TESTEDWAHOO ELEMNT ACE
All the ride moves
Whether you’re a casual cyclist or the next Cav, Wahoo’s overhauled bike computer is deceptively smart
£550 /go.stuff.tv/WahooAce
■ With a trio of textured buttons beneath a 3.8in touchscreen, holding the Elemnt Ace gave me flashbacks to early Android phones. But the rubberised case should keep it safe from drops and smacks: the one time I stacked my bike on a gravel track while testing it, we both came off unscathed.
■ Wahoo has gone for a slightly wider 3:2 aspect ratio than its rivals, letting the Ace fit more of your route map on screen at once, and leaving plenty of room for turn-by-turn directions. The touchscreen is responsive enough to use with gloves on.
■ The OS is satisfyingly quick to react to inputs, with an emphasis on swipe dashboards and simple menus meaning you don’t need to dig around to find a particular setting. It’s brilliantly customisable, letting you get the clearest view of the metrics you value most.
■ The dual-band GPS is quick to lock on and the audible navigation alerts are impossible to miss. The performance-based data screens are also easy to read, with my rides appearing in the companion app by the time I’d locked my bike away.
■ Wahoo reckons the battery will last up to 30hrs and I got close to that. Different use cases will see it drain faster, but there’s fuel here for a multi-day excursion – even if the sun-aided Garmin 1040 Solar will last almost 50% longer.
Dry ain’t worried
The USB-C charging port at the bottom is covered by a rubber stopper to keep it IPX7 water-resistant, so rain showers won’t kill it.
Tech specs
Display 3.8in 720x480 touchscreen Sensors GPS, altimeter, light, compass, gyroscope, wind Connectivity Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi Storage 64GB Durability IPX7 Battery life Up to 30hrs Dimensions 126x71x24mm, 208g
■ Mounting stars
Wahoo’s integrated mounting mechanism is built into the back of the unit, clicking securely into the included out-front bracket. It fits most road bike handlebars and locks with a quarter-turn of the included hex key.
■ Press cue me
The front buttons start and pause rides, flip through data pages and make menu selections, while the ones on the right side scroll through lists. There’s a chunky power button on the left, and you can attach a lanyard.
At first glance the Ace might not seem too far removed from previous Elemnt cycle computers, but Wahoo has changed almost every aspect under the hood – and entirely for the better. Setup and syncing are a breeze, tracking is spot-on, and it’s the only one that takes wind resistance into account when measuring your metrics. If you want to analyse your rides like a pro, no mainstream tracker does it better.