Cycling head units are beyond what we would have imagined years ago. We’re all riding with tiny computers capable of impressive calculations, and satellite communication. The best thing about these new computer styles is the manufacturer can update software easily, dialing in the user experience and working out bugs faster than before.
Another piece changing daily is the navigation and tracking for the user, the ability to pinpoint where you are on a specific climb, segment, or roadside. This tracking makes navigation, segment hunting, and mapping much more consistent.
Garmin and Hammerhead both recently released free software updates in these realms to help their users.
Garmin navigation updates
Anyone with an Edge 530, Edge 830, Edge 1030, and Edge 1030 Plus — get ready for some updated mapping and easy-to-see route guidance. Garmin recently released a free software update that’s available via the Garmin Express app.
The most prominent change is updated visuals for guidance, featuring clean, high-contrast maps that help to make road, gravel, or mountain routes more visible in all light conditions.
Next is Garmin’s new Trendline feature, a heatmap based on billions of miles of uploaded Garmin user ride data. Similar to those on Strava and other platforms, this mapping will relay directly onto the map and adjusts automatically based on ride type so riders can instantly see the most relevant places to adventure or avoid— which is great for traveling.
Last but not least for the Garmin updates are route calculations, now faster and with less “recalculating” in route. From now on, once a route calculates, it’s cached so you can get rolling in seconds rather than minutes.
All Garmin updates are free and available on the Garmin Express app or under “Device Info — update software” on your Garmin’s home screen.
Hammerheads Karoo 2 CLIMBER
For those that use a Karoo 2 — you are familiar with the updates and little tweaks that Hammerhead provides to enhance ride metrics. We reviewed the Karoo 2 and found it pretty cool, to say the least. The newest update comes just in time for those looking to sort out their climbing legs for the tour.
CLIMBER was developed to provide riders a detailed and analytical look at upcoming elevation to see the road ahead better. Think of it as a team car just ahead, but instead of crackling the radio in your ear, you can better judge what gear to be in and when to empty the tank.
Developed with some of the best climbers on Israel Start-Up Nation, like ascending extraordinaire Chris Froome, the Hammerhead team thought of everything to display. The final product is a hyper-detailed look at accent-specific insights to help you climb intelligently and effectively.
For those worried about losing their existing data screens, CLIMBER data is displayed in a way that won’t interfere with your go-to riding screens. You can continue to use your favorite ride or race day setting, and the CLIMBER feature will intuitively pop up when you enter a climb to deliver critical information when you need it most. Plus, you can dial key points like; Distance To Go, Elevation To Go, Distance From Base, and Elevation From Base to any profile.
For those that give it everything on the climbs, CLIMBER also displays a color-coded view of elevation profile, segmented to 100 meters or yards — so you know when to hit it. All the segments are color-coded to average gradient; the brighter the color, the steeper the rise — easy, right?
For those interested in the Karoo 2 CLIMBER update, you can find more information HERE.
