Wahoo Fitness announced a new bike computer featuring a built-in air pressure sensor that’s used to calculate the speed of the wind during a ride. The Elemnt Ace’s added metric lets cyclists better understand their performance during a ride and how their times and speeds may have been affected by the conditions outside.
It’s available now through the company’s online store for $599.99 and includes an aluminum alloy mount for attaching it to a bike’s handlebars. It’s the most expensive bike computer Wahoo Fitness currently offers, but competitors like Garmin still offer even pricier alternatives.
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Image: Wahoo Fitness
Air speed is measured using an air pressure sensor located just inside a small vent on the front of the computer. By comparing that to the bike’s ground speed as determined by the Elemnt Ace’s dual-band GPS system, the speed of the wind can be calculated.
The computer’s Aero Awareness system gives cyclists two additional metrics to take into consideration. AeroBoost which factors in both performance improving tailwinds and drafting effects, and AeroDrag for the negative effects of riding into the wind.
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Image: Wahoo Fitness
Other features include a relatively large 3.8-inch full-color touchscreen display that works alongside several physical buttons that make navigating menus and selecting options a little easier while a bike is in motion. Battery life is rated at up to 30 hours, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow settings and ride data to be synced to the cloud and Wahoo Fitness’ mobile apps.
The Elemnt Ace is also a fully-featured GPS navigation device with voice-guided turn-by-turn directions and an option to retrace your route to get right back to where you started a ride.