All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

I use a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt. It does all of the things you mentioned, including the ability to load routes from Trailforks or MTB Project then navigating you on those routes. with little arrows. It is pretty accurate GPS location, so even in a mess of switchbacks and intersections, it shows where you are on the trail.

I chose that one for size, simplicity (I only want to see location, trail maps, and to see my texts or calls pop up without looking at my phone. I also didn't want touch screen because I always wear gloves), integration with my Kickr trainer (I can ride local routes and the trainer adjusts for the hills and such), and I like Wahoo's sync app better than Garmin Connect. I'm sure it has changed now, but in the past, I frequently got frustrated with Garmin connect on both my computers/watches and the wife's. For those years of frustration, I am kind of off Garmin.

Anytime I am looking at techy stuff for bikes, I reference DC Rainmaker to compare what each does, then you can throw away any instructions, because his reviews cover every function of the device and how to use it.

This buyers guide is old (2021), but the entry level units from Garmin or Wahoo haven't been updated for a few years anyway, so it is still valid for the more basic computers they offer.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/11/best-cycling-gps-computers-recommendations.html

 

Anyone have experience with buying used bikes on ebay? I see a few reputable sellers like bikebluebook has a big store on there. For local pickup options I thought to try and find a local bike shop to pack up and ship the bike.

 

Huh?

 

Touchscreen would be nice, but how do they do with rain/sweat/creek crossings? If they're like my phone, not well, and that would be more of a hassle than the side buttons on my 530.

 

The touchscreens work better than on a phone while wet but I still find them unnecessary and a bit cumbersome on computers. Pinch to zoom is good but tother than that not worth it to me.

 

I have gotten pretty good at utilizing the side buttons on my Garmin 530 when riding, but when on a new trail network and doing on the fly mapping I'd prefer to use a touch screen. Swiping and pinch to zoom is much quicker than cycling through the toggles and using the map to see where a trail goes and all the intersecting trails.

That being said, I'm not sure the extra $100 to get the 830 was worth the cost of convenience. The 530 does everything I need and with the ability to customize the data screens has left me pretty happy. Having Trailforks baked into the navigation mapping is awesome (no need to purchase the premium trail forks), but as @Pugga said, it was a hassle to get it set up initially and show the trail names on the map.

Was interested in the Wahoo, but everyone I ride with had the Garmin and they were all happy with it.

 

I’m with you on the touchscreen for maps. Pretty much end up using my phone for maps if I’m in a new place, and just confirm trail names on the 530 as I ride.

From what I hear, the Wahoo has a much better interface. I’ve used Garmin stuff for so long that I’m used to their ‘style’, which is to say that I can get around even though I don’t find it intuitive even now.

 

i have a garmin 520. pretty sure you can link it to trailforks and do some route setup stuff, but i never do that. it does upload to strava at the end of my ride. you set that up in the garmin connect app and can automatically upload the ride to a few different services if you want. my heart rate monitor connects to it, but i dont have a power meter to try that, not sure why it wouldn't work.

i got it in like 2015 or something and really only use it on road/gravel rides. honestly i use it more as a clock when im riding than live ride data.

sounds like the replacement is the 530. if youre looking for something more basic, im sure the 530 would do it all.

back around 2018ish, everyone was moving to the wahoo elmnt bolt or whatever it was called. it was the new hotness and a lot of podcasts i was listening to said they wouldn't go back to garmin. i kind of stopped listening to those.

im pretty in the garmin ecosystem with watches, bike computers, and my scale, so im a bit biased.

 

I have a 520 and a 530. And even an old 500. The 530 does everything quite a bit better. Especially maps and routing. Both have way more features than most of us will ever use.

The Wahoo products are good but, at this point I'd stay away. Wahoo as a company is struggling a bit right now and I wouldn't buy in until I see what happens to them.

 

Yeah, I've gotten okay with the buttons. I don't use the map feature nearly as much to become truly proficient at it but as a whole, I can do things just fine. I have my screens setup really well so I'm not worried much about what's displaying. I also have different profiles for MTB vs gravel riding. I want different information to display. There are sooooo many settings on the device but they're all really nice to have. Once you figure it out.
I would be interested in tryign the Wahoo just for kicks and giggles but at the prices for these computers.....meh. I'm in the garmin ecosystem.

 

'The Garmin ecosystem'...I'd be embarrassed to actually list all the things I have bought from them over the years. Feels a little like the power tool world, where once you select a battery/manufacturer, you're in for life.

 

I use an old school Garmin Edge 500 for the basic necessities. No touchscreen. Can monitor heart rate and can connect to power meter stuff if needed. Otherwise just for recording mileage and vert so I don't have to carry my phone

 

The Garmin Edge 25 is a cool alternative to the old 500. If I didn't need mapping for some of the races I do I'd have one of those.

It does the basics for info, recording, and uploading and that's it. No fluff.

 

Awesome, thanks for the info! It sounds like it covers the checklist pretty well.

For Strava it would be upload afterwards, but being able to see Trailforks without pulling out my phone is the goal.

 

That sounds great! I've heard about Wahoo a fair bit, but most people's experience is with Garmin. Thank you for the DC Rainmaker recommendation as well, I'll look into it!

 

530 is the sweet spot IMO. That said Trailforks works way better on your phone when out on the trail and trying to sort out location/direction/adjust route on the fly kind of stuff because of the touch screen and ability to pan/zoom. 530 just sucks at that. Garmin touch screens are pretty much crap until the 1000 series devices but still pale in comparison to your smartphone.

 

I've never likes the idea of having a bike computer strapped to the bike. I use my Fenix for navigation, and if I need to check something more closely I'll break out the phone. Yeah, it's not as easy as glancing down to the screen on the bike, but lifting my wrist for a sec or two at a junction is no big deal. The maps on the watch are good too, and uploading a track is easy with TF.
Just an option to consider.

 

I have the Trailforks integrated with my Garmin 830 which is one of the two main reasons I got it and use it (other being fitness tracking with the HR monitor). You have TF setup with your watch? Which Fenix?

 

have you had any issues with your watch catching a tree branch or rock or anything? i have a vivoactive whatever from years ago thats gotten caught on some stuff. hasn't happened in a couple years, but im not sure if thats because i'm aware or it or i haven't been on super tight trails in awhile.

 

I was actually really concerned about that when I started wearing a watch. So far, I haven't caught it on anything and I've hit my handlebars and arms plenty of times on trees. So far, so good...