Wahoo has announced three new connectivity-related items for their BOLT V2 & ROAM V2 bike computers. As the title implies, you’ll now be able to control your GoPro, control your existing ANT+ smart lights (from any vendor), and control the music on your phone.
Note that while the other pieces are here today, the GoPro integration isn’t lit up yet. Wahoo doesn’t quite yet have a timeframe for it, as it’s been delayed slightly to work out some kinks. Nonetheless, I’ll give you a quick 2-second tour.
The smart light control and music control pieces are live as of today, whereas the GoPro integration isn’t quite live yet.
Bike Light Control:
First up, is the lighting control. This leverages ANT+ connectivity to let you connect to any ANT+ lights. These can be from Garmin, Trek, Bontrager, See.Sense, Cycliq, Cannondale, and many others over the years. Note that they *must* be ANT+ enabled lights, not just general smart lights. For example, Lezyne has some smart/wireless lights that use their own protocols, but they didn’t adopt the existing ANT+ standard.
In any event, you’ll go into the pairing menu to pair up each light individually. Ensure that you do power it on first of course, and then they should show up. Here, I did the rear light first:
Once paired, it’ll take a couple of seconds to appear in the sensors list (at the top), and then you’ll see a new control panel (per sensor/light) that lets you control the state of the light (brightness level/flashing/etc…), as well as see the battery status:
I then went and paired up the front light, and got the same control panel:
Finally, there’s a new option in the Wahoo ELEMNT app, that you can toggle on to automatically turn on/off the lights when your ride starts/stops (the recording of the ride). Note that this implementation is a bit different than Garmin’s in that there’s no ‘light network’ formed. Each light is basically controlled individually, rather than an entire cohesive group. In most scenarios, that probably doesn’t matter too much if you’re using the automatic on/off option anyway. But, figured I’d point out that difference.
GoPro Integration:
Next, there’s the upcoming GoPro integration. This allows you to control your GoPro camera with the Wahoo BOLT V2 & ROAM V2, switching between modes, and starting/stopping recording.
To begin, you’ll be pairing your GoPro much like any other sensor on the Wahoo unit. Starting on the GoPro side, you’ll go into the Bluetooth pairing menu, akin to how you’d pair a GoPro app or remote. Then, over on the BOLT or ROAM, you’ll go to add a sensor (just like you’d add a power meter or heart rate sensor). Here, you’ll see the GoPro listed:
Simply tap Save, and you’re done.
How it enumerates in that list seems to vary slightly though with each time I did it:
Next, it’ll automatically add a GoPro control page to your list of pages. This page lets you switch between the different GoPro ‘presets’ that you have, switch between photo/video/timelapse, and finally and most important: start/stop recording. It’ll also show battery status of the GoPro, as well as the SD card storage remaining (albeit in beta, slightly mixed up hours/mins/seconds). Guess I don’t need that 512GB card I bought yesterday after all! 🙂
You’ll see the exact config profiles listed on the screen (e.g., 5.3K/50FPS/SuperView), though the custom names you’ve given (e.g. ‘Epic’ in my case), aren’t pulled over.
You can press up/down to iterate between the different video modes, and then press the ‘Mode’ button to iterate between the Video/Photo/Timelapse options. It takes roughly 1 second for it to make the changes, or start recording. Once you start a recording, it’ll also show the recording time at the top.
Now, as noted, the feature isn’t yet available today – there seems to be a few quirks on it. Wahoo says they’re using GoPro’s public API at the moment, which is for the Hero 9/10/11/11 Mini/12. Other companies, like COROS, have used the public API in the past, and honestly, the results are often very finicky, namely around how the camera re-connects after you turn it on (or turn the bike computer on). Which usually requires re-pairing each time.
I did though test out dual-control from both from app and bike computer at the same time, and it happily accepted commands from both, and kept sync across all three devices:
In any case, more testing once it’s ready/released.
Music Control:
Last but not least (ok, it’s least), it’s music control. This lets you control any ‘music’ on your phone, from the ELEMNT. Albeit, it’s more than just music. It’s really anything that comes via the phone’s standard music controls. That can be podcasts, YouTube, etc… As long as the standard phone music player is playing it, you can control it. Note that you’ll need to ensure the Wahoo ELEMNT app is running somewhere in the background on your phone, but realistically that’s probably happening anyway.
This includes Volume, Pause/Resume, Skip Forward/Back, and then the app name playing (e.g. Spotify), as well as the name of the track/song/etc and the artist. This feature will automatically show up if you’ve got something playing on your phone, and shows like below for the FIT File Podcast:
Or, like such for music:
Response times seem to be sub-second, in terms of how quickly it changes things. Note that, somewhat disappointingly, they didn’t put any album covers in that giant empty white space on the unit. Would have been a nice touch.
With that – thanks for reading!
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GoPro integration is really nice. Ray, do you know any similar solution for Garmin head units? They obviously still support VIRB, but given how it’s basically dead – are there any alternatives?
Nothing that I know of that works on the Garmin side. There’s been a few attempts, but all have failed.
On the bright side, they do have the Insta360/Garmin integration, which is super cool and honestly from a time/effort standpoint (my time savings), I prefer the overlays/etc there since it all ‘just works’.
The support for VIRB is disappearing. When I first got my Edge 1040, it could control my VIRB 360, with a camera control page and just by auto stop/start of the camera when I started an activity on the Edge. That’s no longer the case. The page has disappeared, and auto start/stop has also disappeared. The camera still pairs, but there’s no longer any point. If I want to control my VIRB, for now I have to carry along my Epix 2.
My GoPro is a Hero 11 and I mount it on a handlebar mount, so it’s easily within reach to start/stop. Still, it’d be nice if I could control it from an Edge or a Garmin watch.
I have a Elemnt Bolt V2 and the music page does not automatically appear as you suggest… Are there some connectionssteps that you may have glossed over? Thx!
You’ll need to ensure your BOLT is connect to the iPhone, and that the Wahoo ELEMNT app is running somewhere in the background. Also, ensure that the ELEMNT App as well as your ELEMNT is fully updated
Its work whit GoPro hero 8?
It sounds like it’ll be Hero 9-12. Same API that COROS uses.
GoPro only supports BLE API for 9 and newer
link to gopro.github.io
Wow… really nice from Wahoo to add those features. GARMIN “forced” users to get a EDGE 1040 to control music. Bad Garmin for not implementing such a simple feature on olders devices. The GoPRO integration is just something that I have been wishing for so long…maybe with EDGE 1090 🤣
Music control is also on the Edge 540, 840, and Edge Explore 2.
For context, the Edge 530 came out in 2019. The ROAM v1 also came out in 2019 (within 6 days of the Edge 530/830). Wahoo didn’t update that either to include music control.
Said differently: Garmin & Wahoo literally did the exact same thing here.
Are any of the features included for Roam 1? In particular, the light control… I couldn’t care less about music and GoPro control.
No, only V2 units across the board.
I know about the X40. I was not aware of the launch date of Wahoo V2 when compared with GARMIN. Thanks for pointing that.
Thanks Ray. Minor typo in the third sentence of the “music control” section: should be “albeit”.
Thanks!
Was really hoping the new head unit would be announced. My Roam V1 is barely holding on!
Awesome. I’ve been waiting for light control on Wahoo units for a long time. Great feature add.
What is that small square rear light that you’re using in the picture?
Also, are you aware of any other smart front lights, other than the Garmin ones?
It’s the Bontrager/Trek ones, it’s actually a pair of both front and rear lights: link to trekbikes.com
Would love to see an option for audio to be tied into location or a route cue so that an audio file could be played as the head unit hit that cue point.
Favourite track as you hit a steep climb or the use case I’m thinking of would be to enable the creation of a pocket DS to have audio reminders about course features or nutrition etc.
GoPro has its BLE protocol open for a number of years now, surprised it took this long to get/see some useful use(?) out of it.
It’s about time that Wahoo added this! Light control is years behind everyone else. There were requests in the forums over 4 years ago.
Weirdly my original Elemnt automatically updated itself a few weeks ago and started turning off my Varia light when I stopped the ride a few weeks ago.
It confused me, I thought it had stopped working mid ride… I can also toggle through the light modes via my Elemnt.
How does the start lights when starting ride works? Do you need to keep ant+ operational all the time ? How does this affect the battery life?
I know my varia radar can go to a node that it doesn’t flash, is one supposed to leave it like that for that concept to work?
Check out the video, where right at the end of the light section I show the start/stop aspect live.
That said, yes, ANT+ stays operational, but honestly, ANT+ & BLE are designed to be crazy low battery drains. It’s been a while since I’ve done some real-world side-by-side testing on the impacts of keeping those sensors alive, it was in the low single-digit % impact to battery drain.
Also, your Varia radar would stay in ANT+ keep-alive connection all the time.
Thanks Ray, I’ll keep my radar on with ant+ then and check how does that work.
Btw on my radar with software 3.20 i cant do any ant+ control i think i should update it
Also that was a crazy fast reply!!!
I hope Garmin do the Gopro controls
Wahoo has noticeably got it’s mojo back since the return of Chip as owner/chairman.
Never under-estimate the power of having a passionate leader behind a company.
Wish there was some more customization with the Auto-Lights:
– Only turn on rear light (front light seldom is taken out)
– Turn on lights when Wahoo triggers auto-backlight from it’s light sensor
The Bontrager Ion’s have some nifty light sensor features (switches from Flash to On + Pulse when it’s dark out), curious if these still work once paired.
Also please yell at Trek to make their dam Ion’s use USB-C; not sure why they didn’t add that when they rebranded them from Bontrager to Trek.
Look up gplama video on these updates. There is trigger to turn on light for 5 or 10 seconds when radar detects a car. Super cool.
I always wanted garmin to have sth like that native inside garmin but you needed a somewhat clumsy app for that. Wahoo integration seems pretty simple-straightforward-perfect for that.
Unfortunately, the automatic modes on Bontrager lights stop working when connected to Wahoo… 🫤
Thanks for the write up Ray! Stuff in here that I’m looking forward to testing soon as I get back home and can use that GoPro integration as soon as they release it!
Small title typo fix of “connectivity” that hopefully you can catch before fully indexed by the search engine crawlers.
Doh, thanks!
Is it possible to connect the Garmin Varia Radar/Light (non camera version) as a light and turn on and off, change the flash modes via the head unit?
I’m curious too. I miss it very much.
Oh man, I totally missed that this doesn’t hit the Roam V1. Wahoo killing me with that, I just bought my Roam V1 brand new last year. Seems like some major software gatekeeping.
I have the V1 as well. I suspect that the features can’t be added due to memory constraints on the device. V2 has a lot more memory.
Hi Ray, did you ever fully review the Bolt (V2)? There’s a ‘review in progress’ from 2021 on the site with various caveats that is linked from the GPS buyers guide.
Reason I ask is I bought and returned a unit a few months ago – the gps accuracy I experienced was abysmal vs my original Elemnt. Possibly related to the under/over setup with my Fly12 – but that’s only the same as my Elemnt setup.
Hi Ray,
I’m using a Boltv2 with a Varia RTL516, the German version of the RTL515 and I’m not able to turn on/off my light. I think it has something to do with the missing/non existing “flash-mode” witch is not allowed here in Germany.
I hope the Wahoo-guys will fix this soon. I’m looking forward to have the auto light.
I repaired my devices and now it works!
I’m loving it 😍
Any feedback on Dark Mode? Thanks!
A nice feature would be controlling race radio with the shift or satellite buttons. Pro’s pinching the button inside their jersey is just so ridiculous. And … why are race radios strapped to the back of riders larger than a drone these days. And … why aren’t they using bluetooth headsets. Yeah, the race radio situation bugs me.
Hi,
Does anyone know if the GoPro will capture the GPS coordinates from the Wahoo device and save these coordinates within the photo file? e.g. Gopro 12 does not have built-in GPS.
Thanks, Dan
Music page will not stay off. Returns every time a music app is open in the background on ios.
Yes. Insanely annoying! How did they not catch this in testing?
Came here looking for an solution to this. I delete the music page in the app and next time I start my Wahoo it’s back.
good
I’ve made a solution for Garmin. It’s an IOS app that acts like a bridge between the gopro and garmin. You just put the phone in the pocket and that’s it.
The video: link to youtube.com
Inviting to test: link to testflight.apple.com
My Gopro won’t connect with Roam 2. It just doesn’t appear on the sensor list… :/
I’m having the same issue with my GoPro Hero 12 and Bolt v2.
Have you managed to find a solution?