For those of you who have side loaded TR on your Karoo 2, are you able to use it for outdoor workouts?
I will give you an update ASAP. That was one of the important factors for me to try this device.
If it doesn’t work I will probably return it. Although it is likely it will get support for TR in the future. But I won’t wait for that since there is no timeline
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Yes, you are able to use it. But it is finicky. The data fields are small. So reading them when stuff is happening around you isn’t the best experience. If you could remove the graphical parts of the app and only see numbers that would be an improvement already.
And combing TR and navigation does not work. When the TR app was on screen it did not show directions. Directions will only appear in your ride screens.
Conclusion, it does work but I would prefer if we are able to push workouts to the unit.
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Thank you @Bestevaer
Sounds about like what I thought it might be like.
Thx, and what about Music, Podcasts, Spotify? Would it still run in the background? Or does the app need to be on the active screen?
I used YouTube music. And that played in the background. And you have controls in your notification bar.
I used it with a SIM card and it worked fine. There was one moment where there wasn’t a mobile connection. But I was riding in the middle of nowhere. So I won’t make a fuss about that for now. Although my mobile phone keeps its connection there without any issues. So something to keep my eye on for the next rides.
Honest Q - Since I bring my phone on my rides, why do I need / want Spotify or other streaming services on my bike computer? What is the advantage?
I dont carry a smartphone in my private life. Seems odd to many, I just feel we are overpoluted with input, beeps, and messages all the time, constant alerts. I dont even use the TR app, push all the workouts to my Wahoo Bolt.
accomplishing those workouts indoors still makes me want to listen to music or podcast. If a bike computer cam offer both workouts and music/podcast… could be a good choice for me.
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I think most, but not all, headphones only connect to one Bluetooth source at a time. So, it may not be possible with some headphones to simultaneously listen to music via a phone and and receive alerts (Varia, navigation beeps, etc…) from your head-unit. And, if you could, I suppose they might conflict and play over each other. But, if all audio is coming from your head-unit, I think the various audio channels are integrated and the head-unity prioritizes alerts. As @guyc noted above…
I’d want that feature were I to be streaming music while I ride.
That said, I’m not streaming music while I ride. I do so when I run, but now while biking. I suppose its because while running I’m going against traffic and I can see all the cars I need to avoid. Whereas when cycling, I’m in full alert mode to pick up on what’s going on behind me. Anyway, I digress. Were I to be streaming music while riding, my phone lives in my back pocket and I’d much rather have controls on my head-unit than have to dig around for my phone every time I want to make a change to the music feed (volume, skip a track, et…).
There are notification controls, mine are set to disable nearly every alert. It is possible to carry a smartphone and be independent from it. 
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great you found your way, i found mine.
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Yes confirming that if you have music coming from the Karoo you will still clearly hear Varia radar alerts over your headphones. You don’t have this if music is coming from your phone and radar beeps from the headunit.
Playing music is just just a better experience from the Karoo in other ways too. For example when Spotify is playing you just swipe down from the top of the screen to see the current track and you can skip ahead if you want. Also easy to show the app and switch to another (downloaded) playlist. It’s actually remarkable how well Spotify works on the Karoo considering it’s a sideloaded app.
And while I’m here - yes TR is functional but it does not do well on the smallish screen. Right now, for doing workouts Xert has the by far the best software available on the Karoo. There’s also a native Karoo workout player that gets workouts from TrainingPeaks.
I use the Varia app on my phone, so I can hear it along with Spotify (or any audio app since I use several options) when riding.
I guess I can see some advantage to controlling the app on the screen, but not enough to convince me to take the plunge. Plus, I hate touch screens for my bike computers. Sweat, long finger gloves , etc all make it more difficult to use IME.
Thanks for the feedback re: Spotify.
I decided to return the Karoo 2. Although I like the screen and the navigation. And to stream music and hear my radar with my headset on.
Just that the TR experience is lackluster and maybe somewhere in the distance future TR integration might be implemented it is just to much of a risk to pay €399.
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I’m looking at the Karoo now, I don’t do many TR Outside workouts but they do seem to work well on my existing Wahoo unit.
I read you could sideload the TR Android app, did you try this and it didn’t work well/not at all??
I did sideload it. That’s the only option for outdoor workouts. And it didn’t work for me. To small to read the numbers with everything going on.
And using our for outdoor rides and navigation at the same right just did not work. It would shut down TR in the background and the directions would not get overlaid on the TR app.
If outdoor workouts wouldn’t have been a big deal for me then I would have kept it.
I’m with you about the touch screen (though I will say that the Karoo’s is in a different legue to Garmin and works with gloves on) I love that I only have to use the buttons whilst riding, is great design of UI
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I’ve been on 4 hour rides with Varia and Power meter and HR running, following course so displaying the map screen, and I don’t go undder 50% usage, not the 20 hours of my Garmin, but worth it for the instant course re routes, rather than waiting 10 minutes for the re-calculate (main reason I went for the Karoo)
I have everything enabled on my K2 (BT phone, sim card, live tracking, strava segments, graphical data fields, navigation, wifi, varia radar, PM, HR, Di2, 50% screen brightness). I get 6-7hrs of battery life. Not ideal as I was used to 15hrs on my 1030. I would say it’s battery life is exactly same as an edge 1000.
That being said, way better device than the 1030. WAY better screen. Better responsiveness. Never freezes or crashes. Just flat out works everytime. The hammerhead team releases new software every 2 weeks and is very responsive to the community. No more sacrificing chickens to get my Garmin to upload 
. There are still improvements for hammerhead to make. But they seem to have created a solid foundation to build out from compared to Garmin who had a crumbling foundation but only works on exotic features.
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Unless you really faff about, the 530 is good for about 300km on a single charge…
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