The battery life thing...
I've been using a Karoo 3 for 2 years now (bundled with my S-Works). For the most part I really like it, but that battery life thing...let me explain.
Yesterday went on a 124 mile ride with bike spouse. As usual had my K3 charged up to 100%, using my Varia and so on, brightness at 7%.
We'd ridden for about 33 miles (SF Caltrain across Golden Gate Bridge, up Hawk Hill, Rodeo Beach and so on) and I checked the battery when we were at a coffee stop across from Larkspur Ferry Terminal and it had already gone down to 75% which is a pretty steep drop.
Usually I bring a little power pack in my jersey pocket so I can charge it up at lunch or whenever. As it turned out, I forgot to bring it with me yesterday.
I also had to use the map quite a bit.
Anyway by mile 61 (about half way through) we were at the top of Marshall Wall and checked the battery % again and I was down to 44%. OMG. I put it on Battery Save which helped some, but any time a car was behind me the screen would pop back on due to my Varia.
By the time we got to Point Reyes Station I was down to 17%. Again, didn't have my power pack.
I ended up turning the Varia off altogether and that helped a lot, fortunately I had my rear view mirror as a backup.
By the time I got back to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal I was down to 8% and I really needed to use the map because I had lost my way and the other riders were nowhere to be seen (although bike spouse was tracking me on WhatsApp). Ended up calling an Uber and getting a ride to Mikes Bikes in Sausalito where I met up with bike spouse (thankfully the driver had a charging cable so I got the Karoo up to 18% and without using the Varia or the map that was sufficient to make it back to SF Caltrain).
Don't get me wrong, I really love the K3, my eyesight is not the sharpest when it comes to reading and I find the sharpness and clarity of the Karoo screen much easier to read without reading glasses.
But as someone who regularly does mega long rides (125-200+ miles) every week, yesterday really brought home the issue of battery life, basically if I don't remember to bring a power pack with me, I'm screwed.
I googled last night and sure enough, the combination of the Varia + using the map = big battery drain.
Again, love the K3, except for the battery life.
This is mostly just a vent...bike spouse had a Karoo as well, liked it for the same reasons I like it, but got rid of it and got a Garmin 1040 Solar for the same reason I am now considering switching to Garmin.
I'm far from a genius but I'm not sure why Hammerhead, with their great customer service and support, can't make a Karoo Solar or something similar where I can use the features I want to use without having to worry about battery drain.