The Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro Is the Smart Bike to Beat, Flaws and All

Pros

The best Zwift controller experience
Grade simulation
Compact front end
Race mode
Wifi/Ant+/BLE/direct connect

Cons

Sharp edge to the rubber hoods cover
Noise

Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro Specs

Price	$3,999.99
Max Power Output	2500 Watts
Power Accuracy	+/- 1%
Grade Simulation	+20% / -15%
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+, Direct Connect
Flywheel	Motorized
Crank Lengths	165mm, 167.5mm, 170mm, 172.5mm, 175mm
Fit Range	5’0” (152cm) to 6’4” (193cm) and up to 250 lb / 113 kg
For more	Wahoo website

This fall Wahoo launched the Kickr Bike Pro as a refreshed version of the brand’s flagship indoor training product. I’ve been riding it since then and after roughly 1,900 miles I have some thoughts.

To be clear, this is the best of the best but it’s entering a mature product category. We’ve seen indoor trainers stagnate somewhat over the past few years and you can see that play out a bit here. At the top of this pyramid you’ll find smart bikes but the technology that underpins smart bikes is the same as that of smart trainers. Things are getting better but it’s not so much about the core experience anymore. The Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro is all about refinement rather than revolution.

The bike takes the previous KICKR BIKE v2 and uses it as an unchanged framework. As before you’ll find a 2,500 watt belt driven resistance unit with a +20% / -15% grade simulation and a +/- 1% power accuracy. The aluminum frame design is unchanged as well. You can easily adjust every single fit metric with a flip of a quick release to accommodate either different riders or to experiment with new fits for yourself. At the front of the bike are brake levers and there are controls to shift the belt drive resistance unit electronically.

Connectivity also retains the core bundle of ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth, Direct Connect and WiFi options. Features like Race Mode, the odometer, ERG Easy Ramp, and the built-in tilt to simulate gradients remain standard.

What’s new is more subtle. Wahoo touted seemingly small details as being headline features when this first hit the market. There’s now a Fizik relationship and the system ships with a Fizik Aliante R5 saddle and Fizik Solocush tape instead of unbranded generic kit. The handle is also new with a shift to 40cm (down from the previous 42cm) and a 16-degree flare. As before you can still change the bar and saddle just like any other bike.

If that sounds a little underwhelming, there are more substantial changes as well. Apple TV users will be happy to see a Bridge Mode that bundles sensors, like heart rate and controllers into a single data signal, solving the Apple TV Bluetooth limit. There’s also a whole new controller setup that mimics the layout of the Zwift Play controllers for easier in-game navigation.

What we like about the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro Smart Bike

With some products the story is as much about the competition as it is the specifics of what’s being offered. Smart bikes are expensive and choosing one is a matter of optimization vs settling for good enough. Which is all to say the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro sits in a category with only a few players and none of them are perfect.

If you look at the possible features for an indoor ride experience there’s no single product that does everything but the Kickr Bike Pro does the most and that’s why I’ve got it listed as the best smart bike in my best smart trainer buyers guide.

A big part of that is the elevation simulation. That feature is what I would call the signature feature of the bike and it’s a little like other options for raising and lowering the front of a bike indoors. Simply said, you go up/down a hill in your software and your bike angles so that it’s similar to outside. The difference with the Kickr bike is that it’s in the center so it’s a little closer to natural movement. Not everyone will love this feature but I’ll cover that a little more down below.

The reason many people will like this feature is that it keeps your body moving around as it does outside. There’s another benefit though. The way this is built means it’s not the only movement this bike has. Because the bike has multiple pieces, so it can move vertically, there’s also subtle left to right movement. Wahoo doesn’t discuss this feature but it’s similar to the amount of left to right you get on the standard Kickr. Not much but definitely noticeable.

Also a bonus, by way of comparison, is that the front end of the Kickr Bike Pro is quite minimal. At the front of the bike you’ve just got the handlebars, with controls integrated into the brake levers, and nothing else. You can get the bike close to a desk and there’s nothing blocking the airflow from whatever fan you have in front of you. For anyone in a smaller space it’s better than the competition but it also acknowledges that most people aren’t mounting a tablet for indoor training. I can easily reach my computer sitting on the shelf right in front of the bike.

That said, I don‘t have to reach out and touch my computer nearly as much as I used to. The controller setup on the Kickr Bike Pro is the best available on the market for Zwift. As of this year it even rivals what you can buy outright from Zwift. The Zwift Ride is close but the standalone Zwift Play controller is discontinued and the Zwift Click does not have a brake.

Even compared to the Zwift Ride, Wahoo is doing a better job with the controller. The brakes feel like bike brakes and the shifting feels like Di2 shifting. There’s a button on the inside of the bar you can use as a Campy shifter or it’s exactly where it makes sense for steering. The buttons themselves, which allow navigating Zwift, without reaching out to a computer, are just as good as the Zwift buttons. You can also use the controls outside of Zwift.

What we don’t like about the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro Smart Bike

When I first got the trainer the edge of the rubber that covers the hoods was both oddly thick and very sharp. It bothered me for a while but seems to have worn down after so many miles.

I also find it odd that the included saddle is a long nose option. I swapped it to the Vento Argo R5 that’s about 10mm shorter. Everyone is obviously different with regards to saddles but I think more people are running short nose saddles at this point and that’s what should be included. Still, a change is easy enough and that’s the point.

That’s nitpicky stuff though. The real annoyance with the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro is noise.

At this point my review of smart trainer noise is normally that it’s non existent. Your fan is louder than your trainer and they are all quiet. Except the Kickr Bike Pro stands out. It’s not a jet engine but it’s noticeably louder than other systems. You can hear the resistance unit and it can be annoying in certain situations.

More than that though, the Kickr Bike Pro is prone to creaks. I spent a long time trying to figure out exactly what was creaking and making noise and I eventually gave up. The same system that provides the movement also makes noise. I think that the two pieces of the central support post touch a little bit as you shift weight left to right. It might also be the support feet or maybe something in the front of the bike where the handlebar slides in and out.

I’ve spent time trying to push and pull and cause it to happen so I can say exactly the issue. At this point I just add some silicone lubricant to a bunch of places around the bike and it goes away for a while.

It’s not ideal and I’m not the only one who’s tried chasing it down. If there was another system with similar features I’d actually consider this a bigger issue but, as it is, there’s no alternative.

Livability

Regularly greasing up the parts has to be called out here too. Tacx and Zwift smart bikes don’t creak and the Tacx is dead silent in comparison. Other than that smart bikes are specifically designed to take a beating and not have issues. Sweat hasn’t been an issue for me and it’s easy to wipe down.

If you do have an issue then Wahoo customer service is amazing. I ride with someone who’s been through a number of these bikes as they’ve had issues with the crank moving left to right. Obviously that’s not ideal but that person cruises in relative ease at 350-400 watts and puts in more than 12,000 miles on Zwift in a year. You likely won’t have the same issues, but if you do, don’t be afraid to reach out to Wahoo.

Who is the bike Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro Smart Bike for?

At the most basic level, the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro is for the person, or possibly people as it’s great for sharing, who care about optimizing for the very best with indoor riding.

Having an actual indoor bike instead of using an outdoor bike inside is a big upgrade. It’s not a necessary upgrade but an outdoor bike is designed for outdoor riding. You can use it inside but it’s never going to offer the same efficiency of fully electronic gearing and the ability to handle sweat without eventually disintegrating. There are other choices though.

The Zwift Ride is much cheaper while nearly as good. It’s not quite there though. The packaging is clumsy in comparison with the two pieces (the trainer and the bike) being a hassle to manage if you need to move things. The ergonomics are also quite a bit better on the Wahoo. The controls just feel better and Wahoo has a powered flywheel that simulates the feeling of accelerating down a descent. It’s all subtle stuff, and the Zwift Ride is great for the price, but the Wahoo is about optimizing for the best. There’s also the movement that the Wahoo has and the Zwift Ride does not.

The other alternative option is the Garmin Tacx Neo Bike Plus. I’ve also spent thousands of miles on the Tacx and it’s also really good. You could potentially make the argument that the Tacx is better but there are a few things that I prefer about the Wahoo.

The Tacx Neo Bike plus is rock solid and silent. It feels like the whole thing is carved from a solid block and if you want a platform that’s a rock you can throw watts at then Tacx provides. The other side of that though is that there’s no movement and a lot of people want movement. I also find the amount of stuff that’s in the front of the Tacx a bit frustrating. I removed the tablet holder and the fans but there’s still a lot going on with the phone holder and the display. It blocks the fan that’s down below and it makes the whole thing longer. Despite that, if you are considering a high-end trainer you should consider the Tacx.

The reason you’d choose the Wahoo Kickr Bike Pro is because you want every possible feature that’s available in a smart trainer, or smart bike, and the highest performance.