The latest model from Wahoo is bursting with firsts, including a wind sensor.
Words: Jack Lynch
Wahoo is a name synonymous with pushing tech boundaries to improve data availability and user experience. Its latest computer, the Elemnt Ace, continues these themes in a reworked and supersized chassis, and with a brand new metric to boot. The Ace joins the Elemnt Bolt and Elemnt Roam in Wahoo’s computer catalogue as its new flagship. It has done away with the brand’s trademark lights around the border of the unit, preferring to bulk up the display, which now sits at an imperious 3.8 inches (9.7cm). For context, the screen of an iPhone 4 was 3.5 inches and an iPhone 16 is 6.1 inches.
The Ace is 20% larger than the Garmin 1050, which appears to be the computer Wahoo considers its sole competition. It’s big. When first opening the product, I was struck by its size. Then I reminded myself that I’ve had this reaction to just about every bike computer I’ve used since the first GPS-equipped head units came out. Play on. The Ace weighs 209 grams, which is 70 grams heavier than my regular computer. This weight penalty isn’t a direct performance enhancer, but it’s a game of preferences, and the Ace can certainly help a rider be their best through its crystal-clear display and multiple data fields.
Booting up
Firing up the Ace is easy. The Wahoo app knows all my preferences and the head unit connected to my Sram AXS components, power meter and heart rate monitor without any complaints. It was great to see that, when paired and connected to these devices, it told me the charge levels of my batteries and displayed my heart rate on the boot-up screen. With the sizeable data pages loaded and ready to go, GPS satellites found without fuss and Ace charged at 100 per cent out of the box, I was ready to ride.
The Ace is Wahoo’s fi rst foray into a touchscreen and it was responsive, just like a smart phone. It retains the familiar buttons (three on the bottom, one on the left, two on the right), which are intuitive and user-friendly.
Winds of change
The new metric Wahoo will be keen for everyone to talk about is the wind sensor built into the front of the Ace. The wind sensor compares the air speed going into the Ace with the bike’s moving speed to determine how favourable the tailwind or how severe the headwind. It also gives the rider a chance to evaluate their sit in the bunch and if they’re getting the best possible draft. The data is displayed as a colour-coded graph as you ride and, paired with Wahoo’s overhauled app, makes the Elemnt Ace the first cycling computer to allow you to analyse the effect of wind on ride segments.
I enjoyed the metric as a novelty and can see how people will get around it. For example, a big tailwind means you can go extra hard at the local KOM. That sort of thing. However, it will require some development and is more a talking point at this stage than a reliable metric.
For example, on a weekend of wet gravel, the air speed metric was giving me some wild numbers, which Wahoo says may have been due to some water or road grit getting into the unit. That’s an understandable issue but is something Wahoo will need to address before we start using the measurement for any serious data collection. Nevertheless, it’s great to see innovation in the cycling computer space. The other new opening on the front of the Ace is for a temperature sensor, which allows for more accurate temperature readings.
Mapping a clearer path
Wahoo is proud of its reworked map clarity on the Ace. I was impressed with the busier roads being wider than smaller streets, and I’d like to see Wahoo explore this further by suggesting which routes are most popular for cyclists. On the Ace, a busy road is clearly visible, but that road could be a freeway where no bike rider would dare tread. No doubt this will be something Wahoo is looking at, and I’m sure it will come in a future update.
If you’re a data junkie who is unfazed by a large computer on your bike (which also has an in-built speaker and bell! Ding ding), the Wahoo Elemnt Ace is for you. If the size and scope of the Ace is a little much for your preferences, Wahoo has two smaller computers for you to try, but I’d definitely recommend you take a look at this one first – you may not know what you’re missing.
The specs
Model: Wahoo Elemnt Ace
Price: $999.95
Claimed Runtime: Up to 30 hours
Weight: 208g
Dimensions: 125 x 70 x 20mm
Display: size 9.7cm
Display Type: TFT
Pre-loaded Maps: Yes
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, ANT+
Water resistance IPX7: (1M for 30 minutes)
Contact: au.wahoofitness.com or fesports.com.au
