Wahoo KICKR SMART BIKE Two Years Review: Still Worth It?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ค. 2024
- #INDOORCYCLING #WAHOOBIKE
The Wahoo KICKR Bike has been out for almost two years and it's been a little over 18 months since I had my initial review. How did the bike hold up and what changed?
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- My Original Wahoo KICKR Bike Review with power accuracy details: www.smartbiketrainers.com/wah...
-- Chapters --
0:00 Intro
0:38 What changed
1:58 Price
2:12 The Climb
3:36 KICKR Bike Geometry
4:03 Bike Fitting
4:43 KICKR Bike In-App Customization
6:55 KICKR Bike Accuracy
7:56 KICKR Bike Noise
8:06 Final Thoughts
9:26 Should you wait?
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What a great review. I’m especially impressed with many options to dial in your position.
To the point and helpful review as usual.
Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
I use my wahoo bike a lot. I did 10000km so far on it. Its great and perfect. Love it. No problems so far.
That’s good to hear. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
You use V1 or V2 ? Thanks
My wife doesn't bike that much but something like this might be great for multiple people to use. I imagine some company is going to have some sort of motorized adjustments between two or three sets of bike fits at some point. 🤷🏻♂️ Great video as always!
Definitely some motorized adjustment would be make it next level. Thanks for watching, Matt 🙏🏼
Siempre me ha surgido la duda de porque las bicicletas inteligentes no permiten girar el manillar un poco como en una bicicleta real por una carretera real, es una imprementacion muy sencilla y seguro se siente mucho mas real que darle a un boto a la derecha o izquierda para que el avatar cambie de dirección y gire a la derecha o izquierda en Zwif por ejemplo
Hi, I'm assuming v2 is coming shortly. I could of bought this last month for £2300, the stages in £1699 and I see the wattbike is now £1750. Stages or wattbike look more solid, still great to get a 2year review. After something for me and the wife. I've got a kickr core which I love and can't fault. Anyone used any or all above bikes to compare?
0:53 me podrías decir el nombre, marca o modelo de la mesa soporte que usas? si me pasas un links ya seria perfecto
I’ve got a KICKR V5 was going to upgrade to the KICKR bike recently but decided to wait until v2. They need to resolve the structural issues before I shell out £2.5K
When do you think v2 is coming?
Same, I had to send back 2 units because Od the poor design.
I had kickr now for three years, done more then 12k - no problems at all.
Guter Rollertrainer für alle die nicht nur Treten möchten
I would make the seatpost longer, to enable a more agressive possition. And make the adjustment lock system better. It feels loose in the height setting when going above "c" they should also provide a sweatguard..
These are all valid points. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
Great video, I appreciate long term reviews. I have two questions, which I am not sure I got it right:
- Do I really need a Wahoo bike computer to control the bike (switch between ERG mode and others, or change the resistance)? I can’t do it on the bike directly, in case I have not to connected to an app like Zwift really???
I struggle with ERG mode on my crappy smart trainer, when doing tough structured workouts. How smooth or forgiving ERG mode on Kickr bike?
Thanks for all your reviews 👍
you need some kind of an app to control the bike. The Wahoo app works too to control the bike. Erg mode works very well on this bike.
@@SmartBikeTrainers Many thanks for the speedy reply
Just bought the wahoo kickr bike a couple of weeks ago. Great to ride on so far esp in sim mode. Hate the erg mode where with smoothing on its too artificial and without smoothing on, power fluctuates a lot. In the end decided to just turn erg off and start using gears, have more control of my power.
Using gears is great too. Also, depending on the app you use, you can also use the slope or resistance mode to manually control the resistance.
@@SmartBikeTrainers Yup im using it for zwift. Love the smooth gearing since its virtual. Wished my road bike was like this 😀
I own this bike and it's simply phenomenal, if you ask me! I love it! It's a lot of money, but best money ever spent!
Quick "dumb" question: I see it can connect through WiFi. But isn't the Zwift app run with Bluetooth? What's the point of the WiFi connection? Just for updates?
@@dividendapacolypse6060 I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to your question. I just know that I LOVE this bike and it's essential to me.
@G&J Roaming & Rolling all good. I'm definitely considering buying it. But as a novice in the cycling hobby I think getting a real bike and riding outside should come 1st
@@dividendapacolypse6060 Oh, absolutely! I thought you already had one. 🙂
How would a tray work with tilt?
I use wahoo Gen5 and Climber for 2 years and now I want to sell it and buy Wahoo Kickr Bike. Actually I want to buy this Kickr Bike 2 years ago but at that time didn't sell yet in Indonesia. Thanks for your review 😀. From Indonesia 🇮🇩
Glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
hello mash ada sepeda
love mine! was a huge shift going from a spin bike kieser m3i to the kickr bike .. FTP has dropped but atleast i know its accurate now :) ... my 20min power is still in B cat but my endurance has been hit as the resistance is slightly higher ... went from 250 watts to 234 im 72.1kg ... wish like you said it had a tray of some sort to hold your phone and maybe bike computer ... i have put 802 kms on it so far since nov 9th ... and am still learning and gaining power ... its my endurance that i need to work on as i love to race in zwift!
Thanks for your feedback and good to hear you are enjoying the bike. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
@@SmartBikeTrainers i did put a request into zwift to reset my zpower readings as a new trainer ... this way i can restart my climb back to B cat LOL :)
hows the bike holding up? any problems?
@@thepatternforms8595085 kms and still going well few creaks here and there when im sprinting ... but other than that its good ... i might need to tighten a few things ...
@@leoaudette8210 good to know. i went with taxneo garmin bike....garmin has recently updated the internals and the crank adjustment design. the newest garmin bikes are rock solid. i liked having dedicated phone storage and ipad mount....fans and leds are cool touches too...i will say that the wahoo shifting experience is a better simulation of the real thing however...i loved the wahoo bike but after speaking to wahoo on the phone they acted like no updates where planned for the little issues the bike had whereas garmin seemed determined to perfect their bike and make rock solid...so i went with the garmin....both are nice i think. happy riding
I currently have the kickr snap for my hybrid bike & wouldn’t mind upgrading to the Kickr bike myself but not a big fan of the hefty price tag. But financing with affirm would make it better than dropping $3500 at once
Definitely, it makes it much easier to purchase that way. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼
@@SmartBikeTrainers
Ya welcome
hey thats a cool table you use for your tablet and cupholders too. do you have any product link to find the same one?
Yep, it’s this one: amzn.to/3K6i0mV
Thanks fr the review. I've used trainer road for years and am wondering if it will provide any elevation changes in the worksout to raise and lower the "climb" on the bike. Or do I need to use either the Wahoo app or Swift to get that functionality bout of the bike?
I didn’t test it with the bike because personally i don’t care much for it when using trainerroad. But it should work as described here: “The CLIMB automatically raises on a range from 75% to 175% of FTP. The CLIMB will automatically raise 1% with every 5% increase in FTP within the 75-175% FTP range. That means efforts at 75% of FTP, and anything below, will keep the CLIMB at 0% grade.” support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360008432051-Wahoo-KICKR-CLIMB
@@SmartBikeTrainers thank you
Great 2 yr review.
I love mine except one thing. The free-play in the tilt. maybe it's just me but on descents when im pedalling i feel the free-play on each pedalstroke, so i feel the bike move slightly back, stop and then slightly forward and stop each time especially at high cadence. its really noticeable in Zwift in titans Grove and some areas of new york where the gradients change fast.
Iv'e tried pedalling ultra smoth and it doesnt help. only thing that stops it is if i stand up and lean forward.
any thoughts on this? I find this really frustrating.
im running the bike on a hard rubber floor so maybe a matt will add some dampening?
Ascents tend to be ok except when at really low cadence and heavy power.
I’m not sure what you mean by freeplay. Does the whole bike move back and forth or are you describing the same fore/aft movement that I mentioned in the video around minute 6:46? If the whole bike move, then a matt would definitely help and stop it from moving.
@@SmartBikeTrainers ho mate, yes, the fore and aft movement you mentioned at 6:46
That movement bothers me, had my bike a few weeks and been trying to find out if it is normal or if I have a faulty one. On the one hand, I’m glad mine isn’t broken, but it is without doubt the worst thing about the bike.
Agreed, Im not a fan of the fore and aft movement and surprised to find that on such an expensive bike. Id gladly forgo the climb/tilt feature if that would make it solid. Here is Wahoo's response to this problem. "Due to the functionality of the linear actuator, you may feel a slight bit of forward and backward play in the KICKR BIKE. This is normal and necessary for the BIKE to respond to grade change commands from the Wahoo app or any 3rd party app."
@@fingavec I agree it shouldn't have so much play, fo me I like the climb feature as it helps keep my back in shape ready for road riding. What I would like is if you could stop it going negative and only go positive. Negative is where I feel the free play mostly.
The specs are good and the power recording and erg control work well. I would disagree that they are quiet, they seem to have a resonance and become noisy. Ok by time you have music on it’s not that loud but not quiet or silent as you and other TH-cam reviewers say. Unfortunately on the other side I’ve had mine for 6 months and on my third bike which also has issues. For me and others in the same club we have found the reliability of these bikes to be poor. At this point, I couldn’t recommend this trainer. Unless they had specific needs I’d say people!s first choice should be a good direct drive turbo with a dedicated bike. A good DD turbo will give the same training functionality at half the price (even with buying a cheap steel bike for it) and probably have none of the issues.
Thanks for Watch and sharing your experience 🙏🏼
ok but which freaking bike to buy? i can not decide....everything is 5 thousand dollars
Hello,
I am interested in the Wahoo Smart Bike.
Can someone explain to me how it simulates the descents.?
Can I stop pedaling when the slope is great? Is the bicycle moving forward?
As it does? With motor?
Sorry for the translation.
Thanks.
The bike will tilt to simulate the descent angle and the flywheel will spin and you can just coast down without pedaling.
Hi. Just wondering what kind of software you are using for power comparation/accuracy analysis?
It’s RubiTrack for Mac.
Buonasera . Anch'io credevo che lo scricchiolio provenisse dagli snodi del variatore di pendenza , invece era causato dal tubo verticale . Ho risolto lubrificando la guida con grasso molto denso (grasso per giunti omocinetici).
Very disappointed with ours. Got to manually add the gradient up/down which is a pain when trying to just ride
Hi, thanks for the review. You say, it can be controlled through a Wahoo head unit. Have you tested a Garmin edge as well? Can you control the bike through Garmins? Thanks
Yes you can. Here is an older video I did on that. Should still work the same way:
4 WAYS to Use Your GARMIN EDGE With Your Smart Bike Trainer
th-cam.com/video/soXbz_BnOR8/w-d-xo.html
@@SmartBikeTrainers Great thanks I’ll check that out
Damn you, while it's on sale! ;-) Not your fault, thanks for interesting review.
It’s a damn good sale too 👍🏼
How to to uphill and downhill automatically instead of manually do it yourself using kickr bike? Talking about the tilting
Which app are you using the bike with? Make sure you are in sim mode and not following a structured workout.
Also, make sure the climb is unlocked. You can check to see if it’s locked by looking at the display and the led indicator should be on the unlock icon. If not, you can press the button by the display to unlock it.
I am considering buying one of the last of the V1 models, can you tell me does it have a standard seat tube? I want to be able to quickly swap saddles between myself and my wife and reckon this would be the quickest way.
It does have a standard seat tube
@@SmartBikeTrainers Thank you
This would be a perfect bike if it weren't for the weak crank arm. I cracked 3 right crank arms and one left. After The 2nd replacement bike, I sold it. You can have all the gimmicks in the world but you got to get the basics right! Make a strong crank arm wahoo! Had no crank arm issues with my stages bike.
Dang, what kind of power are you putting out? I routinely go over 1000 W in sprints and short efforts and the bike has been solid. I do stick to higher cadences which reduces stress on levers like the crankarms.
I think a lot of power spikes/variation increases wear and tear on any bike, so I keep it smooth as much as possible. I *do not* look forward to sending my kickr bike off for service one day.
@@ronh1850 I have a stages bike and don't have a problem with this. If there weren't any holes for the different crank lengths I am sure there wouldn't be any trouble.
I keep it in the garage and have learned to keep blankets under and around the bike.
I own this kickr bike for a while. previously i had the kickr and the climb. I regret everday buying the kickr bike. The climb function on the kickr bike is useless unless you are over 8-9%. anything under that you can't feel the bike tilt because the climb function on the bike is hinge at the saddle/seatpost position while the regular climb/kickr set up the tilt is hinge at the front wheel. When its at the front wheel you feel everything like a real bike and its very evident that the bike is tilt/slanted. Also the creaking and noise from the kickr bike is horrendous. Talked to my bike shop and the owner told me that Wahoo knows this problem and it is a problem on all kickr bikes. If i was paying $5k cdn for something, i expect it not to creak like its some old rusty 20 year old commuter bike (my friend also owns one, and it has the same problems). All in all, like all GEN1 products it sucks and i should been better off waiting for GEN2 instead.
Didn’t experience that sound you describe. Sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your feedback.
i find i dont really feel the hills or rollers too much either unless i have the difficulty on 75-100%
then i reallly do feel it .. ie titans grove in zwift
Mine started creaking within 2 weeks of buying it, Wahoo were very good, gave me a full set of maintenance notes, when none of that worked, they gave me a full refund. Brought a KickrV5 instead and have been very pleased. I did love the Kickr bike, and it was great as my wife used it as well, and it was very easy to change the settings between us, but I just couldn't put up with the loud creaking, especially for £3000.
Yes, you have to set the difficulty level pretty close to 100% to get the tilt effect.
@@greglings5850 Buonasera . Anch'io credevo che lo scricchiolio provenisse dagli snodi del variatore di pendenza , invece era causato dal tubo verticale . Ho risolto lubrificando la guida con grasso molto denso (grasso per giunti omocinetici).
Nice. I think if my Tacx Neo gen 1 was to fall apart today then the Kickr bike is what I would replace it with. Compared to the Neo bike you did a similar video for recently the Kickr bike seems to have fewer generation one rough edges
I think every new product will go through some bumps, but I think Tacx got it together once the bike started shipping at least to the U.S. market. Wahoo is good with production and keeping things under the hood until the product is complete and ready to ship. Where Tacx were too excited early on and ran into early issues in Europe. But since those early hiccups, it’s been a solid bike.
Great review :_)
Thank you!
V2 out now.
Any estimation on when v2 could be coming?
I have no info on v2
@@SmartBikeTrainers I found out they generally announce new products around trade shows such as Euro-Bike and Sea Otter.
Also, Zwift is likely coming out with new hardware around the same timeframe as they have been hiring hardware engineers for a few months now.
It might have been expensive but I wish Wahoo and company capitalized more during the pandemic. They should have had modular designs that could more easily be upgraded. I ended up waiting and I am pretty sure the wait will be worth it given all the changes likely coming this summer/fall.
How about maintenance? Do wahoo offers that?
Wahoo offers one year warranty if anything breaks.
Can we fit a 10 years old kid? What is the range ?
Depends on how tall your 10 years old is. You should find all the fit specs here: www.wahoofitness.com/devices/indoor-cycling/smart-bikes/specs
Have you had any reliability issues ? Lot of reports of handlebars slipping , shifters failing in Facebook group
No I have not had any of these issues or anything else. I have also moved the bike around a ton as I’m constantly replacing trainers and on few occasions, I lifted the front of the bike by holding onto the handlebars rather than the legs - which you aren’t supposed to do- and it held up pretty well.
@@SmartBikeTrainers that is not true, tons and tons of reports of slipping handlebars and seastposts. HAppened to me and another 2 friends who got one. Not a solid build, do not buy.
@@matthewpap7985 has not happened to mine, that's after 6 months of use. I still recommend this bike!
With the new Kickr V2 out at a higher price point, would you recommend getting that or buying V1 on a discount?
I don’t have the v2 yet to comment on that but just looking at the specs alone, not much has changed other than adding the WiFi and easy erg feature. Otherwise seems the same as far as everything else. I would save my money and go for the 1 before they are no longer available.
Do these bikes need maintenance? Chains? Gears? Lube? Anything?
Other than wiping down the bike from sweat and occasionally checking screws and bolts, not much maintenance is required. Here is their maintenance guidelines: www.wahoofitness.com/media/wysiwyg/instructions/kickrbike/KICKR-BIKE-Maintenance-Guide.pdf
Great review but for the price you would think the fit adjustments would be automatic. This price only attracts the die hard bikers and the rich!
Automatic fit adjustment would be nice for sure.
Am I the only one who is finding watts a lot lower compared to kickr. 50 plus watts ?
That’s a lot. How are you comparing the watts difference? And which kickr?
@@SmartBikeTrainers
Kickr core, based on zone 2. Gone from 200 watts to 150 and in the higher zone 2 range
Huge problem. A one year warranty on a $3500 plus tax and shipping device is just unacceptable. The cost of shipping it back for repairs and then back to you makes it a deal breaker. Shame on Wahoo
$3500 is too much for me 😭😭😭😭
I use Kickr bike over 2 years I found 1000% more issues than you. What is the money wahoo paid you for this video. I had 4 replacement in 2 years and 4 new handle bars and several more defects. It is clear on the hand that wahoo products tends to be defect
Ugh… that’s frustrating for sure. It sounds like Wahoo has been trying to resolve your issues. I’ve had all type of Wahoo products and haven’t had an issue except the KICKR 4 flywheel. Other than that one, all just worked. Wahoo or any other company don’t pay me or see my reviews prior to publishing. This bike I have is the same media unit they sent me and will be make its way back to them.
@@SmartBikeTrainers you've had this bike for over 2 years. Just curious why are you sending unit it back to wahoo?
@@apackagedriver4536 I’ve asked them to pick it up. Sometimes companies pick their stuff up and sometimes they leave it. Sometimes they ask to keep it for future firmware updates, testing, and long term type updates.