@@gplama I just hope your 'future' section is informed speculation because you know what the Karoo 3's going to be like and software & hardware are a big upgrade. Because Garmin sure aren't vulnerable to the seemingly nearly dead Wahoo, and catch up from the Asian brands will be slow enough that they can respond to them without getting too sweaty.
Thanks for the review....picked up an 840 last week (my first bike computer) and could not be happier...!!! It's incredible 👍😁 Dont know why people are complaining...its everything I hoped for and much more 👌👌
Just for the perspective, iPhone 1 was released 16 years ago. Karoo 1 was released 6 years ago. Here we are in 2023 and have to deal with low res screen and 2 or 3 tone beep-boop device. But hey! The super-duper centimeter-accurate dual-band GPS tracking for my ultra-endurance 32 hour non-stop pedalling tracking device is here!
Upgraded from the 830 (or rather preordered this morning) - the power guide (like bestbikespilts - but adjustable) , fully working intune / sync of performance metrics with my forerunner and buttons sealed the deal
The battery life of the 540 (non-solar) is why I purchased it and it is impressive. I did a 15 hour ride and still had 48% left whist using it for navigation.
Excellent review! You included everything I need to know in a very concise manner. I'll be staying with my 830 for now. I live in the very flat US midwest and don't get much benefit from the ClimbPro feature, although I love the idea of it. Thanks for what you do!
Hi Lama, Just got the 530 in Amazon Prime Day Sale for £159\$208\A$304\NZ$326\€185. I'm very happy with it so far! I bought it because it supports the power meter on my Trek Domane LT+ / Fazua Evation E-Bike.
Thanks for the video! Just bought the 530, since imo the 540 offers a horrible price performance racio (yeah I know its new), but still here in Europe you can get the 530 new for 190€ now, the 540 starts at 400€. The minor upgrades are not worth double the price for me.
I also recently got a 530 too! The form factor is the same, the maps are the same, the new features I dont really care about, and I'm happy I saved like 200 Eur 😊 more coffees and beers on my rides.
The future features chapter was the highlight - Garmin has always been very good at 'invention is the mother of necessity' and this all feels very safe, so I don't think they've done what they used to do. I'm OK with that, esp since they continue to resist going down that awful monthly subscription route. I'll stay with my 530 for the foreseeable; I'm not really missing out.
Sensors should be customized by activity profiles. Why do I have to see the varia connection thing while I am on indoor riding mode (have to manually turn off the sensor to hide it each time)? Same with power meters. Power meter should be able to be tied to a profile not the device as a whole. Did they fix this yet?
Test rode the 1040 solar last year and it felt more like a GUI update (I'm coming from a 1030). Still no Strava Live Segments when you're on a route is the biggest giveaway, they've done nothing software wise in the background. I'm with Shane, that they've manouvered themselves in a vulnerable position with the x40. For the IQ apps, Garmin should have auto compile and auto test for them (at least to some degree). If the dev abandons their project you'll never get them on the new devices. And alert devs ahead of time (yes, that means they have to leak devices ahead of time) so they have ample time.
Like the battery life, but Shane is right! Wahoo and Karoo could make these look outdated very quickly with some new hardware and better features (Blackberry's in an iPhone / Android world)
I just bought a 1030 plus, got a great easter deal. Yes its 2 or 3 years old but for my budget its a great device I changed from my 520 whjch i had from release purely because my battery is slowly dying a death
If you fully reset your 520 and re flash the firmware (using a PC), i think you’ll find that the battery life will greatly increase. My theory is that the file system becomes fragmented, causing increased memory read and writes, which slows it down and eats the battery. It’s seems to be an issue that has existed for more than a decade. My 510, very old, has this problem….the increase in battery life after re flashing was astonishing. Also, see Shane’s other in depth video, the solar feature doesn’t seem to deliver that much, IMO it’s almost pointless when considering the battery life spec. (Personally i’d save the extra money).
My biggest reason to move from my 830 to the 840 would be solar performance as I would like to use this for longer rides without getting a 1040 solar. Would love to hear what the solar/battery performance is of the 840 solar.
Simple upgrade posture: You own an x30/x30+, no. You own a x00/x10/x20, yes. The only reason I would be upgrading is the USB-C power connection. The older micro-USB had a nice long life and needed to be retired and brought up to a newer standard.
While there's no chance any of the new on-device features will come to older units, I would like to see the activity profile configuration via connect come to the older devices. In particular on non-touch enabled devices, as the configuration is particularly tedious.
I have a Garmin Fenix 6 for day to day and an Old Garmin Edge 800 so well and truly Garmin network and I love the connect app. The Edge 800 the battery is starting to go so the 540/840 units would be a good swap (similar sizing ) should not need to get a new mount. The porting over of the data fields and sensor information probable won't work on such an old device but sounds interesting. Also the use of the mobile to set the fields up although probable not as good as the Wahoo system, could be a good start.
I may be the minority here and an early adopter. I have the 830 and will upgrade to the 840. The bezel doesn't bother me. I'm not really staring down at the screen for more than a moment. The screen on my 830 does the job. I only need to see the HR and grade % mostly. The touch screen was always a nice feautre. I missed the buttons from my 510 and welcome them on the 840. I was looking forward to the USB C interface since my Samsung Galaxy uses the same and I can now ditch the USB A to micro adapter from my car. I am digging the solar feature. Charging my 830 after every ride was a drag. I use Shockz bone conducting headphones when I ride gravel/MTB so the interface with my music app is a nice feature not available on the 830. All the other bells and whistles are nice to haves.
Very amusing last question, it has been the Nokia for a while, you just didn't want to say it as a statement. We all put up with it, for now, but other device options mean mean we don't have to.
Excellent review as usual. I was curious if the buttons are still horrible on the new models? I have the 530 and it feels like a $20 computer when pressing any button on it.
One point i agree with you 100%, Garmin needs to go full screen Amoled for their screens as they are doing in their smartwatches, if not as you say they will be "Nokia of bike computers" ;)
Very minor changes for a higher price - it’s a marketing technique to reset the prices on what is essentially old hardware that sells for cheaper over time.
Glad these finally came out, as my 520's battery is toast after 5 years. Hoping you do a comparison of the 840 solar vs. 1040 solar... so I can pull the trigger on one or the other. :)
They're effectively identical, just different screen sizes. The 1040 Solar also having 64GB of storage and the 840 Solar only has 32GB. A side-by-side comparison is a good idea though, so thanks for the video idea! 🙏🏼
@@osint6372 1040 Solar: 134g vs 840 Solar 89g. Screen size and battery life are bigger/better on the 1040. The value of those two attributes are subjective.
@@gplama Indeed they are Sir. I guess the older I get size matters.. The weight is negligible...Losing a few pounds would be more meaningful lol....Now I have to find a way to combo mount this on the bike together with the GoPro and having the darn TT bar extensions there too.....I will try the Chisela maybe which I watched you review.....Thanks again. Cheers from California.
While I would love a larger screen and smaller bezels, I do still feel as though the features on the x40 series is a worthy upgrade over the x30 series.
Thanks - well after trying a friends 1040 on my out front aero mount and seeing this. 1040 it is. Dispaointing they did not make these better. TBH also only upgrading as my 520+ battery is now woeful after about 5 years - barely makes it through a 100km ride. Have to carry a powerbank for anything longer.
I'm in the same boat as you. My 520's battery is toast after any ride longer than 4 hours (with Varia radar). The batteries are the weak point for these units, but still better than the Karoo or Wahoos.
Thanks Llama, considering getting a new head unit this year (replacing an Original Elemnt Bolt) and on the fence between trying Garmin and staying with Wahoo. Looking forward to hear what they've got in the works
Yeah me too. Bolt v1 is going to sales - and now I'm in deep hell of making the right decision. I was pumped to spend the money today - but Lama stoped the show. Now I'm waiting
If you’re looking at Wahoo, stick with the Bolt2 or Roam2. Those units have the most detailed mapping data on-unit (and have elevation data). That’s a good sign those will be the supported devices for the Wahoo Summit Freeride update.
@@gplama Thanks Llama, those are the two I'm mostly deciding between. However sometimes I find myself looking at the 300 million extra features that Garmin users have and thinking what if. The Roam currently looks most attractive with its dual band gps as I ride a fair bit in the woods where the GPS is spotty and makes navigating hard, but it's so much more expensive 😱
I bought and returned a bolt v2 (I own the v1} as it was terrible at keeping a gps connection in areas the v1 managed no problem. I would actually prefer a Garmin for the integration with lights etc, but the lack of WiFi map updates stops this for me. We don't own a PC
One man’s hero feature is another’s planned obsolescence. I wouldn’t mind if it was a hardware improvement, but holding off FreeClimbPro and new OS on older but capable units is cynical at best and does nothing to encourage brand loyalty.
The rubber on the power button for my 520 is finally giving out after many years of service, but as I'm contemplating an upgrade my question is more tending towards "what Garmin watch makes the best bike computer?" Is there really that much more that the 540/840 do better than a Fenix 7X Pro for most use cases?
Those replaceable tabs seem a little interesting. I guess someone is already working on Wahoo compatible tabs, if Garmin doesn't already provide them. Which means I could get a Garmin without having to swap out all my various Wahoo mounts. Hmm...
Stupid question. Tempted to upgrade a 530 to 840 just for the touch screen, now that there are also buttons. The other feature is updated points of interest. As another Aussie with ridiculous summer heat (Perth), water stops on the map to refill bottles would be great. The imported points from Openmaps via KML/GPX aren't a great solution since the saved locations are flooded with them. Are the Australian points of interest, especially water stops, reasonably well supplied? Some US companies tend to have very US/EU-focused databases, with only some token entries for Aus.
After being a loyal Wahoo user for 3 devices thinking about changing to one of these. Thought Garmin were still needing to connect to a computer but seeing the app and lots of features has changed my mind. Wahoo Bolt will only charge using a 5V adapter for goodness sakes.
@74holau Bolt won’t accept anything stronger than 5w so if using a stronger iPhone charger like a 20w or even a newer battery pack with faster charging didn’t work for me. Had to use the old 5w iPhone charger or tv USB.
Damit, I don't know what to do. I really love my Bolt v1 and it still works fine but I also like the ClimbPro feature. I recently bought an Epix2 and also like the training metrics which the Wahoo computers do not provide. Now I'm having a big fight with myself if to go for the Roam v2 or the Edge 840. I love the idea of the touch screen but do not miss it on my Bolt v1. Is it a big game changer or would one of you recomend to stay with Wahoo as I also really like the concept to stay on the training page and add/remove datafields by pressing the +/- buttons on the side. Is there a similar feature on the Garmin or is it as easy to swipe between screens to have a similar experience?
Me and you are in the same exact situation. I never without my bolt when I ride out, but at the same time I do want the suite of training features that the 840 offers. First world problems I guess 🤣
I wish there was an option on at least one unit to show where paths in the countryside are accessible with heavy ebikes as there are lots of locked gates and stiles where you can’t lift the bike over which aren’t on any maps.
hi Shane, ,sorry , will the new climbpro version of the 540/840 be imported into the 1040 too ? and if yes, do you know when? Thank you Fabrizio from italy
Yes. It entered the 1040 beta stream today with firmware 17.09. I've been out testing it today and will likely have a video on this uploaded today (if I can get the time to upload it).
@@gplama that plus solar would be amazing. I had hoped they might also give us proper maps on the 140 and usher in the 21st century, but sadly with the 16GB on the 540 I am not optimistic. I still don't feel like they have a good solution for Fenix owners who also want a head unit. I would love a two size "screencast" option in a 140/1040 form factor. Strip out all the GPS gubbins and just let us send data from the Fenix right to a display screen.
Wondered why my 530 had started randomly resetting itself mid ride recently! Considering the lean towards aerodynamics on all new performance road bikes, it's interesting to see Garmin not offering some kind've aero shaped mount or even the unit form itself. Minor gains of corse, but seems an easy story to add to the marketing if nothing else.
My 530 started reporting incorrect VAM with the latest software updates. Same hill, going for a chill ride on a city bike(16kg MTB imitation) gives me higher VAM than going VO2 Max on road bike… The slower I go, the better the VAM
If the absence of bleeding edge features means a super stable computer, I'm all for it. But I suspect that Garmin is only profiting from being the market leader (in terms of sales) and not improving the products.
It doesn't matter if they UPDATE the HARDWARE, IF Garmin Doesn't update the Garmin MAPS.. They are really out of date.. and most dedicated, Long term Bike paths are still not recognized.. If you like your Garmin Edge to beep at you every 4 seconds and tell you, "make a u-turn..you're off course" when you are on an unrecognized (ignored) bike path, the Garmin Edge is right for you.. LOL
can i customize my end of ride summary? im bettin gno. why not/ need power numbers and dont want to attach to a computer or mess around on my phone. wouldnt everyone with a pm need or at least want the option of 1s 3s 10s 1min etc power numbers of a ride immediately after the ride (ie - in the ride summary)?
Just upgraded from a 520 to the 540 but not liking it so far. My biggest pain point (besides the hard to press buttons and non-intuitive interface) is that the 540 does not automatically power down after disconnecting from the charging cable. With my 520, once I removed it from charging it gave me a 15-second auto power off countdown and then turned itself off. With the 540 lacking this Auto Power Down feature requires me to perform an additional 3-clicks of hard to press buttons to power it down. WHY? This is so annoying. From what I've discovered online, this feature was removed starting with the 530 and users were pissed off then. Now it's carried forward to the 540. Why would Garmin not include an auto power down feature after charging? If I take a turned OFF device and plug it to charge (which it then turns on) and then its completely charged and removed from the charger, it should return to its OFF state. That is only LOGICAL. I can see how lacking this feature its possible to forget to power it down manually and then wake up the next day with a dead device that remained on all night.
The current screens already cover the area I'm talking about, it's just the display under them isn't using all the available space. Durability isn't going to be any different.
Hey Shane. I have my Edge 1000 on the K-edge combo mount. Would the 1040 fit the same mount? Not sure if the bottom would not fit the quarter turn without hitting the handle bar?
Is this worth an upgrade from a Wahoo bolt v2 ? I'm new to cycling head units. I mainly use it for training with a power meter and navigation for the rides I plan in Komoot. How much Battery Life does the Solar add ?
Has there been any improvement to blue tooth / device connections from the 530? eg does it deal with all the dropouts of various connected devices (HR, Varia, Cadence, Di2 etc etc)?
I've not had any ongoing issues with the Edge x30 series in regard to drops from sensors. Just ensure the firmware is updated on both the Edge and all sensors.
@@gplama Hmmm generally at least once a ride I will get HR / Varia drop. All latest firmware, software and battery etc. They then will then take about 30 seconds to reconnect (automatically) so possibly sounds like an issue with my unit.
Looking at getting the 540 either regular or solar coming from an very old cateye stealth 50 evo. Wait for the whaoo updates and get the element bolt or go for 540?
hi Shane, I heard that to use the new climbpro feature on the 1040 you have to delete the existing map and install the new one. It is true? and if so how can it be done? thank you🙏🙏🙏
Yes.... If you're already on the latest maps, you'll need to re-install them. This is done via Garmin Express on Mac/PC using a USB cable. If your Edge needs a map update, no need to delete the maps first. Just update them. Either way needs beta firmware 17.09 at this point. Details in my video here: th-cam.com/video/SDQNv0lOM2Q/w-d-xo.html
I don’t really get the request for bezel-less design or a bigger screen, it’s all fine with me. My gripes were (before I left moved to Wahoo) the Bluetooth glitches and the horrible GUI. And a free climb pro sounds good.
The trouble is there is no magic bullet regarding the number one priority of a bike computer which is battery run time. There is no magic new screen tech out there that solves this issue of wanting larger, brighter, higher resolution (plus weather resilient) screens for a device that is more safety than entertainment.
Virtually everybody: Please give us smaller bezels and a bigger screen. Garmin: have bigger bezels .
hahahhahahh! Oh man... I appreciate this post more than you could imagine. 🤣
@@gplama I just hope your 'future' section is informed speculation because you know what the Karoo 3's going to be like and software & hardware are a big upgrade. Because Garmin sure aren't vulnerable to the seemingly nearly dead Wahoo, and catch up from the Asian brands will be slow enough that they can respond to them without getting too sweaty.
Seriously long overdue, why can't they have higher resolution screen and smaller bezel, Garmin duhhhhh
Not for anyone who's actually thought about it. Better visuals and more charging, if anything you want more bezel.
You are our beta tester. Thanks for doing all the anger management for us to get the fixes done! 🎉🎉
11:55 wahoo!! Thank you for the information
Thanks for the review....picked up an 840 last week (my first bike computer) and could not be happier...!!! It's incredible 👍😁 Dont know why people are complaining...its everything I hoped for and much more 👌👌
Just for the perspective, iPhone 1 was released 16 years ago. Karoo 1 was released 6 years ago.
Here we are in 2023 and have to deal with low res screen and 2 or 3 tone beep-boop device.
But hey! The super-duper centimeter-accurate dual-band GPS tracking for my ultra-endurance 32 hour non-stop pedalling tracking device is here!
100%
Upgraded from the 830 (or rather preordered this morning) - the power guide (like bestbikespilts - but adjustable) , fully working intune / sync of performance metrics with my forerunner and buttons sealed the deal
The battery life of the 540 (non-solar) is why I purchased it and it is impressive. I did a 15 hour ride and still had 48% left whist using it for navigation.
what brightness did you use?
@@deDANIEL11609 whatever it was set to out of the box. I have changed very little from its standard configuration
@@clairerogerpembery2920 do you have many sensors attached? phone paired while riding?
@@deDANIEL11609 varia radar
Great review. I also appreciate your pointing out past history of SW bugs taking time to stabilize. For myself, I’m happy with my Karoo2.
Excellent review! You included everything I need to know in a very concise manner. I'll be staying with my 830 for now. I live in the very flat US midwest and don't get much benefit from the ClimbPro feature, although I love the idea of it. Thanks for what you do!
Thank-you for the kind words! 🙏🏼
Hi Lama, Just got the 530 in Amazon Prime Day Sale for £159\$208\A$304\NZ$326\€185. I'm very happy with it so far! I bought it because it supports the power meter on my Trek Domane LT+ / Fazua Evation E-Bike.
Thanks for the video!
Just bought the 530, since imo the 540 offers a horrible price performance racio (yeah I know its new), but still here in Europe you can get the 530 new for 190€ now, the 540 starts at 400€. The minor upgrades are not worth double the price for me.
I agree with you!!!
I also recently got a 530 too! The form factor is the same, the maps are the same, the new features I dont really care about, and I'm happy I saved like 200 Eur 😊 more coffees and beers on my rides.
The future features chapter was the highlight - Garmin has always been very good at 'invention is the mother of necessity' and this all feels very safe, so I don't think they've done what they used to do. I'm OK with that, esp since they continue to resist going down that awful monthly subscription route. I'll stay with my 530 for the foreseeable; I'm not really missing out.
Sensors should be customized by activity profiles. Why do I have to see the varia connection thing while I am on indoor riding mode (have to manually turn off the sensor to hide it each time)? Same with power meters. Power meter should be able to be tied to a profile not the device as a whole. Did they fix this yet?
"Should you upgrade... If you have a 520" *looks over at my labouring 510....
Thank you for the (as always) great explanations Shane 🤗 guess I'll wait a bit cause my 530 is still ok.
Test rode the 1040 solar last year and it felt more like a GUI update (I'm coming from a 1030). Still no Strava Live Segments when you're on a route is the biggest giveaway, they've done nothing software wise in the background. I'm with Shane, that they've manouvered themselves in a vulnerable position with the x40.
For the IQ apps, Garmin should have auto compile and auto test for them (at least to some degree). If the dev abandons their project you'll never get them on the new devices. And alert devs ahead of time (yes, that means they have to leak devices ahead of time) so they have ample time.
Like the battery life, but Shane is right! Wahoo and Karoo could make these look outdated very quickly with some new hardware and better features (Blackberry's in an iPhone / Android world)
About to upgrade from an Edge 500 think this would be a fair bit of improvement 😅
Great video Shane , now that all the new Garmin units are out it might speed up the karoo 3 release
They really aren't giving us many reasons to upgrade a 530 to 540 🤔
Solar is great feature, my 520 battery is starting significantly degraded but still a workhorse device. Thanks for reviewing!
I just bought a 1030 plus, got a great easter deal.
Yes its 2 or 3 years old but for my budget its a great device
I changed from my 520 whjch i had from release purely because my battery is slowly dying a death
If you fully reset your 520 and re flash the firmware (using a PC), i think you’ll find that the battery life will greatly increase.
My theory is that the file system becomes fragmented, causing increased memory read and writes, which slows it down and eats the battery. It’s seems to be an issue that has existed for more than a decade. My 510, very old, has this problem….the increase in battery life after re flashing was astonishing.
Also, see Shane’s other in depth video, the solar feature doesn’t seem to deliver that much, IMO it’s almost pointless when considering the battery life spec. (Personally i’d save the extra money).
@@likemarksee How exactly would you reflash the device?
My biggest reason to move from my 830 to the 840 would be solar performance as I would like to use this for longer rides without getting a 1040 solar. Would love to hear what the solar/battery performance is of the 840 solar.
It was similar to the 1040. I’ll post a picture on my Instagram shortly of a test I did (but didn’t include in the video)
Fantastic reciew! Thank you for all informations and screenshots
Simple upgrade posture: You own an x30/x30+, no. You own a x00/x10/x20, yes. The only reason I would be upgrading is the USB-C power connection. The older micro-USB had a nice long life and needed to be retired and brought up to a newer standard.
While there's no chance any of the new on-device features will come to older units, I would like to see the activity profile configuration via connect come to the older devices. In particular on non-touch enabled devices, as the configuration is particularly tedious.
I have a Garmin Fenix 6 for day to day and an Old Garmin Edge 800 so well and truly Garmin network and I love the connect app. The Edge 800 the battery is starting to go so the 540/840 units would be a good swap (similar sizing ) should not need to get a new mount. The porting over of the data fields and sensor information probable won't work on such an old device but sounds interesting. Also the use of the mobile to set the fields up although probable not as good as the Wahoo system, could be a good start.
I may be the minority here and an early adopter. I have the 830 and will upgrade to the 840. The bezel doesn't bother me. I'm not really staring down at the screen for more than a moment. The screen on my 830 does the job. I only need to see the HR and grade % mostly. The touch screen was always a nice feautre. I missed the buttons from my 510 and welcome them on the 840. I was looking forward to the USB C interface since my Samsung Galaxy uses the same and I can now ditch the USB A to micro adapter from my car. I am digging the solar feature. Charging my 830 after every ride was a drag. I use Shockz bone conducting headphones when I ride gravel/MTB so the interface with my music app is a nice feature not available on the 830. All the other bells and whistles are nice to haves.
I can't keep up... I've only just finished the Climb-Pro video LOL... been waiting for the 840
At long last. Woot! Bit surprised the 840 Solar doesn't ship with a silicone cover. I thought the 1040 does
@@OttoDestruct Shipping a cover instead of all the useless o-rings and stem mount that nobody uses or wants
Been looking at the 530 but really like the 540 but coming from Wahoo may see what they update on their climb feature.
Very amusing last question, it has been the Nokia for a while, you just didn't want to say it as a statement. We all put up with it, for now, but other device options mean mean we don't have to.
Excellent review as usual. I was curious if the buttons are still horrible on the new models? I have the 530 and it feels like a $20 computer when pressing any button on it.
No issues with the buttons.... so far. 👌🏼
One point i agree with you 100%, Garmin needs to go full screen Amoled for their screens as they are doing in their smartwatches, if not as you say they will be "Nokia of bike computers" ;)
Very minor changes for a higher price - it’s a marketing technique to reset the prices on what is essentially old hardware that sells for cheaper over time.
Glad these finally came out, as my 520's battery is toast after 5 years. Hoping you do a comparison of the 840 solar vs. 1040 solar... so I can pull the trigger on one or the other. :)
They're effectively identical, just different screen sizes. The 1040 Solar also having 64GB of storage and the 840 Solar only has 32GB. A side-by-side comparison is a good idea though, so thanks for the video idea! 🙏🏼
@@gplama Excellent idea. Is the 1040 so much heavier than the 840 ? Are screen size and battery life worth an extra $150?
@@osint6372 1040 Solar: 134g vs 840 Solar 89g. Screen size and battery life are bigger/better on the 1040. The value of those two attributes are subjective.
@@gplama Indeed they are Sir. I guess the older I get size matters.. The weight is negligible...Losing a few pounds would be more meaningful lol....Now I have to find a way to combo mount this on the bike together with the GoPro and having the darn TT bar extensions there too.....I will try the Chisela maybe which I watched you review.....Thanks again. Cheers from California.
I bought an 830 last week not knowing about the 840. Thanks for clearing up the differences.
Change it
Shane: Maybe it's time to upgrade from the 1030
Me: Gazes at my trusty 810
Finally climbpro actually gets good!
Thanks GP Lama!
While I would love a larger screen and smaller bezels, I do still feel as though the features on the x40 series is a worthy upgrade over the x30 series.
Thanks - well after trying a friends 1040 on my out front aero mount and seeing this. 1040 it is. Dispaointing they did not make these better.
TBH also only upgrading as my 520+ battery is now woeful after about 5 years - barely makes it through a 100km ride. Have to carry a powerbank for anything longer.
With better battery life on the X40 series, you might need to use the power bank for your phone. Ha!
I'm in the same boat as you. My 520's battery is toast after any ride longer than 4 hours (with Varia radar). The batteries are the weak point for these units, but still better than the Karoo or Wahoos.
I can’t believe the day is FINALLY here!!! Geez, this has taken forever to be released…underwhelming 😂
Thanks Llama, considering getting a new head unit this year (replacing an Original Elemnt Bolt) and on the fence between trying Garmin and staying with Wahoo. Looking forward to hear what they've got in the works
Yeah me too. Bolt v1 is going to sales - and now I'm in deep hell of making the right decision. I was pumped to spend the money today - but Lama stoped the show. Now I'm waiting
If you’re looking at Wahoo, stick with the Bolt2 or Roam2. Those units have the most detailed mapping data on-unit (and have elevation data). That’s a good sign those will be the supported devices for the Wahoo Summit Freeride update.
@@gplama Thanks Llama, those are the two I'm mostly deciding between. However sometimes I find myself looking at the 300 million extra features that Garmin users have and thinking what if. The Roam currently looks most attractive with its dual band gps as I ride a fair bit in the woods where the GPS is spotty and makes navigating hard, but it's so much more expensive 😱
Ive got original bolt. Will be upgrading to Roam V2 myself.
I bought and returned a bolt v2 (I own the v1} as it was terrible at keeping a gps connection in areas the v1 managed no problem.
I would actually prefer a Garmin for the integration with lights etc, but the lack of WiFi map updates stops this for me. We don't own a PC
Holy Bezels Batman!
One man’s hero feature is another’s planned obsolescence. I wouldn’t mind if it was a hardware improvement, but holding off FreeClimbPro and new OS on older but capable units is cynical at best and does nothing to encourage brand loyalty.
Good review as always..
Will you be doing a startup speed test, and also include time to load a route and get it started? Say from a 520 onwards, thanks!
Buttons on the 840 is a great idea!
Agreed. Best of both worlds.
The rubber on the power button for my 520 is finally giving out after many years of service, but as I'm contemplating an upgrade my question is more tending towards "what Garmin watch makes the best bike computer?"
Is there really that much more that the 540/840 do better than a Fenix 7X Pro for most use cases?
I currently use a 530, before these came out I was wanting to move to a 1040. Do I go with a 1040 for the larger size or go with the newer 840?
Those replaceable tabs seem a little interesting. I guess someone is already working on Wahoo compatible tabs, if Garmin doesn't already provide them. Which means I could get a Garmin without having to swap out all my various Wahoo mounts. Hmm...
А что по картографии? Насколько на 840 удобно смотреть карты? И на сколько 1040 лучше для этого подходит?
This doesn't look to be much more than a very small increment from the 830. Underwhelming.
How do they compare to the Explore 2? Is it going to take sales from the 540?
Great to see this out finally. Now I need to see how I can justify upgrading the the 530/830…. Good video thanks.
Not yet. I was a early adopter to the Fenix 7 Solar. My strong advice is wait a little bit should you want to
Will you recommend to upgrade from 1030 Edge?
Stupid question. Tempted to upgrade a 530 to 840 just for the touch screen, now that there are also buttons. The other feature is updated points of interest. As another Aussie with ridiculous summer heat (Perth), water stops on the map to refill bottles would be great. The imported points from Openmaps via KML/GPX aren't a great solution since the saved locations are flooded with them. Are the Australian points of interest, especially water stops, reasonably well supplied? Some US companies tend to have very US/EU-focused databases, with only some token entries for Aus.
After being a loyal Wahoo user for 3 devices thinking about changing to one of these. Thought Garmin were still needing to connect to a computer but seeing the app and lots of features has changed my mind. Wahoo Bolt will only charge using a 5V adapter for goodness sakes.
@74holau Bolt won’t accept anything stronger than 5w so if using a stronger iPhone charger like a 20w or even a newer battery pack with faster charging didn’t work for me. Had to use the old 5w iPhone charger or tv USB.
Thanks. Very imformative. Nokia! :)
Can I use strava segments while following a route on the 840? My 830 does not really do it well.
Damit, I don't know what to do. I really love my Bolt v1 and it still works fine but I also like the ClimbPro feature. I recently bought an Epix2 and also like the training metrics which the Wahoo computers do not provide. Now I'm having a big fight with myself if to go for the Roam v2 or the Edge 840. I love the idea of the touch screen but do not miss it on my Bolt v1. Is it a big game changer or would one of you recomend to stay with Wahoo as I also really like the concept to stay on the training page and add/remove datafields by pressing the +/- buttons on the side. Is there a similar feature on the Garmin or is it as easy to swipe between screens to have a similar experience?
Me and you are in the same exact situation. I never without my bolt when I ride out, but at the same time I do want the suite of training features that the 840 offers.
First world problems I guess 🤣
I wish there was an option on at least one unit to show where paths in the countryside are accessible with heavy ebikes as there are lots of locked gates and stiles where you can’t lift the bike over which aren’t on any maps.
why are the bezels so wide?
A question we've been asking for too long.
Perhaps touch area should exceed display area to accommodate fat fingers
as 46 year old i have difficulty reading the screen so bigger screen is always welcome.
hi Shane,
,sorry , will the new climbpro version of the 540/840 be imported into the 1040 too ? and if yes, do you know when?
Thank you
Fabrizio from italy
Yes. It entered the 1040 beta stream today with firmware 17.09. I've been out testing it today and will likely have a video on this uploaded today (if I can get the time to upload it).
@@gplama thank you
So, a year along. I have a 830. Is the 840 worth it yet?
Very interested to see what they do with the 140...
Just a little more battery than the 130/130+, please Garmin!
@@gplama that plus solar would be amazing. I had hoped they might also give us proper maps on the 140 and usher in the 21st century, but sadly with the 16GB on the 540 I am not optimistic. I still don't feel like they have a good solution for Fenix owners who also want a head unit. I would love a two size "screencast" option in a 140/1040 form factor. Strip out all the GPS gubbins and just let us send data from the Fenix right to a display screen.
DC Rainmaker did a great review where he compared and also addressed Llama's concern about climbpro start point accuracy
Wondered why my 530 had started randomly resetting itself mid ride recently! Considering the lean towards aerodynamics on all new performance road bikes, it's interesting to see Garmin not offering some kind've aero shaped mount or even the unit form itself. Minor gains of corse, but seems an easy story to add to the marketing if nothing else.
My 530 started reporting incorrect VAM with the latest software updates. Same hill, going for a chill ride on a city bike(16kg MTB imitation) gives me higher VAM than going VO2 Max on road bike… The slower I go, the better the VAM
Reflash the firmware, using PC, it will be like new again.
Mine never did that until yesterday after 4.5 hours at the end of the ride:/
If the absence of bleeding edge features means a super stable computer, I'm all for it. But I suspect that Garmin is only profiting from being the market leader (in terms of sales) and not improving the products.
I wish Apple would get into cycling, adopt an ant+ receiver in the phones, and let us ditch what seem like old android phones with lag
It doesn't matter if they UPDATE the HARDWARE, IF Garmin Doesn't update the Garmin MAPS.. They are really out of date.. and most dedicated, Long term Bike paths are still not recognized.. If you like your Garmin Edge to beep at you every 4 seconds and tell you, "make a u-turn..you're off course" when you are on an unrecognized (ignored) bike path, the Garmin Edge is right for you.. LOL
Hmm been leaning towards the wahoo elemt roam v2, i think still the better all round user experience ?
Good timing, I had 10% battery left after a 50 mile ride this weekend :)
Check you're screen brightness isn't set high/auto. I don't go over 10% brightness, absolutely kills the battery.
@@robhaddock2034 my first thought, and it was zero. I do have a 6+ year old 520. I’m not sure if it started at 100% might be draining while off.
@@jonathanzappala Fair enough. My 520 struggled with charge after a lot less than 6yrs, so you've done well!
can i customize my end of ride summary? im bettin gno. why not/ need power numbers and dont want to attach to a computer or mess around on my phone. wouldnt everyone with a pm need or at least want the option of 1s 3s 10s 1min etc power numbers of a ride immediately after the ride (ie - in the ride summary)?
always amazing how many people can't navigate and need a device !!
Hopefully they have upgraded the elevation sensor from the 830. If a little wet or fog in the weather, my 830 just stop working 😅
The gradient lag is still there.... see my ClimbPro video for more details/examples.
Thanks! Was there a change in the chipset used (aside from the increased gps/etc capabilities)?
I assume so, but I don’t know for sure.
Just upgraded from a 520 to the 540 but not liking it so far.
My biggest pain point (besides the hard to press buttons and non-intuitive interface) is that the 540 does not automatically power down after disconnecting from the charging cable.
With my 520, once I removed it from charging it gave me a 15-second auto power off countdown and then turned itself off.
With the 540 lacking this Auto Power Down feature requires me to perform an additional 3-clicks of hard to press buttons to power it down. WHY?
This is so annoying. From what I've discovered online, this feature was removed starting with the 530 and users were pissed off then. Now it's carried forward to the 540.
Why would Garmin not include an auto power down feature after charging? If I take a turned OFF device and plug it to charge (which it then turns on) and then its completely charged and removed from the charger, it should return to its OFF state. That is only LOGICAL.
I can see how lacking this feature its possible to forget to power it down manually and then wake up the next day with a dead device that remained on all night.
Is it possible to customize the workout screen on the new units? This is one on the biggest annoyances on the 830 for me
Ils it possible to lock completely the touch screen on the 840 and just use buttons ? (When it rain)
Whats wrong with bezels? Bezelless just makes the screen more likely to smash if it gets dropped.
The current screens already cover the area I'm talking about, it's just the display under them isn't using all the available space. Durability isn't going to be any different.
Hey Shane.
I have my Edge 1000 on the K-edge combo mount. Would the 1040 fit the same mount?
Not sure if the bottom would not fit the quarter turn without hitting the handle bar?
You'll need the combo XL, iirc.
!st Review for me to watch, Thanks. Beat DCRainmaker by quite a margin 👍🏻
Thanks. But what about screen clarity\contrast
eflectivity solar vs non solar?
He said it's not a noticeable difference outdoors
@@VirgilOvid missed it. thanks
Garmin really phoning in this update. How is this the screen and bezels we get in 2023?
If they would make the screen edge to edge and Oled screen with gorilla glass ...home run. Till then , they are just getting on base.
Is the configuration trough Connect available also for 520?
Is this worth an upgrade from a Wahoo bolt v2 ? I'm new to cycling head units. I mainly use it for training with a power meter and navigation for the rides I plan in Komoot. How much Battery Life does the Solar add ?
It depends on the features you use/want. The solar boost depends on how sunny it is, so there’s no easy estimate to report.
Oh dear, if there using the 1040 interface I wonder if this manages to wireless sync ebike rides with connect, the 1040 won’t!!
830 ftw 💪
It's a nice little unit. I'm still using an 830 on almost a daily basis.
Has there been any improvement to blue tooth / device connections from the 530? eg does it deal with all the dropouts of various connected devices (HR, Varia, Cadence, Di2 etc etc)?
I've not had any ongoing issues with the Edge x30 series in regard to drops from sensors. Just ensure the firmware is updated on both the Edge and all sensors.
@@gplama Hmmm generally at least once a ride I will get HR / Varia drop. All latest firmware, software and battery etc. They then will then take about 30 seconds to reconnect (automatically) so possibly sounds like an issue with my unit.
Looking at getting the 540 either regular or solar coming from an very old cateye stealth 50 evo. Wait for the whaoo updates and get the element bolt or go for 540?
It’s all up to you. Maybe wait to see what Wahoo do if the climbing feature is the decider.
hi Shane, I heard that to use the new climbpro feature on the 1040 you have to delete the existing map and install the new one. It is true? and if so how can it be done? thank you🙏🙏🙏
Yes.... If you're already on the latest maps, you'll need to re-install them. This is done via Garmin Express on Mac/PC using a USB cable. If your Edge needs a map update, no need to delete the maps first. Just update them. Either way needs beta firmware 17.09 at this point. Details in my video here: th-cam.com/video/SDQNv0lOM2Q/w-d-xo.html
The 1040 is only 30 euros more expensive than the 840 in NL, odd...
I don’t really get the request for bezel-less design or a bigger screen, it’s all fine with me. My gripes were (before I left moved to Wahoo) the Bluetooth glitches and the horrible GUI. And a free climb pro sounds good.
The single pairing Bluetooth has been rock solid for me. Better than the previous 2x BLE pairings Edge units required.
So you're saying it's time to upgrade my Edge 510? 😆
How is the 840 only 50 bucks less than a current, top of the line, 1040, which i just bought?
It's all black, has buttons and is 'newer'.
Is there a new Wahoo coming out? Should I be excited about it after the mediocre Bolt v2?
Wahoo will be rolling out an update to their Summit (ClimbPro) that'll work in free rides.
Does the solar have a darker screen like on the 1040? I I had to crank the brightness all the way up on my 1040 solar. Which uses more battery ...
Same as the 1040.
The trouble is there is no magic bullet regarding the number one priority of a bike computer which is battery run time. There is no magic new screen tech out there that solves this issue of wanting larger, brighter, higher resolution (plus weather resilient) screens for a device that is more safety than entertainment.