Install veloVigil

Karoo 2 and Karoo 3. Takes about two minutes.

What You Need

RequiredWhat it does
Karoo 2 or Karoo 3Runs the veloVigil extension
Any Bluetooth heart rate strapHR, HR zones, cardiac drift, AI coaching
USB cableTo connect Karoo to your computer (one time only)

Want the full experience? A Polar H10 ($90) adds real HRV analysis (RMSSD, SDNN, pNN50 from beat-to-beat RR intervals) and crash detection (3-axis accelerometer at 200Hz). These features don't work with other heart rate straps - the H10 is the only consumer strap that exposes RR intervals and accelerometer data over Bluetooth.

Step 1: Download the extension

Download veloVigil APK

Save the file somewhere you can find it. It's called velovigil.apk.

Step 2: Connect your Karoo

  1. Plug your Karoo into your computer with a USB cable
  2. On the Karoo screen, swipe down from the top and tap the USB notification
  3. Select "File Transfer" (not charging only)
  4. Your Karoo will appear as a drive on your computer

Step 3: Copy the file

  1. Open the Karoo drive on your computer
  2. Find or create a folder called Download
  3. Drag velovigil.apk into that folder
  4. Safely eject the Karoo from your computer

Step 4: Install on the Karoo

  1. On your Karoo, open Settings
  2. Scroll down to System and find File Manager (or use the built-in file browser)
  3. Navigate to Download
  4. Tap velovigil.apk
  5. If asked to allow installs from unknown sources, tap Allow
  6. Tap Install

veloVigil will appear in your Karoo's extension list. It starts automatically.

Step 5: Pair your heart rate strap

  1. Put on your heart rate strap (wet the electrodes if it's a chest strap)
  2. On your Karoo, go to Settings → Sensors → Scan for Devices
  3. You'll see "veloVigil HR" with a puzzle piece icon
  4. Tap it to pair

Polar H10 users: If your H10 is already paired to the Karoo as a regular sensor, remove it from the Karoo's sensor list first. This frees up the Bluetooth connection so veloVigil can connect directly for HRV and accelerometer data. You'll still see your heart rate - veloVigil provides it back to the Karoo.

Step 6: Add data fields to your ride screen

  1. Go to your ride profile on the Karoo
  2. Edit your data pages
  3. Look for "Fleet Status" under veloVigil's data fields
  4. Add it to any page

That's it. Go ride. Your data starts flowing the moment you start recording.

After your ride: Set up AI coaching

Head over to velovigil.com/setup and follow the instructions there to connect your Claude. One URL, one conversation, and you have a personal cycling coach that actually knows your data.

What works with which strap

FeatureAny BLE HR strapPolar H10
Heart rate on KarooYesYes
HR zones and coachingYesYes
Cardiac drift detectionYesYes
Live fleet dashboardYesYes
AI post-ride debriefYesYes
HRV (RMSSD, SDNN, pNN50)NoYes
Fatigue detection from HRVNoYes
Crash detection (g-force)NoYes
Road roughness analysisNoYes

Troubleshooting

Karoo doesn't show "veloVigil HR" in sensor scan

Make sure the extension installed correctly. Check Settings → Apps and look for veloVigil. If it's there but not scanning, restart the Karoo.

H10 shows double heart rate readings

Your H10 is paired to the Karoo directly AND through veloVigil. Go to Settings → Sensors and remove the H10 from the Karoo's sensor list. Keep only the veloVigil HR pairing.

HR works but no HRV data

HRV requires a Polar H10 connected through veloVigil (not paired directly to the Karoo). Other heart rate straps don't expose RR interval data over Bluetooth.