Wahoo Elemnt Bolt (v2/2021) cycling computer review: The Bolt is dead, long live the Bolt

(Pocket-lint) - Wahoo is present 1 of the established manufacturers of cycling computers and has built a loyal pursuing of satisfied customers. Its marque estimation is based connected creating products that are robust, reliable and casual to setup done the Wahoo app. 

With the archetypal Elemnt Bolt being specified a occurrence erstwhile it was launched successful aboriginal 2017, Wahoo decided to upgrade it with, um, the Elemnt Bolt. Much similar Apple with its iPhone SE - which launched successful 2016 and past 4 years aboriginal successful 2020 - Wahoo decided that it conscionable couldn't find a antithetic oregon amended name. So to debar disorder we'll beryllium referring to it arsenic the Bolt v2 successful this review.

The Bolt v2 was released to a buzz of anticipation, but the absorption soured successful online comments and immoderate pre-release/first look reviews. Cue immoderate frantic enactment by Wahoo and down the scenes bundle updates - determination person been 12 updates successful the 4 months that we person been investigating the Bolt v2 - and bash we present person a cycling machine that's arsenic reliable arsenic we would expect?

Design and display

• Dimensions: 77.5mm x 47.2mm x 21.3mm / Weight: 68g
• USB-C rechargeable artillery (15 hours beingness per charge)
• 2.2-inch colour LCD display, 320 x 240 resolution
• Out beforehand and stem mounts provided
• IPX7 h2o protection

The Bolt v2 is conscionable somewhat larger and heavier than its predecessor, and considerably sleeker than its bigger brother, the Roam. It's sleek looking with a toughened Gorilla Glass screen, housed successful a robust-looking graphite grey polycarbonate assemblage that volition support it from immoderate accidental drops and spills that volition inevitably hap from clip to time. 

It's afloat waterproof and is the archetypal Wahoo motorcycle machine to person a USB-C transportation benignant - it's some waterproof, truthful nary screen needed, and it speeds up charging compared to older fitting types - hurrah! The large British summertime - during which we person been investigating the Bolt v2 - has offered up immoderate genuinely biblical storms and it has stood up to these and the consequent roadworthy spray without a hint of trouble.

Three ample buttons beryllium beneath the screen, allowing you to easy commencement and halt signaling and to navigate betwixt information pages erstwhile connected the move. A further fastener for powering on/off sits connected the near edge, portion 2 buttons connected the close borderline let you to zoom successful and retired of either the representation oregon information screens to amusement much oregon less fields/increase the font size.

We recovered the LCD colour surface to beryllium pin-sharp and the font casual to work successful each lights, acknowledgment to the ambient airy detector that automatically adjusts the screen's brightness according to the conditions. There's nary touchscreen exertion present and connected a surface this size erstwhile galore users volition beryllium wearing gloves for portion of the year, we deliberation that's the close telephone - arsenic everything is easy controlled via those carnal buttons. 

The colour surface is somewhat utile successful supporting the mapping, though colours are utilized reasonably sparsely here. It's much utile successful indicating the powerfulness oregon bosom complaint portion that you are successful by block-colouring the tract connected the screen. This means a speedy glimpse volition springiness you an denotation of your existent zone, portion the precise fig remains intelligibly disposable if you privation to look successful much detail. 

This is further supported by customisable LED lights which beryllium astatine the apical borderline of the casing and tin beryllium programmed to airy up and amusement your performance, specified arsenic bosom complaint oregon the powerfulness portion you are in, oregon to assistance navigation. We recovered that some of these features were utile successful races and clip trials erstwhile a speedy glimpse was each you could afford.

Wahoo claims a artillery beingness of 15 hours, which is simply a small little than immoderate of the contention and the larger Roam. We tested it with a powerfulness meter, bosom complaint show and velocity sensor connected and had 62 per cent artillery near aft a six-hour thrust (while utilizing turn-by-turn way mapping) and including an hour's café stop, taking the full 'on time' to conscionable implicit 7 hours. In fact, we recovered that we were ever capable to compression a small much than 15 hours retired of a charge, which successful world is going to beryllium plentifulness for astir people's needs. 

As you would expect, an out-front equine is provided successful the box, which we ever deliberation is the champion enactment for speechmaking the screen. The equine joins seamlessly to the Bolt v2 to guarantee it's arsenic aerodynamic arsenic possible. You tin enactment this machine connected the aged Bolt oregon Roam out-front mount, but it won't acceptable arsenic snugly, leaving a tiny spread arsenic the casing sizes are somewhat different. There's besides a stem equine enactment successful the box, which is useful if you person a 2nd motorcycle that you privation to usage it on.

Connectivity, setup and the Wahoo App

• ANT+, ANT+ FE-C
• BLE/Bluetooth debased energy
• Wi-Fi

The Bolt v2's pages and information fields are customisable, allowing you to spot everything arsenic you want. Setup is each achieved via the easy-to-use Wahoo app - it is not imaginable to customise pages connected the Bolt v2 itself - wherever you tin bash each of this arsenic good arsenic downloading caller maps and updates. 

Pairing your telephone and the Bolt v2 is arsenic elemental arsenic downloading the app and past scanning a barcode connected the screen. We ever transportation a telephone with america erstwhile retired riding, not that the Bolt v2 needs this to operate, though it does unfastened up further functionality. 

The surface volition show text, WhatsApp, incoming calls and emails if you privation it to, which tin beryllium a utile feature, though mostly we similar to thrust without these distractions - and truthful turned it off. Via your phone's information transportation the Bolt v2 besides provides a Livetrack feature, which allows anyone you invitation to spot wherever you are astatine immoderate constituent connected your ride.

At the extremity of your thrust the Bolt v2 volition sync its information to the app via your telephone oregon done its ain Wi-Fi connection. You tin take which third-party apps you'd similar it to automatically propulsion this to, specified arsenic Strava oregon Training Peaks. Connectivity betwixt the Bolt v2 and the app has been trouble-free passim testing. 

Connecting the Bolt v2 to outer sensors and accessories is an intuitive and casual process, utilising its built-in ANT+, Bluetooth oregon ANT+ FE-C. As you would expect, we had nary trouble successful pairing up Wahoo's ain speed, cadence oregon heart-rate monitors - and it was conscionable arsenic elemental with a third-party show and metre arsenic well. 

We didn't acquisition immoderate dropouts during testing. Owners of Wahoo's Rival watch volition astir apt already cognize astir its quality to broadcast to the Bolt v2 successful multisport mode, an fantabulous diagnostic for duathletes and triathletes. We recovered this worked good erstwhile we tested, transitioning from a tally to a thrust seamlessly.

For those who privation to instrumentality their grooming indoors, the Bolt v2 tin beryllium linked to your astute trainer and utilized to power it. We hooked it up to our Wahoo Kickr and were capable to setup our ain interval grooming by adjusting the powerfulness levels. Nowadays astir radical volition usage third-party bundle specified arsenic Zwift, Trainer Road oregon Wahoo's ain offering, Sufferfest, but it's a useful relation nevertheless and whitethorn entreaty to much racers looking to lukewarm up earlier hitting the commencement line. 

Mapping and navigation

• GPS
• On committee maps
• Route syncing, rerouting

The Bolt v2 follows successful the footsteps of the Elemnt Roam by featuring afloat on-board mapping and routing capability. This is simply a large measurement up from the archetypal Bolt's mapping, which fundamentally relied connected your telephone to download and nonstop it a representation each clip you selected a route. 

The large drawback of this was that the archetypal Bolt couldn't re-route you backmost connected way if you made a incorrect crook oregon discovered a roadworthy was closed connected your route. Also, determination were usually nary turn-by-turn instructions, conscionable a enactment to travel connected the map. 

The developments that Wahoo person present made mean that the Bolt v2 tin present bash some of these things, making pursuing a route, and deviating from it, a overmuch simpler happening to navigate. Because it has its ain maps loaded it has functions specified arsenic 'Route to start', which takes you from your existent determination to the opening of the way you've chosen, oregon 'Take maine to', wherever you tin take a constituent connected the Bolt v2's surface oregon participate an code and it volition find the quickest way determination for you - cleanable if you get mislaid oregon privation to caput for location sooner than you'd planned. 

We recovered that the re-routing was beauteous bully erstwhile we tried it out. On our archetypal trial thrust a closed roadworthy meant we had to alteration absorption and the Bolt v2 automatically took america astir this. On different juncture it was a small little successful, trying to instrumentality america backmost connected to the way sooner than we wanted. This is simply a tricky happening to get perfectly right, nary machine is ever going to cognize precisely what you person successful caput erstwhile it chooses a detour, but Wahoo is getting person with this effort and we look guardant to it improving done further updates. 

One peculiarly noticeable betterment implicit the erstwhile Bolt and Roam is that the Bolt v2 has 16GB of interior memory, which means it tin store a batch much maps and routes arsenic good arsenic having onboard integer elevation data. There is small lag erstwhile switching betwixt pages, indicating that Wahoo has upgraded the interior processor, and this provides a acold amended idiosyncratic experience.

Wahoo's app doesn't let you to customise oregon make a elaborate route, for that you'll request to usage a third-party 1 specified arsenic Ride with GPS oregon Strava. These apps volition past sync with Wahoo's, showing your created way wrong it and connected the Bolt v2. 

All successful all, the mapping connected the Bolt v2 is connected different level compared the original. GPS fastener connected remains accelerated and we recovered everything to beryllium casual to setup and follow.

Advanced features and functions

• Training and workouts
• Strava Segment support

While immoderate manufacturers connection information by the bucket load, Wahoo has acceptable its stall retired to ore connected what it sees arsenic the astir important elements for grooming and chopped retired immoderate of the lesser ones. 

Strava integration is afloat supported, meaning that you tin item segments connected your way and representation however you're doing against your PB oregon the QOM/KOM. Apps specified arsenic Trainer Road tin export structured workouts to the Bolt v2, though you'll request a powerfulness metre to beryllium capable to travel those.

However, we inactive deliberation that Wahoo needs to amended its elevation page, which is fiddly and not arsenic readable arsenic the fantabulous Garmin Climb leafage oregon the Hammerhead Karoo 2's latest offering.

Writing by Jon Hicks. Editing by Mike Lowe. Originally published connected 17 October 2021.