spelger

my first kickr broke, mechanical failure. got a replacement unit from whaoo. now this one broke; no power, no speed. both broke after 2 years of service. wonder if that is a sign.

time to look at all those great units you all have been reporting about.

jpescatore

I've had a KICKR SNAP for just short of 7 years, Zwift says 14,000 virtual miles on it - still going strong.

I've been kinda hoping it would die, so I could justify getting one of the newer, way less expensive than the used to be wheel off units!

unterhausen

So it connects but there is no power or speed?

spelger

that's right. wahoo support has just asked that i do all the things i already did and shoot more pics. depending on the outcome i may either attempt to fix this myself or look at one of the newer trainers out there. definitely not married to wahoo. but last time i went through this they were pretty good about it.

actually, there is occasional speed. i plotted a graph on my test app and the speed (when it shows up) gradually reaches a plateau with me peddling at a constant rate then after a few seconds drops then rises, drops to nothing, comes back. all very erratic. power shows up pretty much never.

genejockey 

Last time something like that happened on my Snap, it was the little reflective tag on the flywheel that a light sensor reads. But this sounds more complex.

spelger

there was a similar problem with the 2016 version of the kickr. even sunlight on the black/white wheel could cause errors in readings. but whaoo changed that setup right away. my original 2017 model did not have that. this refurbished 2018 model that i now have is apparently susceptible to ESD. to not have adequate ESD protection in a consumer electronic device is amazing.

edit: especially when they know people are going to use them on all sorts of flooring, like carpet! mine is on a rubber mat on hardwood floor.

himespau 

Not a huge fan of the claimed 2% accuracy, but, if my trainer broke today, I'd look long and hard at a Zwift Hub. That price is quite nice (and with the new update to race mode and virtual shifting in Zwift). Really happy with my Elite Direto XR-T though, if you can find one of those cheap enough. I'd really like something like the Kickr6, but that's unlikely to be in my price range when I need a new one.

spelger

after reading the review (just moments ago) about the zwift hub one i wouldn't want one since it would only work with zwift and i don't like being locked in to anyone specific interface.wonder if the zwift hub classic (original recipe) will come down in price now.

himespau 

Yeah, I wouldn't want the hub one (even though the other platform I use (indieVelo) also has virtual shifting. I'd just get the regular Zwift hub and use virtual shifting on it as if it only had one gear (to maintain flexibility for future platform changes).

unterhausen

There is a thread in the electronics section which seems like the only source on the interwebs for replacing the cpu module on these things. I really want some broken kickrs, but people want too much money for them.

spelger

i read it. i recall needing a radio/MCU and the need to pull out the FW and transfer it all over to the new guy. i'll need to see how the interaction goes with wahoo before i go down that route.

how much do people want for a broken kickr? what would they be good for? mine can't be controlled any more making it an inconvenient bike mount.

perhaps its teh shipping, they do weigh a ton.

unterhausen

they want too much and then the shipping is what you would think it would be. I am not sure what my price for a broken kickr is, but it's definitely not $200 + shipping, which is what I've seen. Maybe $50 + shipping, I am not sure, nobody has tested my limits yet. It's not like there are kickrs out there with mechanical parts that can't be replaced. That can be fixed. The issue is always the electronics.

I missed one on ebay that was listed for 99 cents or buy it now for $110. Not sure if it had a reserve. Shipping was $70. I probably should have tried to get that one.

There's a broken one on there now for $275 + shipping. I would laugh, but people are sleeping.

PeteHski

There’s actually another recent thread running about an amazing deal on the Elite Direto XR-T. That would be my first choice if I was in the market for a new trainer at a reasonable price.

himespau 

I'm seeing similar prices on facebook groups as well. It seems insane. A number of "give me $200 plus shipping for this or I'll throw it in the trash" posts. Even for V1 or V3 models.

himespau 

Yeah, I like mine enough that, if I needed a new one, I might go that route, but I really like virtual shifting on indieVelo and would like it on Zwift as well if the prices were similar. Zwift has said that they'll make virtual shifting available to other manufacturers eventually, but I'm not holding my breath. They've also said that they'll make the Play communication protocol available to other platforms eventually, but it's still encrypted (though the GTA V Bike Mode guy claims to have broken it) and it hasn't been offered for sale to others (at least not to the iV guy who said he asked).

spelger

i get that shipping would be a lot but 200 for a broken unit? these people are nuts. or they are finding nuts to buy them.

spelger

sort of getting the feeling of a run around with whaoo. communication stalled then restarted with a request for more info, info i had already provided. hoping to get a resolution to this before the Elite Direto XR-T run out at bike closet. sort of hoping that wahoo does not have a happy ending so i can just get the nice shiny new trainer adn then spend some time over winter getting the kicker up and running again.

spelger

so whaoo got back to me late yesterday and made the same offer they made last time. $350 + $40 shipping for a refurb V5. its not a bad offer really so can't knock them but i think i'll grab the Elite Direto XR-T since that will be new for only a few $ more.

now, to open up that whaoo and see what i can do to make it live again.

himespau 

I might take that refurb V5 over the Direto XR-T. Definitely would if it were a V6. And l like my XR-T. I haven't had too many dropouts but the direct connect (with V5, I think it's wired and you have to pay extra for the adapter) is a big benefit. As is the heavier flywheel, "race mode", and my dreams of one day needing 1% accuracy (though in reality, I'll probably never get above high C/low B to the levels where it's a requirement). Something to consider. In a vacuum though, that XR-T is a great deal.

spelger

i bought my Kicker for 8 or 9 hundred about 4 years ago and it broke 2 years ago (mechanical). paid another 390 to get the 2018 refurb that just broke (electrical). if i go the wahoo route i'll be out another 390 for a refurb V5. this just seems like crap to me, like throwing good money after bad. these things should not be breaking like this. they only get used (by me) during the off season. the V5 might be good and last many years but so far wahoo's track record is not good in my opinion.

i have all day to mull it over before i pull any trigger.

unterhausen

Post your progress in the thread in electronics. There is a link in that thread for the real modules. If you fix it, you'll be world famous. I don't think I've seen anyone fix this particular problem yet.

RChung

An alternative is to think about it longer and in the meantime, use a dumb trainer and on-bike power meter. FE-C is fun but it's not essential so you can take some time mulling your options.

PeteHski

I agree it would be a close call on spec. What's the warranty like on a new Elite over there?

himespau 

I can't remember. I thought it was just 1 year, but it might be 3.

spelger

wondering if anyone that has a kicker knows how to get this devil of a pulley off its shaft. i found a similar version of this that has a grub screw and is threaded on teh inside to use a square taper BB cartridge removal tool but this not be having that. pulley and shaft are too friendly with each other, hard to separate. right now sitting on its side with PB blaster soaking. hoping for results tomorrow.