WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM GPS BIKE COMPUTER – PRODUCT REVIEW

The Wahoo Elemnt Roam GPS Bike Computer is their flagship model that features powerful onboard smart navigation features, a crystal clear 2.7″ color display, a long-lasting battery, and an integrated mount design. Along with a Uber simple setup and on-device navigation with color display the Roam comes with improved readability and better navigation features.

Wahoo aims to attract a broad range of cyclists with this computer, which boasts a wide range of features that the company hopes will appeal to all cyclists who want functionality between a pure-race setup, and an outdoor adventurer’s navigation tool.

Know more about the Wahoo ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer lineup

WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM – TOP 3 FEATURES

The Roam features live-tracking, allowing you to keep your peers and family in the loop about your whereabouts and safety! It also has an emergency notification system alerting your emergency contacts with location information should you meet with an accident.

Colour display for an enhanced navigation experience unlike anything Wahoo has offered before!

All your ride data lives on the app, no online portal here. It will instantly push activities onto your favourite third-party services such as Strava, Trainingpeaks and even Dropbox. And if you’re one for wires, you can still plug in a USB and grab a ‘.FIT’ file directly from the device. 

WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM – PRODUCT OVERVIEW

We’ll be taking a look at the Wahoo Elemnt Roam GPS bike computer based on the following criteria:

• Setup
• Design
• Display
• Connectivity & Tracking Features
• Navigation & Maps

1. SETUP

As with the more compact Elemnt Bolt, the Wahoo Elemnt Roam works with your smartphone to set up the device and also customize your data displays, as well as adding and planning your routes.

While this may be a hindrance to technophobic cyclists, using the app will not be a problem for a majority of riders.

The only downfall to this system is the inability to edit your screens on the device itself, which can be a hindrance if you want to make any last-minute changes if your phone is out of reach, in the moments before a race for example.

2. DESIGN

The Roam shares a lot of design cues from the Bolt, with its gentle curves which scream aerodynamics. But Wahoo hasn’t made any claims about it being nearly as aerodynamic as the Bolt, probably given the extra weight this guy is packing.

The Roam has a single button on the left side, two on the right side (up/down), and three along the base of it.  The left button is used for power and accessing the settings.  The right buttons are used for going up/down menus, and increasing/decreasing data fields.  And the lower buttons allow changing of data pages and confirmations within various prompts. All of this matches previous Wahoo units exactly.

The Roam continues with Wahoo’s use of two programmable LED strips around the screen to give updates and alerts at a glance. Wahoo also assures us the new Roam will be compatible with existing Wahoo mounts.

3. DISPLAY

The upgrade to a colour screen is Wahoo’s headline feature for the Roam and it’s the first Wahoo to feature a colour display. The display comes in 2.7 inches and automatically adjusts brightness making it seamless both indoors and outdoors.

It’s not full-colour but rather ROYGBIV, which draws attention to specific attributes such as interval graphs and mapping elements.

The ambient light sensor also means the screen can automatically turn on the backlight. Notifications are highlighted and mapping features, routing and training data all feature colour coding.

The Roam can display up to 11 data fields, and the app will ask you to rank them based on importance

The screen is made from scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and the LCD is mounted underneath to give the Roam a flush appearance and enhance readability.

4. CONNECTIVITY & TRACKING FEATURES

Beyond just recording how many watts you laid down in the final sprint of your weekend ride, the Roam can help you train too. There are a few workouts pre-loaded into the device including 20-min FTP tests and the unit also allows for workouts to be pushed from Training Peaks, Today’s Plan and other third-party services. 

This is by no means a new feature, but the colour screen makes the workouts substantially easier to read. Apps like TrainerRoad and its new ‘Outside Workouts’ functionality automatically syncs workouts to the computer, showing a colour bar graph along the bottom of the screen to help guide you through the intervals.

All your ride data lives on the app, no online portal here. It will instantly push activities onto your favourite third-party services such as Strava, Trainingpeaks and even Dropbox. And if you’re one for wires, you can still plug in a USB and grab a ‘.FIT’ file directly from the device. 

The Roam also offers live tracking. This means that you can send your ride progress to anyone you want, and they can see your exact live position on a map with metrics such as your speed and trajectory!

In the event of an emergency, such as an accident, the Roam will automatically notify your emergency contacts of your location and a distress message.

The Roam also features a Radar tracking system, which will alert you to cars approaching from behind you, provided you have a radar sensor attached. This is more of a novelty feature, which city riders will never use, as it will simply beep too much. But it is very good for those on brevets who are on highways and need to be aware of their surroundings.

At present, the ROAM supports the following types of sensors:

• ANT+ FE-C Smart Trainers
• ANT+ Heart Rate sensor
• ANT+ Speed-only sensor
• ANT+ Cadence-only Sensor
• ANT+ Gear Shifting Profile (SRAM eTAP & Campagnolo EPS)
• ANT+ Speed/Cadence Combo Sensor
• ANT+ Power Meter
• ANT+ Tire Pressure (Quarq TyreWiz)
• Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate sensor
• Bluetooth Smart Speed-only sensor
• Bluetooth Smart Cadence-only Sensor
• Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Combo Sensor
• Bluetooth Smart Power Meter
• Pioneer Power Advanced Cycling Metrics
• Shimano Di2 System (via private-ANT)
• BSX & Moxy Muscle Oxygenation sensors (via ANT+ Muscle Oxygen Profile)
• Wahoo KICKR/CORE/SNAP Trainers

5. NAVIGATION & MAPS

Wahoo has introduced a number of powerful and useful navigation features to the Elemnt Roam. These are accessible directly from the GPS unit.

You can now navigate to saved locations or a point on the map, get help finding the fastest way home and automatically get rerouted back on course.

The maps can also be panned and zoomed, allowing you to look around for details on the map.

Wahoo is aiming these new features at riders who enjoy exploring new roads or trails. To cater for all riders, the company has also brought in-mapping integration from Singletracks and MTB Projects to bolster the Elemnt Roam’s off-road routing abilities.

Below are the navigation tools users will have access to:

• Route to start: find the optimal route back to where your ride started
• Back on track: get re-routed back to your active route
• Retrace your route: retrace your route back to the beginning
• Take me to: create a route to a saved or selected location
• Get me started: create turn-by-turn directions to the start of your ride
• Saved locations: create a route to your preferred locations

These features can be tailored, allowing you to choose the type of terrain you wish to be routed along.

This could be an appealing feature for the new wave of gravel riders and bike-packers who are currently not well-represented or catered for in the GPS market.

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With a vivid, glare-free screen, great battery life, tons of customization, and integration options, the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM is the ultimate feature packed bike computer for the modern cycling enthusiast.

Whether you’re just starting out and need the basics, Elemnt Roam has your back (and legs). Or if you’re a seasoned cycling vet training for race day, Elemnt Roam can deliver all the data points you could imagine when paired with proper sensors. And if your sensor isn’t yet integrated, chances are Wahoo is working on it!