Wahoo officially unveils supersized, £550 Elemnt Ace bike computer with built-in wind sensor... but how big is too big?

Six weeks after leaked images of a mysterious new Wahoo bike computer (or more accurately, the box) surfaced online, the US tech brand has today confirmed that the key info we could glean from those grainy images was correct: the computer is called the Elemnt Ace, it has a built-in wind sensor and it's much larger than Wahoo's previous offerings with a 3.8" screen. Shortly after the leak we were also lucky enough to get a sample unit, and I've been hands-on with it ever since. Here's everything you need to know, and how I feel about this new flagship computer so far. 

Over the last decade or so, it seems like everything around us has been getting bigger. Cars have got bigger, phones have got bigger, Team UAE’s budget has got A LOT bigger... and as this brand new Wahoo Elemnt Ace demonstrates, so have cycling computers!

As humans, we seem to crave more: more functions, more immersion, bigger screens, and the result is bigger tech and more of it.

The sheer size of the new Elemnt Ace, though, has me asking: where and when will it end? This computer is smartphone-sized, so surely that means we must be getting to the point where we've reached peak GPS. 

Wahoo Elemnt Ace: the headline stats

Once upon a time Garmin dominated the cycling computer space, but since 2015 Wahoo has been eating away at that market share. We only get a new flagship device from Wahoo around once every three years, so this is an important release for the brand. Here are all the key stats and numbers: 

• 3.8" screen (bigger than the 3.5" screen on the Garmin Edge 1050)
• Touchscreen (a first for a Wahoo bike computer)
• RRP £549.99 (less expensive than the Garmin Edge 1050)
• New user interface
• Wind sensor (category first)
• Claimed 30+ hour battery life
• Enhanced navigation (turn-by-turn audio cues)

Why does Wahoo say we need to upgrade to the Elemnt Ace?

The Wahoo Elemnt Ace is just the latest in a long line of bike computers getting taller and fatter, and it absolutely dwarfs the brand's previous computers. In 2017 Wahoo released the first iteration of the relatively tiny Elemnt Bolt, and it was an instant success; by 2019, though, Wahoo decided that people wanted something bigger, and launched the Elemnt Roam. 

Now, Wahoo has taken bike computer sizes to a whole new level. This Elemnt Ace is humungous, and more than twice the weight of my Roam V2!

In Wahoo's words, this is to "meet the needs of today's riders by combining the size and usability of a smartphone, with the fit-for-purpose form factor and features of a bike computer.”

Read on to see if I think Wahoo has succeeded...

The screen

As the screen is the main reason that the Ace is quite so big, it seems like a sensible place to start. Wahoo calls its screen "supersized and best in class", and the first part is indisputable. 

Diagonally, the screen measures some 3.8" (9.65cm). For reference, the Garmin Edge 1050 is the only device that comes close at 3.5" (8.89cm). The Roam V2, meanwhile, has a 2.7" (6.85cm) screen, and the Karoo Hammerhead V3 has a screen size of 3.2" (8.12cm). 

To make space for the colossal screen, the LED bars that have previously been found on Wahoo bike computers are gone, and the bezels at the side have got slightly smaller. Compare it to a phone, however, and it's safe to say that the screen-to-body ratio is still not going to be winning any prizes!

With an aspect ratio of 3:2, the Ace's screen is wider than most, and this does help when viewing maps (more on that further down the page). As for pixel density, you're looking at a 480 x 720 pixel count. This is slightly less than both the Edge 1050 and Karoo 3 which both have a pixel count of 480 x 800 pixels spread over a smaller area, but it's a noticeable improvement over the Roam V2.

Touchscreen and buttons

For the first time, Wahoo has paired a touch screen with its traditional six-button set-up. Wahoo says that buttons are easier to use in the heat of the moment whatever is going on with the weather, and I've have to agree.

The touchscreen does come in handy when viewing maps, which you can now pinch, zoom and twist just like on a smartphone. During my testing the touch screen has been behaving itself in wet weather, but isn't as responsive as the one you'll find on the modern smartphones that this device is presumably trying to imitate.

Battery life

The downside of a large screen is that they’re pretty power-hungry, and according to Wahoo even with the TFT (Transflective thin-film transistor) display, this is still the case. The TFT display is said to reflect light back in to the device so you need less backlight for the same visibility.

There's only so far screen trickery can get you, but luckily Wahoo has fitted the Ace with a mahoosive battery. The exact capacity unfortunately hasn't been published, but Wahoo did say in the press briefing that it’s almost twice the size of the Roam's battery.

The result is a claimed battery life of over 30 hours. I haven’t had the computer (or been out on a long enough ride) to validate those claims yet, but it does seem to have enough endurance for most of us. After a two-hour ride with the backlight on full I ran down the device to 84%, and a five-hour ride (plus a fair bit longer in the cafe) failed to tip the Ace down below 50%.

The wind sensor

As rumoured, the Ace has wind sensor tech built into it, which Wahoo are clearly pretty proud of judging by the 'CATEGORY FIRST' flex written in capitals on the press release.

The idea behind Wahoo Wind Dynamics (WWD) is "to measure the effects of air resistance both in real-time and in post-ride analysis." Why? Well, Wahoo says this metric will "help you to quantify how wind and drafting are impacting your ride and measure one of cycling’s most critical forces". 

As you ride along, you can see both your ground speed and your air speed. If you're travelling faster than the air around you then Wahoo calls this "AirBoost" (when groundspeed is aided by tailwinds or drafting). If the opposite is true then it's "AirDrag" (when groundspeed is hindered by headwinds). 

On a ride, this is shown as different colours, ranging from dark green for maximum Airboost through to red for maximum Airdrag. Wahoo says this has "the ability to guide drafting positioning and quantify the sensation of wind felt by riders." 

My big question is... why? Can't you just feel the wind on your face? Wahoo likened the device to a power meter, in that you can also feel how much effort you're putting in, but having the data both real-time and post-ride will allow for actionable insights. Do let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below...

Post-ride, the rider can then see the percentage of time spent in AirBoost, AirDrag, and neutral air on the app.

Wahoo also said: "We envision continually expanding the range of post-ride analytics over time to keep providing riders deeper insight. 

"We plan for this groundbreaking feature to be a major focus for development in the coming years, unlocking new levels of performance and data-driven insights. The hardware capabilities included in the device will support a range of increased functionality in the years to come."

Navigation

Wahoo says: "When it comes to navigation, modern cycling computers often fall short of consumer expectations set by platforms like Google and Apple Maps."

This is a statement I agree with.

Having the large colour screen has certainly aided map visibility when riding, and the touchscreen makes the maps easier to navigate than on previous Wahoo devices. A further development is the introduction of voice turn-by-turn directions, just like how a car sat nav or the aforementioned Google Maps and Apple Maps work. 

We've had the chance to load up a few routes, and have been impressed with how quickly and easily they can be created, as well as the clear instructions to follow.

How easy is the Elemnt Ace to use?

We've praised previous Wahoo devices for how easy they are to use, however the Ace comes with a completely new user interface. Despite the additional functionality, the Wahoo is still easy to set up and use, the data screens and activity profiles (they're new) can be configured in the app, and I did find it more intuitive to navigate than with the latest Garmin devices.

The wind sensor might be new tech, but it too is easy to understand and requires no set-up. 

So, is it any good? Ride impressions so far

So, has Wahoo hit the spot with its latest flagship device? I'm still torn...

In many ways the Elemnt Ace is the natural progression of cycling computers. It's got loads of functionality, it's got a bigger screen, it's got new tech and even a built-in bell. At £549.99 it's also not quite as expensive as I guessed it would be when the details leaked in October. I predicted that with the wind sensor, it would be at least as as expensive as the £650 Garmin Edge 1050. It's also easy to use, and the navigation is a clear step closer towards smartphones.

A raging success, then? Not quite, as I still don't fully understand who this latest computer is for.

If you're a data nerd like me, then the wind sensor is certainly intriguing. The potential for CdA readings in the future (please Wahoo!) would be a genuine game-changer. I'd also like to think that I know when to get aero, and during testing found it hard to determine whether it was my position or a change in wind conditions that was influencing the Wind Dynamics colour. I just don't buy that this can provide the same actionable insights as a power meter, which seems to be Wahoo's main reason for doing it.

I'd also question whether the riders who would benefit most from this tech are spending over 500 quid on a bike computer. I doubt it...

Forgetting the wind sensor for a moment, maybe the Elemnt Ace is for ultra-endurance athletes? The battery life is certainly impressive. The big screen for navigation would also be very welcome in these circles, although having done a little bit of consumer research, it seems like the Coros Dura has already catered to this niche with its claimed 120-hour battery life.

So, maybe not ultra endurance cyclists then. Maybe like Wahoo says, it's for people who want a bike computer which is more like a phone, and if you're after that then Wahoo has made the most phone-like computer on the market; but if you want that, then surely you would just put a phone on your bars?

> Is a smartphone better than a cycling computer? 

At the start of this article, I asked if we'd know when cycling computers had progressed too far... and well, I think we're there. In my opinion, Wahoo has somehow managed to create a product that ticks so many boxes and blows so many other computers out the water on paper, but also leaves me wanting to stick with my Elemnt Roam V2.

Let me know whether you agree with my verdict in the comments below, I'm genuinely intrigued! My full review of the Elemnt Ace will be coming in the new year.