HAMMERHEAD is a cycle computer manufacturer
that has a decent market share outside Japan,
or rather mainly within the United States.
The product model name is KAROO, but
from here on I'll refer to it as Hammerhead and Karoo.
The latest model currently available is the "Karoo 3,"
but what's most circulating in the US market right now
is the Karoo 2 model.
Two years ago (according to a SRAM press release on January 19, 2022)
Hammerhead was acquired by SRAM.
Before that, with the Karoo 2 which was the latest model at the time,
you could assign the page-turning function of the cycle computer
to a button on the brake lever bracket of Shimano's electric STI levers,
or display which gear the chain was on
on the screen, but
the moment SRAM took over, at Shimano's request
they were told "starting with the next update (June 2, 2022),
disable the convenient Di2 features
in the Hammerhead cycle computer,"
so they removed the functionality.
It's harassment where only users who have both Shimano and Hammerhead
end up losing out.
The message is "use a Garmin cycle computer instead,
which is (close enough to Shimano that they have people visit their headquarters in Sakai).
At that point, this manufacturer was barely circulating in Japan,
so the issue wasn't recognized domestically in Japan.
Then the other day the new SRAM RED AXS E1 was announced,
and a bonus button was added to the inside front of the lever bracket,
and in factory condition it's assigned the shift function,
but you can also assign it to control
the Hammerhead cycle computer that comes with the component group.
The component I use is Rival AXS,
and the lever bracket doesn't have a bonus button,
but it apparently has the functionality to display
which gear the chain is currently on and
the component battery level,
so I bought the "SRAM Karoo."
I think as a model it's equivalent to the Karoo 3,
but as a cycle computer under the SRAM umbrella,
its official model name is simply "Karoo."
Hammerhead previously had no distributor in Japan,
and except for personal imports, it hadn't entered Japan,
so this SRAM distributor route
is our first official domestic distribution.
First, what caused problems was that
right after the initial startup,
I had to choose the language from 5 options:
English, German, Spanish, French, or Italian,
and then Wi-Fi connectivity was requested.
Since I don't have wireless LAN equipment at my shop or home
(well, technically my home does have it)
I got stuck right there on the first day.
Also, on SRAM's website,
the Karoo's supported languages include the above plus
Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese,
but there was no such option.
I downloaded the companion app for smartphones that Hammerhead publishes,
but it was completely useless
when it came to downloading offline maps, which I'll touch on later.
By the way, this companion app
gets criticized heavily in reviews from overseas (mainly American) users
for not supporting the Karoo 2.
It seems to be a dedicated app for the Karoo 3, or rather
the "SRAM Karoo,"
but it's criticized for having a name that doesn't make that obvious at first glance.
↑Here's the companion app screen on the smartphone.
I selected the item called "Phone Pairing,"
and it says I should read the QR code that appears on the Karoo screen
using the camera function, but
the "Phone Pairing" item shown in the app
doesn't even exist on the device,
what the heck!
...I did resolve the phone pairing issue.
When I selected "System Upload" which is lower in the Settings menu,
the Phone Pairing item was added,
and Japanese language was also added to the options.
I'll continue using English though.
Eventually a system version
that's more up-to-date will probably ship,
but currently, without doing the System Upload,
you can't select Japanese or connect with the app.
The unit I have appears to still have the internals
from before the "SRAM Karoo" came out—
the Karoo 3 from when there was no companion app
and Japanese wasn't supported.
But in the end, even after connecting with this app,
it didn't help with initial setup.
It seems to be useful for setting and managing riding routes.
The initial authentication and system update
were completed quickly using the free Wi-Fi on the Osaka Metro
during my commute time, but
the crucial map display still can't be used.
Considering it's known to ship to Japan,
I'd think they'd at least pre-install offline maps,
but this map data is extremely heavy
and downloading it on free Wi-Fi took quite a while.
To remove the contents from the box,
you have to break a seal that "must be broken,"
so it's impossible for the distributor
to keep it looking unopened while
installing the offline map.
So at least I'd want the manufacturer to
pre-install Japanese maps on the Japan-market model
and slap a "JAPAN MAP INCLUDED" sticker on it or something.
I'd like them to demonstrate the added value
that comes with a proper distributor route
rather than personal overseas mail order.
I forgot to mention (this is important),
but the SRAM Karoo single-unit retail price is ¥80,170 including tax.
Surprisingly, the distributor has stock
(which is why I have it).
The new RED AXS E1 Upgrade Kit, so-called,
is a set of SRAM Karoo + left and right levers + front and rear brakes
at a retail price of ¥302,900 including tax, and this is on backorder.
Beyond that, there's a kit consisting of front and rear derailleurs
plus battery for it, charger, 2 disc rotors, and a chain—
basically everything except the crankset and cassette—
at a retail price of ¥504,600 including tax, available in a limited 75-unit run,
and this is also on backorder.
Since both disc rotors are 160mm
and the charger and 2 batteries are the conventional specs,
existing SRAM users might find it hard to justify buying.
So I tried downloading the offline map
using McDonald's free Wi-Fi.
The image shows 5.0GB,
but first it showed 4.9GB and then barely progressed after that.
It took about 30 minutes to get to 5.1GB.
During this time, I confirmed that Japanese language selection was possible.
After that, it didn't progress gradually with the passage of time,
and after 5.2GB it seemed to freeze, but then
around the 45-minute mark it suddenly jumped to 8.2GB all at once,
and a few minutes later the download completed at 9.6GB.
By the way, the fact that the goal was 9.6GB
wasn't indicated anywhere.
Since I had it going before entering the store,
the total time was about 50 minutes.
McDonald's free Wi-Fi requires you to enter your email address
to use it, and apparently you get disconnected after 1 hour,
so it was cutting it close.
Finally it's in a usable state.
When I long-press the power button on the bottom of the unit,
it starts up and the logo appears right away,
but it's quite lengthy.
I timed it—the logo displays for about 20 seconds,
and there's a bit more animation after that,
so startup takes just over 30 seconds total.
I think this is the Karoo's biggest distinctive feature,
but the screen display is extremely high-quality.
The display is 800 pixels tall by 480 pixels wide,
but the image above is 480 pixels tall by 640 pixels wide,
so the Karoo's resolution is
"that image resolution but stretched 1.25 times longer
in the lengthwise direction to become a portrait-oriented screen."
The program name that manages which display items to show
is "Baltan Seijin" (Baltan Alien),
which is not the factory default.
There were multiple program names like "BASIC PROGRAM" and "INDOOR,"
but I deleted the others and renamed it.
By default it was displayed across two lines as
BASIC
PROGRAM,
but I couldn't figure out how they do line breaks,
then I discovered that if you add spaces appropriately,
at a certain point it becomes a second line.
↑Ideally I'd want to insert a space here,
but I was right at the character limit,
↑so when I add a space it ends up like this.
I configure the program's page layout.
In the image above,
it says "total of 3 pages including the map page,"
but the default is 2 pages.
On the layout settings page, numbers and graphs animate as examples,
but the speed item changes frantically at an implausible pace.
Maybe they're trying to make it clear this is a settings screen
and not actual data.
The map that appears is also fictional
(or maybe it's a real map somewhere).
After deciding on a layout,
I set which display items to assign to it,
but only one page can include a map.
For the other pages, you can increase them by pressing the plus here,
but the maximum was 12 pages including the map page.
This is also a simulated graph,
showing the elevation profile of my ride so far.
There's also another option to display the elevation graph
to a destination I've set.
When I select the gear position graph display,
it looks like this.
Since I run a front single,
in reality there won't be a front gear display
or front derailleur battery level display.
Among the display item options,
there's one called "air pressure."
↑This is also a simulated value during setup, but
from the power meter brand Quarq,
there's something called a tire pressure sensor
that mounts on the valve,
called TYRE WIZ (Tire Whiz),
which allows tire pressure to display on the cycle computer.
The ZIPP 303 I recently rebuilt is a hookless rim,
with a nominal maximum pressure of 5 bar, though
most people operate it around 3.6-3.8 bar.
For 23C tires run at 7-8 bar, dropping 1 bar
doesn't cause riding issues, but
if 3.6 bar drops to 2.6 bar, that's a major problem, so
being able to see this is definitely helpful.
But can you actually see the pressure fluctuations
when braking or leaning into corners with real numbers?
If so, that'd be interesting.
What I'm more curious about is that with rim brake wheels,
when the rim warms up from brake heat on descents,
the pressure clearly increases, but
I'd like to know how much it actually goes up.
I started the program.
Even with offline maps loaded,
the map won't display until it acquires satellite signal
and figures out where I am.
It supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS (Michibiki),
and BEIDOU (written with Chinese characters as "Big Dipper," China's satellite system),
five systems total, but
satellite icons and such don't appear on screen.
There's a slightly anxiety-inducing moment, but
suddenly the map just appears.
The image quality is excellent.
When zoomed in all the way, it looks like this.
From there, stepping off the self-centered arrow
into destination search mode and looking at Sakaisuji Street, it looks like this.
Zoomed out all the way, it looks like this.
You can switch map zoom by tapping the screen,
but the interaction feels a bit finicky and inconsistent,
so using the physical buttons on the side of the device is more reliable.
It works fine even with long-fingered gloves on.
The top right button on the device side
cycles to the next page on short press
and zooms in on the map on long press.
The top left button on the device side
cycles to the previous page on short press
and zooms out on the map on long press.
The bottom left and right buttons on the device
produce the same result as tapping the bottom left and right of the screen,
and they're indicated by icons so you know what they do.
This is the program selection screen,
and tapping the left icon takes you to settings,
while tapping the right icon takes you to the page layout
you configured for that program, but
pressing the bottom left and right physical buttons produces the same result.
The right icon is for recording start,
and the left one is a checkered flag
representing the program end icon.
From here, tapping the left icon
or pressing the bottom left button
gives a confirmation asking if I really want to end,
with the left being back, and now the right shows the checkered flag,
and tapping that icon or pressing the bottom right button
ends the recording.
Next comes a choice of whether to save it,
with the options appearing on the bottom left and right.
The right saves it,
the left is a trash can icon for deleting, and
if I tap the left icon or press the bottom left button from here,
it asks for confirmation that I'm sure I want to delete,
now showing the trash can on the right side.
The feel of operating the physical buttons is so satisfying
that in the brief time I've used it,
I've barely touched the touchscreen at all.
The Key Button Icon—
the explanatory icon for "here's what happens when you press the bottom physical button now"—
can be turned off in settings if you don't want to see it.
The back of the device.
The Karoo 3 is a model that came out after SRAM's acquisition,
but it still doesn't have SRAM marking here.
Since this is the "SRAM Karoo," it now has SRAM marking.
The sticker of Hammerhead Shark—
the hammerhead shark mascot—is
not the factory default specification, just so you know.
The small hole visible in the image is
on the Karoo 3, circled and labeled as
BEEP (electronic sound) so you know it's a sound hole,
but the SRAM Karoo has no such marking.
After entering the ride program, if I long-press any point on the map,
I sort of "astral project" out of myself, and
if I then tap another map position,
I'm asked whether to start navigation to that point
or just place a waypoint marker there.
If I choose navigation, a beep sounds at that moment.
This sound is loud enough to make you jump if you're not expecting it.
About the accessories included besides the cycle computer.
There's a mount included that uses HMS (Hammerhead System),
their proprietary standard, with
a single-sided cantilever design and front-to-back positioning adjustment,
and if I slide it straight into
this part on the back of the device,
it locks with a click.
To remove it, I angle it so the retaining lug
escapes into the slot on the right or left,
and it slides right out.
The feel of this mechanism and the click of the physical buttons
are extremely satisfying.
I still don't know how durable it is over time, though.
But honestly, just touting HMS alone is a tough sell
(since there's no way to mount it on an integrated stem handlebar), so
a de facto standard
two-prong adapter is included
in the box.
Click! It's locked in.
I glossed over the name of the company that invented the two-prong standard here,
but I'm pretty sure I named them outright earlier in the post.
You're not supposed to notice that contradiction.
The bottom of the device appears to have 2 buttons, but
one is actually the cover for the Type-C USB charging port.
This cover, when pressed, activates the power button to its right,
so at first I thought it was a malfunction...
If this orange pillar section to the left of it
were part of the right button,
↑then pressing with this protrusion
would mean the cover is also part of the button,
letting you press the power button even from the center bottom,
a design consideration for usability with thick gloves...
or so I thought, but
the pillar section in the previous image is not part of the right button.
Looking at these 2 images from earlier,
the cover fit is slightly misaligned,
and the farther it goes to the right (toward the center),
the more the cover protrudes.
Even with the cover pushed in,
the cover itself has a button-like click feel,
and pressing it activates the button on the right.
At my own risk,
I lightly ran a diamond file across this surface.
As a result, the cover fit is now even,
the cover no longer makes a clicking sound when pushed,
and pressing the cover no longer activates the power button.
So it was a defect, not a design feature.
If the cover fit is misaligned,
there's still a clicking feel even after closing,
and the cover activates the button on the right when pressed,
then it's not working normally.
The included cable.
Not USB-A male to USB-C male,
but both ends are USB-C male.
Is this the spec for stealing power from the latest iPhones and other smartphones?
By the way, the stated operating time on a full charge is
"15 hours or more."
The braided cable and the way the company logo is printed on it
show decent quality, which is somewhat frustrating.
The last accessory.
A drop protection strap.
"There's no way that'll fit!" is what I thought, but when I tried,
the turnaround point was quite deep in there,
and the end came poking out quite nicely.
This SRAM Karoo will be staying in my shop
through about mid-June,
so if you want to touch the actual unit and get a feel for it,
I'd be happy to show it to you."}
that has a decent market share outside Japan,
or rather mainly within the United States.
The product model name is KAROO, but
from here on I'll refer to it as Hammerhead and Karoo.
The latest model currently available is the "Karoo 3,"
but what's most circulating in the US market right now
is the Karoo 2 model.
Two years ago (according to a SRAM press release on January 19, 2022)
Hammerhead was acquired by SRAM.
Before that, with the Karoo 2 which was the latest model at the time,
you could assign the page-turning function of the cycle computer
to a button on the brake lever bracket of Shimano's electric STI levers,
or display which gear the chain was on
on the screen, but
the moment SRAM took over, at Shimano's request
they were told "starting with the next update (June 2, 2022),
disable the convenient Di2 features
in the Hammerhead cycle computer,"
so they removed the functionality.
It's harassment where only users who have both Shimano and Hammerhead
end up losing out.
The message is "use a Garmin cycle computer instead,
which is (close enough to Shimano that they have people visit their headquarters in Sakai).
At that point, this manufacturer was barely circulating in Japan,
so the issue wasn't recognized domestically in Japan.
Then the other day the new SRAM RED AXS E1 was announced,
and a bonus button was added to the inside front of the lever bracket,
and in factory condition it's assigned the shift function,
but you can also assign it to control
the Hammerhead cycle computer that comes with the component group.
The component I use is Rival AXS,
and the lever bracket doesn't have a bonus button,
but it apparently has the functionality to display
which gear the chain is currently on and
the component battery level,
so I bought the "SRAM Karoo."
I think as a model it's equivalent to the Karoo 3,
but as a cycle computer under the SRAM umbrella,
its official model name is simply "Karoo."
Hammerhead previously had no distributor in Japan,
and except for personal imports, it hadn't entered Japan,
so this SRAM distributor route
is our first official domestic distribution.
First, what caused problems was that
right after the initial startup,
I had to choose the language from 5 options:
English, German, Spanish, French, or Italian,
and then Wi-Fi connectivity was requested.
Since I don't have wireless LAN equipment at my shop or home
(well, technically my home does have it)
I got stuck right there on the first day.
Also, on SRAM's website,
the Karoo's supported languages include the above plus
Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese,
but there was no such option.
I downloaded the companion app for smartphones that Hammerhead publishes,
but it was completely useless
when it came to downloading offline maps, which I'll touch on later.
By the way, this companion app
gets criticized heavily in reviews from overseas (mainly American) users
for not supporting the Karoo 2.
It seems to be a dedicated app for the Karoo 3, or rather
the "SRAM Karoo,"
but it's criticized for having a name that doesn't make that obvious at first glance.
↑Here's the companion app screen on the smartphone.
I selected the item called "Phone Pairing,"
and it says I should read the QR code that appears on the Karoo screen
using the camera function, but
the "Phone Pairing" item shown in the app
doesn't even exist on the device,
what the heck!
...I did resolve the phone pairing issue.
When I selected "System Upload" which is lower in the Settings menu,
the Phone Pairing item was added,
and Japanese language was also added to the options.
I'll continue using English though.
Eventually a system version
that's more up-to-date will probably ship,
but currently, without doing the System Upload,
you can't select Japanese or connect with the app.
The unit I have appears to still have the internals
from before the "SRAM Karoo" came out—
the Karoo 3 from when there was no companion app
and Japanese wasn't supported.
But in the end, even after connecting with this app,
it didn't help with initial setup.
It seems to be useful for setting and managing riding routes.
The initial authentication and system update
were completed quickly using the free Wi-Fi on the Osaka Metro
during my commute time, but
the crucial map display still can't be used.
Considering it's known to ship to Japan,
I'd think they'd at least pre-install offline maps,
but this map data is extremely heavy
and downloading it on free Wi-Fi took quite a while.
To remove the contents from the box,
you have to break a seal that "must be broken,"
so it's impossible for the distributor
to keep it looking unopened while
installing the offline map.
So at least I'd want the manufacturer to
pre-install Japanese maps on the Japan-market model
and slap a "JAPAN MAP INCLUDED" sticker on it or something.
I'd like them to demonstrate the added value
that comes with a proper distributor route
rather than personal overseas mail order.
I forgot to mention (this is important),
but the SRAM Karoo single-unit retail price is ¥80,170 including tax.
Surprisingly, the distributor has stock
(which is why I have it).
The new RED AXS E1 Upgrade Kit, so-called,
is a set of SRAM Karoo + left and right levers + front and rear brakes
at a retail price of ¥302,900 including tax, and this is on backorder.
Beyond that, there's a kit consisting of front and rear derailleurs
plus battery for it, charger, 2 disc rotors, and a chain—
basically everything except the crankset and cassette—
at a retail price of ¥504,600 including tax, available in a limited 75-unit run,
and this is also on backorder.
Since both disc rotors are 160mm
and the charger and 2 batteries are the conventional specs,
existing SRAM users might find it hard to justify buying.
So I tried downloading the offline map
using McDonald's free Wi-Fi.
The image shows 5.0GB,
but first it showed 4.9GB and then barely progressed after that.
It took about 30 minutes to get to 5.1GB.
During this time, I confirmed that Japanese language selection was possible.
After that, it didn't progress gradually with the passage of time,
and after 5.2GB it seemed to freeze, but then
around the 45-minute mark it suddenly jumped to 8.2GB all at once,
and a few minutes later the download completed at 9.6GB.
By the way, the fact that the goal was 9.6GB
wasn't indicated anywhere.
Since I had it going before entering the store,
the total time was about 50 minutes.
McDonald's free Wi-Fi requires you to enter your email address
to use it, and apparently you get disconnected after 1 hour,
so it was cutting it close.
Finally it's in a usable state.
When I long-press the power button on the bottom of the unit,
it starts up and the logo appears right away,
but it's quite lengthy.
I timed it—the logo displays for about 20 seconds,
and there's a bit more animation after that,
so startup takes just over 30 seconds total.
I think this is the Karoo's biggest distinctive feature,
but the screen display is extremely high-quality.
The display is 800 pixels tall by 480 pixels wide,
but the image above is 480 pixels tall by 640 pixels wide,
so the Karoo's resolution is
"that image resolution but stretched 1.25 times longer
in the lengthwise direction to become a portrait-oriented screen."
The program name that manages which display items to show
is "Baltan Seijin" (Baltan Alien),
which is not the factory default.
There were multiple program names like "BASIC PROGRAM" and "INDOOR,"
but I deleted the others and renamed it.
By default it was displayed across two lines as
BASIC
PROGRAM,
but I couldn't figure out how they do line breaks,
then I discovered that if you add spaces appropriately,
at a certain point it becomes a second line.
↑Ideally I'd want to insert a space here,
but I was right at the character limit,
↑so when I add a space it ends up like this.
I configure the program's page layout.
In the image above,
it says "total of 3 pages including the map page,"
but the default is 2 pages.
On the layout settings page, numbers and graphs animate as examples,
but the speed item changes frantically at an implausible pace.
Maybe they're trying to make it clear this is a settings screen
and not actual data.
The map that appears is also fictional
(or maybe it's a real map somewhere).
After deciding on a layout,
I set which display items to assign to it,
but only one page can include a map.
For the other pages, you can increase them by pressing the plus here,
but the maximum was 12 pages including the map page.
This is also a simulated graph,
showing the elevation profile of my ride so far.
There's also another option to display the elevation graph
to a destination I've set.
When I select the gear position graph display,
it looks like this.
Since I run a front single,
in reality there won't be a front gear display
or front derailleur battery level display.
Among the display item options,
there's one called "air pressure."
↑This is also a simulated value during setup, but
from the power meter brand Quarq,
there's something called a tire pressure sensor
that mounts on the valve,
called TYRE WIZ (Tire Whiz),
which allows tire pressure to display on the cycle computer.
The ZIPP 303 I recently rebuilt is a hookless rim,
with a nominal maximum pressure of 5 bar, though
most people operate it around 3.6-3.8 bar.
For 23C tires run at 7-8 bar, dropping 1 bar
doesn't cause riding issues, but
if 3.6 bar drops to 2.6 bar, that's a major problem, so
being able to see this is definitely helpful.
But can you actually see the pressure fluctuations
when braking or leaning into corners with real numbers?
If so, that'd be interesting.
What I'm more curious about is that with rim brake wheels,
when the rim warms up from brake heat on descents,
the pressure clearly increases, but
I'd like to know how much it actually goes up.
I started the program.
Even with offline maps loaded,
the map won't display until it acquires satellite signal
and figures out where I am.
It supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS (Michibiki),
and BEIDOU (written with Chinese characters as "Big Dipper," China's satellite system),
five systems total, but
satellite icons and such don't appear on screen.
There's a slightly anxiety-inducing moment, but
suddenly the map just appears.
The image quality is excellent.
When zoomed in all the way, it looks like this.
From there, stepping off the self-centered arrow
into destination search mode and looking at Sakaisuji Street, it looks like this.
Zoomed out all the way, it looks like this.
You can switch map zoom by tapping the screen,
but the interaction feels a bit finicky and inconsistent,
so using the physical buttons on the side of the device is more reliable.
It works fine even with long-fingered gloves on.
The top right button on the device side
cycles to the next page on short press
and zooms in on the map on long press.
The top left button on the device side
cycles to the previous page on short press
and zooms out on the map on long press.
The bottom left and right buttons on the device
produce the same result as tapping the bottom left and right of the screen,
and they're indicated by icons so you know what they do.
This is the program selection screen,
and tapping the left icon takes you to settings,
while tapping the right icon takes you to the page layout
you configured for that program, but
pressing the bottom left and right physical buttons produces the same result.
The right icon is for recording start,
and the left one is a checkered flag
representing the program end icon.
From here, tapping the left icon
or pressing the bottom left button
gives a confirmation asking if I really want to end,
with the left being back, and now the right shows the checkered flag,
and tapping that icon or pressing the bottom right button
ends the recording.
Next comes a choice of whether to save it,
with the options appearing on the bottom left and right.
The right saves it,
the left is a trash can icon for deleting, and
if I tap the left icon or press the bottom left button from here,
it asks for confirmation that I'm sure I want to delete,
now showing the trash can on the right side.
The feel of operating the physical buttons is so satisfying
that in the brief time I've used it,
I've barely touched the touchscreen at all.
The Key Button Icon—
the explanatory icon for "here's what happens when you press the bottom physical button now"—
can be turned off in settings if you don't want to see it.
The back of the device.
The Karoo 3 is a model that came out after SRAM's acquisition,
but it still doesn't have SRAM marking here.
Since this is the "SRAM Karoo," it now has SRAM marking.
The sticker of Hammerhead Shark—
the hammerhead shark mascot—is
not the factory default specification, just so you know.
The small hole visible in the image is
on the Karoo 3, circled and labeled as
BEEP (electronic sound) so you know it's a sound hole,
but the SRAM Karoo has no such marking.
After entering the ride program, if I long-press any point on the map,
I sort of "astral project" out of myself, and
if I then tap another map position,
I'm asked whether to start navigation to that point
or just place a waypoint marker there.
If I choose navigation, a beep sounds at that moment.
This sound is loud enough to make you jump if you're not expecting it.
About the accessories included besides the cycle computer.
There's a mount included that uses HMS (Hammerhead System),
their proprietary standard, with
a single-sided cantilever design and front-to-back positioning adjustment,
and if I slide it straight into
this part on the back of the device,
it locks with a click.
To remove it, I angle it so the retaining lug
escapes into the slot on the right or left,
and it slides right out.
The feel of this mechanism and the click of the physical buttons
are extremely satisfying.
I still don't know how durable it is over time, though.
But honestly, just touting HMS alone is a tough sell
(since there's no way to mount it on an integrated stem handlebar), so
a de facto standard
two-prong adapter is included
in the box.
Click! It's locked in.
I glossed over the name of the company that invented the two-prong standard here,
but I'm pretty sure I named them outright earlier in the post.
You're not supposed to notice that contradiction.
The bottom of the device appears to have 2 buttons, but
one is actually the cover for the Type-C USB charging port.
This cover, when pressed, activates the power button to its right,
so at first I thought it was a malfunction...
If this orange pillar section to the left of it
were part of the right button,
↑then pressing with this protrusion
would mean the cover is also part of the button,
letting you press the power button even from the center bottom,
a design consideration for usability with thick gloves...
or so I thought, but
the pillar section in the previous image is not part of the right button.
Looking at these 2 images from earlier,
the cover fit is slightly misaligned,
and the farther it goes to the right (toward the center),
the more the cover protrudes.
Even with the cover pushed in,
the cover itself has a button-like click feel,
and pressing it activates the button on the right.
At my own risk,
I lightly ran a diamond file across this surface.
As a result, the cover fit is now even,
the cover no longer makes a clicking sound when pushed,
and pressing the cover no longer activates the power button.
So it was a defect, not a design feature.
If the cover fit is misaligned,
there's still a clicking feel even after closing,
and the cover activates the button on the right when pressed,
then it's not working normally.
The included cable.
Not USB-A male to USB-C male,
but both ends are USB-C male.
By the way, the stated operating time on a full charge is
"15 hours or more."
The braided cable and the way the company logo is printed on it
show decent quality, which is somewhat frustrating.
The last accessory.
A drop protection strap.
"There's no way that'll fit!" is what I thought, but when I tried,
the turnaround point was quite deep in there,
and the end came poking out quite nicely.
This SRAM Karoo will be staying in my shop
through about mid-June,
so if you want to touch the actual unit and get a feel for it,
I'd be happy to show it to you."}
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Original Japanese post: のむラボ日記 #7131