Wahoo Elemnt Rival is the first GPS-watch from Wahoo. A watch for the serious athlete who is into hardcore training data and doesn´t need extra fancy features. Its especially suited for triathletes thanks to its unique features for triathlons.
Wahoo have for a long time been recognized for their expertise within cycling. This includes everything from indoor hometrainer, GPS-cycling computers, cycling sensors and heart rate monitors designed to optimize athletes´ cycling training. But now Wahoo have taken their first steps into the running- and triathlon market with their first GPS-watch.
During the last couple of months I tested the watch and I am quite certain that if you already use Wahoo’s cycling equipment or you are on the search for a special triathlon-watch, Wahoo RIVAL would be an obvious choice.
Test-review chapters
1. First impression of Wahoo Elemnt Rival
4. Setting up and pairing with Wahoo app
5. Sportsprofiles in Wahoo RIVAL
6. Wahoo Elemnt Rival is for the athlete who...
My first impression of Wahoo Elemnt Rival
Everybody knows that first impressions are important. And I got to say that Wahoo Elemnt Rival packaging delivers.
I think its high-quality packaging. I really had the impression that I was presented with a top product. The packaging is inviting, great quality and visually very interesting. However, there is no doubt that the packaging visually oozes triathlon. And you will certainly be drawn to it if you are a triathlete.
As someone who hasn´t tried Wahoo and their products before, I think the packaging provides a great intro to the watch and its pairing with the app. Its easy and clear to find out how to set up the watch in relation to the smart pairing with the app (more about that later).
When you put on the watch, I think its quite heavy (for a girl). The weight is 54g., which is the same as Garmin FR945 while the screen size is very similar to Garmin Fenix 6 Pro. Two of Garmins most popular watches which I wouldn´t use either as they are too big for my wrist.
Nevertheless, the Elemnt Rival design delivers an impression of a practical watch for serious athletes. It is not a fashionable watch like many other watches today. Its up to you if you think its positive or negative but it is certainly a solid sports watch.
Wahoo vs. Garmin
When we compare Wahoo Rival to Garmins GPS-watches, its natural to go further into what Wahoo can and cannot provide compared to Garmin.
The basic features of Wahoo Rival:
- GPS watch with a battery life of 24 hours with GPS, and 14 days on standby.
- 240x240 px. Color screen
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- LiveTrack support when connected to Smartphone
- Supports ANT+ og Bluetooth sensors
- Supports running wattmeter like Stryd
- May be connected to 3.partsapp, like Strava, TrainingPeaks, Dropbox and more
- Barometric altimeter
- Optical HR-sensor on the back for measuring HR data, which also works for swimming.
What Wahoo doesn´t offer as opposed to Garmin watches (among others):
- Planning workouts (however, this is possible through TrainingPeaks, among others)
- Routes/navigation/compass
- Map
- Music
- Contactless payment
- 24/7 HR-data through app
- Tracking sleep, stairs or other similiar measurements.
- No alarms
- Sports alarms like heart rate zones, pace, power, cadence, etc..
- Live Strava segments
- Indications of training load, recovery time or other physiological parametres.
As I said in the beginning, Wahoo is not a fancy GPS-watch with lots of fancy features which completely sidelines Garmin. But it still has a lot to offer. Its a simple watch which measures everything an athlete needs for his specific workouts - and nothing more than that. And just the way Wahoo promotes Elemnt Rival, it is a watch for the serious athlete who already knows what he is doing and how he can improve.
My guess is that we will see more extra parametres in the future Wahoo versions. Elemnt Rival is their first watch and it works according to standards but there is definitely also room for more features so the watch will become interesting for a wider segment of runners and become extra exiting for exercise runners.
Table of comparison between Wahoo RIVAL and Garmin FR745
Basic use of Wahoo Elemnt Rival
The saying ”Less is more” fits very well with Elemnt Rival. A watch which allows you to focus 100% on performance instead of equipment.
The design is as simple as its features. The watch has five buttons and no touch screen to my great pleasure. Of course its very individual what people prefer. However, I prefer push buttons, so I am certain that I won´t push a button accidentally or unconsciously during my workout.
When you are used to Garmin and their control system and user friendliness, I personally think it was challenging to use Elemnt Rival. I definitely needed to get used to it as the buttons aren´t quite as intuitive in relation to up/down, start/stop amd lap. However, if I hadn´t been used to Garmins watches, Wahoo’s system wouldn´t have been a challenge. Its just a new system and I needed to get used to it!
In terms of navigation, its (once again) evident that it isn´t packed with fancy features and functions. There isn´t a lot of screens to switch between - and the four available are all related to specific training. I.e 1) Screenshot showing time, date, number of steps pr. day, total running distance (for the current week) and battery percentage, 2) Initiating workout 3) Heart rate data and 4) Altimeter data.
The smart and more fancy aspect of Elemnt Rival is in the accompanying app. This is where you set up and control the watch, i.e. in terms of which data you want in individual training profiles like running, cycling, triathlon, etc.. In addition you can also set up the "front page" in relation to appearance and data shown.
Roughly speaking, EVERYTHING is controlled via the mobile, so this is really the place to nerd around. The watch acts precisely according to the setup via the app.
Setting up and pairing with the Wahoo app
So, how does the Wahoo-app really work?
While the Garmin app is intelligent in terms of reading and anlyzing your training data after training and synchronization, the Wahoo app is intelligent especially before training in terms of setup and subsequently in terms of synchronization. Indeed, its via the app that the complete setup is done.
Setting up the watch is fortunately really easy. Its perhaps one of the easiest GPS-watch setups I have done. The upstart guide only asks you to download the Wahoo Elemnt-app for your phone and scan the QR-code which appears on the dial when you turn the watch on. After that you just need to follow the instructions and the watch is then rather quickly paired with app.
As I have mentioned earlier, it is possible to set up basically everything with the app – right from the display of the dial (here you may find four to choose between) screen color, function of the buttons and the individual sports profiles.
You can see a small selection of the options for setting up the watch in the image below.
In total, I would say that the pairing and synchronization from the watch to the app works really well. I experienced just once that my training wasn´t synchronized automatically after a workout but that I needed to do it manually. Otherwise the synchronization just took place either when I was using the watch or my Smartphone.
This means that from the moment I finished an activity, it was automatically uploaded to the Wahoo-app and the on to the 3. parts apps, which I have installed. In my case the training was synchronized directly with my TrainingPeaks-account and my Strava profile. In fact, it happened so fast that I had received notifications on ”kudos/likes” on Strava before I even discovered that my acivity had been uploaded. Very positive!
While the watch and phone are paired, the watch also receives certain smartphone-notifications which can be adjusted or turned off according to your needs in the app. As an extra, smart little feature, it is actually possible to activate live-tracking through the app. This means that your family or friends may follow you during a race which also provides you with a sense of security if you are working out alone.
Sports profiles in Wahoo RIVAL
Wahoo is a running - and triathlon watch which is principally as simple as the different types of sports. It does what it needs to do, neither more nor less. As a starting point, its possible to choose between the profiles: Running (GPS), treadmill, swimming in pool, swimming in open water, cycling (GPS), KICKR, strength, yoga and triathlon. However, from the app you can make your own sports profiles by choosing "add training profile". As mentioned earlier here you have the option to design your screenshot yourself in relation to choosing the number of fields and which data is to be shown in each field.
As a former triathlete and current runner, I am not afraid to say that there is no question that this watch is primarily suited for triathletes thanks to its smart triathlon-specific features such as automatic and touchless overlap in the changing zones. You even have the option to "regret" an overlap if you or the algorhythm of the watch makes a mistake. In addition its also possible to correct split times in the app afterwards, so you get precise results - also before the activity is uploaded to thid party apps like Strava or TrainingPeaks. As a former triathlete, I think that is quite cool. Unfortunately its not a feature that I had the option to test, but from what I hear others say, it works really well. But I will say much more about the triathlon-features of the watch further down the article.
Common for all activities is that you start a training session by pressing the button at the right side of the watch. The complete sports-menu will be shown and it is possible to choose exactly the activity you want to do.
The only feature which I didn´t find at first was the Wahoo ”Perfect View Zoom”. If you are already familiar with the Wahoo cycling computer, the feature isn´t new, but for me it was completely new. The Zoom-feature makes it possible to increase or reduce the number of data fields visible during an activity. I.e. if you only want to zoom in on two fields like pace pr/km or distance, you can press a shortcut, i.e. two buttons (which you set up via the app) and zoom in on exactly these two fields.
I never thought about that this was feature I needed but it is actually quite cool. I have used it especially for intervals where I didn´t need to know more than my pace pr.lap and distance pr. lap. I could even easily imagine that it is a feature that I would use during a race. If I have a lot of fields to take into account, then I would also think about a lot of things during a race. If I am presented with heart rate, cadence, pace, distance etc., I would use too much - unnecessary strength and energy on thinking about all these aspects. And then panic if one of the parametres was off. But if I can see only two fields, I don´t automatically have to take a lot of other things into account as well.
Wahoo Elemnt Rival – Running profile
Even though I have stressed several times that Wahoo is a simple and not a fancy GPS-watch, its also important for me to point out, that I never thought about this during my workouts. The watch provides exactly the info I need - which would also be provided in a Garmin watch.
Generally, Elemnt Rival quickly locates the GPS. Its easy and quick to choose an activity and get started if you have given yourself time to set up the running profile just like you want it via the app. Its not possible to change the settings for running during your run like in Garmin, so you need to fix that before your run.
There is a sea of possibilities as to which data fields you want to see during your workouts. See the pictures below for all the general data fields you can choose from, under which there are several individual, specific data fields you can choose from.
For my specific training sessions like short-stretch pacy workouts or intervals, I am a big fan of counting laps. Of course this is also possible with Elemnt Rival, where the watch is able to autolap by a certain distance or time. Just like it is also possible to auto-pause if you are at a traffic light. However, these features also have to activated/deactivated via the app.
Even though I started off by saying that the watch is rather big, I have to admit that it is very cool with a big screen. The data is quite clear which makes it very easy to use only a split second for reading it.
The data provided after your run is quite detailed. The watch shows distance, total amount of time in motion, average and max.pace, altimeter (elevation gain), calorie burn, heart rate zone division, cadence, laps, and much more. There is nothing unusual about the data presented but it arrives promptly and seems accurate.
After the run it is also possible to get a more visual presentation of data like pace, altimeter, heart rate, cadence and laps via the app.
(Data shown from the Wahoo app)
If you use a wattmeter like Stryd, its possible to see the data straight on the watch, but unfortunately not in the app afterwards. However, data will be available in 3. partsapps, like TrainingPeaks and Strava.
Wahoo Elemnt Rival - Cycling profile
The same applies to the cycling profile in terms of setting up before, showing data during and results after your ride.
However, the cycling profile differs from the running profile in terms of the fact that the watch is designed to work smoothly with the Wahoo’s cycling computers if/when its used for triathlons. And of course its synchronized to the same app as the cycling computers. What makes Wahoo unique from other GPS-watches, including Garmin, in the market is its unique ”Touchless Transitions” feature. In this feature, data is automatically synchronized between the watch and the cycling computer, so you only have to focus on racing - and not pushing the right buttons at the right time.
Unfortunately I didn´t test the watch during a bike ride but my colleague Peter had the chance to test it and his feedback was that the Elemnt Rival-screen is incredibly easy to read on the go as the numbers are very clear. Even with the six data fiels which are possible to view, it takes no effort to decode and read what it says. The data fiels also become clearer when the activity is in progress as the text/titles (HR, watt etc.) in fields dissapear when you know which field shows what to provide extra space for the numbers.
Just like running you have to use the app to set up which data fields you want to be shown. Then its possible to choose between the fields in the picture below.
The fact that Elemnt Rival is fully integrated with the Wahoo’s cycling computer also means that the watch can be used if Wahoo’s hometrainer, Kickr, is used.
Wahoo Elemnt Rivals most unique feature - the Triathlon profile
Even though the running - and cycling profile works really well, its no secret that the watch targets triathletes in terms of the connection between swimming, cycling and running. The watch works both for open-water swimming and swimming in a pool, so regardless of the triathlon event you want to use it for, it works.
Its the triathlon profile which makes Elemnt Rivals unique in the market. The watch may register when you enter the changing zones and automatically changes between the different tracking systems related to swimming, cycling and running.
Unfortunately I wasn´t able to test this feature due to Corona and my pregnancy but I read several reviews where others tested this feature and apparently it works really, really well. Several tests proved that it only takes a couple of seconds for the watch to register that you switch from one activity to another. The watch, however keeps registering amd measuring data during the switch, so nothing is lost. And as mentioned earlier, its possible to adjust the time for the individual laps and changing zones afterwards.
When you jump on your bicycle during the traithlon-race, Elemnt Rival can also transfer data from the watch to your Wahoo cycling computer if you have got it and then transfer data back to the watch again as you enter the changing zone.
As a former triathlete I think that is an ingenious feature. When you enter the changing zones, the adrenaline is pumping like crazy. And even if its important (to yourself) to push the button in time as you enter the changing zones, there is often so much chaos that you often forget it and doesn´t get it done at the right time. So, its so much easier if the watch registers the changes itself, so you only have to worry about changing your gear. I would have loved this features for the triathlons I took part in!
Apart from the typical triathlon-race, its also possible to do a swim-run tracking by pushing the top right button during your workout. This makes it possible to choose another sports profile. This switch can be done indefinitely which means that it is possible to create a manual on-the-fly multisport-mode if you feel like it.
Wahoo Elemnt Rival – a serious watch for the serious athlethe
Welcome to the world of running! I certainly think Wahoo has made a brave first attempt with GPS-watches through Elemnt Rival. Its a watch that really attempts to underline the fact that the important part of your training is performance, not entertainment. Its minimalistic and simple, and that is not necessarily a negative thing.
As long as it gets the job done and does it well, it doesn t matter how smart and fancy it is. And that is certainly the reasoning behind Wahoo Elemnt Rival.
When you work out, you should focus on working out - and the same goes for the watch. Its not during training that great ideas should be formed. You should only focus on working out/racing which is what this watch supports. And then you can always play with the watch before or after your workout through the Wahoo-app which is the part of Elemnt Rival that really makes a difference. The app is smart and user friendly and personally I think its very cool that the complete setup is controlled from there and not on the watch which could otherwise involve a lot of scrolling back and forth between screens.
After testing the watch, I would like to stress that this is not a watch for everyone. Its for the one who wants a hardcore sports-watch and it is probably best suited for triathletes especially thanks to its unique Touchless transitions feature for triathlon training as well as racing.
If you already use Wahoo and wants to remain within the same ecosystem, interface and userfriendliness, it would seem completely natural to go for Elemnt Rival. A serious GPS-watch which will support the serious athlete.
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