J o n

I wouldn't say the battery life is short. I did the Ceder last year (245km, 3700m elevation gain) and it lasted the full 15 hours it took me to do the ride. I used battery save mode, which turns off the screen unless you need it for navigating or Climber. If you wanted the screen on the whole time, battery life would be shorter. That said, I also did the Swartberg 100 and it lasted 8.5 hours with the screen on permanently, with 30% remaining at the end. I got nervous at one point on the Ceder and tried to plug in a power bank. You're right there – the mount it ships with doesn't make that very easy. You'd have to use the quarter turn adaptor and a different mount if you wanted to run it with external power more often. I enjoyed Cass's review on Bikepacking.com – thanks to @Thug for posting. I think all devices have their limitations, but the Karoo 2 is definitely one to consider if you're in the market for a premium head unit at a less than premium price. (Side note: The Garmin 130 Plus is probably the best general use GPS out there IMO, if you don't need all the features of the Karoo 2. Separate discussion!)

I've been using a Karoo 2 for about six months – it's a fantastic product. I summarised most of my initial impressions for a Bicycling article published last year: https://www.bicycling.co.za/bikes-gear/gear/reviewed-hammerhead-karoo-2/ Highlights for me include the Climber feature (🤯), which they've subsequently updated to work even if you're not on a route, the excellent battery life and great UX experience. (SO much more intuitive than Garmin, for example.) The only real down side is that you don't get automatic Discovery points. Their whole ethos of an 'open-source' software platform really appeals to me. The updates always make the experience of using the Karoo more interesting and practical, and they seem to take rider feedback seriously. The SA connection is also cool. In short, you won't be disappointed.

My son's Momsen has Vee Tire Co. Crown Gems 24x2.25 – I've set them up tubeless and they work brilliantly. Available from Two Wheels Trading. Can highly recommend. https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/tyres-tubes/juvenile/

Here's what happened to Grease_Monkey's Solaris Max... : )