Wahoo!!!
No,
don't worry; we haven't finally given up trying and stopped using vowels...
those are actually the names of the two products we've been reviewing lately.
As regular readers (bless you all) will know, we're keen cyclists here at Test
Pit Towers, and not even a bit of chilly weather can stop us taking to the
streets like crazed wheeled warriors. To that end we've been testing two
gadgets from fitness technology company Wahoo; one to track our performance,
and the other to keep a digital eye on our dear old bodies. Here's what we
thought of Wahoo's RFLKT+ and TICKR X.
First
up, the RFLKT+ ('reflect' – you got that, right?). This is a smart bike
computer that can be fixed to your handlebars to display crucial information
such as speed, distance travelled, elevation, and acceleration etc. What makes
this clever is that the RFLKT itself can't actually monitor any of these things
itself, and does in fact wirelessly display all the info from your phone via
Bluetooth. This means you can safely stow your phone in your pocket or backpack
as you cycle, prolonging its battery life and keeping it out of the elements.
Compatible
with both iOS and Android (although the box didn't mention Android at all,
instead referring to it as an 'iPhone Powered Bike Computer') the RFLKT...
erm... reflects data being captured by your phone from a number of different
fitness apps. The RFLKT's screen is customisable, and in the Wahoo app you can
set up four different pages of whatever data you want to draw from the
specified app. These pages can then be flicked between by way of the
side-mounted buttons on the RFLKT, in the same way you would with a smartwatch.
On that note, you can also control your music player through it, as well as be
alerted to incoming calls.
In
use, we bloody loved this for the simple fact that we no longer had the need to
mount our phones on the handlebars and keep the screen constantly lit. Tucked
safely away, your phone will last for much longer out in the wild, so great
news if you're planning an all-day trek. Should you take a tumble, it was also
reassuring to know your phone would be safer in your pocket or bag than it would
be mounted up front – and thankfully the RFLKT is a lot cheaper than your
average smartphone.
It's
great because it is so small and slim; certainly smaller than any other bike
computer/GPS we've reviewed. That might not sound like much of a big deal, but when
you stop your cycle for a coffee and have to take off all your fancy gadgets
and lights from your bike to keep them away from tea-leaves, you'll be thankful
for that reduced size. This detaches from the included mount easily, and just
slips into you pocket without bother.
£59.99
Next
up, we tried the TICKR X (ticker ex, yeah?). Unlike the RFLKT, the TICKR X can
also be used for other sports and fitness activities such as running, swimming,
and working out at the gym. It is essentially a heart rate monitor that you
wear, uniquely, around your chest on the included elasticated strap. The 'X' in
the TICKR's title denotes that this particular member of the product line's
family can also track your movement, as well as boasting on-board memory.
Also
compatible with lots of other fitness app, and wirelessly connecting via
Bluetooth, the TICKR X is most relevant in this review because it can monitor
your cycling cadence. To those not in the know (or not in the skin-tight lycra
pants) cadence is when an individual cyclist finds their preferred number of
pedal strokes per minute, shifting the gears higher or lower to make themselves
most comfortable and thus be able to keep going for longer. The TICKR X does an
excellent job at tracking this, displaying the figure in the app as RPM.
Tracking
this information was actually more useful to us than knowing what our heart
rates were, as even if you're simply a commuting cyclist, or you like to hit
the cycle paths at the weekends, this is still an important thing to know and
consider, as working toward improving yours, and discovering at what RPM you
burn more oxygen, is a real eye-opener; one that might change the way you ride.
And
another great thing about the TICKR X is that it has its own memory, which
means it doesn't have to be constantly connected to your phone to capture the
data. This is great if you don't want to take your phone with you at all or, if
you're more concerned with keeping your phone linked to the likes of the
RFLKT+, you can just sync the captured data later. Like when you're enjoying
your well-earned coffee, twenty miles from home.
£79.99
So
two great gadgets that we discovered were of real benefit to our cycling
obsession. If you were in the market for just one of them, it would depend on what
you're trying to achieve. If you're more bothered about route times, speed, and
technique while on your bike, go for the RFLKT+. If however you've taken to the
saddle to improve your fitness and stamina, the TICKR X is the one for you.
Still, both great products, and we look forward to trying more gadgets from
Wahoo.
Visit
uk.wahoofitness.com