terrymorse 

Hook, line, sinker. Yum.

PeteHski

I considered all the Smart bikes including the Wattbike Atom, Stages SB20, Wahoo Kickr Bike and Tacx Neo Bike. But not the Peloton bike because it has no support for 3rd party apps and the standard Peloton bike only has manual resistance control. It’s basically a spin bike with bespoke video classes. The Peloton Plus bike does have automatic resistance, but still no support for other apps. So the Peloton bikes are not really a viable option if you want to use cycling simulation apps like Zwift, Rouvy etc. They can be hacked, but that’s not ideal.

Peloton do have a stand-alone app that can be used with any trainer or bike, but it’s not a direct competitor with Zwift. They are chalk and cheese. Only thing in common is that they both involve pedalling.

Anyway the Atom is competing directly against other Smart bikes and none of them are really competing with Peloton. I started using Zwift and other cycling apps with an Elite Smart trainer, but a couple of years ago I went all-in with a Wahoo Kickr Bike, which has been fantastic. There are many pros and cons with using a Smart Bike vs trainer so not going to go into that here.

I did look closely at the Atom, but there were a few things that ruled it out for me. Firstly it has no custom gear options, so you are stuck with its generic 22 linear step gears, which is a poor effort when other bikes can simulate any real drivetrain setup (I’m assuming Wattbike haven’t since improved this). It also had reported issues with ERG mode stability, which may or may not have been resolved by now. Then there is the fixed crank length, which is just lazy design. Otherwise it looks like a pretty good bike and it was the lowest priced Smart bike by quite some margin here in the UK when I was looking. A friend of mine has one and has been happily using it with Rouvy for several years. I haven’t seen it in action, but I know he likes it.

PeteHski

Out of curiosity the spec sheet says it has 170 mm cranks. It is the Q-factor that is 160 mm. That makes more sense, but should still be adjustable on a bike like this.

Alan K

Thanks, I have tried some stationary bicycles in the past but I like enjoying fresh air and change of scenery too much! 😉

PeteHski

They are not mutually exclusive.

terrymorse 

^ This.

Indoor ride may not be a pleasant as an outdoor ride, but it's much better than not riding at all.

Alan K

Only for those who enjoy paddling fast while going no where!

For the rest, stationary bikes are nothing less than a torture. Virtually everyone I know (including us) bought one at some point, and it sits there in the basement with other unused things; just one more item to dust periodically. Come to think of it, I ought to donate it.

terrymorse 

There are thousands of people using Zwift at any moment. They’re either willing to endure the “torture”, or they’re actually enjoying it.

I was consigned to indoor riding all last week. With Zwift and a smart trainer, it was almost enjoyable.

PeteHski

Well it is better than wasting your time responding to a thread about something that you consider a torture.

Alan K

I realize that written words, without the benefit of intonation and body language, are more prone to misinterpretations. However, my expectation from a mature and intelligent group of people (granted, it is an assumption on my part) was that they will recognize the difference in absolutes and exaggeration- suffice it to state, that I highly doubt that any of us has been literally subjected to real torture, a la Guantanamo Bay - another educated guess - so from my perspective, it simply comes down to the fact that some people do not like using stationary bikes and would much rather go outdoors to enjoy.
As for wasting my time, I fully concur that I have no business in being among the people who cannot accommodate a difference of opinion or experience - and I will happily leave you like-minded folks to your devices.

PeteHski

This is a thread about a specific smart bike that is clearly of no interest to you. So your opinion that you would much rather ride outdoors is rather pointless and adds nothing of value.