Wahoo Elemnt Ace overview: Ambitious innovation, however not there but

I’ve completed a whole lot of aero testing. More than I might hold monitor of, however filtering to “My Results” on a Strava section of the street I’ve completed most of my testing on spits out 305 outcomes up to now two years. At a kilometre every approach, most would in all probability describe this as essentially the most thoughts numbingly boring solution to wrack up over 600 km of driving, not to mention aero testing… however I find it irresistible. 

Imagine then my curiosity (and scepticism) when Wahoo unveiled its new Elemnt Ace head unit to me at Eurobike again in June. 

The Ace is a brand new addition to Wahoo’s vary of GPS head items that includes some welcome however incremental upgrades, nevertheless it’s the headline characteristic that grabbed my consideration: an built-in wind sensor.

A what now? Glad you requested. The Elemnt Ace incorporates a dynamic wind strain sensor, for measuring airspeed, built-in into a big port on the entrance of the unit. The Ace takes the measurements from this sensor to create an on-screen show of airspeed and Wahoo’s new “Wind Dynamics” metrics.    

On the one hand, it’s an on a regular basis biking pc with the options that mark it as a premium trendy head unit – a claimed 30-hour battery life, digital bike bell, enhanced navigation, and Wahoo’s first touchscreen – and it additionally has built-in wind-measuring tech.

On the opposite hand, there are quite a few corporations producing units solely centered on measuring wind pace on devoted and easy out-and-back programs particularly designed for testing. Not all these units have proved profitable, however all of them share a couple of issues in widespread: the acknowledgment aero is sophisticated, a particular give attention to wind-speed units, and a price ticket greater than the brand new Wahoo Ace’s still-considerable value. 

Like me, you could be questioning whether or not Wahoo can deliver wind pace (and even perhaps drag measurement) to the lots or whether or not its new “Wahoo Wind Dynamics” are only a gimmick. Just as importantly, what’s the Ace like as a head unit? Having had the Ace (two Aces actually) for a month or so and put in loads of driving on them, these are all questions I aimed to reply on this overview, first beginning with the aero aspect of issues, after which stepping into the extra common parts you’ll count on in a unit like this. 

The in need of it: Wahoo’s new flagship biking pc that introduces superior options, an enormous touchscreen, and uniquely, an built-in wind sensor.

Price: US$600 / CA$850 / €600 / £550 / AU$1,000 / JP¥9,900

Good stuff: Large show, bike bell, a mix of touchscreen and bodily buttons, intuitive on-device interface, GPS accuracy, future potential, and … built-in wind sensor.

Bad stuff: Integrated wind sensor, incomplete at launch with a number of promised options deferred to future updates, bike bell doesn’t work on all pages or hyperlink to levers, restricted mounting compatibility as a result of measurement and weight, gradual start-up occasions, temperature sensor, and… that value! . 

Wind Sensor 

The Ace has loads of new options which we’ll delve into in a second, however there’s actually just one pure place for this aero-loving nerd to begin and that’s the dynamic wind strain sensor built-in into the entrance of the top unit.

The Ace is the primary head unit for the reason that iBike Newton+, over a decade in the past, to measure airspeed. Unlike the iBike, although, the Ace just isn’t (but) utilizing this information to back-calculate energy or CdA, however as a substitute to offer what Wahoo says is correct airspeed information that can be utilized to quantify the top or tail wind a rider is experiencing and/or how effectively they’re drafting behind a rider in entrance. 

The Ace determines wind pace utilizing a built-in dynamic strain sensor positioned behind a twin-port, front-facing opening on the gadget. The dynamic strain sensor doesn’t straight measure airspeed or course; there are not any tiny spinning cups or propellers contained in the Ace like these you may discover on a climate station. Instead, the Ace employs a precept much like the wind sensor together with aero meters now in the marketplace and even the pitot tubes seen on airplanes.

This sensor measures the power of air coming into the entrance of the gadget, producing {an electrical} present proportional to that power. An algorithm processes this sign to supply a readable airspeed measurement. The algorithm incorporates the rider’s floor pace, obtained from GPS (or presumably a pace sensor if one is linked), to calculate airspeed and decide whether or not it’s a headwind or tailwind.

If there’s one factor I’ve discovered about pitot tubes, wind sensors, aero meters, name them what you’ll, it’s that they don’t play effectively with rain. Water or street particles can block their tiny pitot tubes, rendering them ineffective. Naturally, I used to be curious to see how the Wahoo Ace would deal with moist circumstances, on condition that as a head unit, it’s sure to face its share of rain and dirt. Unsurprisingly, my suspicions have been confirmed as on my first wet experience, the airspeed information disappeared fully. Thankfully, although, it wasn’t as terminal as I feared.

The Ace’s wind sensor makes use of a semi-permeable membrane designed to permit airflow by way of whereas stopping water ingress. However, in moist circumstances, moisture build-up blocks the membrane, blocking airflow to the dynamic strain sensor. 

This blockage might trigger the gadget to misread the dearth of airflow as a robust tailwind. To deal with this, Wahoo programmed its algorithms to detect such anomalies and show two dashes (“–“) as a substitute of incorrect information, to keep away from eroding consumer confidence within the gadget’s accuracy. In different phrases, Wahoo stated it wasn’t a malfunction I used to be experiencing, however successfully a safety mechanism. I can just about verify as a lot, having seen airspeed disappear on a number of moist rides, solely to reappear afterward the identical experience or the following day.

However, this additionally means the Ace’s airspeed performance, whether or not helpful or not which we’ll get into subsequent, is basically unavailable in moist circumstances and does have me questioning about long-term reliability. I’ve particular issues concerning the potential for gravel, grit, or mud – supplies that don’t merely dry off like water – to clog the membrane and render the sensor ineffective. So far, this hasn’t been a problem; regardless of deliberately taking it on a substantial quantity of mucky and soiled gravel rides to check this, the Ace has functioned high quality as soon as dried out..

To make clear, Wahoo has not positioned the Ace as an aero meter. At least not but. Even the generally adopted time period “aero meter” is a bit deceptive, typically referring to pull measurement methods which generally embrace wind sensors, energy meters, pace sensors, physique place sensors, and software program. However, Wahoo does reference “Aero Sensor Additional Functionality” in an inventory of H2 2025 updates. Even then, it doesn’t measure yaw (the angle between the course of the airflow (wind) and the ahead course of the rider, arguably essential to aero testing) and the present {hardware} cannot facilitate this with a easy firmware replace. Instead, it offers a measurement of the straight-on wind vector. Additionally, it solely makes an attempt to measure airspeed when the rider’s pace exceeds a threshold, roughly 6–10 km/h, as a result of wind pace accuracy decreases at very low speeds. Wahoo instructed Escape Collective that the builders prioritised accuracy within the pace vary the place aerodynamics change into a major issue, roughly 20 to 50 kilometers per hour.

I did expose one blind spot, although, in pairing a Zwift hub coach, which the Ace then took pace information from and began displaying an airspeed studying throughout an indoor experience regardless of not even having a fan on. Perhaps this means that the Ace’s algorithm doesn’t all the time accurately determine when to disable the airspeed measurement. That stated, I do really feel like I tricked the system, and to be honest, it did ramp up airspeed after I turned a fan on.

That expertise, although – and understanding a bit about how troublesome precisely measuring even simply wind pace is – did have me questioning the Ace’s airspeed accuracy. Central to those issues is how the Ace offers with air stagnation across the rider and bike.

Stagnation zones happen when air flowing towards an object, similar to a rider and their bike, slows down, compresses, and will increase in strain as it’s compelled to redirect over, beneath, and across the rider and bike. A easy change within the rider’s physique place alone considerably impacts this stagnation: an upright rider creates rather more stagnation than one in an aero place. These stagnation zones sometimes type in entrance of the rider’s physique and, crucially for handlebar-mounted units just like the Ace or aero meters, across the handlebars. 

While not equivalent, (air is much less dense, so stagnation results are much less visually dramatic, disperse extra shortly and might divert over, beneath, and round a rider) a bow wave in entrance of a ship can present a very good instance to visualise the impact of stagnation zones.  

The greater air strain in stagnation zones makes it troublesome to precisely measure true wind pace, posing a problem for any dynamic strain sensor on or across the handlebar space. 

Stagnation is a problem for aero meters regardless of their designers sometimes discovering methods to place these units a lot farther ahead of the rider than the place the Ace will sit on the handlebars. Some aero meters are even mounted on lengthy poles extending far past the handlebars to flee these stagnation results. Commercially accessible aero meters additionally embrace a “calibration issue”  that’s both up to date by the consumer or mechanically in some circumstances to account for this phenomenon.

Since the Ace is a handlebar-mounted head unit, Wahoo has no various however to place it near the handlebars and thus straight on this stagnation zone, making it essential to issue stagnation into airspeed calculations. 

Another consideration is sensor alignment. Pitot tubes utilized in aero meters should be positioned as near completely perpendicular to the bottom as attainable for correct readings. While Wahoo recommends mounting the Ace in an out-front place, there have been no warnings throughout setup nor steering on the packaging to make sure the gadget is mounted perpendicular to the bottom. This lack of steering might introduce one other variable, doubtlessly affecting measurement accuracy. When requested about this, Wahoo instructed Escape:

“The wind algorithm in Ace doesn’t require guide calibration, however it’s delicate to place. We advocate utilizing Ace with an out-front mount, and with the angle as perpendicular to the bottom as attainable. This will create the optimum place for accuracy.”

To validate its wind pace measurements, Wahoo says it examined the Ace in a miniature wind tunnel at its headquarters, benchmarked it in opposition to “related units”, and carried out testing on an indoor velodrome. According to the corporate, the Ace handed these checks.

I carried out my very own comparative testing with a third-party wind sensor within the Streamlines Altostratus to evaluate the airspeed accuracy after which had John Buckley of Streamlines assess that information. Before diving into the outcomes, it’s essential to reiterate once more that Wahoo doesn’t (but) market the Ace for drag measurement. As such, arguably the Ace’s accuracy doesn’t essentially want to fulfill the identical excessive requirements as units particularly designed to calculate aerodynamic drag or CdA. Furthermore, my comparisons focus solely on the airspeed measurement capabilities of the units purely to guage if the airspeed is beneficial or not. It just isn’t a comparability of them as full methods.

Overall Buckley was impressed and stated “Considering the measurement comes from a few  ports on the entrance of a motorbike pc, I used to be very stunned by the standard of the info. I feel it’s fairly a sublime and efficient design.” 

Firstly, floor pace is essential right here, and any aero tester price their salt will use a extra correct pace sensor relatively than GPS pace information in testing. That stated, the Ace’s GPS pace information was remarkably good, a discovering backed up by the Ace’s capacity to recognise I used to be shifting when others couldn’t throughout a couple of “hike-a-bike” excursions I ended up on with the Ace, a Garmin 1040, and the Coros Dura. 

Initial comparisons of airspeed and floor pace look remarkably promising. While there’s a one second delay within the Ace’s airspeed relative to its headwind channel, probably stemming from a FIT file writing error. An concern {that a} firmware replace might resolve. Closer inspection highlights some discrepancies (deltas) between the Ace and the aero meter, however the Ace’s airspeed measurements nonetheless stay surprisingly good for a non-dedicated gadget. Overall, from the only brief check I’ve completed, the Ace’s airspeed measurements are usually inside 5–10% of the Altostratus wind sensor. 

That 5-10% is nowhere close to correct sufficient to make use of the Ace for aero testing, nevertheless it’s a rattling sight higher than I used to be anticipating. But evaluating airspeed is simply helpful as long as Wahoo isn’t claiming this can be utilized for drag measurement. Because drag scales with dynamic strain, which is proportional to the sq. of airspeed, this relationship amplifies any small inaccuracies in airspeed measurements. While the Ace handed fundamental airspeed measurement, its dynamic strain readings highlighted limitations in its potential for aero drag measurement, with discrepancies in strain readings starting from 6–8 Pa and sometimes exceeding 20 Pa. While the outliers could be managed with filtering, the standard readings are far above the 1 Pa threshold required for exact drag calculations.

Long story brief… the Ace just isn’t an aero drag measurement system or so-called aero meter. 

Understanding Air

To complement its airspeed sensor, Wahoo has launched two new metrics, “AirDrag” and “AirBoost,” to quantify the results of headwinds, tailwinds, and drafting.

Regardless of whether or not we’re driving right into a headwind or with a tailwind, air is all the time shifting relative to us, which we expertise as airspeed.

• In a headwind, the air strikes straight towards us as we experience into it, leading to an airspeed (relative to our physique and bike) higher than our floor pace.
• In a tailwind, the air strikes in the identical course we’re travelling, While we’re nonetheless shifting by way of air (and thus producing some airspeed), the airspeed relative to us is decreased. This discount considerably decreases aerodynamic drag, which is proportional to the sq. of airspeed, offering the acquainted enhance that riders really feel when driving with a tailwind.

Wahoo’s metrics purpose to quantify these results:

• AirDrag displays the affect of headwinds, occurring when the airspeed measured by the Ace is bigger than the rider’s floor pace. The Ace shows airspeed on display, whereas orange and pink backgrounds to this show point out mild and heavy AirDrag.
• AirBoost, then again, quantifies the profit a rider experiences from a tailwind or drafting. When airspeed is lower than floor pace, the Ace interprets this as both a tailwind or a drafting situation and shows an AirBoost worth, indicating the extent to which the rider is being assisted by the wind. In this cas, the airspeed information subject turns mild inexperienced for modest Airboost and darkish inexperienced for heavy AirBoost.

Wahoo says these metrics can information optimum drafting positioning and quantify the feeling of wind felt by riders. When put to Wahoo that riders can really feel the results of wind, the corporate replied that the AirDrag metric offers a quantifiable measure that may be tracked and analysed over time. Wahoo says it sees these metrics as offering goal information concerning the affect of wind on biking efficiency, much like how an influence meter quantifies effort.  

Furthermore, Wahoo claims this information can be utilized to know how wind circumstances affected a selected experience, to determine areas the place drafting was useful, or to teach athletes on optimising their positioning inside a gaggle.

I’m much less satisfied. I don’t see quite a lot of worth in these metrics proper now given they successfully simply verify what the rider already feels. Even as a drafting evaluation for coaches, there’s no scale or measure of what’s good, dangerous, or detached, and I’m not positive there ever could be.  

That stated, it’s enjoyable to observe the airspeed change and that is most noticeable when popping out and in of one other rider’s slipstream in a gaggle driving right into a headwind, however that’s at present about as helpful because it will get with the present in-ride performance. 

There is post-ride evaluation information within the new Wahoo app, breaking down time in airspeed zones and highlighting areas of AirBoost and AirDrag on the map, however proper now these are solely proven as totals for all the experience and I really feel extra work is required to deliver added worth to these insights. 

What may that appear to be? Well, for starters Wahoo solely reveals Wind Dynamics evaluation for all the experience proper now; including this to narrower picks might permit riders to hone in on how the wind impacted particular efforts. 

Furthermore, whereas not explicitly talked about by Wahoo, it’s conceivable Wahoo might leverage the Ace’s wind sensor information for its forthcoming “enhanced” Strava Live Segments. We’ll contact on Strava Live Segments later in different options, however a “Segment Hunter” show of kinds might show one such instance use case. This might see the Ace show present and, crucially, measured wind circumstances for upcoming segments or stay section makes an attempt, permitting riders to evaluate how wind may have an effect on a Okay/QOM try. Finally, if that wind information might be transferred to Strava it might assist riders in evaluating section makes an attempt throughout numerous rides. 

Aero or by no means? 

So, might the Wahoo Ace be used for aero testing and calculating CdA? Technically, sure. With its dynamic strain sensor, barometric altimeter, temperature sensor, GPS-derived pace, and presuming the bike can be outfitted with an influence meter, the Ace has all of the sensors, linked units, and measuring capabilities required to calculate a CdA quantity. However, reaching correct CdA measurements can be extraordinarily difficult.

Precise CdA calculations require extremely correct pace and elevation information, which GPS and a barometric altimeter alone can not present with enough precision. That’s to not point out the accuracy required of the wind pace sensor, which we’ve already lined. This wind pace is essential as a result of aerodynamic drag scales with the sq. of wind pace, so even a small error in wind pace measurement turns into magnified in drag calculations. 

I do imagine it has different potential, although. 

The Ace builders acknowledged that the present implementation of the wind sensor, together with the AirDrag and Boost metrics, are simply a place to begin. They plan to introduce extra options and performance that leverage the sensor’s capabilities to offer even deeper, however crucially extra extensively accessible insights into aerodynamic efficiency. 

In phrases of options I’d prefer to see that might show helpful, I requested Wahoo if there have been any plans to combine a “energy contribution” metric that might consider and show what contribution of a rider’s energy output was going into overcoming aerodynamic drag versus gravity at any given time. Provided it’s correct and simply relatable, such a metric might permit riders to shortly decide the tipping level of gradient and pace beneath which they’d be sooner in sustaining an aero place with much less energy and above which getting out of the saddle to stomp out extra energy at the price of worse aerodynamics would show sooner. Having an correct visible illustration of this might change how many people experience. 

While Wahoo wouldn’t be drawn on touch upon future updates, it stated it’s dedicated to enhancing the wind sensor and Wahoo Wind Dynamics by way of common software program updates pushed by buyer suggestions. While they don’t plan to show CdA straight as a result of its complexity, they purpose to develop various, user-friendly metrics for aerodynamic insights. They view the present aero sensor performance as a place to begin, with the {hardware} not in place and able to supporting superior metrics and expanded post-ride analytics in future updates. 

New beginnings

Wind pace apart, there’s loads extra to the Ace. We’ll delve into different options in a bit, however first a phrase, or two, on what precisely the Ace is. 

The Ace is Wahoo’s new flagship head unit: a wholly new gadget that sits above the Roam 2 in its present vary. It has a brand new app, consumer interface, and host of recent options.

Wahoo says it spoke to over 1,000 riders in growing the preliminary idea and recognized 4 key pillars it wished to ship on with the Elemnt Ace: Reliability, elevated battery life, improved GPS accuracy, and a big, clearly seen show. 

According to Wahoo, riders stated their confidence was eroded in head items with too many rides misplaced or corrupted by battery dropouts or dangerous information. With rides getting longer and wilder, bigger battery capability was additionally in excessive demand together with a display that’s straightforward to learn, scroll by way of, and perceive.

The outcome Wahoo got here up with is that this large amongst head items. Wahoo bumped up the show as much as 3.8” (96.7 mm), in a 3:2 side, and a transflective thin-film transistor (TFT) display show it says is 20% bigger than the competitor Garmin 1050. Although it’s the primary time Wahoo has put a touchscreen on a head unit, the Ace retains the acquainted Wahoo type issue and bodily button structure. That means the identical three buttons alongside the underside of the display, two up/down buttons on the right-hand aspect, and a single menu button on the left à la the Roam and Bolt units earlier than it.

The touchscreen was virtually a necessity for any new Wahoo gadget on this premium finish of the market, with all its opponents now having gone that course, to not point out the likes of each Hammerhead and Coros – each arguably chasing at Wahoo’s heels – now providing each contact and button operation.

That similar mixed touchscreen and bodily button method is what Wahoo presents with the Ace. In truth, Wahoo claims its new touchscreen is as intuitive as a contemporary smartphone and responds to all the identical gestures, and works effectively in each moist and dry circumstances with or with out gloves (even non-touch-enabled gloves). The buttons are included for “versatility and security.” 

Our testing suggests Wahoo just isn’t fairly there but on these claims, however as a primary try, the Ace is effectively on monitor. Crucially for this reviewer dwelling and coaching alongside the moist and chilly winter Wild Atlantic Way, the Ace’s touchscreen is an unlimited enchancment over my Garmin 1040, which successfully goes haywire with each passing bathe. The Ace then again is as steady within the pouring rain as it’s each time that huge ball of fireplace within the sky peaks out from behind the clouds (ed. Ronan, that’s referred to as the solar). 

But there’s a flip aspect to this rain-master skillset: unpredictability. While it’s certainly not 2008 Blackberry Storm-levels of touchscreen horrible (it’s largely high quality), it flips at will between being not delicate sufficient generally and too delicate others. It’s high quality with some gloves and extensively random with others. 

All instructed, although, I’ll take it given the choice to make use of the buttons and the chance Wahoo will refine the touchscreen with firmware updates. Touchscreen apart, the motivation for a bigger display is clear: More display equals extra information and extra maps, or alternatively, bigger variations of the identical information and maps. 

Specifically, Wahoo says it opted for the broader 3:2 side ratio as a result of it permits for higher peripheral imaginative and prescient on maps when navigating than with the extra widespread 3:4 and three:5 screens. Another issue that Wahoo says improves visibility is the transflective thin-film transistor (TFT) display.

But what’s that, you could be asking. This 227-DPI (dots per inch) display know-how presents glorious anti-glare and anti-reflective properties, in accordance with Wahoo, which says the transflective nature of the display implies that ambient mild, notably daylight, is mirrored again inside the show, amplifying its brightness and leading to clearer visuals and higher readability in changeable outside circumstances. It’s additionally stated to cut back the reliance on the backlight, resulting in improved visibility and readability in vivid outside circumstances all whereas rising battery life.

While Wahoo didn’t particularly point out it, transflective TFT screens are usually recognized for his or her robustness and sturdiness: often good additions to any product. Furthermore, there’s a “near-unlimited” color palette, which Wahoo says permits for higher background and font color mixtures to additionally assist in maximising readability. 

Unfortunately, the aforementioned winter local weather doesn’t make for excellent circumstances to check a TFT display’s sunlight-harnessing capabilities. I’ve discovered the show a bit flat within the darker circumstances right here, and I discover myself choosing most backlight just about on a regular basis. 

There is an ambient mild sensor up high, presumably to regulate background mild when set to “Auto,” which, as if to substantiate my choice for full mild, by no means appeared to dim my show in any respect on any of my rides. That stated, with the backlight ramped to the max, the Ace is fairly vivid, and the show is clear and crisp making for glorious visibility within the darker circumstances, though that clearly comes on the expense of battery life.  

One factor absent from the Ace is photo voltaic panels. Two years in the past, Garmin launched the primary solar-aided biking head unit, the Edge 1040 Solar, which options mini photo voltaic panels above and beneath the show. Coros adopted swimsuit with its Dura this yr, however Wahoo has determined to not embrace photo voltaic in any respect. 

Asked why, Wahoo stated it prioritised “battery confidence” with a hefty 30-hour claimed battery life (when paired with two sensors and set to 5-second backlight timeout and a 70% backlight degree) as a result of this presents customers extra reliable, predictable, and constant battery efficiency than a smaller battery with photo voltaic top-ups, which may show inconsistent relying on environmental circumstances. 

Wahoo additionally claims integrating photo voltaic panels able to significant cost good points would eat into display actual property, one thing it prioritised with the Ace. 

I’ve a 1040 Solar and a fast test of how a lot “photo voltaic acquire” (Garmin’ terminology for the measurement of extra battery cost gained by way of photo voltaic) signifies a complete of 21 minutes up to now 4 weeks for my gadget. Granted, the northwest of Ireland, the place I stay, just isn’t essentially the most solar-conducive a part of the planet, however even the 4 weeks previous to that – which included 5 days driving beneath the Majorcan solar and an additional day within the Texas – solely returned a 1hr40min acquire. The Coros has proved rather more succesful at harnessing the ability of the solar, sometimes gaining a couple of share factors per sunny experience, however sadly that gadget doesn’t give me a readily accessible measure of whole photo voltaic acquire over 4 weeks. 

Wahoo didn’t fully dismiss the potential of photo voltaic know-how. They are open to exploring photo voltaic charging and different power-saving options in future units if they’ll present tangible advantages with out compromising consumer expertise or gadget performance. But that’s irrelevant to the present Ace.

Unfortunately, I’ve not obtained near that claimed 30 hours on a single cost as of but, however once more that’s to be anticipated given I had the brightness at 100% for many of my driving. Furthermore, Wahoo was protecting monitor of how my gadget was performing as they labored by way of last updates and this can be a additional important battery drain. Roughly talking I obtained about 14 hours of experience time: testing numerous options, following deliberate routes and utilizing deliberate exercises, plus one other hour or so of faffing about on the workplace desk for this overview, all with that brighter show setup off a full cost since Wahoo turned off that information logging. Wahoo says battery life could be prolonged even past 30 hours, maybe as much as 40 by turning off the backlight completely and utilizing solely the exercise display relatively than the continuously refreshing map web page.    

Speaking of cost, I’ve additionally timed a full cost from 0-100% at three hours. Charging is taken care of through a USB-C charger port on the backside. One small however welcome factor: the flap on that charger port is stable. It closes simply and securely with little to no effort. As somebody coming from a rattling 1040 charger door, this tiny factor has introduced me a lot pleasure.  

There is, although, a trade-off to all that extra display measurement: It requires rather more actual property to deal with it. The Ace measures a whopping 126 mm x 71 mm x 24 mm – in comparison with the 90 mm x 59 mm x 20 mm of the Elemnt Roam 2 – and weighs 208 grams (7.4 oz) as claimed. In different phrases, it’s greater, and considerably heavier, than anything within the head unit area. 

Device Comparison Table

Note: Dimensions are listed as peak x width x depth.

Long story brief, the Ace is large and heavier than my iPhone 16 Pro sans cowl. Wahoo stated it wished to push the boundaries with the Ace; in truth, it’s approach over the boundaries of the present technology of out-front mounts, its sheer measurement which means it merely doesn’t match onto most of the bikes I had available to check it with, together with the Scott Foil, Factor Ostro, Trek Checkmate, and Colnago G4-X. Included with the Ace, the specific-mount doesn’t match non-round handlebars and the Ace is just too prolonged to rotate into place with the out entrance mounts on these bikes. It’ll be an analogous situation with nearly any out entrance mount that sits in keeping with the handlebars. 

Out again, there’s the standard Wahoo tackle the quarter-turn mount chuck. It’s nonetheless plastic and sits slap bang in the midst of the gadget. Garmin moved its chuck with the 1050 which has brought on related compatibility points. Wahoo has saved its new chuck central, and says it couldn’t transfer the chuck nearer to the handlebars to take care of compatibility with current mounts as this, together with the load of the gadget, would create a lever impact. In different phrases, if it’s too far out in entrance it might mechanically take away itself (learn: break) , whereas this central placement ensures a balanced weight distribution on the gadget. 

Again, Wahoo contains an aluminium out-front mount with the Elemnt Ace, and though it does really feel relatively sturdy, it’s only appropriate with spherical handlebars, that are much less and fewer widespread on bikes lately with more and more aero-profile handlebar tops. 

That stated, count on this to be a short-term concern relatively than an insurmountable drawback. Wahoo has already partnered with Okay-Edge and KOM Cycling to develop Ace-compatible mounts, and on condition that Garmin’s newest 1050 head unit has the identical compatibility points, count on virtually each producer to quickly comply with swimsuit. 

It does nevertheless imply a major inconvenience proper now must you buy an Ace solely to seek out it doesn’t match with any of your current out-front mounts. Often there’s a workaround in loosening and dropping the mount, attaching the top unit, after which setting the mount again in place. An entire faff and no approach acceptable longer-term, however it’s a brief time period answer if you end up caught. Just watch out the top unit isn’t then rubbing in your carbon handlebars which might be a problem with shorter mounts. 

There can be a tether/lanyard included with the Ace; given the load of this head unit, I’d advocate utilizing it, particularly in case you are utilizing lighter out-front mounts. Thankfully not like others that may be fiddly, the Ace’s lanyard anchor is simple to route a tiny twine by way of which is sweet. Finally, the Ace additionally presents customisable “skins” for the choice to alter colors with interchangeable covers.

User expertise 

Turning on the Ace for the primary time a QR code seems on display that instantly introduces customers to Wahoo’s new app and consumer interface. Wahoo has leaned on its smartphone integration for ease of head unit setup for the reason that first Elemnt nearly 9 years in the past. The app ditches the maze-like menu timber typically discovered on different units and makes all the head unit configurable from inside the app. 

Now Wahoo is ditching the Elemnt app and bringing its head unit performance right into a newly up to date Wahoo app that can permit customers to handle all their Wahoo {hardware} beneath one app roof. 

For the Ace this implies new cloud-based sync for what Wahoo says is a seamless, easy and intuitive consumer expertise the place all of a consumer’s information is saved in Wahoo’s cloud as a single, always-backed up supply. Furthermore, the up to date Wahoo app now presents improved experience evaluation options, and is far simpler to navigate and rather more insightful than the evaluation accessible by way of the outgoing Elemnt app. That evaluation additionally contains the brand new Wahoo Wind Dynamics we’ll get into in rather more element in a bit. 

Wahoo has retained the power for customers to handle settings, configure exercise profiles, and arrange new units with the identical configuration as earlier items straight by way of the app. However, regardless of the addition of a touchscreen, information subject layouts stay configurable solely inside the app.

I had hoped the touchscreen improve would deliver mid-ride information subject customization, permitting customers to long-press a subject to open an inventory of different choices, much like Garmin Edge units. While this characteristic just isn’t at present accessible, Wahoo acknowledged that many customers, together with myself, have requested it and say they are going to take into account implementing it sooner or later. Additionally, deliberate exercise screens can’t be modified mid-ride.

The new cloud sync on the Ace is noticeably gradual when updating or syncing with the gadget. For occasion, I timed a change to information fields through the app, and it took 15 seconds for the replace to seem on the Ace’s show. 

On an analogous word, the gadget is extremely gradual in addition up. The Ace first requires an preliminary 3-5 second press on the menu/energy on button, then one other 40 seconds tick by as numerous screens flash up because the gadget will get going. It appears like dial-up web in comparison with the extremely quick broadband-like startup I get on the always-on Coros Dura. While not a dealbreaker, it feels clunky for a tool that’s in any other case easy and modern, particularly at this value level – it actually ought to be sooner in each boot-up and syncing and Wahoo has stated it should have a look at dashing this up with firmware updates.

Despite all that, Wahoo has paid explicit consideration to creating the Ace as easy to navigate as attainable. Although it took me a short while to familiarise myself with the brand new three-floor, basement/principal web page/upstairs-like structure, as soon as I’d completed so, it was fairly intuitive. 

The new structure revolves round new quick-swipe dashboards and streamlined menus. On beginning up the Ace, customers are delivered to the “Ready to Ride” (R2R) display whereas the Ace units about buying satellite tv for pc GPS connections (this has been largely fast and faultless, however there was one morning it took 5 to 10 minutes to safe a connection). This “R2R” display, additionally accessible at any time by swiping up from the underside of the display, reveals “Workout Profiles” (quickly to be renamed “Activity Profiles”) the place with two clicks customers can choose their exercise/experience/bike profile. Unfortunately altering these profiles doesn’t but mechanically replace the experience kind on Strava actions, however that’s one thing Wahoo says it should roll out within the close to future. 

Below Profiles is the “Routes” tab. Clicking by way of this takes me to all my sync’d routes be that from third get together licensed apps (extra on this in a bit) or routes from the Wahoo app. There’s additionally a “Workouts” tab, after which the piece de la resistance for me at the very least: the linked sensors show. 

To its credit score Wahoo has completed a implausible job on the sensors show. It clearly shows linked sensors, and in addition clearly highlights every sensor’s present battery cost standing and the info coming from every sensor – helpful for shortly gauging if there is a matter. For a coronary heart fee monitor this would be the consumer’s coronary heart fee displayed just under the sensor icon, for energy it should present a wattage studying, and so forth. It appears so easy when laid out like this that I discover myself questioning why nobody has completed it like this already. Credit to Wahoo for doing so.

Swiping down from the highest of the display brings down the “Device Settings” web page. Here we are able to modify the backlight from auto, to off/on/timeout. The display brightness is well and intuitively managed by way of a excessive/medium/off slider possibility on the appropriate aspect of the display, whereas display lock and lightweight or darkish mode show choices are additionally accessible all with out scrolling the display or coming into a single menu. 

Scrolling down the web page brings up the sound choices with single-press on/off choices for notifications, audio alerts by way of a built-in speaker, and customized alerts and one other excessive/medium/low slider, this time for quantity, all in view and actionable from this single web page. 

Finally, scrolling to the underside of this web page brings up the cellphone connection standing bar (I’m not positive why this isn’t included within the linked units tab on the R2R web page) and a “Device Info” tab, clicking on which brings up all the standard free cupboard space, username, WiFi standing (once more, might be within the R2R tab) and firmware particulars and updater.

Swiping proper from the Device Settings web page brings up one other, devoted, “My Sensors” web page. While proper once more takes me to a “Ride” web page much like the R2R web page however one which ditches the sensors show for an “Activity History” tab and an off/off toggle for Summit Segments. 

Summit Segments offers riders with detailed, real-time details about upcoming climbs both in free rides or on deliberate routes as they method them. Summit Segments identifies climbs and shows metrics together with elapsed time, distance remaining, present gradient, and an elevation profile of the climb with numerous colors indicating the gradient forward as riders work their approach up the climb, which might show helpful for pacing.

Again, all of that is accessible with out trawling by way of numerous menus, drop-down lists, and so forth. In truth, most of it’s accessible from a single swipe up or down and swipe left or proper. So good is the brand new interface that I can’t get misplaced in settings even after I strive. 

All that stated, a lot of the extra performance and setup is taken care of within the Wahoo app, so there are merely fewer choices and settings on the precise gadget to get misplaced in. That stated, the Wahoo app can be fairly intuitive, even when the menus do begin getting significantly deeper, and I had no points discovering settings or choices.

Plenty extra

The Ace is much from an airspeeding one-trick pony, and arguably lots of its different new options ought to show rather more helpful for on a regular basis rides. 

Not least amongst these is a brand new “Digital Bike Bell.” Wahoo has included a built-in speaker within the Ace to include a bell ring, simply as Garmin did with the 1050. For now, double-taping the display on choose exercise pages rings the bell. Frustratingly, although, it doesn’t work on the maps display. However, Wahoo is engaged on a repair for this and including shifter button pairing to permit for bell rings from the hoods of newer SRAM AXS or Shimano Di2 shifters. 

That speaker additionally will get a task in Wahoo’s newly enhanced navigation. Drawing inspiration from the sat nav in our vehicles, Wahoo has given the Ace voice-prompted turn-by-turn steering, in a bid it says to enhance security by serving to riders hold their eyes on the street forward relatively than maps. Initially, this characteristic will solely be accessible in English, however help for a number of languages is deliberate for future updates

Wahoo launched a number of different updates to its maps, together with utilising the brand new color palette to develop maps it says are straightforward to interpret shortly whereas driving. On display this interprets into skinny white traces for smaller roads, thicker white traces for busier roads, and even thicker yellow traces for main roads, and eventually inexperienced traces for non-motorised greenways. 

Further updates embrace utilising the touchscreen for panning and zooming across the map, and an integration with each Apple and Google maps that permits customers to share areas discovered on these mapping companies on to their Ace gadget, by way of the Wahoo app. 

The Google connection has failed on each try for me to date utilizing an iOS gadget, however there have been no such points utilizing Apple maps to each discover and share particular areas to the Ace. However, neither the Ace nor Wahoo app use Google or Apple Maps for route calculation; that performance and mind energy nonetheless resides on the top unit itself, and makes use of the gadget’s built-in maps to calculate routes. Wahoo says this permits customers to seek for locations and create routes even with out an web connection. 

The Ace will after all additionally sync routes from Strava and different on-line mapping instruments, and these routes ought to be faster and simpler to load from the brand new R2R residence display offering entry to saved routes, together with choices for filtering and looking routes much like that discovered on the Wahoo app. But this too hasn’t fairly been as easy a course of for me as one may hope. 

The Ace has linked and sync’d my Strava routes, nevertheless it hasn’t all the time up to date these routes as I’ve made alterations on Strava, and it typically wished to divert me off a deliberate route merely to loop me round a again street or bike path solely to pop me again onto the identical deliberate route once more. Wahoo is wanting into each points, however it’s one other addition to the lengthy listing of teething points with the brand new gadget.    

Furthermore, widespread options similar to Strava Live Segments and LiveObserve received’t be accessible instantly however will comply with in early 2025 in accordance with Wahoo. While Strava Live Segments will see some visible updates and extra information fields not beforehand attainable with current Elemnt units, and Wahoo guarantees improved LiveObserve “reliability,” given these are each long-standing options the omission of each at launch provides to the general feeling of a half-baked Ace. Furthermore, given Wahoo has slated these featurs and others for an replace scheduled to roll out later this month, I can’t assist however want they’d simply given themselves that additional month to have the Ace extra full on launch day.

Further ideas 

There’s a theme operating by way of my whole expertise to date with the Ace. It has the makings of an excellent head unit, it’s straightforward to make use of, and regardless of its pre-launch quirks, it hasn’t infuriated me every day like my Garmin 1040 tends to do. 

But it’s merely not completed but. It’s half-baked at finest, and the continuous rollout of updates and promised future updates give the Ace the sensation of a minimal viable product relatively than the completed article. 

I’m fairly positive it should change into my go-to head unit if/when Wahoo does roll out these updates however there are few ensures as to when precisely that can occur and even fewer that Wahoo will get these proper on the primary try. In truth, Wahoo lists “Advanced In-Ride Notifications, Additional third Party Data Integrations, Additional Map Layers, In-Ride and Post-Ride Workout Insights, In-Ride Experience Customization” as second half of 2025 updates alongside “Aero Sensor Additional Functionality.” That might be as much as a yr away, which is a very long time to attend for improved in-ride notifications and arguably feels optimistic for a few of the aero sensor performance.  

And wait, does that imply Wahoo is planning an aero sensor?  Good query, Wahoo even requested themselves the identical “does the wind sensor measure CdA or different “conventional aero” metrics” query in a latest updates press launch solely to keep away from offering any readability in its personal reply. Instead, it referred to different unrelated updates like GoPro and Music Control, and a dedication to the continued growth of recent wind sensor-related options. It positive feels to me Wahoo is planning to roll out an aero-meter ingredient to the Ace sooner or later, one thing I don’t really feel the Ace is at present able to.

There are different points for a tool at this value level. The preliminary Ace I used to be delivered didn’t really learn airspeed out of the field, I’ve checked round with another reviewers and so they didn’t discover any such points so hopefully it was a one-off. 

More importantly, Wahoo actually ought to be together with a GoPro fashion appropriate out entrance mount with the Ace. Finding additional lengthy mounts will show problematic for some, however discovering a GoPro prong-style mount ought to show considerably simpler no matter what handlebar kind customers at present have. 

There’s the listing of points I’ve talked about all through the overview, however moreover, I’ve discovered easy issues just like the beep timer on deliberate exercises is out of sync with the precise exercise. I additionally discovered a problem with the temperature studying the place it’s fairly gradual to react to massive modifications in temps, say from the warmth inside the home to a frosty morning outside. Worryingly, I discovered the temperature was often off by at the very least 2° Celsius and as much as 4 when in comparison with three different head items, two vehicles, and a kestrel anemometer, all of which have been inside 1°C of one another. Wahoo claims the Ace ought to be essentially the most correct because the wind pace ports permit for a extra correct temperature sensor. I can’t say if the Ace or the others have been proper or flawed, nevertheless it felt just like the Ace was an outlier, even simply in comparison with circumstances on the street. 

Weirdly, Summit segments appeared to begin 100m or extra earlier than climbs for me whereas nonetheless on the flat, whereas Garmin’s ClimbPro operating aspect by aspect began proper because the climb did. And, lastly, the Ace has a troublesome time connecting to sensors not turned on earlier than a experience is began. 

Wahoo’s personal in-app publish experience evaluation is healthier now for the reason that transfer to the Wahoo app, nevertheless it’s by no means going to switch devoted platforms, and even Strava for a lot of customers. 

While these are all fixable by way of firmware updates, on the {hardware} aspect I’d actually want extra tactile suggestions from the entrance and aspect buttons, and once more, that mount compatibility. Furthermore, the speaker and voice steering navigation is a neat thought, however in observe, I merely can’t hear it when shifting at pace.  

Finally, I made a fuss concerning the lack of an “app retailer” (ala Garmin’s ConnectIQ) when Wahoo unveiled the Roam2 simply over two years in the past. Clearly, this isn’t vital characteristic for each rider, however many Garmin customers do love the third-party apps CIQ empowers. Arguably, it retains many customers, myself included, on Garmin units. And I nonetheless really feel it’s a serious absence on Wahoo’s aspect. 

Sum up 

All that stated, I just like the Ace, and once more, I do assume it should ultimately change into my go-to head unit. There is doubtlessly a time after I might be telling you that is one heck of a head unit; it might be my “choose one,” however that point just isn’t now. 

The Ace introduces a number of recent, thrilling, and a few lengthy overdue options to the Wahoo head unit vary nevertheless it at present falls brief on assembly expectations. While the wind sensor and metrics like AirDrag and AirBoost might supply future potential, they at present add restricted sensible worth. The gadget struggles with key usability features, similar to utilizing that wind sensor within the rain, mounting compatibility, and syncing delays. I’ve questions on battery life and different basic parts. 

Ultimately, the Ace has stacks of potential, it’s simply unfinished proper now, and thus asks patrons to gamble on future updates, a few of which I’m assured Wahoo can ship in a well timed method, a few of which I’m much less assured are even a good suggestion. I simply want Wahoo might have saved it within the air fryer that little longer, and we might forgo all these caveats. 

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