Last week at the ANT Symposium, Garmin opened up the curtains on their planned entrance into the running power market, which theyll soon make available on many. Sprint Corporation, commonly referred to as Sprint, is an American telecommunications holding company that provides wireless services and is an internet service provider. Garmin Unlock 1.5 Final' title='Garmin Unlock 1.5 Final' />Garmin Edge 5. Wahoo BOLTThere are two questions which reign supreme around these parts Which watch to get, and which bike computer to get. No other topic or subject area gets anywhere near as much debate or concentration as these two areas. This post is all about bike computers, and in particular the most popular two bike computers out there right now The Garmin Edge 5. Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT. Its a bit of a showdown between the two units where Im going to dive into all the details that you might want to consider and then a bunch you probably never considered. Of course, if youve got more questions about either one theres always the full posts on both to give you total detail overload. Not to mention the product comparison tool as well. And failing all that, both full posts have nearly 2,5. No, thats not a typo. There are some 2,5. Geek heaven. The units Im not including Before we dive too deeply, a lot of folks will ask about why Im excluding other units. Some will probably get all bent out of shape. The simple answer is that Im comparing what I think are the two market leader models, and based on your commentary over the last 5 or so months, so do you. Still, there are other units out there, so let me just list them off real quick. Garmin Edge 8. 20 Yup, its basically an Edge 5. But it also costs another 1. Edge 5. 20, at 3. Further, as I discuss a bit more in the navigation section, its mapping is actually quite different than the BOLT. I use the Edge 8. I also prefer the Edge 5. And for the Edge 1. While still technically the highest end Garmin cycling unit, I think most would agree that its due for a refresh albeit theres little competitive reason to do so. Hammerhead Karoo Its not released yet, nor do I think thatll happen imminently. Im definitely looking forward to it, but again, not here today. Lezyne various models Theyve done good great work in the past few years, but like the M4. But if youre looking at sub 2. Polar M4. 60 A very solid option, really solid, priced really well. But its simply not in the same ballpark as the BOLT or Edge 5. But again, for 1. Polar V6. 50 Cmon now. Stop laughing. Polar doesnt seem to care about this unit for updates, so why should you  Which is too bad, because I think they were onto something. Wahoo ELEMNT If you want a bigger screen go forth and substitute everything I said here and just remove the word Bolt. Heck, its even the same price right now with the rebate thingy. It runs identical software to the BOLT. Got all that Good. If I didnt list something here, then its because nobody has shown any interest in whatever model I didnt list this year. Or, its because it didnt hit my mental radar as I wrote this. Which is usually a good indicator it doesnt much matter in the big scheme of things. Brutal honesty is something simpler, no The Basics Heres the thing insofar as being a GPS bike computer goes, both these units do a pretty darn good job. Meaning that youre unlikely to run into any stumbles with the basics like tracking where youre going or how fast youre going. Same goes for connecting to basic sensor types. All that works well on both. But each company has taken their own twist on things. For example, with Garmin the experience on the Edge is heavily driven by your interactions with the Edge itself. Meaning that settings, configuration, and other aspects are all done on the Edge 5. VIRB ULTRA 30 Weight Without Battery 66g With Battery 88g With Battery In Waterproof Housing 155g With Battery In Cage Housing 106g Size HxWxD. Uploading large files has never been easier Upload files to store them online for instant access and sharing. GigaSize. com allows you to upload large files in just. Dive into all the details comparing these two units to figure out your winner. From Strava to sensors, navigation to apps, its all here View and Download Garmin G900X installation and maintenance manual online. Integrated Flight Deck. G900X Avionics Display pdf manual download. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post click the register link above to. Days before Cassinis final plunge, I asked David Doody, who supervises real time operations, how he was feeling. Dread, he told me with with a laugh. This. Whereas with the BOLT, Wahoo pushes much of the configuration aspects to your phone. Youll use the smartphone companion app to adjust many settings like data fields, whereas on the Edge youd do that on the device itself. There are pros and cons to this approach, and some people simply prefer one method over the other. Where it gets more noticeable tends to be in the area of navigationwhich I discuss in full detail in a dedicated section below. Both companies allow you to sync your workouts after the fact to 3rd party platforms like Strava and Training. Peaks.   In total, the number of syncd platforms is actually pretty similar, albeit just different. For example, Wahoo syncs to Dropbox, whereas Garmin doesnt. Yet Garmin syncs to a number of additional smaller sites like Final Surge or Cycling Analytics that Wahoo doesnt. But for the biggies like Strava, Training. Peaks, Todays Plan, Sport. Tracks, and Map. My. Fitness theyre all the same. When it comes to data fields and the ability to customize your unit, both companies are also pretty similar in the end. They just go about it in different ways. With Garmin, youll customize your data fields on the unit itself, whereas with Wahoo its via the phone. But the number of fields and ways you can tweak them are essentially a wash. Where you do see some differentiation though is that Garmin allows 3rd parties to create data fieldsgraphs via Connect IQ, for which Wahoo has no equivalent. If we look at the mounting situation, the units use almost identical mounts. But the differences are important here. Since Wahoos units wont fit into most 3rd party mounts designed for Garmin units, youve got fewer options on the market. Sure, big players like Barfly and K Edge have mounts, but not all the more boutique options like the 3. T integrated stems for Garmin head units. On the flipside, Wahoo does have their aerodynamically friendly mount. Now one distinctly different area is structured workouts. The Garmin Edge series allows you to create andor download structured workouts onto your Edge which include targets and instructions. Whereas Wahoo doesnt have that functionality at all. Wahoo says its coming, likely soonish, but theyve also had it on the radar for well over a year as well. Finally, when it comes to size and weight, theyre almost identical here as well. As you can see above, the sizes are quite similar, and the weights are nearly identical 6. Edge 5. 20, and 6. Wahoo BOLT.  Before we dive deep into the details, Im going to do a bit of a What I love and What I hate for each section, including the basics. The goal here to is to distill down some of my personal preferences in each portion The Basics Edge 5. Things I love It just works. Seriously, it just works every time, zero issues. By and large, you just dont hear people complaining about the Edge 5. Then theres the quarter turn mount, which is widely used by 3rd parties, making it easy to find the mount you like. Finally, while it doesnt support Bluetooth Smart sensors, it has far broader support of every other sensor out there than Wahoo. Alsoapps. Love me some good apps. The Basics Edge 5. Things I hate Theres no coordination with other Garmin wearables you may own. So if you use a Fenix 5 for the rest of your day, but want to ride with your Edge, the two dont really talk at all. Of course, Wahoo doesnt do this either since they lack a wearable but Garmin should make this seamless. Most of my Edge 5. Note that while some people want configuration of data fields from the phone, and that would be nice, I generally prefer the Garmin config on unit option over the must use phone option. The Basics BOLT Things I love It also just works. Further, it has dual ANT Bluetooth Smart sensor support, making it ideal if you have a Bluetooth Smart HR strap. Solid integration on things like Best. First Run Garmins New Running Power Capabilities. Last week at the ANT Symposium, Garmin opened up the curtains on their planned entrance into the running power market, which theyll soon make available on many running and multisport devices they make. This app will require only a barometer equipped watch that supports the latest Connect IQ version, as well a Running Dynamics capable HR strap or pod, both of which have been sold and bundled for years. Now whats interesting here is how exactly Garmin is planning on rolling this out. This isnt a new native feature to the watches. Nor is it something that requires a new watch at all. In fact, itll work on some watches a number of years old. Instead, Garmin is forcing themselves to develop the running power functionality via Connect IQ in the same way that Stryd has been forced to utilize that same framework for their running power app and functionality. This has both pros and cons though, as Ill dive into below. But it does effectively put both options on a level playing field from the standpoint of competitiveness. If you want a quick overview of things, heres a video I put together of my first run with it up in Banff, Canada and then a secondary run in Paris yesterday With that, lets dive into all the details. But note this isnt available yet. Itll be released around November 2. Connect IQ 2. 4 is released to the public. What you need First, youll need to wait till November 2. Garmin Connect IQ, which is the development platform update that was announced last week at the ANT Symposium. That said, the requirements are pretty straightforward A Connect IQ capable watch with a barometer that supports version Connect IQ 2. See the full chart down below. B Garmin HRM TRI, HRM RUN, or RD POD Any version, even ones three years old now. Why these two and a half requirements  Well, its a two parter. Let me explain A Barometric altimeter requirement This is required to know when youre going uphill and downhill, which is in turn used in the calculations of power. Stryd is much the same, except they just have a barometric altimeter inside their little pod and older chest strap version. B Running Dynamics requirement The requirement to have an HRM TRI, HRM RUN, or RD POD is based on the need to get a number of metrics, but most notably Vertical Oscillation and Ground Contact Time, which are only available in those accessories. The good news is those accessories have been around for about four years, and even the oldest straps will work. Note that Stryd also uses the same core Vertical Oscillation and related metrics. C Why Connect IQ 2. Ahh, this is an interesting one. See, Connect IQ version 2. Running Dynamics HR RD ANT profile from any Connect IQ app. This means that any app can use this profile. It also means that anyone else could actually develop a running power app if they wanted to, using the same Garmin devices. The side effect to this requirement is that more inexpensive barometric altimeter devices notably the Vivoactive HR will get the CIQ update despite not otherwise supporting Running Dynamics natively. As such, they get running power. Note The Garmin Fenix 5 and FR9. Connect IQ 2. 4 likely a few days later than other devices do. Just an FYI. Want a list of Connect IQ 2 compatible devicesHere Ive crossed out the FR7. XT, because it doesnt have a barometer in it, so while its 2. Youll note devices like the Garmin Fenix 33. HR arent on the list, nor the FR6. FR9. 20. XT.   These devices stopped receiving the newer Connect IQ version almost a year ago. That caused a ruckus at the time, since some of them were still effectively current devices it was pre Fenix 5 then. A fair bit of that can, in turn, be attributed to those devices really being the first generation of devices Garmin launched Connect IQ, and thus some of the longer planning on what it takes to operate a software development ecosystem hadnt fully materialized yet. Heres what the whole chart looks like. Next thing is youll need the Run. Pow app.   Now, again, its not available yet. And that name probably isnt final but should be. But it reminds me of Caf Pow, which Abby of NCIS is a regular consumer of. Obviously, Im an NCIS fan. In any event, the Run. Pow app is technically a Garmin Connect IQ data field. That data field, in turn, connects to the Running Dynamics accessory of your choice HRM TRIHRM RUNRD POD. Heres that app in all its simplicity on a Garmin FR9. Race Driver Grid Directx 10 Mod on this page. Ive set for pace The app merely has one data field, which at present just shows your current power. Yup, thats it. Below you can see me running along at 5. And this is where things get kinda interesting. Like Stryd, there isnt a way to implement things like 3 second power, 5 second power, or 1. Stryd.   Nor is there a way to implement useful features like lap power. Its just one power field. Certainly, Garmin could create multiple Connect IQ data fields, but many watches are limited to only two CIQ data fields being utilized at once. Heck, they even limit you to not being able to re use that same field on other pages. And its at this juncture that Garmin is feeling some of the pain of their own doing. Which isnt to say Connect IQ is bad, its just that sometimes it takes eating your own dog food for an actual product to force you to realize the shortcomings and how it might make a product useful or not. Or at least it makes you feel the pain. These are all shortcomings that app developers and consumers have been complaining about for quite some time. Garmin says theres been about 1. Garmin Connect IQ. Of course, they could have just natively built the whole thing into the product but this is a good exercise for them. At the Symposium, they outlined some features they cant implement, largely due to Connect IQ To translate this from tech speak to English, heres what these mean they all apply to Stryd as well Two CIQ limit Means you cant put Run. Pow running power on multiple pages like you might put the same HR or pace on multiple pages. One page only. Doesnt show up in history You wont see any running power stats at the end of a run, or in the history section of your workout. Banners are limited Simply put, no overlay banners for running power like you might see for things like lap averages. Configuration within GCM This means any configuration of the data field has to happen with Garmin Connect Mobile, you cant tweak it on the watch itself. CIQ fields cant be used as intensity target I think this is self explanatory, but essentially you cant set power targets with this like you could set pace or HR targets. CIQ data doesnt appear in reports Since its not a normal field like pace or heart rate, you wont get it in some of the fancy reports of Garmin Connect. In any event back to the run. As you run, this power number will fluctuate just like Stryds does. Run harder, and itll go up, go up hills and itll go up assuming youre putting out more power. Above Differences between Garmin power top, and Stryd power bottom. There are some notable differences here. In the case of Stryd, they appear to be doing a bit more smoothing in the data than Garmin, but not noticeably so when running only when looking at the data after. Of bigger concern is that both numbers are so different. Garmins sits about 1. Stryds does, for me, across a wide range of terrain and conditions.