The Elemnt Ace debuts as Wahoo’s most potent cycling computer
Cycling smart device and training tech specialist Wahoo has revealed a new head unit that promises a lot.
More News
Wahoo expands cycle computer range with its most affordable offering yet
Wahoo Elemnt Roam v2 gets 64-colour screen, bigger memory and dual-band GPS
The Slymefoot Slide route traces two rivers and speaks about the vulnerability of our waterways
Users can discover trail, sync ride plans and more
The Elemnt Ace was developed to bring true smartphone-worthy screen UX and navigation ability to your mountain or gravel bike’s cockpit.
- Best cycling computers 2024 - top options for mountain bikers
- Wahoo Elemnt Roam v2 Bike Computer review
- Is Jespr's cycling computer set to disrupt the market leaders?
Wahoo’s Elemnt Ace has a form factor of 4.9in x 2.75in x .78in and weighs 208g. The most prominent claim is that it has the largest screen of any cycling computer, with a 3.8 screen in a 3:2 aspect ratio. The live track resolution is 480 x 720.
To ensure excellent graphics contrast in direct sunlight when navigating through an unfamiliar route environment, the Elemnt Ace has a high DPI count, with all the anti-glare and anti-reflective properties. The Elemnt Ace screen also has a transflective thin-film transistor (TFT) screen, which ensures excellent screen edge detail.
2024 wahoo elemnt ace situe.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Weatherproofing is crucial for mountain bikers and gravel riders, especially for those committed to winter training rides. The Elemnt Ace has an IPX7 waterproof rating, and Wahoo says the battery endurance should exceed 30 hours. Regarding technical specifications, the Elemnt Ace has 64GB of internal storage and 2GB RAM.
Wind and voice
Are there new technologies and features with the Elemnt Ace, beyond its large and highly legible screen? Wahoo Wind Dynamics (WWD) is a new development capable of measuring and calculating the influence of air resistance on your ride. It’s a valid and valuable tool because very few multi-hour rides are in entirely windless conditions.
Cycling head units are valued or eschewed for their navigational accuracy and intuition, and the Elemnt Ace aims to please.
2024 wahoo elemnt ace front.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Wahoo’s product specialists wanted the Elemnt Ace to have a navigational UX much closer to a smartphone user experience with Google or Apple Maps. The solution? Turn-by-turn voice guidance. This feature should dramatically improve safety by not requiring riders to look down intermittently at their screens for visual guidance.
Wahoo’s UX team has also invested in smoothing set-up, configuration and convergence with the Elemnt Ace. The cloud-based Wahoo App allows all user data to be stored in a single, secure source, with easy synching – eliminating much of the legacy frustration with loading and transferring data or routes.
Advanced touchscreen tech
Awkwardly shaped buttons and maddeningly unresponsive touchscreen icons can be the bane of a cycling computer experience. These are issues Wahoo’s product team wanted to avoid.
2024 wahoo elemnt ace phone.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Wahoo’s finally augmented physical controls with touchscreen functions on its newest cycling computer. UX designers have ensured the haptic aspect of selecting menus and functions on the Elemnt Ace’s touchscreen is seamless and works even with traditional riding gloves that don’t have touchscreen-specific material fingertips.
The menu and function navigation are also logically ordered, avoiding needless steps and rider annoyance, thanks to the Elemnt Ace’s quick swipe dashboards. Targeted training screens are another clever feature of the Elemnt Ace, which becomes the first Wahoo device to support Workout Profiles specific to your riding speciality – like gravel or mountain biking.
The Wahoo Elemnt Ace is priced at £550 and includes an aluminium mount and tether.
You might also like:
Author block
