WAHOO KICKR BIKE SHIFT – THE LOWDOWN

 

There’s a new Smart Bike in town! The KICKR BIKE SHIFT is Wahoo’s second smart bike following hot on the heels of their original KICKR BIKE.

With more and more road cyclists spending a considerable amount of their time training indoors there’s a strong argument for setting up a permanent ‘pain cave’ if you’re blessed enough to have the space. Rather than swapping in and out of a conventional wheel-off smart trainer, why not take the time to set up a dedicated smart bike to match the fit and feel of your road bike that’s ready to ride whenever you are?

Up until now, one of the barriers to committing to a Smart Bike has been cost; with this in mind Wahoo have produced the KICKR BIKE SHIFT with a lower retail price in a bid to make their cutting-edge technology available to a wider audience, and we’re pleased to say that they’ve been careful to replicate all of the key attributes of the more expensive, original KICKR BIKE.

We give you the lowdown on the Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift smart bike over on YouTube.

 

The more affordable KICKR BIKE SHIFT opens up training on a Smart Bike to wider audience.

 

To create an authentic ride experience Wahoo use a new brake and belt drivetrain system to create instant resistance to the virtual grade and your own pedalling input. This configuration gives an almost identical ride to the more expensive KICKR BIKE but at a lower price. It’s great to see the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT featuring WI-FI connection too meaning there’s no danger of your connection dropping out, allowing you to train using optimal, instant data and your favourite training apps.

The Kickr Bike Shift’s Wi-Fi connection means no dropout at crucial times during your training and racing.

 

Wahoo have done a brilliant job of creating a smart bike that is almost completely silent, even when you’re really putting the power down.

 

Just like the original KICKR BIKE the new KICKR BIKE SHIFT lets you fine-tune the trainer to closely match your regular bike. It features the same virtual shifting and custom gearing, allowing you to match the gear ratios of your outdoor bike and replicating your favourite groupsets from Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo.

The Kickr Bike Shift allows you to exactly match your preferred gearing from your conventional road bike.

 

After taking time to customise them to your liking, you’ll be able to easily toggle through your gears, even during all-out efforts.

 

The Kickr Bike Shift levers feature a very similar look and feel to electronic gear shifters produced by the leading component brands.

 

As we all know, the importance of a comfortable and efficient bike fit is essential to be able to train and perform properly on your bicycle. Wahoo realise that you’re going to be spending a considerable amount of time on your indoor smart bike and with this in mind they’ve included 5 points of adjustment on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT. With the ability to adjust frame, setback and reach dimensions you’ll be able to easily set up this smart bike to mirror the fit of your road-going bike.

Wahoo’s clever crank configuration allows you to match the crank length of your conventional road bike.

 

By taking the time to set up your Kickr Bike Shift to match your road-going bike you’ll be able to train more efficiently indoors.

 

Fine-tuning the Shift’s cockpit involves setting your preferred position with horizontal and vertical adjustment.

 

If you’ve invested in a smart bike, you’ll no-doubt be spending a lot of time riding indoors; your riding position is key to effective training.

 

So how have Wahoo managed to produce their second smart bike at a more affordable price? First off the brake and belt drivetrain resistance type featured on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT compared to the motor resistance on the more expensive KICKR BIKE helps Wahoo hit that lower price point; secondly there is no motorised tilt up or down on the KICKR BIKE SHIFT and thirdly the frame is constructed from steel rather than aluminium.

The Kickr Bike Shift features brake and belt drivetrain resistance, compared to motor resistance found on the more expensive Kickr Bike.

 

There’s no motorised tilt up or down on the more affordable Kickr Bike Shift, however this takes nothing away from the overall ride experience.

 

The Kikr Bike Shift’s steel construction helps Wahoo hit that lower price point.

 

With all the power, efficiency and accuracy of Wahoo’s more expensive KICKR BIKE the SHIFT allows you to constantly switch between training outdoors on your regular road bike and training indoors on Wahoo’s new smart bike while benefitting from the consistency of the same riding position and gearing configuration. The all-new KICKR BIKE SHIFT brings Wahoo’s smart bike technology to a wider audience, providing a permanent indoor training platform that’s always ready for you to jump on.

The Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift smart bike provides a permanent indoor training platform, ready for you to jump on at any time.

 

The Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift is available in-store and online at Wheelbase now. RRP £2,699.00

 

Written by Johnny Dodgin

Photos by James Vincent

 

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