Deciding between the Wahoo Roam vs the Bolt v2?

[Two-Wheels]

Ok so an incident today has resulted in me needing to replace my Roam.
Was quite happy with it though when I bought it the Bolt v2 came out like 2 weeks later.

I like the screen size of the Roam.
Battery life is kinda of irrelevant as I'm not going to be out anywhere to run the juice down from 100%-0%. The longest I've been out in 1 hit was probably 3hrs.
I haven't seen the Bolt v2 in person, only on YouTube. I like the use of colours on it but I also worry about the physical size of it - as in whether the screen will be too small for me.

So just wondering if anyone has some user feedback if they've made the shift from the Roam to the Bolt v2 or even if they've had first hand experience of both?


Like I say, I was happy with the Roam. I'd still have it now if today hadn't happened. It was my first bike computer so I have nothing to compare it to really.

 

[Ridgeway]

I moved from Bolt 1 to Bolt 2, did consider at that point the Roam and would of gone that way if i used the GPS more but as that’s fairly rare i went with the smaller Bolt 2. Screen is smaller as you say vs Roam and for me just about big enough but then it depends it you have all 9 data fields on display, you can always reduce that number to increase field size.

 

[Two-Wheels]

Thanks a lot for the quick feedback. That's actually really helpful as to be honest I'm quite poor with knowing where to go yet like exploring new roads/areas so when doing that & going somewhere that isn't familiar, I rely quite heavily on the navigation.

Before I got the Roam I was looking at Garmins and saw a few reviews & videos. For my price point I wasn't that keen on the Garmins touchscreen & visibility in sunlight from what I read/saw on videos so opted for the Roam. It's not perfect but I was happy enough with it for what I needed.


Little off topic but after today I've been looking & see no option for crash detection alerts in the app. Bit disappointing or am I missing it? Is there any way of having this feature?



^^^ What happens when drivers don't look both ways before pulling out of junctions. Thankfully I'm not broken but it looks like that Roam is.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Have you checked out the excellent DCRainmaker website? He does in depth reviews / videos of loads of cycling tech. He’s very highly regarded for his independence.

 

[ColinJ]

^^^ What happens when drivers don't look both ways before pulling out of junctions. Thankfully I'm not broken but it looks like that Roam is.

Is it just the mount that is broken, or is the screen broken too?

If it is just the mount then I reckon a new one could be fabricated and bonded on.

 

[Ridgeway]

Or just a body/shell replacement ?

 

[Two-Wheels]

Have you checked out the excellent DCRainmaker website? He does in depth reviews / videos of loads of cycling tech. He’s very highly regarded for his independence.

I've seen a few of his videos. Only just got on to him to be honest but like what I see so far from his content.

Is it just the mount that is broken, or is the screen broken too?

If it is just the mount then I reckon a new one could be fabricated and bonded on.

Just the mount - both out front mount (though just buy a new one) and the rear of the computer itself.

I did wonder if it could be repaired though not quite sure how as it seems fairly mashed (& cracked on the rear).

Screen is fine, buttons fine.

 

[Two-Wheels]

Or just a body/shell replacement ?

How do you go about switching out the shell?

 

[ColinJ]

I did wonder if it could be repaired though not quite sure how as it seems fairly mashed (& cracked on the rear).

Screen is fine, buttons fine.

I just found THIS which might be of interest!

 

[Mike_P]

Suggest it would be worth contacting Wahoo. As to navigation issues I was less than impressed with my Garmin 530 yesterday which directed me straight on a roundabout when it should have been be a right turn and then later in on the ride insisted on a U turn only then another U turn....So navigation issues are not just a Bolt 2 matter.

 

[si_c]

I'd definitely consider contacting Wahoo support about getting the mounting mechanism replaced. I'd imagine it would be a fairly simple replacement with a reasonable OOW charge if any.

If you do replace the unit, it might also be worth considering the Garmin Edge Explore, it's a bigger screen with a greater focus on navigation, more akin to the Roam.

 

[BurningLegs]

I'd definitely consider contacting Wahoo support about getting the mounting mechanism replaced. I'd imagine it would be a fairly simple replacement with a reasonalby OOW charge if any.

In my experience Wahoo have excellent customer support who respond quickly and solve issues with minimal fuss.

In my case the chest strap for one of their heart rate monitors failed after approx three years of use. I was upfront about it being three years old and they sent me a new strap in the post free of charge.

No idea how they will handle your scenario, clearly. I think the worst you could reasonably hope for though would be a good discount on a replacement unit - it is common for leading brands to offer heavy discounts for crash replacements (if not free of charge!)

 

[Two-Wheels]

Thanks guys. I'll get in touch with Wahoo straight after hitting post on this. Don't ask ... don't get & i've nothing to lose.

I do like the integration of the Varia with the Garmin units vs the Roam. At the end of the day it's a Garmin unit working with a Garmin unit so I'd expect it to work better. Not that it's bad on the Roam, it just looks better on a Garmin from the videos I've seen on YouTube. Though all factors considered, I think the Wahoo ticks my boxes more.

Boy am I sore this morning!! I'm not a bike time cyclist. I just get out on a Sunday really as it's the only day I have time. Only just started breaking 40 miles. There were a lot of cyclists who ended up coming across me yesterday while I was laid out on my back & even though some passers by were already helping, they all stopped to ask if they could help. Very nice of them. Superb community

 

[Sea of vapours]

I do like the integration of the Varia with the Garmin units vs the Roam. At the end of the day it's a Garmin unit working with a Garmin unit so I'd expect it to work better. Not that it's bad on the Roam, it just looks better on a Garmin from the videos I've seen on YouTube.

Having rectently acquired a Varia, and using it with a Roam, I think I'd disagree. Perhaps the Varia information looks 'prettier' on the Garmin head units, but the Roam has the considerable advantage of being able to use the side LEDs to display approaching vehicles. The benefit of that is that none of the screen real estate is in any way affected by the Varia information at any time. I started off with the Varia data on the screen, but it's overall a more elegant display mode when using just the LEDs. And, whichever you prefer, you do have the option, unlike the Garmin devices.

 

[ColinJ]

Having rectently acquired a Varia, and using it with a Roam, I think I'd disagree. Perhaps the Varia information looks 'prettier' on the Garmin head units, but the Roam has the considerable advantage of being able to use the side LEDs to display approaching vehicles. The benefit of that is that none of the screen real estate is in any way affected by the Varia information at any time. I started off with the Varia data on the screen, but it's overall a more elegant display mode when using just the LEDs. And, whichever you prefer, you do have the option, unlike the Garmin devices.

Oh, I was just thinking about your use of a GPS watch and wondering about eventually buying one rather than something like a Roam!