The Best Bike Computer | Edge 840 vs. Karoo 2 vs. Roam V2

[@mdill7072]

I think you still the best when it's about to have a REAL review of a product for an enthusiastic cyclist. No bullsh** , just facts. Merci, bonne journée :). Simon.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks Simon, I appreciate that! Steve

[@CentristRN]

Here’s the answer…. Details later. Love it!

[@peterrollason8319]

Finally a review that gets straight to the point - no wasted time on non jokes, or 5 minutes showing how to unbox it !!! One question - ive heard say that wahoo doesnt display street names ? Is this true ? And is it a problem. Currently use garmin edge explore.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks for your feedback. Street names come up in turn notifications. None on map. That’s enough for me.

[@Skungaman]

I have watched a couple comparisons between these as I'm about to buy my first bike computer and, I was torn between the Edge 840 and the Roam V2, but after watching this video, I'm definitely going with the Roam V2. Thanks for this fantastic review!

[@intheknowcycling]

@@Skungaman Glad to help.

[@SCWgreg]

Great review. And yes BTD is *The* place I buy all my bike gear over the last 6 years. Great selection, great pricing with sales happening every day, even price matching… And the sales people are actually great to work with.

[@Whoadayson]

Alot of device specific, very useful info that Ive not heard too often from others! Thank you for taking the time to do such in depth testing!

[@JSSBBB]

This is an excellent review. You are informed and knowledgeable about these products. You are also articulate and well spoken, which is a bonus. Thank you for your efforts here and know that you are acknowledged and appreciated.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks JS! I appreciate your feedback

[@mrpepper5196]

Thanks for the concise but comprehensive analysis - looks like Hammerhead is a few years off before being a 'complete' product. Side by side visibility comparison was very helpful.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks. Testing gear side by side can be very revealing. Was certainly the case here.

[@AMGJason]

Thank you for your real world practical review. So much more succient without the product marketing and tech spec focus as per other cycling youtubers. Subscribed! Very helpful in helping me decide on my next bike head unit.

[@nicoleilechie3789]

Very helpful video! Buying my first bike computer soon, will go with Wahoo! Thanks

[@jarhead4657]

I got an 840 for 20% off. After four rides I'm returning. It's way too complex, and I'm in a complex field in IT. It seems like every feature is turned on so it takes forever to turn it all off and I still couldn't do it. I'm just riding along and all of a sudden new screen and functionality shows up that I didn't ask for and don't want. Data fields stopped recording and it would disconnect from Di2. They really, really, want you to log in to social media and I assume they track your use of them and sell the data. Several times I wanted to smash it against the pavement it was so frustrating to use. It's really crazy that as long as Garmin has been in the bike computer business their screen is reflective in the sun. Also the touch screen has poor sensitivity. I had to swipe multiple times to get it to work. I can't wait to send it back. I will probably try the Wahoo, but my Apple Watch Ultra will suffice for now.

[@Ni1zz]

Karoo does have the ability to change the lighting level

[@2121lorenzo]

Brilliant video. This has made a very difficult decision much easier.

[@kappa2x2]

Great review, thanks for comparing them side by side in real life scenario. Would be also great if you could add things such as route loading from Strava/komoo or similar as that's also big part of our cycle journey these days.

[@rickvoss709]

Just stumbled across your site…brilliant where have you been all my cycling life 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks and welcome.

[@thedronescene7474]

Just got the Roam V2 and love it! Had a garmin 1080 before and this Roam is just better. I have the info I need without the gimmicks and the screen is just beautiful to look at.

[@h1n1worm]

im close to buy.... but there are rumors of new device from wahoo with a bigger screen this year.

[@thedronescene7474]

@@h1n1worm There will always be rumors of a new device.

[@janz90]

I’ve had two Wahoo Roam units. The first unit developed screen degradation around the edges, finally the whole screen came off when I was riding over rough pavement. It appears moisture leaked into the unit, degrading the glue holding the screen in place. Even though I was beyond the warranty period, Wahoo replaced the unit. I’ve had the second unit for just under two years and the exact same conditions occurred. I glued the screen back on and put silicone around the screen edges - not pretty but unit works. I’ve seen a number of posts by others showing the same issue so I’m assuming Wahoo must be well aware of the issue, and has possibly corrected the issue. In any case until confirmed this has been rectified I would not buy a Wahoo replacement despite any ‘benefits’ described in this video unless consumer has several hundred dollars to throw away every couple of years.

[@dashcoxon4727]

Excellent breakdown and explanation , thank you very much. I was on the fence between wahoo and K2 but not now 👍🏻

[@gregoryedwards7807]

So which one did you pick? How has it been?

[@dashcoxon4727]

@@gregoryedwards7807 hi mate. I picked the roam 2 and it’s spot on. Prefer it to the garmin I have. Cheers

[@tschedd]

That’s an incredibly good comparison review, sir. Thank you very much!!!

[@intheknowcycling]

You're welcome. Glad you liked it!

[@garrovardjr]

Very insightful review. I often mountain bike in areas without cell service, and like to explore. Which device has your favorite offline maps and turn-by-turn navigation? I heard Garmin has sounds indicating to turn right or left. This would have been useful on a ride I did recently in southern Utah. I was unfamiliar with the trail. It was very technical and I had to stop and check my offline maps on Gaia GPS on my phone several times. Which computer would you recommend for helping me navigate and stay on course in these situations?

[@intheknowcycling]

Garr, They all will do turn-by-turn navigation and give you audio notifications before and at your turn. With an app like Ride with GPS, you can send the route to any of the devices and don't need cell service once you've loaded the route.

[@stevesmith9082]

I had the K2 and returned it for all the reasons mentioned, bad battery life, terrible screen and I had a lot of drop outs with it aswell. Considering it has been around for 2 years it really is half baked and I actually felt like a beta tester.

[@palichserge]

Very good comparison. Great job!

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks. Appreciate your feedback.

[@corabbring8198]

Very nice review. I know wich computer I want to buy now. Thank you!

[@ad9898]

Great review, I've just sold my Karoo 2 for the reason you say regarding the display and bought Roam V2.

[@vincenthesselink]

Thanks a lot for your infomative video and blog. 2 Questions: My Plan voor 2024: bikepacking 2000km through Spain and Portugal. 80-120km/day. Strong sunlight. I don't bring a laptop. I make all routes on iPhone in Komoot. 1/Can I transfer routes from iPhone to Garmin/Wahoo/Karoo while on the road without wifi connection? 2/ Can I change my route during a trip without wifi connection?

[@intheknowcycling]

You need WiFi connection to transfer routes to those head units.

[@darkacept]

With Garmin you can use Bluetooth to sync.

[@TobiWanDD]

@@intheknowcyclingregarding the roam v1 you can actually send new routes via elmnt app without wifi but bluetooth . Does it not work for the v2 anymore?

[@MikeCaffyn1]

Am I the the only person whose priorities are Battery, battery, battery life.

[@intheknowcycling]

Mike, battery life is an important consideration of mine too. I share my experience at the 17:27 time stamp. Steve

[@ev-ezaye3580]

​@@intheknowcyclingand that's why Garmin's winning! With the add-on battery mod and or solar (if you're in a tropical climate), it's happy days!

[@SlickWillyTFCF]

​@@ev-ezaye3580 Battery life is a reasonable expectation, but so is compatibility with widely used components. When the 540, 840, and 1040 refuse to pair with 4iiii power meters because of metric Garmin changed (and refuses to correct) it knocks them down a few pegs.

[@derek4177]

@@ev-ezaye3580 why not just get a small powerbank with 5000 mAh's, that weights about 100grams and is alwys good to have for anything, whether its recharge your navi, phone, headphones or whatever. I think because of these possibilities, battery life shouldnt be that important, as long as it can last you for 1 day.

[@jamesbenning9665]

Thanks - I'm tempted by the Karoo 3 purely on account of the claimed screen improvements. I wonder if you have any plans to review it?

[@intheknowcycling]

My bad. I did review it but failed to post a link to it. Thanks for asking. Here it is: intheknowcycling.com/hammerhead-karoo-takes-a-seat-at-the-table/

[@cathalkenneally1614]

I was surprised how easy it is to send a route to a Hammerhead Karoo 2 via the Suunto app as there isn’t a HH app which is a shame. Both Garmin and Wahoo have their own apps

[@ltu42]

I want to see notifications when my family reaches out to me on Messenger, Whatsapp, Viber, or whatever else chat program. Wahoo does not cover that use case at all and it is almost a deal breaker for me. However, I'm surprised that you found the complexity of figuring out the UI on Garmin and Wahoo about the same. I consider the Wahoo UI to be very clear and well-designed, with Garmin being powerful but rather confusing.

[@vishalkarna3763]

Good Detail Review.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks!

[@martmexpue]

Thank you very much, this was extremely helpful for me…

[@intheknowcycling]

You're welcome!

[@mannyillana8706]

Wish I saw this before I purchased the Karoo2 coming from the Wahoo Roam V1. 😢

[@intheknowcycling]

Sorry, I had hoped to get this out earlier.

[@krysaventino4561]

I had hammerhead for 6 months and noticed theres a KNOWN software issue with elevation and grade. I had exchanged this device with another new model provided by Karoo and still wrong. I would say despite the touchscreen and many other cool features. Hammerhead is at the absolutely bottom of the list

[@pgreenx]

1:58. Im still learning but have the following comments: - I thought the climbing features (ie "climb pro") on Garmin was head and shoulders above the rest. - surprised you didnt rank Garmin higher on navigation due to the mapping...My wahoo which I like is just ok on navigation; no street names for example - battery on my wahoo seems just ok vs my friends Garmin

[@intheknowcycling]

As I said in the video, I don't see Garmin climbing, mapping, and battery as better than Wahoo. But that's just my point of view and I respect yours.

[@pgreenx]

@@intheknowcycling thanks - its not my view.. I do not own a Garmin but pretty much everyone says Garmin has better climbing. Im still learning about this stuff

[@thefrener794]

An old android phone and Urban Biker work great for me.

[@carlosisreal]

Cuál elegirías entre el 1030 plus o Roam V2 ?😅

[@intheknowcycling]

El 1030 funciona como el 840. Para mí, elegiría el Roam V2.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please click the "like" button and subscribe to our channel here on KZbin. When you do, you’ll help get the word out to your fellow cyclists and motivate me to keep bringing you these independent reviews. -- Steve See my review of the new, 3rd generation Karoo here: intheknowcycling.com/hammerhead-karoo-takes-a-seat-at-the-table/ You can order these computers using links to stores I’ve vetted and recommend: When you do, In The Know Cycling may earn a commission that helps to cover our review and technology costs GARMIN EDGE 840 ►BTD (BikeTiresDirect) - tinyurl.com/yw6mujjs ►Performance Bicycle - snp.link/8e0ec6a9 ►Merlin Cycles - prf.hn/l/NdnoNvL ►Sigma Sports - tidd.ly/3QhsZzm ►Amazon - amzn.to/3JycLOt HAMMERHEAD KAROO (3rd generation) ►BTD - tinyurl.com/mvxueumx ►Performance Bicycle - snp.link/d8dd9f9e ►Sigma Sports - tidd.ly/3CB2H7a WAHOO ROAM V2 ►BTD - tinyurl.com/mpksv6n7 ►Amazon - amzn.to/49LWdgE ►Sigma Sports - tidd.ly/48YMapV Read the written reviews and topics mentioned in this video ► The Best Bike Computer - intheknowcycling.com/best-bike-computer/

[@tinshield]

Wahoo app can restore settings from an old Element to the new one.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks! I did not realize this and had gone through the hassle of recreating the pages from my BOLT when I got a Roam. Here's how to do it: support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/8464477663890-ELEMNT-Backup-and-Restore-Feature

[@tinshield]

@@intheknowcycling I only learned this as I just got a new Roam V2. Didn’t notice it before and this is my 3rd Wahoo 👍

[@curvenut]

what is the omputer holder you used for the conputer on the center of the handlebar ?

[@intheknowcycling]

It's the Zipp Quickview Integrated Mount available at BTD tinyurl.com/4k9bwpyj

[@curvenut]

@@intheknowcycling do you think it will be co.patible to other stem with same handlebar diametet ? I have a FSA stem

[@intheknowcycling]

@@curvenut Likely not. The "out front" mounts are typically unique to each stem. I'd suggest you search for one that works with yours.

[@stefanoflego8508]

Wahoo!

[@gabrielmarias972]

Hi! I really like the roam v2, i had v1 and i cant delate downloaded routes in the device, or rename them. Can you try if in v2 can do it, in the device directly or in the app? And if you have a Gpx file, can you send it directly by bluetooth to the device like garmin? Or need always the app, and because of that good phone connection? Thanks for the feedback

[@intheknowcycling]

Good questions. I done some of those things and believe you can do all of that with the companion app but Wahoo would likely give you the best answers.

[@klanyboyd]

obviously, karoo 2 will be more brighter if you set max brightness )))) its a third review about comparrisson k2 vs 840/wahoo and all of reviews are same in test of brightness - k2 isnt use full bright.

[@willanderson1983]

I wish Apple would acquire Wahoo

[@marcelochristofori8469]

Garmin 840 Navigation is horrible, all the colors are too similar hard to follow the actual route. Don’t recommend

[@carlgreene538]

I am not fond of Garmin and I hate touch screens.