I can agree with some of this review but some of it is misleading and a little unfair. There is an app that gives you the desktop dashboard on your phone to upload routes. It works very well and routes appear in seconds. There are 2 supplied USB plugs in the box so it's not open. You didn't mention URL map imports, the excellent re-rerouting abilities. You spoke about pinch & zoom and then did not show it. It would have been nice to see some of the 23 data screen you mentioned and not the single one you showed. Why was the profile selection showing in slow motion? The dancing thumb gesture while talking about the data screens was funny. The top two button DO do something on the home screen they scroll left or right same as swiping the screen. You didn't mention they also allow you to zoom in/out on the map. Agree on the buttons they are nice and rubbery but could feel more tactile when using gloves. There is more but I'm gonna stop bitching. Your content is usually excellent this wasn't.
@@Roger101Watson Thanks. I have another question: can I record rides without planning them and then sync the rides to Strava? Thanks again, I'm trying to decide between the karoo 2 and the wahoo roam. Thanks for your time.
@@FRamirez1A yes you can. In the setting set it to manual. When you finish a ride it will give you the option to upload to strava or any other account attached like komoot. You can also edit the title before you upload. If you don't want to just save it.
I was thinking the same when they were scrolling the screens in slow motion... Like they purposely were trying to hide one of the key advantages of karoo 2. I don't see any app that gives desktop dashboard on the phone. Which app are you referring to?
There is a hidden menu called quick action menu that pops up when pressing the big buttons on both sides while in riding screen. Just learned it yesterday after having my Karoo for a month. Also, once you have started a ride on a profile you can just swap to another profile pressing and holding the right small button, touching home and then selecting another profile. Hope it helps somebody.
Sounds like a Joke "Fastcharging" 3 Hours for a full charge. The reason why Garmin and Wahoo have this shitty screen is Batterylife, and 8 hours on this Hammerhead isnt great
The latest cycling computer by Hammerhead, the Karoo 2, is basically an Android mobile phone stripped down to function only as a cycling computer. Having all the capability and flexibility of smart phone makes the Karoo 2 arguably the best cycling computer currently available. But this also begs the question: Why not just use an actual smart phone as a cycling computer? Why not just attach a smart phone on your handlebar, download a sports app that displays performance metrics and navigation, and pair it with your power meter and heart rate monitor? The premium Garmin Edge 1030 Plus is as large as a mobile phone and costs just as much. So you can argue, why not just use a smart phone instead? The modern smart phone can work not only as a cycling computer but also as an emergency communication device, camera, currency converter and language translator when abroad, as well as wallet with smart pay. The latest smart phones are also waterproof and can be incased in shockproof casings to further improve durability. But it's precisely because the smart phone is also their emergency communication device, camera, etcetera--all sharing just one battery and the same memory capacity--that cyclists are hesitant to use their smart phones as cycling computers. Use your smart phone as a cycling computer for both fitness metrics and navigation while riding and use the same phone to take pictures and calling people during stops and the smart phone's battery won't last very long. (Also, crashing with your smart phone mounted on your handlebars may mean you've also destroyed the same device you need to call for help.) Perhaps the solution is to get a separate smart phone and use it as a cycling computer, since premium cycling computers are getting to be as expensive as smart phones anyway. I feel that if smartphone batteries lasted several times longer and were made even more durable, they would make cycling computers obsolete.
I only use a smartphone with quadlock out front pro and battery life is indeed the main problem, I use it offline with komoot, especially since I like long distances or multiday rides, but it's great for navigation. I'm considering taking a rather simple gps with good autonomy, I'm looking for a gps that can follow a trace sent from the smartphone well enough, receive new trace from the smartphone directly and connect to basic training gear with decent enough metrics on screen (speed, cadence and heartrate are enough). I'd use the smartphone when navigating on the fly with the map or to create a new route. That would allow me to let the smartphone on airplane mode, with sceen off and just use it when needed, while the gps does the bulk of the navigating work with a lot more autonomy. That would be the best of both world because atm, managing power while doing 200+ km/day bikepacking trips with full on smartphone nav, or bringing a power bank and a frame bag for any one day ride longer than 150km is really a hassle. I was considering these shinny, almost smartphones bike computers at some point but they're definitely not for my use and this review kinda comfort me.
When somebody does a rugged phone with ANT+ and these things are a dead market. They are 15 years behind auto devices, and look what that did to Garmins GPS business.
I understand why you struggled to get much sense out of the iOS app, it was last updated 4 years ago and it's for the Hammerhead One, a device that predates the original Karoo.
8 hours battery if your lucky! Start running multiple sensors via Bluetooth with the screen set to 70% brightness and turned one the whole time and 5 hours screen on time is average! Some people have had it die at 4hours whilst navigating! And what funny with those guy the first 50% seems to take 3 hours to drain then it just dies in 1 to 2 hours after! Very much like Apples IOS battery's indicator lies! Unfortunately ide been silly enough to jump onboard the HH train and felt like a Beta tester with a pre production product the whole time! Such a shame as the screen is beautiful and interaction is awesome 👍 but software snags and battery are not good enough on this unit this yet again! Maybe the K3 will hit the mark 🤔
@@mabozza85 sadly they are repeating history! Owners now reporting mount breaking Battery can sometimes last well but next firmware update sends it backwards! Sadly it seems HH are using all their users as beta testers and yet again not creating a stable user experience. I truly hope they use the K2 to mold the software and then eventually release a K3 that can deliver the hardware to match their software, then and only then will they be a viable option against Wahoo or Garmin.
@@whazzat8015 their screens ain't nowhere near the size of an average screen and a 1030 plus lasts about 15 hours longer with all your sensors running! Remember one of their original sales gimmicks for the HH2 was it comes with the biggest battery on the market! Sadly they haven't optimized the software to run on minimum power! And every software update always cocks with consumption, sometimes for good often for worse performance
@@lovecycling193 Yep. 4yrs of beta teasing, er, testing. fix one thing, break another. Karoo is the Apple of bike computers. The Apple ll. The wood stove. Fun for hackers. Not an appliance
I just ordered the karoo 2, can someone who has recently ordered it tell me if it still comes with the garmin style adapter? It was my understanding that it would be only included for ppl who pre ordered few months ago and as a right now it's out of stock for individual purchase. Thank you.
You keep saying 4 buttons on each side, and "2 large buttons and 2 small buttons on each side". There are 4 buttons on this device, please get that right. At 4:40 and 3:35 . This could have also been caught in post and at least edited with a caption?
I have the Hammerhead Karoo2, the mounting system is vasting better than the Garmin, the issue with the Garmin is those silly wings that can snap off, the hammerhead is more secure when it slides in and clicks into place. I've had 2x Garmin units and now the Karoo2 and I wouldn't go back to a Garmin. Sure it's a little more fiddling in setup but not really when you realise how to use it. After 2 rides I customised my ride screen very quickly with a new profile and away I went. I won't be going back to Garmin and the Wahoo isn't an option with the terrible map screen... My mates who have the Wahoo are never impressed with the map function and either am I when I look at their device.
You just go to the dashboard and create a shortcut on Android and iOS. You wouldn't know it wasn't an app when you click into it. It also comes with 2 USB C rubber plugs. I recently rode in torrential rain and had no issues. It's also one of the simplest devices I've setup, but maybe that's because I use android...
Bought a rugged Android Chinese phone and a garmin mount instead. 18 hours with screen on and better screen so much better performance. Can use e.g kamoot directly for navigation.
Or an old phone. An ANT+ bridge if you must Bike computers are overrated for most applications. Phone is fine for all who are not into collecting features they don't need
Nice potential.. reviewer failed to mention it's missing some of the most basic bike computer features. No auto lap, no ascent remaining, (not to mention anything like climb pro), no adaptive screen brightness to conserve battery, no sleep mode (screen turns off after a non programmable time of 2 hours), no light network control. And just a quick spin in the forums will show how that hh mount is working out. A few have issues with it breaking on the unit, and not great support for a replacement.
That's true. I have Elemnt, Karoo 1, Roam and the latest is the 1030 Plus and I've discovered Roam or Wahoo has so much lacking in terms of software potential. There's no auto lap, any sort of auto alerts like high HR, sharp turns, auto page switching based on cycling condition (climb or turning soon). 1030 Plus is the winner but not on navigation if it's going against Karoo. Karoo navigation is a whole next level compares to the rest competitor but the battery life doesn't give it justice.
Hi! So, live tracking was working with a SIM card inserted in my Karoo 2 up until the last software update. It tracks my location BUT the planned route red line is not displayed on the map anymore. Do you have any idea why and what I could do to fix this? Thanks in advance!
but all of them are still under water Marketing and feature creep make them on par with a phone, after all the compromises a cheap data recorder and a phone do most things as well Lots of features you simply don't need.
There’s a lot to like about the unit. Main main concern is that Hammerhead have made the battery smaller in making the unit smaller, reducing battery life over the K1.
No idea where they have their estimation from. I have 3 sensors connected via Ant+ and battery drains around 7-8% per hour. My experience therefore is to expect about 12-14 hours.
The Garmin mount adapter is not really a good thing, That mount was designed for watch size devices and has problems with the bigger devices. That is why tethers are invaluable. Bike computers are 15 years behind phones in utility. 80% reliable, at best, the lot.Suffer from feature creep. Still short of a bike PAN or auto units.
I presume there is no zoom in function ? If one chooses less data screens, does the font increase ? Asking for a friend who needs reading glasses......
Fonts get bigger, but are always right justified, even when it's the only 1 data field in a row. Just in case your friend with glasses also has OCD like my friend
Best screen out there. GPS zooms, otherwise just use screens that match your eyes and flip between multiple ones if you need other info. easy to set up and manage. That said small screen GPS are always compromising something .
Paired my SRM power meter with it. Reads its power, but not its cadence. Same thing happened with two different SRM power meters. Anyone have any advice?
My Hammerhead 2 has been supplied with two spare rubber USB-C grommets that push into the USB-C port making it waterproof. They should be in a plastic bag inside the box packaging?
been on the Karoo2 since batch 1 shipped.Good unit but its still got a long way to go....I am not loving the UX and button logic: each button triggers something else in a different menu section. don't love that. one button should always have one function or it gets complicated! also still not as responsive as smart phones or simple units like the wahoo and battery life is not up to par with the Garmin 830 or 1030. No need for companion app though so I don't miss it at all. the direct uploads work easily as long as you got wifi/hotspot with your phone even though I worried about it in the beginning. Also USB-C is a blessing! The Karoo Mount is incredible, a shame its not yet as universal as the Garmin mount.
I’m afraid the battery life is likely worse than this. I recon I’d struggle to get beyond 4-6 hours, especially if cold. this is my main issue with the device.
@@richardperriss They say it's supposed to last 12 hours and with the software updates over 17 hours to 20 hours is what they're promised but that depends on how many devices you have connected, i.e. power meter, cadence, HRM... I have my screen set to lowest brightness setting and don't have it auto turn off and I've been out for 3 hours and it was down to 82% with power meter and cadence sensors and no auto screen off as I wanted to test battery. While not as good as the Garmin it wasn't bad. I'll do another ride with screen auto turn off and see what the battery is like. Massive all day rides I'll take a battery bank with me.
I have the Karoo 2 and battery drains about 7-8% per hour with 3 Ant+ sensors (heart rate, cadence, speed) connected. It would let me expect 12-14 hours of battery life which isn't too shabby in my opinion.
I've used the ROAM last year, but it only beats the Karoo2 on battery Life everything else far away. Not to mention the dark display with poor contrast, no touch screen and so on.
Two things: 1) I have no idea why E-mail notifications could be less important than Facebook messenger info. You should be careful about recommending 3rd party services well known for their ignorance of privacy. Already only this makes me give you a bad rating. 2) You claim that the Karoo is less stable than Garmin? You gotta be kidding!!! Garmin is King of instability! I had so many rides with Garmin and in-ride its system froze. Turn-off by itself and so on. Not talking about the bad experience with unstable updates. That was the reason why I switched to Karoo and guess what? Stable updates and no problems with freezing or whatsoever. Do you really use these devices or you just present what your writer gave you?
Don't know about Karoo stability, would like to buy one as my next bike navigation, but Garmin (edge 1030) freezes processing Komoot routes and during ride were the reasons I've sent it back after less than one week of usage...
None of the bike devices has much reliability, maybe 80% at best. On target with the texts, mail and FB. I can't bear to get down my steps without checking let alone ride anywhere without them.
You absolutely can that, sir. It's your prerogative. Just let us know how your phone lasted after 6+ hours ride with navigation. Oh yeah and presumably your phone supports ant+ and you can have all variety of sensors connected including speed, candence, power, HR and showing them on the screen.
@@talonlan Both are correct, sort of. Clearly not a seamless PAN. You need a phone or cabled computer on the rest. You buy to your needs or you don't get them addressed
Nice measured review 👍 I was in the market for one of these and decided to do some research before I made an impulse purchase. My impression is it’s a very basic computer as far as data analytics is concerned with a pretty screen/graphics and poor battery life. For anyone training with power, the K2 does not provide any L/R data at all. I agree it has a lot of potential but the track record of the K1 does not instill much confidence. Some things I just don’t understand is ...why can’t you pair the K2 via Bluetooth to your phone? Why does it only allow hotspot pairing that drains the battery...or a SIM card? It’s just bizarre to me.
@@tedcolarusso4406 It connects to your phone's Bluetooth but just to receive notifications. To upload your ride to a third-party service, the only way to see your rides data by the way, you have to connect it to WiFi or put in a SIM card.
My only complaint is that it's lacking LEV support for ebikes. Even the most basic Garmins have ANT+LEV support. So I figured a brand new device would and this is missing that. Also their mount is VASTLY superior to the Garmin style and if I could use it with my bikes integrated mount I would in a heartbeat. It's far more secure than the quarter turn style. The Karoo 2 while flawed in some ways, it's really a top tier navigation and routing solution. Adding routes via urls is awesome, even it's real time rerouting is very impressive. I've had mine for a little over a week now and I do genuinely like it. Most of my gripes are software things that hopefully will be addressed in future updates. I think for the price it really is hard to beat. Just browse the forums first before you pull the trigger
Sounds utter shite to me , it’s obviously been released to early like it’s predecessor and will fail in the same way presumably. Battery life alone is way behind the latest Garmin & Wahoo units , it’s obviously glitchy as hell but on the plus it has a Garmin mount adapter that the guy mentioned three or for times. I’ve got a nice screen on my phone , I need a cycling computer that lasts all day and night and doesn’t glitch.
@@AlanLyne what about WiFi hotspot? I have used my phone as a hotspot and worked fine. But I would say this isn't the best option for you if you have such bad internets.
@@talonlan the Karoo is the Apple of bike computers. The Apple ll. The wood stove. Great potential in a hackers device. 4 years of beta. "On the Roadmap" feature creep. No devices are fulfilling the need for an Auto like reliable PAN. there are different constituencies of need. some just need a GPS and simple log. some are data freaks who need their FPS delta per minute. Some their email on a solar powered satellite link.They are all buggy compromises for a great many. Well most. 10 years+ behind where car devices were before the chip shortage will make them get a better redesign. Hiho
After using Locus Map Pro App on my Android smartfon as my bike computer, I've just bought Garmin 830. Honestly I think I would be ashamed to offer my customers such a SHIT in 2021 year. I hope that someday Karoo will make proper bike computer using smartphone system that will work longer that 12 jours. They are almost there !
I can agree with some of this review but some of it is misleading and a little unfair. There is an app that gives you the desktop dashboard on your phone to upload routes. It works very well and routes appear in seconds. There are 2 supplied USB plugs in the box so it's not open. You didn't mention URL map imports, the excellent re-rerouting abilities. You spoke about pinch & zoom and then did not show it. It would have been nice to see some of the 23 data screen you mentioned and not the single one you showed. Why was the profile selection showing in slow motion? The dancing thumb gesture while talking about the data screens was funny. The top two button DO do something on the home screen they scroll left or right same as swiping the screen. You didn't mention they also allow you to zoom in/out on the map. Agree on the buttons they are nice and rubbery but could feel more tactile when using gloves. There is more but I'm gonna stop bitching. Your content is usually excellent this wasn't.
Can you sync the karoo with fitbit?
Thank you so much.
@@FRamirez1A Only manually. Download the FIT file from the dashboard and import it into Fitbit/Wahoo/Garmin etc.
@@Roger101Watson Thanks. I have another question: can I record rides without planning them and then sync the rides to Strava?
Thanks again, I'm trying to decide between the karoo 2 and the wahoo roam. Thanks for your time.
@@FRamirez1A yes you can. In the setting set it to manual. When you finish a ride it will give you the option to upload to strava or any other account attached like komoot. You can also edit the title before you upload. If you don't want to just save it.
I was thinking the same when they were scrolling the screens in slow motion... Like they purposely were trying to hide one of the key advantages of karoo 2. I don't see any app that gives desktop dashboard on the phone. Which app are you referring to?
There is a hidden menu called quick action menu that pops up when pressing the big buttons on both sides while in riding screen. Just learned it yesterday after having my Karoo for a month. Also, once you have started a ride on a profile you can just swap to another profile pressing and holding the right small button, touching home and then selecting another profile. Hope it helps somebody.
Thank you Mikel, just what I’ve been looking for everywhere!!!
Sounds like a Joke "Fastcharging" 3 Hours for a full charge.
The reason why Garmin and Wahoo have this shitty screen is Batterylife, and 8 hours on this Hammerhead isnt great
Exactly. I am doing sometimes 10 hours ride and no passion to recharge during the ride.
The latest cycling computer by Hammerhead, the Karoo 2, is basically an Android mobile phone stripped down to function only as a cycling computer.
Having all the capability and flexibility of smart phone makes the Karoo 2 arguably the best cycling computer currently available.
But this also begs the question: Why not just use an actual smart phone as a cycling computer?
Why not just attach a smart phone on your handlebar, download a sports app that displays performance metrics and navigation, and pair it with your power meter and heart rate monitor?
The premium Garmin Edge 1030 Plus is as large as a mobile phone and costs just as much. So you can argue, why not just use a smart phone instead?
The modern smart phone can work not only as a cycling computer but also as an emergency communication device, camera, currency converter and language translator when abroad, as well as wallet with smart pay. The latest smart phones are also waterproof and can be incased in shockproof casings to further improve durability.
But it's precisely because the smart phone is also their emergency communication device, camera, etcetera--all sharing just one battery and the same memory capacity--that cyclists are hesitant to use their smart phones as cycling computers.
Use your smart phone as a cycling computer for both fitness metrics and navigation while riding and use the same phone to take pictures and calling people during stops and the smart phone's battery won't last very long. (Also, crashing with your smart phone mounted on your handlebars may mean you've also destroyed the same device you need to call for help.)
Perhaps the solution is to get a separate smart phone and use it as a cycling computer, since premium cycling computers are getting to be as expensive as smart phones anyway.
I feel that if smartphone batteries lasted several times longer and were made even more durable, they would make cycling computers obsolete.
I only use a smartphone with quadlock out front pro and battery life is indeed the main problem, I use it offline with komoot, especially since I like long distances or multiday rides, but it's great for navigation.
I'm considering taking a rather simple gps with good autonomy, I'm looking for a gps that can follow a trace sent from the smartphone well enough, receive new trace from the smartphone directly and connect to basic training gear with decent enough metrics on screen (speed, cadence and heartrate are enough). I'd use the smartphone when navigating on the fly with the map or to create a new route.
That would allow me to let the smartphone on airplane mode, with sceen off and just use it when needed, while the gps does the bulk of the navigating work with a lot more autonomy.
That would be the best of both world because atm, managing power while doing 200+ km/day bikepacking trips with full on smartphone nav, or bringing a power bank and a frame bag for any one day ride longer than 150km is really a hassle.
I was considering these shinny, almost smartphones bike computers at some point but they're definitely not for my use and this review kinda comfort me.
When somebody does a rugged phone with ANT+ and these things are a dead market.
They are 15 years behind auto devices, and look what that did to Garmins GPS business.
I understand why you struggled to get much sense out of the iOS app, it was last updated 4 years ago and it's for the Hammerhead One, a device that predates the original Karoo.
waterproof phones have open USB C ports too. If made properly it shouldn't be an issue
So if you can only own one, wich one would you prefer between the karoo and the roam?
8 hours battery if your lucky! Start running multiple sensors via Bluetooth with the screen set to 70% brightness and turned one the whole time and 5 hours screen on time is average! Some people have had it die at 4hours whilst navigating! And what funny with those guy the first 50% seems to take 3 hours to drain then it just dies in 1 to 2 hours after! Very much like Apples IOS battery's indicator lies!
Unfortunately ide been silly enough to jump onboard the HH train and felt like a Beta tester with a pre production product the whole time! Such a shame as the screen is beautiful and interaction is awesome 👍 but software snags and battery are not good enough on this unit this yet again! Maybe the K3 will hit the mark 🤔
finally somebody that speaks sense. customer service told me to use battery save mode and not connect to sensors and mobile or use maps
@@mabozza85 sadly they are repeating history! Owners now reporting mount breaking Battery can sometimes last well but next firmware update sends it backwards!
Sadly it seems HH are using all their users as beta testers and yet again not creating a stable user experience. I truly hope they use the K2 to mold the software and then eventually release a K3 that can deliver the hardware to match their software, then and only then will they be a viable option against Wahoo or Garmin.
Big screens with features eat battery power. It's just physics. look at your phone's performance.
@@whazzat8015 their screens ain't nowhere near the size of an average screen and a 1030 plus lasts about 15 hours longer with all your sensors running! Remember one of their original sales gimmicks for the HH2 was it comes with the biggest battery on the market! Sadly they haven't optimized the software to run on minimum power! And every software update always cocks with consumption, sometimes for good often for worse performance
@@lovecycling193 Yep. 4yrs of beta teasing, er, testing. fix one thing, break another. Karoo is the Apple of bike computers. The Apple ll. The wood stove. Fun for hackers. Not an appliance
I just ordered the karoo 2, can someone who has recently ordered it tell me if it still comes with the garmin style adapter? It was my understanding that it would be only included for ppl who pre ordered few months ago and as a right now it's out of stock for individual purchase.
Thank you.
Yes. I got mine today. Comes with the Garmin style adapter and it also has 2 small covers to protect the charging port.
@@lawyerchattanooga Thank you! Let's see how long it takes to get here. They haven't even ship it yet.
I got 2 covers for the USB port in my package
I got 2 also but the first one promptly fell out and was lost. I didn't bother to put the 2nd one in since I thought it would just fall out too
I didnt get any port covers with my unit.
Um , do you live in a world where electricians tape has not yet been conceived?
Disappointing to be honest. It's a bit like electric cars...still not quite there. I'll wait.
You keep saying 4 buttons on each side, and "2 large buttons and 2 small buttons on each side". There are 4 buttons on this device, please get that right. At 4:40 and 3:35 . This could have also been caught in post and at least edited with a caption?
I have the Hammerhead Karoo2, the mounting system is vasting better than the Garmin, the issue with the Garmin is those silly wings that can snap off, the hammerhead is more secure when it slides in and clicks into place. I've had 2x Garmin units and now the Karoo2 and I wouldn't go back to a Garmin. Sure it's a little more fiddling in setup but not really when you realise how to use it. After 2 rides I customised my ride screen very quickly with a new profile and away I went. I won't be going back to Garmin and the Wahoo isn't an option with the terrible map screen... My mates who have the Wahoo are never impressed with the map function and either am I when I look at their device.
You just go to the dashboard and create a shortcut on Android and iOS. You wouldn't know it wasn't an app when you click into it. It also comes with 2 USB C rubber plugs. I recently rode in torrential rain and had no issues. It's also one of the simplest devices I've setup, but maybe that's because I use android...
ive had this for three months, I had no idea those were in the box! Thanks as Im headed out on a multi-state tour! lol
@@dml5053excellent have s great trip
Bought a rugged Android Chinese phone and a garmin mount instead. 18 hours with screen on and better screen so much better performance.
Can use e.g kamoot directly for navigation.
Or an old phone. An ANT+ bridge if you must
Bike computers are overrated for most applications.
Phone is fine for all who are not into collecting features they don't need
Nice potential.. reviewer failed to mention it's missing some of the most basic bike computer features. No auto lap, no ascent remaining, (not to mention anything like climb pro), no adaptive screen brightness to conserve battery, no sleep mode (screen turns off after a non programmable time of 2 hours), no light network control. And just a quick spin in the forums will show how that hh mount is working out. A few have issues with it breaking on the unit, and not great support for a replacement.
That's true. I have Elemnt, Karoo 1, Roam and the latest is the 1030 Plus and I've discovered Roam or Wahoo has so much lacking in terms of software potential. There's no auto lap, any sort of auto alerts like high HR, sharp turns, auto page switching based on cycling condition (climb or turning soon). 1030 Plus is the winner but not on navigation if it's going against Karoo. Karoo navigation is a whole next level compares to the rest competitor but the battery life doesn't give it justice.
Hi! So, live tracking was working with a SIM card inserted in my Karoo 2 up until the last software update. It tracks my location BUT the planned route red line is not displayed on the map anymore. Do you have any idea why and what I could do to fix this? Thanks in advance!
Neat review but I'll be keeping my Wahoo Bolt
Sounds like it more trouble than its worth. Garmin and Wahoo are head and shoulders above this.
but all of them are still under water
Marketing and feature creep make them on par with a phone, after all the compromises
a cheap data recorder and a phone do most things as well
Lots of features you simply don't need.
There’s a lot to like about the unit. Main main concern is that Hammerhead have made the battery smaller in making the unit smaller, reducing battery life over the K1.
everybody was demanding small.
nice big screen simply eats power
it's called physics.
Lezyne mega xl battery life is great and setup on Android phone and the price is ok
It's a cycling computer not a cellphone so what security issues are you going to have?
8 hrs battery life, no ta. Won't last for a decent day out then.
No idea where they have their estimation from. I have 3 sensors connected via Ant+ and battery drains around 7-8% per hour. My experience therefore is to expect about 12-14 hours.
I love this segway.
Easy to install and use
Compatibility with Tire Pressure sensors? Or Varia Radar? Display for electronic group set shifting?
The Garmin mount adapter is not really a good thing,
That mount was designed for watch size devices and has problems with the bigger devices.
That is why tethers are invaluable. Bike computers are 15 years behind phones in utility.
80% reliable, at best, the lot.Suffer from feature creep. Still short of a bike PAN or auto units.
That thing is a turd
I presume there is no zoom in function ? If one chooses less data screens, does the font increase ? Asking for a friend who needs reading glasses......
Yes, the fonts are larger if fewer data fields
Fonts get bigger, but are always right justified, even when it's the only 1 data field in a row. Just in case your friend with glasses also has OCD like my friend
Best screen out there. GPS zooms, otherwise just use screens that match your eyes and flip between multiple ones if you need other info. easy to set up and manage. That said small screen GPS are always compromising something .
Don't understand why it is not mentioned but in real life, this computer has less than 50% battery life than Wahoo Roam. No thank you.
Paired my SRM power meter with it. Reads its power, but not its cadence. Same thing happened with two different SRM power meters. Anyone have any advice?
Every time he says "wiz" take a shot. Great review :)
Can I see Castelli Perfetto here? I also have these patches peeled off. Did you handle it? If so, how? : D Yours sincerely!
My Hammerhead 2 has been supplied with two spare rubber USB-C grommets that push into the USB-C port making it waterproof. They should be in a plastic bag inside the box packaging?
they stay around for about as long as a ride map.
Great video. Are current elevation? and total ascent? available fields
Yeah I liked the idea of it, but its just a smart phone essentially with one big 'app'. Pricey too.
only for those who don't want their pricey phone on the bars
How can they release a product where their IOS app doesn´t even work with it? Ridiculous.
Really? I have a wahoo roam which is brilliant but I like the look of the K2
They had installed an app from 4 years ago for a hammerhead 1 that predates even the Karoo.
been on the Karoo2 since batch 1 shipped.Good unit but its still got a long way to go....I am not loving the UX and button logic: each button triggers something else in a different menu section. don't love that. one button should always have one function or it gets complicated! also still not as responsive as smart phones or simple units like the wahoo and battery life is not up to par with the Garmin 830 or 1030.
No need for companion app though so I don't miss it at all. the direct uploads work easily as long as you got wifi/hotspot with your phone even though I worried about it in the beginning.
Also USB-C is a blessing!
The Karoo Mount is incredible, a shame its not yet as universal as the Garmin mount.
can you just have a screen with 1 custom box - say cadence or elevation etc.
yep. more to choose from than you will ever need
Too bad, this device doesn't ship to South East Asia countries.
Only 8 hrs runtime would be a deal breaker for me. The ROAM easily runs 17 hrs on one charge, the newer Garmins have even longer run times I've heard.
I’m afraid the battery life is likely worse than this. I recon I’d struggle to get beyond 4-6 hours, especially if cold. this is my main issue with the device.
@@richardperriss They say it's supposed to last 12 hours and with the software updates over 17 hours to 20 hours is what they're promised but that depends on how many devices you have connected, i.e. power meter, cadence, HRM... I have my screen set to lowest brightness setting and don't have it auto turn off and I've been out for 3 hours and it was down to 82% with power meter and cadence sensors and no auto screen off as I wanted to test battery. While not as good as the Garmin it wasn't bad. I'll do another ride with screen auto turn off and see what the battery is like. Massive all day rides I'll take a battery bank with me.
I have the Karoo 2 and battery drains about 7-8% per hour with 3 Ant+ sensors (heart rate, cadence, speed) connected. It would let me expect 12-14 hours of battery life which isn't too shabby in my opinion.
@@dirkbodschard3961 is this with navigation on?
@@cyclecheshire8164 dont get it. battery is shocking.
I'll be replacing my Wahoo Elemnt next year and I'm undecided between the Roam (or whatever Wahoo offers at that time) and the K2.
I've used the ROAM last year, but it only beats the Karoo2 on battery Life everything else far away. Not to mention the dark display with poor contrast, no touch screen and so on.
Two things: 1) I have no idea why E-mail notifications could be less important than Facebook messenger info. You should be careful about recommending 3rd party services well known for their ignorance of privacy. Already only this makes me give you a bad rating.
2) You claim that the Karoo is less stable than Garmin? You gotta be kidding!!! Garmin is King of instability! I had so many rides with Garmin and in-ride its system froze. Turn-off by itself and so on. Not talking about the bad experience with unstable updates. That was the reason why I switched to Karoo and guess what? Stable updates and no problems with freezing or whatsoever.
Do you really use these devices or you just present what your writer gave you?
Don't know about Karoo stability, would like to buy one as my next bike navigation, but Garmin (edge 1030) freezes processing Komoot routes and during ride were the reasons I've sent it back after less than one week of usage...
None of the bike devices has much reliability, maybe 80% at best.
On target with the texts, mail and FB. I can't bear to get down my steps without checking let alone ride anywhere without them.
It may have all the bells and whistles, but I'll stick with my Wahoo.
He wants to say that it's still a beta version of karoo, and you should wait for karoo 4 at least ;)
Its really not he just has no clue how to use it properly, for a better review check out DC Rainmaker.
Karoo has been in Beta for 4 years
Do the maps show street names?
yep
3:35 Garmin suport , hahaha
Support only deprives you of initiative
I'll save the money and use the phone.
You absolutely can that, sir. It's your prerogative. Just let us know how your phone lasted after 6+ hours ride with navigation. Oh yeah and presumably your phone supports ant+ and you can have all variety of sensors connected including speed, candence, power, HR and showing them on the screen.
they all have compromises.
Phone is a very good option for many
Useless without wifi.
nope. Internet connection is purely for set up and syncing rides. If you want it carries its own simcard but not needed for navigation or anything.
@@talonlan Both are correct, sort of. Clearly not a seamless PAN.
You need a phone or cabled computer on the rest.
You buy to your needs or you don't get them addressed
Sorry, you had me turned off once you said it was based on the Android operating system. I'll stick with wahoo
Nice measured review 👍 I was in the market for one of these and decided to do some research before I made an impulse purchase. My impression is it’s a very basic computer as far as data analytics is concerned with a pretty screen/graphics and poor battery life. For anyone training with power, the K2 does not provide any L/R data at all. I agree it has a lot of potential but the track record of the K1 does not instill much confidence. Some things I just don’t understand is ...why can’t you pair the K2 via Bluetooth to your phone? Why does it only allow hotspot pairing that drains the battery...or a SIM card? It’s just bizarre to me.
It does show L/R power
It pairs to phone via BT. Wifi was suggested for initial setup, which includes download of latest sw, and regional maps selected on the dashboard.
@@tedcolarusso4406 It connects to your phone's Bluetooth but just to receive notifications. To upload your ride to a third-party service, the only way to see your rides data by the way, you have to connect it to WiFi or put in a SIM card.
Wahoo roam is the way to go
My only complaint is that it's lacking LEV support for ebikes. Even the most basic Garmins have ANT+LEV support. So I figured a brand new device would and this is missing that. Also their mount is VASTLY superior to the Garmin style and if I could use it with my bikes integrated mount I would in a heartbeat. It's far more secure than the quarter turn style.
The Karoo 2 while flawed in some ways, it's really a top tier navigation and routing solution. Adding routes via urls is awesome, even it's real time rerouting is very impressive. I've had mine for a little over a week now and I do genuinely like it. Most of my gripes are software things that hopefully will be addressed in future updates. I think for the price it really is hard to beat. Just browse the forums first before you pull the trigger
I wonder if it can play retro games. Lmao
Actooly it can.
Bike computer guys frequently don't look up from their devices and need that kind of feature.
Can sideload many Android games
touchscreen on a cycling computer and I walk the other way, especially in a country where we wear gloves 8 months in a year
everything except using the keyboard can be done with the buttons.
Sounds utter shite to me , it’s obviously been released to early like it’s predecessor and will fail in the same way presumably.
Battery life alone is way behind the latest Garmin & Wahoo units , it’s obviously glitchy as hell but on the plus it has a Garmin mount adapter that the guy mentioned three or for times.
I’ve got a nice screen on my phone , I need a cycling computer that lasts all day and night and doesn’t glitch.
Doubt you will find one with a screen.
Phone with a battery pack woks pretty good
Android is not the best OS fpr a cycling Computer.... ill stick with my Edge 530
RIP for people like me who don't have wifi
it takes a sim card.
@@talonlan bit of a pain to get a separate data plan or swap your mobile sim in and out
@@AlanLyne what about WiFi hotspot? I have used my phone as a hotspot and worked fine. But I would say this isn't the best option for you if you have such bad internets.
@@talonlan the Karoo is the Apple of bike computers. The Apple ll. The wood stove. Great potential in a hackers device. 4 years of beta. "On the Roadmap" feature creep. No devices are fulfilling the need for an Auto like reliable PAN. there are different constituencies of need. some just need a GPS and simple log. some are data freaks who need their FPS delta per minute. Some their email on a solar powered satellite link.They are all buggy compromises for a great many. Well most. 10 years+ behind where car devices were before the chip shortage will make them get a better redesign. Hiho
After using Locus Map Pro App on my Android smartfon as my bike computer, I've just bought Garmin 830. Honestly I think I would be ashamed to offer my customers such a SHIT in 2021 year. I hope that someday Karoo will make proper bike computer using smartphone system that will work longer that 12 jours. They are almost there !