Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM Review: Old but Gold?

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This is my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM review. Although it’s old, it still belongs among the best cycling computers.

I’ve been using it for about two years, and in this article, I share my experience with it.

They are predominantly positive, but I found some things I don’t like about ROAM (more on them later).

If you are open to other brands like Garmin, I recommend reading the entire article because you learn where they win and where ROAM loses.

My ROAM v1 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 3/5 | Ease of Setup 5/5 | Display 3/5 | Ease of Use 4/5 | GPS Accuracy 3/5 | Maps & Navigation 3/5 | Price 2/5 | OVERALL 3.7/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM Pros & Cons

These are the main pros & cons of Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM I found during its use.

Of the features described above, I like most the ease of use and easy customization via the mobile app. In this respect, Wahoo outperforms Garmin.

On the other hand, the buttons are hard to press while wearing gloves. Maybe they are worn out a little. For example, Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT’s (v1 & v2) buttons are easier to press with gloves.

Below, I dive deeper into individual features.

Unboxing & Setup

One thing I want to point out is the aero mount. It looks weird without the computer, but together with it, it’s sleek.

Just remember, it’s designed for a rounded handlebar. If you have an integrated cockpit, you probably won’t be able to use it because of the different handlebar shapes. Instead, you will need to buy the ELEMNT “Spoon” mount.

The initial setup of Wahoo bike computers is straightforward. You download the ELEMNT app, turn the ROAM on, and scan the QR code using the ELEMNT app.

Then, you pair the necessary sensors (like the speed, cadence, HR, power meter, etc.), and you can start using the ROAM.

Remember, all pairing is done via the ELEMNT app. I find it easier to use than browsing the device menu (like on Garmin head units).

My Experience

Below, I share my experience with Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM.

Display

The ROAM’s display resolution is 240x400px and uses 8 colors. For example, the ELEMNT BOLT v1 and v2 have the same resolution of 240x320px (v2 has a 64-color display).

It has an ambient light sensor in the top left corner that adjust the brightness, making it easy to read in direct sunlight:

Thanks to its large size, it can also fit up to 11 data fields. The BOLT v1 and v2 can fit only 9.

You can increase and decrease the fields’ number (and, therefore, size) by clicking the side buttons. So, if your vision is not great anymore, I can assure you you will see everything you need when you “zoom in.”

Of course, you can scroll through multiple pages. You can set them through the ELEMNT app, create custom ones, and set the data fields as needed. So, if you like tweaking things, you can spend a lot of time making the best interface for your use case.

LED Lights

ROAM (unlike BOLT) offers 2 strips of LEDs—one on the left side and one on top.

You can use them as an extra indicator of selected metrics (speed, power, HR). So, you will see in which zone you ride, for example.

If you use Garmin Varia radar (like RTL515 or RCT715), they will indicate approaching cars too. I don’t actively look at the LEDs unless I climb. So I would probably not miss them, but they are nice to have.

Battery Life

The claimed battery life of ROAM is 17 hours. I recharge it every week or two, depending on how much I ride. I can easily use it for about seven 2-hour rides or three 5-hour rides.

Because of my ROAM’s age, I can’t get to the 17-hour battery life. I reach about 14 hours of battery life with sensors like a power meter, HR monitor, and Varia radar.

Wahoo also updated the firmware (I believe it was back in 2021) and added a notification of the battery status that appears when I turn it off. It reminds me when to recharge it.

Control

From my experience, Wahoo products are easy to use (mainly for our generation that grew up surrounded by technologies, mainly smartphones).

This also applies to ROAM. When I look for something, I find it where I expect it to. For example, when I used the Garmin Edge 520 bike computer for the first time, I struggled with learning how it works, and some things didn’t feel as intuitive.

The most significant disadvantage of ROAM for me is the design of the buttons. I don’t know who designed them, but the three bottom buttons are difficult to press with gloves.

Maps & Navigation

Honestly, I am not a cyclist who often does multi-day bike adventures in places he doesn’t know and relies only on his bike computer. Instead, I use it mainly for tracking my rides.

However, I used the ROAM’s navigation features during vacations in Italy and Croatia. I created a route using mapy.cz (Czech maps like Google Maps, but better) and loaded them into the ROAM.

The turn-by-turn navigation is super handy (for example, the BOLT v1 doesn’t offer this feature). It always guided me to the set destination in unknown places or rerouted the route when I deviated from the directions. It never “crashed” or stopped navigating (unless I turned it off).

I also find it helpful in unknown descents. I always zoom in on the map and know what turns to expect. Try this “hack” if you have never tried it before.

I don’t use the “Take me to” feature (you pick a point on the map, and the ROAM calculates the shortest route), but it can be useful for bikepackers and adventure riders.

The ROAM’s downside is a small internal memory of 2.78GB. It doesn’t allow you to load a lot of maps. So, you will probably need to delete some maps if you travel to various countries.

Custom Alerts

The ELEMNT app allows you to set custom alerts. I discovered this feature fairly recently. But I find it pretty useful.

It’s up to you and your creativity.

Connectivity

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM offers ANT+, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It can upload your rides to Strava (or show live segments), TrainingPeaks, and other 3rd party apps, show your phone notifications, or control your smart trainer.

I paired multiple sensors with ROAM, including an HR monitor, power meters, Garmin Varia radar, etc. Everything worked fine, and I didn’t experience sudden drops.

The only issue I noticed was that the ROAM couldn’t wake up the Varia radar when it’s in “standby” mode. This feature probably works only with Garmin bike computers.

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM Alternatives

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM Technical Specifications

Here is the summary of the main features and the technical specifications of the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM.

My Verdict

Although Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM is about 3 years old now, it’s still competitive. And if you don’t want to buy a brand new one, you can always try to look for a second-hand one.

I like its easy-to-read display, long battery life, ease of use, and customizability.

On the other hand, the buttons could be easier to press (especially when wearing full-finger gloves), and the internal memory could be larger to allow for storing more maps.

I don’t know if or when Wahoo plans to update it, but I believe it would deserve a refresh to address some of the downsides I described above.

Recommended Accessories

Below, I include a few accessories worth using with the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM.

Wahoo TICKR Heart Rate Monitor

Wahoo Speed and Cadence Sensor

Garmin Varia RTL515 Radar

ELEMNT ROAM Two Bolt Out Front Mount

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM FAQ