Wahoo ELEMNT Ace Bike Laptop: First Look Overview

To many cyclists, particularly highway racers and triathletes, the power to measure aerodynamic drag is the holy grail of knowledge. The drag created by the physique is likely one of the largest determinants of efficiency in these sports activities. And Wahoo brings relative aerodynamic drag measurements to the handlebar.

Wahoo’s air stress sensor is a class first and is, by far, the standout characteristic of the ELEMNT Ace. The brand new launch has many enhancements over the model’s previous and fashionable bike computer systems, however we’ll deal with the Wahoo Wind Dynamics (WWD), because it clearly separates it from all different present fashions.

In brief: The Wahoo ELEMNT Ace is a motorbike pc with an air-pressure sensor that helps riders maximize their aerodynamic effectivity. Past that, it’s a top-tier product that may compete with the most effective bike computer systems out there.

Evaluate the Wahoo ELEMNT ACE with the competitors in our information to the most effective bike computer systems.

How Wahoo Wind Dynamics Works

The flexibility to measure air stress doesn’t matter if it doesn’t present actionable data. Wahoo distilled what might be an amazing information set to simple-to-use scores.

Ahead-Dealing with Air Strain Sensor and Easy Scoring

A front-facing port on the Wahoo ELEMNT Ace homes an air stress sensor that collects information in actual time. This information is transformed to an AeroBoost or AeroDrag rating. AeroBoost happens when a relative tailwind assists groundspeed, and AeroDrag happens when a relative headwind hampers groundspeed.

The AeroBoost and AeroDrag scores are super-simplistic in comparison with wind tunnel information. Nonetheless, at an MSRP of $600, the ELEMNT Ace is a relative discount in comparison with different gadgets that measure comparable issues. No, it didn’t give me watts saved or a direct measurement of aerodynamic drag. But it surely did ship an easy-to-grasp quantifying metric about my relative slipperiness within the air.

Publish-ride, the Wahoo app makes use of the WWD to offer evaluation to higher perceive wind pace and the way it impacts efficiency. This enables the bicycle owner to be higher educated about following makes an attempt at gaining free pace.

On the time of writing, I solely have a couple of highway rides’ price of WWD information at my disposal. It was super-interesting to me as a former highway racer and present Grasp’s athlete attempting to maintain up with the kids.

Aerodynamic positive factors are “free” pace, as the rise in efficiency doesn’t come at the price of bodily work. I think about aero positive factors as a hedge towards the pure decline in cardio capacities that include age that perhaps youthful cyclists overlook.

Actionable Knowledge

The Wahoo ELEMNT Ace, even with its simplistic information output, did present actionable data.

The WWD made it obvious that sure gross physique positions created extra drag than others, a few of which had been shocking. For instance, getting my higher physique and head decrease stopped producing positive factors previous a sure level. I surmised it was as a result of getting aggressively low compelled my arms additional laterally to keep up leverage on the bars, taking them out of the “wind shadow” of my higher physique and head.

One other equally vital change I may make utilizing WWD is optimizing my place inside a bunch relative to different riders and wind path. Having a real-time relative AirDrag or AirBoost rating may once more support find “free” pace. I didn’t get to trip in a bunch within the quick interval I had the ELEMNT Ace earlier than this launch, nevertheless it’s the subsequent factor I wish to strive.

Having this fixed reminder to keep up favorable WWD metrics might be simply as helpful to my efficiency as tweaking my coaching or way of life to ferret out marginal positive factors.

After all, the wind resistance information is barely usable in actual time when the wind circumstances are comparatively steady, particularly when using solo. This was the case for the few rides I did earlier than the launch.

Different Wahoo ELEMNT Ace Enhancements

The wind sensor is the show-stopper, however Wahoo added different options and tech to make the ELEMNT Ace its top-tier bike pc.

Giant Touchscreen

The TFT display screen is considerably bigger than any prior Wahoo bike pc. Wahoo claims it’s additionally the most important present display screen on any mannequin from any model. Certainly, I believed the brand new Garmin 1050 had a big display screen, however the ELEMNT Ace is far wider at 3.8″ diagonally and with a 3:2 facet ratio.

This display screen can also be Wahoo’s first touchscreen. Though I’ve all the time discovered the Wahoo menus extra pleasant to navigate than something Garmin has produced, the touchscreen, mixed with three tactile buttons, made the ELEMNT Ace even simpler to make use of. The menus are logical and contain a lot much less digging by way of submenus than on different models. I didn’t as soon as really feel like I wanted to reference any directions through the setup or throughout use.

Wahoo coats the display screen with anti-glare and anti-reflective coatings, and I discovered it straightforward to learn in nearly all circumstances. The touchscreen was additionally responsive when it was moist or when my finger was super-sweaty.

Flip-by-Flip Voice Navigation

One other considerably totally different characteristic of the Wahoo ELEMNT Ace is its voice navigation. Much like driving a automobile utilizing Google or Apple Maps, voice-guided turns and notifications are mentioned to scale back the dependency on wanting on the display screen.

I believed this is able to be super-beneficial when traversing difficult sections on an unknown route. It’s nice to not must look down at pace when traction is scarce and the terrain is tough. I’ve skilled this when charging forward of somebody who is aware of the path once I didn’t; the verbal cues allowed me to focus my consideration on issues that hold me upright and preserve my pace and momentum.

I didn’t get to trip in an space that I at the very least had some familiarity with, however I’m excited to strive voice navigation the subsequent time I’m barreling right down to an unknown fork within the highway, and I want to focus on what my tires are doing.

Digital Bike Bell

Wahoo put in a digital bike bell on the ELEMNT Ace. Garmin did the identical with the 1050, and at first, I believed it was only a novelty. However I’ve discovered these digital bells super-handy when utilizing the identical gravel trails as runners.

All different most important options, connectivity, app, and different expertise had been on par with different high-end bike computer systems that I’ve been testing not too long ago.

Preliminary Dings

There have been a couple of detrimental elements of the Wahoo ELEMNT Ace that revolved round its dimension. It’s bigger than the Garmin 1050, which I believed was large once I began utilizing it. The ELEMNT Ace is considerably wider and thicker than the 1050.

First, anybody fascinated about air stress whereas using is more than likely involved with bike weight. I’m a recovering weight weenie, and once I held the ELEMNT Ace in my hand, and it clearly weighed way more than my iPhone, I believed, “I don’t know, man. I accomplish that many issues to avoid wasting grams right here and there on my highway race bike; that is an excessive amount of.”

At a verified 208 g, it outweighs the previous heavyweight champ, the Garmin 1050, by nearly 50 g. To a highway racer who dons aero socks, this might be regarding.

The comparatively large dimensions of 4.9″ x 2.75″ x 0.78″ meant that almost all of my pc mounts had been too quick. The underside of the ELEMNT Ace hit the bars on each mount I had, even those that match the already tall Garmin 1050. Fortunately, Wahoo features a high-quality, aluminum clamp-style mount.

Lastly, the massive dimension made me concern for the ELEMNT Ace ought to I crash. It’s only a bigger goal to hit when the bike goes flying.

First Look Conclusions on the Wahoo ELEMNT Ace

After I first heard of the potential wind sensor on the brand new Wahoo bike pc, I believed it will be gimmicky. I didn’t perceive how one thing that measures air stress may present any helpful information when it needed to be housed in a singular, comparatively small bundle. I didn’t assume that expertise existed primarily based on different pilot tube-based equipment which are way more cumbersome, sophisticated, and dear.

However Wahoo created an air pressure-sensing bike pc that, throughout this preliminary first-look overview, proved to offer simply sufficient data, at a seemingly enough decision and accuracy to information adjustments to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. All for a worth that’s $100 lower than the top-tier Garmin 1050, which has no such functionality.

And, much like all of the latest bike pc and out of doors smartwatch releases, firmware and software program updates come continuously and rapidly. Who is aware of the place the wind sensor and WWD will lead?

For now, it did present helpful and actionable information, and it’s a high quality bike pc in any other case. Sure, it’s large, it’s heavy, however does it matter that a lot when you’re coaching? I feel the information it offers now and will present sooner or later is properly price the additional 50-75 g. And I’m such a weight weenie.