Wahoo has built a reputation for being a disruptor since it was founded in 2009.
The American manufacturer turned the world of turbo training on its head when it launched the original KICKR back in 2012, while the brand’s cycling computers have shaken up the GPS market.
Throw in a segment-leading smart bike, accessories such as heart-rate monitors, cycling sensors, radar lights and pedals, and it’s easy to see how Wahoo has become a major player in the world of cycling tech.
One of the brand’s most significant releases was the KICKR CORE – a direct-drive smart trainer launched in 2018. While the KICKR CORE didn’t quite have the same range-topping spec figures as Wahoo’s flagship KICKR, it was a whole lot more affordable, opening up the world of indoor training to the masses.
Now, Wahoo’s latest iteration – the KICKR CORE 2 – builds on its predecessor’s success, but is a fresh attempt by Wahoo to play the role of disruptor once more. Instead of focusing solely on cyclists, this time Wahoo is targeting the world of mainstream fitness.
Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 – what you need to know
- 1,800-watt maximum power output
- +/- 2% power accuracy
- 16% maximum gradient simulation
- WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Race Mode broadcasts data 10 times faster than the original KICKR CORE
- £499.99 / $549.99 / €549.99
The mission statement
“Wahoo’s mission is to ‘build the better athlete in all of us’,” says Tyler Harris, the brand's cycling category director.
“Before we dive into the development process for any of our products, we take a step back to focus on the ideal customer experience – so that our athletes can achieve their goals. We look at customer feedback, current features, new innovations, styling and costs to bring together what the new product needs to deliver.”
The team didn’t look only at the previous generation of the CORE 1 in isolation, but at customer feedback of all models in the KICKR line-up.
“When starting a project, we assess customer feedback to ensure we design to eliminate any types of issues experienced,” adds Harris. “This evaluation process happens continuously throughout the lifecycle of any Wahoo product.
“KICKR CORE 2 went through multiple development iterations across the electrical, mechanical and firmware components until we arrived at what we believe to be the best outcome for our athletes.”
For the KICKR CORE 2, aimed at improving the accessibility of indoor training, the ‘athletes’ referred to represent a broad spectrum of abilities – from first timers to pro-level cyclists.
“After iterating through the earlier stages of development, we lean into our global team of passionate athletes who help Wahoo as beta testers,” says Harris.
“The beta test group ranges from pro athletes through to casual indoor riders and are fundamental in our product development feedback. Our products, such as the KICKR CORE 2, are being used by all types of riders – we require their valuable feedback to deliver the best possible product.”
Building on solid foundations
Despite being seven years old, the KICKR CORE remained a stalwart of hundreds of thousands of pain caves worldwide thanks to its simplicity, ride feel and pocket-friendly pricing.
The updated V2, therefore, had solid foundations it could build upon. “CORE 2 has best-in-class ride feel, integrated cadence, virtual shifting and the perfect balance of performance and value,” says Harris.
The outer design looks very similar to the previous generation, but there is a subtle change to help riders from the outset – the trainer’s legs are redesigned and colour-coded for a faster, easier setup and improved stability.
“The four points of contact on the feet give a wide base for great stability with any style of bike,” adds Harris. Elsewhere, an updated LED system takes the guesswork out of the trainer’s connection status.
It’s inside where Wahoo has undertaken most changes, though. Improvements have been made to the flywheel, which has also been shrunk to 5.4kg, reducing the trainer’s overall weight. Elsewhere, upgrades to the sensors, electronic design and the addition of WiFi connectivity are part of wholesale enhancements to improve the KICKR CORE 2’s performance.
“The resistance technology in the CORE is a robust and well-tested design. It provides a wide range of braking forces dependent on riding scenarios. The resistance unit capabilities allow for very fast changes in resistance, which make features like virtual shifting, structured workout mode and riding through a virtual world feel natural,” says Harris.
“A more powerful microprocessor and updated electronics make a more capable KICKR CORE that [thanks to WiFi connectivity] we can continue to add features to over the next few years.”
The incorporation of WiFi has also unlocked Wahoo’s Race Mode – where power numbers are broadcast with every flywheel revolution rather than averaged once per second, boosting responsiveness and increasing the accessibility and accuracy of eRacing, where a split-second can be the difference between winning and losing.
Finally, the introduction of the KICKR BRIDGE simplifies sensor pairing, with all additional devices, such as heart rate monitors and Zwift’s Cog and Click virtual shifters, connected to the CORE 2 rather than individually to a training platform such as Zwift. This feature is particularly beneficial for Apple TV users.
Approachable alliance
The KICKR BRIDGE is just one example of co-development with Zwift, along with the CORE 2’s virtual-shifting compatibility for the training platform’s Cog and Click accessory.
“We both share the view of making indoor riding onboarding as easy and intuitive as possible to encourage more people to ride indoors,” says Harris.
“By allowing the Wahoo app or Zwift game itself to select and pair other sensors [via the KICKR BRIDGE and Zwift sensor relay], data can now stream directly through the trainer to apps, turning the KICKR CORE 2 into a central sensor gateway and reducing setup friction.
“Wahoo and Zwift’s product and engineering teams discuss weekly about how we want to see the user experience and technology evolve for current and future features and products.”
This collaboration is part of a wider attempt across the indoor cycling market to make indoor training more accessible – from unboxing a turbo trainer through to sprinting for the virtual line in your first online race.
“Onboarding can be a pain point for new indoor riders – we have worked hard on improving the simplicity of unboxing and ease of set up, which, when coupled with the Zwift Cog and a Zwift subscription, helps make your first indoor ride set up very quick, easy and much less daunting to those new to it,” says Harris.
“We will work tirelessly to continue to keep this innovation going – to help enable more people to enjoy the benefits of indoor riding.
“In addition to Wahoo and Zwift, other partners like MyWhoosh, Rouvy and TrainingPeaks Virtual share our vision of making indoor cycling more accessible. We continue to collaborate with all, to drive the future of indoor cycling.”
