Garmin 840 vs Roam V2 vs HH Karoo 2 

Best place to buy: Wahoo Roam v2: dialedcyclinglab.com/product/... Garmin Edge 840: dialedcyclinglab.com/product/... Hammer Head Karoo 2: dialedcyclinglab.com/product/... Try discount code: matt_legrand or Amazon: Wahoo Roam v2: amzn.to/3Mx2VNY Garmin Edge 840: amzn.to/3qcHSc5

I just bought Roam V2. UI is really great and as everyone else here says, "Very easy to set up". Best pricing, simple setup, and easy to use; it's no brainer.

Great video. The section where you ranked them on different features was fun. Fast and to the point yet informative.

I loved that you actually ranked them by features at the end. Thanks!

I really like your approach. It's more about what fits a person's needs than anything else. And what's more important is having folks get out there and swim, bike, run rinse repeat. You add good coverage to the how's and what's of these devices.

I have a Wahoo Roam v1 and just bought a Garmin 1040 solar because the Roam was lagging a bit too much for my liking. From my early testing, the Garmin lags the same, is less readable even at max screen brightness, the UI is more cluttered and hellish to configure, the maps are cumbersone to read in any mode and details level… I've been suggested to navigate using turn to turn direction instead, there's no alternative world where I can do that. I'm gonna send the Garmin back and upgrade to a Roam v2, hoping for a little less lag with map refresh. Wahoo has definitely got it right with their easy to use products.

Good review. The shuffling around of the devices at the end is pretty funny. But very cool to quickly have the specific comparisons.

Thanks Matt, really nice comparisons with this 3 devices 🙌🏽. I must say that you have the insight that many of we users have find our owns needs and that are different likes and wants. Thanks again for yours way to give feedback on the differences and that is one of the three top cykel device. I have the old Bolt and now the Roam as well and on my wrists I have the Suunto Peak 9 Titanium and that is also for other matters when I don’t sitting on my racer or MTB. 🥁🙋🏼‍♂️

thank you for the useful review! 👍 Good luck to you in shooting new videos!🍀

I just upgraded from the Bolt v1 to the Roam v2. I am so happy that I did! The screen is unbelievable! So easy to see. The navigation was also great! No regrets!!!

Thanks for the video Matt, looking into upgrading from my 9 year old (!) Garmin Edge 810 -- Still going strong though haha. Leaning towards the Roam V2, mostly cause the screen readbility and overall UI layout, really digging the color coded sections for climbing grades and other categroies! I'm also seeing it for 399 bundled with the TICKR Heart Rate Monitor, and RPM Speed and Cadence Sensors, seems like a nice setup/deal.

I went with Roam Element V2. Today was my first ride with it and love it. I am new to cycling so knowing what gear I am in is helpful. I was told Roam Element V2 was the only computer that will tell you what gear you are in so that was why I went with it. Also the climbing feature does what I need which is tell me % gradient and distance to the summit. All so cool.

Purchased Karoo 2 few minutes ago, and decided to cancel and go with Edge 840 as I am a mountain biker too. Excellent "ranking" section that really applied to what >I< need... thank you!

I have the Bolt v1, still going strong. Been looking at the Roam v2 and Edge 840. Wahoo is so super easy to setup, but comparing these two is running me in circles. Some days I'm sold on Wahoo's simple approach, other days I'm swayed by Garmin's ecosystem. Thanks for the rankings by attributes...

great video Matt! the features is key as you mention

I have used the Garmin 820, 830 and now the 840. I go with the 8 series Garmin because they have full navigation unlike the 5 series that is more of a cycling tracker. That tracks where you have ridden. The 8 series is great if you like to ride new roads in areas that you are not familiar with. You can create a course right from the device or you can enter a specific address or point of interest and the Garmin will direct you there using cycling routes. When I travel and rent a bike I must bring my Garmin to create myself a cycling route of what every mileage I would like and bring me back to start. The 5 series you use to have to download a route to follow, I’m not sure if that’s has changed with the new 540

Great review. Thanks !

Thanks for the great review! I’m going in circles thinking about this as my Bolt v1 is dying, with the additional thought that a Karoo 3 may be on the horizon. Also, it looked like you had a mount for the Karoo for the BMC ICS cockpit - was that a 3D printed one, or was it a Garmin mount with the adapter? And did I see that a power cable was connected to the Karoo while mounted on the bike, early in your video?

I used to think Wahoo were so fresh and user friendly then went back to Garmin for all the features. Hammerhead 2’s battery not great because of high res screen. The hammerhead 3 should be very nice. I’m staying in the Garmin eco system with my Epix pro watch. 840 is really the sweet spot as Rainmaker says. Subscribed!!!

Just got the 840, upgraded from Edge 500 which I’m keeping BOTH on my bars with my Instinct watch. I have GARMIN products on my boat & golfing etc & NEVER have problems or waterproof-durability issues. The 840 is a lot of computer to get use to.

perfect review for me ..thanks..I am between these three but still on 1030 which is getting more slow. 1040 is too expensive and toooo much for me but the price actually is very interesting for Karoo (215€). Roam V2 is too much for the road for me. I think I will have a look on the 840 because I am more MTB and a bit Racer and Grvl. ..thx again..

Went with the roam v2 because of its compatibility with a radar utilizing the lights with the radar function and didn't really look into other bike computer options. I'd say that I am happy with it so far. Just not finding myself using the vertical light bar and just using the top one for radar so maybe the Bolt V2 might've been better. Oh well maybe the increased screen and battery size of the Roam v2 was worth it. At the end of day most of the features seem pretty similar among the bike computers so I think it is more of a matter of preference about which company, price point and nitpicks determines which one you go with.

Which one do you think gives the best turn-by-turn prompts and well handles making a detour of a previously downloaded route? I have a Garmin Edge 530 and it tends to force me to do a U-turn even a few kilometers in when I'm 50m away from merging with the original route.

Hi Matt. Did they improve the total height and current incline calculation in the 840 model during prolonged rain? In the 830 altimeter, it miscalculates height and incline when water gets into the sensor.

I own an Edge 840 and a K2 and definitely prefer the K2. It was easy to set up and is easy to use. It’s very intuitive. It’s also very easy to import a route. Like, way easier than on the Garmin. I also like that HH is updating the unit every two weeks, so we’re always getting new features and improvements. I also appreciate the larger screen on the K2. I’ve never used the Wahoo so can’t comment on it.

Great video. Thank you! I just started mountain biking, love to buy all sort of gear next to my bike. I can't get to choose witch computer I should buy. The Karoo 2 looks big, but it definitely looks more high-end. I can't get over the old-skool displays Garmen en Wahoo are using. The only thing that's holding me back on buying the Karoo 2 is the size/weight and maybe overkill for me.. ? You have any suggestions? Bye from The Netherlands!

Thank you for a great review Matt. In your experience with the Wahoo Roam V2, would you say it would be a good choice for MTB riders?

Great video Matt. I’ve a garmin 810 which has suffered a side button failure so looking to upgrade. My main priority is the clarity of the display and I only ride on the road these days so torn between a 540/840 or and Volt/Roam. I don’t use any fancy features and just interested in use ability, any recommendations?

I have wahoo v2 and garmin varia radar. I really recommend these two and also set the radar to the LED on left so it’s doesn’t take up screen space !

When I started cycling 4 years ago was thinking of either buying a Wahoo or Garmin device, my dad got me the Wahoo Elemnt Roam V1 back then. Unfortunately it somehow got a waterdamage recently, but the costumer service is awesome. I contacted them and after 2 weeks I got a new Elemnt Roam and it is the new version as well. I don‘t know how the costumer service is with the other brands though, but Wahoo is 👌

Even though the Roam is less feature-packed than the Garmin, I quite like its Star Trek style presentation with the impact font.

Do you know if we can control screen with the button of my handlebar grip,I have di2. with the Roam v2.

I just returned from a vacation in Nice where I did a couple of rides with my wahoo bolt v2. I was really frustrated by the routing of wahoo when I needed to change my route. I was on a road bike but it insisted on defining a route on a trail when I needed to route home early after overheating. Extremely frustrating. In the end I had to create a new route using ride with GPS to get me back. I could not find any wahoo settings to stick to road routes. I doubt this is a situation that everyone will run into, but when you do you need it to work. I’m looking to leave wahoo for bike computers as a result.

I’m all over the place on this one… I bought a Bolt v2 as my first cycling computer - but I do probably 65/35 MTB to road riding, and *none* of the MTB trails near me were on the Bolt (and we have a lot around here!), so I returned it and grabbed a Karoo 2. I actually liked it, and (almost) all the local trails were there, but I exchanged it for a a Garmin 840 because I use a Garmin watch for all of my running and wanted my cycling in Garmin Connect. I’m actually kind of hating it, though - it just beeps at me nonstop, for jumps, for strava segments, for being off of a strava segment NONSTOP because I’m riding an adjacent trail, for riding without my radar, even though I’ve disabled it in the sensor menu, because I’m on the trails that day. The only option was turning off ALL alerts, but then I miss the beeps for navigation and radar when I’m back on the road. 🤯 Starting to think keeping all of my tracking in the same eco system just isn’t worth it and I should save the $200 and swap back to the Karoo 2. Do you give any consideration to where things end up tracked/stored when you choose? I saw the end of the video (“get the best computer for you, don’t worry about mix and match”), but on paper the 840 does seem to be “better” - I prefer the size, I bike a lot in dense woods so the multi band gps is better, some other minor things. I’m just so tired of it beeping at me 😅 Or do you have any advice for unbeepifying the 840? I’ve turned off the jump alerts, but the radar disconnected alerts/beeps seems to be a bug (reported on the forums at least) and only thing I’ve found for fixing the strava segments is to turn it off completely, Hah.

Do you know if we can control screen with the button of my handlebar grip,I have di2.

Well after my Bolt 2 took an unexpected trip on the roof of my car, this is particularly relevant!

Nice comparison, I have the 1040 and tried a HH K2 at the beginning of the year - never tried a Roam. Probably the climbing feature would have been another comparison - each now have as you ride climb data features, and Wahoo's is pretty good here.. This has been a big one. Hey, I think the Endurance specialist is just someone who does most of their riding load in Zones 1-4. Add lots of hills and you become a climber, and then doing less mileage and do crit racing will turn you into a 'well whatever the last one is.' It's a meaningless measure and needs to be removed IMHO.

I currently have an edge 820. The battery life is now deteriorated and often enters battery save mode due to low battery. When this happens on a ride my data is still recorded and I can finish the ride without loosing my ride.

Matt, there is a summer sale for the Hammer Head Karoo for Us.259, do you think I should upgrade my Bryton Rider 750 for this price????? (you know both devices!). Extra data, I can maybe sell my Bryson in Us.150 or something like that (so just a about Us.100 update). What do you think?

Hi Matt! I have a trek 920 that I use for commuting to work (40 miles round trip) per day, riding the best of our nations rails to trails and doing more self contained bicycle touring. I use a basic Bontrager battery computer, and my phone for navigation...when it's not overheating. I am wanting to upgrade and purchase a computer with all the basic computer features and good navigation/gps features. I recently purchased the 840. After unboxing it, I became a bit overwhelmed by all its coaching features (most of which I would not use). Also, does one need sensors--cadence and/or odometer? Don't really care about my cadence and would not use the HR sensor as my watch reads HR. I appreciate your feedback.

I can get on promotion for 260euro hammmerheaf karoo 2 with hr monitor or Wahoo bolt v2 bundle. What do you advise to buy ?

Which one would you choose for mostly road cycling (3-5 times per week) and casual mtb rides (2-3 per month). As a watch I use Apple Watch. Kind of leaning towards the wahoo. I own a bryton 750 right now and it’s awful. Great video btw!

Is it possible to connect Wahoo heart rate monitor/sensor to Garmin EDGE 840?

Garmin 830 tells me that my numbers equals a 25 year younger person - TAKE MY MONEY!!! 🤣

How easy is it to upload a route to the wall who? I’m not super text savvy so basically, I plan a route on my Google Maps app and I’ve been using my phone. But when I’m doing more than a century ride, I kind of would like some thing else versus just using my cadence monitor…. I’m looking at the Garmin 840 bundle and also the bolt by wahoo. But which is easier to upload a map and track my avg mph and cadence

Loved the video but I still couldn't decide for my first bike computer. The Karoo 2 is on sale for $250 now but it's also very old and might release Karoo 3.

I have the Roam V2 and the 840 and my go to is the Roam.

Between the garmin and the hammerhead which one would work better for MTB as i am racing mtb now

Question: I use reading glasses, but certainly not while riding. Which UI is easiest to read when your near vision isn't perfect?

for features: garmin. for screen legibility: roam. for map navigation: HH

Which computer do you road bike with?

There are some HITTERS! The computer name text is very pretty. LOVE USB C. I'm curious about the climb type feature...I'm not sure I want to know! Ahhhh, battery life. We're here! I had a Karoo for a couple weeks before deciding it wasn't for me. I noticed the battery life was rough on the Karoo. You joke about "not riding for six hours"... did a 10 hour ride due to a snow storm halftime. It was horrendous. The battery saver, that's where the screen turns off, right? I love that mode! I don't want my computer telling me how disappointing I am. Is there something different about your color grading? Your shirt seems blacker than it normally does? That stamina/stamina potential seem really interesting... have you used them extensively, or are they more of a gimmick? I loved the bit at the end where you physically moved the best computer for the given category. Nice work!

It look like Karoo 2 has not enough brightness on a sunny days. Are there any problem with it in reality?

The Karoo 2 now only costs 260 EUR instead of 400. If you had to pick would you take the Karoo 2 over the Roam V2 as you get to save an extra 100 EUR?

I think it comes down to whichever device is the most visible at the end of the day . Features are irrelevant if you can’t see them .

I forgot to mention that I’m a road biker. So do you suggest the Roam V2 or the Garmin 840?

I have a wahoo bolt v2. Only 2 things that annoys are the slow boot up and no multiple n bike profiles.

Its crazy, i wonder why people chose way more the wahoo.

And yes, the K2 is currently on sale for about $260, as of me writing this comment. It literally went on sale a day after I got a great deal on the edge 1040 🤣

SO WHICH SHOULD I CHOOSE?

After my second Garmin Edge 520 died unexpectedly I decided to try something different - the Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt instead of the Garmin 530. Boy! I'm glad I did. ru-vid.comUgkxXZCtB-wGdHVTBSz8RswePK5vllHNi06N The display on the Wahoo Bolt is much easier to read. I like the configuration of the display more (up to 7 items visible on page 1 without scrolling and the first item chosen is larger characters than the next 3 rows that have pairs of items (still very readable). I also like the configurable item selections. The Bolt synced with my Garmin ANT+ Speed sensors on both bikes easily so no additional investment was required there. While the rated battery life is a couple hours less than the Garmin 520/530, I easily get a weeks worth of 1+ hour rides before recharging (and it's never really low on charge). At the end of a ride syncing to the Wahoo app, Strava, and Apple Health app is painless.

I used the K2 for several years and the battery life was terrible. I use standard sensors…HR, power, shifting and radar. I also use live tracking since I often bike alone. The K2 battery would get uncomfortably close to drained on a 100km ride. There is a also n ongoing problem with K2 elevation being way off. I wound up switching to the Garmin 1040 and I am much happier.

Just bought the 840 (had the 520) but returned it the next day. While the connectivity is so much better, it still has crap graphics and screen. Not worth the money IMO.

The only good thing about the Garmins these days is battery life. They come full of fluff software that is useless apart from the Climb feature.

While I love my Karoo 2, I am super disappointed about Shimano Di2 not being allowed on their platform without a hack or sideload. They should buy the sideload company. And Shimano should stop blocking them from uploading Di2 data. May move to Garmin 840

hey Matt, I am wondering if you really have used the K2 in full. Me being a heavy and enthusiastic user I think its a device on its own. Made for cyclists by cyclists. Its graphics, personalisation power, side loading of apps, it even doesn't look like a Head unit...to me a far more pretty thing to look at it from a screen point of view than the others. And enjoy the integration into the hoods for Di2 users. You didn't mention the amount of pixels, which is twice that of the Garmin/Wahoo.....Just saying.

K2 I think is better,

karoo fails with no navigate to address feature and no turn by turn with names-

I already spend money on a expensive watch that does it all. Idk why I would need a sports watch AND a nice bike computer. Cool products though. I added you on Facebook. Just FYI, it's me, I hope that's ok.

I’m an Endurance Specialist too Matt…!! 🫤🤣