Hammerhead Karoo
Hammerhead Karoo
MSRP: $475
B.S. Gearhead Rating: 9.5/10
Pros: Beautiful and large display, easy to use, seamless integration, navigation is really intuitive
Cons: Pricey, lacks mountain bike metrics, a little on the heavier side
The Hammerhead Karoo head unit is much improved from the previous generation Karoo 2. But don't call this the "three". This impressive bike computer has a beautiful 3.2-inch touchscreen and functions like any smart device. We've reviewed the Karoo while mountain, road, and gravel riding in all conditions. We currently have three riders on the current generation Karoo and we've been getting some good feedback throughout our 5-week review.
First things first, the Karoo is a premium touchscreen head unit and the price dictates that. Coming in at $475, the Karoo is proving to be worth every penny. Riders could argue that this bike computer is overpriced but we beg to differ considering that other units with non-solar, touchscreen capabilities come in just about as expensive and we think the display is worth it.
The Karoo's 3.2-inch, colorful, touchscreen display is gorgeous. In wet weather, the touchscreen works flawlessly and seems to be "outdoor-proofed" so riders can rest assured that when riding with sweaty fingers, they can still operate via touch. If you like a clean and clear display like I do, the user can operate the computer from the easily located tactile buttons on both sides of the unit while keeping your Karoo's screen clean.
Secondly, the battery life has been improved along with its charge time. From fully empty we we're able to charge up the Karoo in just over 2.5 hours. Hammerhead claims it has a total 15 hour battery life. This is a really great option for all endurance riders.
Personally, I have been running my Karoo on full brightness as it makes the screen totally legible in the bright, summer sun. I have not seen any exaggerated battery drain running it on full blast. I was able to charge it fully on a Friday before a weekend full of riding (2 hours on Saturday, 2 hours on Sunday, 1.5 on Monday) and I still have 63% battery life which roughly correlates with their claim. We are very excited to test the Karoo in the cold and to see how the battery life holds up.
Furthermore, we were very impressed with the ease of use and capabilities of the dashboard.hammerhead.io web-based application. Creating routes and syncing the Karoo is really intuitive and extremely quick. Also, third-party integration is a breeze with popular apps such as Strava.
Additionally, the ability to share Google locations with the head unit is a huge plus. Simply start a ride on your Karoo, pull out your phone, pull up Google Maps, enter the destination and Karoo essentially does the rest!
One reviewer who primarily uses Wahoo products, didn't like the map routing feature and thought the Wahoo had a better system for mid-ride route mapping. The same reviewer remarked on the lack of a mobile app experience, although we did find that the browser-based experience was pretty darn good for all things related to Karoo. We think that Hammerhead will release a more robust mobile application experience soon and that it could push a lot of cycling head unit users to the Hammerhead device.
The display is stunning and makes turn-by-turn navigation an absolute breeze. The Karoo becomes even more powerful when the Hammerhead dashboard.io is used. Create routes on the application and send them to your Karoo in a heartbeat. Or fire up your Google maps machine and just send them via Bluetooth to your Karoo.
Data, data, and then some more data and custom backgrounds courtesy of unsplash.com! Custom data fields and bike-by-bike profiles are straightforward to set up and offer an insane amount of flexibility. Syncing your existing sensors to the Karoo is really easy!
Garmin users will be happy with the new out-front mount and the familiar quarter-turn equipment. On the underside the Karoo has a channel for a Garmin-esque insert which is also included in the box. USB-C charging port and braided cable is super premium and makes charging a breeze!
Find out more information about the Hammerhead Karoo
Alex Pichette
This review was written by our Brand Manager, Alex Pichette. He has been riding and racing bikes for 12 years and has worked at the Broken Spoke Bikes Studio for 3+ years. He rides XC MTB, Fat Bike, Road, and Gravel.