Author Topic: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?  (Read 15951 times)

whosatthewheel

Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« on: 25 July, 2017, 05:12:26 pm »
Technology wise I am a bit of a luddite... I have a Garmin 200, which works very well with all the limitations of a unit with almost zero memory... GPX traks need to be reduced in size, constantly deleted from the memory etc. It also struggles to charge "on the go" despite me using the appropriate charge only cables.

SO...

Edge Touring 149 pounds, Wahoo Bolt 175 pound... not a lot between them... battery life similar enough... which one would you recommend for a luddite that is not interested in syncing a GPS unit to a smart phone to enjoy the marvels of modern apps?

I'm happy with a USB lead to a computer, without the need for all this automation and reliance on phones at all times

However, the Edge seems to suffer from por reliability... is that the case?

αdαmsκι

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt or Etrex?
« Reply #1 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:20:12 pm »
Don't need a GPX device that syncs to your phone and with decent battery life you say? Then surely the answer is an Etrex 20x for around £150? No worries about memory as you can shove an SD card into the machine, it takes AA batteries and you can easily add maps for free to the device using Open Street Map.
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Kim

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #2 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:21:26 pm »
Don't need a GPX device that syncs to your phone and with decent battery life you say? Then surely the answer is an Etrex 20x for around £150? No worries about memory as you can shove an SD card into the machine, it takes AA batteries and you can easily add maps for free to the device using Open Street Map.

I second the "why not an eTrex?" question.  Other than not sync it to a phone, what do you actually want to be able to *do* with the device?

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #3 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:30:30 pm »
It seems a lot of money for a massive in size AA powered GPS unit... let me see, there are about 3-4 Ah in a pair of Duracell... a charge of a modern GPS Li ion battery is 1 Ah... that means a hell of a lot of AA batteries in one year... could buy rechargeable AA batteries... more money... but then I guess you defy the point of having an Etrex in the first place.

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #4 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:31:53 pm »
Don't need a GPX device that syncs to your phone and with decent battery life you say? Then surely the answer is an Etrex 20x for around £150? No worries about memory as you can shove an SD card into the machine, it takes AA batteries and you can easily add maps for free to the device using Open Street Map.

I second the "why not an eTrex?" question.  Other than not sync it to a phone, what do you actually want to be able to *do* with the device?

In essence what my 200 does, but a bit better... so churn out decent FIT files and ingest GPX, TCX and such, possibly with the upgrade of having turn by turn navigation... maps not essential

Jack_P

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #5 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:38:10 pm »
The Bolt requires a phone AP to do a lot of the set up, but then the menus and use are reported as better than the Garmins maze of settings.
Depends how much of a luddite you are, do you want to rely on a phone AP too?

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #6 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:40:22 pm »
The Bolt requires a phone AP to do a lot of the set up, but then the menus and use are reported as better than the Garmins maze of settings.
Depends how much of a luddite you are, do you want to rely on a phone AP too?

I don't have a smart phone and I would rather keep doing without one... especially for what long distance cycling is concerned... these things are totally unreliable

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt or Etrex?
« Reply #7 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:42:18 pm »
Don't need a GPX device that syncs to your phone and with decent battery life you say? Then surely the answer is an Etrex 20x for around £150? No worries about memory as you can shove an SD card into the machine, it takes AA batteries and you can easily add maps for free to the device using Open Street Map.

Why not the much cheaper Etrex 10?

Kim

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #8 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:43:57 pm »
It seems a lot of money for a massive in size AA powered GPS unit... let me see, there are about 3-4 Ah in a pair of Duracell... a charge of a modern GPS Li ion battery is 1 Ah... that means a hell of a lot of AA batteries in one year... could buy rechargeable AA batteries... more money... but then I guess you defy the point of having an Etrex in the first place.

Normal operating procedure with an eTrex is to have a couple of pairs of NiMH AAs, which should be good for a couple of days of continuous operation.  If you get caught out, or are on a long tour away from mains power, you can borrow them from your lights or buy batteries from any petrol station or newsagent.  I literally can't remember the last time I used disposable batteries in my eTrex.

The main point is that you can carry spare batteries and swap them as needed, rather than arse about trying to charge a USB device on the road, compromising the waterproofing.

Power issues aside, the eTrex is a general purpose handheld navigation device, which means it isn't based on so many assumptions about what a cyclist wants a GPS receiver to do.  Whether this is good or bad depends on how you use it, but it seems to me that the eTrex's approach to logging is a better fit for audax than that of the Edge series (you can't forget to 'start' it, for example).

As for massive, handheld GPS receivers used to be the size of a brick phone.  Modern ones are *all* tiny.

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #9 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:47:45 pm »
It seems a lot of money for a massive in size AA powered GPS unit... let me see, there are about 3-4 Ah in a pair of Duracell... a charge of a modern GPS Li ion battery is 1 Ah... that means a hell of a lot of AA batteries in one year... could buy rechargeable AA batteries... more money... but then I guess you defy the point of having an Etrex in the first place.

Normal operating procedure with an eTrex is to have a couple of pairs of NiMH AAs, which should be good for a couple of days of continuous operation.  If you get caught out, or are on a long tour away from mains power, you can borrow them from your lights or buy batteries from any petrol station or newsagent.  I literally can't remember the last time I used disposable batteries in my eTrex.

The main point is that you can carry spare batteries and swap them as needed, rather than arse about trying to charge a USB device on the road, compromising the waterproofing.

Power issues aside, the eTrex is a general purpose handheld navigation device, which means it isn't based on so many assumptions about what a cyclist wants a GPS receiver to do.  Whether this is good or bad depends on how you use it, but it seems to me that the eTrex's approach to logging is a better fit for audax than that of the Edge series (you can't forget to 'start' it, for example).

As for massive, handheld GPS receivers used to be the size of a brick phone.  Modern ones are *all* tiny.

Does an Etrex produce a FIT file equivalent to the Edge series? The kind of stuff you load on Strava and brag with your (not so many) followers?

LittleWheelsandBig

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #10 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:50:10 pm »
The Etrex produces a GPX file that can be uploaded to Strava.
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whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #11 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:54:19 pm »
The Etrex produces a GPX file that can be uploaded to Strava.

I thought Strava only accepted FIT files

αdαmsκι

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #12 on: 25 July, 2017, 05:56:01 pm »

Why not the much cheaper Etrex 10?

Etrex 20 (or 20x, they are essentially the same) has colour screen, unlike the 10.  Also the Etrex 10 doesn't have a slot for a microSD.

Etrex 10: https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/87768

Etrex 20: https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/518046

One set of AA batteries will do a 600 km audax. I do use rechargeables, and sometimes will carry two spare AA batteries, which'll be lighter and less bulky than an external power source.  If it all goes wrong it's pretty easy to buy some AA batteries.

When cyclo-camping last year not having to rely on finding power sources to charge an internal battery for a Garmin made life a lot.


Edge Touring is 51 x 93 x 25 mm, whereas an Etrex is 54 x 103 x 33 mm


I thought Strava only accepted FIT files

Nah, gpx tracklogs are fine too: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/223297187-How-to-get-your-Activities-to-Strava
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whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #13 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:02:00 pm »

Why not the much cheaper Etrex 10?

Etrex 20 (or 20x, they are essentially the same) has colour screen, unlike the 10.  Also the Etrex 10 doesn't have a slot for a microSD.

Etrex 10: https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/87768

Etrex 20: https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/518046

One set of AA batteries will do a 600 km audax. I do use rechargeables, and sometimes will carry two spare AA batteries, which'll be lighter and less bulky than an external power source.  If it all goes wrong it's pretty easy to buy some AA batteries.

When cyclo-camping last year not having to rely on finding power sources to charge an internal battery for a Garmin made life a lot.


Edge Touring is 51 x 93 x 25 mm, whereas an Etrex is 54 x 103 x 33 mm


I thought Strava only accepted FIT files

Nah, gpx tracklogs are fine too: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/223297187-How-to-get-your-Activities-to-Strava

You are beginning to convince me... I see the point of this for long rides and keep my 200 for everyday faffing. Does it fit on a Garmin mount or a mount needs to be bodged up?

Kim

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #14 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:03:26 pm »
It fits on a Garmin handlebar mount, but it's a different Garmin handlebar mount to the one the Edge series uses.

(This isn't entirely stupid - the Edge's mount is designed for fitting neatly on bike stems.  The eTrex/Oregon/Dakota mount is designed so that the back of the device feels comfortable in your hand.)

αdαmsκι

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #15 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:04:25 pm »
The mount looks like this and can fit to the handbars or the stem depending on preference. 

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whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #16 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:17:37 pm »
It seems the sensible thing to do... does it come with UK maps included or it's a separate purchase?

EDIT, it does, sorry

pdm

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #17 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:24:19 pm »
The Etrex produces a GPX file that can be uploaded to Strava.

I thought Strava only accepted FIT files

GPX uploads just fine to Starva.... I frequently upload my Etrex HCx (ancient, I know, but it "just works") gpx tracks when I forget to start the phone Strava app.

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #18 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:28:44 pm »
Only downside is scarce availability... only Ebay, wonder if those Ebay sellers offer warranty... maybe best to wait for Wiggle to restock... somewhere else it says discontinued

αdαmsκι

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What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

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αdαmsκι

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #21 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:50:10 pm »
Duracell rechargeable any good or there are better ones around?

Dunno, but I use these from here http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/nimh-aa-rechargeable-battery.asp
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

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frankly frankie

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #22 on: 25 July, 2017, 06:56:57 pm »
Sanyo 'black' Eneloops are the best rechargables on the market, according to independent** tests.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-2500mAh-Eneloop-BK-3HCDE-4BE/dp/B00JWC40JY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501005273&sr=1-1&keywords=sanyo+eneloops
** ie, my tests.  :thumbsup:

It seems a lot of money for a massive in size AA powered GPS unit...

Massive may be fair comment when compared with something like an Edge 200, but compared with an Edge Touring or an Edge 800, there's actually very little in it.  Yes the Edge is slightly slimmer, but really the size/elegance difference is not great.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

whosatthewheel

Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #23 on: 25 July, 2017, 08:23:03 pm »
The trip display seems to show useful information, rather than fake power output and dubious calories consumption like the Edges.

Obviously it won't have an option to cut the time as you go lower than 5 km/h, but to be honest is not much use other than self gratification. I like the "time to sunset" feature and I assume it also has a "time to sunrise" equivalent?


Kim

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Re: Edge Touring or Wahoo Bolt?
« Reply #24 on: 25 July, 2017, 08:49:00 pm »
Obviously it won't have an option to cut the time as you go lower than 5 km/h, but to be honest is not much use other than self gratification.

Not sure what you mean, but the eTrex maintains both moving and overall time trip counters.


Quote
I like the "time to sunset" feature and I assume it also has a "time to sunrise" equivalent?

Indeed.  It'll tell you when's best to go hunting and fishing too.  Presumably there's an animal-specific model that uses the same algorithm to suggest when it's best to go foraging for food...