Undecided for a new bike computer

Stoke80

Hello everyone

I know that there are already many discussions about this and therefore I apologize to open another thread about it.

I’m about to buy a bike computer, and I’m still undecided between Garmin 1050 and Karoo 3. I have a Race2 and I want to have all my data in the Suunto app at the end.

Now I see the following possibilities:

Use the bike computer only to display data and navigation, and record the activity at the same time on the watch. I think this would give the best data quality in the Suunto app (incl. ZoneSense).
Record via the Garmin and then transfer via RunGap (iOS) to the Suunto app.
Record only on Karoo 3 and then transfer to the Suunto app.

I’m wondering how good the data quality is in the Suunot app for option 2 and 3.

I would prefer the Garmin as a device, because in my opinion it is the best device (personal opinion).

But of course I could also live with the Karoo if the quality of the data that comes into the Suunto app is much better than when transferring from Garmin to Suunto via RunGap.

Can someone give me a recommendation here, or even make a well-founded statement?

Thank you very much.

Dušan Ković

I thought about this a lot and in the end decided just not to buy bike computer and use Race on handlebar mount. Works super good enough. Only negative is the small screen, but that’s how it is. Still cheaper then buying bike computer while providing 80-90% of features. My main problem with bike computer is that there is no proper data sync between (any) bike computer and Suunto App.

dani_degi

hammerhead is included into suunto app

read my thread from karoo 3

this ist the only bike computer that works with suunto

Tieutieu

I also use my vertical as a bike computer, on a 3d printed support, but I understand that a dedicated device would be far better. Suits my needs for now.
For now I wait for Suunto to someday - I hope - release a bike computer on its own.

Stoke80

Thank you for your answers.

I am definitely in the market for a dedicated bike computer.

Mainly because of the size of the data fields and navigation.

Probably I will end up with recording my rides on both devices (Suunto Race 2 and bike computer).

I mainly wanted to find out what are the big disadvantages when recording only with Garmin or Karoo and sync to Suunto App (Garmin over Rungap).

As far as I read, the imported data will not be 100% proper in any case. Whereas Karoo might be a bit better. But on the other side I know RunGap as very good tool from other use cases

Dušan Ković

@dani_degi Yup but I don’t think it can see your custom zones and I don’t think transferred activity has proper TSS values. I am not 100% sure on this, it was like that. Correct me if I am wrong, maybe something changed in recent times.

Stavrogin

@Stoke80 I use #2 and it is flawless. Super easy and it’s only one button. I ride on roads so I need radar otherwise I would just use my V1.

nseslija

I am using vertical for cycling, and waiting for suunto bike computer…

herlas

I use #3, super happy with latest Karoo, if you have the money to spare, there’s a world difference between looking at a small circle watch screen vs a dedicated computer, day and night I have Di2 on my Orbea bike and loaded ki2 to have connection to my Di2. Also have hood buttons on my handlebars so I can move screens on my Karoo without moving my hands from the bars, rode with watch on the handlebar before, but not going back after having large bright screen on latest Karoo

Stoke80

@Stavrogin

Thank you for sharing.

Stoke80

@herlas

Thank you for your input.

Is it really possible to configure the buttons on the hoods with three different functions on the Karoo? With short press, double press and long press?

I mean that would be six different functions on the Karoo for both buttons, which would be great.

And how about the trainings metrics in the Suunto App?

Adrian.S

@Stoke80 I have been using Karoo 3 for a year, and before that I was in the Garmin 840 and Fenix 7 ecosystem for several years.

Currently, I also have a Suunto Vertical 1, but who knows, maybe after a year I will switch from Suunto to Coros to check it out.

Suunto isn’t perfect, but as an outdoor and running watch, it definitely has better features than Garmin and faster, smoother navigation when there’s a descent or an ascent, marked in color on the map on the track. Awesome.

Coros, on the other hand, tempts me to try something new.

As for the integration of Suunto and Karoo - everything is there, except for calorie synchronization. It’s a bit fucked up, because it’s just an additional field, but Suunto doesn’t suck it in from Karoo. Even if you manually enter it into a synchronized activity in Suunto, those calories are not counted, as if they weren’t there at all. Completely pointless. I don’t understand this selective integration.

Karoo 3 works much faster than Garmin 840. It’s like comparing pure Android with a sluggish phone that’s several years old.

If you’re in the Garmin ecosystem, stay there. If you want something new, try Karoo 3.

Stoke80

@Adrian.S

Thank you for your input.

I think I will go with the Karoo 3 and give it a try.

As it is my first dedicated bike computer, I think it will be complex enough to set everything up properly on the Karoo.

I assume Garmin would be even more complex and additionally, I don’t want to get involved in their universe.