New computer from German accessory brand offers comprehensive mapping and connectivity features
(Image credit: Sigma)
The cycling computer market is an increasingly crowded space. One brand you may not have considered is Sigma, but the newly launched Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO is looking to change that, and matches the features offered by many of the best cycling computers.
As its name says, the ROX 12.1 EVO is, an evolution of the Sigma ROX 12 cycling computer we reviewed in 2021. It's based around a three-inch colour touchscreen, augmented by five case-edge buttons, with a screen layout and font that Sigma says ensures excellent readability.
The Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO computer offers turn-by-turn guidance (Image credit: Sigma)
There’s colour mapping and route guidance included with turn-by-turn navigation. The device will offer three route options to reach a specified destination, namely the suggested, easiest and shortest. You can also download routes from Strava, Komoot and other apps, or create one in Sigma’s app or on the device itself.
The Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO also provides six sport profiles, including road cycling, gravel, e-biking and indoor cycling, plus you can create up to 20 of your own. You can also import workouts from TrainingPeaks and other training apps.
You can receive e-mail, text and phone notifications from your phone on-device (Image credit: Sigma)
As well as connectivity with the usual heart rate monitors and power meters, the device also supports rear-view radar, electronic gear shifting and many e-bike systems.
Connectivity to external devices is possible via both Bluetooth and ANT+. Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity is used to pair with a smartphone, which allows the ROX 12.1 EVO to display incoming messages, calls and e-mails. It can also transmit a distress call and GPS coordinates if the device detects that the user has crashed.
There’s the usual ride tracking functionality too, with the Sigma 'Ride' app allowing you to analyse and share your data or set device preferences.
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There's support for Strava Live segments (Image credit: Sigma)
The Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO covers much of the functionality offered by competitors, including Garmin, Hammerhead and Wahoo, although the latter doesn’t currently provide a touchscreen.
There are a few areas where the ROX 12.1 EVO falls short of its competitors though. For example, the three market leaders now provide on-the-fly climb profiles that work even when you’re not following a pre-planned route. What's more, Garmin’s latest Edge 840 and Edge 540 GPS units have the option of solar charging to increase their battery life.
Other brands with GPS cycling computers include Giant/Stages, while you can get much of the functionality of a cycling computer on the best cycling watches, even if the smaller display is rather less readable.
You can buy the Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO, which is the brand’s first bike computer to be made in its home nation Germany, as a stand-alone device or a bundle with either a grey or white case. The device on its own is priced at €379.95, while the bundle price is €479.95. More information on the new ROX 12.1 EVO can be found on the Sigma website.
Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages.
