Routes with ELEMNT ACE

In addition to showing your current location and surroundings on the Map page, ELEMNT ACE allows you to follow a route.  Once created on the computer, or loaded on the computer via Bluetooth from the Wahoo app or directly from the Wahoo Cloud via Wi-Fi, the ACE leverages onboard map and elevation data to provide a breadcrumb trail, text and voice turn by turn direction alerts, an elevation profile, and automatic re-routing as needed.

Route Categories

Routes fall into three categories:

1. Temporary routes: One-time-use routes, created from your current location at any given time.
2. Wahoo routes: Routes created by / imported into your Wahoo account using the Wahoo app.
3. Third party routes: Routes created in a third party app or service that are synced to / linked to you Wahoo account, but are managed in the third party app/web interface.

What you can do with a route depends on which category the route falls into:

Temporary routes are created and loaded into the computer for immediate use, but are not saved after that use, because it is assumed your start point will change. You can, however, save target locations to create the same temporary routes repeatedly, or create a Wahoo route from a completed ride you did on a temporary route.

Wahoo routes are routes that are saved to your Wahoo account -- created by/ imported into your Wahoo account via the Wahoo app and Wahoo Cloud.  Because the routes are created by the Wahoo app (from an imported file or completed ride), you have immediate control of the route name and the ability to delete the route from your account.

Third party routes are routes that are created in and managed by a third party app or service like komoot, RideWithGPS, or Strava.  These routes are synced to your Wahoo account by linking it to your account with the third party app either in the Wahoo app or in the third party app / web interface.  Because the routes 'belong' to the other app, you can't change the route name or delete the route in your Wahoo app. You have to make those changes in the third party app.

For more details on available third party route providers, see Wahoo App Partners.

Requirements

Specific requirements will differ by specific routing feature. For the best experience, we suggest that you have set up your computer fully, including:

1. Connecting your computer to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Updating your computer firmware and Wahoo app to the most current versions.
3. Downloading and/or updating any local maps for the area you intend to ride in.
4. Authorizing a connection between an app partner and your Wahoo account.

Additionally, most routing features require access to the Wahoo app and an internet data connection (cell data or Wi-Fi).

Route creation, import, and sync options

Routes for ELEMNT ACE can be:

1. created on the computer by selecting a location on the map on the computer, or in the Wahoo app (temporary)
2. created in the Wahoo app by sharing a location from a native map app on your phone (Apple or Google Maps apps) (temporary)
3. created in the Wahoo app by importing a .fit, .gpx, or .tcx route file (Wahoo)
4. created in the Wahoo app from a completed ride from your activity history (Wahoo),
5. synced via the Wahoo app or Wi-Fi from a third party route provider like komoot, RideWithGPS, or Strava, or
6. synced via the Wahoo app from a route publicly shared by another Wahoo user (temporary)

Note: The Wahoo app does not have a 'route builder'. Routes can be created in the Wahoo app from ride courses that you have ridden, imported from compatible route files created elsewhere, or synced from various other third party services that do offer robust route builders.

Load a route

Once a route is created by / imported into / synced to your Wahoo account, it will appear in the Wahoo app (and on your device if a Wi-Fi sync has been completed). Once a route is in the Wahoo app, it can be synced to the computer via Bluetooth, with or without a phone data connection. This sync process, or selecting the route on the computer if already synced via Wi-Fi will load the route for use in a ride.

On the ACE

1. From the Ready to Ride panel or Ride page, select the Routes button.
2. Select your preferred route.
3. Select Select Route or the Select button.
4. Start a ride.
   If you are at the route start location, you will receive immediate guidance. If you are not, you will be prompted Route to start? If you accept, the computer will use the onboard routing engine to route you to the the start point using the shortest route possible.  If you are on a loop, reject this option, and the computer will locate you on the route quickly.

From the Wahoo app

1. Select the Plan tab.
2. Select My routes.
3. Select your preferred route from the list.
4. Select the Select button
   You can also tap the map to see greater map details, direction, and elevation profile.
5. Select Send to ELEMNT.
6. Start a ride.

Sorting, filtering, and searching routes

Both in the Routes page on the computer and in the Wahoo app, routes can be sorted by date of creation, alphabetical order, distance, or proximity to start point.  They can also be filtered by distance and elevation.  Finally, you can text search route titles.

Reversing a route

Both in the Routes page on the computer and in the Wahoo app, after a route is selected, but before it is loaded, a route can be reversed.  This reverses the direction of the breadcrumb trail, and the direction of the turn by turn directions.

Note: Reversing a route simply reverses the route as previously recorded. It does NOT re-route to account for one way streets or other direction-specific route limitations. You are responsible for navigating those conditions.

Muting a route

Following a route produces a breadcrumb trail on the Map page, and a text and audio alerts for turn by turn directions.  If you find the audio alerts undesirable, you can mute them by selecting the Routes page from the Settings menu or the Map page and then selecting Mute.

Ending, changing, and restarting a route

Both before and during a ride, a route selection can be manipulated independent of the ride recording.  You can end a route without ending your ride, which means you can stop following a route, stop and reload the same route, reverse the route, or load a different route.

Note: This is particularly useful when you have chosen a loop route, but did not start at the route's start point.  You can load the route in your preferred direction, ride until you reach the route end point, then re-load the route to complete the loop to your start point.