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TECH NEWS
Wahoo Fitness launches £649 Kickr Snap power turbo trainer
Following on from its highly impressive (and exceedingly expensive) Kickr direct-mount power trainer, Wahoo Fitness has launched the more affordable Snap power trainer (£649) which offers ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity with sensors and a range of apps providing, among other features, full power resistance control from a smartphone.
The Kickr Snap is a conventional turbo trainer, with the bicycle supported in a frame and the rear wheel contacting a roller, so it's arguably easier and quicker to use. Wahoo Fitness has concentrated on ensuring it’s a stable trainer, and at 38lb (17.24kg) it’s certainly hefty enough that it shouldn’t move about easily when doing some intervals.
The Snap’s flywheel has been engineered to replicate the outdoors riding experience. That was one of the most appealing aspects of the original Kickr trainer, so it’ll be interesting to see if the company has managed to match it with the more affordable Snap.
Wahoo’s big thing is connectivity, and the Snap features ANT+ and Bluetooth so it can be controlled from the company’s own smartphone and tablet app, which among many features lets you adjust and manage the resistance levels - that was the Kickr's biggest appeal, being able to so easily control the power resistance level. It also allows the addition of extra sensors like cadence and heart rate and enables a host of third-party apps, like TrainerRoad and Zwift, to be used with the Snap.
As for the price, well it’s significantly cheaper than the original Kickr’s £950 price tag, but at £649 it’s still at the thick end of what most people would expect to pay for a turbo trainer. But then it does offer a lot for the money. The Snap is available from August and we’ve been promised a review unit so we can put it through its paces, and see how it compares to its rivals and the more expensive Kickr.
“When we introduced our first KICKR trainer in 2012, we redefined the trainer category by offering the first iPhone powered cycling trainer,” said Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness. “The KICKR SNAP is a descendent of our gold standard KICKR, and provides similar features but is easier to use, so users of all abilities can stay fit year round.”
More info at www.wahoofitness.com
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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7 comments
has anyone tried out the Snap yet?
As someone else has mentioned, the most direct competitor would be the Powerbeam Pro (I think it's maybe had a tweak recently and a name change but it's effectively the same item). The PB Pro is a very good piece of kit with pretty solid software and of course Powertap accurate power measurements. Saris may have to bring their price into line with this new product, or market theirs as superior and worth a similar premium price like the Kickr. Can only be good for consumers though. I'll stick with my PB Pro though if it's true that the Kickr has power accuracy issues (I would love to do away with the tyre interface issues, but not at the expense of inaccurate power). PS Saris = Cycleops.
Oooooo, i'd have been highly tempted if this had been out 9 months ago. Price-wise it's seems inbetween the Tacx Bushido Smart and the Genius, which seems a reasonable business move, and the max grade looks to be at least on a par with the Bushido - max grade looks a fair bit lower than the Genius, despite what Wahoo imply, but the dual-protocol and application control is a huge plus over the Tacx. Not sure if it does powered descent either, can't find it on the website or reviews.
Wonder what Cycleops will do with the PowerBeam price (if anything) ...
Looks very nice option....
I have the original kickr. It is a great piece of kit, very solidly built, weighing 25kg. I use Bkool as the simulator. I prefer the extra weight it has, gives a reassuring solid base. I can see these selling quite well if it has the same build
Sorry I meant the Tacx Vortex smart which is about £220. Quite a saving and the recently implemented ANT + FE-C update means that apps like Zwift can control the resistance.
Actually, not so. The Satori has power measurement, but not power control. So you still have to adjust the resistance manually vs Kickr Snap's automated control & workout programmes. Nothing wrong with that, but it's very definitely not the same thing.
And the TACX software is truly awful. Whereas there are many 3rd party apps available that work with the Kickrs. eg TrainerRoad, PerfPro as well as Wahoo's own.
However... their website says 5% accuracy on power measurement. Given that they struggle with 15% accuracy on the direct drive Kickr, for which they claim 3% (I have one, and even the latest firmware updates haven't fixed it), I very much doubt this will prove to be true in real life.
The Tacx Satori smart can be had for about £180 from Rose bikes and offers pretty much the same features. So I am afraid to say I'm out.