First off, there was trouble the other day when I tried to do my 4th of July ride. I had intended on doing a ride I had uploaded to the device. A route of around 30 miles, which I actually replicated on the 4th, except that I went backward on it.
Well, it wasn't in the device. It was on the app, but I am not familiar with that enough to know where to look, so I missed that on my phone. (But I didn't think you needed the phone for this?) I was frustrated. My plan was to have the device give me turn-by-turn instructions and test to see if the device could accurately follow a route. However; that will have to wait until another time now. (I've figured out what I missed there) That said, through all the furious button pushing I was doing, I accidentally stumbled upon a page with what I was wanting to see for elevation. A current elevation readout!
 |
| Well, well! There ya go! |
How did I stumble upon this? I actually did realize how I did this. I had the computer on, the GPS was all set to go, and I tapped the power on button with a short push. This brought up the page you see above and what's more, I can minimize or maximize data on that screen using the two buttons on the right.
The only thing I can find about this function of the Power button on Wahoo's site is that a short push will let you toggle between "workout pages", whatever THAT means. See, this is what is whack about these devices. You have to go to the website, sift through all the questions, or search the site, and maybe you'll find what you are looking for? Maybe.
This is dumb. It's frustrating and dumb. I mean, there is no reason that I should have to go back into the house, sit at my PC and try to find out what the heck this thing can do. I could use my phone, but I'm not going to try and squint in the bright Sunshine right before I am supposed to go ride to see what I "might" find out. No..... I am going to ride. Again, a real owner's manual with everything I need to understand written in a cohesive, easily understood and searched manner would go a long way in mitigating this stupidity.
And to be fair, this isn't a Wahoo only problem. It's pretty much ubiquitous with regard to many consumer electronic devices.
But I have a running elevation to look at now, and that's really awesome. Well, it is if I can actually see it as I am rumbling over the gravel chunder out there. Actually things were so rough at times on the 4th I just quit even trying to look at the screen. No fault of the device, but t just goes to show you, these things are not always a good idea to look at while riding.
More soon....
11 comments:
Default set up on the wahoo roam is the right side buttons will let you grow or remove the lower tiles to enlarge the font. In short, put your critical information in the upper tiles on the app on the phone when not riding. That is one of my gripes with Wahoo, maybe they fixed it. But once you start recording a ride you can not adjust the page tile layouts. Maybe it is fixed, but about two years ago it was not.
@N.Y. Roll - oh? I looked at the app and was not seeing where I could change a whole lot on the screens. But as far as what I was able to do on the unit itself, without the app, I had no idea about this.
I also did not try to minimize/maximize data shown while I was riding. I may have to try that.
I wish they would offer a 12-week summer course at the Jr. College on the basics of how to operate such devices.
@Skidmark - Well, I think you are being a bit sarcastic, but yeah, something other than nothing would be nice.
DC Rainmaker on Youtube, guy does great, indepth reviews of GPS computers and they are way better than anything else you'll find out there IMO.
When does the Roam go to the garage sale page ?
I've a nifty Cateye Adventure with paper manual
to trade.
@scottg - Sorry! I cannot sell it. But I could sell you a pristine Hammerhead Karoo 2. ;>) (But I won't because it probably won't work right for you either)
G-Ted I can't agree with you on your paper manual gripes. 1. That is just another piece of paper that is going to end up in a landfill for 99% of users. 2. These things are updated rather frequently. So the paper instructions written 3 years are likely a bit outdated. 3. Other than the first time I open it, I am not going to have that paper copy near at hand. What I do have with me almost always is a phone or a computer nearby. This is much more convenient that carrying around a piece of paper.
@A-A-Ron - I have used paper cues for like....forever, so for me, taking a paper manual along to learn from isn't going to be a big deal. Plus, I don't have to fight glare and tiny text on my phone. (Readers would work...maybe, but maybe not) Besides, looking at a phone/computer/tablet isn't ideal for your eyes either, if we're going to debate the merits of paper vs digital.
I think taht a manual that tells you what everything does is not going to be "outdated" unless the functions of the buttons are reassigned.
Updates shouldn't be a massive overhaul of "how" the thing works, but enhancements and "bug fixes".
Again, your opinion is valid, but I have mine and I am not yet convinced that a paper manual is a bad thing to have in this instance.
@Guitar Ted - Ha! Ha! Well I guess you can have your opinion too and we can agree to disagree! I have not once used paper cues since the mass introduction of gps computers, and I don't miss it one bit. ;-)
@A-A-Ron - Of course you don't miss it. ;>)
Post a Comment