GPS tech (Garmin, Hammerhead, Wahoo, RWGPS, etc)

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt + iPhone 7 nightmare in the past few weeks. App doesn't see the device, or doesn't sync the last ride. Wander if it's just me or anybody else had this recently?

I have that combo. Always takes a little longer than I’d like to find the Bolt but it’s not got any worse lately and does always find it.

Had this issue. Unpaired the device from phone, disconnected Bluetooth went the through pairing process again and that’s sorted it... for now.

Hm been synchronising ok for the last 3 days. Maybe this final unpair/pair sequence worked, did a few of those recently. Fingers crossed

I was recording an activity on the edge 820. SO called that we would meet up somewhere. I wasn't sure about the route so used garmin connect to make one. Wanted to send it to the 820 but that's not possible when you're already recording? How stupid..

Managed to sell the Edge Explore, upgrade to a 530 was a €90 difference. Think it'll be better in the long run, can't wait for my Garmin to tell me I'm shit at riding bikes with even more specificity.

Not sure if Wahoo is still the darling of the gps world but while I originally loved it, I now hate it.

Owned a wahoo elemnt bolt for a few years now, first year it worked perfectly..

It has gradually got worse, it will randomly stop syncing with the app, either cant be found or is found but then the ride wont sync. This was rare but now is probably every other ride. You have to go through a combination of un-syncing and/or deleting the app and re-syncing. Once you have done this the elemnt reboots and updates software. This clears your recent history so you then have to plug it into your computer to copy the .fit file onto your desktop and manually upload to strava. You then have to re-sync any sensors, powermeters etc and set up your screens.

Given it gets factory reset basically every other day I'm not sure what else I can do.

That's interesting, some kind of persistent memory issue? I would talk to Wahoo support, they might send you new hardware.

I too sometimes hate Wahoo when they mess up something with the updates and release 3 more updates to fix it, breaking other things. I've used all 3 of their offerings: Bolt, ELEMNT (for a short while when Roam shipments were delayed) and ROAM. There's a "Wahoo ELEMNT Users" G**gle-group that I follow, fair bit of discussion around failures and bad behaving units or sensor combinations.

I've never used my Edge 25 for navigation but it might be helpful on the ride I'm going tonight.

Well, on part of it, and I'm not entirely sure where I'm meeting my mate so don't want to have navigation running from my door.

What happens if I create a 'course' but start my ride miles away from the start of it?

Should I just make a route that starts at my door and put up with going 'off course' if required? I presume my Garmin will figure it out if I get back to the course I've programmed at some point?

Also, Garmin Connect for making the course?

Has anyone used a non bluetooth Garmin with a phone to transfer routes and ride data?

I'd like to use my Edge Touring on tour without taking a laptop with me. I currently have an iphone but will get an android phone when I replace it. From what I've read it could be possible with a USB OTG cable but it also might not work.

Good question. Would be keen to hear the answer also.

Doing some googling it looks like it takes a Micro SD card. I wonder if you could just put that in the phone, transfer the route, then put it back in the garmin.

On a separate note, how have you found the Edge Touring? I'm looking for a GPS unit that I can simply put GPX files on and have turn-by-turn navigation. Not just breadcrumbs. Couldn't give a toss about all the other metrics. Aware it's pretty old tech by now but seems a simple enough design that it will keen on going?

The Micro SD card could be an easy way to do it but I've never had a phone with a card slot so have no idea on how this works in practice.

I got my Touring in 2015 and it's worked pretty well, the turn by turn is good when it works but often glitches (especially on out and back routes) and doesn't think you've done a certain direction so the instructions never progress beyond that point. It's easy enough to follow the line on the map without all the directions when this happens.

Some of that could be the route files / map set I'm using or it could just be a buggy Garmin.

The on-board point to point routing is terrible, it creates very convoluted routes that don't make sense.

I've done it in the past (with an 800 I think or maybe a Dakota and an android phone) and it generally worked. OTG sometimes seems a bit picky though so it had to be plugged in multiple times, USB debugging turned on and off, etc when it was playing silly buggers.

EDIT: I've also done routes in OSMAND and exported them as gpx files and saved to microsd. That worked fine but was using inbuilt microsd normally. OTG microSD suffers similar issues, although a bit more reliable.

Used my Samsung galaxy S4 to transfer files to my garmin edge 800.
Used Total commander as the file manager

Thanks both, good to know this is possible.

Can you also get the ride data off and upload to Strava?

Never tried to but cannot see any reason why not. I usually use the file upload option on Strava and just browse for the file.

My Edge 1000 has a damaged power button cover (the rubberised cover is torn) and I think Garmin will offer me a not-that-cheap out of warranty replacement. If I'm going to drop the best part of 200e on a device I may as well buy a new one.

Two things:
1 - does anyone know an easy way to repair the button, it's a stupid thing to cause a device to be thrown away
2 - Any thoughts about the 530/830/1030?

does anyone know an easy way to repair the button, it's a stupid thing to cause a device to be thrown away

Also interested. The button on my 800 fell off completely, I have to use a key/ glasses to push the button on internally. Also, the SD slot is water damaged, so no maps. Will I upgrade? Ehhhhh, maybe in another 10,000km

How did you get on?

I’ve used a 25 a fair bit for ‘navigation’. I used the breadcrumb trail on the Edge 500 for years and quite like it’s simplicity.

Sugru?

I've been using a first gen Elemnt for quite a few years. It mainly just works. There was a stage when occasionally it wouldn't pair with the app, usually restarting my phone cured it.

Mainly I don't bother to pair it if I'm riding from home, so perhaps that's a factor in why that isn't bothering me at present.

Does anyone use a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt with a Garmin Speed sensor 2? I just did a testride and the Wahoo gave me 69.8km and the Garmin 68.8km and corrected distance on Strava is 68.6km.

These are the settings in Garmin Connect and the Elemnt app. My tires are Conti 5000.

Probably been asked, but can anyone recommend an element bolt adapter for a 1” quill stem/26mm diameter bars?

I used a tube and cut it to shim to 31.6.

You might have the appropriate shims from your graveyard of GPS mounts and bike lights.
(or am I the only one with one of those...)