skallal

I just bought a Wahoo Elemnt Roam based on the recommendations of another member. This was because I'm having issues with a Garmin in bright sunlight. The Roam certainly solved the sunlight issue resoundingly.

However I just traded one issue for another. The speed reading is very sluggish. It takes at least 5 seconds or more for the current speed to properly update. If this is a pervasive problem, there would be a lot of online complaints. The only Google hits I can find relate to the RPM sensor. I have no sensors. The speed calculation is entirely GPS based.

I'm hoping there is a simple fix for this. I can't find any settings. Perhaps a bad unit?

I'll be calling support soon.

Any ideas?

chaadster

It’s always like that? It never shows instant speed? Are you saying that when you start off for a ride, it takes five seconds to move from zero to, say, 8mph, which it displays for five seconds despite the fact you’re accelerating, and then jumps to, say, 12mph, which ot then again shows for 5 seconds regardless of actual speed, and so on and so on?

skallal

It does ALWAYS show a speed. I wouldn't call it instant. I need to look and see just how fast it updates. But I'd say your description is close to my experience.

Okay the 5 seconds is a guess on my part. For example I can be riding 14 mph as I approach my driveway and then slow down to < 5 mph for the turn. It stills reads 14 mph until I'm well into my driveway.

To be fair, I should try the same with my Garmin. But I'm sure it's much much faster.

Troul 

I would use the ANT+ & see if the GPS is the problem. Are you sync'd with your phone when using it? If you are, make sure the phone's location accuracy is set appropriately.

Iride01 

The processors in these devices usually aren't too spiffy. So to expect it to instantly respond to an increase of speed that might be 10 or 20 mph in just a second or two might be a little too much expectation.

Besides, why are you looking at your device that long? If I'm coming at you I'd rather you see me and not the speed you collide or pass by me at.

chaadster

I’ve not had any meaningful lag in speed reporting from either Garmin or Wahoo units, going back to the days when the Edge 500 came out. I mean, it has probably happened, but is so rare and brief that I don’t even have a solid feeling of it being a thing, let alone being able to recall an instance.

Koyote

OP: is this occurring under any and all conditions, or more when you are under tree cover and/or on cloudy days? I've noticed that my computer (not Wahoo) reacts more slowly under such conditions.

Either way, it's basically a non-issue. Your speed will be accurate in the post-ride file...And during a ride, how on earth could a laggy speed reading make any difference?

Seattle Forrest

If speed is important to you, get a speed sensor.

Bearhawker

Mine only seems to lag on gradient. Bu that doesn't bother me too much... I know the road is going up because it sucks and my speed (such that it is - fatbike problems) drops FAST

LOL

Steve B.

I think its inherant to some GPS units whose processors are just slow. Ive seen Garmins react this way, just a slow update to obvious changes in speed.

The solution is usually add a speed sensor as the device is no longer using the GPS signal to generate speed, thus processor speed for the incoming GPS signal is not an issue.

jv6380@gmail.co

Did you figure out what was the issue with the lag? I am having the same issue and I am using a speed sensor.

Eric F 

Do you have the Wahoo paired with the sensor?

If you do, in the Wahoo app, check the settings on your sensor. If it’s set to calculate tire size automatically, it’s relying on GPS positioning to calculate speed. If you manually enter the tire size, it will use wheel rotation to calculate speed based on the tire size.