RShantz

You mention that you use your KICKR with TR and seem satisfied. I love mine while using Zwift if simply riding around or even doing races, but my KICKR sucks on TR workouts or custom Zwift workouts.

I guess it doesn't suck on all workouts, just those with sharp intensity peaks. Say 150W to 300W - it takes forever to get the resistance up to 300W. My old Computrainer handled quick, large intensity changes much better.

tomato coupe

My Kickr came with an 11 speed SRAM 11-26 cassette. It works fine with my Campy drivetrain, which is normally set up for a Campy 12-29 cassette. No adjustments were needed.

Dreaded1

If the hybrid is geared similarly I would go that route. I have been using my old road bike on the trainer so I didn't ahve to worry about tire wear, and now with the Kickr I wont have to worry about removing the rear wheel. I am doing for fitness during the winter and it doesn't matter to me if I am using the same bike that I ride during the summer.

Bah Humbug

How long is "forever"? Mine needs maintenance after a few years but still only takes a couple of seconds to make a jump like that. Are you saying 10-15s to ramp up, or 3-5s?

RShantz

Forever is 10-15s - on the KICKR


The CT would make the jump in 3-5.


I've just learned not to do pre-set workouts on the KICKR. I still like the KICKR - just pointing out a negative or at least a negative on mine.

Dopefish905

My kicker changes within 3 seconds..not sure what’s going on with yours or your network//wifi...kickr/17

nycphotography

I wouldnt take that to mean not to do them... just add 10 seconds when defining any 1 minute intervals.

Longer intervals, 10s doesn't even matter.

Dreaded1

Picked up the kickr last night and it is in excellent condition, no noticeable wear on the drive belt and everything seemed ducky. When I got it home the first thing I did was check the firmware and it was way out of date, it went fro v1.3xxx to 1.5xxx. Then I went to make sure the right cassette was installed, yup 10 speed. Oh wait here comes the problem, I recounted the cassette on my bike and it is a 9 speed . I throw the bike on anyway just to give a try and of course the shifting is off.

Now I thinking what do I need to replace? Shifters, chain, are the 9 speed shifters and chain compatible with a 10 speed cassette. What would be the cost of converting the bike to 10 speed? In short, too much. A quick search of the Wahoo page today I found out the Kickr will accept a 9 speed cassette, so I will be at my LBS tomorrow picking up a new cassette and using their tools to change it out. Which actually works out, because my friend picked up a Kickr this year and needs the 10 speed I no longer need.

During the brief ride last night I figured out the resitance on the Kickr is def more true to road than the old mag trainer I had been using. Now I just need to figure out if I am going with TR or Zwift for the Winter.

RShantz

Wasn't talking about longer intervals.


And the delay does matter for training.

Hunterdog

OP here. Thanks everyone for the comments; very enlightening. However, what I was looking for was advice as to whether the 2017 Kickr is so much better than the 2017 Snap that it's worth the $600 up-charge. Any thoughts?

nycphotography

Yes KICKR is worth $600 over the SNAP.

Assuming you can drop the $600 together without budget damage.

Of course this just my opinion. If it were an absolute fact, then nobody would buy the snap and it would be discontinued.

Grasschopper

I would agree with NYC. If your budget allows it buy the KICKR over the Snap. Function is fantastic and you never have to worry about stuff like tire wear or inflation or roller tension. Just get on and go.

That said...if your budget doesn't allow it the Snap is a great unit at it's price level.

Square Wheels

I wish I never opened this thread, now I NEED a Kick 17 and the soon to be released Climb add on.

RShantz

Here's one way of looking at it.


Most would agree the KICKR is the better product.


Then, are you the type that can be satisfied with the lessor product? Only you can answer this. If so, consider how often you are going to use a trainer. Once a month - probably not worth the $600. Three or four times a week in the winter - likely so.

Sy Reene

There are multitudes of comparisons possible. For example you could compare either of these to the Direto, which splits the cost difference to $300 more (snap) vs. $300 less (kickr).

dgasmd

Having just set up and gone through some "set up issues" with my new KICKR, let me give you my 2 cents worth.

1. The new KICKR '17 IS NOT designed to have a Campy freehub. The freehub adaptor you may see in some places is for the previous generations. Most retailers don't even know this. I bought mine from Competitive cyclist and ordered the freehub adaptor for Campy. Wouldn't fit. After a few calls and some research from CC and Wahoo, we all found out.

2. The KICKR has a spacer that is meant for the use of 10 sp cassettes. Put the spacer in and then the cassette. I use a Campy 10 sp drivetrain bike on it. Haven't tried the 11 sp on it yet. Likely never will really.

3. There is a bunch of campy 10 and 11 sp conversion cassettes on the web that have Shimano spline and campy spacer cogs. Most have been discontinued and are difficult to find in stock. I found 2 for 10 sp and one for 11 sp. Ultimately, a huge waste of money as the 10 and 11 sp Shimano or sram cassettes work more than well enough on campy 10 and 11 sp drivetrains. ESPECIALLY if the trainer is set in ERGO mode, which will control the resistance regardless of what gear you are on. In other words, you won't be shifting much, if at all!!

4. I have only used mine with the Sufferfest app so far. Works very well. Now I have every metric known to man screaming at my face YOU SUCK!!!!

5. KICKR is best used, in my humble opinion, for structured work outs and intervals. While I want to use it eventually to do pre-recorded rides of epic climbs and such controlling the resistance and grade in the trainer, I suspect the majority of people will use it for structured work out.

6. Getting it level in my garage floor has been a bit of a challenge. This remains unsolved other than using a variety of stuff under the leg pods to get it level.

7. I had a hard time (never happened) pairing the Garmin HR monitor strap to the Sufferfest or Wahoo app, so ended up ordering the wahoo HR monitor strap to go with it.

8. I had my bike on a Lemond Revolutions trainers before. The KICKR is at least half as loud as the Lemond even when you account for the extra fan I have running now. Still, my set up is in the garage.

Grasschopper

Of note here though is something that I just learned this last week. The KICKR is in a league of it's own in terms of ERG mode. Just about every other trainer out there, including the much vaunted Neo, is inferior to the KICKR if ERG mode is a key consideration. He Direto and Flux both have a wattage floor that one must be under in order for ERG mode to function.

If ERG mode is critical to you...then there can be only one...and it's the KICKR.

nycphotography

Do you have any references for the NEO issues?

As far as I am aware, both the Kickr and the Neo are excellent in erg mode.

https://www.smartbiketrainers.com/er...-tacx-neo-2469

drewguy

But what makes it the better product? I don't have a basis for saying it's not, but is it the direct drive aspect? Is it something beyond that? And if it's just direct drive, what's better about that in the general case - yeah, I get that you don't wear out your tire, but $600 is at least 10 new tires, which is *a lot* of trainer riding.

nycphotography

It (Kickr) is less hassle changing tires, it's quieter, it never slips due to tension, it never scratches up your frame or skewer by clamping over it, it never wears out the tire, it works better in erg mode due to the heavier flywheel effect, and in general it works (slightly) better.

That said, all of those "benefits" are really conveniences, and you can train 100% as effectively with the snap.

The question is, how much is convenience and aesthetics worth to you? To me, spending the extra $600 was a no brainer. To someone else, saving the $600 is a no brainer.

The challenge is if you're in the middle... then it's a decision. And it's a decision based on value considerations that nobody can answer for you.

Square Wheels

Mine arrive Tuesday.

drewguy

Thanks nycphotography - helpful assessment.

FlashBazbo

Okay . . . let me be the voice of dissent. I bought the Kickr Snap over a year ago. It works great. (I use Zwift.)

For me, having to use a trainer tire (and wheel) isn't a big deal. I use the same trainer tire and wheel today that I bought several years ago. It used to be red. Now, it's pink. But it isn't close to needing replacement and it still works great. Adjusting the pressure on the wheel isn't a big deal, either. Crank until it touches, then two full turns. Done. And tire pressure? I would be airing up the tire if I were riding outdoors, so why not?

Once you're on the trainer and turning pedals, you won't know which Kickr product you're using, so why pay the extra money?

But, how many days per year do you plan to be on the trainer? If you're on it 120+ days per year, maybe the Kickr is worth the extra money. You'll never have to check the pressure in your back tire -- and you can amortize the extra cost that first year at $5 per ride. It's like tipping your personal valet $5 a day to air up your tire and turn the trainer's tension screw.

I always HOPE to be on the trainer fewer than 20 times per year. Sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't, but I'm always close. At that volume, the cost difference is $30 per ride. That's waaaay too much to pay to avoid turning a knob and airing up a tire.

Athens80

Very reasonable assessment.

Zwift riders have more reports on the Zwift forums of issues with the Snap than with the KICKR. There appears to be more difference, at least in Zwift, than having to air up the tire on the Snap occasionally.

FlashBazbo

Since the two products use the same technology and are manufactured by the same company, I don't think Quality Control is very likely a meaningful difference. I suspect they are pretty close to being equally good. If I (for sake of argument) agree with your assertion that there are more Zwift forum complaints about the Snap, how could it possibly be that the two products are equally good?


If the Snap and the KICKR are equally good, it would only make sense that the number of complaints concerning the Snap would be a MULTIPLE of the number of KICKR complaints. In fact, if the number of complaints were equal, I would be extremely concerned about the quality of the KICKR. Why? Because Wahoo sells several Snaps for every KICKR they sell. If they are equally good, there should be several complaints about the Snap for every complaint about the KICKR.