From the reviews I’d say the Ace probably IS quite good, or at least it will be shortly when they iron out some of the firmware glitches. I haven’t totally ruled it out, though I’m going to want a fully functional UI AND ALSO a way to actually put the damn thing on a bike with non-round bars (i.e. all my bikes) before I’d consider it.
It seems like a decent competitor to the 1050: a bit less money, slightly but not wildly larger, adds the aero sensor and has a Wahoo UI that appeals to many. Garmin seems to have sold a ton of 1050s, so the market is there for iPhone-sized (and priced) computers.
As DCRainmaker noted, this is a weird time to launch. It makes me wonder if they plan to launch a more normal computer in the spring. Launching a half-baked and expensive halo unit first to attract the price-is-no-object early adopter crowd, followed by a more marketable second tier offering, is not uncommon in tech.
I’m guessing that the bolt is due a refresh next year (V1 Spring 2017, V2 Spring 2021, V3 Spring 2025??)
Roam the year after (V1 May 2019, V2 October 2022, V3 March 2026??)
I am still on a V1 Roam and I didn’t believe that the V2 was a big enough step forward to justify the upgrade 2 years ago. If the Ace improves a lot in the next 6 months maybe I might go for it but as it is I will be hanging on for the V3 Bolt and Roam.
From the first reporting of the new “Ace” I thought the name was a little odd for Wahoo. The “Bolt” and “Roam” suggest what their uses are, (small-light-fast and larger-heavier-exploring). “Ace” doesn’t suggest anything. So I sort of wonder what Wahoo’s vision was/is for this unit. Is the key to this unit’s position in the lineup the air speed sensor, which will what, be your “Ace” for aero training?
I would expect 2026/2027 as they test the new features and get them robust enough where they can they reduce the hardware to accommodate it.
I am wondering if the Bolt will even see a new version, they may just go Roam/Ace. It’s like comparing the iPhone from 2012 to now. For the most part, people are not asking for smaller phones.
I am not because I do think the Wahoo Ace looks like a good head unit in a lot of ways.
FWIW I think DCRainmaker and GPLama are the best reviewers for cycling tech and DC’s review of the Ace was well done.
But I do believe the cons he pointed out have been overstated a bit by the community. I never interpreted his review as the Ace was dead on arrival but rather that the software is underbaked. I understand you typically shouldn’t buy a product based on the promise of software updates but I would be very shocked that Wahoo didn’t address the bugs and feature parity via software update by the spring.
It’s on Wahoo for releasing a product with those gaps knowing that first impressions/reviews are hard to shake off but I still very much like what I see.
Some of DC’s criticisms that aren’t neccesarily bothering me:
Battery life is well short of advertised 30 hours: I don’t need 30 hours.
Strava Segments is missing: this seems to be coming very soon.
TR workout sync is missing: I also believe this is coming very soon.
I see myself very likely getting one by the spring for the following reasons (for context I am currently on a Bolt V2):
Bigger screen with a higher resolution screen.
The new UI does look really nice.
The wind sensor does look fun. I am always into more, but not neccesarily useful, data.
and only am not getting one right now because:
I am currently trying to keep my spending in check since I am holiday shopping for friends and family.
I want to wait until there is an aftermarket mount long enough available for my aero bar.
The winter season is approaching so I am not riding outdoors so there is no rush.
While the screen IS bigger and higher resolution, in practice it’s not… great. I honestly strongly dislike it. Sticking it at 100% brightness sometimes results in me still not being able to see it. This is also a first release design from a UI perspective, and things have been made bigger to a degree with lots of blank space to be able to see them. On a ROAM 2 I can see more because I can see things no matter how much I zoom in. On the ACE, not as much, so it’s bigger screen less data less visibility for me.
Meh? I prefer the ROAM 2. I can sometimes tolerate the ACE if the conditions outside are okay. If you’re okay with a 1040 screen then you’ll probably be okay with ACE, to a point, when it comes to seeing it.
As for recommending it to anybody… not yet. It’s not there yet. It needs refinement of the features, missing things added, the Wahoo app needs more work. I rely on live tracking for example and that doesn’t exist right now on it.
Ha. I like Wahoo, I jive with their way of doing things and the decisions they make. Their implementation of routeless climb detection works far better than Garmin’s in my area. …but I don’t drink the kool-aid though, so I’m just tellin’ it like it is with the unit and me.
This would be the deal breaker for me, releasing a product where the screen is only as readable as the 1040 seems weird. I have a 1050 and the screen is amazing - it’s a massive step in quality, brightness and readability from the older technology screens (I had a 830).
An ACE with the screen of a 1050 and the touchscreen responsiveness of a Garmin would be a much better start and something I would be totally into, since software can change while hardware can not.
This is good info. Am I correct that you feel that the Bolt/Roam screens are more readable than the Ace? TBH if that’s true it’s a big mark against the Ace. Even great UI and a huge screen is kinda useless if you can’t read the damn thing.
You would be correct, except I’d modify it to say I know that the BOLT and ROAM screens are more readable … but I will continue to add “to me” because maybe it’s fine for other people? but I don’t see (ha) how. Video and pictures don’t really show things well.
And yes, I find it frustrating for the reason I said before - software can change and improve but the hardware is what it is and not what I’d like it to be.
Visibility/contrast/readability was one of the first items of feedback I sent over to Wahoo. Using my preferred zoom level, at arm’s length while riding (not a close-up crispy image on the web), and with things moving around a lot on a typical gravel road - I simply can’t see the roads.
Initially there was mention of changing the contrast so it’s easier to identify the roads. The follow up response was that I was the first/only person to raise this particular issue, so it wasn’t a high priority.
I’m a wahoo roam and powrlink owner and this latest offering looks a little rushed to market.
Features you’d expect as baseline functionality are supposedly in the pipeline for release later. Apart from bike computers wahoo have a strong product range.
I’ve no idea where the disparity of battery usage comes in, but that’s not a good look for the business, in my opinion they look inept or dishonest and will provide consumers a reason to press pause on any newly released products in the future or until some honest reviews get published rather than adverts from differing YouTube channels.
I love my powrlink pedals, the roam is ok but I feel it has fallen behind the competition. However that amplifies the mis step, if you’re building an eco system of hardware and software, any new product should compliment and broaden the current range.
Time will tell if the Ace is a commercial success but the potential missteps by Wahoo are more concerning. I doubt if either any of the leadership teams at Garmin or Hammerhead or worried about this latest release which, unfortunately, says it all for this customer of wahoo.
Our local bike shop all but dropped the Wahoo computers and sensors. The owner told me that at one point, Wahoo was really easy to deal with for returns and issues, but started getting really militant (my word interpreting what they said) and now only stocks (a few) Garmin devices/sensors. I was thinking about going to a Wahoo 'puter, but after hearing that, just upgraded in the Garmin line, and was well served going that route. They will try to get what the customer wants, but apparently the burn from Wahoo was enough. I did get a Tickr that died within a year, but needed the 2 frequency as Grmin didn’t do that yet at the time. Personally I was surprised at the lack of consistency with their products. Some were just so unreliable, and others were rock solid-ish. Back to the Kickr Bike saga, 2 bikes delivered the same day, mine was dead i a month, the other could be still here somewhere, still working great. Their Vietnamese manufacturer seems to have (had) some sporadic quality issues as well as incidents of poor design too.
But the Ace could be the ‘Garmin killer’, but shipping a technological device like that before it’s ready/fully working is embarrassing and disturbing. Imagine a phone that doesn’t do SMS ‘yet’, shipping. It’s kind of ‘fly by night’ back door sales, or this is actually a public beta. Its embarrassing…
