Garmin is the world leader in bike computers – made that up, might not be true, either way what an accolade – and the Edge 540 is its premier non-touchscreen screen device.
It’s feature-packed, accurate and well built.
The
But the BOLT’s been around for a while – the current version launched in May 2021. Is it falling behind in the feature stakes? Does it do enough for the money?
Or is the Edge 540 too complex? Too hard to learn? Are you paying a premium for features you’ll never use?
In this post I compare the two devices. By the end I’m hoping you’ll have a snifter of an idea which might be the right bike computer for you.
I’ll keep things high level and a bit summary like, in a vain attempt at snappy.
If you need more, I’ve done deeper dives on both devices, plus comparisons of older versions. Links at the bottom of the post.
Anyway, and in no particular order, let’s start with…
The Video version of this post…
Size and Looks
To this student of industrial design (*actually BA History (Hons)), neither device stands out. They’re bike computers, not Faberge eggs.
I’ve heard the ELEMNT BOLT described as more dated. I’m not sure I see it. For choice I prefer the BOLT’s sleeker, less chunky design.
On which point the BOLT is the more bijou of the two. It weighs 69g to the 540’s girthy 81g but neither will be the reason you can’t conquer that col.
The BOLT has aero pretensions. It slots into its dedicated mount to form a sleep wind-tunnel-honed underbelly. The 540 fits into whatever Garmin mount you tell it, slamming on the micro-air brake. Again, I’d suggest most MAMILs look closer to home for the main component of their drag coefficient.
The BOLT does have a row of LEDs above the screen, which can be configured to track various metrics and provide alerts, so if small lights are your thing, Wahoo has you covered.
Display
The screen on the Edge 540 is bigger at 2.6” diagonally (322 x 246 pixels) versus the BOLT’s 2.2” (320 x 240 pixels).
Which is interesting – maybe – because despite the extra space, Garmin sees fit to endow the Edge with just an extra couple of pixels in each axis.
If my pseudo-science is correct – don’t write in – that makes the BOLT’s display higher definition, albeit smaller.
But what’s it like in practice? No cod-analysis required, I prefer the BOLT.
It’s brighter, more contrasty, more matte and less reflecty – maybe the same thing – and, yes, more defined.
To these eyes – all four of them – the BOLT is clearer and easier to read.
And it has the biggest font size when you show only one data field.
Garmin's newest compact non-touchscreen bike computer. Stuffed with sophisticated training features including the latest version of ClimbPro. Available with and without solar boost! (...charging)
Controls
I also prefer the physical operation of the BOLT. Or to be a bit less word salad, the buttons.
This ties a little with user interface, which I’ll come onto, but I particularly like the three tactile textured buttons on the front face of the BOLT. They’re comfortable to reach and easy to press quickly. Their location allows for little labels to show their function on any given screen.
The BOLT also has a few side-mounted buttons but I use these less frequently whilst riding.
The Side 540’s buttons are all found, appropriately enough, on the sides of the device. Wait.
And they’re fine. Responsive and feedbacky enough.
But I find they need a portion of contortion to operate. The buttons on the left, which scroll through the data screens, are a pain to reach whilst riding, irrespective of which hand I try.
Sometimes, whilst trying to get purchase – brace, brace, Brenda – I inadvertently squeeze the button on the other edge of the device.
So, for me at least, the BOLT wins on buttons.
My favourite mid-range bike computer. The V2 upgrade brings a bright colour display and full on-board navigation. The BOLT remains very easy to set up and use.
User Interface
The ELEMNT BOLT is easier to use. It’s more intuitive, quicker to learn, simpler to operate whilst velopeding.
But it’s easier to be easier to use when there is less to use.
Garmin has to deal with the greater breadth of features crammed into the 540.
Whilst riding, I prefer the BOLT. The varied splashes of colour across the data screens make a surprising difference, at least for me.
The simpler operation requires less concentration – a good thing whilst you’re also trying to steer, pedal and hazard spot.
With the BOLT there’s less chance of an errant button click taking you to a menu that you spend time backing out of.
Climbing Features
Both devices have climb screens that kick in when the road turns upwards. And shock horror for channel regulars aware of my loinal glow up for Garmin’s ClimbPro, the Wahoo version is actually rather excellent.
Like ClimbPro, the ELEMNT’s Summit Freeride feature sparks up even when not following a route.
I prefer the look and feel of the Wahoo screen but that is as much a function of the UI design overall than the climb feature specifically.
Both have beaucoup colours to show gradient variations in finer detail. Functionality helpful – a 1% difference is material to my mental state – but also good for making your climbing escapades seem .
The Garmin shades it in that the Climb Explore feature displays a detailed list of nearby climbs, as well as highlighting them on the map screen.
Wahoo’s Summit is focused very much on the next climb you’re about to grind to a halt on – or you’ve already hit.
So the Edge 540 wins marginally on the climbing front but I’d respectfully posit that the difference isn’t enough to sway your choice overall. The BOLT climb screen is definitely good enough.
Navigation / Maps
Buttons-only bike computers will always provide some navigational frustrations.
Both are excellent for following a pre-loaded route. Wahoos always used to be simpler and more intuitive for getting a route uploaded to the device. Recent Garmins have got a lot better.
The direction alerts are clear and timely on both. I don’t go off course enough to really have a view on their re-routing algorithms.
With the BOLT having a smaller screen than the Edge 540, you can definitely see ‘more map’ on the latter. Which might be important to you.
Zooming in and out is more straightforward on the BOLT, particularly whilst riding. The 540 requires a longer side button press to activate the zoom function, not always easy on rattly roads. The BOLT’s side buttons are zoom by default.
That said, if ‘more map’, and a nicer navigation experience overall, is really important to you, I would consider a larger touchscreen device. Probably the Edge 1040 if your budget can stretch that far.
Training
On paper, and to be fair in practice, the Edge wins this one hands down.
The Garmin ecosystem, centred around the Connect app, is very training focused.
After each ride, the 540 calculates your training load and focus, and together with the app, maintains a rolling picture of your current fitness level and direction of travel. It then uses this data to suggest the format of your next training session.
Garmin helps you work out whether a proposed route will suit your levels of aerobic and anaerobic joie de vive. If you have a power meter it’ll help you plan what watts to whack down at each stage of your next mega ride.
The ELEMNT BOLT, as in all things, is a bit more minimalist.
It certainly captures and stores the relevant ride data, it calculates and displays some of the more sophisticated metrics. You can ride by power or heart rate zone. With power pedals you, like me, can discover that your left right balance is ludicrously out of kilter.
The BOLT just doesn’t have that extra layer of analysis to help you understand the data and translate it into training next steps.
Your TSS may vary but whilst I find the guff Garmin tells me after a ride interesting – and who doesn’t like being told they have the body of a younger man and the VO2 max of a sperm whale? But in the cold glare of my steaming rationality, I am forced to admit that the BOLT has more than enough training trivia to build my fitness.
Ultimately, with both devices, you have to actually do something, or the training doodahs are as useful as a marzipan dildo.
Battery Life / (Solar)
Shock horror I actually did a test. Not exactly laboratory conditions.
Anyway, the Edge 540 has far better battery life than the ELEMNT BOLT.
Over the course of two long rides, around 9 hours of cycling plus 5 hours of standby at cafes and bars, the 540 consumed 22% of its battery. The BOLT used up 82%.
So not even close.
Garmin's newest compact non-touchscreen bike computer. Stuffed with sophisticated training features including the latest version of ClimbPro. Available with and without solar boost! (...charging)
That’s with what I’d describe as an average use case: auto screen brightness, normal GPS settings, two or three sensors, phone connection.
Suffice a dice, I’ll be charging my BOLT before any more riding. The Edge will be good for at least another two days of similar Cat A pro racing.
The BOLT is a few years older than my Edge but in fairness, this non-scientific test is in line with their stated battery lives.
Do with this info what you will. It’s not a dealbreaker for me on the BOLT – there’s always a USB-C cable plugged in around the house. But there’ll be some that value the extra staying power of the Edge.
Oh yeah, and there is a Solar version of the Edge 540. I don’t have it but I did buy the 840 Solar. Which is why I didn’t buy the 540 version.
I posit that unless you live on the surface of the sun, solar is not an option worth paying more for.
Mountain biking
Which despite me building this absolutely weapon, I don’t do. So I will only spend a throusandth of a millisecond on it.
The BOLT integrates with Trailforks, so they obviously intend it for use by MTBers. I can’t see it lacking any core functions.
But surprise surprise, the Garmin has a few more bells and dropper posts. The 540 features a few more metrics, counting your jumps, rating trail difficulty, measuring your flow. Which sounds nice.
Here endeth my section on a subject I’m ill-equipped to talk about.
Connectivity / integrations
Have we talked about this? Feels like we have.
Anyway, they’re pretty similar, certainly for my needs. I’ve not found a sensor or a device that I’d reasonably want to connect that isn’t compatible with both. Both have Bluetooth and ANT+.
Both integrate with all the major apps: Strava, Komoot, RideWithGPS, OnlyFans. Importantly for the Stra-verts, both have a dedicated screen that pops up each time you launch control on a favourited segment.
If you have a specific leftfield integration requirement, you’ll want to do some more digging. Garmin has its Connect IQ store for third party apps where Wahoo doesn’t. But for the rest of us sheeple, chewing the mainstream cud, there’s not much between them on the connectivity front.
On which fence-sitting brings us to a predictable…
…Extra section that I forgot to film.
Cost
Right now the Edge 540 costs around £100 more than the BOLT V2. You can check out the latest prices via the links below.
Garmin's newest compact non-touchscreen bike computer. Stuffed with sophisticated training features including the latest version of ClimbPro. Available with and without solar boost! (...charging)
My favourite mid-range bike computer. The V2 upgrade brings a bright colour display and full on-board navigation. The BOLT remains very easy to set up and use.
Luckily for my tired lickle typing fingers, no nuanced arguments required.
If you can’t see a pressing functional need to get the 540, the value analysis says to save the money and buy the BOLT.
Which I guess foreshadows that predictable…
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong with either the Edge 540 or the ELEMNT BOLT V2. There’s a ringing endorsement.
I have no problem recommending either one of them. The BOLT is maybe due a replacement, but with Garmin having released the 1050, the 540 is arguably next in line to receive its extra 10.
If money is burning a hole in your bidon right now:
- Pick the ELEMENT BOLT for simplicity and a great screen; or
- Select the Edge 540 for the whole Garmin ecosystem and a broader feature set. And I’ve not even mentioned the safety stuff, group ride comms and road surface alerts.
Finally, if your choice depends on whether you can change the icons on the
You’re welcome.
Let me know which device you prefer in the comments. If you want more to read, try these:
- my more detailed thoughts on the Edge 540
- my long term ELEMNT BOLT V2 review
- and a comparison of the Edge 540 with the Edge 840
Having tried now the Edge 840, 540, and Wahoo Bolt, Roam which would you pick as your one device and why?
I prefer the Wahoo interface for the reasons Monty provides, but chose the Roam for the bigger screen for my aging eyes.
Just wondering if the amazon retailers are legit? I found the price direct from wahoo for the bolt v2 and looked at the equivalent on amazon which was nearly $100 CAD cheaper on amazon. There was also a bundle for the V2, HRM and speed sensors which were cheaper than both offers for just the singular v2 on amazon and wahoos website. Amazon said that the retailer for the singular product and the bundle were the same person so the fact that the bundle is that much cheaper is making me sketched out.
What to do?