Led by chief ‘Wahooligan’ and company founder Chip Hawkins, Wahoo set the cat amongst the pigeons a few years ago with the release of the Elemnt Bolt bike computer. Providing pro riders and weekend warriors with a fully customisable GPS unit, capable of displaying everything from current speed to power, even notifications from your phone, it was an, ahem, bolt from the blue that shook up a market previously dominated by Garmin. You’ll see Wahoo’s Elemnt bike computers on the handlebars of some of the very best, proving how good they really are.
Wahoo have recently released the newest addition to the range, the Elemnt Roam. The moniker gives a clue as to where Wahoo are taking us with this new model – we’re going roaming, heading off into the hills and if we want to hit some off-road sections, well that’s fine too!
The Elemnt Roam is Wahoo’s first full-colour computer and it offers up a staggering range of data for you to get into full-on geek mode should you want to; everything from current and average speed to distance and altitude gain is available straight out of the box. If used in combination with compatible ANT+/Bluetooth sensors it can also display power, heart rate and cadence metrics. You can personalise your display screens so they show exactly what you want to see and, perhaps more importantly, hide what you don’t. It can even display a ‘Strava page’, indicating where you are on a specific segment for when you go out hunting that elusive KOM crown.
If the weather isn’t good enough to entice you to ride outside, the Roam can also be used to control an indoor smart trainer. With the unit you can specify the resistance level of your trainer and use it to hit specific power targets.
Show me the way!
Where the new Roam really ups the game is with its new 2.7†shadow-free colour screen and improved navigation capability. It has fully routable maps pre-loaded, complete with road names and, if you’re heading off the beaten track, trail names too. The Roam can be paired with mapping apps like Komoot and, for off-roaders, Singletracks and MTB Project, making planning and riding new routes child’s play. No more are you required to stop at every turn to check you’re heading the right way, and the large screen and clear display means you only need to glance down to see where you are even when the road or trail is less than smooth.
The Roam’s enhanced navigational features are fantastic too. The ‘take me to’ feature allows you to store favourite locations – simply click and you’ll be routed to your favourite coffee stop in a jiffy. It can route you to a planned route if you start from a different location, take you to a specific address or just display where you are on a map, similar to car sat nav devices.
The Elemnt Roam is customised using the Wahoo app, and it couldn’t be easier to use. You can decide what data you wish to display, how many metrics per page and how many different screens you wish to have at your disposal. It can be configured for workouts and full gas head-down training if you need that, or just to display where you’re going and where the cake is for your rest days. It will even display notifications from your phone if you configure it to do so.
The unit uses Wi-Fi to connect to third party apps you might have on your phone, making linking up with training aids really simple. Wahoo know that you want to ride, not faff about staring at your phone, and they have really nailed it with the Roam.
The Elemnt Roam comes with a specially designed out-front mount, and if you prefer to mount it on your stem, a mount for that comes in the box too. We will have the new Wahoo Elemnt Roam in store soon, so keep your eyes on the website, get yourself kitted out and get exploring.
