Garmin Edge 520 or Wahoo Bolt

[MisterMurray]

After frying my Garmin 800 in the rain at D2R2 I'm looking for a replacement. I'm mainly looking for a device for navigation. I don't have a power or heart meter and cost is a concern. I read reviews of both devices on DC Rainmaker and having trouble choosing. Anyone able to sway me one way or the other? Are there other devices I should consider?

[dbnm]

This has been discussed at length here. (search)

I am using the Elemnt and love it. Totally recommend it. Will probably never buy another Garmin bike computer.

[mktng]

if youre down to try a new brand go Wahoo.
but honestly. you cannot go wrong with the 520.

i use a 520. does everything i need it to do. no complaints.

[shoota]

This has been discussed at length here. (search)

I am using the Elemnt and love it. Totally recommend it. Will probably never buy another Garmin bike computer.

/endthread

[FlashUNC]

Bolt all day and twice on Sunday.

[teleguy57]

Sent you a PM....

[robertbb]

The answer is C) Garmin Edge 500.

[mavic1010]

I went from a Garmin 820 to a Bolt. Wahoo's products are very easy to use (even while riding!) and the smartphone integration is superb. Does the Garmin ID look better. Yes. Does the Garmin have a color screen. Yes. The mapping feature may sway you to Garmin (which I haven't used on the Garmin or the Bolt). I haven't regretted the jump at all. In addition, I was having major issues with my p2max playing nicely with my Garmin.

[saab2000]

I have a Bolt. Use it mostly for speed/time/distance. It uploads to Strava automatically. So what....

If I had known how small an upgrade it would be over my Garmin I would not have spent the money.

It’s perfectly acceptable but it’s not a huge upgrade over my Garmin. It’s an upgrade, but not a huge one. In other words, if your Garmin is working, I wouldn’t get one. If you need a new computer/GPS then it’s a worthy option.

EDIT: Re-reading the OP’s post, for nav it’s decent. A buddy has the larger one and it signals turns nicely on preloaded routes. I did find that useful.

[Wayne77]

I’ve used both extensively. The Bolt hands-down. Usability is light years better. I actually really liked the 520 before I switched to the Bolt on a whim. Long story short, you can tell Wahoo invested in a user experience design team and you can tell Garmin most likely had their engineers design the user experience.

[joosttx]

I am a Bolt fan. IMO so much better than the 520. GUI, setup, syncing consistency the Bolt is superior. Battery life they feel about equal.

[saab2000]

FWIW, my Bolt gets confused when I bring it to different time zones and forgets my Bluetooth connection with my phone. Both of these are not acceptable. I travel between multiple time zones and this is a given today. I shouldn't have to go into the settings and have to tell it GMT +/- xxhours, not in 2018.

Of course, I shouldn't have to do that with my iPhone X either, but I frequently have to tell it where I am, because it often doesn't know. Frustrated with premium-priced devices these days.

If you travel, beware of time zone changes with your Wahoo device. It's unreliable.

[makoti]

I just went to a Bolt because I apparently fried a 520 in the rain. Sound familiar?

[makoti]

FWIW, my Bolt gets confused when I bring it to different time zones and forgets my Bluetooth connection with my phone. Both of these are not acceptable. I travel between multiple time zones and this is a given today. I shouldn't have to go into the settings and have to tell it GMT +/- xxhours, not in 2018.

Of course, I shouldn't have to do that with my iPhone X either, but I frequently have to tell it where I am, because it often doesn't know. Frustrated with premium-priced devices these days.

If you travel, beware of time zone changes with your Wahoo device. It's unreliable.

Interesting. I'll be traveling with mine in a month. It just displayed the wrong time? Any other weirdness happen because of that?

[saab2000]

Interesting. I'll be traveling with mine in a month. It just displayed the wrong time? Any other weirdness happen because of that?

It displays my normal time zone and won't sync via Bluetooth. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong but all of the location finders are on. I don't travel with it too often, but each time I have it has required a re-sync with my iPhone X, which might be the culprit as it often has trouble with time zones itself. "Will not duplicate" in stores but my previous iPhones have not had these troubles so I'm pretty sure it's not just my ineptitude. YMMV.

The Bolt is nice. Contrast is better than my old Garmin 510, as is on-the-fly screen adjustability. I wish all the mounts were universally compatible, but they're not.

[joosttx]

Interesting. I'll be traveling with mine in a month. It just displayed the wrong time? Any other weirdness happen because of that?

Never had a timezone glitch with my wahoo. But then I never used it as a clock

[TBLS]

New user but like my Bolt. Updates are easy/seamless. Novice to routing but easy to load route from Strava for a century I rode last week

Tough to find deal on price so bought mine when performance offered 3x points so $175 net

[JACKS]

i'm using the Elemnt, went from using the 520 for a couple of months to permanent switch. one issued i had recently though was my Scott foil with integrated bar didn't make a mount for Wahoo and i went through a lot of hell to source one. finally Rec-Mount made one for my FY17 bar. so my point is it depends on the bar you are using at the moment. if using integrated bar, make sure there's a wahoo mount for it before making the purchase. although i know there are ways to work around it, which i have also done. the disc(adapter) broke off on a rough road during one of my ride and it's very frustrating.

[MisterMurray]

I realize this topic has been done to death on every forum so I appreciate the input.

I was able to find a cheap replacement Garmin 800, which I never really had a complaint with. Although it's interesting to hear that Wahoo has a better UI. That's probably my biggest complaint about Garmin, I find the UI annpyingly complicated sometimes. I think I'll give Wahoo a try when the replacement wears out.

[makoti]

I wish all the mounts were universally compatible, but they're not.

The fix for that is crazy easy. Clip off about a mm of the Garmin tabs, turn 90 degrees, use with the Bolt.

[echelon_john]

Looks like a screaming deal:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=226734

[sg8357]

Check DC Rainmaker for the review of the Edge Explore, $250
Nav oriented Garmin.

Full Disclosure I have a Bolt, and a Garmin Touring.
I use the Bolt, the Touring works correctly about 84.7%
of the time.

[pdmtong]

if/when my 520 dies I for sure am buying a Bolt

[Avispa]

At this day and age, I really do not understand the love for Garmin... Maybe market share? I've seen/hear so many complains about these computers, including the tech support.

The best bike computers out there are simply the Wahoo (any) and the SRM PC8, if you are looking for a true training computer without the "toy" additions.

[buckfifty]

Definitely the Bolt. I previously was using an Edge 1000 and it was so finicky with doing navigation. Sometimes loading the route but not giving me turn by turn. This happened to me on a long ride from Houston to Austin and I was completely done with Garmin at that point.
The Bolt is easier to use and setup. Navigation, if you just want breadcrumb trails, works perfectly. So it works great if you stay on the route and it gives you the street names if you create the route using RWG. If you veer off the route, it will "sync" you back onto the route when you're following it again. No directions to get you back on course but the device will beep at you once you do then you can look at the map and try to get back on. No on the fly navigating but I believe you can create a route on your phone then upload to your Bolt