The Indoor Trainer market is dominated by just a handful of the big players. One of them is Wahoo Fitness – a sports/fitness technology company based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wahoo has a large fan base amongst cyclists thanks to their much famed KICKR family of Indoor Cycling Trainers, the ELEMNT family of Cycling Computers, and the TICKR family of Heart Rate Monitors. Wahoo trainers are industry leading for a reason – their trainers allow cyclists to experience a truly lifelike riding experience, indoors.
WHY WAHOO?
Most good-quality trainers cost a hefty sum – when investing your hard-earned money on a trainer, why not buy from the best?
Wahoo is a highly respected name in the indoor trainer industry, and it’s something that’s been proven with a cult-like following all around the world by all kinds of athletes – from the top athletes out there to regular weekend warriors keen to expand and improve upon their passion for cycling.
Wahoo has built this stable brand base and reputation through its incredibly high performing products that are super reliable and very well built. After-sales services is another aspect where you don’t need to worry about investing in a Wahoo product. They’ve got your back! All Wahoo trainers have a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase.
Do read our “INDOOR BICYCLE TRAINERS – BUYERS GUIDE” to get a good understanding of what to look out for while buying a good Indoor Trainer.
PRODUCT LINEUP
The Wahoo range consists of 3 main Indoor Trianers that are available in the Indian Market.
- Wahoo Kickr
- Wahoo Kickr Core
- Wahoo Kickr Snap
1. WAHOO KICKR
Arguably one of the best Smart trainers in the market – the Kickr is the top-of-the-line model offered by Wahoo. It offers a fantastic ride feel, thanks to its relatively large 7.25kg flywheel. It is also one of the quietest indoor trainers in the market.
Equipped with ANT+, ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth connectivity, the Kickr can talk to your smartphone, GPS computer and external sensors and smart devices all at the same time, making indoor sessions and outdoor workouts hassle-free.
Set up is quite simple, as Wahoo has included an 11-speed cassette and a generously sized power cable in the box – you won’t need to invest in a cassette for your bike. Once set up you will definitely appreciate the super-accurate readings that it gives out. As a bonus feature out of the box, the Kickr can provide you with cadence data that none of the other trainers can do out-of-the-box (in this list).
We reckon that the Kickr is the perfect companion for a serious cyclist looking to take his/her cycling and training to the next level.
Weight: 21.5kg
Accuracy: +/- 2%
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 & ANT+
Max Resistance: 2200 Watts
Max gradient simulation: 20%
Flywheel: 7.25kg
Thru-axle compatible: Yes
2. KICKR CORE
The younger sibling to the Kickr, the Kickr Core is also very well specced and is a good example of trickle-down technology from the higher-end models.
Being the more budget-friendly option, the Core misses out on height adjustability, the foldable legs, carry handle, and a slight reduction in resistance but doesn’t lose any of the functionality.
With a slightly lighter flywheel (5.40kg), the Kickr Core has a maximum electromagnetic resistance of 1600W and can simulate up to a 16 % grade The Kickr Core’s claimed power accuracy is +/- 2 percent, which is as good as the higher end Wahoo KICKR model. It is also slightly more compact – It doesn’t come with a cassette like the Kickr.
Weight: 18kg
Accuracy: +/- 2%
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 & ANT+
Max Resistance: 1800 Watts
Max gradient simulation: 16%
Flywheel: 5.4kg
Thru-axle compatible: Yes
3. KICKR SNAP
Taking another step down the Kickr hierarchy we have The Kickr Snap. Currently Wahoo’s only wheel-on trainer in the market. What happens here is that Instead of a cassette mounted directly to the flywheel, your rear tire spins a roller which is attached to the resistance unit.
Top Tip – Always run a good rear trainer tire when using a wheel-on trainer as the heat generated on the rollers can easily wear out a brand new tire.
With a max power output of 1500 Watts and a 12% grade simulation – the Snap is a very capable machine that can handle anything you throw at it. Even though the Snap is the cheapest model in the Kickr range, it doesn’t miss out on any of the functionality or connectivity of the higher-end units.
A great mid-range level trainer to get you into upping your training and cycling performance without emptying your pockets.
Do go through our list of recommended trainer accessories for your new Indoor Trainer – TOP 5 ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR BICYCLE TRAINER – BUYERS GUIDE
KICKR ACCESSORIES
KICKR CLIMB
Wahoo’s CLIMB is essentially a ‘grade simulator’, It makes the front of your bike move up and down, replicating the climbs and descents of the virtual courses you may be riding. It can also replicate the gradients of your Strava rides or any map that you wish.
When it comes to compatibility you don’t have much to worry about. The Climb comes with a bunch of Thru-axle adapters and is Quick Release compatible too. Keep in mind that the Climb is compatible only with the following Wahoo Trainers:
- Wahoo Kickr 2017 onwards
- Wahoo Kickr Core
- Wahoo Kickr Snap 2017 onwards
The Wahoo Climb elevates your indoor pain cave experience to a whole new level. Literally!
The Climb has the ability to simulate climbs of up to 20%, and descents of -10%, all in a bid to replicate the outside experience as closely as possible during your indoor cycling. The Climb comes into its own especially when being used for Zwift rides – the whole indoor riding experience feels a lot more interactive and fun.
We certainly feel that the Kickr Climb is a great product that works very well. That being said, it is still a luxury rather than an essential to compliment your indoor trainer.
KICKR HEADWIND
The new Kickr Headwind bring in that one element of realism that was lacking from the indoor cycling experience – a directed flow of wind onto your body. Now you might ask, isn’t this just a glorified fan? To a certain extent yes, yes it is.
Indoor training can get quite exhausting and quite hot too. There’s a lack of proper ventilation and especially when cycling, cooling is key. You don’t want to end up overheating and exhausting yourself on it indoor ride. Trust us, it sucks.
A well calibrated, directed and controllable flow of air is what you need here. That is exactly what the Kickr Headwind provides to you, and then some.
Five ways you can use the Kickr Headwind:
- Manual speed control via app or remote
- Paired to a heart rate monitor (using BPM)
- Paired to a trainer using speed
- Using the Wahoo Fitness app
- With Apple HomeKit (coming soon)
Yes that’s right, the fan can automatically cool you down according to your Hear Rate or speed during a ride. You can make finer adjustments to these settings via the Wahoo Fitness app too. Super versatile if you ask us!
With the maximum fan speed of 48kmph, the Headwind can keep you as cool as a cucumber even on the hottest of days or the hardest of efforts.
There you go! We’re uber stocked to stock and have our riders riding one of the best indoor trainer brands in the world.
Keen to know more or have any of your indoor training queries sorted? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our rider support team.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CYCLING
I’m an avid mountain biker and I like riding fast and flowy singletrack. As I keep riding, I continuously work on honing my riding skills. I like to ride whenever possible, especially with friends. I also like to influence folk into getting to ride more often.
Working on bicycles has also been a keen interest of mine for quite some time.
DISCIPLINE: Mountain biking and Road biking
CURRENT BIKE: Merida One Twenty 9.600 & Specialized Allez Elite DSW
DREAM BIKE: Santa Cruz 5010
