Bespoke Blog

We absolutely love the Wahoo Kickr smart trainer. Have done since it first launched, and three generations later it has become a solid hit with Bespoke staff and customers for allowing you to do really punchy indoor training sessions or making use of Zwift or TrainerRoad.

Now there's a slightly more affordable option, the new Kickr Core. It takes everything we love about the range-topping Kickr including the wheel-off direct mount interface which provides fantastic stability, a very realistic road feel and doesn't wear out your rear tyre, but trims some of the features to hit a sweet £699.99 price point.

Where the Kickr tops out at a staggering 2,220 watts, the new Kickr Core tops out at 1,800 watts. The integrated power meter is +/- 2% accurate and it copes with a 16% maximum gradient. If you have your own power meter you can use that instead as it's compatible with a third party power meter.

We reckon that's more than enough for most people. The Core is compatible with road, gravel and mountain bike axles from 130 to 148mm spacing with disc brake thru-axle support. The freehub is Shimano and SRAM compatible but you'll have to factor in the cost of a cassette as one isn't included in the price, but naturally, that's something we can arrange for you.

Connecting the Kickr Core to a laptop or compatible computer is a cinch, with ANT+ and Bluetooth both supported so getting up and running is easy, and there are LED indicator lights. If you're wondering, yes it's compatible with the Kickr Climb.

The big benefit and star attraction of smart trainers is that you can control the resistance from an app on your smartphone, or let Zwift or TrainerRoad take control of the trainer and match the resistance to the workout or road gradient. Direct mount smart trainers like the Kickr Core also provide a much more realistic road feel than wheel-on trainers and are typically much quieter as well.

"With these new Kickrs, we're continuing to refine and improve the experience of indoor training," said Wahoo Fitness CEO Chip Hawkins. "The newest versions offer cyclists the quietest, most realistic ride feel we've ever created."

The price of the Kickr Core includes some useful extras to get you up and running, including the following:

• 60 Days FREE of Strava Summit for new Strava members
• 30 Days FREE of TrainerRoad for new and existing TrainerRoad users
• 60 Days FREE of The Sufferfest Training Center for new Sufferfest members
• 60 Days FREE of Kinomapr for new subscribers to Kinomap
• 30 Days FREE of Rouvy for new premium subscribers

If you like the look of the new Wahoo Kickr Core, please do get in touch with us today.