Wahoo joins with Trailforks & adidas
Wahoo’s recent announcement that they were linking up with adidas didn’t have that much newsworthiness. With another linkup from Wahoo in the space of a few days, this time with Trailforks, it’s worth a few words to explain which Wahoo customers this might appeal to as I’m not convinced Wahoo will get too many new sales out of these linkups, albeit for different reasons in each case. And Wahoo needs sales.
Wahoo – Who Benefits?
The adidas smartphone app is a good one as is its app for the Apple Watch. With millions of users, adidas might have seemed an attractive partner for Wahoo if they planned to convince some of them to leave behind their smartphones, get a great watch, but still keep all the history of workouts in the adidas app. There is some logic to that argument but I just don’t think it will apply to too many people. With Apple’s move to take triathlon and outdoor adventures more seriously, I just can’t see too many adidas app users tempted to move towards the Wahoo brand except maybe on Android.
The situation is probably different with Trailforks, which is a generally more positive move for Wahoo.
Wahoo already has some good route linkups with Strava, Ride with GPS, and Komoot, but Trailforks brings perhaps the best knowledge of bike trails to the Wahoo environment. Anecdotally, I don’t see as many bike computers on the handlebars of mountain bikers around Peaslake in the Surrey Hills, but the ones that I do see are invariably Garmin Edge and the occasional Lezyne. I never look much more closely than an occasional glance; however, Garmin offers a protective cover for MTBers, and Lezyne is pretty robust as is. Wahoo, on the other hand, doesn’t offer additional robustness to MTBers…maybe it should?
What The Press Release Said (paraphrased)
The Trailforks mapping application has been developed by Outside Interactive, Inc., which is the leading provider of content, services, education, and experiences for over 70 million enthusiasts of outdoor and active lifestyles globally. The Trailforks app relies on user-generated data to furnish users with information regarding nearby trails, plan and track rides, locate local events, and obtain the most up-to-date information on trail conditions. The integration function enables users to synchronize routes from their Trailforks accounts directly to their Wahoo ELEMNT Bike Computers and ELEMNT Companion App, including user-created routes, curated routes from Trailforks’ database, and historical rides in Trailforks that can be retraced.
The integration of the adidas Running app will empower users to share data gathered on their Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL smartwatch or other Wahoo ELEMNT device with the adidas Running app. Users can track their workouts in real-time through their Wahoo ELEMNT app account and join the adidas loyalty program, adiClub, where they can accumulate points to redeem for adidas products, discounts, and special events.
Recently, the ELEMNT RIVAL watch has added features such as sleep tracking, target plan functionality, and colour-coordinated training zones, which enable wearers to accurately measure their health insights and optimize their recovery and performance. To commemorate this partnership, Wahoo and adidas Running have established the Wahoo x adidas cycling challenge, which offers users an opportunity to win a Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM bike computer.
- Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL: £299.99 / $329.99 USD
- Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM: £349.99 / $399.99 USD
- Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT: £264.99 / $299.99 USD
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So much new things and the Rival keeps without un update since Mid December… the longest by far.
Hope big things are coming, because sleep in beta, lack of cohesion between Wahoo’s platforms (RGT, Sufferfest and the Element app barely talk to each other) and minor bugs that should not be there already are making me nervous.