I’ll tell you who else it’s for. At the age of 71, my hard riding days were decades ago. I’ve aged-out of it for sport, but still love riding. I’m not seeking power (wish this stuff existed 40 years ago!), and I can easily monitor what informs me well enough to ride for the health of it - HR, speed, RPMs, time, distance (time even more important to me than speed/distance). Outdoors, I do seek out enough hills to help work my core. If I can replicate that without virtual group rides/races, that’s all I need. I used to ride rollers for years and have hated the feel of anything that is fixed/static. I tried these in a store yesterday, and the amount of free movement appealed to me. Also, with one bike now, the cold/wet Pacific NW weather I experience during winter months sometimes breaks for a day or two of decent outdoor riding, so I like the convenience of being able to take advantage of that in a snap. I’m going back to the shop today to make the purchase. Thanks for the great reviews you do. I’ve been on the fence between the Kickr Rollr and Elite Nero. Wahoo wins out on price and that in a few more years, I may need a steadied front wheel.
This is a great option for those who want to have just one bike and invest the money on the bike rather than on indoor setup. The setup time is virtually none. Wahoo is an amazing company, kudos to them for brining this concept.
I’m late to the comment section, but this was a helpful review. I’m suddenly in need of a product like this as I have an 11 speed road bike and a 12 speed TT bike. Switch out the cassette on my KICKR is just not going to happen. The convenience seems to be worth it, and I really only need an indoor trainer for rainy days when I still need to get a session in (often a recovery ride of endurance effort). Thanks for the review 1 year later. It’s still helpful.
Really interesting, it’s not what I imagined it would be at all. Having seen the sneak previews of it last year I imagined it was going to be small and portable, very wrong there! Your explanation at the end makes a lot of sense - I can see the appeal if you’ve got one bike and are regularly swapping between indoors and outdoors. It’s not for me right now but in the future, who knows
For me the main benefit is the super fast setup. I do have a Neo 2T which is great, but as I have very limited space and normally leave the Bike on the Trainer in winter, this would be my second option. Switching from outdoor rides to indoor and not dealing with your back wheel seems to be the greatest value. What I maybe missed, does it work without the power plug?
Great review Shane. I cringed at the shots of the wheel flexing but I guess if all those pros are using it for warmups it may not be so much of a problem.
@@Dennis4523 why wouldn't they? Your bike is planted to the ground if you're not using any sort of rocker system, so no swaying or bobbing which will reduce some comfort
@@vongdong10 in my 3 years on Zwift I’ve never wondered about that. If I complain about comfort it’s my position or saddle. In real life you don’t sway side to side when you ride
Shane, I just purchased one and love it. The fact that I'm running SRAM 12 and my wife is on Shimano 11, makes it so much easier for us to use the trainer now. One question, as it can only simulate a max 10% gradient, how does this impact your climbing in Zwift when your climbing goes over 10%? Does Zwift account for this?
Excellent use case there with multiple bikes. RE: The gradient. Once the simulated gradient exceeds 10%, the unit will simply stay at 10%, or the maximum resistance it can simulate. Side note: The 10% gradient figure is calculated with a rider weight of ~75kgs. Smart trainers/rollers are capable of simulating steeper gradients for lighter riders.
Another great video hammered out. Reading between the lines about the front wheel issues and what it’s best use would be seems to be NOT for long distances or rough hilly rides. Too much unknown consequences on an expensive component. You seem to be bouncing quite a bit with just a smooth cadence. I’m not sure that would be comfy after the first hour or so. This looks more like a first generation kind of model that is testing the market. That this has to pair with an external power meter also leans towards multiple users using it as a warm up. I can’t understand who they’re marketing this to in the general population who would even be interested with all of the other great reliable tried and true trainers out there. I think this product will really struggle. On the other hand, I was really intrigued by that lil portable back wheeler. If they could drop the price another $50-$75 US, I think that product would be a lot more palatable and sensible given that it also requires external power meter. Great video my man! 😎
Rear tire wear and bits of rubber on the floor would be the deal breaker for me. I’ll take the extra few minutes to remove rear wheel and mount my bike on direct trainers any day. Appreciate the innovation though.
@@hayes6262 Lol…it takes more advanced engineering, tighter manufacturing tolerances, and better electronics to make a roller that can work on erg mode and give resistance compared to the other Kickr units.
"Shaq for Scale" 🤣🤣🤣 nice 👌 Not exactly what I expected . But pretty interesting 🤔 800 bucks + a powermeter "required" ... hmmm but maybe the solution for my "problem" If they are bringing the Speed ANT+ thing as a firmware update ? juuuup ! definitely !
Imo it’s direct comparison would be the Elite Tuo, of which it seems to be lacking in features atm. It had better offer something in line of a better “road feel”, or it will be rendered redundant out of the box.
@@gplama the climb yes, but the rizer has feet wider apart, maybe, just maybe it wil work or it wil work when it’s tide down by the feet to some 3mm board? I’d would be interesting to see how it feels when both front and rear have some movement as the rizer has.
Something important to mention (maybe something for a video) about the kickr rollr is that the new recent update allows users to connect to virtual training platforms (Zwift, Wahoo RGT, and others) without needing a power meter unit on their bikes.
Not exactly correct. The media really screwed up reporting on this one. The ROLLR doesn't do 'virtual power' at all. Zwift will apply a simple speed/power estimate but no SIM or ERG mode. RGT will do the same but will allow SIM and ERG mode (highly inaccurate, but as Wahoo claim, it'll get you rolling). I spent a few hours trying to untangle exactly what this reported "update" did in the hopes of making a video on it. I ended up wasting my time and getting frustrated.
Hi there a great review, I am very, very new to cycling and have bought The Wahoo Kickr Rollr today 09/07/2023. I noticed all this talk about power meters, my question is can I just ride on the Rollr without the power meters and does it even need to be plugged in to the 240V to use it? I plan on putting on my Mountain bike and just riding along to some music on UA-cam. At this stage I'm not interested in knowing my Cadence or Watts. I just need to get moving again after a work place injury. Cheers.
I had the same first thought. No way that bending is good for the front wheel. It may not damage it directly but at the very least it will fatigue the metal on an alloy wheel and leave it more prone to cracking and I'd bet that wheel creeps out of true a lot quicker too.
Your wheel takes a lot more beating than you think. That pressure is so minimal on that wheel you standing up and thrashing the bike side to side is harder
@@Dennis4523 the wheel is designed to take normal load (normal in direction) and in regular use will experience very little lateral load. A spoked wheel has no way to effectively handle large lateral loads, they're just not designed for it.
@@LewisRawlinson30 the wheels aren’t facing large lateral loads. Your body weight is minimal compared to what the testing lab is doing to them. And the angle they bend is probably 1-2 degrees? Not a concern at all
Does it chew up expensive rear tires like wheel-on trainers do, or with this is the wear on tires no different than the same miles outside? Also seem like you get the benefit of smart trainer plus rocker plate with this setup, yes? Thanks.
I imagine it will chew tires much less as most wheel on trainers relies on lots of friction to produce a somewhat accurate power reading, this thing doesn't need that at all.
@@ItsExetic That's possibly the only selling point I'm seeing (and it's a legit one). But why would you buy this over a kickr core I have no idea, yes getting it on/off is easier but we're talking a minute to pop your wheel off, not that big of a deal?
@@ellismccoy Honestly I have no idea who would buy this, it seems mostly inconvenient, especially to transport. I'm sure this was exactly what someone needed out there, but probably not the majority. I spend probably 30 seconds getting my bike on the kickr max. I see a lot more movement, so maybe this sort of simulates a rocker plate?
@@ItsExetic for me as a Track Bike Rider definitely a more or less "worthy" Solution ;) Track Bikes have 120mm Spacing and don't fit in any Smart Trainer . Or you have to fiddle around hours and hours to get it working ^^ And normal Wheel On trainers are a Nightmare in terms of Sound . My neighbors hatet me already 🤣
@@ellismccoy not a big deal if it's just you, with one bike. What if you have to share it with your wife/son ? And they have a 9 speed groupset while you have a 10/11 ...then you have to change cassettes on any direct drive trainer. But it seems to me that the Kickr Snap would be a better choice than this if you do need to swap bikes and cassettes.
This one has me scratching my head and I'm a big fan of Wahoo products. $800 for a insanely heavy, not very mobile, BYOPM (Bring your own power meter) roller.... shrug.
Using a wheel on trainer now and tried a direct drive and it was a nightmare because of cassette and allignment. I only have 1 bike so go in and off the trainer a lot Is this a good enough uograde or should I get the new Wahoo kickr core zwift hub? Any recommendations would be great
Would this be good for a warmup at an outside race where I don’t have electricity? I have a hill climb race bike, with a 1x setup, 38t chainring and 11-30 cassette. Is that gonna be good for the 450w resistance unplugged?
Yes and no. The A-frame is just too damn big. You’d be better off looking at the Feedback Sports Omnium trainer for race warm-ups. They’re everywhere at CX races for this purpose.
It's unfortunate that you need your own power meter for this, because the quick mounting is a major plus, as is the far greater stability compared to a full set of rollers. I've used both a turbo trainer and full rollers, and I'm not really a fan of either as the turbo trainer is too fiddly to mount the bike (not to mention hard on tires) and I find balancing on rollers to be very difficult, so a trainer like this would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, with the cost of this already being high, plus adding a power meter on to that, this becomes way too expensive for my tastes.
I may be missing the point but I thought one of the features of rollers was the freedom to move a bit. Surely fixing the front wheel defeats this? If the front wheel was on a roller as well I'd be interested.
Thanks Shane good review but i have a question: wattage floor. How does this do with 50w or 70w during recovery sections of erg intervals? Can it get low enough? thanks!
A lot of money with no power meter just so you can put your bike on a minute quicker , I’m guessing you don’t need a specific trainer tyre, be interesting how this sells compared to their other trainers , but soon as a sponsored pro team has one on the tour for warm downs or warm ups you can bet Wahooligans will want one
Maybe this thing gives the feel of a trainer + rocker plate? If so, then it is cheaper than a core + rocker plate if you already have an on-bike power meter, or about the same if you need to add a 4iiii crank power meter (plus then you have power outside!). And still less work to attach your bike than trainer + rocker plate combo.
My immediate question on seeing this. Why the a-frame at all? To what end? It's more cumbersome, has potential issues with wheel clamping - despite what Wahoo said, and is damn ugly. Why not a simple detachable tripod like the Feedback Sports. Seems a strange decision. If they swapped it to that mode it'd be more popular.
Thanks for the review. This was suggested as the only trainer compatible with my Basso Diamanté wider rear thru axles (165 x 12)… any idea on other indoor trainer options that may suit?
I’ve not seen any direct drive trainers shipping with 165mm wide rear axle support. 142 and 148 are the standards supported. 157 is supper boost seen on downhill MTB. Are you 100% sure the Basso uses 165?
@@gplama thanks for the super quick answer. Yeah they are the dimensions listed on the replacement thru axles on the Basso page. Looks like the Rollr will be what I end up with.
I think they’re listing the total thru axle width, not the rear wheel axle width. Orbea do the same on their website. If it’s a Basso road bike I’ll assume it’s a 142mm standard (with a 165mm total width thru axle). You’ll have a LOT more options to choose from with trainers if you can confirm the exact sizing.
Hey Shane, so I have the Tacx Neo2t now that I bought brand new 6 months ago and haven’t used it yet. I moved to Ohio and the only place I can use a trainer is our unfinished basement now. I feel like with this being a easier setup to just pop the bike on and go, and I have the wahoo Speedplay Power Duo pedals already, that this might be a better investment and just sell my tacx?? Especially with the $200 price drop to $599usd?
I just rode with a Pace Partner on Zwift. Several riders changed their flag to Ukranian flag in support. I joined them. This is not on topic but wanted to let you know. Cheers!
The WAHOO twist in the ROLLR which requires a power meter for it to supply 'smart' resistance is nothing short of 'genius': a). Goodbye to service tickets claiming 'my trainer is not accurate and is way off my power meter'… b). If you don't already own a power meter and want to use this roller, it's most likely you end up buying one from Wahoo. It's true not everybody has a power meter on their bike, but I guess if you aim to be serious in indoor cycling and you are in to watts - you'll make good use of one. If I was a Trainer manufacture, I would make all my smart trainers use this trick.
I don’t think someone that is serious into indoor training would bother getting this when there are several trainers in this price with an included power meter.
@@bighammer3464 That could vey well be the case. I wasn’t referring to their price ‘per se’ , just to the fact that this eliminates one of the biggest complaints every trainer manufacturer is getting - The trainer not being on par with the power trainer.
If you are really in indoor cycling and Zwift you would never use such a trainer. You can’t sprint on this thing, just 10% climbing, bouncing around and this thing is loud as hell. So if you really in indoor cycling you can buy a much better trainer for the same price or just a little bit more.
I am totally unconvinced on the front wheel bracket and clamp. It has to be placing unnecessary stress on the wheel’s spokes. I’m sure there must be a lab out there with the equipment to measure the lateral stress created on the wheels. Are wheel manufacturers willing to warrant their products from being damaged when using this trainer. Rather than risk a $1,000+ wheel I’d prefer to spend the extra on one of their other trainers
I tried one out a few times and going to purchase today. There is very little stress put on the front wheel at all. I like the freedom that the back end has for slight lateral give (I really dislike the discomfort and stress on joints with fixed trainers), and was kind of worried about the front wheel being too locked for honoring the movement at the back end. The wheel and forks are not being stressed. The slight movement comes from that afforded by the linkages of hub to fork ends and the headset. Natural feeling.
When this was used at the UCI World Champs in Flanders this year - with all of those weird and wonderful cockpits - only 1 bike had an issue. All others (men and women) fit fine. ✅
I'm not sure why someone would buy this over something like the Kickr Core, or even the full Kickr since you need to provide your own power meter for this to work. If it were small and portable (and therefore could be brought to races for warm up) maybe. But this thing is big and heavy. I don't get it.
Not too sure if it's intended for warm-ups, as it's way too big and heavy to carry around, and the unique selling proposition is the smart trainer features which are effectively useless for warm-ups.
Essentially this is nothing more than a updated KICKR Snap. It would've been nice to have had the ability to have your front wheel rotate and balance like real rollers. Talk about road feel then. I'll pass on this one.
@@gplama thanks for reply! Better question, if your only option to train was some form of stationary trainer outdoors, unsheltered*, in Scotland, what would you use?
Yeah... this product just doesn't make sense to me, at that price point. It's all good if you have a power meter on your bike and put the ROLLR in your shed or garage. In my case, I have a Kickr Core in the attic, with both my and my wife's old bikes on it. We're never going to put power meters on our older bikes, and having to buy a power meter for every bike you want to use on the ROLLR is a bit silly. Sure, you could use pedal-based power meters and swap those between bikes. But then you lose the 'ride within 10 seconds' selling point :)
same price as the kickr core without power meter and rollers do not give the same experience as the kickr or kicker core. Its obvious that it is not worth it. A badly priced failed product from wahoo
Clunky design, the one where the front wheel is removed and the trainer hold the front fork is simply take less space and easier to store. Or just make something like Elite Nero where that is the real smart roller.
None of the benefits of rollers and none of the benefits of a smart trainer. 5x the size, weight and price of a basic turbo but worse for sprint efforts. I'm out!
*Some of the benefits of rollers (there's a little bit of movement). And most of the benefits of a smart trainer (it does SIM and ERG). I'm all for a good dumping, it just needs to be correct.
@@gplama Well the movement is at the expense of your front wheel, and still doesn't improve your form like rollers will, and the smart features require a power meter that's not supplied! so it's not really smart!
10% max grade, no cadence, no power meter (only max 1500w) and $2000 cost which is more than the Kick5 …..for anyone who races on Zwift it’s a 100% complete waste of time and money. And it doesn’t even give the “comfort” of traditional rollers….
@@gplama sorry yes for the single sided power your correct ….more expensive than the Kickr5 and doesn’t have the specs for Zwift racing so I am just not sure why anyone would buy it unless they are just riding around.
Good Luck with this new product .Very poor after service from Wahoo if something goes wrong . Would never touch a product from Wahoo again . Buyers be Aware .
I’ll tell you who else it’s for. At the age of 71, my hard riding days were decades ago. I’ve aged-out of it for sport, but still love riding. I’m not seeking power (wish this stuff existed 40 years ago!), and I can easily monitor what informs me well enough to ride for the health of it - HR, speed, RPMs, time, distance (time even more important to me than speed/distance). Outdoors, I do seek out enough hills to help work my core. If I can replicate that without virtual group rides/races, that’s all I need. I used to ride rollers for years and have hated the feel of anything that is fixed/static. I tried these in a store yesterday, and the amount of free movement appealed to me. Also, with one bike now, the cold/wet Pacific NW weather I experience during winter months sometimes breaks for a day or two of decent outdoor riding, so I like the convenience of being able to take advantage of that in a snap. I’m going back to the shop today to make the purchase. Thanks for the great reviews you do. I’ve been on the fence between the Kickr Rollr and Elite Nero. Wahoo wins out on price and that in a few more years, I may need a steadied front wheel.
This is a great option for those who want to have just one bike and invest the money on the bike rather than on indoor setup. The setup time is virtually none. Wahoo is an amazing company, kudos to them for brining this concept.
Shane: Happy Birthday little buddy.
Wahoo Direct Connect: Aww, thanks Sha...
*THROWN IN CORNER*
I’m late to the comment section, but this was a helpful review. I’m suddenly in need of a product like this as I have an 11 speed road bike and a 12 speed TT bike. Switch out the cassette on my KICKR is just not going to happen. The convenience seems to be worth it, and I really only need an indoor trainer for rainy days when I still need to get a session in (often a recovery ride of endurance effort). Thanks for the review 1 year later. It’s still helpful.
Really interesting, it’s not what I imagined it would be at all. Having seen the sneak previews of it last year I imagined it was going to be small and portable, very wrong there! Your explanation at the end makes a lot of sense - I can see the appeal if you’ve got one bike and are regularly swapping between indoors and outdoors. It’s not for me right now but in the future, who knows
For me the main benefit is the super fast setup. I do have a Neo 2T which is great, but as I have very limited space and normally leave the Bike on the Trainer in winter, this would be my second option. Switching from outdoor rides to indoor and not dealing with your back wheel seems to be the greatest value. What I maybe missed, does it work without the power plug?
The ROLLR works without power but has no smarts in that scenario. It becomes a dumb roller with a progressive speed/resistance curve.
Great review Shane. I cringed at the shots of the wheel flexing but I guess if all those pros are using it for warmups it may not be so much of a problem.
I would be interested in your opinion on comfort during long indoor rides compared to a more rigid direct drive trainer.
Direct drive trainers don’t affect your comfort, that’s all about your position and saddle
@@Dennis4523 why wouldn't they? Your bike is planted to the ground if you're not using any sort of rocker system, so no swaying or bobbing which will reduce some comfort
@@vongdong10 in my 3 years on Zwift I’ve never wondered about that. If I complain about comfort it’s my position or saddle. In real life you don’t sway side to side when you ride
Shane, I just purchased one and love it. The fact that I'm running SRAM 12 and my wife is on Shimano 11, makes it so much easier for us to use the trainer now. One question, as it can only simulate a max 10% gradient, how does this impact your climbing in Zwift when your climbing goes over 10%? Does Zwift account for this?
Excellent use case there with multiple bikes. RE: The gradient. Once the simulated gradient exceeds 10%, the unit will simply stay at 10%, or the maximum resistance it can simulate. Side note: The 10% gradient figure is calculated with a rider weight of ~75kgs. Smart trainers/rollers are capable of simulating steeper gradients for lighter riders.
That direct connect chuck to the side was epic 🤣 (hope it hit zwift headquarters in the head?)
Another great video hammered out. Reading between the lines about the front wheel issues and what it’s best use would be seems to be NOT for long distances or rough hilly rides. Too much unknown consequences on an expensive component. You seem to be bouncing quite a bit with just a smooth cadence. I’m not sure that would be comfy after the first hour or so. This looks more like a first generation kind of model that is testing the market. That this has to pair with an external power meter also leans towards multiple users using it as a warm up. I can’t understand who they’re marketing this to in the general population who would even be interested with all of the other great reliable tried and true trainers out there. I think this product will really struggle. On the other hand, I was really intrigued by that lil portable back wheeler. If they could drop the price another $50-$75 US, I think that product would be a lot more palatable and sensible given that it also requires external power meter. Great video my man! 😎
Rear tire wear and bits of rubber on the floor would be the deal breaker for me. I’ll take the extra few minutes to remove rear wheel and mount my bike on direct trainers any day. Appreciate the innovation though.
Yeah . . . at this price, plus the fact that you'll be burning through GP5000's, it's not going to be for me any time soon.
Same price as the core without a power meter seems crazy
Yes, at a lower price point, as a combo deal with a Powermeter, this would make sense.
@Ivar Brouwer it's clearly just a wheel on trainer with no powermeter you would have to be crazy to buy this for more than 300
@@hayes6262 except, your wheel isn’t fixed, which should aid ride feel, like rollers. But if that warrants the price difference? Not really.
@Ivar Brouwer but the front is fixed so I don't imagine it will feel like rollers or road
@@hayes6262 Lol…it takes more advanced engineering, tighter manufacturing tolerances, and better electronics to make a roller that can work on erg mode and give resistance compared to the other Kickr units.
I’m waiting for Wahoo to release the PissR, to simulate rainy conditions….
Under rated comment
"Shaq for Scale" 🤣🤣🤣 nice 👌
Not exactly what I expected .
But pretty interesting 🤔
800 bucks + a powermeter "required" ... hmmm
but maybe the solution for my "problem"
If they are bringing the Speed ANT+ thing as a firmware update ?
juuuup ! definitely !
Imo it’s direct comparison would be the Elite Tuo, of which it seems to be lacking in features atm.
It had better offer something in line of a better “road feel”, or it will be rendered redundant out of the box.
Do you think there's a way to extend that out far enough to accommodate the wheelbase of a tandem?
Was thinking 500CAD sounds reasonable. Silly me not remembering it's 2022 everything costs double what it should be.
Very interesting; many thanks. However, wow! The flexing on that front wheel! That would worry me.
My first thought was, why? My second is, could it be used with a Climb or better the Riser for stability?
Not a chance this will work with the Climb or Rizer. It'll topple over.
@@gplama the climb yes, but the rizer has feet wider apart, maybe, just maybe it wil work or it wil work when it’s tide down by the feet to some 3mm board?
I’d would be interesting to see how it feels when both front and rear have some movement as the rizer has.
Something important to mention (maybe something for a video) about the kickr rollr is that the new recent update allows users to connect to virtual training platforms (Zwift, Wahoo RGT, and others) without needing a power meter unit on their bikes.
Not exactly correct. The media really screwed up reporting on this one. The ROLLR doesn't do 'virtual power' at all. Zwift will apply a simple speed/power estimate but no SIM or ERG mode. RGT will do the same but will allow SIM and ERG mode (highly inaccurate, but as Wahoo claim, it'll get you rolling). I spent a few hours trying to untangle exactly what this reported "update" did in the hopes of making a video on it. I ended up wasting my time and getting frustrated.
Whoohoo 1st 😀 Its a fun but strange machine. Great video Shane!
Wow, if that’s Shaq for scale you are a living giant! 😂
Hi there a great review, I am very, very new to cycling and have bought The Wahoo Kickr Rollr today 09/07/2023. I noticed all this talk about power meters, my question is can I just ride on the Rollr without the power meters and does it even need to be plugged in to the 240V to use it? I plan on putting on my Mountain bike and just riding along to some music on UA-cam. At this stage I'm not interested in knowing my Cadence or Watts. I just need to get moving again after a work place injury. Cheers.
How does this compare with elite nero, will we see a back to back comparison?
I had the same first thought. No way that bending is good for the front wheel. It may not damage it directly but at the very least it will fatigue the metal on an alloy wheel and leave it more prone to cracking and I'd bet that wheel creeps out of true a lot quicker too.
Your wheel takes a lot more beating than you think. That pressure is so minimal on that wheel you standing up and thrashing the bike side to side is harder
@@Dennis4523 the wheel is designed to take normal load (normal in direction) and in regular use will experience very little lateral load. A spoked wheel has no way to effectively handle large lateral loads, they're just not designed for it.
@@LewisRawlinson30 the wheels aren’t facing large lateral loads. Your body weight is minimal compared to what the testing lab is doing to them. And the angle they bend is probably 1-2 degrees? Not a concern at all
@@Dennis4523 go ahead and draw the FBD on the wheel, think through what you've just written, then come back to me.
@@LewisRawlinson30 You can’t be this stupid that you think putting 100lbs of pressure is gonna damage your wheel, you put more pressure turning idiot
not sure about the stress it's placing on the frame ... fixed front wheel and rear moving around ... think i'll stick with my Elite Nero Smart.
Does it chew up expensive rear tires like wheel-on trainers do, or with this is the wear on tires no different than the same miles outside? Also seem like you get the benefit of smart trainer plus rocker plate with this setup, yes? Thanks.
I imagine it will chew tires much less as most wheel on trainers relies on lots of friction to produce a somewhat accurate power reading, this thing doesn't need that at all.
@@ItsExetic That's possibly the only selling point I'm seeing (and it's a legit one). But why would you buy this over a kickr core I have no idea, yes getting it on/off is easier but we're talking a minute to pop your wheel off, not that big of a deal?
@@ellismccoy Honestly I have no idea who would buy this, it seems mostly inconvenient, especially to transport. I'm sure this was exactly what someone needed out there, but probably not the majority. I spend probably 30 seconds getting my bike on the kickr max.
I see a lot more movement, so maybe this sort of simulates a rocker plate?
@@ItsExetic for me as a Track Bike Rider definitely a more or less "worthy" Solution ;)
Track Bikes have 120mm Spacing and don't fit in any Smart Trainer .
Or you have to fiddle around hours and hours to get it working ^^
And normal Wheel On trainers are a Nightmare in terms of Sound .
My neighbors hatet me already 🤣
@@ellismccoy not a big deal if it's just you, with one bike. What if you have to share it with your wife/son ? And they have a 9 speed groupset while you have a 10/11 ...then you have to change cassettes on any direct drive trainer. But it seems to me that the Kickr Snap would be a better choice than this if you do need to swap bikes and cassettes.
Just got one and its great 😊
This one has me scratching my head and I'm a big fan of Wahoo products. $800 for a insanely heavy, not very mobile, BYOPM (Bring your own power meter) roller.... shrug.
Exactly. I’ll stick with my Omnium!
ordered , core is soon out the door
For me who had a TT bike which has a drop out im not suppose to use on trainers this is amazing
Using a wheel on trainer now and tried a direct drive and it was a nightmare because of cassette and allignment. I only have 1 bike so go in and off the trainer a lot
Is this a good enough uograde or should I get the new
Wahoo kickr core zwift hub?
Any recommendations would be great
Back to back reviews with yourself and DCR and I think of the Gilmore Girls.😆
So who is Lorelai and who is Rory?
Hi Shane, unrelated question mate - what's the brand / model for your saddle bag in the video?
Continental. It comes with a spare tube and levers.
How do you think tyre wear would be on this?
Not as much as a single roller. The load is spread across two rollers. As long as the tyre is clean prior to use, it shouldn't be an issue.
Would this be good for a warmup at an outside race where I don’t have electricity? I have a hill climb race bike, with a 1x setup, 38t chainring and 11-30 cassette. Is that gonna be good for the 450w resistance unplugged?
Yes and no. The A-frame is just too damn big. You’d be better off looking at the Feedback Sports Omnium trainer for race warm-ups. They’re everywhere at CX races for this purpose.
It's unfortunate that you need your own power meter for this, because the quick mounting is a major plus, as is the far greater stability compared to a full set of rollers. I've used both a turbo trainer and full rollers, and I'm not really a fan of either as the turbo trainer is too fiddly to mount the bike (not to mention hard on tires) and I find balancing on rollers to be very difficult, so a trainer like this would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, with the cost of this already being high, plus adding a power meter on to that, this becomes way too expensive for my tastes.
I think there is significantly better with Elite Nero Roller Trainer standing out as Roller Trainers
I may be missing the point but I thought one of the features of rollers was the freedom to move a bit. Surely fixing the front wheel defeats this? If the front wheel was on a roller as well I'd be interested.
Thanks Shane good review but i have a question: wattage floor. How does this do with 50w or 70w during recovery sections of erg intervals? Can it get low enough? thanks!
I haven’t tested the Rollr at these zones. Something I’ll do if I set it up again for further testing.
@@gplama Thanks :)
I'm wondering, will this work within Zwift with a speed sensor? So like a dumb trainer setup, but with resistance from the game.
Yep. Not something I've setup though.
I found them so hard to push! How can I adjust them? 270w at 80rpm with 40-44 gravel setup, something wrong!!
Looks like a solution for me, I have 12 bikes. All has power meter, but its a pain to change the sprocket for each different bikes
why would i get this over a same priced kickr core that already measures power?
Amen
Agreed
I can see some teams using this for warm ups, but average Joe who just wants to jump on Zwift will struggle to see the benefit of this I think.
A lot of money with no power meter just so you can put your bike on a minute quicker , I’m guessing you don’t need a specific trainer tyre, be interesting how this sells compared to their other trainers , but soon as a sponsored pro team has one on the tour for warm downs or warm ups you can bet Wahooligans will want one
Maybe this thing gives the feel of a trainer + rocker plate? If so, then it is cheaper than a core + rocker plate if you already have an on-bike power meter, or about the same if you need to add a 4iiii crank power meter (plus then you have power outside!). And still less work to attach your bike than trainer + rocker plate combo.
My immediate question on seeing this. Why the a-frame at all? To what end? It's more cumbersome, has potential issues with wheel clamping - despite what Wahoo said, and is damn ugly. Why not a simple detachable tripod like the Feedback Sports. Seems a strange decision. If they swapped it to that mode it'd be more popular.
@Shane will you be doing a test of the new firmware (flywheel speed) for the Kickr V5 at all?
If I get a chance, yep.
Would not like to do that with my front wheel and all sorts of stress going through bike frame by the look of it
Thanks for the review. This was suggested as the only trainer compatible with my Basso Diamanté wider rear thru axles (165 x 12)… any idea on other indoor trainer options that may suit?
I’ve not seen any direct drive trainers shipping with 165mm wide rear axle support. 142 and 148 are the standards supported. 157 is supper boost seen on downhill MTB. Are you 100% sure the Basso uses 165?
@@gplama thanks for the super quick answer. Yeah they are the dimensions listed on the replacement thru axles on the Basso page. Looks like the Rollr will be what I end up with.
I think they’re listing the total thru axle width, not the rear wheel axle width. Orbea do the same on their website. If it’s a Basso road bike I’ll assume it’s a 142mm standard (with a 165mm total width thru axle). You’ll have a LOT more options to choose from with trainers if you can confirm the exact sizing.
@@gplama hmm that would make things much easier!!! Will look into it, thanks so much ☺️
A solution in search of a problem
My thought precisely. Seems to have none of the true benefits of either rollers or smart trainer
Lol
Multiple bikes and for example my road bike is still 11 speed while my Tri bike is 12 speed.
A solution for me, i have 12 bikes, multiple grp sets, all has power meter. Changing cassette is a pain
Hey Shane, so I have the Tacx Neo2t now that I bought brand new 6 months ago and haven’t used it yet. I moved to Ohio and the only place I can use a trainer is our unfinished basement now. I feel like with this being a easier setup to just pop the bike on and go, and I have the wahoo Speedplay Power Duo pedals already, that this might be a better investment and just sell my tacx?? Especially with the $200 price drop to $599usd?
I just rode with a Pace Partner on Zwift. Several riders changed their flag to Ukranian flag in support. I joined them. This is not on topic but wanted to let you know. Cheers!
The WAHOO twist in the ROLLR which requires a power meter for it to supply 'smart' resistance is nothing short of 'genius':
a). Goodbye to service tickets claiming 'my trainer is not accurate and is way off my power meter'…
b). If you don't already own a power meter and want to use this roller, it's most likely you end up buying one from Wahoo.
It's true not everybody has a power meter on their bike, but I guess if you aim to be serious in indoor cycling and you are in to watts - you'll make good use of one.
If I was a Trainer manufacture, I would make all my smart trainers use this trick.
I don’t think someone that is serious into indoor training would bother getting this when there are several trainers in this price with an included power meter.
@@bighammer3464 That could vey well be the case. I wasn’t referring to their price ‘per se’ , just to the fact that this eliminates one of the biggest complaints every trainer manufacturer is getting - The trainer not being on par with the power trainer.
If you are really in indoor cycling and Zwift you would never use such a trainer. You can’t sprint on this thing, just 10% climbing, bouncing around and this thing is loud as hell. So if you really in indoor cycling you can buy a much better trainer for the same price or just a little bit more.
What about the noise, how strong is it? Thanks!
It’s depends on the tyre/wheel used. Not notably loud in my experience (Pirelli 26mm tubeless tyre 80psi on a alloy rim)
my old roller was eating up normal tires like crazy. It was just useable with special roller tires. is that also the case here?
It really depends on the cleanliness of the tyre and roller. If you keep both smooth and clean, tyres won't chew.
@@gplama thx!
Yeah not sure, just makes me think of a Kickr Snap with a front roller and not being held onto the resistance wheel.
I can picture mounting an eBike on this!
People are welcome too, as they won't get any benefit from the motor considering the power is read from an on bike power meter 🤣
@@titaniumben9923 good point!
I think your 12:30 ‘Concerns’ chapter bookmark should instead start at 13:30
Thank you! Updated.
wait so the ROLR has a power meter? why did you sync power to that?
No
Road tire or trainer tire for the rear?
Either. It's designed to be used with any road tyre. The load is spread across two rollers unlike the SNAP.
is there any wheel-on trainer without a powermeter?
No... but some of them are so inaccurate they could be considered 'without a power meter' ;)
I am totally unconvinced on the front wheel bracket and clamp. It has to be placing unnecessary stress on the wheel’s spokes.
I’m sure there must be a lab out there with the equipment to measure the lateral stress created on the wheels.
Are wheel manufacturers willing to warrant their products from being damaged when using this trainer.
Rather than risk a $1,000+ wheel I’d prefer to spend the extra on one of their other trainers
same thing was said about conventional trainers to no ill effect. You think this is more stressful than a pothole in the road?
@@TheLadeefnot sure you can equate this to a pothole. I cannot recall when the “same thing” was said about conventional trainers either.
I tried one out a few times and going to purchase today. There is very little stress put on the front wheel at all. I like the freedom that the back end has for slight lateral give (I really dislike the discomfort and stress on joints with fixed trainers), and was kind of worried about the front wheel being too locked for honoring the movement at the back end. The wheel and forks are not being stressed. The slight movement comes from that afforded by the linkages of hub to fork ends and the headset. Natural feeling.
I heard no sound of the rollers....is it that quiet?
With my setup it's quiet. Pirelli 26mm tubeless at around 80psi on an alloy rim.
Ignoring costs, and if you want the ease of getting on the trainer (without removing wheels or any derailleur indexing), KICKR Bike v ROLLR?
Kickr Bike.
how does this work with "tri bikes" for its cockpit?
When this was used at the UCI World Champs in Flanders this year - with all of those weird and wonderful cockpits - only 1 bike had an issue. All others (men and women) fit fine. ✅
@@DJDaleBlack That is great news.
What's the noise like?
I'm not sure why someone would buy this over something like the Kickr Core, or even the full Kickr since you need to provide your own power meter for this to work. If it were small and portable (and therefore could be brought to races for warm up) maybe. But this thing is big and heavy. I don't get it.
Not too sure if it's intended for warm-ups, as it's way too big and heavy to carry around, and the unique selling proposition is the smart trainer features which are effectively useless for warm-ups.
Essentially this is nothing more than a updated KICKR Snap. It would've been nice to have had the ability to have your front wheel rotate and balance like real rollers. Talk about road feel then. I'll pass on this one.
Compatible with climb?
No.
@@DJDaleBlack thanks
I do t get the need for it, but it kind of looks like it wasn’t a massive investment to develop so why not?
How many trainer boxes do you have 😂
Way too many. 🤣
Does anyone know if you can use this in the rain?
I wouldn’t.
@@gplama thanks for reply! Better question, if your only option to train was some form of stationary trainer outdoors, unsheltered*, in Scotland, what would you use?
Feedback Sports Omnium
@@gplama thanks, much appreciated
I don't understand why anyone would want this instead of the other Kickr options.
Just don't see why you'd buy this over a Kickr Core, especially since you still need to buy the power meter
Hmmm. That front wheel flex doesn't look right. I'm looking forward to all the new and interesting failure modes this contraption will reveal.
So where’s all the failures mate? Show us! 😊
It is named quite correctly because it is definitely not a roller.
A Smart Roller is a great idea. This isn’t a SMART roller. Sort of like a fancy version of the Feedback Trainer
Kinda cool, but jesus 800€ and you have to bring your own power meter seems kinda stupid to me.. Why not buy anything with an integrated power meter?
Yeah... this product just doesn't make sense to me, at that price point. It's all good if you have a power meter on your bike and put the ROLLR in your shed or garage. In my case, I have a Kickr Core in the attic, with both my and my wife's old bikes on it. We're never going to put power meters on our older bikes, and having to buy a power meter for every bike you want to use on the ROLLR is a bit silly.
Sure, you could use pedal-based power meters and swap those between bikes. But then you lose the 'ride within 10 seconds' selling point :)
Yeah I agree, the pricing is baffling.
For the set price with the power pedals you also can get a Tacx Neo 2T…
$50 per warmup outside of the state TT champs
oh. another wheel on trainer ;)
Don’t get it but as it’s Wahoo everyone will get one!!
Why would anyone buy this when the Kickr Core is just a $100 more?
looks awful how the front wheel is supporting your whole body weight rocking side to side
Zipp 454 NSW TEST❓❓
They roll well with the GP5000S TR 28mm.
Festive 500 Day 1 16:55 24. Dec. 2021
…what else the 454 NSW i'll do a long term review of those in the near future…
I’ll get to it… if you have any specific questions fire away.
$799 for a roller without a power meter? 😂😂
My Elite Nero smart roller is much more fun
Trying to see how close before buying, need off living wife will kick me out
same price as the kickr core without power meter and rollers do not give the same experience as the kickr or kicker core. Its obvious that it is not worth it. A badly priced failed product from wahoo
Clunky design, the one where the front wheel is removed and the trainer hold the front fork is simply take less space and easier to store.
Or just make something like Elite Nero where that is the real smart roller.
Meh. Pass. Spare/TT bike on kickr and im happy. -U10
Odd that it has a power output rating, but no power meter. Bring your own power meter? Pass.
Not a good product or idea..wahoo must getting bored
None of the benefits of rollers and none of the benefits of a smart trainer. 5x the size, weight and price of a basic turbo but worse for sprint efforts. I'm out!
*Some of the benefits of rollers (there's a little bit of movement). And most of the benefits of a smart trainer (it does SIM and ERG). I'm all for a good dumping, it just needs to be correct.
@@gplama Well the movement is at the expense of your front wheel, and still doesn't improve your form like rollers will, and the smart features require a power meter that's not supplied! so it's not really smart!
10% max grade, no cadence, no power meter (only max 1500w) and $2000 cost which is more than the Kick5 …..for anyone who races on Zwift it’s a 100% complete waste of time and money. And it doesn’t even give the “comfort” of traditional rollers….
It’s not $2000. That’s the bundle.
@@gplama sorry yes for the single sided power your correct ….more expensive than the Kickr5 and doesn’t have the specs for Zwift racing so I am just not sure why anyone would buy it unless they are just riding around.
yikes.... wahoo whiffed on this one
Good Luck with this new product .Very poor after service from Wahoo if something goes wrong . Would never touch a product from Wahoo again . Buyers be Aware .