Garmin Edge 530 overtaken by Wahoo Bolt in Strava Uploads [USA, official figures]
Garmin Edge 530 overtaken by Wahoo Bolt in Strava Uploads [USA, official figures]At the end of most calendar years, various sports companies create ‘Year in Review’ content. This can either focus on your performance and activities throughout the year or highlight broader population-level trends. Some of the population-level statistics from smaller companies may be questionable, but today Strava, with a significant number of global users, has made its announcement.
In recent years, Strava‘s stats have been somewhat uninspiring and repetitive. However, this year they are more detailed, fully revamped and genuinely interesting. You’ll likely see several media sites rehashing them this week. If you want the source press releases they are here for the UK and the USA.
I reached out to Strava for stats from a few countries, and one particular stat caught my attention. When it comes to the cycling device used for uploads; in the USA, the leading upload device is the Wahoo Bolt. However, globally and in the UK, the Edge 530 still holds the top spot.
So, in the world’s largest and most lucrative market, Wahoo has taken the lead in cycling. Impressive.
Other intriguing gear stats identify the FR235 from 2016 to remain the leading global and UK running-upload device, while in the USA, it’s the FR245 Music.
I’ve asked Strava for detailed clarification, as these results are not what I expected. Perhaps stats from the two Wahoo Bolt models are combined, if so should the Edge 530 and Edge 830 be merged? Is the FR235 still widely used? Wow! It’s a good watch, and there’s no reason to upgrade if you just want a basic running watch. But where are the Apple Watches?
Strava also provides other gear-related stats on bike and shoe models, but this information relies on user input, covering only a fraction of true Strava users’ real bikes and shoes. However, the bike computer and running watch information should come from most people’s FIT files, making it near-complete and nearly fully accurate. That’s why I’m intrigued.
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Interesting but very incomplete. Does this include both the bolt and bolt v2? Does the stats for the 530 include the 520, 530 plus, 540? Considering the Fenix series is the most sold gps watch ever (not counting Apple) the 245 stat seems off to me. I think this is someones pipe dream that Wahoo overtook Garmin at anything. Not that Wahoo is bad but their market share is far below Garmin.
yes i raise the gen 1 and gen 2 bolt issue in the article (I guess it might probably include both, that said each should have a different ant identifier)
ive asked strava for more info to clarify. interesting tho neverthless, same with the fr235 which is more surprising
In 2022 Garmin had $974 million in net income of which 54% was outdoor products or approximately $525.96 million in net income from outdoor products. This would include include hiking, etc. as well as gps head units, trainers, etc. Whereas, some documents indicate that Wahoo may have had $62.2 million revenue in 2022 for all of their products but other references indicate it was as low as $21.4 million. Whether “revenue” equates to net income is another issue. There were plenty of indications in 2022 that Wahoo was losing money. If we look at this article to argue that Wahoo’s computer is good, well maybe that’s fine. But it’s certainly hard to view this article with any perspective that Garmin is in trouble or threatened by Wahoo when Garmin’s outdoor sector alone is at least nearly 9 times larger in net income. You could easily extrapolate that Garmin is selling at least 9 times more gps units (watches and head units) than Wahoo based on these figures and that’s probably true. It’s probably easily true and maybe more. If we use the $21.4 million revenue figure, Garmin probably sold 25 gps units for every one that Wahoo sold. For instance, Wahoo is practically giving away their one and only gps watch for $99 now because they can’t sell them. To put it into context, Wahoo is not a real serious competitor to Garmin. By market size, Wahoo is half the size of Whoop and not even as big as what serious athletes would not regard as a serious player in the fitness world, Echelon, who has plenty more employees and income.
yes, i cant argue with any of that in principle (the RIVAL watches did sell out tho, at least in the UK)
i think you have to take the info as true (it might not be) but then it’s interesting to figure out why it comes out how it does. Maybe lots of people get a Garmin and rarely use them? Maybe a larger proportion of wahoo users use Strava to help skew the figures this way (possible to some small degree), etc.
Putting that to one side, explain the FR235 one!!! Perhaps that’s because then there was only one real option at that price point, now there are many at the lower end fr45/55/255/265/+variants. This is a likley explanation but then why the fr245 music does so well…is music really that important? I’m surprised but, again, you have to at least consider that the info is correct
I think more interesting numbers would a product line rather than individual models. Like with the Fenix, they have so many models especially when you combine Fenix / Enduro / Epix and the various sizes and flavors that any one will never make the top list.
I’d definitely want to combine the 530/830, but I’d argue it should include all the 5xx/8xx devices. 10xx should probably be its own given the different form factor, as is the 130/130+.
My bet is they are purely going off of product id as written in the .fit files.
yes that is what i hope to get the info to accomplish…let’s see
Maybe people got tired of Strava after their disastrous pricing scheme last year. And if you are a non paying member, Garmin connect gives you most of what you need anyway. I for once deleted my account.
This doesn’t tell you anything. If half of all 530 users have changed to a newer or different Garmin device, but the “bolt” includes both versions, then fragmentation in the garmin world could easily lead to wahoo taking the lead without selling a single additional unit. So it could in fact be telling the total opposite story. In fact we know the reality. Garmin are doing well, wahoo narrowly avoided administration.
Wow, lots of people here react as they have shares in Garmin and fear for their yearly bonuses.
That’s funny !
What strikes me most here is the 235, an « old » watch, which takes the crown, and the Clifton. Never thought it would be such a hit.
for Apple Watch, unless you record with the Strava app, it doesnt show up (native workout app wont get tagged as an AW if uploaded to Strava via a 3rd party app) < that's my experience anyhow.
I might be misunderstanding your post, but every activity recorded with my AW and the native Workout app gets uploaded to Strava as an AW activity.
I even tried the PM connection on a turbo trainer session…heck that’s nice.
Didn’t we had a nice little puzzle game in the comments about the watch that the marathon lady was wearing on that world record and settled on the FR235? (Forgot her name and the event. Not a runner by any means. Sorry.)
Also a great reminder that the whole world does not only consist of rich western countries. 😉
On that note. Martin Fourcade was still using a V800 when the Vantage V as out already. And some other world cup biathletes are using older models too. Mind baffling how they can be world’s elite without using the newest and most expensive Garmin superuberultraspaceshipalloy watch.
Heck, norwegian biathlon superstar Johannes Thingnes Bo even sports a Richard Mille during races, which does not record anything at all!!!!!!!!!!
So it’s fair to assume that all the fancy metrics, stats and coaches are not interesting to or neccessary for becoming world class athletes. Did I just say Jehova?!
Either that or you truley need a Richard Mille for your 40 minute park run on every odd sunday.
yeah, might have been the 230. but same thing.
Hi,
DC Rainmaker did dive deep into this topic, recent post on his website describes all the details. In a nutshell, number of uploads by variants of Wahoo Bolt devices were consolidated, while Garmin Edge were not.
Now Strava did recalculate this particular statistics and Garmin Edge 530 is now nominated as a top upload source in the US.
regards
Robert
hi, thank you, yes i saw that and commented
there were still some assumptions and questions left unanswered. hopefully strava will send me the info i requested a while back