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« on: June 29, 2025, 10:44:39 AM »
I recommend Karoo 3. I am very happy with Karoo 2, and now after several years with Garmin, my wife switched to Karoo 3.
Pros:
- very customizable, including all screens, climb pro, lap screen or workout screen. You can also fully customize appearance of maps via xml file (e.g. I significantly increased contrast, distinguished paved/unpaved surfaces, and added drinking water/toilet/atm icons)
- very good and clear display, and modern UI
- can handle power meters, di2/etap shifting (I am not sure about er9 though, but I guess?), radars (including chinese brands)
- never any issues with syncing routes/rides; the ride automatically uploads to strava/invervals before I take my shoes off. On the contrary, syncing rides/courses used to be a repeated issue for my wife's Garmin, prompting several reinstalls.
- you can sync/send route from a link or gpx file using your phone. You long-press the link and "share it" via the Karoo app and it just sends it to your account and Karoo. Very simple and super handy when bikepacking trips goes wrong and you have to conjure a route on your phone while standing at a train station and somehow load it into your computer
- you can load any android app onto it, including spotify
- receives actual updates every 2 weeks
Cons:
- 12-15 hours of battery which can be an issue for some
- the top drawer (like on your phone) is a bit laggy of Karoo 2 but much much better on Karoo 3
Here it can be usually/often bought for 300 euro, but I understand it may be outside of what you are willing to spend on this. Love the device and fully recommend, though.