So today i went out and splurged on a new kickr v6. It was a small fortune, but i figure im worth it. If you do a price per hour its almost free anyway.
I wanted this new trainer for the direct connect. I was getting dropouts because my daughter seems to use the microwave as her primary cooking device. Anyway, I found out the hard way for $1200 you still need to pay an extra $99 for the direct connect device. Well that sucked. Nobody even stocks them in my city. Oh well… its just money and im worth it. While I wait I figure ill try the new wifi connection… oh yeah!!.. well come to find out, sadly, I only own an android device and you cant update the firmware with Android 13… wahoo literally is telling me to use another device. So now im baking a pie, why? Because my neighbor loves pie, and he has an iPhone. I figure its better then mowing his lawn. So tomorrow i may get to use my $1200 trainer if he likes apple pie, because thats all I got… I hope somebody can correct me and show me another way so I can eat the pie myself, because I love apple pie. especialy when its warm.
Well that sucks - you definitely havent got an old android or non-samsung android phone lying around?
Not sure what else they could realistically do if you need the new firmware to fix the connection issue with your current phone?
I didnt realise that the direct connect dongle was required for the v6 either - i thought that was just for the v5? but i suppose the WiFi option achieves the same thing - once you get it working
@kevistraining It isn’t required. I have the V6 and it updates over WiFi and my workouts are over WiFi as well. I am IOS so I am not familiar with the Android issue but I believe it works via Windows as well.
To use direct connect you need the dongle. Direct connect to me is not WiFi. I should have listened to Rays every word in the review Which I just re-watched. For all the money they want for this thing it should either be built in, or in the box…
To use WiFi you need a newer firmware. You can see the screen shot I took from Wahoo stating you need to use a different device other then Samsung running v13 (raises hand) they list what works. No windows listed… I did try the Wahoo Systm desktop app for the heck of it. Theres no option to update anything that I can find. So its back to pie… Maybe its a good thing, bonding with the neighbors makes the neighborhood nicer.
Nothing useful to add, but from a tech perspective I find the fact that the issue with Android 13 is specific to Samsung phones fascinating. I wonder what it is about Samsung phones specifically that is causing the problems.
Due to changes made in the Android bluetooth architecture in a recent update to Android 13, Samsung phones on Android 13 currently prevent effective use of our standard firmware update processes for Android users. KICKR Trainers + KICKR Bike POWRLINK Zero
You only need this ONE update. After that it will auto update with WiFi. Kidding aside, I seriously got the neighbor to do it this morning so I can do my workout today.
This also makes me wonder about the spin down failures I was getting with my Kickr Core. It would not do it. I could do it through TR but not through the Wahoo app.
@GPLama@dcrainmaker This issue is still not resolved Feb 2024. I just got a new KICKR v6 direct from Wahoo. It has firmware 5.0.4 installed from the factory. I can’t upgrade to 5.0.14 because samsung android 13. Customer support says “devs are working on it”.
They didn’t even suggest borrowing a non-samsung phone, or offer to factory upgrade, or refer me to a dealer to upgrade.
I’m extremely disappointed in Wahoo. $1300 for a brick?
Ya I ran into this a couple months ago as well. Luckily I could use my kid’s iPad lol. Oh and it’s the same for Wahoo Powerlink pedals. I ran into the same problem a month before for those as well.
It fails to update using Android until you update with another device. Once it’s updated to a current firmware, it will update using the Android app or WiFi if connected.
Correct, but wahoo are shipping new product with firmware that does not meet the specifications and cannot be updated by many customers. Shame on them.
So you have a non working Kickr v6 because an update attempt failed with a Samsung phone running Android 13? It won’t turn on? Can’t use it? No flashing lights? DFU mode?
You’ve tagged me, so I’m just wanting to be 100% clear of what you’re saying.
This is one of the downsides to Andriod…we went through it a few months ago with our app. There are so many variations of Android phone that it is almost impossible to ensure compliance across all the different suppliers.
Which I just re-watched. For all the money they want for this thing it should either be built in, or in the box…