Garmin Edge 540 vs Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2

Hi Matt, can you tell us something about rerouting, especially if you drive the wrong way? Which device is better?

Garmin is like the iphone of cycling computers while Wahoo is samsung

You ask for anything that should be added and the 1st thing that I noticed is you didn't cover screen resolution, viewable angles and reflectiveness. I mean, cmon, this is very important for those sunny days. If the screen is difficult to see in bright conditions or it has a glossy screen, I think its just as important as other features. Otherwise, very good and to the point review. I like the Wahoo better but I have a Garmin Quatix 7 watch and the integration with data from both on a single interface on my Android phone is compelling.

Excelente video gracias por compartir sus conocimientos

I am a strictly gravel and rail trails rider. I just ordered the Bolt based on the a friend's recommendation. I trust him and he knows my rides and riding style. Saving over $100 on a bundle was a big deal for me as well. The rail trails I ride are all in Strava or Ride GPS and that's important in terms of getting back to the start point on trails I haven't used before.

Thanks for the great video. I have an old Edge 510 that i wanted to upgrade. I almost jumped ship to Wahoo, but instead ordered a Edge 540. What swayed me to stay with Garmin in the end was the fact that it can independently record an odometer, i don't want to keep track of that in a companion app or strava, especially transferring a bike over that's already travelled a few km.

Thanks for the review. Garmin is the best.

One thing that bugs the hell out of me is how all the bike computers still look like they were designed in 2003 with these huge bezels and hardly any screen real estate compared to their sizes.

I have no comparison with Garmin, but GPS on my Bolt v2 sucks.
It is good enough for road cycling, when it is clear where the crossroads are, but for the slow gravel cycling in some hilly terrain, often under forest canopy, it is so inaccurate I am often unsure if I should turn right now, or does the path I am closing to leads to some private property.
A side effect of GPS inaccuracy are spectacular max speeds on Strava activities. According to Bolt I somehow reached 79 khp on my gravel with 36 mm tires.

wahoo for sure

Cycling always wahoo running always Garmin

This was a review on the 540 vs Bolt right? Why is there footage of you using the Garmin with a touchscreen? Does the 540 have some touchscreen capabilities?

I just came here for the comments and am going with the Wahoo based on these reviews lol

One thing I have found useful is riding vocal cues with Garmin. I can ride with on apple earbud in and it announces the turns so if I am not staring at the device I know exactly where and when to turn. Wahoo has no such thing, and the preview it does list goes away after a few seconds and I have missed it if I wasn't looking. So Garmin from mapping seems to be better at cues when following a set of instructions. I also don't understand why Wahoo has no street names on their mapping, it's basically just a line. Garmin always has prompts of the street name coming up at the top whether you are following a route or not, which is very helpful when you have no idea where you are going and need reference points.

Something else to consider with the Garmin you get a bunch of training metrics built right imto the device; training load, recovery, and daily suggested workouts that adapt based on current circumstances. With wahoo you have to subscribe to their system plan for $15/month. So after 5 months the Garmin is actually cheaper.

Great really sensible review.

Thanks for the review. Clear and to the point. Although I may have missed this, but any chance you will review the Bryton 420? Thanks

Hi Matt. I need your opinion.
As a newbie wanna buy Cyclomp for the first time. what I'm looking for:
something easy to understand. Have a daily training plan (would be great free. no subscription). good GPS map. good battery in the long term. I never problem with screen size. good in heavy rain.
which do you think is best based on price?
- wahoo roam V1 ($ 219)
- Garmin edge 530 ($ 212)
- Garmin edge 830 ($ 285)
- Wahoo bolt V2 ($ 252)
- Garmin edge 540 ($ 412)
- Wahoo roam V2 ($ 412)
- Garmin 1030 ($ 392)
also, is it package with the sensor important?

Hey man, would you recommend the Garmin over the Wahoo if I’m already using a Fenix 6 and want all the training metrics to sync up? I run 3 days a week and just bought a gravel bike and would love all my recovery/fitness stats to sync up. I’m leaning toward the garmin for that reason alone.

Garmin comes with a sensor set. speed and cadence. is that also work with Wahoo? or does wahoo need that?

I miss the ability too change routes during a running activity. I think I’d have chosen the Wahoo instead, if I knew how often during an activity I want to change my route.

I upgraded to a 1030 plus from Edge 800, and I must say the user interface was much worse on the 1030. Everything is easy to find at the 800, while on the 1030 is like.. where the heck do I find this setting?. So I guess Garmin goes in the wrong direction when it comes to user ínterface design.

I have Bolt v1 and it says 15 hours but it´s down to around 8 hours now so I want to replace it. Wahoo screens is much better in sunlight compared with Garmin but I really want Garmins Stamina and Climb pro feature. I do have a Fenix 7X so Stamina could be used there but I don´t know about climb pro. 1040 costs less than 840 now so very hard to decide. I want a slimmed computer with 10 active fields. Bolt v2 battery life scares me. Does it have 8 hours after 3 years too? 3 years with bolt V1 costs 150 USD in value loss when you sell it. Would it be better to buy a Garmin?

am thinking about IGPSport 630, how it will be less behind these two. one thing come to mind is there is no feature such as climb detection (pre planned route or free route) which should be a fun feature to see when having long climb.

Watching your video, the most obvious difference is the screen glare on the Garmin verses none on the Wahoo. In some shots, I couldn't even tell if the Garmin was ON. That alone is enough to sway me.

I had Garmin 530 and got rid of it because of it is not navigation.
Navigation (for me) means that if I go of the route (or planned route, if you wish) it will find a new good way to get back on the track and to the finish. And that is exactly what the Garmin is not capable of.
Wahoo rules the navigation.
It will not say Make a U Turn! I t will always find a new way, where it is possible. You can then choose by yourself if you will go the new way or will make a UTurn.
Garmin is not a smart navigation. And the buttons on the sides are also pain to use.
Wahoo is also much more easier to setup - it is done by companion app in your smartphone - not in the deepest levels menus by buttons on the device.
Also, when you want to get somewhere, you just use Get me to... in app. Then you hit the start button on device and you go.
My life is so smooth from the point when I manage to sell Garmin 530 and bougt the Wahoo Bolt2. I highly recommend it.

Hi Matt, Cheers for the review - I have tried hunting around for the info but can't find a answer.. - Am I right in saying with the 540 you can't use auto - pause on workouts? - I also want to be able to pause my structured workout/ interval but leave the total timer/clock running. i.e if you get stuck at a traffic light mid interval I am forced to stop or if you get held up by traffic and have to get off the power I want to be able to pause the workout but still have total time/ distance still tracking

Great video Matt. Really helped me choose the Wahoo over Garmin. I’ve been using a combination of my Garmin Forerunner 255 and iPhone up until recently and today I went for my first ride with the Wahoo. The screens & buttons are so intuitive that I haven’t even felt the need to read the manual yet. Loved the experience on the road, especially the Summit freeride climbing feature. Highly recommended.

I see Garmin still have a really, really shiny screen. The Wahoo's matt screen is sooo much better in sunny situations ☀️

Very nice review it was helpful asi am trying to decide what to buy!

Garmin is a navigation equipment company, also making sporting equipment.

Wahoo is a sporting equipment company, also making navigation equipment.

The usability with the Roam is on point, while the features on the Garmin are on point.

Can’t there just be a merge between them? I have no clue which one to buy. (And I am already a Garmin customer regarding motorcycle navigation systems).

You think the Free ride climb pro will come to the Garmin watches?

key differences: number one - one is slightly bigger and one is slightly heavier....... how is that a KEY difference? f off

I have Roam V2 and basicly I am not satisfied with it: the main issue is the occured 3-4 sec delay if the speed, grade, bpm etc. is modified. Accurate data provision would be expected from a 400 EUR bike computer. It would have been good to see in this video, if the bike speed is modified, how can these computer follow the speed modification, which has less delay and to what extent? Could you please add this into your review?

Nice review. The reflective screen on the 540 plus the horrible user interface (non intuitive) are large negatives for me.

new to biking - what should a newbie get? your thoughts? or should I just buy the Garmin 530 cause I'm new to biking?

If you are using a Garmin 955 watch (or any garmin watch at that) will using the Wahoo still be a viable option or would you stick to the garmin ecosystem?!

Amazing video! (As always)

Screen glare is really bad on the Garmins...

For a road bikes, The Element Bolt is the best option. Cheaper as well.

Hi Matt. Thanks for this review as after much deliberation over the various pros and cons of all the devices out there I finally took the plunge and bought a Wahoo Bolt V2. Looking forward to it arriving and more importantly getting out on the bike to use it.
For me it came down to price and matching up what my needs were; tracking my rides and the occasional navigating on new routes. But I am looking forward to the features on this newer device to my Garmin 520 plus, in particular the climb feature (well done Wahoo for catching up). If my riding opportunities start matching my ambitions (family commitments keep me on 2/3 short rides per week) then I will look to upgrade to a larger device. Hopefully Karoo release their version 3 as I think this could end up being a cracker.
Once again thanks and keep on producing the great content.

Can we get an 840 vs Roam vs Karoo 2? Since they’re all in the $400 range when not on sale

There is no competition between the two. The GPS chipset in the Wahoo (and the 530/830) is pants; whereas the GPS chipset in the 540/840/1040 reportedly kicks ass in terms accuracy. It’s more evident/important in running watches, but none the less the previous generation of chipset was IMO pretty poor. I’ll take the 840!

It is no brainer for me-Garmin 540-simply because of ecosystem-watch-edge-even the scales I use.

Nice comparaison, tempted to go for Bolt 😀

Great video Matt! I bought the Garmin Edge 540 over the Wahoo bolt purely for Garmin’s incident detection feature built into their computers. In my past experience, it has not been perfectly accurate—maybe 50% of the time, though I don’t crash often—but it was very useful every time it was accurate. Plus, even a 50% that it will accurately detect a crash is a comfort to my family so there’s that too. Apart from that feature I likely would have chosen the Bolt V2.

Really great comparison. I definitely prefer a layout of the Bolt. And I have a question about maps. Do you know by any chance, which one is easier to navigate on the go? Without any preparation before the ride. Let's say you are somewhere, you want to select something on the map which is not included in the original route and cycle there, without touching your phone. Thanks🙏

Used both Garmin and Wahoo over the years and it was one of the smallest things that made me stick with Wahoo... chevrons when navigating. No confusion on overlapping routes!

Battery life is actually pretty important and different enough to mention. Advertised run-times: Edge 540: 26 hours vs Bolt v2: 15 hours. DC-rainmaker found the Garmin's 26 hours was conservative - he got a bit more in his testing. If you are like me and keep the same computer for 6+ years, then the longer battery life means a much longer usable life span.

I have Edge 840 🙂. Wahoo is good too, but the GUI is like from 8bit computer era. The design is also nicer at Garmin devices. There is more advantages at Garmin's if you have also Garmin watches and you use training on both, Connect application, instant strava route integration etc. The only bad at Garmin is the price increase, but Garmin users will buy it anyway.