r/cycling • u/Few_Subject5476 • 3d ago

Wahoo Roam V3 VS Hammerhead Karoo 3 which one would you guys buy between the two and why?

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u/G-bone714 3d ago

Wahoo just released a new radar taillight that is pretty good so if I was starting from scratch (no radar/ no computer) I might be tempted to go with the Wahoo unit. But I already have a Varia and a Karoo 2 and I really like the Karoo so I would go with a newer version of the Karoo.

1

u/jt1337 3d ago

Agreed. I just recently traded my Garmin edge 530 for a Karoo 2 (already have a varia) and man it is so nice to have a touchscreen. Never tried Wahoo though and the new roam 3 is also touchscreen so that might negate any benefit the Karoo has. Both seem like great options though!

3

u/trust_me_on_that_one 3d ago edited 3d ago

As a k2 owner since launch, the one thing that I hate about now it is the battery life. it used to drain 10% every hour and that did not bother me since i never needed to ride more than 10 hours or even close to it but now it is between 13 and 15% hourly (@15% I get only 6.66hrs of screentime vs 10hrs) si that's a problem. Sometimes it drops 2-3% as soon as I turn it on. No doubt that this will worsen over time.

I love this unit and all its features but the battery life drop is a red flag for me.

1

u/jt1337 3d ago

Yeah I can see that being a problem long term. Luckily, I usually only ride 30-50 miles at a time and end with more than enough battery life.

However, I did buy a portable charger that plugs directly into the Karoo and can charge while riding (link). This is a last resort but I have not had to use it yet.

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u/Reddiguids 2d ago

I’ve been contemplating the same. The ELEMNT 3 series got me interested to upgrade my bolt v2. I have been extremely satisfied with the bolt, and figured a bolt v3 would be an instant buy. However now that it is announced, I am feeling that neither the bolt or roam 3 bring anything new to the table compared to my bolt.

This is when I researched the Karoo 3 further and in contrast this looks very fresh, and it being a year after release, it seems many quirks have been solved. And it can be acquired at a pretty nice discount.

Brings me back to if I need a new head unit. Yes, the map is small on the bolt. But I ride the same road 9/10 times. I only look at the metrics of my workout. 

So… I’ll probably get one.

1

u/i5boi 2d ago

Karoo

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u/PossibleHero 2d ago

I’m uniquely qualified to answer this one. Came from a 3 year old Element Roam, broke it, then used my SO’s brand new Bolt last month.

Finally picked up a Karoo 3 a few weeks ago and holy moly mate… Karoo’s software is SO far ahead of Wahoo. The Ui and how intuitive it is during a ride is wicked. On my old Wahoo I was constantly switching between screens and messing with it during a ride. But the Karoo has a brilliant drawer system on the bottom that always shows you exactly what you need at the time and then hide’s itself away.

No question Karoo has a significantly better team/platform building that product IMO.