Element Bolt and Garmin sensors

paulbnix

Will an Element Bolt connect to Garmin’s hub speed sensor and crank cadence sensor?

munkster

Mine does. So while it's a sample of only one I am going out on a limb to say "yes"

Edit: being sensible, yes, they are ANT+ and the Bolt picks those up no problem at all. You might want to switch to Wahoo sensors for the Bluetooth integration (and hence with tablet/phone training apps if that's your thing) at some point but as it stands if you have the Garmin sensors already it'll be fine.

redvision

paulbnix wrote:

Will an Element Bolt connect to Garmin’s hub speed sensor and crank cadence sensor?

Yes

paulbnix

Thanks for the answers. I thought it would connect ok but was just checking.

I’m fed up with my 520 using about 20% battery per hour so decided to look at changing.

munkster

For info, IME the Bolt uses about 10% per hour which is more than fine for me... YMMV

paulbnix

For info, IME the Bolt uses about 10% per hour which is more than fine for me... YMMV

Does that include navigation? On my 520 the % per hour would be worse.

The 520 wasn’t always like this - when new it was about 10% per hour.

munkster

Does that include navigation?

Someone may be along to contradict me but IME I find that it makes little difference. The screen almost doesn't *feel* like it is draining anything unlike the Garmin which always felt like it was trying really hard to display and ponderously move a map about on screen. I've only had the Bolt since the end of March but have put a couple of hundred hours on it and not noticed any appreciable deterioration.

Along with a growing band of wider followers, I know of four (plus me) mates personally who have switched from (long time use of) Garmin to the Elemnt and seem pretty happy.

Edit: that said, if navigating in unknown places is something you depend on a GPS for, maybe do a bit of reading on how the mapping works. It's not to everyone's taste since you can't pan the map and some of the detail is lost when you zoom out neither of which bothers me but does for some.

redvision

munkster wrote:

For info, IME the Bolt uses about 10% per hour which is more than fine for me... YMMV

Do you have the backlight on permanently?
I get 14-15 hours out of a full charge.
When I use navigation that drops a little, but it's when the backlight is on permanently/ frequently that the battery life drops to 10 hours or less.

paulbnix

I do occasionally navigate in totally unknown places as opposed to following a different route through a known area.
I have used the 520 zoom out feature to run parallel to the route I had plotted because it was on a crappy path. The 520 doesn’t allow you pan either.

StillGoing

munkster wrote:

Does that include navigation?

Someone may be along to contradict me but IME I find that it makes little difference. The screen almost doesn't *feel* like it is draining anything unlike the Garmin which always felt like it was trying really hard to display and ponderously move a map about on screen. I've only had the Bolt since the end of March but have put a couple of hundred hours on it and not noticed any appreciable deterioration.

Along with a growing band of wider followers, I know of four (plus me) mates personally who have switched from (long time use of) Garmin to the Elemnt and seem pretty happy.

Edit: that said, if navigating in unknown places is something you depend on a GPS for, maybe do a bit of reading on how the mapping works. It's not to everyone's taste since you can't pan the map and some of the detail is lost when you zoom out neither of which bothers me but does for some.

If you go off track, or because of previously unknown diversion get sent off track, you can use your phone and use google maps to plot your way back on course. I use the Elemnt but always have the phone with me for emergencies.

munkster

If you go off track, or because of previously unknown diversion get sent off track, you can use your phone and use google maps to plot your way back on course. I use the Elemnt but always have the phone with me for emergencies.

Yep I am fully aware of the options that are available however if you are going from a Garmin to an Elemnt you might be surprised/disappointed that the Elemnt doesn't permit the sort of map manipulation you get on the Garmin, or some of the models anyway probably those with touch screen (eg. 800/810/1000 etc). This guy found it a deal breaker (not a new link but a good read): https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/wahoo-navi ... or-failed/ and others might too. You won't *always* have internet access to get onto Google Maps when you most need it, and unless you're carrying a paper map you might be stuffed. I know when I rode out in Dumfries and Galloway this summer I could have been in trouble if something had gone wrong! Luckily it didn't.

Do you have the backlight on permanently?

No, I have it set to the 5 seconds option. I think it's 5 seconds anyway...

jameses

redvision wrote:

munkster wrote:

For info, IME the Bolt uses about 10% per hour which is more than fine for me... YMMV

Do you have the backlight on permanently?
I get 14-15 hours out of a full charge.
When I use navigation that drops a little, but it's when the backlight is on permanently/ frequently that the battery life drops to 10 hours or less.

Similar battery life with mine - I did a long ride a few months back, 11 hours of riding with about an hour and a half stopped in places (with the bolt left on), using navigation for the entire route and connected to a heart rate monitor, had about 25% battery left at the end.

Korhag

I am getting tremendous battery life out of my bolt. I will only charge it at <5% where possible and have the backlight on 5 seconds aside from the odd night ride and aside from that, it has been consistent and found it staying alive for roughly the same length of time before each ride. I did find with the maps it did chug power quicker, but that is to be expected. I find roughly 15/16 hours with economical use, and 9/10 with maps.

paulbnix

Looks like it will be a goer then.
Now who hasn't picked a christmas present for me yet hmmmm :-)

munkster

If anyone still cares I just checked and mine has 66% remaining after 3h52m of riding over the weekend from a full charge. So the approx 10% per hour (maybe even a bit better) is about right for me at least!

redvision

munkster wrote:

If anyone still cares I just checked and mine has 66% remaining after 3h52m of riding over the weekend from a full charge. So the approx 10% per hour (maybe even a bit better) is about right for me at least!

Still sounds a bit low. They claim 14-15 hours and that's what most users are reporting.
But i guess it depends on what you have turned on. The backlight will reduce the running time.

munkster

As above I have the 5 sec option on and over half of the time was navigating using the map and a route so maybe that has more effect than I thought.

Basic fact is that I will never (well no plans to) need for it last for 10 hours never mind 14-15! Other real cyclists may have more demanding requirements ;-)

StillGoing

munkster wrote:

If you go off track, or because of previously unknown diversion get sent off track, you can use your phone and use google maps to plot your way back on course. I use the Elemnt but always have the phone with me for emergencies.

Yep I am fully aware of the options that are available however if you are going from a Garmin to an Elemnt you might be surprised/disappointed that the Elemnt doesn't permit the sort of map manipulation you get on the Garmin, or some of the models anyway probably those with touch screen (eg. 800/810/1000 etc). This guy found it a deal breaker (not a new link but a good read): https://mashing53.cyclyc.com/wahoo-navi ... or-failed/ and others might too. You won't *always* have internet access to get onto Google Maps when you most need it, and unless you're carrying a paper map you might be stuffed. I know when I rode out in Dumfries and Galloway this summer I could have been in trouble if something had gone wrong! Luckily it didn't.

As someone that came from years of Garmin and various models ranging from the 705, 810 and 820, going to the Wahoo Elemnt has been a revelation. The option to zoom out of the map screen is there if you get lost and "don't have internet connection". If the map orientation is set to always point in the direction facing, you can see where villages etc are direction wise and head off safely.

munkster

Yep, 10+ years thankless service to Garmin here too (205, 705, Dakota 20, 800, 810, 1000 - kinda wish I'd stuck on the 800 TBH that one generally worked) so I totally agree, I would never go back.

Out of interest, have you actually had to use the map in anger out in the wilds after zooming out? I haven't but from what I've seen if you did need to zoom out to try and see how to get back on track, the smaller roads will stop being displayed at some point. Fair enough you can see what *general* direction to go in, but that could potentially mean quite a long trip along a less-than-ideal road if you are only *generally* heading in that direction in a relatively sparse landscape. I guess if you are in that wild a setting you would have (or should have) taken the appropriate precautions such as a paper map or something. Which of course I always do :shock:

StillGoing

munkster wrote:

Yep, 10+ years thankless service to Garmin here too (205, 705, Dakota 20, 800, 810, 1000 - kinda wish I'd stuck on the 800 TBH that one generally worked) so I totally agree, I would never go back.

Out of interest, have you actually had to use the map in anger out in the wilds after zooming out? I haven't but from what I've seen if you did need to zoom out to try and see how to get back on track, the smaller roads will stop being displayed at some point. Fair enough you can see what *general* direction to go in, but that could potentially mean quite a long trip along a less-than-ideal road if you are only *generally* heading in that direction in a relatively sparse landscape. I guess if you are in that wild a setting you would have (or should have) taken the appropriate precautions such as a paper map or something. Which of course I always do :shock:

I suppose I'm lucky in having a natural compass for the UK, so zooming out doesn't present any problems for me, other than it might make me do a few miles more than I maybe would want and put me on roads I'd rather avoid. I envisage that Wahoo will come up with the ability to move the map around and plot you back on course very soon, and the good thing with Wahoo, is their updates apply to older versions without buggering them up.