simonaway427

My LBS is getting a few of these in this Xmas and the concept is intriguing. I live in Canada where my trainer is used heavily for 4-5 months of the year, so I'm willing to invest in good system.

Currently on a KK Rock and Roll, Stages Power meter, using Trainer Road. Would the Kickr system have a major advantage over the setup I have now - or marginal (read redundant) - and not worth the investment?

Other considerations based on the little research I've done
- I don't own an iPhone or iPad - I'm all Android - so I can't take advantage of the App.
- I have a 1st gen Macbook Air (no BTLE) - but I do have the ANT+ stick that I use with Trainer Road. Will that stick provide the functionality that the Kickr offers (like ERG mode sync'd with a trainerroad workout??)

miesemer

I purchased one about 6 weeks ago. I recently started riding again after an 18 year layoff from racing (zero fitness and fat) and wanted something to keep me training over the winter and my old rickety mag and centrifugal trainers didn't fuel that desire. The Wahoo Kickr has.



I use mine with a 2008 MacBook and the $12 Netgear Bluetooth Smart USB dongle. I have not used the Wahoo Fitness app and have completed all of my workouts with TrainerRoad. Now that the weather sucks in PA, I've been putting in about 8hrs a week on the Kickr. I used to think I was getting good workouts in on my old trainer but they do not even come close to the Kicker (ERG mode can be brutal). Here are all of my Kickr rides: TrainerRoad

I have experienced a small issue with the actual power reading dropping out for a second and have been in contact with Wahoo about the issue. They have sent me a new speed sensor (they also offered to replace the Kickr) which I haven't yet installed as I haven't seen the issue lately. I'm not positive the issue is based in the Kickr... I suspect it could be an issue with TrainerRoad, interference from my mobile phone, or the cheap Bluetooth dongle.

I do not have experience with the ANT+ connection but I do know the Kickr is sold as being capable of ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity. I use the Wahoo Blue Heart Rate and Blue Speed/Cadence Sensors. The speed part of the latter is not used as you don't have a wheel or sensor for it to read. The Kickr has its own built-in speed sensor which does get recorded with your ride data and shows up as mileage in Strava (my rides as displayed on Strava). I often ride my ERG rides in the 39x17 as it seems to provide me close but lower approximation of road miles.

I picked my Kickr up during one of the Performance Bike sales and saved a little money on it but they did charge extra to ship it since it is quite heavy. The weight is from the heavy flywheel and its very sturdy construction. I'm very happy with my purchase and have become a training with power junkie because of it.

GeorgeBMac

... Sweet!

DoubleTap

I bought one in June, and I love it. I was on a KK Road fluid trainer, and I wanted to add power and upgrade to a direct drive train system for the smoother and quieter ride. It sounds like you already have a pretty awesome setup, so I'm not sure you'd gain much over what you already have. For me, it was a huge upgrade. My training program calls for year round trainer use, so it was a worthwhile investment.

I've only had one issue, similar to that mentioned above by miesemer. Occasionally the power reading drops out and picks back up within 1-2 seconds. But, I don't think it's a Kickr issue. I think it's interference between all the devices I'm running. I'm using the Wahoo Iphone app with an Iphone dongle, a Garmin ANT+ speed/cadence sensor and a Garmin HR monitor. When I only use the Iphone with these devices, I have no issues. But if I use the Iphone and my Garmin Edge and TrainerRoad, I seem to get some device interference and the power reading drops intermittently. Wahoo is working on the issue, but we haven't solved it yet. I just quit using my Edge because it was redundant, and that seems to have solved the issue.

The Kickr is very smooth and quiet, so I've also been very pleased with the ride performance. Bottom line, for somebody wanting to train indoors with power, I highly recommend the Kickr.

ws46060

I've had a Kickr for about two weeks. I bought it from an LBS. The first one was DOA out of the box. The second one has been perfect in every regard (power readings, cadence, heart rate, etc.). I use ANT+ with Trainerroad on a windows pc. It controls every aspect of the Kickr except for firmware upgrades. An iOS device must be used for this function (I would have borrowed my wife's iphone for this, but my Kickr shipped with the current firmware).

I really like the Kickr/Trainerroad combination. I suspect that there have been more than a few defective Kickrs that shipped, but the company is eager to make them right. See https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/03/f....html#comments for a discussion.

miesemer

I thought it would be interesting to share TrainerRoad Kickr workouts with other Kickr users so I created a Wahoo Kickr "team" on TrainerRoad. I believe we can also create (with the TrainerRoad Workout Creator) and share custom workouts (via the team interface). If interested, you can join here https://www.trainerroad.com/teams/375-wahoo-kickr and start logging some rides and share your best custom workouts.