Everyone is about stats and information tracking today including when bicycling because we also understand the point of data keeping so then we can evaluate and progress for the better. For those cycling enthusiast, Wahoo Elemnt Vs Garmin 530 will be your new best friend because not only stylish, these bike computers are also reliable for various information viewing and fairly affordable. If you are also eyeing these computers, go check our article below to see which model will be the best choice.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– Why Choosing a Bike Computer
– How to Shop for a Bike Computer
– What are Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530
– What Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 Look like
– Are Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 Easy to Use
– What else Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 can offer
– Wahoo Elemnt Vs Garmin 530
Bike Computer
All of us want to be the better version of ourselves and it is applied in almost everything including when you are a bicycle rider who are aiming to join a race or even an enthusiast who desires to improve performance. Improvement can be felt but they won’t be as accurate as using the proper tracker and recorder which is why we have a device called bike computer today which seems not very important but does perform quite reliable on the actual activity.
Some people argue that we can just use the smartphone for they are getting smarter each day but at the end of the day everything depends on you as the user. Our personal reason why smartphone can’t be a good companion is because of the size for most of us have at least the 5-inch type and it doesn’t look good despite yes, the fonts appears bigger and easier to see but we do like the streamlined appearance better.
The next consideration is battery life because all of us know that smartphones suck battery pretty fast when connected and on a long ride, it is very unideal so we choose bike computer which can be used for more than 10 hours depending on each model. Additionally, no one wants to have cracked screen on their expensive smartphone and as with many activities, cycling as well have risks of slipping off. Unlike smartphones, bike computer is more resilient against harsh conditions; some even water proof already.
Selecting Bike Computer
Before you are shopping for one, it is always best to set the budget because they are available in a pretty wide range of price commonly from $25 to hundreds so it is nice to decide how much we want to spend first. Next is deciding whether you want to use Magnetic or GPS type of sensor for they are the available sensors we have today. GPS like the name uses satellite receiver to convert GPS data into the rider data.
On the other hand, Magnetic is the more traditional method and it uses magnet attached to a wheel spoke that rotates past a sensor attached to the front fork. If it is a cadence sensor, the magnet will be attached to a crank arm and the sensor is attached to a rear stay. Lastly you may want to decide what kind of information and features available such as multiple data viewing for the limited display size may restrict what information showed in a single page.
About Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530
For those who are planning to hit the road and keep the related information whether for improvement or data keeping, it will be a good decision to get a dedicated bike computer. However, like many other trendy products, some of them can be quite expensive, which is why we recommend you to allocate the budget first, just like when buying anything. Price will dictate how capable they are, and for those who look for quality, Wahoo and Garmin will be two of the most interesting brands to check out.
Comparing the two just as a company, it is clear that Garmin will win because it is almost like the GoPro for bike computer but it doesn’t mean Wahoo is a lesser choice because this Atlanta-based company does start their introduction impressively with the Kickr bike trainer, Tickr heart rate monitor, and Rflkt computer which are all nicely welcomed into the market and loved by many. To continue the journey, they also have new bike computer hopefully still as good as the predecessors.
On the other hand Garmin has been leading the market for a while now when it comes to combining technology and sport so it is not surprising anymore to see many amazing products coming from this brand. However, for those who are more into higher bike computer, Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 will be a very ideal model to consider. Both of them are very similar in both features, ease of use, and of course price that it can be quite confusing for users to choose.
We actually don’t mind about the naming technique of Wahoo products but somehow it seems better by just throwing the whole alphabet there rather than cutting it like this. Moving to the actual bike computer, while these two are very similar on various sides, the first thing you will notice out of the box is Garmin already upping their game by incorporating colors on their screen which has been done for quite some time now and continued with this Edge 530 bike computer while on the other hand we have to be satisfied with analog display on Wahoo.
Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 Design
As you can see on the sample picture above, Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 are approximately about one third our average smartphone’s sizes and in comparison, they are quite the same as well yet, Wahoo is slightly larger at 1.9-inch wide by 3.2-inch deep while the latter is at 2.3-inch wide and 3.5-inch deep which is later translated into the weight for it is also heavier at 3.5 oz. as opposed to 2.7 oz. The battery is rechargeable and they can last up to 17 and 20 hours typically.
Besides the difference in display type that we have been mentioning at some point above, another difference is on their size because while they look identical, actually Wahoo is just slightly wider than Garmin 530 measured at 2.7-inch compared to 2.6-inch. It is not substantial but might be a matter for future users. Additionally, both of them are already IPX7 rated which mean we don’t have to worry about dust or rain water or accidentally dropped the device on a pool of water anymore for the casing is properly sealed.
Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 Setup
One of the most important points when looking for a bike computer is their set up because the easier it gets, the better, and everyone want convenience. This is exactly what being offered by Wahoo because as the predecessor of Element, this model is still working with your smartphone and in our opinion this is one of the best set up available today. When you activate the device for the first time, your computer will show a QR code which is scanned with smartphone installed with its companion app.
The app then presents all of the required information we need to know including battery and software update that Wahoo done quite often compared to many other companies. This is where we can make initial set up to follow our need like customizing pages, pairing compatible sensors you have, as well as managing features such as auto-pause and auto-lap, and notification. On the other hand, Garmin 530 is setup through the common process or by the available buttons on the device which can be time consuming.
Those who ever used one of Garmin bike computers before may finish it under several minutes but people who never have or go through the same process before will definitely need to read the manual since there is no labeling on which buttons do what function. Read also: Polar V650 Vs Edge 1000 here.
Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 Features
To sync you data with either of these computers, they can do through WiFi, USB, or Bluetooth so we have quite a lot of choices here to utilize. As with other Garmin devices, the Edge 530 computer is automatically syncing with Garmin Connect while Element is syncing with TrainingPeaks and Today’s Plan. They will also offer notifications both in audio and visual but since Wahoo has several LEDs next to its main display and on the top, it will act as notification as well.
Almost all of the necessary and important information or features in Wahoo Elemnt and Garmin 530 are identical but one that you may want to take note is that they have different recalculation. This is because Elemnt doesn’t have the street-level map on them which mean it will only point the user back using compass-style to route itself while on the other hand Edge 530 will give you turn by turn directions.
Comparison
Both of these bike computers does worth the price and equally rich in features but are also slightly different. In terms of ease of use, we do prefer Wahoo better because setting this computer is a breeze yet if you are used to Garmin, its process should be familiar as well. Edge 530 will do the recalculation and then pointing the map in details with street-level map yet it is different with Elemnt that just point the direction.
Wahoo Elemnt vs Garmin 530
Conclusion
There is no bad choice between them and we like any of these bike computer but comparing the two, we do prefer Wahoo Elemnt better because it is much more convenient to use with similarly rich features and connectivity options.