Cycling News Review

the bad bits ❌ Wahoo Kickr V6 | Longterm Review – and the good bits too of course

Wahoo kickr v6 2022 reviewWahoo Kickr V6 Review – the bad bits – long-term review – and the good bits too, of course

This is a long-term review of the Wahoo KICKR V6 indoor trainer (the 2022 model). I’ve been using a loan unit from Wahoo for over a year, and I’ve also used all the previous KICKRs, including the original in 2013.

It’s an excellent trainer, one of the very, very best. Yet you came here for the negativity implied by the title, so I’ll do my best to (dis-)please. I have to say that KICKR is my go-to turbo trainer, though!

If this review helps, please buy from one of the links here. Negative-focussed content like this rarely gets me commission despite its obvious usefulness, but it still takes the same effort to create! And, as you’ve noticed, there should be no ads, either.

Buy Direct from Wahoo: $1,000, £849, €1,000

Wahoo Kickr V6 Longterm Review
  • Price - 80%
    80%
  • Apparent Accuracy - 95%
    95%
  • Build Quality & Design - 95%
    95%
  • Features, Including App - 95%
    95%
  • Openness & Compatability - 95%
    95%
92%

Best smart bike trainer at its price point

Perhaps the best smart bike trainer at its price point. You can pay less, make minor sacrifices and get a better bang for your buck with KICKR CORE or you can pay more and add rider experience features with KICKR MOVE. Stick with Wahoo if you like its bike computers. Consider the excellent Garmin / Tacx Neo 3M (2T) if you have a Garmin Edge.

Check the complete list of negatives/cons immediately below.

Wahoo kickr v6 2022

My experiences with the KICKR are 99% positive. It is easy to use with the Wahoo and Zwift apps. For structured workouts from TrainingPeaks and Final Surge, I switch from my Garmin Edge 540 to my Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt 2.

I am happy that the KICKR delivers the same accuracy as my Assioma DUO, Shimano R9100P (see comments below), Stages Gen 3, and Wahoo Powrlink power meters.

I do have a few minor complaints.

The 11-speed gear indexing matches two of my wheelsets but not the other two. So if I switch from the ‘wrong’ bike/wheel, the chain will come off in the lowest gear unless I adjust the limit screw. This is not Wahoo’s fault; it is just an issue you might unexpectedly encounter if you have several bikes. More commonly, you have to fine-tune your gear indexing. The single ring on Zwift Hub One gets around this.

When following a structured warm-up, I include 6-second sprints, but the KICKR feels a tad slow to ramp up the resistance meaningfully for such short durations, notably in low gears. That’s only a minor issue, and remembering to pre-change to a high gear keeps me happy.

Finally, I’d like to use the KICKR to warm up at races, but it requires an external power source. I could buy something to power it from my car, but I haven’t. Below, you will find more negative points, but most don’t affect me or how I like to train.

Buy Direct from Wahoo: $1,000, £849, €1,000

Pros

  • 100% Zwift compatible, indeed it’s compatible with any platform or normal piece of sports tech (TrainerRoad, TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, Xert…)
  • It can be controlled by apps and is simultaneously also a source of metrics like power, cadence and speed
  • Low noise and vibration
  • Persistent auto-calibration
  • Accurate as claimed, to +/-1%
  • Front-wheel riser – not needed
  • Auto WiFi firmware updates
  • ERG Easy Ramp

Cons

  • Cost is high
  • KICKR AXIS feet are good but still don’t give me comfort for super long rides
  • Flywheel inertia makes high gears feel easier, I don’t think this is a good road feel, others do.
  • Flywheel/belt may not feel as road-like as electromagnetic resistance trainers
  • Leg retention release pin can be hard to press
  • Identical cassettes and spacers can need gears reindexing for your road bike to work on KICKR
  • RJ45 (LAN) needs a $100 adapter
  • Resistance feels slow to respond for very short, hard sprints in low gears
  • No downhill speed simulation (motor)
  • No 5Ghz WiFi support (has 2.4GHz which is fine)
  • No left/right power balance
  • Portability: Weighs over 20kg/47lb. Liftable but heavy.
  • Requires external power – you can’t use it as a race warm-up in the car park
  • A mate had misaligned welding issues with the same model
  • I have experienced ANT+ signal interference but not with WiFi/Cable
  • Wahoo RGT has been cancelled
  • Adapter required for 12 spd compatibility
  • Like any indoor trainer, usage may ruin carbon frames.
  • Wahoo ELEMNTs can NOT easily skip a step by pressing ‘lap’ in a structured workout, it’s more convoluted

What’s new: Wahoo KICKR V6 (2022) – in detail

Not much has changed of any significance with the Kickr V6, except these two things.

  1. Erg Easy Ramp—This solves the problem of resistance being too high when you resume a workout that you unexpectedly stopped. Erg Easy Ramp progressively applies resistance over 10 seconds as you move from zero watts to whatever the target is. Verdict: Generally Great.
  2. 2.4GHZ Wi-Fi Connectivity—This gives you a more robust connection to your home Wi-Fi. Latency is lowered, and data throughput is increased so that Zwift will be more responsive, and there should be no signal interference—the verdict: Meh for some, a life-saver for others.

Minor changes include the following.

  • The odometer tracks the total mileage ever ridden on the trainer, assuming a 700×23 wheel size. It may be handy for servicing or determining the resale value. No competitor offers this. Verdict: Meh.
  • White WiFi Connectivity Light – A solid light indicates a fully connected WiF status, with a blinking light indicating discovery and connecting states. Verdict: Necessary.
  • Automatic firmware updates – Almost no one remembers to do manual updates, so Mr Wahoo has intervened to keep us all up to date. Verdict: Good
  • The onboard PCBA upgraded, enabling support for the Zwift protocol. Verdict: Interesting
  • Red ANT+ LED removed – The sad demise of the ANT+ LED light is complete. We shall no longer be able to revel in its red glory. It probably had to go to make space for the new white one 😉 Verdict: Not worth mentioning. But, hey!

Earlier changes to the V5 version of Kickr added AXIS feet, which provide some lateral motion, auto-calibration, and 1% accuracy.

wahoo kickr v6 LED

 

Detailed Specifications – Wahoo KICKR V6 (2022)

KICKR V6 has market-leading specifications in every aspect. These nuanced specs are essential to understand if you or your bike is unusual. For most of us, skip to the next section.

  • Type: Powered Wheel-Off Smart Trainer; use your bike and take the rear wheel off
  • Product Weight: 47 lb / 22 kg
  • Drivetrain: Belt Drive
  • Performance
    • Maximum Power Output: 2200 Watts. More than you need
    • Maximum Simulated Grade: 20% More than you need
    • Minimum Simulated Grade: -10%
    • Power Accuracy: +/-1% Industry best
    • Persistent auto-calibration
  • BIKE/RIDER COMPATIBILITY
    • Cassette: Includes 11-speed with 11-28 ratio (12-speed adapter available)
    • REAR WHEEL SIZE ROAD: 24”, 650C, 700C MTB: 24”, 26”, 650B, 29”
    • Hub Types: 130/135mm QR, 12×142, and 12×148 Thru Axle
    • Adapters: Includes 130/135mm QR adapter & hub spacer, 12×142/148 adapter & hub spacer, 1.8mm cassette spacer
    • Maximum Rider Weight: 250 lb / 113 kg
    • KICKR Ride Feel
    • KICKR AXIS Feet (included)
  • SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY
    • APPLE, ANDROID, WINDOWS
    • Zwift, Wahoo X (RGT and SYSTM) compatible. Others too
    • KICKR CLIMB & Headwind compatible
    • Connectivity: ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, WiFi, 3 Bluetooth Connections, Direct Connect. Almost everything
    • WiFi auto-updates

Wahoo App

After establishing the WiFi link via the Wahoo app, you shouldn’t need to use the app again. Take a quick look at these screen options.

That said, there are some interesting personal preferences.

Race Mode for KICKR V5 onwards sends information more frequently to your controlling app, making Zwift more responsive.

ERG Mode power smoothing is perhaps best disabled; otherwise, it tends to average out the power numbers a bit too much. However, it shouldn’t affect everyday use too much.

The control w/ANT+ power meter means that KICKR calibrates to another power source, like your ASSIOMA pedals. That sounds awesome, in principle, as it will ensure that all your data is consistent. However, enabling the feature reduces responsiveness.

wahoo kickr axis feet on kickr v6 2022

Wahoo KICKR V6 FAQ

Here are answers to frequently asked questions

Q: Is Wahoo KICKR V6 worth it?

A: It’s hard to justify this amount of money and the extra cash for the V6 over the V5. You’re paying for the Easy ramp and WiFi features, which are super nice but hardly essential for most people. Ultimately, I guess it feels good to get a more premium-end indoor trainer if you can afford it. If I didn’t run this site, I’d probably get KICKR CORE. If I often experienced interference, I’d get V6.

Q. What’s the difference between Wahoo KICKR V6 and KICKR Core?

A: The smaller flywheel on the Core gives a less-than-good ride feel and lacks a carry handle. The importance of the Core depends on the type of rides you ride and where you store Kickr. If you leave the KICKR setup out in your pain shed all winter but tend towards monotonous training, then the Core would be fine. It would be fine anyway.

Q. When was KICKR V6 released?

A: Wahoo Kickr V6 was released in September 2022, costing $1,300 in the US and £1,099 in the UK.

Q. What is the difference between KICKR V6 and KICKR MOVE?

A: Wahoo KICKR MOVE commands a notable premium (£300/$300) for its novel construction that allows fore/aft and side-to-side movement. These movements give comfort and a superior ride feel. Maybe you want to be as comfortable as possible for all those hours you’ll spend on the turbo.

Wahoo KICKR Review – A History

The indoor training market evolved from dumb trainers and manually controlled spin bikes into a standards-based, high-tech environment that brings precision and fun to our pain caves.

The first KICKR was released ten years ago and is perhaps the most pivotal product to positively impact Wahoo’s phenomenal growth. Wahoo went from a maker of heart rate monitors to a leading cycling brand with smart trainers ranging from about $400 to $4,000.

Early features included compatibility with ANT+ bike computers and speed and cadence sensors. This has expanded to include multiple Bluetooth connections to TVs, gamified training platforms, and supporting devices that can raise your bike to simulate gradients or increase fan speeds to simulate road speed and the need to evaporate sweat.

Bike technology has also changed, giving us 12-speed cassettes, disk brakes, and thru axles. Wahoo and other trainer companies have risen to the challenge of supporting every change in the world of bikes with a catch-all smart trainer.

Dumb trainers with manually controlled resistance have gone the way of the dodo, and now we are left with

  • High-end – smart indoor bikes that do everything [KICKR Bike]
  • High-end smart trainers – take off your back wheel and put your road bike on. All the features [Wahoo KICKR V6, 2022, this review. Kickr Move, 2023]
  • Mid-market smart trainers – take off your back wheel and put your road bike on. Fewer features but still able to give a complete experience [KICKR CORE, review]
  • Mid-market smart rollers – put your bike on as-is and ride, but you need a power meter on the bike [KICKR ROLLR, review]
  • Budget smart trainer – clamp your back wheel onto the trainer [KICKR SNAP]

Wahoo kickr v6 2022

Wahoo KICKR – The Future

KICKR 2022 has it all. Well, almost.

In 2023, KICKR MOVE was introduced, an identical trainer to the one in this review but with built-in fore-aft movement that adds ride comfort and a slightly more realistic road feel, albeit at a significant price premium.

Wahoo KICKR MOVE – Opinion

 

Wahoo KICKR V6 – The Competition

KICKR’s main competitor is the Garmin-owned TACX Neo 2T. I think KICKR V6 is slightly better than the NEO 2 T and has a similar overall price. The newer Neo 3M is comparable to Kickr MOVE, and both occupy a higher price tier.

Tacx Neo 2T has the same level of accuracy as Wahoo but lacks the new features that Wahoo added with the V6 KICKR. Set against that, Neo does support cobble simulations but doesn’t support Wahoo KICKR CLIMB, and it can be used without a power cord.

The Garmin/Tacx vs. Wahoo toss-up depends on which brand you prefer. If you want to save a bit of money and get similar features, consider Saris and Elite.

 

wahoo kickr v6 comparsiosn review to tacx neo and saris and elite justo
Source: Wahoo

The Elite Justo slightly undercuts the price of the KICKR V6 and pretty much matches it feature-by-feature for 10% less. It also supports a slightly higher maximum rider power of 2400w.

The Saris H4 represents the best bang for your buck in this part of the market, coming in for 20-30% less. It addresses key shortcomings of its predecessor and now supports 12-speed, has 1% stated accuracy, supports gradients up to 25% and can handle 2300w of rider power. Saris doesn’t have multiple BLE channels and keeps a quirky calibration process.

Order Wahoo
Shop Wahoo Now

Summary

One of the very best smart trainers just got a tiny bit better.

If you buy the even more expensive KICKR MOVE or the TACX NEO 3M, you won’t regret it. You will not regret it if you buy Wahoo’s KICKR V6, earlier KICKR V5, or Garmin’s Tacx NEO 2T.

Sales of smart trainers peaked over the Covid years. With the ever-present threat of inflation and recession, you have to think that sales in the smart trainer market have peaked…at least for a year or so. More positively, this should mean we will see further price competition at the $/£500 end of the market and good deals on KICKR V6 at sale times, i.e., spring/summer! Wahoo can be adept at offering indoor training bundles simply because it has the products to bundle together when no one else does to the same degree…not even Garmin/Tacx.

 

Price & Availability

Buy Direct from Wahoo: $1,000, £849, €1,000

Wahoo’s product prices are tightly controlled, and you rarely get discounts that Wahoo does not sanction. Your favourite retailer probably already offers the best price, which should be the same as the Whoo-direct price.

Also, consider

 

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10 thoughts on “the bad bits ❌ Wahoo Kickr V6 | Longterm Review – and the good bits too of course”

  1. Thank you for your comments on the flywheel inertia/road feel/gear ratio.

    I really struggle with my Wahoo v4 for this reason. I feel easy efforts are hard and hard efforts are easier than outdoors. It feels unnatural to me.
    I’m exagerrating but i have to grind through my warm up and zone 2 before i get to the more easier cruisy tempo intervals.
    I’ve found if i badly calibrate my turbo so that the spindown time is shorter than normal then this allows me to, get into a higher gear and spin up the flywheel at at easier efforts. Power numbers are false but the feel is better and for me i get a better more realistic enjoyable workout.

    I remember my old gym had some Life Fitness magnetic resistance flywheel hybrid things for spin classes. I loved the feel of them. They felt cruisy like a tri-bike on the open road.

    1. The v4 power numbers SHOULD be accurate regardless of gear ie not false. I agree they might feel false!

      This might explain it more: https://youtu.be/uHUOhmG04M8?t=300

      If you have the wrong physical crank length on your bike it might make certain kinds of effort disproportionately harder in easier gears (or not)

      so my take (which could be wrong) is that if you are doing a fixed 250w at 90rpm in gear 1 and gear 22 then they will feel identical only if you can precisely maintain that wattage. In gear 1 if you deviate a bit then you have to revert to the mean more often and that is why it feels progressively harder during the interval.

      It might also be linked to the difficulty setting you have on Zwift??

      I guess your test would be to have power meter pedals at home and in the gym where you might be able to quantify a different feel.
      Of course your gym bike might also be incorrectly calibrated.

  2. Yeah stopped reading after you said it’s as accurate as your shimano meter… they are know to be very unreliable… so in no way should anyone take anything you say after that seriously

  3. I just sent my fourth Kickr back to Wahoo. This one started making a noise and vibrating. Hopefully the next one will be good

  4. When you don’t have power, you can easily warm up> without a pad it generates 200W resistance if I remember correctly. When I saw that the disadvantage was too much weight, I laughed. That’s the advantage. The product is solid with a metal frame.

    1. aaah, i thought it was less than 200w. might have to double check that one
      weight: yes obviosuly weight aids stability and flywheel weight the road feel but absolute weight would be a factor for a weaker person to lug one about their flat every day/every other day. not a biggie. i’ll revisit the wording above, ty

  5. Also, rather than using your bike computer for indoor structured workouts, you should really give the new wahoo app a try. It works great, and solves the issue of skipping intervals

    1. fair point, i’ve not used the Wahoo app for anything lke that for ages. I tend to create ad-hoc workouts in training peaks and they get syncd to my elemnt (or HH or Edge). if the wahoo app takes those and syncs the result back to my dropbox that would work for me, tho i walsys worry if if have two apps running on a phone.
      Defintiely other readers shoudl consider this

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