This week at Interbike, Wahoo Fitness introduced the ELEMNT–a standalone, GPS-enabled cycling computer that the company hopes will chip away at Garmin’s dominance in the market. By loading up the device with wireless connectivity and pairing with your phone instead of your computer for setup, personalization and control, Wahoo hopes to simplify the entire user experience and leave you to simply focus on the ride.
In addition to GLONASS and GPS, the ELEMNT packs in ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart for sensor, trainer, and phone connectivity, in addition to WiFi for network communication. When paired with your phone, you can receive text, email, and phone call alerts on the device as you ride and enable your friends and family to follow you online real-time with live tracking.
In addition to capturing and displaying all your key ride metrics, the ELEMNT will help you navigate routes via a bold line on a map and when appropriate, turn by turn directions. The bike computer comes with fully programmable LED lights on the side and top of the unit to provide visual cues for critical data such as speed, cadence, heart rate zones, power, and navigation. Zoom buttons enable you to click in or out of the number of data fields shown on the display without the need for programming and there is a dedicated page for every part of your ride.
The large-format (2.7″ diagonal), high-contrast DayBright display is black and white and sadly not touchscreen. The battery lasts for around 17 hours of riding before needing to be recharged.
The ELEMNT companion app (iOS and Android) automates the pairing with the GPS bike computer and manages the configuration process. You also get integration with third-party platforms like Strava and RideWithGPS, which allows the ELEMNT to automatically pull your saved routes directly from your account and upload your ride data when you get back home.
Fully integrated with the rest of the Wahoo product line, the ELEMNT also lets you control the KICKR indoor training experience directly from your handlebars, without a computer, tablet or smartphone. The ELEMNT can even allow you to recreate any saved course indoors by matching resistance to the ride’s GPS profile.
The Wahoo ELEMNT retails for $329.99 with pre-orders taken now on the company website.