With the winter months approaching I thought it it would be fitting to write about the Wahoo KICKR indoor trainer.
I have never been a fan of trainers or riding inside. I would much rather wrap up warm and head outside regardless of the weather. Recently, however, when we had a cyclone come through Queensland, I decided to see what the KICKR was all about.
Set up is simple; all you need to do is remove the back wheel and away you go. I paired it to my laptop via bluetooth (it is also compatible with ANT+). This then synced with Zwift to allow me to join the virtual cycling world. I chose a hilly 9km circuit with one KOM per lap and a 30 sec sprint.
I was amazed by the real feeling of the Wahoo. The resistance is altered depending on the gradient of the course, and when approaching another rider on Zwift, it would give me a drafting effect and reduce the power. There are also live leaderboards displaying KOM and sprint times, allowing you to compete against people across the world.
These are just a few of the features of the Wahoo. There is also an option to creating your own interval sessions with the Wahoo Fitness app. This app allows you to set a certain power, such as 10 minutes at 400 watts, and the Wahoo will provide the appropriate resistance.
I am looking forward to exploring more possibilities with the Wahoo KICKR. It was by far my most enjoyable indoor riding experience, almost like being out on the real road. I won't mind riding indoors now if there's rain on the forecast, I'll even be excited for a chance to give the KICKR another spin.
By Mike Phillips - Pushys sponsored athlete