At $399 ( with various discounts, sales, propmotion, BF) + $280 which by my Texas high school math is $679 it is in Garmin 1030 range so expectations are high.
@@whazzat8015 however, if Android based computer with all the pros of phone-like features and solved issue with battery keeping at least 10h with all sensors/SIM/BT music on... it would be perfect solution. Even the shape/form factor is much better than the 1st version. But still few questions to be answered about the features. And they will probably come with the time of people using it. Garmin is good, very good, but it is a time for REAL competition to come to the game. This would solve "unsolvable" issues with Garmin very fast as well.
@@zyghom Great potential , but reach exceeding grasp. Agree that Garmin is stuck with backward compatibility, processor, and os issues, that Android can fix, but 2yrs in the karoo still lags in features and bug clearance. My guess is the industry is still at PC-XT level and needs 1-2 year to get sorted out. I'm going for simple solid function over doubling down on promises that frustrate
@@Dcrainmaker And still they are actually becoming too narrow. Especially with all these elderly riding e-bikes.... still, this country is one of the nicest to just go biking for fun or to do errands (at whichever speeds you like)
@@LethalBB yes they are, and we all need space in the infrastructure. I applaud e-bikes for elderly to be able to enjoy being outside and staying fit for longer. But it is a new class of cyclists that are in many cases liable to accidents because of their state (slow reaction times, fragile, relatively high speeds). Dutch cycling paths are relatively narrow and that means we now mix fast riders with regular cyclists and e-bikes sometimes even with mopeds. In any way, we still have great cycling infrastructure, but not without it's issues.
I was one of the early pre-orders for the Karoo 1, waited a year for the thing to arrive, then another year for even basic functionality to work, finally giving up and selling after a year of mid-ride crashes, bugs, quirky interfaces, and constantly delayed features like segments, and of course the non-existent sound. Never felt comfortable with a TV on my handlebars anyway, so going to the Bolt and then the Roam was a revelation in simplicity, well designed form, and bug free performance. I'm still intrigued with the promise of the Karoo though, because an android based computer makes sense, but given Hammerhead's performance in the past, I think I'll wait for this thing to show that it's stable and actually offers the features they promise. Would also like to see them offer some functionality that makes use of the SIM card. Nothing the device does so far really makes a SIM card necessary. At least the form factor and weight is much better. I remember they sent a survey at one point asking if a larger screen would be better. Good to see they ditched that idea and went smaller. The K1 is just a ridiculous thing to have on your bike.
Using a Garmin 530 now, but just preordered the Karoo 2. Stoked on this! I do hope they offer some MTB stuff as well (like the Garmin) since I do ride both but, if not then I'm still good with it. Thanks for the early look!
I pre-ordered, sooo curious!! I immediately thought that must be in The Netherlands and yes it is! I ride there every now and then too, beautiful route!!
Having suffered Garmin for too long, I pre-ordered the K2 yesterday without hesitation. On paper, the navigation and interfacing of the K2 are a quantum leap forward compared to garmin. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.
Brainjock it’s a good question. For me, it’s important that the performance aspect of my cycling is accurately monitored and recorded. Both during and after the ride. HR, speed, cadence, elevation, grade and power etc. I use this info to vary my effort. This aspect is well served by Garmin and other bike computers, but the navigation aspect sucks. HH has is giving us a Google Maps experience (almost) on a bike computer that also nails the performance aspect. I’m sure you could replicate all these criteria in a smart phone app, especially the navigation aspect with google maps. But at the moment, I don’t think anyone does. I also don’t want my chunky iPhone 11+ mounted on my aero bike ;)
Thank you lots for the review. I am relieved so learn the storage has grown from a measly, absolutely useless for serious cycle touring 9GB to a somewhat practicable 30GB, although I wish it had been triple or quadruple that, so as to accommodate the entire world worth of maps, including topo, an extended POI database, lots of other "rich" features and easy map updates that don't necessitate preliminary uninstallation to free up space. I wish the screen was a but larger and the bezels smaller, but as is, it is still as appealing as any of the competition. The battery life: I'd like to hope, it has improved as well. I also hope for Strava sync issues to get resolved on both devices.
I love my Karoo 1 but it's way too bulky, can't wait for this one so my friends stop making fun of me for my ridiculous GPS 🤣"I can't race crits with you anymore - your Karoo would give me a concussion if we crashed" 🤣
I've used the Wahoo Elemnt for the last three years. The map used by Wahoo pales in comparison to Garmin and the Hammerhead. For the last few months Wahoo has been having issues with features no longer working or working intermittently such as LiveTrack, which is not working, and the unit has stopped receiving most text messages. Although the Wahoo Elemnt (the Roam is essentially an Elemnt utilizing color in the screen) held a lot of promise I may soon have to give up on it and move to another computer. Wahoo Tech support is responsive via e-mail sending canned responses, 'We're sorry you are experiencing....', but that's about the extent of it. I've heard too many horror stories about the Garmins. The Hammerhead looks promising. I'll see how the Hammerhead 2 performs when it is released. UPDATE 09/28/2020: Wahoo Live Track is working flawlessly. Still having issues with not displaying text messages under 17 characters in length. I can live with the text issues for now. All is good.
JDP had the same issue... there were pretty helpful, reaching back several times to ensure the live tracking was working... one of the last things they had me do after updating, unpairing was signing out of Wahoo’s cloud/account then signing back in. It’s been working ever since. I hope this info helps cause I was about to toss it in the drawer and look elsewhere... H1’s price point was excessive to me and as far as the H2 - I’mma wait a bit and re-eval after it’s been out for awhile...
@@CycoWarriorx Thank you. They had me sign out of the cloud last week and back in with no resolution. Then on August 26th the updated companion app was released through the Play Store and LiveTrack is finally working. Placed another support ticket today because there is no notification or display of text messages that includes 16 characters (letters, numbers, or spaces) or less. If there are 17 character spaces then the message displays on the Elemnt. I'm sure it's a simple programming fix but not likely to be addressed anytime soon. I will sign out of the cloud again tomorrow and back in. I was so angry I contacted support via e-mail recently and requested the personal contact information for the Wahoo CEO to lodge a complaint. I heard back from them via e-mail in 20 minutes...now that's getting a response. Of course they said to submit another support ticket. I may still try to reach the CEO Chip Hawkins if this isn't resolved and request some kind of buy back program since they seem to be having a problem with the Elemnt series of computers. Wishful thinking I know, but I'm not afraid to complain. Anyway...your reply gives me hope. Thank you.
You guys are assuming a degree of function that may not exist yet, at least in stable mature reliable function, across the field. Learning about BT connectivity , I understand how difficult it is to get right and why the HH line has moved to a SIM and TWO BT radios in. the K2. Still will need to show that that is the fix no one has shown to date. Very buggy feature at times, and stability is a % of time, not a constant.
I just got the confirmation from the support that sadly the Garmin adapter will not be in the box, but it will need to be purchased separately when it will be available
Bought one in November last. It was too big but it was beautiful. I sent it back regrettably. Now we have the lean mean bike computer machine. Looking forward to this. Just bought a 530 as my 800 gave up the ghost. Need to make another decision 😄
Good luck buying this device. I pre-ordered Aug 25th. Delay after delay without a solid update. Today they sent an email saying I will have shipping info Jan 11th, and considering it's 2 weeks delivery. It will be 5 months for delivery. Terrible customer experience.
Looks interesting... I did pre-order their first Karoo. Sadly, the brick ripped apart my mount on its first ride, when I hit a pot hole. (The Karoo had a pretty solid impact on the concrete an some plastic broke.) The other issues I had, were the battery. It was simply unreliable and now drops from 30% immediately to dead. Therefore it was never on par with other units. The new one looks quite nice but since I sport a 830 on my bar I am not too tempted to spend another 400 bucks on a Karoo. I would rather try a wahoo.
Ray, how's the screen responsiveness? What about with gloves or in the rain? Also, that beep is terrible, I'll have to wait until the real one comes out to see if it's good enough.
OK, don't know much about bike computers, so forgive the probably noob question: Do all bike computers do that strava thing where it tells you about upcoming segments, where you are at in relation to your best time, the overall KOM and what not? Like the Wahoo Element or Garmin 830? Do they do that stuff, too? Thanks, Ray. Great content.
Hi Ray, question on the unit when it's mounted on the handlebars. Can you charge it while in use? For example, if you have a top tube bag with a battery in it is there enough room between the head unit and bars to plug the USB-C cable into the head unit?
What I never see on reviews is the size of the data field text. If I only have two or three, are the numbers enlarged to fill the space or just more space around the same sized numbers if there were many fields?
Nice review. I have a question though. I'm not very new to cycling navis (I own an Edge 800), but why would they need a sim card? And are the sim cards through a phone company, which would charge a monthly fee? I guess I'm a bit out of the loop. Also How does everyone get their maps from (I live in Japan)? Thank you!
It was a COROS Pace 2. The embargo for the Karoo 2 was initially a day earlier, but then tightened up to only being about 7 hours earlier than the COROS Pace 2.
currently I have Roam that I really like, the only minus I give it, is that I can't move the position of the map. Yes I can zoom in and out but I can't move it so I can see other routes around. I could do that on my old Bryton so it is possible :D. What about the Karoo 2 can it be done. That will be awesome especially as the maps look so much nicer than the Roam
I'm curious how good the karoo 2's GPS reception is. The Elemnt Roam has a miserable reception in the forest under the canopy of leaves - much worse than an old Garmin Oregon, the test by dcrainmaker and gp lama was completely useless here, as they always tested in the open air and confirmed that the Roam had good reception.
It wasn’t an issue for me at all, but my understanding is there slight differences between the prototype I have and the final variant in terms of the anti glare coating they put on it.
Lets hope the mount is more secure than the Karoo 1 - my Karoo 1 mount broke twice mid ride. The design was flawed from the start using a screw and not bonding the plastic mount to the frame.
Hi Ray, thank you for this first review, i'm looking forward to your in-depth review. i choose to make a pre-order. I loved already the V1. But can you say something about the case? is it something from rubber. The case from the V1 needed a rubber band.. Saw i it correctly? was the v1 quicker showing the route than the V2? How does the varia shows up in the screen regarding the smaller screen.
The case is hard to say, because what I have won't match the final case. Mine is an engineering plastic versus the final materials. As for rending speed, just the screen for initial map preview seems to be slower. My guess is that's a minor optimization thing in beta software.
Yup - AZ Screen Recorder, even can take photos too! I use it for all my Android device screen recording needs. Just sideload it like any normal Android app. Quick and easy. It then shows up on the same lower menu as Routes/Workouts/etc...
Three different power meters (Quarq DZero, PowerTap P2 pedals, and PowerTap G3 hub), and then three HR straps (Whoop via BLE, Wahoo TICKR via ANT+, and Garmin HRM-DUAL via ANT+).
2 questions to owners (if any here) - Q1: can you control smart trainer over ant+ fc-e but show and record power data from other power source (e.g. pedals)? If the answer is yes - is the power source of choice used for ERG mode (e.g. if i am setting 100w and power source is pedals it will be keeping 100w independent from what smart trainer is measuring)? Q2: When the training program in TP is set for power range (e.g. 100-100w) how it interprets it? Is there an option to program resistance level or slope % and mix erg and slope in one training set? Thanks a lot!
Lots of potential here but doesn’t feel ready for the mainstream just yet. As a long-term Garmin user (9 years) I am ready to make the jump to Wahoo - as soon as they update the Roam and put USB-C on it.
@Brainjock I went nuts with computers and sensors. In retrospect what I need is an odometer and an occasional glimpse at a GPS. If data doesn't change what you do, you sure don't need more. If more cell phones had ANT+, the market would shrivel.
Does it connect to varia radar? Also if you use the sim card can you send messages and receive without a phone? I.e. what extra functionality do I get for paying for a extra sim card? So I can leave my phone at home.
Yup, works with Varia radar. As for the SIM card, I haven't tried that piece. The main appeal is live tracking there, as well as the ability to download bits like maps/routes without WiFi.
Nieuwkoop pondje! Vind de wahoo toch wat overzichtelijker ogen op het scherm. Al die kleuren leiden alleen maar af van wat je wil zien wanneer je naar je scherm kijkt. Maar goede review verder!
I'm impressed by how they implemented the Strava segment part, looks very clean and useful! I'm assuming it only works for Premium and you have to star the segments for them to show? What happens when you have multiple segments at the same time?
I just bought Karoo 2 and I have some issue with sound alerts (beeper), they are really loud but also distorted (rattling), anybody else have same or I need to send back new device?
@@rikkiola Yeah, I couldn't find a good place to stick it without breaking the rest of the flow. I usually have notes for videos to remember topcs, but umm...this one not so much. So I got to the end and then realized I didn't put it anywhere.
@@klaxxon__ cool, then make it bigger with even larger battery. display still smaller, but, no more garmin for me. I like this android idea much more. A proper open computer for the bike. I like to leave my phone at home always. Put a light and a camera on this too please, bye bye go pro too.
@@exodusvelo The current K1 stresses the Garmin mount, and failures have been a problem. Big is good for older eyes, but damage risk increases with size Android is better than Garmin OS, but requires updating that is not always implied. This uses Android 6 Marshmallow , with a release date of...?
@@rikkiola larger display, cooler industrial design. But, I will tell you something, by bye Garmin for ever. Polar age was over long ago, now it's time to say bye bye for ever to Garmin.
@@newbarker523 I don't like about garmin that is a big piece of shit designed to be broken, can't do any route of over 130km with sensors on or backlight on the display on, if i want to have enough battery to finish the route. Te buttons are designed to last 1-2 years, shoudl be 10 years. Cheap rubber buttons. Then, garmin has low resolution, bad touch display, weak processor,a nd the operating system is a joke, it is not a computer like this one.
Do you use a bell? If not, please do to improve the image of road biking in the Netherlands. P.s. is it still worth it to buy the first generation in your opinion? Is routing faster on this unit?
redorange Because that’s not the point of beta. Every bug is an issue that could be fixed in a few hours. A platform like this probably has at least a few hundred current outstanding bugs, each ‘just a few hours’. Your prioritize functionally first, then finalize with fit and finish.
someone correctly said once: "don't buy promises - buy when the product is providing the services" - I shall wait ;-)
At $399 ( with various discounts, sales, propmotion, BF) + $280 which by my Texas high school math is $679 it is in Garmin 1030 range
so expectations are high.
@@whazzat8015 however, if Android based computer with all the pros of phone-like features and solved issue with battery keeping at least 10h with all sensors/SIM/BT music on... it would be perfect solution. Even the shape/form factor is much better than the 1st version. But still few questions to be answered about the features. And they will probably come with the time of people using it. Garmin is good, very good, but it is a time for REAL competition to come to the game. This would solve "unsolvable" issues with Garmin very fast as well.
@@zyghom Great potential , but reach exceeding grasp. Agree that Garmin is stuck with backward compatibility, processor, and os issues, that Android can fix, but 2yrs in the karoo still lags in features and bug clearance. My guess is the industry is still at PC-XT level and needs 1-2 year to get sorted out. I'm going for simple solid function over doubling down on promises that frustrate
@@whazzat8015 texas high school math. Ahahahhahah
@@whazzat8015 What's the $280 for? I didn't find any mention of an extra charge.
One thing that is final is that the Dutch know how to build cycle paths.
Yup - nobody beats them.
@@Dcrainmaker And still they are actually becoming too narrow. Especially with all these elderly riding e-bikes.... still, this country is one of the nicest to just go biking for fun or to do errands (at whichever speeds you like)
Erik those fatalities of OAPs on eBikes are realll concerning
@@LethalBB yes they are, and we all need space in the infrastructure. I applaud e-bikes for elderly to be able to enjoy being outside and staying fit for longer. But it is a new class of cyclists that are in many cases liable to accidents because of their state (slow reaction times, fragile, relatively high speeds). Dutch cycling paths are relatively narrow and that means we now mix fast riders with regular cyclists and e-bikes sometimes even with mopeds. In any way, we still have great cycling infrastructure, but not without it's issues.
Was thinking the same - I can't imagine having paths like that!
I was one of the early pre-orders for the Karoo 1, waited a year for the thing to arrive, then another year for even basic functionality to work, finally giving up and selling after a year of mid-ride crashes, bugs, quirky interfaces, and constantly delayed features like segments, and of course the non-existent sound. Never felt comfortable with a TV on my handlebars anyway, so going to the Bolt and then the Roam was a revelation in simplicity, well designed form, and bug free performance. I'm still intrigued with the promise of the Karoo though, because an android based computer makes sense, but given Hammerhead's performance in the past, I think I'll wait for this thing to show that it's stable and actually offers the features they promise. Would also like to see them offer some functionality that makes use of the SIM card. Nothing the device does so far really makes a SIM card necessary. At least the form factor and weight is much better. I remember they sent a survey at one point asking if a larger screen would be better. Good to see they ditched that idea and went smaller. The K1 is just a ridiculous thing to have on your bike.
Hello! Thank you for review. What about offroad maps? Is this using openmtbstreetmaps or proprietary?
Really like that you ride the same roads I ride regularly :-) Beautiful part of the Netherlands!
The best!
Using a Garmin 530 now, but just preordered the Karoo 2. Stoked on this! I do hope they offer some MTB stuff as well (like the Garmin) since I do ride both but, if not then I'm still good with it. Thanks for the early look!
You had me at USB-C :)
Loves me some USB-C!
I’m
In the market for a computer, currently looking at the wahoo elemnt roam, will you be comparing the 2, soon? Thanks!
Karoo 2 is by far the worst head unit, it's really still a beta device due to all the problems. The roam is the best unit out there
I pre-ordered, sooo curious!! I immediately thought that must be in The Netherlands and yes it is! I ride there every now and then too, beautiful route!!
Great review as always! Glad to see another solid competitor in the high end head unit market!
" Hey, where did my adapter go?" That goes on the wall
😂
Having suffered Garmin for too long, I pre-ordered the K2 yesterday without hesitation. On paper, the navigation and interfacing of the K2 are a quantum leap forward compared to garmin. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype.
Brainjock it’s a good question. For me, it’s important that the performance aspect of my cycling is accurately monitored and recorded. Both during and after the ride. HR, speed, cadence, elevation, grade and power etc. I use this info to vary my effort. This aspect is well served by Garmin and other bike computers, but the navigation aspect sucks. HH has is giving us a Google Maps experience (almost) on a bike computer that also nails the performance aspect. I’m sure you could replicate all these criteria in a smart phone app, especially the navigation aspect with google maps. But at the moment, I don’t think anyone does. I also don’t want my chunky iPhone 11+ mounted on my aero bike ;)
@Brainjock ANT+. Ruggedizing. Mount. Brightness in sun. Damage risk.
Otherwise it's a personal choice or specific features
Looks promising! Might have to get one when it comes out. Keep up the good work.
the one thing i liked about the one, the large display they took away - lol
I’ve been super interested in this device. I’d love to test it. It looks a lot better than the old one. Beeperlicious 😂
It's all about that beep!
Thank you lots for the review.
I am relieved so learn the storage has grown from a measly, absolutely useless for serious cycle touring 9GB to a somewhat practicable 30GB, although I wish it had been triple or quadruple that, so as to accommodate the entire world worth of maps, including topo, an extended POI database, lots of other "rich" features and easy map updates that don't necessitate preliminary uninstallation to free up space.
I wish the screen was a but larger and the bezels smaller, but as is, it is still as appealing as any of the competition.
The battery life: I'd like to hope, it has improved as well.
I also hope for Strava sync issues to get resolved on both devices.
Can you keep the Garmin adapter on the Garmin mount and then use the Karoo 2 as if it were on its proprietary mount, mounting and removing?
THEY SHIPPED!!! Pre-orders arriving globally this week. Most EU-orders are already with the users :)
`mine is not ((
@@TheOkinawaBoy only the very first orders we’re delivered. 2nd batch of pre orders still pending
I love my Karoo 1 but it's way too bulky, can't wait for this one so my friends stop making fun of me for my ridiculous GPS 🤣"I can't race crits with you anymore - your Karoo would give me a concussion if we crashed" 🤣
nice preview. Any idea of battery consumption in %/hr?
8.33333333333333333333333% ?
Definitely need adapter because I want my integrated light mount.
Thank you, Ray! Looking forward to the in-depth review. Pre-ordered mine :)
Awesome, thank you!
Look who I found in the comments lol
@@carlosbarrios2203 stalker 😏
I've used the Wahoo Elemnt for the last three years. The map used by Wahoo pales in comparison to Garmin and the Hammerhead. For the last few months Wahoo has been having issues with features no longer working or working intermittently such as LiveTrack, which is not working, and the unit has stopped receiving most text messages. Although the Wahoo Elemnt (the Roam is essentially an Elemnt utilizing color in the screen) held a lot of promise I may soon have to give up on it and move to another computer. Wahoo Tech support is responsive via e-mail sending canned responses, 'We're sorry you are experiencing....', but that's about the extent of it. I've heard too many horror stories about the Garmins. The Hammerhead looks promising. I'll see how the Hammerhead 2 performs when it is released.
UPDATE 09/28/2020: Wahoo Live Track is working flawlessly. Still having issues with not displaying text messages under 17 characters in length. I can live with the text issues for now. All is good.
JDP had the same issue... there were pretty helpful, reaching back several times to ensure the live tracking was working... one of the last things they had me do after updating, unpairing was signing out of Wahoo’s cloud/account then signing back in. It’s been working ever since. I hope this info helps cause I was about to toss it in the drawer and look elsewhere... H1’s price point was excessive to me and as far as the H2 - I’mma wait a bit and re-eval after it’s been out for awhile...
@@CycoWarriorx Thank you. They had me sign out of the cloud last week and back in with no resolution. Then on August 26th the updated companion app was released through the Play Store and LiveTrack is finally working. Placed another support ticket today because there is no notification or display of text messages that includes 16 characters (letters, numbers, or spaces) or less. If there are 17 character spaces then the message displays on the Elemnt. I'm sure it's a simple programming fix but not likely to be addressed anytime soon. I will sign out of the cloud again tomorrow and back in. I was so angry I contacted support via e-mail recently and requested the personal contact information for the Wahoo CEO to lodge a complaint. I heard back from them via e-mail in 20 minutes...now that's getting a response. Of course they said to submit another support ticket. I may still try to reach the CEO Chip Hawkins if this isn't resolved and request some kind of buy back program since they seem to be having a problem with the Elemnt series of computers. Wishful thinking I know, but I'm not afraid to complain. Anyway...your reply gives me hope. Thank you.
JDP No worries... Let me know how it goes with the text messages. It’s been sporadic on my end...
You guys are assuming a degree of function that may not exist yet, at least in stable mature reliable function, across the field. Learning about BT connectivity , I understand how difficult it is to get right and why the HH line has moved to a SIM and TWO BT radios in. the K2. Still will need to show that that is the fix no one has shown to date. Very buggy feature at times, and stability is a % of time, not a constant.
I just got the confirmation from the support that sadly the Garmin adapter will not be in the box, but it will need to be purchased separately when it will be available
They actually haven’t decided yet, I checked with CEO yesterday evening, earlier they implied it was going to be in the box.
@@Dcrainmaker well the support is stating it will not be there, both via mail and on their Facebook page. I hope they'll change idea :)
how do these screens look when viewed through polarized lenses?
One question, what is the ring that you use in your bike? Its really small and looks nice!!
USB-C!!! FINALLY!!!
Bought one in November last. It was too big but it was beautiful. I sent it back regrettably. Now we have the lean mean bike computer machine. Looking forward to this. Just bought a 530 as my 800 gave up the ghost. Need to make another decision 😄
Good luck buying this device. I pre-ordered Aug 25th. Delay after delay without a solid update. Today they sent an email saying I will have shipping info Jan 11th, and considering it's 2 weeks delivery. It will be 5 months for delivery. Terrible customer experience.
Beepalicious? I'M IN!!
Definitely has potential. I will hang on to my Edge 1030 for now. But excellent review.
Looks interesting... I did pre-order their first Karoo. Sadly, the brick ripped apart my mount on its first ride, when I hit a pot hole. (The Karoo had a pretty solid impact on the concrete an some plastic broke.) The other issues I had, were the battery. It was simply unreliable and now drops from 30% immediately to dead. Therefore it was never on par with other units. The new one looks quite nice but since I sport a 830 on my bar I am not too tempted to spend another 400 bucks on a Karoo. I would rather try a wahoo.
putting SIM card inside is super good
where is the music over BT?
I can't say that's true but music over bt should work no problem. There is a lot of storage and bt connection dedicated to phone/headphones.
@Tobias Rott how will you call your other half to pick you up after too many beers?
will it be able to do lap by gps position (like Garmin)? Instead of distance or time like the Wahoo
Just preordered.. came to see whats up. Hahahaha voila here is the review
Happy to be of service!
Same here. Pre-ordered mine.... luckily it will arrive in time for winter. 😒
Ray, how's the screen responsiveness? What about with gloves or in the rain?
Also, that beep is terrible, I'll have to wait until the real one comes out to see if it's good enough.
Screen responsiveness seems good, a bit of light rain so far, but no gloves. I'll pull some out for the final review.
They have buttons on the side in case of rain or gloves
OK, don't know much about bike computers, so forgive the probably noob question: Do all bike computers do that strava thing where it tells you about upcoming segments, where you are at in relation to your best time, the overall KOM and what not? Like the Wahoo Element or Garmin 830? Do they do that stuff, too? Thanks, Ray. Great content.
Doesn't look like a Fablet like the original unit. Great review/comparison 👍🏻
Hi Ray, question on the unit when it's mounted on the handlebars. Can you charge it while in use? For example, if you have a top tube bag with a battery in it is there enough room between the head unit and bars to plug the USB-C cable into the head unit?
Does it also allow saving only 100 live Strava segments like Garmin? I want to have more.
What I never see on reviews is the size of the data field text. If I only have two or three, are the numbers enlarged to fill the space or just more space around the same sized numbers if there were many fields?
Lucky man!! i have preorder mine yesterday but we have to wait until october ;)
Did you ever get your k2?
Nice review. I have a question though. I'm not very new to cycling navis (I own an Edge 800), but why would they need a sim card? And are the sim cards through a phone company, which would charge a monthly fee? I guess I'm a bit out of the loop. Also How does everyone get their maps from (I live in Japan)? Thank you!
Cool video! Curious what unreleased watch you had there when riding the bike, covered on your right wrist.
It was a COROS Pace 2. The embargo for the Karoo 2 was initially a day earlier, but then tightened up to only being about 7 hours earlier than the COROS Pace 2.
currently I have Roam that I really like, the only minus I give it, is that I can't move the position of the map. Yes I can zoom in and out but I can't move it so I can see other routes around. I could do that on my old Bryton so it is possible :D. What about the Karoo 2 can it be done. That will be awesome especially as the maps look so much nicer than the Roam
I'm curious how good the karoo 2's GPS reception is. The Elemnt Roam has a miserable reception in the forest under the canopy of leaves - much worse than an old Garmin Oregon, the test by dcrainmaker and gp lama was completely useless here, as they always tested in the open air and confirmed that the Roam had good reception.
What powermater did you use? Or more to my point: does this fully work with Garmin Vector pedals, including setting the angles?
I like the idea of the $120 trade-in credit for my Karoo 1 but they're selling for almost $300 on eBay 🤔No reason not to sell it myself instead.
Hi DC! Hope you can review the new Fitbit or Fitbits. Thanks!
Yup, supposedly on their way for next week!
DC Rainmaker thanks! I’m a big fan of your wearable reviews!!
Pre-order in!
How do we add a garmin go pro mount to the bottom of the new mount to mount a garmin varia?
Great review!! I have pre-ordered.
How is the visibility of the screen in daylight? Is there al lot of glare?
It wasn’t an issue for me at all, but my understanding is there slight differences between the prototype I have and the final variant in terms of the anti glare coating they put on it.
Ray, would you pull the trigger to replace an Edge 520, given your limited experience, or not really much benefit?
Lets hope the mount is more secure than the Karoo 1 - my Karoo 1 mount broke twice mid ride. The design was flawed from the start using a screw and not bonding the plastic mount to the frame.
Mine broke off at screw at 9mos, mid ride.
Tether attaches to the screw. Road was unkind to it.
The have offered to replace the mount.
Garmin has a limit on the number of strava segments that can be stored into the device.
Does this computer have the same limitation ?
Hi Ray, thank you for this first review, i'm looking forward to your in-depth review. i choose to make a pre-order. I loved already the V1. But can you say something about the case? is it something from rubber. The case from the V1 needed a rubber band..
Saw i it correctly? was the v1 quicker showing the route than the V2?
How does the varia shows up in the screen regarding the smaller screen.
The case is hard to say, because what I have won't match the final case. Mine is an engineering plastic versus the final materials. As for rending speed, just the screen for initial map preview seems to be slower. My guess is that's a minor optimization thing in beta software.
Hey, the bike path goofballs in your area stop in the middle of the path too. :) LOL
Great video! Don’t like the interface of the map, but that is subjetive.
What Display Tech is this? Transreflective? Outdoor visibility without backlight?
Does the Karoo 2 have ‘live track’ or a version of?
Yes it does, though at present it's SIM card only. I believe once they enable the phone connection then it'll use that.
Good
Now I can find my group when they leave while I am adjusting the settings
Or you can set up a wifi hotspot on your phone and connect to that with your Karoo. At least that's what works for me on my Karoo 1.
Thanks Ray for the detailed review, can you tell me what screen recording app you used? I'm tired of taking pictures of my K1 with my phone :-)
Yup - AZ Screen Recorder, even can take photos too! I use it for all my Android device screen recording needs. Just sideload it like any normal Android app. Quick and easy. It then shows up on the same lower menu as Routes/Workouts/etc...
DC Rainmaker Brilliant, thanks!
Is the screen glossy like a Garmin, or matte like a Wahoo? In bright California sun, the glossy screen is not as visible as a matte one.
Hi which devices did you connect to your karoo2? Powermeter, cadence, speedsensor? Anything else?
Cheers
JK
Three different power meters (Quarq DZero, PowerTap P2 pedals, and PowerTap G3 hub), and then three HR straps (Whoop via BLE, Wahoo TICKR via ANT+, and Garmin HRM-DUAL via ANT+).
@@Dcrainmaker any problems with connections?
@@iaincallaghan2431 Nope, data looks pretty clean thus far.
Thanks. Pre ordered the 2 and are going to connect with Assimo UNO powermeter 👍 looking fwd
2 questions to owners (if any here) - Q1: can you control smart trainer over ant+ fc-e but show and record power data from other power source (e.g. pedals)? If the answer is yes - is the power source of choice used for ERG mode (e.g. if i am setting 100w and power source is pedals it will be keeping 100w independent from what smart trainer is measuring)? Q2: When the training program in TP is set for power range (e.g. 100-100w) how it interprets it? Is there an option to program resistance level or slope % and mix erg and slope in one training set? Thanks a lot!
Any possibilities of sharing the 3d design for the mount and the adapter?
That'd be up to them. My guess is they'd be happy to see others build mounts for it.
At 12:11, the screen with your power data, the numbers look cut off at the bottom edges of each line. Is that stylistic or unintentional bad design?
Just a beta bug.
Lots of potential here but doesn’t feel ready for the mainstream just yet. As a long-term Garmin user (9 years) I am ready to make the jump to Wahoo - as soon as they update the Roam and put USB-C on it.
Is there an app to download all the rides like the garmin app or i can only see all my miles in the bike computer?
Not a smartphone app, just a website. They do have an app, but right now it's just for notification enablement.
Usually bike comps get bigger they've bucked the trend here for the better.
Well, the iPad form factor was taken
Not really the same, it was a giant in gen1 when everyone else started tiny.
@Brainjock clock, area kicking if you are getting slack on you weekly, Monthly and the shaming years total. It's a tool but you can live without one
@Brainjock I went nuts with computers and sensors. In retrospect what I need is an odometer and an occasional glimpse at a GPS. If data doesn't change what you do, you sure don't need more. If more cell phones had ANT+, the market would shrivel.
Does it connect to varia radar? Also if you use the sim card can you send messages and receive without a phone? I.e. what extra functionality do I get for paying for a extra sim card? So I can leave my phone at home.
Yup, works with Varia radar. As for the SIM card, I haven't tried that piece. The main appeal is live tracking there, as well as the ability to download bits like maps/routes without WiFi.
Those hardware specs would make a pretty awesome mp3 player.
If they double the battery life and add some sort of music-to-bluetooth capability I'd be sold.
Nieuwkoop pondje!
Vind de wahoo toch wat overzichtelijker ogen op het scherm. Al die kleuren leiden alleen maar af van wat je wil zien wanneer je naar je scherm kijkt. Maar goede review verder!
I'm impressed by how they implemented the Strava segment part, looks very clean and useful! I'm assuming it only works for Premium and you have to star the segments for them to show? What happens when you have multiple segments at the same time?
Correct and correct. For multiple overlapping segments you can simply swipe left/right to see them. Super nice!
I just bought Karoo 2 and I have some issue with sound alerts (beeper), they are really loud but also distorted (rattling), anybody else have same or I need to send back new device?
Bravo
"Where's my mount?"
*Leaves camera*
"So if you're finding this video interesting..."
Found the 'if you're finding this interesting' a little premature this week, just saying ;) Was interesting by the end,,,, :)
@@rikkiola Yeah, I couldn't find a good place to stick it without breaking the rest of the flow. I usually have notes for videos to remember topcs, but umm...this one not so much. So I got to the end and then realized I didn't put it anywhere.
Hey Karoo, the integrated mount for a light or camera are important.
can you charge whilst in use?
Exciteddddddd
Could be used to read ebooks? GPS and ebook reader, awesome!
Hello!!!! Is Karoo 2 for Android Phone user only? Thanks in advance
Nope, iOS or Android - mostly because at this point it doesn't connect to either. But it will by launch (both).
Does this monitor VO2?
No street names? Varia support?
It shows street names (you can see them in the video as I turn.). And yup, supports Varia.
aero watch cover on the right wrist, or unreleased wrist device? :)
Unreleased device. More in a few hours.
Hi , this device is it good enough for play basketball ? 😁🙃
Perhaps. It will certainly teach you how to jump through a lot of hoops.
Do i really need to get a sim card? i want to wait till March
Nope! No need for a SIM card if you don't want live tracking (or, if your phone supports WiFi hotspotting).
How did you do the screen recording?
AZ Screen Recorder, side-loaded.
so 1030+ or karoo 2 / it seams that the navigation feature was good on the new garmin / i m from a garmin 820 so so slow lol
Same question, I’ve a Garmin 820 :/ Whatbdod you go for?
Very Good
Wait....did I just hear a dad joke? Awesome!
With three daughters, there's a lot of bad jokes around these parts!
@@Dcrainmaker you have a typo. Should be "dad" not "bad"! 😉😆
@@MrJonnyb120 Haha...both are true!
@@altern8tive oops. 😂
I just noticed that your podcast has not been released for several months - whyyyy? ;(
Not a bit slow. That's Android 4 lvl lagging! Hope the final product is really better.
I prefered a larger battery and larger display,
It is supposed to have a larger battery than the first one (on their site). Don't know exact capacity though.
@@klaxxon__ cool, then make it bigger with even larger battery. display still smaller, but, no more garmin for me. I like this android idea much more. A proper open computer for the bike. I like to leave my phone at home always. Put a light and a camera on this too please, bye bye go pro too.
@@exodusvelo The current K1 stresses the Garmin mount, and failures have been a problem.
Big is good for older eyes, but damage risk increases with size
Android is better than Garmin OS, but requires updating that is not always implied.
This uses Android 6 Marshmallow , with a release date of...?
Peeping bright days yeah
version 1 was cooler than this one, for sure. Waiting for version 3 now.
why?
@@rikkiola larger display, cooler industrial design. But, I will tell you something, by bye Garmin for ever. Polar age was over long ago, now it's time to say bye bye for ever to Garmin.
@@exodusvelo what specifically don't you like about Garmin?
@@newbarker523 I don't like about garmin that is a big piece of shit designed to be broken, can't do any route of over 130km with sensors on or backlight on the display on, if i want to have enough battery to finish the route. Te buttons are designed to last 1-2 years, shoudl be 10 years. Cheap rubber buttons. Then, garmin has low resolution, bad touch display, weak processor,a nd the operating system is a joke, it is not a computer like this one.
Do you use a bell? If not, please do to improve the image of road biking in the Netherlands.
P.s. is it still worth it to buy the first generation in your opinion? Is routing faster on this unit?
The truncated numbers on some of the screens hurt my OCD.
Yeah, beta bugs.
Yeah, totally - this literally stopped me pre-ordering.
and no space between the field name and icons, attention to detail......
redorange Pretty normal for beta, companies big and small. That’s literally the perfect definition of a beta bug.
redorange Because that’s not the point of beta. Every bug is an issue that could be fixed in a few hours. A platform like this probably has at least a few hundred current outstanding bugs, each ‘just a few hours’. Your prioritize functionally first, then finalize with fit and finish.
why is it better than Garmin?
They are nicer people.
"... route their way there" /me groans
I'll be around all night folks!
Hiding something new on the right wrist?
:)
Did you know that the karoo has a big problem and you don't mention it in the video?