Review: Wahoo Element

Wahoo Element or Garmin? it’s a tough choice. I don’t like to do product comparisons but it’s hard not to especially since I’ve been using a 520 for well over a year now and an Element for about 3 Months. To me the Element is the clear choice in what I need right now. Super easy set up and changes and tweaks are so easy in their App. Quick and painless route transfers through ride with gps. Popping in those OMTM routes are a damn breeze.

Really a minor but important detail, is the flawless phone alerts with sound and led flash. With our second child due in 30 ish or less days. It’s so important that no matter where I’m riding I’m able to see my text messages. That’s why I got a 520 and sadly it’s a feature that has been rendered pretty useless with how rarely I’ve gotten it to actually work. That and along with moving to a new city where the mapping feature was so slow on the 520 to set a route, it was easier to just look at my phone. With the Element you just search the area on your phone and boom directions on your computer.

For me the Element is everything a computer needs to be and nothing it doesn’t. No touch screen just good old buttons that work. The other massively huge benefit to the Element is Wahoo Kickr control. Like a route? Say a favorite ride back home load it and and ride it. Want to use ERG mode to train? Set your target Watts and pedal It’s so much easier it’s unbelievable. I will say that if I had to be picky battery life seemed better with the 520 but I almost always ran it in the battery save mode. To sum it up I’m a little bummed it took me this long to make the switch.