TV and a bag of chips is always easier than working out—so why not try a Wahoo KICKR CORE? Words :: Colin Field.
My family has tried multiple bicycle trainers over the years. One winter we had a traditional back-wheel set up—you know the ones where your rear wheel pushes a roller and it provides resistance? I think we used it three times. It was loud, painful and more boring than watching paint dry. We got rid of that one.
Last winter we tried a set of rollers. They were also loud; so loud that nothing else could be done in the house while someone was using them. Plus they’re pretty difficult and kind of scary to ride.
Any reason not to work out for our family is extremely effective; TV and a bag of chips is always easier.
So this year we’re trying out the Wahoo KICKR CORE with a KICKR HEADWIND Bluetooth fan. And so far, the entire family is loving this setup. Yes it’s a bad snow year and it’s shortly after New Year’s (resolutions are in full swing), but we’ve actually used it. I ride it every day and so does my wife and our 14-year-old son.
So what’s so great about it?
Well, firstly it’s what they call a smart trainer. It hooks up easily through Bluetooth to your phone. Then there are apps on the phone to ride with. You’ve probably heard of Zwift and Peloton, but you can also use the Wahoo SYSTM app or the Wahoo app. These apps provide different workouts and rides that make using the entire system less boring than just riding a static system.
First of all, straight out of the box, hooking the system up is pretty easy as long as you’re comfortable removing the cassette from your bike—otherwise, it’s worth buying the tool, watching a video and/or getting your local bike shop to do it. The kit comes with numerous adapters for different axle setups, so as long as you’re riding a relatively modern bike, you’ll be set up within minutes. Hooking it up to Bluetooth is idiot-proof as long as it all works. Ours worked instantly. Then you log in, perform a spin down to calibrate it and you’re off to the races so to speak.
The absolute first thing I noticed was that it’s quiet. People can be in the same room and barely notice you’re riding: that’s a huge plus.
To truly take advantage of these apps, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve been using the free version of the Wahoo SYSTM app; I’m a true Luddite when it comes to subscriptions and try to avoid anything with a monthly fee. But that also means I suffer for it. There are only about 10 available monthly rides so I tend to do the same ones over and over again. But any exercise is better than none, right? And I’m slowly working out a system where I listen to a podcast or watch Netflix while riding, so it’s getting less and less tiresome.
Any reason not to work out for our family is extremely effective; TV and a bag of chips is always easier.
The workouts on the Wahoo SYSTM app are pretty good. The rides sometimes follow a rider or a peloton during a race giving you prompts on cadence; the app also varies resistance simulating hill climbs or sprints. This means you aren’t just sitting there spinning at the same rate for hours at a time. It definitely keeps it interesting and challenging.
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I do wish there was a better introduction to the app; I looked online and found hundreds of videos about the systems, but there were too many to search through. I just wanted a beginner video to explain what the numbers on the bottom of the screen meant and what the machine was doing. All the videos mention things like MAP/FTP/4DP; stuff I had actually never heard of. As a trained journalist I always spell out any acronym before assuming people know what it means. Wahoo should do the same.
I’m not a workout guy. I’ve never really gone to the gym, nor paid attention to caloric intake, but as I get older it’s clear I need to do something to maintain the quality of life I’m hoping for. So this, for now, is a solution for me. I’ve started off with 30-minute rides daily and am slowly moving up to hour-long rides. And I gotta say, it’s doable. I don’t hate it and I’m finding it easy to work it into my daily routine (especially when there’s no snow and skiing isn’t a possibility!)
The other cool thing is that my son sees me doing it and he’s riding the bike daily too. He doesn’t bother with the app, he just throws on the Family Guy and spins the pedals. It’s cool to see.
My wife has been riding the bike daily too. She’s starting to experiment with Zwift as well as the Wahoo SYSTM app and the variety is keeping her interested.
The KICKR HEADWIND fan is a little extra that I would probably have never thought necessary, but it’s a great option; the well-aimed breeze almost makes it feel like you’re riding and keeps the puddle of sweat from developing on the floor. And you can control it with the Wahoo app which makes it easy to use.
In the future we’ll probably need a second trainer if we keep using this one as often as we do.
Overall, we’re pretty new to the whole Wahoo indoor trainer and I’m impressed. We’re actually using it which is huge for us. How does it compare to the TacX and Peloton hardware? I have no idea. What I do know is we’re all enjoying the Wahoo KICKR and as long as we continue to use it, I’d definitely endorse it.
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