That’s a big help. Thanks for taking the time to post.
It was a mix of both Schwinn Cycling and Schwinn Fitness guys….but the good version of Schwinn when they were based in Boulder and doing stuff like the Homegrowns, new Paramounts, etc.
They know their schitt.
I pulled the trigger. Ordered a kickr bike. I’ll report back in a year with any service related issues, good or bad.
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I’m also thinking of buying a Kickr Bike. I’ve been through all the reviews of all the current Smart bikes and it does look functionally the best of the bunch. The tilt function in particular sets it apart from the competition and I don’t think it is just a gimmick. My reservations however are reliability and longevity. It seems like there are many potential issues and it looks very much like a gen 1 product rushed to market.
I was hoping Wahoo would have updated it by now with a v2, addressing all the initial issues and complaints, but doesn’t look like a v2 is coming anytime soon. I’m also trying to gauge whether or not they may have improved their QC over the last 2 years, but it’s not obvious either way. But at least they do appear to have decent stock levels at the moment, which is a big improvement over last winter.
So I’m not sure what to do at this point? Bite the bullet now while in stock or wait it out for another year with my trusty old Direto X, which refuses to die! Actually I was planning to keep my Direto as a back-up for whenever the Kickr Bike was broken, but that just shows my lack of confidence with this product!
Plan B is to get a Kickr V5 KOM package for less than half the price, which is probably the sensible thing to do given that it’s only me that uses the trainer. But I do prefer the idea of a standalone trainer to keep wear and tear off my bike.
Mine showed up last week. Setup took 20 minutes. Linking to rouvy and TR was flawless. Rode 2 workouts last week, then in the mountains for the weekend. It was really cold (went down to 14F) in the mornings, so I rode my bike on a Kickr. It feels and looks like a refined unit. It doesn’t have a computer mount, or tablet. I am using the cheap Amazon.com trainer table, which continues to work well for my laptop, drinks and food, with speakers on the floor. It essentially replaces a bike with a trainer, but is quieter. It has a futuristic werr sound from the flywheel, which you cannot hear with speakers on. Accuracy I don’t know, but whatever error it has is the same as my Garmin Vector 3 pedals and previous Wahoo Kickr, where they always are within a couple of watts.
I like that it isn’t tech heavy. I know I said that. They made a good machine. Apple and other companies make good computers/tablets. The separation should keep it relatively future proof (resistant). Bluetooth and ANT+ allow integration with the devices of your choice, instead of being locked in similar to Nordictrack or Peloton. The brake levers/shifters work fine, and the simulated angle of grade is slick. It changes really fast! So far, happy.
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Without a doubt it looks to be the complete business when everything is working properly. It’s all the talk of dead shifters, slipping stems & seat posts and various other mechanical and electrical gremlins that puts me off pulling the trigger. Some owners have gone through 3 or 4 replacements in the first year, which is nuts! They must have a boat load of refurbished units in stock.
On the plus side it does look like customer support is reasonable and with all the other players having their fair share of issues along with less functionality, I think I’ll take the risk with the Kickr Bike and hope I get a reliable one! At least I can revert to using my Direto if/when it does go down.
Very interested in your thoughts as I am currently also reconsidering my setup in the man cave and a Kickr Bike is very high on the list.
I have been running a first gen Kickr since late '14 with a dedicated trainer bike (a recalled CAADX that I never bothered to have fixed). It worked well for a very long time, but the required maintenance on the bike, drive-train as well as Kickr noise are getting a bit annoying. Also, after around 2000 hours on the setup, it feels old and tired and a fresh setup always sets you up nicely for a long and dark winter ahead (in the Northern hemisphere, anyway).
I have generally been very happy with Wahoo product. Obviously, the Kickr has held up like a boss, but also other things like Tickr, RPM had other units I have owned were or are still great. So no concerns in that department. I expect the new setup to hold up as well if not better than what I am running now.
My main concerns around the Kickr Bike are of course the longevity. How does the drive train hold up (as a Gates belt, theoretically longer than I)? All this adjustable geo stuff is great but once I set it I’m very unlikely to tinker with it. How sturdy and reliable are those fittings and adjusters? How about the rest of the unit? In theory, it should hold up for a long time, but are they supporting it? How does it deal with sweat? How are the electronics dealing with sweat? Do I have to meticulously clean it every time I use it?
How long do you expect the Kickr Bike to last? I’m more concerned about how the unit overall is holding up rather than the “tech” side of it. I mean, my janky old Kickr still works with all the stuff for '22.
I just made the switch from my Neo2 to a Stages SB20. Went this route as the vast majority of my indoor riding is on TR so it’s basically just siitting and spinning in Erg.
The sb20 is extremely solid and feels like it might still be standing after a hurricane. Road feel is good but the bike doesn’t budge so that may wear on folks for longer rides(I don’t do anything over 90min on trainer.)
The shifting doesn’t feel perfectly realistic but it’s a nonissue for me.
I will say that the sb20 s reaction to erg power changes is not as fast or consistent as the neo. Software can probably be improved but my guess that it’s the difference between the magnetic virtual flywheel and the behemoth on the sb20.
All in all I’m happy with my purchase and it came in quite a bit cheaper than the kickr bike.
I know this isn’t what you asked about but figured I’d share!
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Again not info on the Kickr bike, but I did the Gen1 (maybe gen0.5j Kickr to SB20, and the Erg reaction on the SB20 is the same or better than my Kickr. And when you ride in non-Erg mode, the shifting is super smooth
Not kickr bike related but Wahoo related.
If this is your main drive you can buy a cheap bike on eBay (i bought a CAAD 10) for this purpose.
I doubt this. I’m pretty sure they manage their stock in a non conventional way to say the least. I’m based in the UK and they only got it right at the 3rd attempt. I’m pretty sure that they try to find a home for each trainer before it goes to refurbish. There is no way a company could survive with just 1/3 of their production be fit for purpose.
My second and third replacements were already used (I could clearly see dents in the freehold body). Although I returned the first one after 2 days of receiving it. By law I should have received a brand new replacement and not a refurbished one.
It’s holding fine after 3 years but Wahoo won’t see any of my money any time soon - they are in the same trash bag as Garmin.
Thanks for the heads-up. This has got me thinking. If I buy a new Kickr Bike I would buy it from my local retailer, who I know has stock, rather than direct from Wahoo. That should reduce the chance of being shipped a return unit right from the start.
My alternative is to buy a refurbished unit direct from Wahoo, which saves me £300. I didn’t think that was enough of a discount to bother with a refurb. But if they are going to ship me a refurb anyway if my “brand new” one breaks down after a short time then I might as well save some cash up front.
I dunno, I really like the Kickr Bike but I’m not very confident with all the first gen issues reported. I’m holding out now for BF sales to see what comes up this month. UK stock levels seem high at the moment, so they have plenty of them to shift before Christmas.
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Given the general supply issues, I’m expecting BF sales this year to be pretty bad / lacking in anything that is close to being current. Why would a retailer mark down a product that is in short supply / hard to get?
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I don’t think they are currently in short supply here in the UK. They certainly were last year, but a quick look through all the retailers suggests there is plenty of stock available. Obviously this is the peak time of year for selling trainers, but the Stages SB20 has just been reduced by £600. So those are obviously not selling so well.
I haven’t seen any discounts on the Kickr Bike yet, but I’m going to sit it out this month as I don’t desperately need one right now. With the Stages now down to £2,200 and the Neo Bike at £2,300 and the Wattbike Atom V2 at £2,000, the Kickr is suddenly looking very expensive at £3,000. I do really want the climb feature, but £700-£1,000 premium over the others is a bit steep! (pun intended).
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I have 9 rides on mine so far. Anything from a ramp test to 1.5 hr OUs. I run TR and Zwift and I haven’t had a single issue so far. It’s super quiet. My fan is much louder. Incredibly adjustable both physically and electronically. I think it responds remarkably well to cadence/power changes but then again I usually don’t do anything super crazy. If I have one negative comment it would be that the bar and tape are super cheap for a $3500 bike. I know you can swap both out but the bar is just a simple round bar and swapping it out would require removing the shifters which I bet would void the warranty. However, I don’t know that for sure.
Overall, super happy with mine.
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Still no deals on the Kickr Bike in the UK yet, but the Tacx Neo Bike is now down to £1900. This is really testing my resolve to have the climb function! If I wasn’t training for mountainous events I think I would jump on the Neo Bike at this point.
About to have my resolve tested! Where are you finding it at £1900 in UK please?
I think this is a great deal at £1900. But I really want the climb functionality of the Kickr Bike, so I’m still holding out. With both Stages and now Tacx discounting their smart bikes, Wahoo are likely to follow suit sooner or later. That’s my thinking anyway.
Well CRC have knocked 99p off the Kickr Bike in the Nov sales so far! I suppose it’s a step in the right direction. Neo bike is still easily the best UK deal at the moment for those who don’t need the incline function of the Kickr. I’m surprised they haven’t already sold out, but I guess Smart Bikes at this price are a pretty niche market.
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This has grabbed my interest, I hate the flux 2 and don’t want to index when taking bike on and off, figure I can sell both the bike and trainer and get half the money.
I was going to buy a new kickr anyway so it’s ot much of a leap to be honest.
Anyone riding a neo bike?
Wahoo don’t support my 130kg weight (113kg max) so the neo bike with less movable parts is probably the right choice at 125kg limit 
The reviews of the neo bike on CRC don’t make spectacular reading 