Wahoo Elemnt Rival Smartwatch Launch

Equipment
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Looks like Wahoo are launching their smartwatch later on today

Apparently, it has optical HR, 2 weeks battery in watch mode and 24 hours in GPS, can communicate with Bolt during events to exchange data and can control a Kickr too.

Sigma Sports are hosting a live Instagram session with the Brownlee brothers at 7pm GMT

Wiggle posted their review of the watch early but have now made the video private (link below) and there is a speech to text copy of this here - https://www.smartwatchguide.news/smartwatch-review-wahoo-elemnt-rival-smartwatch-review-the-waiting-is-over/

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Lost me at optical HR sensor, don’t see why they would include a feature which is known to work poorly across devices.

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Sounds like it’s more “Triathlon watch” than smart watch. New Product Alert: Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL Watch - Carbon+Grit Magazine

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Finally. I waited for that. Not sure if I will buy it, but I’m happy they released it.

I have to admit I’m a Wahoo Fanboy. Their customer support just exceeded my expectations I’m three separate cases. Even during Covid I got quick and super uncomplicated help.

I guess it’s kind similar to Apple vs Android. For me it started with a Wahoo head unit and besides trying a Garmin watch (945) and Garmin Connect it just didn’t work out for me. So excited about the watch news.

I hope this is just the start of Wahoo releases. They hopefully didn’t buy Speedplay just to let it die…

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Interesting news for sure. I used a Felix 5, a Felix 5plus and - as I had to more or less quit running - currently use a Suunto 5, which is light years behind its competitors. I hope though, that the Wahoo watch will give great value for the price mentioned and also, that is does some sleep metrics, etc.
I guess we will find out later today…or the next days.
I’d probably buy one if first reviews come in positive.

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Very glad to hear this news…I can now leave the Garmin family completely when my FR735 dies.

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Sounds like someone jumped the gun and didn’t wait for the embargo to be lifted ;).

Same. Actually sleep and recovery metrics are a must for me. Got used to first beat metrics and love them.

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Officially released on the website now.

Officially reviewed now by the people we trust :wink:

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DC Rainmaker’s review is up…

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Big bummer - $379 for not having any of this???

– No structured workout support
– No courses/routing/navigation/compass support
– No maps or breadcrumb trails
– No music
– No contactless payments
– No 24×7 HR data in the app
– No sleep tracking, stairs, or most other activity tracking metrics
– No watch time alarms
– No sport alerts (e.g. heart rate zones, speed, power, cadence, etc…)
– No 3rd party apps on the watch itself
– No Strava Live Segments on device itself
– No training load, recover, or other physiological type metrics
– No anything else I didn’t explicitly list above.

Dumpster fire?

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The huge misses I see from that list are no structured workouts and no courses / routes / mapping. To a lesser degree, Strava Live segments.

Everything else I don’t really care about or already have on other devices.

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I wouldn’t even care too much about courses/routes as I don’t think a watch really needs it. But at that price point, I do expect some more metrics.
You get a Suunto 5 for $220 and it has way more to offer. That’s what I mean.

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I guess it depends on your needs…if I am travelling and running some place I don’t know, having a map / course is good to have. Since this unit is designed to work simoultaneously with a bike unit, it isn’t as big a deal on a bike, I guess, but that also then requires two devices, where with Garmin you only need the watch.

Again, for me, the metrics are not necessary…I don’t like sleeping with a watch so tracking sleep, etc is of no benefit for me. 24 hour HR tracking… :man_shrugging:t2: Training load, recovery, etc. I get through TP.

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Don’t do Triathlon any more, but justified the price of the 920 as a smart watch. Pretty basic features missing, even compared to my current 245!

I wonder have they fixed the awful (in my experience) calorie burned algorithm (which is one of my big complaints with my Bolt)

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I personally am super stoked about this. I am someone who cares about getting a really robust picture of my training/workouts, but throughout the rest of the day I just want a plain watch with smartphone notifications and steps. After years of using a Garmin, I don’t actually look at most of that other stuff.

I do understand that it lacks a lot of features compared to existing watches, but it sticks with Wahoo’s vision of simplicity. The only thing I wish it had was sleep tracking… but all the other stuff I could leave at the door. For someone who has been looking to simplify their training ecosystem/multiple apps - I am sold.

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I was excited about it, but as soon as I saw the price I knew it would be bare bones. This strikes me as a great watch to put on before the tri and take off after, but I can’t imagine wearing it as a daily smart watch with no Sleep, HRV, Payments, etc. Without those, it’s just a nice Timex Ironman, which is great, but not a smartwatch.

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I am all for the ‘simple and just works’ approach - but they don’t really seem to have even achieved that yet. And ‘simple’ should not be $379, in my opinion. If they launched this at $200-$250 range, then I could maybe understand the approach.

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Check out the Suunto 5. I don’t think it has payments or music, but everything else is basic and just works.

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I get the purpose of the device and like some of you, very excited to see what Wahoo will do in this space. Not for me based on the feature set though. I’ll be sticking with my Fenix 5 for now.

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Works fine for tracking HR when you’re not exercising, particularly when asleep, which in turn is how resting HR is determined which I find to be the best and simplest measure of overall recovery/fatigue/oncoming sickness. Assume all day HR is also used for tracking stress and calorie burn. And I’ve found it to be somewhat useful for tracking HR during exercise if I don’t have a strap with me, certainly better than nothing.

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