RideLoop
Garmin or Wahoo for following routes?
Garmin's Edge and Wahoo's ELEMNT computers both follow a route well, and both put you back on course when you miss a turn. The real difference is where your routes come from.
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Short version: if you plan in Garmin Connect, or in an app that sends to it like RideLoop, get a Garmin Edge: courses arrive on their own, and Wahoo computers don't take them. If you plan in Strava, Ride with GPS or Komoot, either works, and Wahoo syncs routes from all three by itself. Wahoo's ELEMNT BOLT 3 ($349.99) costs $150 less than Garmin's Edge 550 and claims more battery; Garmin's Edge 850 ($599.99) can plan a course on the bike.
Side by side
| Garmin Edge 550 | Garmin Edge 850 | Wahoo BOLT 3 | Wahoo ROAM 3 | Wahoo ACE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.99 | $599.99 | $349.99 | $464.99 | $499.99 |
| Screen | 2.7", buttons | 2.7", touch + buttons | 2.3", buttons | 2.8", touch | 3.8", touch |
| Battery (maker's claim) | 12 h, 36 h saver | 12 h, 36 h saver | 20 to 25 h | 25 h | 30 h |
| Weight | 110 g | 113 g | 85 g | 108 g | 208 g |
| Courses from Garmin Connect | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Routes from Strava, Ride with GPS, Komoot | Import into Garmin Connect | Import into Garmin Connect | Sync by themselves | Sync by themselves | Sync by themselves |
| Reroutes when you go off course | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plan a new course on the bike | No | Yes | No; send a destination from Google or Apple Maps | ||
| Speaker | No | Yes | No, a beeper | Yes | Yes |
| Shops | |||||
Prices from Garmin's and Wahoo's own sites. Wahoo quotes the BOLT 3 at 20 hours on one page and 25 on another. All five have full maps, climb pages (ClimbPro on Garmin, SUMMIT on Wahoo) and multi-band GPS.
Where your routes come from
This is the question that decides it.
- Garmin: Garmin Connect is the hub. Plan a course there, or in an app that sends to Garmin Connect, and it syncs to the Edge. A GPX from anywhere else imports into Garmin Connect first (how).
- Wahoo: the Wahoo app is the hub. Connect Strava, Ride with GPS or Komoot once and their routes appear on the ELEMNT by themselves, or open a GPX file in the app. Garmin Connect courses don't reach it.
So if your club shares rides on Ride with GPS and you plan in Komoot, Wahoo is the less fiddly choice. If your routes live in Garmin Connect, or come from something that sends there, stay with Garmin.
On the bike
Following a course feels much the same on both: a line on the map, a prompt before each turn, and a climb page that shows what's left of the hill. Miss a turn and both take you back. The Edge 850 and 550 start leading you back to the course on their own after about 10 seconds; Wahoo calls it Back on Track, and adds Route to Start and Retrace Route for heading home early.
The gap is planning mid-ride. The Edge 850 (and the 1050, 1040 Solar, 840 and Explore 2) can plan a new course on the bike, such as a route to an address you search for. On a Wahoo, you send a destination from Google or Apple Maps on your phone, or pick a saved location.
Battery, screen and price
- Battery: Wahoo claims more for less. The BOLT 3 claims 20 to 25 hours for $349.99, the Edge 550 12 hours of demanding use for $499.99 (36 in battery saver). Take the ACE's 30 hours with salt: in DC Rainmaker's early testing it lasted about half that.
- Screen: the BOLT 3 is the smallest here, 2.3 inches and buttons only. The ACE's 3.8-inch touchscreen is the biggest, at 208 g. Garmin's 550 and 850 sit between, with sharp 2.7-inch screens.
- Price: Wahoo is cheaper at the bottom and the top. Garmin's older Edge 540 matches the BOLT 3 at $349.99, and the Edge Explore 2 is $299.99.
And the Hammerhead Karoo?
SRAM's Karoo ($525) is the third choice: a 3.2-inch touchscreen with buttons, routes from Strava, Komoot, Ride with GPS, TrainingPeaks and GPX files, and automatic rerouting. Cycling Weekly rates it the best computer overall, though DC Rainmaker measured 11 to 13 hours of battery. Like Wahoo, it doesn't take Garmin Connect courses.
Using RideLoop with either
On a Garmin, there's nothing to do: every loop you build lands in your Garmin Connect account, and on Silver and Gold it goes straight to your Edge. RideLoop sends to Garmin only, so on a Wahoo, download the loop's GPX file, which every plan can, and open it in the Wahoo app.
Questions
Is Garmin or Wahoo better for navigation?
Both follow a route well and reroute you when you go off course. Garmin is the better choice if your routes come from Garmin Connect or an app that sends to it, and its Edge 850 and up can plan a course on the bike. Wahoo is simpler, syncs routes from Strava, Ride with GPS and Komoot by itself, and claims more battery for the money.
Can a Wahoo ELEMNT use Garmin Connect courses?
No. Wahoo computers take routes from the Wahoo app and from Strava, Ride with GPS and Komoot, not from Garmin Connect. Export the route as a GPX file and open it in the Wahoo app instead.
Which is cheaper, Garmin or Wahoo?
Wahoo, for the newest models: the ELEMNT BOLT 3 is $349.99, $150 less than the Edge 550, and the ELEMNT ACE was $499.99 on Wahoo's site in October 2026, against $699.99 for the Edge 1050. Garmin's previous Edge 540 matches the BOLT 3 at $349.99.
Does RideLoop work with Wahoo?
RideLoop sends loops to Garmin only. On a Wahoo, download the loop's GPX file, which every plan can, and open it in the Wahoo app.
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