Stages Dash M50/L50 – Big Changes

Stages Dash L50 Review | M50Stages Dash M50/L50 – Big Changes

I reviewed the Stages Dash M50 almost exactly two years ago and one of my biggest criticisms at the time was that the user experience/interface was somewhat lacking. which was a shame as this is a feature-packed pro cycling device. just a bit hard to use.

Stages Dash L50 Review | M50 | Performance BikeNav

Well, as of last week this has all changed with a significantly updated look and feel plus the addition of numerous tweaks.

Stages Dash L50 Review | M50
Cyclo 605HC, Rox 12, Dash, ELEMNT, Edge 820

 

Here’s a full list of everything that’s just changed…it’s a big list. Possibly the biggest ever list I’ve seen for a sports device.

 

Features:

  • User interface redesign – The entire user interface has received a new look. Some menu items may have moved, but it’s all still there, including some new things as well.
  • E-bike integration
    • Dash pairs to and shows a full-page E-bike dashboard when in use.
    • Added E-bike as a movement option for speed and distance.
    • Displays error codes from the E-bike as overlays.
    • Overlay current assist mode on graphs when an E-bike is paired.
  • Automatic profile – A profile is added to every Dash that does not allow custom pages and only uses paired sensors and internal data to create ride pages.
  • Auto sensor scanning – The Dash now scans for sensors automatically and will prompt to pair with any sensor it finds. This can be disabled from the overlay menu.
  • Time in zones field and page – Added a Time in zones preset page, which is a full-page displaying a table of time in each zone, as well as a time in zones graph that can be added to any page as a data field.

Improvements:

  • The Dash can now handle zipped files. Added zipped map files, courses, and workouts will be unzipped and organized.
  • The power mode is now called Battery Saver and has been reduced to two settings: On and off.
  • When a trainer is paired to a smart profile, the speed-based smart page will display if there are no speed metrics in the profile.
  • The off-course notification defaults to off.
  • Dash model number appears in Settings > Dash settings > About.
  • Dash serial number appears in Settings > Dash settings > About.
  • Automatic time in zones page disabled by default.
  • Workouts are now displayed in chronological order.
  • The basic ride summary smart page that used to show up at the end of a smart profile now displays first with instantaneous ride data included.
  • Changed the display mode settings from Day and Night to Light and Dark.
  • Added option in the units setting menu to change imperial to metric measurements.
  • The default sleep setting is now 20 minutes (was never).
  • Course and breadcrumb trail will show up in the map field even if there are no tiles on the Dash.
  • Data field text colour is now based on the background of the field to improve visibility.
  • The Add-to-all sensor setting is automatically enabled for all existing and newly created profiles.
  • Time-in-zone is displayed in ride history for every ride if power and/or heart rate data is present.
  • Text size increased on Portrait L data fields that are 3 high by 1 wide.
  • Workouts now have the planned date listed in the menu item.
  • The Dash will display low battery notifications for connected sensors regardless of preferences, and will only show once every hour.
  • The auto lap default setting is now “All workout steps”.
  • Changed “Main menu” to “Settings” on the Dash home page.
  • Text overflowing the width of a menu item will scroll when the item is highlighted.
  • Courses and workouts are listed under the Files menu instead of being organized into sub-menus.
  • The in-ride menu has been re-organized for simplicity.
  • The change profile option has moved to the power button menu.
  • Smart pages display the time in zones data field where applicable.
  • The map list is now alphabetized for easier searching.
  • Added kJ and Time as separate triggers for eating and drinking reminders.
  • When going back in the menu, the last selected item is displayed on the previous page.
  • Radar-related icons are now easier to see in night mode.
  • Increased the number of cues that fit on the cue sheet to 500.

Bug Fixes:

  • Android app no longer sends two pairing requests.
  • Maps no longer hang or crash when going off-course during a ride.
  • Adding and removing devices during a ride no longer causes strange behaviour on smart pages.
  • Speed and cadence device icon problems have been fixed.
  • Course now reloads following map crash/error.
  • Lap time text no longer overlaps with colour wheels.
  • BLE Polar H7 HR Strap, 4iiii power meter and Power2Max BLE no longer cause apps on the Dash to crash.
  • The UI correctly saves a page after you edit the page and then long-press the lap/back button.
  • Chinese text is no longer cut off at the bottom.
  • 3-second average power now goes over 5.0 w/kg.
  • BLE low battery alert now persists until dismissed.
  • Units for weight in the menu now match the user setting.
  • Ignoring power meter zeros caused TSS and Normalized Power to be under-reported in the UI.
  • Going to the main menu while riding a course no longer resets the course.
  • The radar no longer causes disconnection for other ANT devices.
  • Activities no longer appear as “cross-train” or “generic” or any other value.
  • The Dash no longer boots up when disconnected from USB power while displaying the battery charge screen.
  • Pre-existing Wi-Fi networks can no longer be added.
  • Off course notification distance now reports the correct distance and direction to the closest point on the course.
  • TCX files loaded to the add_files folder now show correct navigation, points of interest, and elevation.

 

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6 thoughts on “Stages Dash M50/L50 – Big Changes

  1. It’s a big list of improvements and like getting a new device!
    Have only ridden with it once but thus far looks good.
    Will have to spend some time looking into my old issues with it, for example it was previously impossible to load routes from Stages Link without being granted a temporary premium tier of Todays Plan

    1. How did you get the update to work? Copying the firmware to the root of the drive didn’t do anything for me. i think I’m on v2.2. I vaguely remember some updating software I used before (maybe that was sigma)

      1. I was on the previous latest, 2.3.something, so was able to just drop the pkg in as directed.
        IIRC I got to 2.3 that way too, somewhere in the past they did away with needing StagesSync to do the upgrades but I don’t remember exactly when that transition was and it might be best raising a support ticket rather than risking any bricking.
        The impression in use is that the upgraded device is a little slicker, it connects with my Android phone more reliably, the fonts are much nicer, and it is better at telling you what it is doing for example when syncing after a ride.

  2. Glad to see this, I was beginning to think I’d been “forgotten” with my Dash M50! Looking forward to checking out the improvements!

  3. 2 things….

    There is a new Stages App which very different.

    I cannot find the full page time in zone pages in the new Stages Android App. I can find the time in zone graph field (bunch of vertical coloured segments) but not the full page option, anybody else manage to find this?

    thanks

    1. Managed to find it, looks like you have to add it as a ‘preset page’ from the device via the edit pages menu. Its a full page summary of time in power zones and time in heart rate zones.

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