Wahoo ELEMNT Roamchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

A recurring and serious complaint is the unit hanging or crashing on rides beyond roughly 100-250km, sometimes confirmed by Wahoo support as a file-size limitation. This has caused lost ride data and required workarounds like splitting files or carrying backup devices.

@mikeyaz8817

The Roam V2 is awesome.....WHEN it actually works. Ive had countless issues with it taking 15-20 minutes to acquire a GPS signal. Also issues with it saying im going anywhere from 5 to 38 MPH when i start my ride and Im literally not moving at all. It also auto pauses and starts on its own no reason. Wahoo customer service has been no help. This is surprising for a $400 bike computer and how well my Wahoo Elmnt Bolt worked.launch

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May 1, 2025

@ashwiniette793

Here is my review of Wahoo. \n1) Make your long BRM into multiple files of less than 200KM ride it will start hanging and dropping the sensor after this distance\n2) If you have a route more than 180-190KM split the route otherwise it doesn't show ques\n3) summit segments will close sometime in between you will have to rely upon 2KM elevation profile\n\nI am not sure how Garmin or Hammerhead devices only used wahoo. I tell myself you get what you paid for. The price of Garmin was out of my budget.launch

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September 25, 2024

@kidShibuya

Nothing like my experience with the roam. To this day I have never seen anyone testing in a city, I don't believe the roam can handle it. I ride in Tokyo and the roam constantly crashes, especially if I go off route, it locks up then says \"installing\", then it wont do anything. It's basically useless, I suspect it runs out of memory when the roads are like spaghetti and there are too many options. Worst purchase I have ever made, its left me stranded not knowing where I am several times. I am waiting on a Garmin to come. Also, how come nobody mentions that the auto pause completely blocks your view of the navigation? The only time wahoo let you view the route is while riding, when you should be watching the road. If you stop to see where you are going the all important AUTO PAUSE message comes up... FFS. They put zero thought into the whole product.launch

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July 23, 2021

@atmamont

2 cents from my 6 months experience:\n- whenever I miss the right turn and the route is adjusted (blue lines) it always has this blue line cut somewhere in the middle so basically you don't know what is the right direction to go after you reach the end of the line. \n- GPS sometimes gets 20 minutes to start\n- it can be easily crashed by zooming the map quickly in and out few times\n- few times in the middle of the route the main nav line just disappeared and then I had to read small text poining the direction\n- next interval countdown sound always stops working if you have let's say a lot of intervals\n\nto be honest, I think it is one of the worst buys in my life\nI still don't get why such a shitty device can cost 400 eurlaunch

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May 13, 2021

Multiple buyers found the screen too dim outdoors even on max auto-brightness, and some newer units exhibited a dark-mode bug making the screen hard to read, contradicting brighter marketing images.

@peterstrachan1794

The Roam 3 is shockingly bad. **Do NOT buy it** It does not sync with 3rd party apps like Komoot. It just doesn't work. Factory reset, does not work. Old saved routes are still there. I tried deleting saved routes from my Komoot account and then syncing but this did not work either. Nor can you use the Wahoo App to manually delete saved routes. So, all in all, the Roam 3 is rubbish. Oh, and that's before we get to the dark screen which makes the Roam 3 100% unusable. What's even worse is that Wahoo's marketing materials make the screen look much brighter than it actually is. This is completely disingenuous. The Roam 3 is essentially an expensive paper weight.launch

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February 24, 2026

@fredlancereau9222

Interesting revue. I've seen on an other comparative revue the same inconvenient about the screen. I've the bolt V2 and I'm very very satisfied and I wanted to change for a roam v3 essentially for the larger screen .... but if the screen is too dark without sun I'll don't buy because the updates will not be able to solve this problem . I'm not a fan of touchscreen while riding, I prefer the wahoo buttons which are in excellent positions and after start you need only 2 touchs for operations on the devicelaunch

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December 11, 2025

@peterstrachan1794

I just bought a Roam 3, a few thoughts. I like the matt look but I really, really wish the screen was brighter. Even on Auto Max, it's still quite dark. And using this setting eats up battery juice. It's often overcast here in Scotland and the lack of a bright screen is profoundly disappointing. None of the pictures of the screen online accurately portray the lack of brightness. Also, the chevrons obscure the route. The relatively thick black outline around the coloured chevrons is messy. Could they be smaller and brighter in a future update? The biggest plus is the buttons on the front as they are easy to access while riding wearing gloves.launch

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September 15, 2025

@brucehenne7220

I am surprized you didn't notice that the screen is awesome in sunlight and it \"switches\" instantly in dark conditions to the hard to see screen even in dark rooms. Clearly a software error. Give Wahoo a call before you keep this youtube review stating that the dark mode feature can not be fixed via a software update. The rest of your review is first rate! Thanks for the details as I just got my new V3 Element and noticed the stupid dark screen problem right away so I'll be calling wahoo to get it fixed fast. Cheers.launch

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June 1, 2025

Some users noted the map lacks street names for manual navigation, missing safety tether in the box, fragile speed sensor design, and lack of connectivity with bike lights or tire pressure sensors.

@jvogel431

I had both the Bolt and the Roam. The one major flaw with Wahoo is in their map displays. They do not include street names on the map. So, when you are navigating without an active route for turn-by-turn directions, you can’t look at the map to find a familiar street name. It annoyed me so much that I switched back to a garmin 830. It is awesome and I love the touch screen.launch

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October 4, 2022

@BikePappyToo

I've been using the original ROAM for a couple of years and it has performed well. No issues at all. One thing that bothers me though, is that they don't include the safety tether in the box. For the amount of money that these units are costing, you'd think that they could throw in a little piece of string and a tiny screw.launch

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October 4, 2022

@meaphotographica

Dear Wahoo team, you guys need to update your speed sensors design too. The rubber band and plastic case that comes with it, are very fragile. They break easily and do not last for long.launch

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October 4, 2022

@EditioCastigata

Brilliant review, as always! The aero-mount needs holes: Ice forms on it in Winter. The stem mount is actually used a lot on setups for triathlon (and ridiculously expensive as separate purchase!). Wifi, it does channels 1–11 but fails on 12–13 which are used in Europe a lot. And, Wahoo has removed access to several folders over time, it's no longer possible to edit (e.g. add hints) to routes synced from Komoot and similar. Further, it does neither talk to bike lights nor tyre pressure sensors.launch

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October 4, 2020

With only about 2GB usable for maps and workouts, users living near multiple countries or planning multi-country tours found it impossible to keep all needed maps loaded, calling it a step back from older Wahoo devices.

@franknobody5965

I was given an old Elemnt a while back and loved it, but the battery got too weak. So I upgraded to the original Roam.\nI really like it, but have two major issues with it. The first is the storage space, which now seems to be fixed.\n\nThe second is the ability to load a planned track on the go.\nI plan my rides with Komoot, and uploading them to the Roam in my home WiFi is fast.\nBUT ... loading a pre-planned track out on tour is HORRIBLE.\nLoading the track into the Elemnt App only takes seconds. BUT then transferring it to the Roam takes more than 6 minutes! That is just inacceptable for a device in this price segment!!\n\nSide note: when I plan a route in Komoot I give it a name and select Gravelbike. When selecting the track in the Elemnt App this is still all good...BUT, when I upload the finished and saved track from the Elemnt App back to Komoot, it is called \"bike ride\", and the type is Road Bike! What!?!?!\n\nI have now gone back to Navigation with Komoot and my Smartphone. It is less sexy but faster, accurate enough and much less of a hassle!\n\nOh, and before the keyboard warriors kick in,- yes, a Ziploc will do wonders in the rain ;-) Cheers, Franklaunch

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October 5, 2022

@visitedexperience1991

Bottleneck for maps and workouts only 2GB Space for Maps and Workouts on the device!\nI've contact wahoo support for space specifiaction of the roam. I've got back that the roam has 4GB but only 2GB are available for maps and workouts. The \"but only\" come from the wahoo support. Now we come to the problem,on the bolt a germany map has aproximatly 350MB on the roam 1,1GB!\n\nI live at the boarder of germany france and switzerland and make sometimes bike holydays in spain.\n\nWith the bolt this was no problem with the roam it is! it is not possible to have the maps on the device!\n\nIn the year 2019 its a madness to deliver a device with 2GB space for Maps. Competitors in this pricerange deliver 16GB space.\n\n\n\nIn my opinion the roam isn't a new device its only the old elemnt with new sceen and button. I belive if wahoo want, the could make a Firmware upgrade to the deliver the new rudimentary routing feature also to the old bolt and old elment!\n\n\n\nWith this less space and the high consumptions of map space the new roam is much more inflexible than the old bolt and elment!launch

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May 20, 2019

@rasmuswi

I received my ROAM yesterday, and oh what an absolutely AWFUL experience it has been. It started crashing more or less when first powered up, and has been crashing ever since. At least I have now found the cause.\n\nIt turns out that newer Wahoo firmwares have a serious route syncing problem, which I haven't really noticed (they have been pretty unstable in recent months though, and this explains why) since all my Strava, RideWithGps, and Komoot routes are already synced to my ELEMNT and my Bolt. It seems that it can download about 10 routes before locking up and rebooting. Either that, or it has a problem with long routes, some of my routes stretch across continents since I plan to do some really long excursion this summer. Or maybe it's a RideWithGps problem, I have 90 % of my routes on RideWithGps.\n\nAnyway, I decided to factory reset my Bolt, and now it too fails to download more than about 10-15 routes.\n\nI contacted Wahoo support, who replied that they were terribly sorry that I had problems uploading workouts, and provided advice on how to solve that problem. That response alone very nearly made me request an immediate refund.\n\nOh, did I mention that the ROAM only has 2 GB of storage? With the new maps, that means that I will have to choose between having France or Germany on it. And since the bike tour I'm planning will take me through both countries it means I will have to uninstall the German maps and install the French ones when I cross the border, or bring two had units.launch

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May 10, 2019

Some users reported elevation gain readings significantly lower than Strava or Garmin devices on the same ride, and Wahoo support's tolerance thresholds for addressing the issue were seen as unreasonable, plus distance tracking errors were also noted.

@patmaloney1908

The wahoo roam is useless because the elevation is reading below strava and garmin, I contacted wahoo about this and gave them the details of my ride which was 200km with 970m climbing on the wahoo, 1230 on strava, 1240m gain on garmin, they told me the reading would have to be out 121m in 10 km, which means that my 200km cycle would have to read about 10m gained in 200km before they would address the problem, the wahoo roam is useless in Ireland because it is all hills and hollows #wahooroam #wahooroamuseless# #wahooroamelevationwrong#launch

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August 10, 2021

@patmaloney1908

Hi, I bought a wahoo elemnt roam , it is the worst thing I could of done, the elevation sensor is reading below what it should, so when I did a 200km cycle, it told me I had 920 meters, but really I had done 1230m on strava, 1246 on a garmin 520, and wahoo told me my reading on the ride would have to be out, 121m every 10km, before they would address the problem, which means my meters gained would have to read less than 10 meters climbing, on my 200km my cycle was in the slieve blooms mountain in Ireland, so wahoo roam is useless to anyone in Ireland that likes climbinglaunch

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August 10, 2021

@Chris66able

Had mine for about a month. Its ok but ! ! ! Its not very accurate on distance, and very inaccurate on overall distance. I rode on a planned route ( 63 miles), stopped had a cup of tea & cake, went on my route, realised 8 or 9 miles later I had left something at the Cafe and had to double back to retrieve. I then continued on the planned route. So obviously this adds 16-18 miles on to the route, yet the Roam still show only the planned mileage of 63 miles !launch

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August 14, 2020

Several long-term owners reported battery failure after a year or two of use, with Wahoo declining to cover replacement outside a narrow warranty window, damaging trust in future purchases.

@songjoseph3314

switched from roam v3 to 850 eariler this year since the my roam v3 got battery issue and wahoo doesnt cover that. so i changed to garmin.\n\ngarmin interface are quiet complicated and not as straight forward as wahoo to read. \ngarmin does have alot of function, like weather forecast, weather infomation, but most likely you wont try to read it when you riding your bike. you most likely checking these infos from your phone.\n\ngarmin has bad design for axs buttons, you can use your axs buttons to control the wahoo for any operation, they been set up as the direct button for your wahoo computer. but for garmin, you can only set up each axs button for specific function. which is very limited and most likely useless. \nfor this reason, im lucky that i got 850 cuz i can control by touch screen when im riding my bike. if im having a 840 which doesnt come with touch screen, that gonna be a lot of button press.\n\nbatterylife wise, 3 hrs ride on garmin 850 will cut down from 100% to 70%. wahoo roam v3 last longer, but mine had battery issue and wahoo refuse to replace it after 1 year warranty.launch

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May 15, 2026

@CasablancaDriver

Was a big Roam 2 fanboy. It died and I tried the Coros Dura and while not perfect, I’m afraid there is no turning back. Coros made an amazing little device.launch

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September 11, 2025

@psjones66

I purchased my Roam in Jan 2020 for $380 from REI, and sadly this past summer the battery has failed and the unit will immediately shut off after start up. I have no complaints with functionality, navigation, and using the app to configure. The unit is sealed/glued and not intended to perform a battery swap although I may still attempt it. I'm not pleased with the overall life of the Roam considering the upfront price and with 2.5 years of minimal use. I have no confidence to purchase another Wahoo product and my next unit will be a Garmin.launch

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September 20, 2022

Multiple users criticized the Roam's screen-to-body ratio, noting the usable screen area is only slightly larger than the Bolt despite a bigger unit, with disappointment that Wahoo didn't reduce the bezels further.

@christocan4710

No, no, no. Been waiting a long time and now really disappointed. They could have easily improved the device a lot but chose not to. The screen body ratio looks still ridiculous. The big writing (terrible!) just failing at trying to smooth things out. They made this probably to be able to keep the mount. When they would have kept the size and improved the ration the larger screen would have been too expensive (aka they wouldn’t earn enough). The bolt shows that everything is possible. Just make a bigger bolt. 🤦‍♂️ Well, maybe in a few years.launch

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October 4, 2022

@danielakerman8241

The screen on the Roam ISN'T a whole lot bigger than the Bolt screen, because the bevels around the screen are huge. The usable screen area is 320x240 on the Bolt vs 400x240 on the Roam. Same exact width -- just a bit more height.launch

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October 4, 2022

@leeharding8306

I have the bolt and it works well for what it is and the for the price I paid for it. The main reason why people buy them is because Garmin have lots of little problems and it eventually get people giving up on them. The Wahoo build quality is awful and they feel really cheap but they work well. I was looking forward to seeing what Wahoo would do next but this Roam is a disaster. Huge bezels that look dated and Wahoo know it. The photo shop pictures Wahoo are using on the box and in the media that have smaller bezels are a joke and a huge mistake. I'm afraid I will be going back to Garmin when my bolt dies as they are fixing their problems and are improving their software and products.launch

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May 7, 2019

Loading a newly planned route from apps like Komoot while away from home WiFi was reported to take over six minutes, an unacceptable delay for a device in this price range according to multiple users.

@franknobody5965

I have the original Roam, and the biggest problem with it is that if you need to upload a route/track on the go, it just takes forever! \n\nI create my routes in Komoot and synching them to the Roam via the home Wifi is fast.\nBut, if you try to load a track whilst on the road, you need lot of patience!! Mine takes more than 6 MINUTES!\n\nThe new Komoot track actually appears in the App on the phone within seconds, and then the transfer to the device take more than 6 minutes.... unacceptable in my opinion....so I've gone back to the good old phone navigation.launch

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October 6, 2022

@franknobody5965

I was given an old Elemnt a while back and loved it, but the battery got too weak. So I upgraded to the original Roam.\nI really like it, but have two major issues with it. The first is the storage space, which now seems to be fixed.\n\nThe second is the ability to load a planned track on the go.\nI plan my rides with Komoot, and uploading them to the Roam in my home WiFi is fast.\nBUT ... loading a pre-planned track out on tour is HORRIBLE.\nLoading the track into the Elemnt App only takes seconds. BUT then transferring it to the Roam takes more than 6 minutes! That is just inacceptable for a device in this price segment!!\n\nSide note: when I plan a route in Komoot I give it a name and select Gravelbike. When selecting the track in the Elemnt App this is still all good...BUT, when I upload the finished and saved track from the Elemnt App back to Komoot, it is called \"bike ride\", and the type is Road Bike! What!?!?!\n\nI have now gone back to Navigation with Komoot and my Smartphone. It is less sexy but faster, accurate enough and much less of a hassle!\n\nOh, and before the keyboard warriors kick in,- yes, a Ziploc will do wonders in the rain ;-) Cheers, Franklaunch

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October 5, 2022