The Sigma Rox 11.1 EVO is a GPS bike computer packing a colour screen and a plethora of functionality, but can it compete with the established competition? Matthew Hornby takes a closer look…
Cyclists tend to like a pigeonhole to describe bikes and related kit, so how to describe this Rox 11.1 from German manufacturer Sigma?
Let’s go with… Compact, full featured GPS.
Compact, because with a screen size of 1.8 inches but no mapping to complement the navigation feature it takes a form factor similar to the Garmin Edge 130 and bundles into that small frame more functionality than an average mountain biker would ever need.
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As this is a review and not an instruction manual, let’s focus on the offr-oad highlights.
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The first thing to note is, like other manufacturers modern GPS offerings, the main unit really needs its associated phone app to achieve full functionality. Download Sigma Ride from your app store, and you’re ready to follow the intuitive instructions to set-up the usual user accounts and profiles, Bluetooth phone links etc. required to manage the system.
Here you can also link other services to Sigma Ride, (Strava and Komoot natch, but there’s a Training Peaks there too for actual athletes) and configure the screens you view on the Rox to your own preferences. Comprehensive customisation includes colours as well as metrics across profiles for different activities such as MTB, Road Bike, indoor rides, (Zwifters take note) and even E-Bike integration. Up to 20 different profiles should satisfy every n+1 fleet.
Onto the Rox unit itself then.
Clip it onto your bars with the Garmin compatible mount, (conveniently ubiquitous) turn it on and synch with the app by which time it’s already locked onto one of the three GPS standards supported.
In use the main buttons are generously large, with a light action which is easy to use even with winter waterproof gloves, to cycle through the different screens and in-ride functions. The only exception to that is the fiddly on/off/main menu button, though that’s only needed for off-bike operations so not an in-ride issue.
Once underway the screen is excellent. It has impressive contrast, a non-reflective matt surface and a sensor to adjust to the prevailing light conditions – I’ve not yet found myself riding one handed to shield glare from the sun.
During a ride, the standard GPS functions as you would expect but includes loads of measurements you may not such as climb, (or more importantly descend) metrics, weather graphics and lap data.
It’s also easy to link to Bluetooth and ANT+ sensors and devices and record that data alongside the GPS generated stats, my generic cadence and speed ANT+ kit synch’d instantly and remained that way.
Once you move outside your local area the navigation functions come into play, which is where the size/function compromise is revealed. There’s a couple of options for managing navigation, (the linked Komoot account noted earlier or load routes to the Rox via Sigma Ride app) but once started there’s only a breadcrumb trail or direction arrows to follow, a 1.8 inch map really wouldn’t bring much to the route finding party.
That said the GPS lock is strong and with quick notifications of off-route errors the chances of getting truly lost are slim, if you’re happy with that lack of geographical context, no maps really shouldn’t be a problem.
Comprehensive basic features then, but there are a couple of notable exceptions.
First up, no Strava live segments and the laps functions work automatically on time and distance triggers only, no GPS lapping which would be useful for an occasional race.
One other impressive feature of the Sigma Rox 11.1 EVO is its battery life. About 4.5 hours into testing, I believed it really shouldn’t still be showing 100%, but a quick e-mail to Sigma, (reply within an hour, good service) reassured me it’s expected with a link to some extra online instructions.
These show it will run 15 hours minimum, (full backlight, navigation, sensors attached etc.) with 25 hours expected under easier conditions! Impressive, and more than I’ll ever wish for.
That’s the main things explained, but it does lots else besides.
A list…
- Training sessions, inbuilt HIIT and FTP workouts and interval sessions, upload additional .FIT files from a PC.
- Crash alert, with automatic SMS messages to emergency contacts. Gives you 30 seconds panic prevention though.
- E-bike and e-gears integration. Di2 and eTap. All the e-bikes!
- Smartphone alerts – basic bantz connections of calls, SMS and a few messenger apps.
Sigma Rox 11.1 EVO overall
To answer that introductory question about the competition, the Sigma Rox 11.1 EVO really does stand its ground against the compact GPS offerings from the likes of Garmin and Lezyne.
Primarily this is down to the addition of the colour screen and all the additional data fields it’ll calculate from the standard suite of built in and compatible sensors, then there’s the novel functions that widen the appeal of this system.
Of these e-bike integration probably of most interest to the motor-powered rider but training and smart-trainer integration may be of interest to others.
That all this is packaged into a single product with a well sorted companion app makes it a strong proposition.
Acid test – would I buy one with my own money? If I really wanted mapping, then I’d have to look elsewhere, but for a compact and colourful computer I certainly would.
