FlashBazbo

I'm in the market for a new smart trainer. All the current models have their problems, but I haven't heard any negatives about the Kickr 2018 since Wahoo's video coming clean back in February. Granted that there probably hasn't been much trainer use since February . . . for those who own them, what are your experiences with the Wahoo Kickr 2018? Have you had "issues" with it? Have those been successfully addressed by Wahoo? And (relevant in today's trainer market), does it do everything the sales website says it does?

And for those Climb owners, same questions. It's expensive. But does it work the way it should?

BigPoser

I have both and really enjoy them. There is only one thing that I don't like and that is when in Zwift, the Climb doesn't go down as far as it should. Meaning it doesn't match the decent grade percentages. It should go down to -10%, but it NEVER actually goes down to the max. Going up is a non issue. I've emailed Zwift and Wahoo about the issue and they both basically point the finger at each other. Wahoo says it only does what the program tells it to do, which sounds like the issue is with Zwift. Zwift says is the Climb.

I think it's Zwift because I don't have this problem when using Fulgaz. Goes down no problem. I've since given up on it. Still enjoy the hell out of it.

jfranci3

I haven't tried the front end lifter, but I'd be more interested in the new InRide swing. If you're worried about issues, don't they typically present themselves fairly quickly? Buy it locally from a place with a good return policy - REI.

Brian Ratliff

Just got a Kickr 2018. Pretty awesome. No issues riding for the past three weeks.

EDIT: to clarify, I’ve owned it for three weeks

CyclingFool95 

I bought a Kickr Core and Climb in November last year. Blew up the Core. REI gave me another one, which still had the wrong power supply. Wahoo sent me a brand new Core once they had them available with the fix. Haven't had issues since the first one. The Climb has never had an issue. I use bkool with mine. The Climb does track well, with a few seconds lag. -10 is disconcertingly steep.

autoxnyc

I second the comment about climb and Zwift. It is really annoying if you are riding on rolling hills in the virtual world. The lag is so long your bike is pointing up for a while after you crest a hill and is now going down hill and vice versa.

Also if you buy a used Kickr 2018 that's made before Sept of 2018. Make sure it had the key in the flywheel pulley replaced. They will all start making a really annoying clicking noise and Wahoo would send you a new "key" to resolve the issue.

FlashBazbo

I pulled the trigger on a purchase and free delivery from Clever Training was very fast -- 2 business days. I haven't ridden them much, but my early shakedowns of the Kickr and Climb have been impressive . . .

• Power on the Kickr is SPOT ON with the Garmin Vector 2 pedals I have on the bike. When pairing the devices, you can display the power numbers for both devices simultaneously. They literally tracked within 1 watt of each other all the time.
• The trainer is SILENT. I wasn't expecting the trainer to be this quiet. The CLIMB is quiet, but it's louder than the Kickr. And my fan (which isn't very loud) is louder than both of them put together.
• I haven't put the CLIMB through the wringer with Zwift. My shakedowns have been on fairly flat routes. When the local weather gets cold (predicted for next week), I will put it through its paces.

FlashBazbo

Did my first full-length Zwift ride this morning. Both Kickr and Climb were great! The Kickr works to perfection and doesn't require any fussing -- what more can you ask? The Climb took a little getting used to. The first 10% descent made me feel as if it would throw me onto my nose. 10%+ ascents seem really steep -- as they should. I have seen two complaints on other forums: (1) That the Climb was limited in how much of a descent it would provide with Zwift. That wasn't true for me. Descents feel pretty dramatic until you grow accustomed to them. Mine used all of its travel when it was called for. (2) That the Climb lags behind the Zwift video by a couple seconds. If mine lagged, it wasn't enough for me to notice. Certainly not by a second or two. Perhaps Wahoo changed the firmware on the Climb to fix these reported issues. I don't know. But I didn't share the same problems.

A big question for me is, "Is the Climb worth it?" Well . . . at full price, maybe not. But I got mine as part of the $200-off package. At that price, I would say it's an acceptable (but still extravagant) deal. The big plus, for me, is not the illusion of climbing. For me, I like that you actually train at the same angle of attack that you would ride outdoors. I think there's value in practicing climbing on a bike that's inclined like the slope of a climb -- you engage the right muscles at the right orientation.

jfranci3

The rampup on the hills in zwift is very digital. It feels like you're hitting a staircase on the trainer. I imagine the climb's reaction to be quite jarring if not dampened.

FlashBazbo

It depends. If the grade change is drastic -- which doesn't happen very often -- the Climb changes grades pretty suddenly. But if the increase in grade is gradual, the change in grade on the Climb is not even perceptible. You look down and realize that it has been making the change all along. (You find yourself at +5% but didn't feel the Climb make the move.)

himespau 

That sounds nice. Not sure nice enough that I could justify springing for it, but nice nonetheless.

colnago62

If lived in a place where the winters are severe or had a schedule that did not allow me to ride outside consistently, I would go for the climb option.

Brian Ratliff

Update to my prior reply about the kickr 2018:

They've had some issues with vibration and flywheel balance that is different than the problems outlined by the CEO in the referenced video. I had to warranty replace the kickr I bought in Sept 2019 due to this problem (manufactured in 2018, just after the loose key was fixed). It is likely the flywheel was out of balance which caused the shaft of the flywheel to "groove out" under the bearing race. This causes play between the shaft and the bearing, which results in a heavy vibration and noise. They were very good about replacing the kickr, shipping the new one as soon as they received verification from FedEx the old one was being shipped (on a pre-paid label), resulting in only a week of downtime. Tracking the issue, there doesn't seem to be much discussion about this issue now, but there were lots of complaints around this issue in the first 3/4 of 2019. All discussion seems to have died off, so hopefully the issue has been solved. I receive the warranty trainer tomorrow, so... we'll see.

Noise:
Groove under bearing:

jadocs

There is a Facebook owners group you should monitor, if you are not already a member. Lots of discussion.

fuel0707

My wife and I got "2018" KICKR's in February 2019, along with CLIMB's. So far, I'm on my third KICKR while my wife is on her second unit. I put a lot of miles on my KICKR and so far, my third unit is performing well with no noises after about 4 months of use. On all occasions, Wahoo was very prompt in responding and sending replacement units. Interestingly, when we had our first warranty claims, Wahoo offered to send us parts and a gift certificate if we wanted to attempt the repair ourselves. We declined and quickly received replacement KICKR's.

As for the CLIMB, it's a fun unit and adds a little to the ride experience in Zwift. I find that it helps to signal when I should shift. I also like how it adds some extra realism when climbing something steep like Alpe du Zwift.

Dopefish905

Get a Neo 2T and don’t look back...
no calibration, no belts to replace, still the quietest most accurate trainer on the market.

road feel > kickr climb (though I have mine turned off)

30k kms on zwift alone..used a lot of different Gear over the years.

also look up kickr climb and snapped Belts..being reported more and more on Facebook and wahoo forums..ouch

MagicHour

My Kickr 2018 experience:

1. Purchased first unit Nov 2018 which developed a clunking sensation/noise in less than a week
2. Shop replaced that one with a new unit which I happily used for just under a year, until it developed a similar bearing drone issue shown here
3. I prudently did an exchange from Wahoo with less then 1 wk left on my warranty.

This last unit has been working great, but honestly I'll be very surprised if this one doesn't also fail for as similar mechanical issue in a year but now officially out of warranty. Then what do I do? Yes Wahoo customer service was great to deal with, they shipped me a new unit immediately as soon as my old unit was received into UPS tracking. I only hope if it does fail again, there are enough pissed off customers out there that they offer some kind of repair service or DIY parts etc.

MoAlpha

I'm on my second Snap (both mfg in 2018) after the first one died a noisy death within three months of moderate use. Flywheel balance makes sense and I don't think this one is going to be any better, judging by the vibration right out of the box...which I kept this time!

Brian Ratliff

Warranty replacement Kickr is new, not a refurb, as far as I can tell. Very smooth, so that's something. Can't even tell, sitting on the bike, that the trainer is coasting, even at >40mph (Zwift speed). Much smoother than the first one, even when it was new. Fingers crossed...

RedBullFiXX

My Kickr Core is silent as well
For the most part on hard pulls, really only hear the massive fan keeping me cool
Clever Training Black Friday sale