Hey everyone! I want to clarify the route copy/pasting part. After some account disconnecting and re-connecting, I now have the Strava route syncing up and running. So, now I have the same great experience as so many others with route starring in Strava automatically syncing it with the Hammerhead. I should have done more work to figure out why my route syncing didn't work and reverting to the copy/paste to overcome it. If that was the feature holding you back, I can now confirm that auto syncing works great!

Great review, I've been enjoying my Karoo2 unit since Jan 2021. I've learnt to decrease the data fields as I ended up having too many pages with 6-8 fields and the battery will increase if I have 2 pages and the necessary data for that type of ride. I've now set up more profiles. I moved the angle of the unit so it was perfectly horizontal and the screen is easy to see with

I have one and I'm a huge fan! I have both the Bolt and the 1030 and I'll never go back to them, they're not bad but Karoo 2 is on the right path.

Nice balanced review. Departing Garmin as I am, I want to want the Karoo 2 but Bolt v2 seems to be the sensible choice. I change my mind hourly. The SRAM buyout is good intel, that might swing it

Nice review. I love my K2 but the internet connectivity is a pain and the battery life is an issue on longer rides. The navigation features are second to none.

Thanks for the vídeo!

Nice T-Shirt ... Ride Heaps!

I love the copy and past from kamoot, I only joined kamoot because of this unit.

Pretty much agree with your review 100%. Nice balanced perspective. I tried the 830 for MTB primarily because of Trailforks maps and other MTB specific features. But, the screen, UI and route navigation was inferior to the Karoo2. Hammerhead issues frequent software updates which a) fixes bugs and b) gives new features. Over time it is like a new computer with many goodies. I also like the reliable integration with my sensors - cadence, speed, heart rate and especially the Garmin Varia radar alert/light - been very reliable for me. I actually like the Varia integration on the K2 better than the Garmin 830!

@wydra9-1

2 жыл бұрын

I'm looking to potentially upgrade from an 830 and I ride MTB. Would you say the Karoo 2 would be a good upgrade? Does it upload rides to strava like the garmin does?

Good review, thanks buddy! The whole - using a website to paste a link to import a route - is definitely a dealbreaker for me. Will be getting a Bolt V2. Thanks for the heads up.

@jhoff80

2 жыл бұрын

Except it's not true.

@whazzat8015

2 жыл бұрын

@@jhoff80 Yep, should autoload. Dashboard is OK, and getting better

The o my thing that has been holding me to get the hammerhead compute against my wahoo ELEMNT is the fact that you need to copy and paste routes. On the other hand the unit itself looks beautiful. The display it’s awesome but it does completely the same as my wahoo. Only reason why I’ve been contemplating into a change is that lack of connection between my computer and my sensors like heart rate and cadence. Other than that wahoo rocks big time even better than garmin in my own opinion

The saving Grace for the Karoo is that SRAM bought them out. With luck they can actually do proper data recording

Nice review - that angle of the unit on your handlebars would do my head in. Has to be exactly square for those cyclists with OCD 😂

Nice review, thanks you for you video. I agree with most of it. It’s a good overall but I really think this unit is good if you intend to use some third party data analysis like Strava. It lack a dashboard and metric like garmin but I would use Strava anyway so it would just be redundant. I don’t really understand the need for Bluetooth upload when there is already a wifi one which is a much faster and reliable technology than Bluetooth. I used to be an android user and I recently migrated to iPhone and the notifications integration is much smoother with iOS (no app needed just Bluetooth pairing). The android app was not working very reliably for me. My Strava route synchronise automatically when I click on the refresh button of the dashboard without having to copy paste the url. Too bad that I couldn’t find such button on the unit itself which mean the route need to be synchronised using the phone browser before being synchronised to the unit.

5:50 I just linked my Strava account to my Hammerhead account. Whenever I make a new route on Strava, I just go to the Hammerhead routes page and click the refresh button. That's it.

@JustRideAdelaide

2 жыл бұрын

That's... annoying. I tried this multiple times but the routes never appeared on the device ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'll do more testing

@brasstinmancrazy

2 жыл бұрын

@@JustRideAdelaide In Strava if you star the ride and then refresh from the Hammerhead dashboard it will import the starred rides from Strava Routes

@arjanschild3552

2 жыл бұрын

Just use Komoot and sync it in your dashboard

@BikeSeatPhilosopher

2 жыл бұрын

@@arjanschild3552 And the inverse works too. When I get on my network and turn on the Karoo, my rides appear in Komoot automatically.

Thanks mate for the awesome review! It's not available yet in Japan, but I wish to get one. By the way, when you said it's useless while wearing gloves. But does that including wearing gloves that is touchscreen-able too?

Had my K2 for around 10 months and it's brilliant, quietly running, no hiccups. Tbt is perfect, maps and rerouting are simple and intuitive. I don't use a Heart rate or power meter nor have I connected my phone or strava for segments... I can get minimum 10 hours of fuss free navigation.. Maybe more, I've not had the need to run it that long but you can charge on the bike should you need to on longer rides.

Hello, great review! I also noticed that you have a Knog Plus light on your bike. Doesn't it fall off due to the use of magnets when driving bumpy roads?

I agree with you on Garmin Menu. Very unintuitive. I went back to the Karoo 2 and sent my 1040 Solar back.

@mortenfagerheim6453

Жыл бұрын

Yes same here, just got an Edge 1040 and am near the point of return it and go for a K2. Garmin menues are rabbit holes!

Good review , thanks . Could you please tell me the easiest way to end and save a ride ? There's no instructions on this so I just keep pressing buttons until something works !

I don’t live in Europe but plan to get one so I can navigate myself around Belgium, so I can see the usefulness of it having a SIM card slot. Having said that it’s disappointing it can’t also connect to a phone via bluetooth

I run it at 10% brightness, it's fine in the sun. Regarding the route integrations; when your Strava and RWGPS accounts are connected you can just star or pin them and trigger the sync in the dashboard. No need for the url copying you did in the review.

@brasstinmancrazy

2 жыл бұрын

I also run mine on either 15-20% or sometimes the lowest setting, if the unit is on a certain angle with the sun it's a little hard to read but a switch to dark mode sorts that out. Otherwise I find limiting my data fields also really increases battery life.

As always top shelf unbiased content . You are about the only one left who doesn’t sell his soul. . Garmin 530 for me tho and this isn’t a paid comment presentation either lol

@JustRideAdelaide

2 жыл бұрын

Haha thanks, appreciate it! I'm in agreement about the 530. I rate it as the best all-rounder on the market proportionate to price.

I have the original Wahoo Bolt and kind of want an updated computer. I was thinking about the Karoo but two things are a deal breaker. The fact it doesn't link and the clunky map download. It just seems behind the times. Heck, I forgot to download the map for our group ride the other day and did it literally as I was waiting to start the ride, while sitting on my bike, as everyone was lining up. It took me about 30 seconds. I guess I will just get the new Bolt.

I really enjoy your channel. You do the very best reviews and comparisons out there. I am not a tech nerd, actually the opposite but am looking to buy my first bike computer. My main focus is navigation. It will be used for bikepacking on routes like the GMBR the Baja Divide and other long distance route. Which unit would you recommend for that use. Right now I use a Samsung S21 phone running Ride with GPS or Komoot. Thank you for all your hard work and sharing

@AczeOne

2 жыл бұрын

I always used Note 10 Plus and Note 8 - just like you did the smatphone for my computer, I also used heart rate and cadence sensors. Today Karoo 2 came to me, I also bought garmin speed and cadence sensors - I will see if it pays off.

@Tinchohs

2 жыл бұрын

I decided to upgrade from the Garmin 530 to the Karoo2, because navigation is SO much better in my experience. It’s a combination of: (1) much better visibility due to screen quality; (2) MUCH better UI, allowing to pan and zoom like you would expect in the 21st century. I am extremely happy with the change.

@daveebert7747

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you guys for your recommendations and experiences with the Hammerhead. It's very helpful and I appreciate it

@BikeSeatPhilosopher

2 жыл бұрын

Dave, consider a Garmin Edge Explore. Seriously. It will do just what you want for half the price.

Do i need the speed sensor installed on my wheel? I have two bikes and just want to use it for nav and to save my rides. Don’t really care for heat sensor or cadence.

THE 1 thing that puts me on the floor with amazement about the K2 you can't search for a place to ride to from the unit ! (yes you can move the map around but that's impractical for me imo) oh and you can't turn off the Lap system it took soo many swear words as id touch it a lot even though it has a small graphic right by it..

@MrEytri

10 ай бұрын

@leedofney, can you search for a place from the unit with garmin or wahoo? Thanks for the info :)

@leedorney

10 ай бұрын

@@MrEytri When I had an 810 it had that facility but the processor was very slow, not sure on Wahoo

Which bike computer are you using now? My old Bolt's screen just died so was thinking about Bolt 2, Roam & Garmin. Any suggestions?

My biggest gripes as a Karoo 2 user are that it's cumbersome to add a route to the unit while outdoors on a ride, the data field fonts are too narrow and small to read clearly when riding a bike, especially on gravel, and now the loss of Di2 integration due to Shimano being spiteful.

Without integrated Trailforks, its a deal breaker for me ... love the screen though

Nice review. Thanks. Now that SRAM owns Hammerhead I believe we will soon see a Karoo 3 with major flaws addressed but priced at $999. In my humble opinion if Garmin 530 and Wahoo Bolt V2 had a baby that would be the ultimate bike computer 🙂

i'm looking at buying either a bolt v2 or a secondhand karoo 2 for cheap. which one do you ultimately prefer? seems like the karoo.

@whazzat8015

2 жыл бұрын

K2 but get the one that works for YOU out of the box

I’m considering upgrading to a Karoo 2 from the wahoo roam, do I need a computer for this? As I only have an iPhone

Great unit but battery is shocking. Connected up to HM and PM with bit of map usage i was getting around 6or7 hours. Customer service told me to decrease brightness and disconnect HM and PM and not use maps to increase battery. Oh rite great thanks for that so yeh obviously i sent it back to Sigma Sports who as ever were brilliant.

@whazzat8015

2 жыл бұрын

Great screen=bad battery, see every phone ever made.

@HKRoad

2 жыл бұрын

Same for me. Battery died on a 90 mile ride. Went straight back to Garmin. Until Hammerhead sort out the battery issue, it’s not for me. Yet several of my club mates say they love it and reckon I just had a dud battery. Who knows.

@whazzat8015

2 жыл бұрын

@@HKRoad If you still have it ,check. configuration: comm, sensors, screen, routing settings can further tax the battery. You shouldn't, have to , but them trying to get it to do everything for everybody stresses its limitations. At 90m that is 6hours? If I'm out all day I recharge at breaks. More hassle, but most rides of mine are shorter. Everyone has their best set up and hdw. Use what works for you.

@HKRoad

2 жыл бұрын

@@whazzat8015 No - I returned it. I spent a while trying to get help from the company to work out if it was a user-related setup issue. But after a bit of back and forth, they couldn’t help so I returned it to Hammerhead who gave me a full refund. It’s a shame as the screen is excellent, wonderfully clear and easy to read; and I thought the climbing function was amazing. It was a 90 mile ride with a lunch stop and I was running a power meter, HR strap, and Varia radar through it (this worked well with the Karoo 2). Can’t remember the exact duration but the battery died with about 10 miles to go. As I had done a similar ride with my Garmin 1030 plus without an issue, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that it’d switch off and I’d lose all the data. I’ll carry on with the Garmin but will watch for the Karoo 3 now it’s part of the SRAM family. I do think that with a change to the battery/power software, there’s a real future for this company.

@mabozza85

2 жыл бұрын

@@HKRoad totally agree with everything you have said. Lots of potential in the device just not quite there yet.

anyone know if/when a Karoo 3 might drop? the Karoo 2 is a good few years old now right?

The Karoo 2 is my favorite bike computer with the best screen, functions, and navigation. Hammerhead support has been great and replaced my original Karoo 2 when I reported this problem. However, I have had one problem that no reviewer has mentioned on both units. Most of the time, my data is correct, but last year, I had to quit using the Karoo on group rides because I would consistently get 0.8 MPH faster speeds than the other 10+ riders. I think I know the answer. If I record a Garmin or Wahoo on Strava, I get reasonably smooth lines. If I record Karoo 2, I get very wavy lines, wobbling all over the road. That seems to indicate poor GPS reception. Am I the only person who has this issue? If I could solve it, I would ditch my other computer and use only Karoo.

@JustRideAdelaide

2 жыл бұрын

Huh. That's really interesting. All of the data in my testing looked completely normal. Did you get wobbly lines on Strava or directly on the Hammerhead platform?

@OBHarris

2 жыл бұрын

It is on the Hammerhead site and RidewithGPS. I sent an example, but it got deleted. Nicole Mitsi also reviewed the Hammerhead, and she said it was not a problem for her. I have no idea of what I could be doing wrong. It seems improbable that I got two defective units. I got the second in January after I sent many messages to Hammerhead documenting the problem.

@brasstinmancrazy

2 жыл бұрын

@@OBHarris Might pay if you haven't already to calibrate the GPS elevation and see if that does anything.

@OBHarris

2 жыл бұрын

I did that and the elevation was what it should be. I will see if that does any good.

@numarc1010

2 жыл бұрын

This happened to me on my Garmin 1030 while riding with others with Garmin products. Recorded 0mph - 300mph... I just gave up and turned it off. Has not happened since, but I take it my 1030 does not like riding with others too often, bit of a loner.

like all other reviews, you think all devices should be like a Garmin, but actually when you really understand this device, it is streets ahead. It is built on Android and so is essentially a mobile phone for cycling. Also want to point out about your inaccurate reports about uploading routes, I just hit the Star in Strava, and the route is on my device no copying URLs as you mentioned.

I don't know why people forget that Garmin screens can be used without any backlight while riding in the daytime. I never heard this in any review even though it's one of the best features of any Garmin Edge device because the backlight set to 0% extends the battery life up to 40 hours (Edge 530). What do we need to see on a bike computer screen? Mostly numbers, some graphs, a map while cornering. We don't need any high-resolution screen with top colours that you can enjoy only at home, in shops, showrooms etc. We want to see the numbers in the sun - absolutely different to a mobile phone, its screen is intended to browse the internet, look at photos and watch movies mostly indoors or on a bus or train. Karoo 2 is more like a mobile phone to me. Glad to own my Garmin Edge.

@BikeSeatPhilosopher

2 жыл бұрын

It depends how you use the unit. I freeform a lot of rides and need to see the actual map, which requires turning up the backlight. Way up

Why does noone in any review mention the missing FTP test?!

Copy and paste route URL’s? Really? The strava route in your example was already starred as a favorite. Simply click the sync button in in the HH dashboard and job done. Standard feature that has been there since 2020? Maybe earlier.

Why not just use a ANT+ capable phone then?

Why don't these companies make a solid phone app that can just be THE overall bike computer? We have cell connectivity, GPS, bluetooth. big screen, way more CPU power.. etc. We already carry it with us on our rides. They'd make way more money in the long run with subscriptions and more people would be willing to buy an app than a bike computer that outright cost half the price of a phone.

For those who don't navigation, the Edge 130 Plus is the perfect bike computer.

@user-qn2cn9vj9h

Жыл бұрын

Lezyne macro is very similar, but costs 3 times cheaper

You barely ever need to use the touch screen, just use the buttons.

No currently available cycle computer has sufficient storage for storing even a subtle continent worth of data and map updates. That's my gripe # 1 with any cycle computer out there. While I love the UI / UX of the Karoo 2 and its screen quality (idem, its predecessor's), I strongly lament its main shortcoming: a user cannot look up a POI (i.e., a supermarket, a biker shop, a café, a B&B, etc.) to navigate to. There are more issues with the device, including its rather poor battery life, incompatibility with click-on battery units, and a lot more.

@carrickdubya4765

2 жыл бұрын

Good to hear about quirks, I like to be aware of pros and cons

Looks kinda big and bulky..Especially on the group ride killer climbs..weight weeny here.

Great until it soaked with rain. Then it's a unresponsive piece of kit.

Why can't anyone actually try navigating in their 'navigation' reviews? Go for a ride somewhere, then use your Karoo2 to navigate to the name of a cafe you know is near. I dare you to actually try navigating with the Karoo2 then come back and tell us how good navigation is.

@brasstinmancrazy

2 жыл бұрын

I've used the drop pin navigation a few times without an issue

@kidShibuya

2 жыл бұрын

@@brasstinmancrazy If you know where to drop the pin you hardly need to know where to go do you? Try needing to travel across Tokyo with thousands of small streets and finding somewhere on the Karoo2. For me its literally impossible to navigate on the excellent for navigation device.

@famousboy182

2 жыл бұрын

I agree! Mio cyclo has awesome navigation but hardly ever spoken of and is one of the few units (like this) which allows routes to be made up whilst already out

@kidShibuya

2 жыл бұрын

@@famousboy182 I had never heard of Mio. Def on my radar now, thanks

So… why not buy a cheap android phone and strap it to your bike?

Por qué no comprar un Karoo2, no hay soporte a: Ebikes, Di2 shimano, no App IOS. Esto es inadmisible. Why not buy a Karoo2, there is no support for: E-bikes, Di2 shimano, no App IOS. This is inadmissible.

I would never buy such a device. I carry my smartphone anyway for security reasons. So for the weight of a karoo I have a simple light battery pack and cable to charge the phone 3-4 times. Better at everything. Absolutely everything.

After my second Garmin Edge 520 died unexpectedly I decided to try something different - the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt instead of the Garmin 530. Boy! I'm glad I did. kzread.infoUgkxXZCtB-wGdHVTBSz8RswePK5vllHNi06N The display on the Wahoo Bolt is much easier to read. I like the configuration of the display more (up to 7 items visible on page 1 without scrolling and the first item chosen is larger characters than the next 3 rows that have pairs of items (still very readable). I also like the configurable item selections. The Bolt synced with my Garmin ANT+ Speed sensors on both bikes easily so no additional investment was required there. While the rated battery life is a couple hours less than the Garmin 520/530, I easily get a weeks worth of 1+ hour rides before recharging (and it's never really low on charge). At the end of a ride syncing to the Wahoo app, Strava, and Apple Health app is painless.