I recently switched from using a Neo to a Kickr V6. I do my workouts in Zwift and dual record with my Garmin 1050. The cadence readings swing between very accurate to very inaccurate in both Zwift and on the Garmin. It will randomly jump from my 85-95 norm to 120 or more and then stay way too high for long periods, then drop back down to normal and bounce back up again.
I’ve tried turning the KICKR sensor off on the Garmin both as a trainer and as a controller and that doesn’t seem to resolve the issue.
If you have a separate cadence sensor you can pair to any/all related devices, I believe that may take precedence over the trainer cadence (estimated via power pulse, which is different from the proper counter that Neo’s use).
Wahoo, like Saris and others use the common ebb & flow in power delivery to estimate cadence. For typical use, it can be decently accurate. But for some people & pedaling styles, this “pulse” detection can get well out of time from particularly smooth force application at the pedals.
Tacx Neo’s in particular have a sensor near the BB that actual pick up on the pedal shaft as the trigger, like a magnet & reed sensor style cadence counter of old. Very accurate as long as your bike setup gets it close to those sensors. I’ve seen cases where people get bad or no info when their bike setup is just far enough away that the Neo won’t catch cadence properly.
TLDR, not much beats a proper cadence meter (magnet style) if you really want the most accurate data. The Wahoo one is rather good for the accelerometer style and likely better than the trainer pulse data.
I’ve seen it and in my case (might not be same for you) narrowed it down to when I’m very easily geared for an easy recovery interval or cooldown. Sometimes (concentration/fatigue) my cadence does not keep up and it’s as if you don’t drive the pedal properly.
I simply shift up a couple of gears to properly engage the cassette and all is fine.
Yep. Trainers can only infer cadence from power pulses, two per rev, when pedaling. This can work pretty well when pedaling with consistent pedal strokes. If “spinning” and at very high cadences, there might not be easily distinguishable pulses. Crank based PMs and dedicated cadence sensors measure actual crank rotations and don’t have these issues. I use a cadence sensor on the trainer bike for this reason. Magene makes a reliable inexpensive one.
Im having this exact issue with my Kickr Core. Considering changing my preferred PM to my Qarq for more accurate cadence. I’ll have to do some dual recording tests though to see what the power discrepancy is between the Core and the Qarq.
Yeah, that was my concern too. It’s nice to have the dual power recording from the same source, even if it’s not identical to my outdoor meter. I’ll probably buy a cadence meter.
If you have a PM installed on your bike, you should always use it as the power source instead of the Kickr Core. That way you can compare the power figures with the outdoor power.