and associate an individual odometer reading with each bike, including manual input of an initial reading for each bike (e.g., 43,258 mi on my current road bike). After years with a Cateye that meticulously recorded accumulated mileage, I "got a really good deal" and now use a Garmin Edge 830 but have been unable to figure out how to input the prior mileage. Indeed, the 830 odometer total doesn't even match my Strava record for the last 13 mos, suggesting I cannot trust the Garmin odometer at all, and I have lost all faith in tracking mileage with the Garmin beyond individual rides. From the internet I've gleaned there are IQ apps that maybe add improved odometer functionality, but my quick IQ check didn't inspire confidence.
If someone knows how to manually enter a starting odometer reading for multiple, individual bikes on a Garmin, I will be eternally grateful if you'd point me to explicit instructions. Alternatively, I could dump the Garmin in favor of a Wahoo Roam if the Roam can handle this important and seemingly simple task better. The Garmin seems to have better physical form than the Roam, but after more than a year of riding I don't find the Garmin interface intuitive. In contrast, I hear the Wahoo interface is better, but I cannot find good Wahoo documentation regarding the odometer function, and I prefer not to download their app just to learn about a function.
I would appreciate it sincerely if anyone can help me out and provide explicit resources. Until I purchased the Garmin, I thought I was technically proficient, so it's embarrassing that I'm stuck on a stupid odometer function.
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!
Dave
PS: The color display is cool, but I've only once needed the turn-by-turn map function on the Garmin. Returning to a Cateye is also an option, but I have this silly notion that my carbon-everything dream bike will also have a fancy computer. ;-)
I'm about to get a new road bike — my dream bike — and the ideal computer would allow me to use it across multiple bikes and associate an individual odometer reading with each bike, including manual input of an initial reading for each bike (e.g., 43,258 mi on my current road bike). After years with a Cateye that meticulously recorded accumulated mileage, I "got a really good deal" and now use a Garmin Edge 830 but have been unable to figure out how to input the prior mileage. Indeed, the 830 odometer total doesn't even match my Strava record for the last 13 mos, suggesting I cannot trust the Garmin odometer at all, and I have lost all faith in tracking mileage with the Garmin beyond individual rides. From the internet I've gleaned there are IQ apps that maybe add improved odometer functionality, but my quick IQ check didn't inspire confidence.
If someone knows how to manually enter a starting odometer reading for multiple, individual bikes on a Garmin, I will be eternally grateful if you'd point me to explicit instructions. Alternatively, I could dump the Garmin in favor of a Wahoo Roam if the Roam can handle this important and seemingly simple task better. The Garmin seems to have better physical form than the Roam, but after more than a year of riding I don't find the Garmin interface intuitive. In contrast, I hear the Wahoo interface is better, but I cannot find good Wahoo documentation regarding the odometer function, and I prefer not to download their app just to learn about a function.
I would appreciate it sincerely if anyone can help me out and provide explicit resources. Until I purchased the Garmin, I thought I was technically proficient, so it's embarrassing that I'm stuck on a stupid odometer function.
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!
Dave
PS: The color display is cool, but I've only once needed the turn-by-turn map function on the Garmin. Returning to a Cateye is also an option, but I have this silly notion that my carbon-everything dream bike will also have a fancy computer. ;-)
#2
Full Member
Do you have any sensors (e.g. wheel speed, cadence, power meter) on your individual bikes? If so, you can use https://www.activityfix.com/user_cp to create automatic rules for assigning your rides to the correct bike in your Strava Gear.
You can't edit the start mileage on a bike, but you can create a manual activity with the prior mileage and assign a bike to that.
https://www.probikegarage.com/ is an awesome app that can help keep track of things too, including individual components. I believe that you can assign a start mileage with the app.
How big is the mismatch between Garmin and Strava for your last 13 months? The way Strava interprets Garmin data can lead to ~.01 or maybe .05 miles of difference per activity, and that can add up.
You can't edit the start mileage on a bike, but you can create a manual activity with the prior mileage and assign a bike to that.
https://www.probikegarage.com/ is an awesome app that can help keep track of things too, including individual components. I believe that you can assign a start mileage with the app.
How big is the mismatch between Garmin and Strava for your last 13 months? The way Strava interprets Garmin data can lead to ~.01 or maybe .05 miles of difference per activity, and that can add up.
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks, Cuevelo -- I'll check those out!
Yes, I use cadence and wheel sensors, but I'm too old to use a power meter because I'm afraid of what it will reveal. ;-)
Dave
Yes, I use cadence and wheel sensors, but I'm too old to use a power meter because I'm afraid of what it will reveal. ;-)
Dave
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On your Garmin Edge 830, I don't know if there is any way to modify the figure it shows as a total. However if you create a specific profile for each bike you use then you can see a separate total for each profile. You'll just have to do some math to come up with the actual total for your equipment used prior to establishing the profiles. Use to be able to modify the Garmin device odometer with the old Garmin Training Center software. But that went out of Garmin support about a decade ago. Though I do know it still worked with Win10. But I finally quit using it with Win11. Don't know if a Garmin 830 will be seen by it. But I do think I remember using GTC with a Garmin 820 my son had.
You might have an easier time keeping track of such things with the bike and equipment trackers that RideWithGPS, Strava and others have built into their websites that let you view your ride data from your Garmin, Wahoo or whatever you choose. You can modify the starting mileage with them.
You might have an easier time keeping track of such things with the bike and equipment trackers that RideWithGPS, Strava and others have built into their websites that let you view your ride data from your Garmin, Wahoo or whatever you choose. You can modify the starting mileage with them.
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Use the gear tracking feature in Garmin Connect. You can start a bike at any mileage you like by entering a manual ride if that distance and tagging a given bike with it.
#6
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks, Iride01! I will look into that.
Call me a luddite, but my strong preference is to have a head unit that shows me total mileage accrued on the bike at the moment. For example, when reaching a particular milestone of 5,000 or 10,000, I immediately stop the bike to snap a selfie that includes the bike and scenery and snap a pic of the odometer at say, 40,000.0 mi. So although I could approximate this tradition with an app on my phone, it would seem to lack the drama that I strangely appreciate as I watch the odometer click from XXX99.7, XXX99.8, XXX99.9...
Take care,
Dave
Call me a luddite, but my strong preference is to have a head unit that shows me total mileage accrued on the bike at the moment. For example, when reaching a particular milestone of 5,000 or 10,000, I immediately stop the bike to snap a selfie that includes the bike and scenery and snap a pic of the odometer at say, 40,000.0 mi. So although I could approximate this tradition with an app on my phone, it would seem to lack the drama that I strangely appreciate as I watch the odometer click from XXX99.7, XXX99.8, XXX99.9...
Take care,
Dave
On your Garmin Edge 830, I don't know if there is any way to modify the figure it shows as a total. However if you create a specific profile for each bike you use then you can see a separate total for each profile. You'll just have to do some math to come up with the actual total for your equipment used prior to establishing the profiles. Use to be able to modify the Garmin device odometer with the old Garmin Training Center software. But that went out of Garmin support about a decade ago. Though I do know it still worked with Win10. But I finally quit using it with Win11. Don't know if a Garmin 830 will be seen by it. But I do think I remember using GTC with a Garmin 820 my son had.
You might have an easier time keeping track of such things with the bike and equipment trackers that RideWithGPS, Strava and others have built into their websites that let you view your ride data from your Garmin, Wahoo or whatever you choose. You can modify the starting mileage with them.
You might have an easier time keeping track of such things with the bike and equipment trackers that RideWithGPS, Strava and others have built into their websites that let you view your ride data from your Garmin, Wahoo or whatever you choose. You can modify the starting mileage with them.
#7
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks, SF, I'll check that out. I admit that Garmin Connect and its communications with the head unit strike me as horrible, so I haven't fully explored GC. [I think it took me an hour to set up the turn-by-turn route the one time I did so. :-o] Apparently, I need to dig a little further to unlock its potential. Wish me luck! Dave
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Thanks, Iride01! I will look into that.
Call me a luddite, but my strong preference is to have a head unit that shows me total mileage accrued on the bike at the moment. For example, when reaching a particular milestone of 5,000 or 10,000, I immediately stop the bike to snap a selfie that includes the bike and scenery and snap a pic of the odometer at say, 40,000.0 mi. So although I could approximate this tradition with an app on my phone, it would seem to lack the drama that I strangely appreciate as I watch the odometer click from XXX99.7, XXX99.8, XXX99.9...
Take care,
Dave
Call me a luddite, but my strong preference is to have a head unit that shows me total mileage accrued on the bike at the moment. For example, when reaching a particular milestone of 5,000 or 10,000, I immediately stop the bike to snap a selfie that includes the bike and scenery and snap a pic of the odometer at say, 40,000.0 mi. So although I could approximate this tradition with an app on my phone, it would seem to lack the drama that I strangely appreciate as I watch the odometer click from XXX99.7, XXX99.8, XXX99.9...
Take care,
Dave
The type of in device odometer you're describing is something Garmin hasn't done in a lot of years. The 800 worked the way you want, there have been three subsequent generations and a fourth about to be released, without this functionality. The good news is an 800 should be very very cheap if you can find one. The bad news is its mapping and navigation are very old, so are a lot of its other features, and it's likely to disappoint you after being used to an 830.
I don't know if any competing companies make computers with odometers that function as you describe. A guy named @Troul is actually working on a list of bike computers and what does what, so he may come along and shed light on this.
#9
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Thanks, SF, I'll check that out. I admit that Garmin Connect and its communications with the head unit strike me as horrible, so I haven't fully explored GC. [I think it took me an hour to set up the turn-by-turn route the one time I did so. :-o] Apparently, I need to dig a little further to unlock its potential. Wish me luck! Dave
And what communications troubles are you having? Though if your Edge 830 and the Connect phone app are new to you then possibly you've just been having issues with the updates that sometimes just have quirks for the first ride or two with them. Later when the updates are farther apart you'll have less problems. The Connect phone app for me has been pretty good at connecting to and acting as a intermediary between my Edge 530, Garmin Connect website and RideWithGPS website.
If you have wifi in your home, you should set that up on your Edge too so it doesn't always have to go through the phone app.