It isn’t a Cyber Monday Garmin deal, but this competitor is the bike computer I’d buy in a heartbeat

Black Friday is behind us, and we are well into Cyber Monday but the sales continue, and as we have done for the last few years, the Cyclingnews tech team are on the hunt for genuinely good cycling-related deals.

We have the best of the best collection in our Cyber Monday bike deals hub, and you can stay on top of the latest finds in our Cyber Monday live hub.

There’s a deal on at the moment for what is, in my opinion, the best cycling computer on the market, the Hammerhead Karoo 3. In the UK, it has 9% off in the SRAM Amazon sale, meaning it can be purchased for £321.99, making it less than the Garmin Edge 550, Wahoo Elemnt Ace and Roam 3 currently at RRP and the cheapest it has been all weekend.

US-based readers, I have found the Karoo in the SRAM Amazon store with 22% off for $419, much cheaper than the Hammerhead website, and another strong deal. It’s a little cheaper than the new Garmin Edge 550, but for me, the mapping is far better, and the 550 doesn’t have a touchscreen, something I think it would benefit from because of the amount of features and options packed into it.

If you’d prefer to head straight to the deal, you can do that here:

I absolutely love the Karoo for a variety of reasons. Firstly, its mapping is the best I have used up to this point, bar none. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever missed a turn using the unit, and I have used it in at least six countries to date. It’s clear, the colour map is excellent, and the touchscreen lets you zoom in and out effortlessly.

Its display is also super crisp and bright; it’s like a smartphone. One of the latest software updates gave the unit the ability to control your smartphone’s music on its screen whilst riding, and that really did make it perfect for me.

The unit also integrated seamlessly with SRAM AXS grupsets (SRAM owns Hammerhead) and the SRAM app, though you can of course use it on any bike with any groupset.

This is the computer I would buy right now. I’ve tested the flagship Garmin Edge 1050, and I get on well with the Wahoo Roam, but of the best bike computers right now, I can honestly say that, for me, this is the best.

A bit more on the Karoo, bike computers are packed with functions these days, in fact, some are too busy if you ask me.

I’ve mentioned the mapping and screen. What about battery life? My longest ride has been over 13 hours moving time with the Karoo, and the battery lasted the whole way. It was nearly empty at the end, but 13 plus hours is healthy, I think. Updates to the battery saver mode have moved the claimed max battery life out past 35 hours since then too.

Maps are sent to the unit very quickly when loading them; it’s the fastest process I have experienced, and the Karoo alerts you when you get to a new country if the map needs downloading, which has saved me some hassle on occasion. Ride profile screens and layouts can also be changed on the fly with ease, even as you ride, if you want to swap in lap split power or add the sunset time to your ride screen. It’s all just very easy.

Oh, and if you want to navigate somewhere, you can send a pin from Google Maps to the unit using the Hammerhead Karoo app and navigate to it, a genuinely useful and clever feature.

I could go on, but I’m yet to meet anyone who isn’t impressed with this little computer.

(Image credit: Future)
Our other Black Friday hubs

🚴 Black Friday bike deals: Our overarching hub, with deals on everything from bikes to clothing, tech and more

⚡️ Amazon Black Friday: Deals specifically for cyclists, with Amazon’s next-day delivery

Brand-specific Black Friday roundups

🚲 Black Friday Trek bikes: Deals on all of Trek’s bikes, clothing, helmets, shoes, accessories and more, found at Trek and beyond

🚲 Black Friday Canyon bikes: Our pick of the top deals on Canyon’s bikes, sold direct to consumer from Canyon’s website

🚲 Black Friday Specialized: Our pick of the best deals on Specialized’s bikes, including Tarmac and Aethos, plus shoes, helmets, kit, tyres and so on, from Specialized’s own website and beyond.

👕 Black Friday Castelli: A roundup of our favourite Castelli kit deals, found across the various Black Friday sales.

👕 Black Friday Rapha: With 25% off sitewide, we’ve rounded up our favourite items from the British brand.

💾 Black Friday Garmin: A live, ever-changing roundup of our favourite deals on Garmin’s bike computers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors and more, from Garmin’s own site and beyond.

💾 Black Friday Wahoo: A roundup of our favourite deals on Wahoo tech, such as smart trainers and bike computers, from Wahoo’s own website and beyond.

Category-specific Black Friday hubs

💻 Black Friday indoor bike trainers: A collection of deals related to cycling indoors, with bike trainers, software, fans, and perhaps even the odd laptop or TV.

👟 Black Friday cycling shoes: A roundup of cycling shoe deals from around the world, with everything from budget options to high-end carbon race shoes.

👕 Black Friday cycling clothing: A handpicked roundup of deals on cycling apparel, with everything from socks to speedsuits.

🚸 Black Friday kids’ bikes: Our pick of the best deals on kids bikes from the US and UK, with options for all ages.