After losing 20 pounds through healthier eating, I vowed to keep the weight off and started biking to a local coffeeshop each morning, no matter the weather. As occasional recreation grew into a daily habit, I felt it was time to collect more data to see if I could push myself further. I chose the Wahoo Fitness Elemnt bike computer, a small, black rectangle that snaps into a handlebar mount and displays detailed performance stats.
A bike computer seems anachronistic these days. Cyclists favor apps like Strava or MapMyRide, and if they use a computer at all, it's probably stamped "Garmin" or a cheap accessory that lets them track their speed. The $330 Elemnt is closer to the Garmin. It uses Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the ANT+ protocol to link your phones, a slew of sensors on your bike, your heart-rate monitor, and your laptop, and presents all of this data on its 2.7-inch screen. Built-in GPS tracks your speed and distance, and provides turn-by-turn directions. A firmware update coming this month will even let you find Elemnt-owning buddies on a map.
For my testing, Wahoo Fitness sent along a chest-strap Tickr Heart Rate Monitor (guys, can I get another vowel or two?) and an RPM Cadence sensor that attaches to one of my bike's pedals. I connected the sensors to the Elemnt over ANT+, mounted the computer on my handlebar, set up the Elemnt using Wahoo's app, then set our for a ride.
I wondered how the Elemnt differs from a free app like Strava on my iphoness, which I can easily and cheaply mount on my handlebar. At least a dozen free apps offer GPS turn-by-turn directions. Of course, pinching and zooming while zipping past utility poles is a bad idea, so the convenience of a bike computer is a big advantage. Route mapping is another. I used the Strava app (you also can use Ride With GPS) to create three routes to three coffeeshops. Strava synced them to the Elemnt so I could follow on-screen prompts.
Based on tracking and reporting features alone, the Elemnt is probably closest to Garmin's Edge 810 ($400), but the Wahoo's display is much different. The Elemnt provides directions through LEDs, which cue upcoming turns (green means you're on course, red means you missed a turn). To see a map, you press the Page button. The two-tone screen uses an arrow to indicate your locations and a line to indicate where to go. Pressing Page again returns you to the main display. Simple.
The Elemnt also displays a wealth of performance stats. You can choose to see everything—speed, cadence, heart rate, distance, calories burned, distance climbed, and the current time—or just the stuff that matters. Visual cues provide further insights into things like heart rate and cadence. A white light means you're doing fine. Lights appear above or below it so you know when to push harder or ease up.
Riding tends to be a social endeavor, so the Elemnt lets you share a live map of your ride with Facebook friends. Strava syncing support makes it snap to share your stats on Facebook too, because what's the point of killing it on a ride if you can't tell everyone? After each ride, Strava used my route, speed, distance, and the time of day to post a map. This happens without you clicking or syncing anything, as long as your phones and the Elemnt can pair via Bluetooth.
Oh. Speaking of my phones and Elemnt, it will notify you to texts and calls. That's handy, because you can pay attention to your current route, but still see texts or calls coming in and pull over if you want to.
Still, the Elemnt has some flaws. Navigating and understanding the UI isn't easy. And the computer needs a smart power-down feature. A few times, I forgot to end a ride on the Elemnt and it kept tracking my route ... from the car. The next morning, I'd find the Elemnt out of juice.
That said, the Elemnt provided a wealth of accurate and useful data. As somebody who's cycling for fitness, I liked seeing my heart rate, and telling my friends how far I'd ridden and how long I'd been at it. After sharing my live route on Facebook, a few friends started following my morning rides and offering encouragement.
For $330, the Elemnt is expensive, but on par with the other high-end bike computers. The data dumps are a big added value, because seeing your performance reports in the app gives you focus and accountability, and motivates you to get back on the bike the next morning.