Geek’s Guide to the New ELEMNT BOLT

Posted by Elite Custom on

Wahoo Fitness set out to design a bike computer that helped improve your performance, not just record it.

“In recent years the sport of cycling has put a premium on the study of aerodynamics and gaining a mechanical advantage wherever possible. Knowing this, it was Wahoo’s primary goal to create a computer that improved results on the bike, not hinder them…

The only way to do this was to think about the end result and work backward from there. This led us to design the computer and the mount as one; an integrated aerodynamic package. All gains needed to be achieved while also improving the user experience, the core Wahoo promise to its customers. This forced an iterative design and testing process which resulted in the innovative ELEMNT BOLT system”    – Dimitris Katsanis

1. Over 50% less drag than leading competitor. In a 40km time trial traveling at a 21kph, the rider with a Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT will be 12.6 seconds faster than the rider using the leading GPS bike computer competitor.

2. Designed to maximize readability. If you slightly tilt the leading competitor bike computer to better read the screen, the air resistance increases significantly, thus slowing the rider down. Conversely, if you tilt the ELEMNT BOLT (not that you need to because of its curved design) the air resistance does not change or affect the overall performance.

3. Minimizes air resistance. When using the BOLT aero mount – included in the box – the bike computer becomes a ‘system’, saving approximately 1.1 watts vs. the leading GPS bike computer. This equates to >50% reduction required power to push this system through the air.

The expert: Who is Dimitris Katsanis? Dimitris Katsanis is the managing director of Metron Advanced Equipment and is a leader in composite design and composite engineering across industries, most notably cycling and aerospace. Katsanis is one of the top technical experts behind Team Great Britain who designed Team GB’s all-conquering matt-black track bikes, the Pinarello bikes of Team Skyand the men’s and women’s Team Pursuit multiple world record breaking bikes. Most notably he played a critical role in the bike ridden by Sir Bradley Wiggins in breaking the UCI Hour Record. Katsanis’ methodology centers around using computer design and stress analysis techniques to improve every aspect of the design including optimizing the shape and size of individual parts, material selection and placement as well as interactions with each other. Katsanis’ continues his work with the Team Great Britain and Team Sky to this day.

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