Third-party power meter support: Compatible with a third party power meter as another method of power measurement I’m not sure the Vortex was accurate, from what I see Wheel On trainers can be ‘generous’. What I do know though is that they aren’t typically 20% easier.

KICKR CORE - Wahoo Fitness SA WAHOO - KICKR CORE - Wahoo Fitness SA

The Elite Zumo’s spec sheet totally belies what a well rounded trainer this is. The cheapest trainer on test, it’s also the lightest and has the lightest flywheel, the claimed accuracy is joint worst at ±3% and the maximum resistance is the lowest at 1,350w. The slope simulation stands out in being second shallowest at 12%. The Peloton bike is an alternative for those of you without a road bike as is the CAROL Bike that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. Fun Facts & AnnoyancesWith a relatively narrow profile once the legs are folded away, finding a home for it between sessions isn’t much of a challenge, although being a little taller and longer than the other turbos on test does make it a touch more imposing. The placement of the carry handle isn’t a natural feel for its centre of gravity, however, so lifting the turbo does feel more awkward than its (relatively) light weight would suggest.

Wahoo KICKR CORE Smart Turbo Trainer | Evans Cycles

The legendary flywheel technology and tested algorithms emulate the power and experience of riding outdoors, especially when using virtual training platforms like The Sufferfest or Zwift. Ray, and anybody else who owns one of these, I just wonder if you could clarify what the normal “feel” is like. I have just bought one, but am experiencing some vibrations. They are not severe, but I’m not sure it’s “normal”. I previously had a Tacx Bushido (wheel on) which was way louder but didn’t vibrate. How much you have to spend will ultimately dictate what kind of smart trainer you get, but it’s certainly possible to put together a good indoor cycling setup on a tight budget. We recommend using Bluetooth to connect all of your hardware together, but if you have ANT+ accessories (such as an older power meter or a heart rate monitor) that you also want to connect, then you’ll need an ANT+ dongle for your laptop or tablet.One benefit of a traditional setup like this is that it’s nice and compact when folded down and takes little time to drop your bike into place (although, unlike a direct-drive trainer, the wheel-on design may wear down your rear tyre). Note: One Wahoo element ran out of battery at about 18 minutes so the replacement recording device started at that time. Of course, some people may even like this ‘feature’ – it’s free wattage. Though, most days I try to at least pretend not to like it. And then there’s the simple reality that it’s something Wahoo can probably fix in a firmware update. There’s a long line of trainers that in early firmware versions will overshoot sprints. A really long line of trainers – even some of Wahoo’s past trainers did initially. So put this in the camp of we’ll see. And again, for me this doesn’t show up in workout/ERG modes, only in non-workout modes for me. Real world evidence: I group ride w/ gravel grinders and race locally at the Elite/Pro XC Mtn bike level. I know my power compared to others. It isn’t matching up in the digital world. I do not have a power meter on my outdoor bikes though. I can’t believe Wahoo is still sending out these defective units as replacements and expecting their customers to be happy with that. While I know it would be expensive to replace the defective unit with new fixed ones, sending out garbage replacements as well as the whole saga of the original defective units has done Wahoo irreparable damage to their reputation IMHO.

Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker Wahoo KICKR CORE Trainer In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker

Likewise, the resistance and ride feel of this entry-level model is impressively close to that of Tacx’s flagship trainer. Changes in gradient were fast and smooth, whilst the resistance remained steady even when climbing at a low speed and low cadence – a challenging combination for a trainer. As you can see, overall things are very close – at least for most of the steady-state sections. The three big spikes you see in the middle there are supposed to be 800w efforts held for 10-seconds per the workout. I failed to achieve that, so I ended up around 700w. I know full well I can’t hold 800w for 10-seconds except on the bestest of awesome days. This was not one of those days. Connectable with Wahoo Climb and Wahoo Headwind, it can offer a real-life riding experience that few others can match. Ride quality is very good, especially considering it doesn’t have the largest flywheel out there, and we were impressed by its stability when really cranking things up. That said, it’s not so hard to overcome that weight of flywheel on any kind of acceleration once you are already spinning, or at least it wasn’t for me. So it’s fine for an average Jo cyclist. As to whether or not it simulates an exact road feel then I’m never quite sure exactly what that means. It feels reasonable to me and the accelerations and changes in resistance seem plausibly similar to some real-world conditions, albeit on lovely smooth road surfaces in South East France! The neighbours? Shhhh.Direct drive trainers require you to remove the rear wheel and connect your bike to the trainer via a standard cassette. These are heavier and more expensive than wheel-on trainers, but prices are getting more competitive and they have a number of advantages.