Since launching their first bike computer in 2016, Wahoo have built a reputation for sleek, streamlined devices focused on essentials, paired with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. But with the new ELEMNT ACE flagship model, the American manufacturer is breaking new ground – in specific areas, quite radically. The ACE enters the ring as a serious contender in the race for the best high-end GPS computer, bringing fresh features, a massive touchscreen and – if Wahoo are to be believed – the same fuss-free user experience. On top of the new hardware, there’s a revamped operating system and an updated companion app. So, can Wahoo build on their previous success?
What the…!? That’s the kind of reaction roadies tend to have when they first get their hands on the ELEMNT ACE. At 209 grams, it’s by far the heaviest unit in our test – and also the biggest. It weighs a whopping 79% more than the Karoo and 31% more than the Edge 1050, which puts it in the same weight class as a modern high-end smartphone. Weight weenies may want to look away straight away, but if you’re into gadgets, it’s about to get interesting: inside Wahoo’s new high-end model you’ll find a powerful 4,350 mAh battery along with some unique tech.
The first thing that grabs your attention is the 3.8-inch display, not just for its sheer size but also in terms of design. Instead of going for vibrant colours and smartphone-style brightness, Wahoo opted for a transflective TFT screen. It reflects sunlight to illuminate itself naturally, promising excellent visibility in bright conditions. It’s also designed to offer crisp resolution and reliable touch response. Look closer, and you’ll discover something entirely new to the cycling world: a built-in wind sensor that measures wind speed and gathers data no other head unit can provide. Price-wise, the ACE sits right between the € 749 Garmin Edge 1050 and the € 499 Hammerhead Karoo, retailing at € 599.
Despite all this technical wizardry, the ELEMNT ACE maintains the signature Wahoo ease of use: minimalistic, intuitive and clean. Time to find out if it lives up to the hype.
Wahoo ELEMNT ACE on test
“Will this thing even fit on my bars?” The ELEMNT ACE is seriously chunky, weighing more than most flagship smartphones. No surprise, then, that Wahoo include a sturdy metal mount for standard 31.8 mm round bars. If you’re using a sleek one-piece carbon cockpit, you’ll need to ensure your mount is long enough and sturdy enough to support the weight. As for the classic rubber band-style plastic mounts? They’re best avoided. On rough gravel, the ACE quickly becomes a swinging pendulum, rhythmically tapping against your handlebars.
The next thing that stands out is the screen – not just because it’s big, but also because it looks so different. The 3.8-inch panel offers a resolution of 480 x 720 pixels, which is slightly lower than what you get from Garmin or Hammerhead. But in practice, you don’t really notice the difference. Text and icons still appear crisp. Thanks to its transflective design, the screen has a matte, almost e-paper-like quality, with subdued colours and very little glare. In direct sunlight, the ACE is unbeatable – the brighter it gets, the clearer the display. No other competitor can match that. However, the flip side is that the ACE struggles in challenging lighting conditions: low sun, sharp contrasts, or quick transitions between light and shade in the woods can make the screen appear dark and low in contrast, even with the backlight switched on. And that backlight is noticeably weaker than that of the Garmin and Hammerhead, which makes it more suitable for night rides than daytime visibility. Viewing angles are limited, too.If you look at it from too far off to the side, the image visibly fades. If your rides are mostly in open daylight, this is a great option. But in changeable lighting, Garmin and Hammerhead’s much brighter displays are easier to read.
When it comes to battery life, the Wahoo ELEMNT ACE comes out on top. We tested all three units under the exact same conditions: navigation on, screen permanently lit, auto brightness active, two sensors connected, smartphone paired, warm summer temperatures and no power-saving features enabled. The Wahoo managed around 25 hours, a whopping ten more than the Karoo and five more than the Garmin. That’s largely thanks to the much bigger battery and the dimmer backlight. However, it’s worth noting that the ACE doesn’t offer any dedicated power-saving modes beyond turning down the screen brightness – at least not in the current software version.
At launch, just in time for the 2024 Christmas season, Wahoo’s new operating system was far from fully functional. Bugs, performance issues and missing features caused plenty of frustration early on. Since then, Wahoo rolled out a number of updates, but some basic functions are still missing – even ones the previous generation already offered.For example, you can’t choose a preferred surface for re-routing; in our test, we were guided onto tarmac. Renaming sensors or adjusting data fields directly on the device? No chance. When it comes to configurability, both the Karoo and Edge 1050 clearly offer more.
It’s also obvious where Wahoo placed their priorities during development. The Komoot and Strava integration is excellent. Routes and segments sync quickly and display cleanly. A dedicated screen appears automatically when you’re riding a Strava segment, showing all relevant data. The ride-ready screen, which appears as soon as you switch the device on, is another clever feature. It shows all connected sensors, battery levels and the most important settings you’ll want to check before rolling out.
During the ride, the ACE benefits from Wahoo’s well-established button control. Switching pages, zooming in or changing routes works flawlessly, even in the rain and with thick gloves. The button layout is logical, zoom levels are sensibly spaced and response time is spot on. But when it comes to making changes to your setup mid-ride – say, tweaking a data field or creating a new screen – you’ll quickly hit a wall. These tasks can only be done via the Wahoo app. So if you want to adjust anything on the fly, you’ll have to stop, dig out your phone, wait for it to connect, and then work through the menu. Compared to Garmin and Hammerhead, where almost everything is adjustable directly on the unit, this feels unnecessarily fiddly.
One real strength, though, is the interface design. Wahoo went for a minimalist, modern UI with clean icons, a consistent visual language and intuitive structure. It’s easy to understand and technically neat. If Wahoo can iron out the remaining feature gaps, this new OS could be one of the most straightforward and pleasant systems on the market. That said, Garmin and Hammerhead still have the upper hand when it comes to deep customisation, especially with the ability to sideload apps.
Navigation is solid and reliable. Thanks to multi-band and multi-channel systems, GPS accuracy is on par with the other devices we tested – whether you’re deep in the woods, navigating the urban jungle or riding remote gravel trails. We didn’t notice any differences in positioning. Routes are clearly displayed on the map, and upcoming climbs are colour-coded by gradient. When it comes to the ecosystem, Wahoo offer a lean but functional setup. The app gives you access to your ride history, device settings and Wahoo X, their training platform – though that requires a paid subscription. The overall integration works well, even if it doesn’t feel quite as seamless as Garmin’s system.
The big innovation – the integrated wind sensor – measures wind speed and compares it with your actual riding speed. This allows the ELEMNT ACE to detect whether you’re sitting in someone’s slipstream or pushing into a headwind, and logs that data for post-ride analysis. It’s a nice extra for data lovers, though we didn’t really miss it when using other devices. There’s also a built-in speaker for audio cues or even use as a bike bell—a surprisingly handy feature that worked great during our test.
Conclusions
With the ELEMNT ACE, Wahoo are bringing a breath of fresh air into the high-end bike computer segment – quite literally with that wind sensor. Hardware-wise, the ACE impresses with the best battery life in this group, excellent button control and a screen that’s unbeatable in full sun. The new operating system still lacks a few features after its slightly premature launch, but it’s already very intuitive and visually clean. If you’re after a bike computer with a big display that’s easy to use and don’t mind a bit of extra weight up front, the ELEMNT ACE is a truly unique option.
You can get an overview of this comparison review here: Three High-End GPS Bike Computers on Test – Garmin Edge 1050, Wahoo ELEMNT ACE and Hammerhead Karoo go head-to-head
All GPS bike computers in review:
Hammerhead Karoo | Garmin Edge 1050 | Wahoo ELEMNT ACE
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Words: Jan Richter Photos: Jan Richter