REASONS TO BUY
Easy interface
Great data fields
Reliable mapping
Good size
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow start-up
Lacks touchscreen
Limited advanced features
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt 3 Review
Simple, efficient, and smooth operation makes for a computer that has everything you need and nothing you don't
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
By Nathaniel Bailey ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 18, 2025
RELATED: The Best Bike Computers of 2025
Our Verdict
The Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt V3 is just plain simple to use. It's the best choice for riders who want to be able to monitor things like power and heart rate, navigate, and get notifications on their bike computer, but want a simple interface. Setup is a breeze thanks to the Wahoo app. We were able to get on the road in minutes as a result, and learned the device interface in just a few miles of riding. A standout feature is the quick zoom that allows you to rapidly change how many data fields you see at a time. Battery life is solid, allowing us to get through two back-to-back long rides with a few hours left. It's not all perfect: start-up times are among the slowest in it's class and route building requires the use of a phone to at least save locations. But overall, we think this device is a great choice for riders who want to know their data, but prefer a more “no-frills” experience.
Our Analysis and Test Results
We tested the Bolt V3 extensively on on a variety of rides in difficult (and not so difficult) conditions.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
The Wahoo Fitness ELEMNT Bolt V3 solves our biggest complaint about the last verision by adding activity profiles. This is now an incredibly well-rounded device that is simple to use, reliable, and enjoyble. While it may not have the feature set of other options, it's abilites are more than enough for the vast majority of cyclists.
Navigating the Bolt is simple. The physical buttons make sense, and Wahoo puts digital labels over them to make things clear.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Ease of Use
Just like the last version, the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt V3 stands out for it's simple, intuitive experience. There's no touchscreen here, just six buttons to navigate through the data fields and menus. Sure, an added touchscreen would be nice, but it isn't a must have. Wahoo has optimized the user-interface of this device for physical buttons far better than any other unit we've used. As soon as you start the device, you'll see your data screens. You can increase or decrease the number of fields quickly by using the up or down button, respectively. They come set up well, and you can customize them in the Wahoo app easily. Switching from data to navigation (or other screens) is as simple as pushing a button.
The addition of activity profiles to this version makes day-to-day use easier. You can have seperate data screens set for road cycling, mountain biking, gravel cycling, etc. That means you can customize what you see for the type of riding you do. For example, if you have a power meter on your road bike but not on your mountain bike, you can customize only your road profile to show your power data. That means no empty data screens when you switch bikes. Our biggest annoyance in this category is the slow start-up time. The Bolt is markedly slower than any other unit we've tested, regularly taking over 30 seconds to start up. It's not a deal-breaker, but if you're like us and tend to not think about your bike computer until you're about to start, it can be annoying to watch your friends take off while you're waiting for the start screen.
The slow start-up is our biggest issue with this unit. Compared to the competition, it takes forever to get started.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Ease of Setup
The Bolt is pretty quick to set up. It's easiest to do via the Wahoo app. Scan the QR code on the screen when the Bolt first turns on, and you'll be on your way. It's pretty simple to set up. Even with an accidental app closer mid-firmware update (our mistake), we were able to go from box to bike in less than 15 minutes.
Navigating the menu system on the device is simple. The button layout makes sense. Push the top button on the right side to scroll up, the bottom button to scroll down. The three buttons on the front control selections. Regardless, we recommend connecting to things like Strava for segments and trainers for indoor riding via the app rather than on the device. It's just faster.
The Wahoo uses a simple quarter turn mount. But it's not the same as the standard Garmin out-front mount.
Features
The Bolt is perfect for riders who want data and navigation, but don't care about a lot of the advanced features high-end computers offer. Connections to power meters, heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, etc. are simple. Wahoo does not yet offer compatibility with Tymewear breathing sensors. It's easy to connect the Bolt to an indoor trainer to control free rides or workouts. Navigation is solid and re-routing works well. However, we do wish we could build routes on the device. Instead, unless you want to retrace your steps or return to your starting location, you have to save locations and routes on your phone, and then sync it to the Bolt. The Summit feature works on both routed and non-routed rides, giving you a profile of the climb you're on. Integrations with Strava and other apps are easy.
Realistically, the Bolt has everything the vast majority of riders need. The lack of a touchscreen isn't a deal-breaker, particularly with the small size of the screen. The screen brightness is solid, remaining sharp and visible in harsh afternoon light, and dimming well during twilight rides. Riders looking for things like training plans, built-in bells, training load monitoring, and power plans on their computer will be dissapointed. For everyone else, there's not much to dislike.
The navigation screen on the Bolt is easy to see, even when you're handholding the device because your out-front mount broke.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Versatility
Overall, the addition of activity profiles in this update makes the Bolt V3 an extremely versatile device. It plays nicely with all genres of outdoor riding. It links to a wide variety of sensors. Indoors, it works very well with all trainers, but especially Wahoo trainers. The relatively small size makes it unobtrusive on the mountain bike, but retains enough screen space to have useful maps. That said, we do prefer a larger screen when we're doing a lot of navigation on the road. Battery life is enough to get us through two 6 hour rides on the weekend with a little left over.
Realistically, there isn't much this device can't do. Sure, it won't be a coach, training partner, and data scientist all wrapped up on your handlebars in the way some premium computers are. But in our experience, for the vast majority of cyclists those fancy features aren't as useful as they seem.
The Bolt V3 is easily customizable, both on the unit and in the app. Here, you can see some of the available customizations.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Should You Buy the Wahoo Fitness Elemnt Bolt V3?
If you want a reliable bike computer to cover your data collection needs, but don't want to splurge for the top-of-the-line unit and prefer simplicity, then we think this is the best choice. There's nothing ground-breaking or exciting about this unit. It just shows up and works. For most riders, this is probably the best choice. We think three specific types of riders should look elsewhere: those who do a lot of on-the-fly navigation on their bike computer, those who want the advanced features of a top-tier unit, and those who want a device that has a fast startup. This unit provides a great combination of reliability, ease-of-use, and data collection that makes it one of our most recommended choices. It's the Toyota Camry of bike computers; not flashy, but easy to live with and reliable.
What Other Bike Computers Should You Consider?
If you want the best feature set possible, go for the Garmin Edge 1050. It's a big computer with a beautful screen and tons of advanced features. We think the Garmin Edge 840 is a great compromise between price and features, offering more than the Bolt but not costing as much as other choices. And finally, if you value battery life above all else, just get the Coros Dura and get riding. Nothing else can match it's battery life.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt 3 versus top competing products:
—Nathaniel Bailey
You Might Also Like
