FIRST LOOK: New Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM GPS bike computer
The new Wahoo ELEMNT Roam has major updates to the screen and storage, plus some handy changes for mountain bikers.
In early October, Wahoo Fitness launched their latest bike GPS – the ELEMNT Roam. Last year they released the updated Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt, and after reviewing that bike computer I did wonder where it left the Roam, as the 2nd generation bolt had more memory, and more colours on the screen to allow for greater functionality with visual cues.
When the first Wahoo ELEMNT Roam was released in 2018, it brought much better guidance and interactivity with other devices to the Wahoo ELEMNT range, but I found there were limits for travel with the memory available, and using the device for mountain bike navigation wasn't always ideal with limited differentiation between trails, streams and bike paths on the screen.
The new Wahoo ELEMNT Roam has plenty of updated features – including dual band GPS, enhanced navigation, updated Summit Segments Climb, higher contrast screen, and upgraded memory capacity. The big focus is improved navigation.
The dual band GPS is said to help on the navigation front, helping in areas with lower coverage – this seems perfect for anyone followed routes way out the back, or even for anyone in especially hilly areas. It also helps in heavy tree cover – so that's a big win for mountain bikers.
For those chasing Strava titles, Wahoo have updated the Summit Segments Climb feature. Once you've set a segment, you get live updates on the screen. It's up to you if this is good or not! You can also see details about the climb you're on or those coming up if you have preloaded the route, and this can greatly assist pacing for the climb or the ride.
The new Roam gains a 64 colour screen, and this helps colour code your zones in workouts and assists with detailed map reading. Given most mountain bike map reading is either stopped, or a brief glance at the screen, anything to help you get more info, faster, is a plus. Of note, Wahoo do not have links with Trailforks like Garmin do, which provides singletrack specific guidance.
An upgrade to the memory capacity of the Roam to 32GB means you can store more maps, and routes. The 17 hour battery life means you'll be fine for an overnight trip and don't need to charge your GPS each ride either.
Changes to the Wahoo ELEMNT Roam unit
Visually the unit looks the same as the outgoing Roam, but there are a few key changes, like those seen on the updated Bolt. The ELEMNT Roam has USB-C charging capabilities, convex buttons, an ambient light sensor, perfect view zoom options and quicklook LEDs.
This is just touching the surface of the new features, lots of ANT+ connectivity is there for smart trainers, power meters, heart rate monitors and more – and the Roam can even keep track of battery life on specific e-bike systems.
Having used the new Bolt for well over a year, I'll be interested to see if the updated features justify the step from $429.95 for the Bolt to $599.95 for the Roam. The Roam is available now from FE Sports.
Set up of the Wahoo ELEMNT Roam
All Wahoo devices are set up via their app, which supports both Android and iPhone. As I'm a long time Wahoo user, I have all my presets on my device profile, so set up is fast and simple. Given I have routes saved on the app, I can easily send them to the new device to hit the trails, all I need to do is pair any sensors like power meters and my Wahoo Tickr.
As listed, the changes should bring the Roam in line with many of the updates on the Bolt, with some added extra advantages as well. Many of the Wahoo staples remain, like being fast to start up, fast to set up, and simple to customise via their app.
We'll have a full review online after some extended use.
