garmin vs everyone else

jjpptt2

I seem to have lost my garmin 920, so I'm looking at replacing it with a dedicated bike computer (so a tri watch isn't a requirement. Plus, as soon as I buy something new, I'm sure I'll find my 920, so...).

Anyways...

I don't need anything super crazy, just a basic GPS-based computer that will do turn-by-turn nav. I've always viewed garmin as the gold standard. Is it worth looking at anything else? The Wahoo Bolt looks good, and DC Rainmaker had some really good things to say about it.

Thoughts?


FWIW, I think it's between the Garmin 820 Explorer and the Wahoo Bolt. I haven't used or even seen either, but based on the reading I've done, there are pros and cons to both.

ntnunk

I haven't used a Bolt but a friend has a Wahoo Elemnt and really likes it. Myself, and two of my main cycling buddies have Garmin Edge 820 (regular, not the explorer) computers. I personally have owned and extensively used Edge 500, 510, 520, and now 820, and the 820 is the best one I've used yet. Stable, functional, and generally a nice unit. Truth is, you probably won't go wrong with either one.

Having said that, I'd probably nudge you gently toward the Garmin since you've been using the 920 so you're already inside the Garmin "ecosystem." If you get a Bolt and then find your 920 you'll then have two devices that utilize different platforms. Maybe not a big deal, but why add complication if you don't need it?

peggyd73

I have a bolt and like it. Have never had Garmin so can't compare directly but a few things to note:

- Set up is really easy and you can tweak on your phone so minimal use of device buttons
- Battery life is good
- bolt doesn't have a way to do intervals on device (that I've found anyway)
- The black and white screen can be kind of hard to read at times
-

TheBigYin

I've gone through the 705, 800, 810 and i'm now on a 520 (bought 2 weeks before the 820 was launched, or i'd have had the 820!) All round, the 520's probably the best so far - though I miss the touchscreen of the 800 series and the better navigation options. 705 and the 800 were probably the most "stable" (and both still work, though their battery life is now such that anything over a 40 mile trip is touch and go if all of it will record), 810 was a pile of crap from day one, every update broke something else, the navigation (turn by turn) pretty much never worked properly, and the whole thing would "hang" if you were in areas with complex road systems - it felt like the software was asking too much of the internal hardware's processor - a bit like trying to run Windows 10 on a machine that originally shipped with windows 95...

Can't comment on the competition - I've stayed with Garmin, because despite the occasional flaw, they have pretty much recorded every ride I've made since 2007... Thinking back, I think i've actually lost 2 rides, and had 3 "truncated" through battery fails. Sure, I had to "fix" half a dozen during the 3 months I had a 810, but that was a second hand unit that I'd been given. call that 11 problems - out of 1897 recordings (as per veloviewer this morning), and over 64,600km of rides taking 2926 hours plus change... I can live with a 0.00579% error rate.

cloggsy71

I'm a Garmin 810 user - I don't ask too much of it & it complies - When it goes belly-up, who knows what I'll buy next???

jjpptt2

FWIW, I don't need anything particular advanced, especially on the training side ... just standard cycling metrics (speed, distance, time, elevation) and the usual variations of each (lap, average, etc). I do want turn-by-turn navigation, though. Ideally I'd like to be able to plan out a route/course and load it into the computer, then have it navigate me around that course. I'd also like to be able enter and address or POI on the fly (either into the unit itself or into y phone), and have it route me to that place.

Reliability is a big concern as I've been burned by garmin in the past, but I try to remind myself that the bulk of their products are pretty solid.

I'm very "meh" about garmin connect... so staying with it or moving from it isn't a concern either way.

Here's how it breaks down for me

Garmin Explorer 820
- pro: color display
- pro: app library
- con: more expensive

Wahoo Bolt
- pro: cheaper
- pro: companion app
- con: monochrome display

jjpptt2

After giving it some more thought, it ultimately came down to this decision -

Garmin's buggy history vs the Bolt not doing native navigation


I went with the Bolt, but bought it from REI because of their 1 year satisfaction guarantee. Hopefully the guarantee is legit. Hopefully I don't need to use it.