Wahoo is known for being a disruptor. Its smart, connected, direct-drive KICKR turbo trainers turned indoor riding on its head back in 2012, and it has continued to pioneer in the space over the last 13 years. Its innovative designs have increased the realism (and therefore enjoyment) of slogging away in your spare room, and transformed a relatively primitive and masochistic pastime into the de facto way of training for a lot of riders year-round.
Its launch of the KICKR Bike in 2020 boiled all of its best bits – industry-leading resistance and accuracy, tilting gradient changes that simulate virtual inclines and descents, low noise – into an all-in-one smart bike. A pioneering product with a chunky price tag to boot, it was the pinnacle of indoor training for those who had deep enough pockets to invest in a dedicated set-up that kept their real bike intact and instantly available for IRL rides.
It wasn’t perfect, though. For all its impressive specs and a durable design that could withstand a lifetime of sweat and shifting, it lacked the premium finish that its cost warranted. Even Wahoo’s second stab – 2022’s KICKR Bike V2 – the touch points (bar tape, handlebars, saddle) cheapened the experience, even if features like direct and WiFi connectivity and an ERG Easy Ramp were welcome additions.
In the intervening years, the disruptor has also become the disrupted. Zwift got in on the smart bike market in June 2024 with its pocket-friendly Zwift Ride (which retails for £2,000 less than the Kickr Bike V2). Unable or unwilling to compete with the training platform-turned-hardware manufacturer at the lower price points, Wahoo could only go in one direction – make its range-topping option even more exclusive.
The Wahoo KICKR Bikr Pro is the result. And on first impressions, the American manufacturer has made the world’s best smart bike even better.
Like its predecessor, the KICKR Bike Pro builds on a winning formula rather than completely reinventing the (fly)wheel. The gradient simulation (20% max/-15% min) remains; its maximum power (2,500 watts) could only be troubled by elite-level track sprinters; it has industry-leading power accuracy (+/- 1%); and virtual shifting can be customised to match that of your IRL bike’s drivetrain.
Add to that a five-point adjustment system that should fit almost any rider – making it something that can easily be shared by multiple people – and KICKR ‘Race Mode’, which increases the trainer’s broadcast rate from one to 10-times per second (crucial when timing an eRace winning move to perfection), and you have a piece of kit that’s tough to beat.
All of the above could have been written about the three-year-old KICKR V2, though. So what’s changed? Well, internally, not a lot. The only notable difference is the addition of Wahoo’s new sensor hub, which allows you to sync a heart rate monitor to the KICKR Bike Pro directly rather than the device running your training program, minimising connections and therefore dropouts when training.
Instead, the KICKR Bike Pro’s improvements are skin deep. Touch points have been tweaked with Fizik supplying the saddle (Aliante R5) and handlebar tape (Vento Solocush), while Wahoo has rethought the handlebar and shifter design to be more ergonomic and accommodating to the needs of indoor riding. The latter incorporates the integration of Zwift Play controllers, which enable users to navigate their way through the training platform – both when negotiating the pre- and post-ride screen and mid-virtual spin. A final upgrade has seen improvements to quick-release levers and shifter cables.
Ride impressions
Although relatively minor changes, the KICKR Bike Pro’s focus on premium finishing products takes the experience to another level.
When saddling up on the smart bike for the first time, the Aliante R5’s waved profile is noticeably more comfortable than the unbranded stock seat it replaces. Throughout testing, I wasn’t left with any numbness – a common issue when riding indoors in a relatively fixed position for long periods – and it balanced support and responsiveness when getting in and out of the saddle.
The Vento Solocrush bartape beats its predecessor hands down, too. Its tacky feel helped me stay in control even with clammy palms from late-summer testing, and it doesn’t absorb the torrent of sweat that drips its way when completing high-intensity efforts.
The new handlebars are also an improvement and provide a variety of comfortable positions even when sessions ticked over the hour mark. The hoods’ built-in Zwift controls are a nice touch, and removed the need to awkwardly reach for my laptop or my phone’s Zwift Companion App midway through a ride if I needed to make any alterations like increase or decrease the intensity of a workout or end and save a ride.
When combined with an ultra-realistic ride feel and levels of power resistance even professional riders wouldn’t outgrow, the KICKR Bike Pro finally feels like the complete smart bike package.
When you’re forking out £3,500 on a dream set-up, though, you understandably expect perfection from your investment, and there’s still room for improvement. Wahoo’s partnership with Fizik is a step in the right direction, but it would be even better for riders to have a range of saddles to choose from, given that the supplied Aliante R5’s closed design might not be perfect for every posterior. Wahoo notes that it is possible to swap out the saddle, stem and handlebars with a standard set of hex keys, but don’t expect a bespoke build offering to be coming anytime soon, with upgrades reserved for the aftermarket.
Three years on since the release of the KICKR Bike V2, it would also have been interesting to see more developments than relatively minor – albeit noticeable – changes. We’re yet to see a KICKR Bike with fore/aft and side-to-side movement as seen in its KICKR Move turbo trainer, and while there’s a bit of flex when out of the saddle giving it the beans, it’s a more rigid ride than what you’d get with a Wahoo turbo trainer with Axis feet or a rockerplate accessory. To date, the KICKR Bike has always remained static other than gradient simulation and ultimately hasn’t moved on loads since 2020’s initial release. Increasing ride feel realism by adding two new planes of movement would be a marked difference from what’s gone before, and be a revolution rather than an evolution, and make Wahoo a disruptor once more.
Verdict
I’ve spent many hours grinding away indoors on turbo trainers and smart bikes, and the Wahoo KICKR Bike Pro has gone straight to the top of the pile. Wahoo’s third refinement of its premier indoor bike finally has the high-end feel to match its top-tier riding experience, specs and price, and its gradient simulation still leaves it head and shoulders above its competitors. The improvements alone won’t make it worth upgrading from its predecessor, but they reinforce Wahoo’s position at the pinnacle of premium pain cave products.
