Stages Dash Firmware
- By Kate Hector
- Mar 10, 2021
Latest Stages Dash GPS Cycling Computer Firmware
2.5 - Smart Profiles - Feb. 2021
2.4 - Live Data Graphing - Nov. 2020
2.3 - Trainer Control - May 2020
2.2 - Workout Graphing - March 2020
2.1 - Radar Compatibility - Dec. 2019
2.5 Firmware Introduces Smart Profiles
Stages Cycling announced the release of 2.5 Firmware for Stages Dash M50 and L50 GPS Cycling Computers. This new firmware adds Smart Profiles to Dash, which automatically configure screens and data fields based on paired sensors before every ride.
Smart and Adaptable
After this update is added to any Dash M50 or L50, 2.5 Firmware adds “Smart Landscape” and “Smart Portrait” profiles to the unit. When selected, users can ride these as-is and Smart Profiles add or remove pages and data fields based on the connected sensors. When a power meter and heart rate monitor are connected, Dash builds screens with comprehensive power data and heart rate data. If those devices aren’t present for the next ride, Dash automatically removes those pages.
Smart Light Control
Dash now works with a wide range of smart lights including Garmin Varia Radar, Bontrager Flare and others. With 2.5 Firmware and Smart Profiles, adding an ANT+ capable light to Dash as a sensor adds a light control page automatically whenever the light is within range. Dash displays battery level, provides low battery warnings, and controls the lights on/off and flash settings.
Stages Dash Customization
Dash is still the most customizable cycling computer available, allowing changes through the Stages Link app or on the head unit mid-ride. However, Smart Profiles allow users to just start riding. Dash shows everything riders are looking for, and nothing that’s unneeded. No customization is required.
Key features of Smart Profiles on Stages Dash:
- Adds a Trainer Control Page when a smart trainer is nearby and activated, and removes the page for outdoor rides.
- Adds a map page when outside and GPS connects.
- Adds a workout graph and data page whenever a .FIT or .TCX workout file is added to Dash.
- Adds a map and navigation cue sheet when a .FIT or .GPX course file is added to a ride on Dash.
Existing Dash users can download 2.5 Firmware to upgrade to Smart Profiles. An important notice for existing users, 2.5 Firmware ends support of the Stages Sync Desktop Application. All future firmware updates, settings sync, map region downloads, course and workout sync take place from the Stages Link App only.
2.4 Firmware adds Live Data Graphing to Stages Dash
See your ride data in an all new way—with Stages Live Data Graphing. Track and compare elevation progress, power, speed, cadence or heart rate over the course of a ride, in real time as your ride unfolds. Add a graph (or multiple graphs) to your Dash on any screen, full page or a single data cell, via the Stages LINK app.
This is really compelling way to view your data as your ride progresses. You can track your power compared to your climbing, or your cadence and speed, or all of them at once.
Live Graphing is the latest feature to come to the ever-improving Dash M50 and L50 with the release of 2.4 firmware.
Elevation
The real-time elevation profile shows different colors for gradient percentage. Flats are green, descents are blue. As you climb you'll see yellow, orange, progressing to dark red on steep hills.
Graphs can be full screen, or a single cell, customized to display anywhere on the Dash.
Power & Heart Rate
Power and Heart Rate are displayed as a bar colored by rider training zone with a dotted red line over the graph that represents FTP or FTHR, so you can see how much time you’re spending above or below threshold, in real time.
You'll see peak values for the vertical axis. The horizontal axis shows time.
2.3 Firmware - Trainer Control on Stages Dash
Dash will search for and connect to ANT FE-C enabled trainers. Control resistance using ERG mode, Level mode or Sim mode, or control a trainer with your active workout.
To pair to a trainer go to Main menu > Manage sensors > Add sensors > Search via ANT and select any sensor with the FTM type.
Use the new Interactive data fields functionality to interact with the Trainer control field to:
- Control resistance using ERG mode, Level mode, or Sim mode
- Control a trainer with their active workout
- Disable control of the trainer from the Dash to use some other platform (but still view trainer data on the dash)
No other GPS Cycling Computer makes it easier to train right.
Learn More
More Smart Features for Dash
Interactive Data Fields
Fields that have additional options now show an icon in the bottom left corner
Pressing select will open the tools for that field
Map Tools
Press select when on a data page with the map on it, and tools will appear to zoom and pan easier than ever.
Also in Firmware 2.3:
- Enter custom wheel sizes for speed sensors using the text editor
- All sensor data preferences (Power source, Cadence source, and Movement source) are now located in the profile as settings
- Increased accuracy for elevation recording from 2m to 20cm
- Sensor limit increased from 10 to 14 for ANT, 12 for BLE and warning added when limit is reached
2.2 Firmware - Workout Graphing
Dash and Stages Link app get smart new features and functionality with new 2.2 Firmware.
Real-time Workout Graphing
Dash workout features were already state of the art, with interval graphs color-coded to rider training zones and real-time progress bar. With 2.2 Firmware workout graphs can now plot your effort over the planned workout so you can see how close you’re tracking to your target zones. Workout graphs now show you the target range instead of the max target value, by changing the color of the target zone in the graph.
Dash and LINK come with a wide range of both power and HR-based workouts for free, and with the option of Stages-exclusive Adaptive Zones you don’t even have to perform an FTP test to get started and ride to your best season ever.
Outer Intervals
You can now use the Stages LINK workout builder to add ‘Outer’ and ‘Inner’ Intervals. An outer interval is a normal workout step with a duration and target effort but can contain additional workout steps. These ‘inner’ steps can be started at any time within the outer interval and when complete, the workout returns to the outer interval duration and intensity.
Enhanced Pan/Zoom Map Features:
Dash maps are packed with tons of cycling-specific detail, including color-coded paths, bike routes and trails along with other cycling-relevant points of interest. With the latest 2.2 firmware we’ve updated map zoom/pan functionality so it’s even quicker and easier to see where you are and where you want to go.
Charge Mode and Sleep Indicator:
Forget to switch your Dash off after a ride? No problem. Dash will go to sleep and save juice for tomorrow’s ride. Enable sleep mode by going to Main Menu > Dash Settings > Device > Sleep and select 5 min, 20 min or never. After an hour in sleep mode, Dash will power itself off automatically.
You can also now see the charging status of your Dash even when it’s powered off and charging by pressing the power button. Though with some of the longest runtimes of any GPS computer while using real-world features like maps, courses and paired sensors, you’ll spend more time riding than charging.
Stages Link App 2.5 – What’ New
Course Management
Review and manage your Strava and RideWithGPS courses via the Stages LINK App (once they’re connected to your LINK account) and add courses to your Dash by adding them as Favorites within the App
Deeper Data Review
Performance Review Pages are now even more powerful and detailed, with added comparison data year-over-year and snapshot comparisons of current data period to previous data periods and more.
Device Manager
Manage your Dash, change settings, edit data pages and add new devices easily from the Link app.
2.1 Firmware with Radar Compatibility and Customization via App
Our engineers won’t stop adding performance and features to the Dash M50 and L50.
The latest 2.1 Firmware and LINK app update makes Dash the most powerful, capable and intuitive cycling computer in the world.
Customize your screens and settings right from your phone.
Use the Stages LINK phone app to build individual ride profiles for road riding, gravel, indoor, workouts, navigation or anything else, each with custom screen layouts and data fields. You can also change device settings, adjust your phone notification preferences, change brightness settings or switch to Night Mode directly and more directly from the app.
Radar Compatibility
The latest 2.1 Firmware update brings car-sensing Garmin Varia Radar (sold separately) compatibility to Dash M50 and L50. With increasingly busy roads and distracted drivers, the combination of Dash and Radar acts like eyes in the back of your head, delivering critical information about cars approaching from behind with enough advanced warning to allow the rider to make smart decisions, or take evasive action if necessary.