Wahoo Roam 3 Review – a deep dive

Roam 3 from PowerMeterCity or direct £399.99 / $449.99

Bolt 3 from PowerMeterCity or direct £299.99 / $329.99

ACE from powermetercity or direct £549.99 / $599.99

You’re at the start of a new ride, facing a path that could twist through rugged trails, city streets, or wide-open roads. Is your ride about hitting personal records or navigating unfamiliar routes? Bike tech should be about finding a balance where navigation, reliability, usability, and performance come together to support every ride decision you make intuitively and engagingly. Wahoo ROAM 3 excels at both.

The ROAM 3’s 2.8″ touchscreen displays clear maps and ride data, readable in sunlight, rain, or dusk. You can tap, swipe, pinch, or zoom as easily as on your phone. Whether you’re on gravel, in traffic, or riding indoors, ROAM 3 supports every ride challenge, from nailing a faster Strava segment, navigating an unfamiliar hill, alerting you to the danger of a fast car, controlling your indoor trainer, or speaking turn-by-turn directions to help you reach the end of your journey. It even has a digital bell!

TL;DR – hits the sweet spot – Roam 3 is fully featured and easy to use. Wahoo easily rivals Garmin as one of the top-end bike computers, and both make great ride companions.

Roam 3 was provided free by the brand. This review is not sponsored, and it does not contain any advertisements. I appreciate your support through purchasing through the affiliated links, as that’s what helps me continue doing this.

This Roam 3 review begins with a summary for those new to Wahoo’s extensive cycling capabilities, before delving into the new features in more detail. However, this review is focused more on existing Wahoo owners looking to upgrade. For those new to Wahoo and looking at other key features not covered here, it’s best to go now and read this Bolt 3 review (link), a nearly identical product in a more compact form.

Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 hits the sweetspot for upgraders

91%

Wahoo Roam 3 Review

Verdict: Roam V3 should be the first to consider if you are upgrading from an older ELEMNT. Familiar. Better. But is it the best size?

Roam 3 is new in almost every way behind the scenes, but for anyone looking to upgrade, it looks and works in a reassuringly similar way.

Existing features are carried over and tweaked in places, but the near-identical in-ride experience is still great. You will notice the difference with maps when the vastly more capable display adds colour depth and beauty to Wahoo’s earlier functional map layouts. The map has muted, dull colours, and some of you may not like the transflective display in certain light conditions, but I generally like it. Seasoned bike navigators will appreciate the new map layers, which allow you to customise the map experience as you go.

The ‘options’ side of Roam 3 is expanded, giving you more control of key features where previously you might have had to get your app out and change them. If the Summit Hill climber feature keeps popping up and annoying you on your regular rides, turn it off. These new on-device abilities make sense, but Wahoo is treading a fine line of adding complexity that might not be needed – they’ve done a great job so far.

The new ability to have bike profiles is either Meh or Magnificent, depending on your needs. I’m a meh, though I used it almost immediately to create a RACE profile where I need more streamlined data.

Gone are the LEDs. They always looked a bit 1970s, but were useful and widely loved. To some degree, the Persistent Status Bar offsets that, but not entirely.

A significant improvement is in the overall aesthetic feel – the WAHOO branding is removed from the face, the lines are slightly more elegant, and the beauty of the screen ‘pops’. Nice.

The ‘up to’ claim of 25 hours battery life was hard for me to verify, let’s say 20, and everyone should be happy. The more features you enable, the faster you will deplete the battery – that’s true for any technology.

The new Wahoo Roam 3 covers every type of riding, from climbing hills with the Summit features to following a Strava course whilst on holiday. For structured training, you have many platforms to choose from, such as adaptive power training (Xert) or widely used and trusted plans from TrainingPeaks.

Roamt 3 will let you follow a Best Bike Split course with your Kickr smart trainer, as your Kickr Climb raises the front forks to simulate the race day hills. Don’t worry about getting too hot, as the KICKR Headwind Fan automatically increases airflow in response to your increasing heart rate. You can even use Roam 3 to control the fan. The whole ecosystem is tightly-knit together, even your sweat will be compatible with your Kickr mat…or anyone else’s mat, too 😉

Maybe you have a bog-standard heart rate strap, a CORE body temperature sensor or a Garmin Varia Radar light, or a pressing need to display 14 kinds of muscle oxygen data metrics or a Di2 gear visual chart, you guessed it. All is good in Wahoo World.

Bolt and Roam 3 are the real deal, supported by an expansive cycling ecosystem. It is Garmin’s key cycling competitor.

Garmin’s Edge bike computers are good; they have slightly more features, often of limited use. Wahoo significantly simplifies the bike computer experience, is far more usable and in my experience, more reliable. The real positive differentiator for Garmin remains its CIQ app store.

I’ll cover all the new features and changes below in great detail. Those are the ones to understand if you are contemplating an upgrade. If you’re new to Wahoo, these details may be too niche. If so, check out my Bolt 3 Review to gain a better understanding of Wahoo’s entire feature set and how it compares to the competition.

Wahoo Roam 3

Touchscreen, mid-size GPS bike computer.

$449.99

£399.99

+other retailers

Pros

• Realistic 20-hour battery life, maybe more
• Complete indoor trainer environment control – fan, trainer, hill simulator
• Great outbound integrations to Strava, RwGPS & TP integrations + many more
• Full re-routing, Audio-TBT with street names, POI routing and onboard map
• Great inbound integrations for training plans, complex structured workouts and Strava Live Segments
• Highly intuitive interface, simplified by offloading rarely used features to the companion app
• Supports all external BLE & ANT+ sensors of note, including RADAR smart lights
• Sensibly tough Gorilla glass, easy-to-read colour display.
• Live tracking, notifications and route sharing via the Wahoo app.
• Complete smart trainer environment control – fan, trainers, gradient simulator
• Many performance Features
• Safety Features
• Well-built and well-designed hardware

£399.99 / $449.99 / €449.99 from a choice of retailers

 

Cons

• No 3rd party app store
• Lacks physiology metrics like readiness
• Lacks wind/rain forecast metrics
• You must have a smartphone to set up and access some features
• Buttons could protrude more and click better.
• Touchscreen when wet could be better
• Good display, but not the best

• Direct from Wahoo

Ok, that’s the summary done. The detailed sections, which examine all the new information, follow. Feel free to skip to the one that interests you the most.

The Display

Display Takeout: I prefer Roam to Garmin, but I can see why others might not.

There are several aspects I would like to cover here: size, proportions, image clarity, visibility in various lighting conditions, and touch responsiveness.

Display size has increased from  2.7″ to 2.8″ compared to Roam 2. That difference is hardly noticeable and not worth the upgrade; however, Roam 1 users looking to upgrade should disregard Wahoo’s site, which claims that the Roam 3 display is 58% bigger.
The usable screen area is similar, and you should also notice that the Roam 3’s display is stretched lengthwise, i.e., more rectangular than square. This uses more pixels to display the route ahead, but squarer proportions are more aesthetically pleasing.

The colours on the display are increased from 64 colours to 16 million colours. This is a capable display, and Wahoo has made a design choice when displaying somewhat muted colours. The colours and sharpness of the image enhance readability in regular light conditions and appear more appealing than Garmin’s. The last positive aspect is the pinch and zoom feature, which works well on the map.

The first slight negative is the touchscreen. Here are some test results

1. Bare skin, Dry screen – works great
2. Bare skin, Wet display – often no response
3. Gloves, Dry Screen – Mostly good
4. Gloves, Wet display – often no response

Second comes the readability. I found this to be generally very good, but some commenters on Reddit disagreed. I concede that you can’t read the screen indoors with the backlight off. This technology’s ‘transflective’ nature requires some ambient light or the backlight to be enabled. Here are video test results of every Wahoo model ever made, comparing direct sunlight with the backlight on (max) to backlight off.

As you can see, the screen is highly readable, regardless of whether it’s in shadow or direct sunlight. That said, there are some bright days when your body casts a shadow over the display, and you are wearing sunglasses – on some (for me, rare) occasions, the screen is hard to read without backlighting. With the backlight, Roam starts to eat the battery.

Wahoo – backlight vs no backlight on EVERY ELEMNT ever

However, I tested the Edge 540 and Roam 3 side by side when showing the map screen and navigating. Both were perfectly fine. However, Edge maps are slightly more readable despite Roam being prettier to the eye. The Edge default maps are more sparse, focusing the eye on the route, whereas Roam, for example, might have shaded areas of adjoining land, which is mildly distracting. Roam’s colours have a muted colour intensity range, so Garmin Edges’ routes stand out slightly more. That said, I find Edge’s use of magenta for the course line negatively distracting, which can’t be changed.

So, overall, Edge might be a bit better for most people, but I prefer Roam.

New Audio Features

New audio features include spoken directions and a digital bell

Digital bell

Bell Takeout – Danger is added if you have to significantly move your hand to ring the bell so Di2 control is a massive omission; I won’t use the digital bell without that. Otherwise, the various exceptions and options for use are confusing for what should be a simple feature.

A new digital bell is added and works when an outdoor activity is started or paused. Double-tap anywhere on the screen for a “ding-ding” The bell sound is sharp, clear, and loud enough for most environments. However, it is disabled when menus, maps, elevation data fields, or workout pages are displayed. Confusingly, in those excluded scenarios, you can instead tap the bottom centre of the screen (where it usually says “resume” or “pause”), and the bell sounds.

Some details

• There is no bell volume control. The bell is either on or off.
• If you want to assign the bell to a Di2 button, you can’t do that.
• Wahoo said you can assign an audio file as the bell sound, but wouldn’t tell me how to do it.
• A final annoyance is that the bell may go off periodically if you put the Wahoo in your back pocket.

Audio Alerts (Normal, Custom)

Audio Alerts Takeout – All fine, you shouldn’t miss the old LEDs too much.

Audible alerts from the new audio-quality speaker are generally complemented by text shown on the screen, which goes some way to compensate those of you who liked the old LEDs. Lovers of those LEDs might take some comfort in that the top bar on the display will flash in some scenarios, such as when a rear radar detects a fast-approaching car.

Alerts offer more customisation than the old beeper (Bolt 3 has a beeper). There are 3 volume settings plus OFF and all these scenarios are controlled by teh same audio setting: Ride status changes (start, stop, pause); Sensor alerts (low battery); Auto lap; Planned workouts (interval change); when approaching Summit Segments or Strava Live Segments; and Call, text, & email notifications.

However, there are also custom audio alerts for time, distance or lap triggers. These are treated separately and share a different volume setting, which is an excellent idea as the regular alerts happen so frequently that I have to disable them in group rides to avoid annoying other people – they forgive me for the occasional LAP beep.

Audio Alerts – Voice Directions/Prompts

Voice directions are provided when following a route, accompanied by on-screen text.

Where Roam has a voice speaking, Bolt has the old-fashioned BEEP. Examples of directions when approaching a turn are “right turn ahead” and then, when closer, “turn right”.

These work well and are well-implemented, with the voice being clear in the scenarios I tested.

New Maps

As noted above, the maps look great, but Garmin’s usability is perhaps slightly better, considering the display technology.

Looking at the maps themselves, Wahoo’s addition of toggleable map layers is a useful and flexible way to simplify what you say and add details when needed.

• Street names – the addition of street names is unimportant to me, but a boon to others, and will help in some navigation scenarios.
• Strava segments can be entirely disabled in the ride dashboard. If enabled, you can hide or show them as a map layer.
• Summit Segments – This is a standout feature that I use frequently. A separate Summit screen is perhaps best for the mountains, but I tend to disable it when riding hills, as it appears too frequently and becomes annoying. However, a great alternative is the Summit Segment Layer, which adds differently coloured chevrons to the road ahead that indicate the hill gradient.
• Map Layer POIs – These are not editable and seem to be determined by Wahoo when it builds its maps from OpenStreetMap data
• Saved locations – Riders create personal POIs, such as ‘Home’, ‘Work’, ‘Cafe’, and ‘Holiday Base’, by saving specific locations directly on Roam 3 or via the Wahoo app. POIs appear as a heart icon and can be used for quick navigation. Occasionally, I find these very useful when cycling in unfamiliar places, with Wahoo’s onboard map intelligence, it routes me correctly to the POI.

Improved Ready to Ride Dashboard

The Ready to Ride Dashboard (RTRD) confirm the key parameters for the ride you are about to start – profile, route, workout and sensors. It always appears when starting Roam 3 and disappears when you start the ride.

These images from Wahoo show how each of the four sections of the RTRD is expanded to fine-tune the options you might need.

I can’t fault what Wahoo has done here. It’s a great way to start a ride. There are some neat details.

• Your sensor is shown as paired with the data it’s transmitting. If you own more than one sensor, this confirms that you’re wearing the correct one and that it’s functioning properly.
• The workout power profile is clearly shown in its graphics and text. You can sync more workouts or choose an alternate one as appropriate.
• Synced routes are clearly described, and impromptu routing on the surface of your choice to the POI of your choice is easily accessed.
• The top bar indicates GPS status.

Three points I would make include that GPS acquisition can take longer than I would expect – say 10 seconds, which doesn’t particularly bother me. More concerning is that some power meters are difficult to calibrate, whereas others are easy to calibrate. I suspect the problem lies with the power meter itself. Finally, the RTRD screens don’t always flow smoothly between each other as you make selections.

New Activity Profiles (aka Workout or Bike Profiles)

New profiles are added to the Wahoo app, covering many standard options such as pages, data fields, planned workout-specific behaviour, GPS, auto lap/pauses, alerts, handling zeros, zones, and summit/Strava segment display.

The only thing I took issue with here was that autolap can only be a whole number. I’m pretty sure that on older Wahoos, I could add partial kilometres to coincide with the lap distance of my local loops.

New Sensor Pairing Dashboard

Sensors can be paired and managed on either the new ‘My Sensors’ ride screen or via the RTRD. It’s no longer possible to pair a new sensor by using the app; however, once the sensor is paired to Roam 3, it appears on the app and can be managed there.

It all works well enough, but there are a few annoyances

1. It is not possible to force the use of BLE/ANT+. Roam chooses whichever it wants and seems to favour BLE.
2. Sensors cannot be temporarily disabled. They can only be removed and re-added later.
3. Di2 button remapping behaviour cannot be tweaked in the Wahoo ecosystem. Channels can be mapped to buttons in the E-tube app, but you cannot configure one long press for the bell and another long press for RADAR light mode. (More: Wahoo Fitness, including SRAM electronic compatibility)

Sensor management is great for most people with a limited number of sensors, but not me. I hope Wahoo adds abilities to improve sensor control down the line.

New Persistent Status Bar

To some degree, the new Persistent Status Bar replaces the functions of the older ELEMNT’s LEDs. In a small status bar at the very top of the display, the following are displayed:

• Page Name (eg Elevation Data)
• Local time
• Connection status (full bar flashing = trying to connect, solid = connected) for
  • Wahoo app (phone symbol)
  • Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi symbol)
  • GPS (arrowhead symbol)
• Device battery percentage
• Battery charging status
• Current temperature (not shown but shown on ELEMNT ACE)
• Directional black & white chevrons. Turn left/right.

The entire bar changes colour for specific alerts, such as approaching vehicles detected by radar sensors. The status bar flashes green, orange, or red to indicate the urgency or nature of the alert.

New Wahoo App

The Wahoo app has existed as a multi-sensor pairing and ride recording tool for years alongside the ELEMNT app. However, Wahoo’s ecosystem is evolving, including the behind-the-scenes Cloud component.

Wahoo is migrating everything from the ELEMNT app to the Wahoo app. Initially, the new Roam 3, Bolt 3, and ACE are the only models that require the use of the Wahoo app.

I don’t want to compare the ELEMNT and WAHOO apps, as the latter is still evolving. It’s fine, though. One new feature worth mentioning is the ability to create a GPS point (POI) on the Wahoo app’s map. That is then synced to Roam, stored as a POI and routed to.

New Case & Physical Materials

Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM versions 1, 2, and 3 appear to show little change over the years. Still, there are too numerous small details to mention for anyone interested to delve deeper, like the improved mounting lug, the new tether hole, more angled sides, flatter bottom increases 3rd party mount compatability, improved port cover, lower profile side buttons, remove branding from the top, stronger out-front mount, and more.

The new format is more stretched lengthways with a smaller ‘bezel’ and branding relocated. Perhaps the shape is less pleasing to the eye, but ignoring that, the rest of it looks good. The buttons need improvement in their responsiveness and tactile feel; they’re ok. As mentioned elsewhere, the touchscreen also requires improvement, but for those who are primarily button-based users, the option to use the touchscreen occasionally is an excellent addition.

The more compatible base, thether port and USB-C will broaden its appeal.

Nothing much appears to have changed, but everything has changed to some degree in reality.

Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 Accuracy Test Results – Battery, elevation, GNSS/GPS

Roam 3 is a more than sufficiently accurate device with battery life that probably just about meets the claims in certain circumstances.

Battery Life Tests & Claims

Wahoo claims an increased ‘up to’ battery life for Roam 3 of 25 hours (previously 17)

TL;DR – Without the backlight, battery life might exceed Wahoo’s claims, but performance will degrade as the battery ages. Using the Auto-Backlight setting, it’s impossible to determine how often Roam uses the backlight and the power it needs. Understanding real-world usage is further complicated by frequent misreporting of battery charge levels to the FIT file.

In my tests with Bolt 3, I got up to 25 hours without backlight, so I expected to get the same or better with Roam 3. However, my tests were either with auto-backlight or failed because the battery charge data was incorrectly recorded to the FIT file. After numerous rides, the only valid battery data I have is for the auto-backlight, which indicates a lifespan of between 15 and 20 hours.

Maximal Battery

I performed some non-real-world tests to see what Roam 3’s battery was capable of whilst stationary, but recording a GPS track. I got an amazing 49 hours in one test. The point of the test was that disabling various features could considerably increase battery life. But which ones?

Link: Unreal Roam 3 battery test results

Q: I don’t get the advertised 25-hour battery life. What should I do?

A: Make these changes – Strava segments: OFF, Phone Notifications: OFF, Music Control: OFF, Backlight setting: AUTO, Auto-pause: ON, Elevation charts: UNZOOM, Map page chart ON, summit Segments, alerts: OFF, Limit paired sensors to 4 eg Power, Speed, HR, Radar,

Q: How do  I get more battery life than advertised for daylight riding?

A: Also make these changes – backlight OFF, disconnect your smartphone, do not follow a route, disable LiveTrack, Elevation charts:  Map page chart OFF, Summit segments: OFF

Elevation Accuracy Tests & Results

Roam 3 has decent elevation accuracy in these tests compared to a range of bike computers and watches of different generations of tech. The Edge 540 is probably a bit better as it benefits from manually stored POI elevation calibrations and its DEM model, neither of which Wahoo has.

It appears to be accurate enough for my purposes, and if you send the information to Strava, that platform will utilise its elevation models.

GNSS Accuracy Tests & Results

The results of this first road test in the Surrey Hills show that current-generation chipsets, including those in the Apple Watch (which lacks dual-band support), are excellent and superior to older-generation technology, exemplified by the Forerunner 935.

The results of this GNSS accuracy test were over wooded land, parkland, and on riverside paths. Roam and Edge do the best job, showing that dual-frequency chipsets offer a slight advantage for cyclists seeking higher levels of positional accuracy.

The results of this GPS accuracy test were obtained during a trail ride through very dense woodland and over sandy ground, which required walking through undergrowth. Roam did not perform as well in this instance.

The results of this final GPS accuracy test were obtained in the Surrey Hills (Box Hill) and were excellent for Roam.

The Evolution of Wahoo ELEMNT: From RFLKT to ROAM 3

Over the past decade, Wahoo Fitness and Garmin have established themselves as leaders in cycling and fitness technology, with Wahoo excelling with its KICKR smart trainers, sensors, and ELEMNT bike computers. The launch of the ELEMNT ROAM 3 marks a next-generation evolution of its bike computer.

Wahoo initially gained traction with its KICKR smart trainer line, transforming indoor cycling. The company later expanded its ecosystem of heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors, and the ELEMNT series of bike computers. Each successive release of ELEMNT improved functionality and cemented Wahoo as a favourite among endurance athletes and data-driven cyclists. Its ethos appears to be advanced usability coupled with an open ecosystem.

• Wahoo RFLKT: January 2013 – mirrors phone app
• Wahoo RFLKT+: August 2013 – adds ANT+ direct connection
• Wahoo ELEMNT original: March 2016 – autonomous GPS bike computer
• Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 1: March 2017 – compact version
• Wahoo ELEMNT MINI: June 2017 – connected-GPS via smartphone, support for novel sensors & accessories  – lights
• Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM 1: May 2019 – colour screen with TBT,  support for novel sensors & accessories  – Radar, CORE
• Wahoo ELEMNT RIVAL (Watch): November 2020 – touchless transitions
• Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 2: May 2021 – next-gen components, support for novel sensors & accessories  – Supersapiens
• Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM 2: October 2022 – next-gen components, support for novel sensors & accessories  – Go Pro, Music control
• Wahoo ELEMNT ACE: December 2024 – next-gen components fully re-built, wind sensor, map layers, audio TBT
• Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 3: May 2025 – next-gen components fully re-built
• Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM 3: May 2025 – next-gen components fully re-built, touchscreen, audio TBT,

Wahoo Roam 3 – Bugs

There must be plenty of software bugs, but after over a month of regular usage, I haven’t noticed many of them. Compare that to my two-year-old Garmin watch, which still crashed mid-workout in April 2025, two years after its launch, with the infamous blue triangle of death.

New map tiles can take 3-5 seconds to load when manually panning and zooming fully, but I’ve never noticed any lag with maps when riding. 9minor)

Longer routes take tens of seconds to load, as does creating an impromptu route to a POI. (Hopefully can be improved)

The touchscreen is sometimes too responsive when moving between pages (or trying not to), and yet it has poor responsiveness when wet (needs fixing)

Some screens are not correctly drawn on the first render and then adjusted to size (minor)

The buttons need to be more tactile and positively clicky (can’t easily be fixed, hardware)

The device software is new. I understand the new flow of the various options screen, the metrics it contains, and how some settings can be configured. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it just seems a tad more complex than the Roam 2/Bolt 2 I knew and loved in the past. It’s not quite as easy to do things, but there are more things to do.

Wahoo Bolt 3 FAQs

Q: How do I set up my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 for the first time?

A: First-time setup requires the Wahoo smartphone app, and setup is quick and easy

Q: What sensors are compatible with the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3?

A: All standard cycling sensors, as well as some novel ones, are compatible.

Q: Can I customise the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 screen data fields?

A: Yes, Roam 3 is highly customisable

Q: How do I update the firmware on my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3?

A: Firmware is automatically updated, but a check can be forced on either the Roam 3 or in the ELEMNT app

Q: What is the battery life of the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3?

A: Battery usage will vary depending on usage, but you can realistically expect 20 hours with the backlight disabled. Maybe up to the claimed 25 hours.

Q: Does the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 support Strava Live Segments?

A: Yes, Roam 3 supports Strava Live Segments (SLS) – an SLS screen can be toggled in Roam’s ride settings, or an SLS layer can be toggled on the map.

Q: How do I pair the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 with my smartphone?

A: The only way to pair the Roam 3 is with the Wahoo app, which scans the QR code displayed on the Roam 3. You can attach the Bolt to a PC and manually download completed activities over a cable.

Q: Is the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 waterproof?

A: Yes. IPX 7

Q: Can I use the Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3 for indoor training?

A: Yes, Roam 3 is designed for indoor and outdoor training; however, no bike computers are directly linked to gaming platforms like Zwift.

Q: How do I reset or restart my Wahoo ELEMNT ROAM V3?

A: Press and hold the left side button to force a shutdown. Simultaneously press and hold the top buttons on the left and right sides to clear boot or shutdown errors.

Q: What are the key differences between the Wahoo Roam 3 and its predecessor?

A: The app, ecosystem and hardware are different and improved. It is an entirely different product, but the ride experience and software features are little changed. The touchscreen and audio speaker are new.

Q: How does the Wahoo ROAM 3 improve GPS accuracy and routing?

A: Previous Wahoo ELEMNT bike computers had good GPS accuracy; Roam 3 is good to excellent.

Q: What is the battery life of the Wahoo Roam 3, and how does it compare to other devices?

A: Battery life is a realistic 20 hours with no backlight (perhaps up to 25 hours), and that is better than previous generation bike computers, but not as good as a comparable Garmin Edge 540 on a like-for-like basis.

Q: Does the Wahoo Roam 3 support advanced metrics, such as cycling dynamics and power analysis?

A: Yes, Roam 3 supports many advanced metrics, including those.

Q: How user-friendly is the setup process for the Wahoo Roam 3?

A: The setup process is excellent.

Q: What new connectivity features are available on the Wahoo Roam 3?

A: There are no new connectivity features per se. However, the technical methods used behind the scenes are improved and different, for example, enhancing the reliability of syncs with third-party platforms. The Wahoo ecosystem is open and highly connected.

Q: Is the Wahoo Roam 3 compatible with third-party sensors and apps?

A: All commonly used bike sensors and training platforms are supported.

Q: How does the Wahoo Roam 3 perform in various weather conditions?

A: The display could be improved in specific niche lighting scenarios, and the buttons could have a deeper profile to aid when pressed while wearing gloves in cold weather. The touchscreen could be better when wet.

Q: What is the display quality and visibility like on the Wahoo Roam 3?

A: The display colours are slightly muted in tone, I like that, but others don’t. I would say readability is excellent in all but niche lighting conditions

Q: How does the Wahoo Roam 3 compare in terms of value and performance against competitors?

A: If you value every possible feature or an ecosystem supporting multiple sports and wellness, you would buy a similarly priced Garmin; if you value usability, you would buy a Wahoo.

Q: I don’t get the advertised 25-hour battery life. What should I do?

A: Make these changes – Strava segments: OFF, Phone Notifications: OFF, Music Control: OFF, Backlight setting: AUTO, Auto-pause: ON, Elevation charts: UNZOOM, Map page chart ON, summit Segments, alerts: OFF, Limit paired sensors to 4 eg Power, Speed, HR, Radar,

Q: How do  I get more battery life?

A: Make these changes – backlight OFF, disconnect your smartphone, do not follow a route, disable LiveTrack, Elevation charts:  Map page chart OFF, Summit segments: OFF

Further Resources

Official Support: Wahoo support page

Official Product Page: Wahoo Bolt 3

Unofficial support: Wahoo Fitness on Reddit

Wahoo Roam 3 – What it lacks & Where it misses out – the implications to  you

Wahoo’s Roam 3 has introduced key integrations with third-party sensors like CORE (body temperature), FLOWBIO (hydration), and Supersapiens (blood glucose). However, these integrations appear to require significant coordination between Wahoo and the third party, highlighting a key limitation: Wahoo lacks an open, cohesive infrastructure for seamlessly incorporating novel sensor types. In contrast, Garmin’s Connect IQ (CIQ) platform allows third-party developers to integrate apps or devices with minimal direct interaction.

This difference has real consequences. Garmin’s open platform creates a virtuous cycle, attracting new sensor developers and users eager to leverage cutting-edge technology. For Wahoo, its restrictive approach limits its appeal, as new sensor brands may prioritise Garmin’s more popular and developer-friendly ecosystem.

Recent examples underscore Wahoo’s gaps. For instance, I tested a body position sensor from Darefore, which isn’t supported on Wahoo devices. Another notable omission is the lack of integration with weather data, which is crucial for cyclists. While Wahoo introduced an airflow sensor on the ACE head unit, it falls short of providing widely requested metrics, such as forecast wind direction, strength, or “time until rain,” as data fields. Currently, riders seeking such features must turn to Garmin or Hammerhead’s Karoo platform.

Additionally, Wahoo lags in offering physiology-based metrics, such as pre-ride readiness or in-ride stamina, which could be derived from existing data, including load, TSS, TRIMP, or power/heart rate. These calculations are straightforward, yet Wahoo effectively offloads those abilities to third-party apps. This gap likely costs Wahoo sales, as cyclists increasingly value actionable performance insights.

Wahoo already support Perceived Effort recording. It is straightforward to combine that data with waking HRV data from apps like HRV4Training to gain new perspectives on training readiness. It could go even further by leveraging AI to model performance against environmental data, such as wind impact or stamina, using an approach similar to Whoop’s AI Coach.

In short, Wahoo’s ecosystem lacks critical data fields and features that cyclists increasingly expect, from weather integration to advanced physiology metrics. The question is whether Wahoo recognises the need to evolve. A more open platform architecture could facilitate closing those gaps, attracting new users while maintaining Wahoo’s hallmark simplicity. Features like wind data, stamina tracking, and load analysis are undeniably valuable—AI, perhaps less so, but still worth exploring. By addressing these shortcomings, Wahoo could strengthen its position and better serve its cycling community.

Wahoo Bolt 3 vs Wahoo Roam 3 (or ACE) – which ELEMNT is best for you?

You’ve decided to upgrade your Wahoo, but which one should you buy?

The choice between the three new Wahoo ELEMNT is easy. The features are almost identical between models. The key exceptions that impact your purchase decision are screen size, battery life, price, and touchscreen capabilities.

Here is a high-level feature comparison chart. ROAM 3 gains a high-grade speaker and touchscreen update from the BOLT 3’s button-only interface. ACE matches ROAM 3 and has a unique airflow sensor. That’s it.

Unlike Garmin Edge 540, Wahoo’s button-only interface is awesomely efficient. There’s no need to get ROAM 3 for the extra £/$100 unless you want a larger screen size and an additional couple of hours of battery life.

You would only opt for the ELEMNT ACE for its larger screen and even longer battery life.

Wahoo ELEMNT ACE vs ROAM v3 vs BOLT v3: Display, Size & Weight Comparison

Here is more information on shared features and detailed differences for those who need it. For many, ROAM 3 will hit the sweet spot.

Sensors & Connectivity – you get all these: ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; Heart Rate Monitors; Power Meter Compatible; ANT+ Smart Light Compatible, Radar Compatible; Electronic gears: ANT+ Electronic Shifting, Shimano Di2 Synchro Shift Integration, SRAM AXS (Gear, Battery, Page Changing); Smart Trainer Control; Speed and Cadence; GoPro Control; Dual-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS chipset, including Galileo; Barometric Altimeter; Accelerometer; Ambient Light Sensor; Compass; Gyroscope; Muscle Oxygen; Core Temperature; Music control; IOS and Android apps with notifications.

• Maps – routable with layers
• Routes & Courses
• Segments
• Hills
• Ride History and free companion app, no subscription (Garmin Connect+ has a subscription)
• Customisable Data Pages and Bike Profiles
• Auto Lap (whole numbers)
• Auto Pause
• Downloadable, calendarised Training Plans, complex structured workouts, interval training
• Alerts when you reach goals, including time, location, distance, heart rate or calories. Includes nutrition and hydration alerts

Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 vs Garmin Edge 540/550

Garmin has a reliably better battery life and a superior ecosystem, measured by the number of features.

Wahoo Bolts have been my go-to devices for several years. I want something that won’t crash and lose my ride. Additionally, I am looking for something that excels in implementing key areas of rider safety, experience, and performance. All the sections above demonstrate that Wahoo roam 3 does that exceptionally well in this review, as would Bolt.

But there are two final aces up Wahoo’s sleeve which still counter the improvements made by Garmin in recent years.

• Dependability – Garmin Edges tend to be buggier and crashier than Wahoo ELEMNTs. At least that’s my experience. We don’t know if that will be true of Roam 3 in the future.
• Usability – This is the feature I use in every single ride! Wahoo ELEMNT devices are easier and quicker to use than Garmin Edges.

Finally, Wahoo’s transflective screen technology might be challenging to read indoors without a backlight or when casting a shadow over the ELEMNT in bright conditions.

Wahoo Roam 3

Touchscreen, mid-size GPS bike computer.

$449.99

£399.99

+other retailers

Take Out: Wahoo Elemnt Roam 3 Review

It’s all change with Wahoo, as the Bolt 3 and Roam 3 complete the lineup of its revamped bike computers, alongside the super-sized ELEMNT ACE.

There are significant improvements under the hood, which existing Wahoo owners experience as notably improved battery lives and superior displays. Many less noticeable changes exist on the cloud platforms and the head unit software.

Everything has changed with the new generation but it all feels and works the same.

Wahoo now matches its three bike computers against Garmin’s three and Karoo’s single offering.

• The button-only option sees the thinner Bolt 3 pitted against the Edge 540
• The touchscreen face-off has Roam 3 as a larger alternative to the Edge 840 and Karoo 3.
• And Ace is even larger than Edge 1050.

If you prefer the smaller format, the Bolt 3 is the clear go-to choice, primarily due to its superior usability. I cannot recommend the Edge 540.

The others all have strengths and weaknesses.

• Garmin Edge devices offer a better battery life, more native features, and a growing app store that supports specialised riding features, such as weather forecasts. Garmin also has comprehensive physiology and readiness metrics.
• Wahoo ELEMNTs win over Garmin in terms of usability and are more reliable bike computers, in my experience. The core features are expansive and excellent, but they still lag Garmin and fall further behind without an app store.
• Karoo already has a fledgling app store with a few goodies. It struggles with the battery claims but excels in terms of prettiness and presentation, likely surpassing Wahoo in usability.

Bolt 3 will be my go-to bike computer for 2025/26, covering races, weekday training both indoors and outdoors, and weekend rides with friends. For anything with trickier navigation, especially off-road, I have more choices than most people and would happily use the Edge 1050, Karoo 3, Roam 3, or Ace for their larger screens.

Second- and third-tier alternatives would include Magene, Coros, and other Chinese brands; however, there is always at least one significant compromise when choosing any of these. Nevertheless, they tend to be more affordable and may be right for some of you.

Buy Wahoo Roam 3: Prices and Availability.

Wahoo Roam 3 is available now.

Wahoo Roam 3

Touchscreen, mid-size GPS bike computer.

$449.99

£399.99

+other retailers

You can sometimes get reasonable discounts by buying bundles when available, and there are a few sales periods at the usual times each year. Otherwise, it will be hard or impossible to find meaningful discounts on the Wahoo Roam 3. The following links are to the latest price, even though the MRSP/RRP pricing is shown.

• Roam 3 from a choice of retailers: £399.99 / $449.99 / € 449.99 / AU$749.95
• Bolt 3 from a choice of retailers: £299.99 / $329.99 / €329.99 / AU$549.99
• ACE from a choice of retailers: £549.99 / $599.99 / €599.99 / AU$999.95