A Comparison & Contrast: Sigma GPS Update

Does the Sigma ROX 4.0 hold up under scrutiny?

 It has been a while since I last wrote about the Sigma ROX 4.0 GPS computer. If you've been reading the blog this Fall and early Winter you'll understand why that is. But I knew I needed to get this looked at so I have done what I needed to do to wrap this up recently. Only, it isn't wrapped up. You'll see why soon....

You can see my previous look at this, which is a comparison between this ROX 4.0 with a couple of other GPS units, here. This post on the ROX 4.0 will be a take on how this unit does with its GPS and Bluetooth features. 

I was a bit let down, first off, to learn that the ROX 4.0 is just like my old Lezyne Super GPS which needed to be tethered to a smart phone to give you turn by turn navigation. Secondly, the difference between the Lezyne Super and this Sigma ROX 4.0's data programs is night and day. Lezyne has what they call "GPS Root" and you create an account which then allows you to upload your ride data. This data is then shown in really finely detailed charts. The Sigma Ride App does similar data breakdowns, but it isn't as fine grained as GPS Root is. Sigma Ride isn't bad, it's just that GPS Root looks more impressive and, in my opinion, is a bit more engaging to use. 

Apologies for the out-of-focus shot! 

On the connectivity side, I had many experiences which led me to believe that the Bluetooth function of this GPS computer is suspect. While I was able to pair up sensors for cadence and speed easily, and my smart phone would pair seamlessly with the head unit, I found that the head unit would drop the connection consistently and randomly whenever I used the ROX 4.0.  Also, in one bizarre incident, I actually was getting a cadence read out briefly with no sensor on the bike! How that happened I don't have a clue. 

This Bluetooth dropping problem also extended to the turn by turn navigation. Essentially, that rendered the turn by turn feature useless, as you may not even realize you have dropped the signal from your smart phone and ride past a corner you were to turn at. That said, the head unit does warn you with a message that stays up for several seconds that connectivity has been lost. 

So,  I reached out to my contact for this review to let him know that there were issues, and unless there was some sort of explanation, or unless I was to try another head unit, this wasn't going to turn out as a favorable review. The answer I received was that this seemed to be a case of a suspect head unit. The contact I have told me that in his experience, Sigma GPS was pretty stout. 

So, I am going to be receiving a new ROX 4.0 to see if that doesn't solve the problems I am experiencing.  The one I have now is a great unit if you don't need nav or sensors, but it is supposed to handle that, so we'll see. 

I liked quite a few things about this computer up until the sensor and Bluetooth issues arose. The user interface is pretty simple, and I liked the compass up in the corner, along with altitude tracking. I will also add that this Sigma will mount to Garmin mounts, so if you are invested in those, this will work with a Garmin mount quite nicely.

So, stay tuned..... This ain't over with just yet!

Note: The Sigma ROX 4.0 was provided to me at no charge for test and review. I was not bribed, nor paid, for this review and I always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.