Sigma Rox 12.0 Sport - Nice and surprising bike navigation [Review]

The Sigma brand might not be synonymous with high-end GPS cycling computers for a lot of people. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, because this is Sigma’s first cycling computer with GPS. With its new cycling computer, the Sigma Rox 12.0 sport, Sigma is clearly competing with other industry giants like Garmin and Wahoo. Question is: is the Sigma Rox 12.0 up to the challenge? I was quite sceptical when I started my test, but now I’m completely sold. Garmin and Wahoo have a new formidable competitor…

Of course, the Sigma Rox 12.0 isn’t Sigma’s first cycling computer. It is however their first cycling computer with GPS. This has an easy explanation: more and more people cycle using bike GPS.

Like most advanced cycling computers, the Sigma Rox 12.0 can plan routes as well and it allows you to connect all kinds of sensors. Uploading and completing trainings is also very doable on this new Sigma.

Appearance

A cycling computer’s appearance is, of course, the least of its worries. Still, we’re vain cyclists. And I have to admit, looks-wise, the Sigma Rox 12.0 perhaps leaves something to be desired.

The first thing that stands out is that the screen seems slightly small. This is amplified by the wide black bezel around the screen. Personally, it reminded me of a first-generation smartphone.

However, the screen produces pin-sharp images. And since it’s barely reflective, even in direct sunlight, you won’t be bothered by glare while cycling. While the screen appears small, in practice it was really large enough.

The cycling computer also looks pretty thick. Yet comparing it to other high-end cycling computers reveals that it’s often thinner. Even if it were thick, mounting it using the included out-front mount, it’ll end up nicely at the same height as your handlebar. This hides its bulky size in any case.

Accessibility

After scrutinising its looks, it’s time to really put the Sigma Rox 12.0 to the test. Though first, we’ll need to pair the sensors and plot a route. On a side note: sensors can be paired using Bluetooth and ANT+.

As with all new devices, navigating the menus takes some getting used to. Luckily, the menus follow a fixed and logical pattern that you’ll grasp in no time.

One feature I particularly like is Sigma’s cycling profiles. You can set the sensors you would use per bicycle type, such as MTB or road biking. Sigma will also keep track of your performance per type of sport.

This means there’s separate PRs for road biking and mountain biking. It actually makes a lot of sense. Pairing the sensors is a piece of cake, the same goes for plotting a route by selecting a destination on the map.

Clear turn-by-turn navigation

Time to go cycling. Even during the very first metres I cycled, I was already impressed by the navigation’s clear prompts. They are much clearer than my Garmin Edge 1000’s.

Its handling of roundabouts alone is a treat. A small info window will open next to the clear map, telling you you’re nearing a roundabout. This icon bears a small number indicating which turn to take. Perfect!

This is much nicer and clearer than I’m used to. Even small bends in the road are displayed unambiguously. Route instructions are just on time too: not too early and not too late either.

If you keep in mind the Sigma zooms in and out rather quickly, it beats the competition by a mile.

Recalculating route in the blink of an eye

To really challenge the Sigma, I had to ignore the navigation a couple times and go my own way. But the Sigma couldn’t care less. Recalculating the route was very swift, even for longer routes.

We’re really talking about seconds here. The competitors can learn a thing or two from this. The Sigma won’t send you back the way you came, but just plots a new route in your general riding direction. No more Make a U-turn...

The world on your cycling computer

The Sigma Rox 12.0’s uses OpenStreetMap (OSM). This has numerous advantages. Its maps are very up-to-date and you could literally add maps for the entire world if you wanted to.

Most of Europe’s maps come pre-installed. If a country’s map you want is unavailable, it’s no hassle to add it. To little memory space? No worries, you can simply plug in an extra SD card.

Updating or deleting maps is done on the Rox 12.0 itself. The only thing you need is a Wi-Fi connection. No more hassle using computers and cables.

Very strong GPS signal

The Sigma Rox 12.0 uses GPS as well as Glonass. That’s nothing new, since most high-end cycling computers do too. What stood out was that the signal was very stable.

On my other navigation device, Strava often won’t recognise a segment because there wasn’t enough correlation with the official segment. On the road this is generally not an issue, but in a thick forest this could crop up.

Luckily, the Sigma Rox 12.0 doesn’t suffer from this issue. No post-ride disappointment because Strava believes there was no match on your favourite segment.

Great battery life, even with sat nav

The battery lasts really long. After multiple rides, each lasting a few hours, the battery still had around 30 percent of charge left. This is with navigation off, but with heart rate and speed/cadence sensors paired.

That’s pretty impressive. Of course, with navigation turned on, the battery life takes a significant hit, but that’s to be expected. A 4-hour ride with navigation was no problem at all.

And that’s taking into account that I made quite a few “errors” navigating, so the Sigma Rox had to recalculate the route quite often. Incidentally, this was lightning-fast. The beauty of it that you can see your original plotted route in addition to the new route.

Pairing with Strava, GPSies and TrainingPeaks

Of course, Sigma hasn’t forgotten to include the option to pair the cycling computer with third party training software. From the menu, you can pair the Sigma Rox 12.0 easily with your Strava, GPSies, TrainingPeaks or Komoot account.

Things like Strava routes are synchronised for you, without needing any input. The same goes for GPSies and Komoot routes and TrainingPeaks training schedules. Very useful.

Advanced training using the Sigma Rox 12.0

The Sigma Rox 12.0 is also great if you like to train systematically. It’s really easy to load your workout schedule onto the cycling computer and your Rox will guide you through training sessions.

You don’t even need training software. You can create, save and follow a new training schedule on the Rox 12.0 itself. An impromptu training can be set up in no time.

Notifications

The Sigma Rox 12.0’s notifications are very straight-forward. Sometimes even a bit too much so. The automatic pause feature prominently features every ‘stop’ and ‘continue’ on screen.

This seems useful, but it does obstruct the map and navigation. This means you can’t check the route ahead when stopped in front of a traffic light.

Continuing on your way will be shown on screen too, blocking the navigation telling you which exit to take. However, since the Sigma Rox 12.0 frequently receives software updates, this is hopefully something that can be fixed with an update.

Touch screen isn’t always responsive

Aside from the sticking out notifications, there’s only one other blemish on the Sigma Rox 12.0: the touch screen. This is not always working as smoothly as it should.

Occasionally, the Sigma wouldn’t register me touching the screen. Sometimes it would think I pressed something while I was in fact swiping. This seems something a software update can improve. If it doesn’t, you can always resort to using the physical buttons.

Compass sometimes confused at low speeds

During a MTB ride, the compass seemed to have trouble always pointing out the right direction on the map. At low speeds, it sometimes fails to determine your riding direction. This is especially jarring when you need navigation.

This issue also occurs when you’re standing still, at a traffic light for example. If you didn’t check the route before stopping, this can be confusing.

Fortunately, Sigma is working on this issue, as well as a few other points for improvement that I’ve passed along to them. With a bit of luck, this will be dealt with swiftly in a future update.

Fast cycling computer with a clear menu

The Sigma Rox 12.0 is an amazing device. As usual, there’s teething troubles, but these days that’s very common in all advanced electronics. The issues I ran into appear to be nothing a software update can’t solve.

I wasn’t using the latest software version during my tests. The consumer version will already have the latest software installed, or it will download during a firmware update. Which, incidentally, is really easy to do via the menu.

Regarding its snappiness, it easily beats other cycling computers with navigation. Calculating and recalculating routes is really fast. But most importantly, the Sigma Rox 12.0 gives better and clearer navigation prompts than any other navigation software I’ve tested.

Software and hardware make a great team

Pairing the Rox with third party software such as Strava goes smoothly. The small screen requires some fiddling for a first-time login. You only need to do this once though and it won’t result in further headaches.

The Sigma’s controls are also very intuitive. The menu structure is consistent and while it might take some getting used to if you’re used to other brands, but it doesn’t take long to familiarise yourself with it.

Are you looking for a much-needed replacement for your current cycling computer, or are you simply looking for a cycling computer with GPS? Then I definitely recommend the Sigma Rox 12.0 Sport. Feature-wise, the Sigma Rox 12.0 is comparable to the Garmin Edge 1000 and Edge 1030, Garmin’s high-end models.

On top of a slick interface, the Sigma Rox 12.0 Sport (with cadence/speed sensor) is very affordable compared to Garmin’s products.