Wahoo Fitness has cottoned on to something we’ve been saying for a little while here: GPS bike computers are just getting way too complicated for the average person - so they’ve launched the Elemnt. Wahoo claims that the Elemnt will ‘allow riders to put the focus back on their ride, providing a seamless connection between the rider and their data.’
Wahoo said that the Elemnt has been in the works for just over a year. After it launched the Rflkt (a bike computer running off your phone) three years ago, it had an overwhelming number of requests from customers who wanted an alternative to the existing products in the high end GPS market.
“We started at the end of 2014 with the challenge ‘How can we build a GPS enabled bike computer that is power yet super simple to use?’. People love the data from their GPS computers, but typically hate the way they interact with it: deep and confusing menus, the need to plug it into a computer and poor smartphone integration. The Elemnt fixes all of this.”
The Elemnt has GPS, GLONASS, ANT+, Bluetooth Smart and Wifi connectivity that allows riders to view key metrics, navigate a route (bold line on a map plus turn-by-turn notifications) and track other riders’ locations in real-time. It can also receive call, text and email notifications.
The big difference between the Elemnt and other GPS computers is the new QuickLook LEDs fitted to the face of the computer that provide visual indictators for various metrics. The side LEDs are performance based – they provide a way to see you current speed vs. average speed, or current power/HR vs. intended zone. The top LEDs provide notifications when you get a call or text and will eventually provide navigation information.
The Elemnt can be set up through the smartphone app that is available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app can also be used to sync ride data to third-party platforms such as Strava, RideWithGPS and TrainingPeaks. The Elemnt is also fully integrated with the rest of the Wahoo product line, so users will be able to control the Kickr turbo trainer from the bars without a computer, tablet or smartphone.
The Elemnt will be available later this year with an RRP of £279.99. Full specs below:
| Wahoo Elemnt GPS bike computer | |
|---|---|
| Size | 57.5mm x 90.5mm x 21.2mm |
| DayBright Display Size | 68.6mm |
| Mount | 3 mounts: out-front, stem and aero |
| Backlight | Yes |
| ANT+ | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Altimeter | Barometric |
| Compatibility | Works with Strava and more |
| Profiles | Multiple |
| Battery Life | 17 hours |
| Weight | 3.5oz. (99g) |
| Contact | wahoofitness.com |