karro and suunto trainig stats interaction (Does it work)
Dear team,
i dig into the suunto ecosystem and evaluating a race s for my new training device. I really like the look and the new zonesense feature of the watch. The next step would be a karoo 3.
Right now I use a garmin watch with a garmin cycle computer which syncs together nicely.
I read about the integration of the karoo with suunto´s ecosystem but cannot find any valuable comments about the condition of the integration.
I found some old posts and comments mentioning that some metrics do not sync or count into the suunto training stats or things like heart rate zones are not tranfsered correctly.
Is there anyone who uses the Karoo and uses suunto's training metrics and can report on the interaction?
Thank you very much
Flo
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Hi Flo,
unfortunately, I can confirm that there is no real interaction between the Karoo and the Suunto app other than syncing your rides and including them in their heatmaps. You will find the metrics of your ride and even the TSS thing included, but if you go to their Training Zone page, you can see that this data is not correctly integrated into the Suunto training metrics. There are no intensity zones, and my rides are always long aerobic (or aerobic) even if they are labelled as hard aerobic or anaerobic in the training metrics. Sometimes I have recorded my rides with my Suunto watch and all metrics have been correctly integrated. So I think you will get incorrect training stats with the Karoo alone.
In my opinion, this is part of Suunto's policy (it's not much different than Polar or Garmin working with imported fitness data), even though there is a co-operation between Suunto and Hammerhead. But I think this co-operation is rather limited to rides and basic training data. I wrote an email about this to Suunto last year, but never received a reply.
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Thank you for the detailed answer.
That's a shame as I'm currently with Garmin and the synchronisation of my watch and my bike computer works wonderfully there.
However, I think the design of Suunto watches, the Zonesense technology and the Karoo 3 concept are great. Especially the Strava segments with the possibility to compete against your last 5 attempts is a great feature for me.I have already received an answer from Hammerhead that Suunto needs to change something. A transmission would probably be possible, Suunto is also informed, but apparently it is not important enough to be implemented. In the end it should be a small matter to adapt the Suunto API (programme interface) or to edit uploads from Karoo again on the Suunto side.
Nobody wants to record and compare values twice. At least I don't. I allready did this with my former polar watch and my garmin bike computer.In addition, suunto only allows one power meter at a time. But I have two bikes.
Too bad, now I have to think about getting the karoo anyway and changing the fit files to the manufacturer Garmin and then uploading them to garmin when I have ridden with the karoo to at least keep my data and training metrics together at garmin connect. -
Hey Florian,
you hit it 100%, same situation here, same feelings, this is so disappointing.
I want to leave (!!) the Garmin universe as price vs. quality in my opinion is way too high.
Suunto has very competitive products, but why do they limit themselves with such a poor integration?
I am a triathlete, and that's not that abnormal, there are more and more people doing several sports!
Nowadays it is all about data an statistics.
Also Suunto puts so much effort in giving us various information about our fitness condition, health, stress... based on heatrate... and ACTIVITIES.
And then they just IGNORE all activities for stats calculations, which do not come from a Suunto device? I mean of course I track cycling with a proper bike computer and not with my small Smart Watch! And Suunto does not offer an own bike computer as Garmin or Coros do.
So this cycling data this data does not count at all into the statistics, which are so important today? Unbelievable, how does Suunto ever want to be able to evolve from a competitor such as Garmin?
I can't believe that Coros and Garmin are the only brands that can handle it because they offer the right products. I can't believe that this is necessary. A Karoo 3 delivers all the necessary data, km, time, watt, heart rate... it can't be so hard to consider this in the overall stats and give me a proper feedback on my watch about my overall condition etc.!
All the stats you put so much effort in to calculate and evaulate are all useless, if half of my activities are not considered. And as Florian said: I will not track activities twice during cycling, bike computer plus watch! I don't have my watch with me during cycling, that's a comfort thing! And that's just unnecessary in 2025 if I use a dedicated bike computer.
So I stick with Garmin Universe, give my money to them, and not to smaller brands such as Suunto, as such a key feature is still missing. That's so sad! -
But this does not only apply to Suunto. Garmin also doesn't add all imported metrics recorded with non-Garmin devices to their training data (as far as I've tried). Same goes for Polar, although they add a bit more than Garmin. Since I don't own any Coros devices, I can't say what their policy is in this case. By the way, I use RunGap to transfer my training data to various platforms.
From the companies' point of view, it makes sense to me, even if I don't like it. They produce watches and want to sell them. Suunto and Polar don't produce cycling computers but they offer cycling sport profiles on their watches to record your rides. So they have a very big interest in people using their watches also for cycling and not making their training-platforms independent of their watches.
Since I prefer Hammerhead and Karoo for cycling and Garmin and Polar for watches, I record my rides on both the computer and the watch and automatically have a good backup in case something breaks on one device.
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You are right, it does apply to all of them. The difference is, that Garmin and Coros offer the broader product portfolio (in this case a watch and a dedicated bike computer), so they can merge the data of a bike computer and a watch and its a win win.
So I get your point in case of Coros and Garmin: Why should they integrate data from other devices into their statistic calculations such as body battery, Vo2, recovery... people just shall buy their devices to profit!
But what's the downside for Suunto when merging the data from an external bike computer such as e.g. hammerhead? Suunto does not sell bike computers. And I don't decide between a Suunto watch OR the bike computer. I actively decide to have a bike computer in addition to the Suunto Watch (and to have Suunto as my platform).
And yes, you can just track the cycling with the watch too, but: As mentioned, I don't like a watch on my wrist cycling in summer 30° Celsius in the mountains. And especially not, if have this awesome bike computer that does the job so much better. No need for this watch, it's just annoying. But more important: E.g. the Suunto Race S, does not support ANT+. So even if I do it your way, Thomas, always tracking bike rides with both devices, Suunto will never take my power stats into account. And third: If this shall be the final answer from Suunto, always tracking with the watch on top: Then it is a no go, that you can only pair one device per sensor category! I own an indoor bike and a road bike and a Gravel. At least then, let me pair them all via ANT+ and record all the data.
Anyway, thank you very much for your answer Thomas. I know I am not speaking for the whole community, many people are just fine. I am just sad as I think its a missed opportunity to be different and gain markets as well as doing sport enthusiasts more happy :)
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I can understand companies like garmin, polar and suunto or coros allowing only trainings from their hardware for their stats.
The platform costs money and is financed by selling their watches or hardware.
But I don't understand why they don't allow external data if Suunto doesn't offer hardware like a bike computer for this.
Suunto could, for example, allow external data to be included if a Suunto watch is linked to the account that has been purchased in the last x years or is used regularly.
As I have received the answers to my support enquiries, my requests to the manufacturers are as follows:Hammerhead: Please record the HRV values when using a chest strap. These can provide data via runalyze or your partner suunto via zonesense, which competitor platforms do not currently offer. Get in contact with suunto and ask, what you can do to format your data better.
Suunto: Please treat the Hammerhead Karoo runs in the same way as they come out of your watches.
Power data, heart rates, calories, Zonesense (HRV must include Karoo) should be fully incorporated into the metrics. I'd even like to see the little bits of information retained (This is your 6th ride of the month, The fastest ride of the month,etc)I would ask you guys to open a support case at support@suunto.com. I don't think suunto is reading this forum. Maybe you can make a difference.
Thank you
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Very helpful thread, and on the other hand - disappointing.
When I was switching from Garmin to Karoo, and than from Fenix watch to Suunto I was informed that these two platforms (hammerhead & suunto) works perfectly together.
Now I see that the only way to have good evaluation of TSS and all other training stats I have to record bike rides both on Karoo (and sync it to eg Strava, skipping the Suunto) and on Suunto watch so it can give proper feedback on my training status? This is really shame.
What I noticed that the same ride gives totally different TSS score - recorded on Karoo and sync with Suunto app - TSS 100. Same ride recorded on Suunto watch - TSS 45. Both using the same HR strap - to Karoo on ANT+, and to Suunto via bluetooth). Really disappointing.
Anyone knows if this is going to be improved some day?
Kind regards, Maciek
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