Wahoo KICKR MOVE Review – the 19 cons❌ and 9 pros✔️
Wahoo KICKR MOVE Review
The Wahoo KICKR Move could be the best indoor smart trainer; a detailed review is below. Let’s crack into why you came here: 10 reasons NOT to buy it, with the first 5 being the more important ones (more nuanced pros and 19 cons are listed below)
Portability: Weighs 29kg/64lb. Liftable but heavy.
It requires external power, so you can’t use it as a race warm-up in the car park.
May damage carbon frames with intense use (like all smart trainers)
Flywheel inertia can make high gears feel easier, and I don’t think this aspect is a good road feel. Others do.
No left/right power balance
Other than cost, I don’t think any of those are show-stoppers for vast numbers of people. Perhaps some of the Cons count as things to be aware of or minor inconveniences. Either way, they are outweighed by these 5…
Comfortable & Quiet (that’s two, really)
Persistent auto-calibration
100% Zwift compatible; indeed, it’s compatible with any platform or standard piece of sports tech (TrainerRoad, MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks, Final Surge, Xert…)
claimed accuracy, to +/-1% error
ERG Easy Ramp makes restarting easy.
Here’s a summary review of the Wahoo KICKR MOVE, followed by details and tests.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The best indoor trainer I've used.
Price - 90%
90%
Apparent Accuracy - 99%
99%
Build Quality & Design - 90%
90%
Features, Including App - 95%
95%
Openness & Compatability - 95%
95%
94%
Wahoo KICKR MOVE Summary Review
Wahoo KICKR Move successfully vies with Garmin’s TACX Neo 3M for the best indoor smart bike trainer title.
It’s a super-high-quality piece of kit to put your bike on for those cold, wet winter evening Zwift workouts. The main differentiator is the added comfort from a base that allows lateral and fore-aft movement. Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as the KICKR V6 from 2022 – heck, they both also share the comfort boost from KICKR AXIS feet. If you want to double up on comfort, get the KICKR CLIMB, which subtly changes pressure points on your saddle as your forks are lifted for uphill climbs. KICKR MOVE is undoubtedly expensive, so if you want to save some money, get a KICKR Snap and if you’re going to save over 50%, get a KICKR CORE and a rocker plate.
KICKR MOVE has +/-1% accuracy and can handle all those times when you crank 2,200 watts on 20% grades (hmmm!). Wahoo offers state-of-the-art precision and performance – you don’t want to devote days sorting out data dropouts, so the new WiFi and Direct LAN connections give good options to avoid that. Similarly, you get higher resolution data and more responsive gameplay in Race Mode over WiFi. Everything considered, KICKR MOVE gives more of a real-world feel than almost all other trainers, the two main omissions being the lack of a Wahoo steering option and the lack of an assisted motor for realistic descents. If you get KICKR Headwind, you get realistic, speed-based airflow (wind), but you’ll need two to keep it properly cool.
Finally, you have compatibility with just about any indoor cycling tech and over 99% of bikes. (Check)
The cheaper KICKR CORE is good but not quite as good as MOVE. It’s not as accurate, has a lighter flywheel and can’t handle the same top-end power or top-end gradients. Oh, and it hasn’t got a carry handle or AXIS feet—none matter to most cyclists. Comfort, on the other hand, matters to everyone. KICKR MOVE is the comfiest indoor training experience I’ve ever had.
KICKR MOVE is a notably different piece of hardware than KICKR V6/2022. However, those are all mechanical differences. All that you see and feel as being different is that KICKR MOVE is heavier, takes up more space, and moves forwards, backwards, and side-to-side. All the other features and performance characteristics are unchanged. You’ll also be looking at a $300 price bump.
Suppose you’ve been procrastinating over a KICKR for a year or two. In that case, it’s also worth noting that KICKR V6/2022 only had a few improvements over the previous V5 model, notably 2.4GHz always-on WiFi for gameplay and firmware downloads and an odometer showing usage stats.
Press to (un)Lock the feet with the pin
Adjust Wheel Size
Nope, Your LAN cable won’t fit here
Wahoo KICKR MOVE – The Practicalities of Setup
First-time setup is intuitive and usually doesn’t require a manual. You’re almost ready to go with the correct cassette and axle adapter. Pull the legs out until they click in position, and rotate the KICKR AXIS feet to level the bike.
Pair KICKR MOVE to the Wahoo app (not the ELEMNT app). Log into your home WiFi here (use a cable if you can), and once you’re done, KICKR will automatically update its firmware when needed. The app shows that KICKR MOVE is the source of Speed, Power, Cadence, and Tilt and Trainer Control information. Provide a backup sensor pairing here if you have one, and you should also find that KICKR HEADWIND and CLIMB automatically pair if they are nearby and on.
You probably also want to disable ERG power smoothing.
Another option is to use your regular power meter as the power source and let KICKR MOVE do the resistance control. This can be a good idea as it means your indoor and outdoor power readings will be consistent; however, you might find a degree of unresponsiveness (test it with your power meter).
Hopefully, you know how to pair bike sensors. KICKR move can be paired as a smart trainer or a power meter. If you pair to your bike computer as a power meter, you won’t get the control features. So make sure you pair the right things and only pair as a smart traineronce– pairing using FTMS or ANT+ FE-C is the way to get trainer control. Thus, you might pair ZWIFT to KICKR as a smart trainer and your Garmin Edge 1040 and Garmin Forerunner 965 to your ANT+ power meter to capture data consistent with outdoor rides.
With the bike on the trainer, check that you can use the big and small rings without the chain coming off. Then check that there is no undue chain noise. A noisy chain might indicate that you must tweak your rear derailleur position. The gear indexing is not guaranteed to be identical to your bike’s regular wheel. Fingers crossed; otherwise, it becomes an annoying thing to do before each ride.
Next, you can optionally perform a spindown in the app, or sometimes WAHOO ELEMNTs will let you perform one. You speed up to 20mph/36km/h and stop pedalling. KICKR calibrates the braking resistance as it slows to about 18km/h. You should never repeat this, as the process is now persistently automated during workouts.
Finally, it’s time to consider what will happen with your front wheel. Unlike other trainers, KICKR MOVE will cause your front wheel to roll backwards and forwards by 20cm. You do not need to use a riser, but if you do, it will need a long groove rather than the usual one that fixes the wheel. Remember that repeated rolling could leave marks on a carpet besides sweat stains!
If you use ANT+ FE-C to control the trainer, you may experience dropouts caused by interference. If WiFi pairing is an option with your other kit, it should fix interference. Failing that, a direct cable connection (LAN/RJ45) will fix it.
Wahoo KICKR MOVE – The Practicalities of Regular Use
At 29kg, KICKR MOVE is about 9kg heavier than the older KICKR models and has a bigger floor footprint. It’s best if you leave it permanently set up. If you lack space, it folds away easily enough but is heavy to move, and you’ll be glad of the handle, which the cheaper models lack.
So long as you have the KICKR in roughly the same physical place each time you use it, there’s a good chance it will retain the level you adjusted for on the first use.
Then, getting your bike on and off KICKR is easy. You’ll find it easier using the third smallest rear cog and the smallest front ring. That makes getting the derailleur over the cassette easier (thru-axles might differ). Double-check that the chain is correctly running over both of the derailleur’s pulley wheels; otherwise, you risk breaking it (I’ve done it).
Pairing and calibration are not necessary as you’ve already done that on the first time setup.
You also can physically (un)lock the KICKR movement at any time, even during the workout. There is a large switch on the central leg. I prefer it unlocked.
Sweet Flywheel
Wahoo KICKR MOVE – Ride Feel
I would consider an indoor bike ride feel in two general respects: how the bike tilts and rolls and how the power/resistance matches the ease at which I accelerate/decelerate on outdoor road surfaces. Perhaps you could include environmental factors like air resistance, road noise, and incline as elements of a natural ‘ride feel’.
Allowing the bike to move forwards/backwards and side-to-side is a good thing and better than a wholly stationary trainer. However, the side-to-side movement when going uphill out of the saddle is not realistic in the sense that a bike on the road will have more lateral movement. Small amounts of additional lateral movement come from the play in the KICKR MAT and softness in the AXIS feet.
Acceleration seems realistic enough, probably due to Wahoo’s heavy flywheel. But flywheel inertia at high speeds makes the power level feel more manageable, even if it isn’t (the power is correct).
Enabling RACE MODE causes more frequent transmission of power, making gameplay feel more realistic even though the performance of the KICKR itself is unchanged.
A recently added feature is the ERG Easy Ramp, intended to make restarting easier. If you’ve been cranking out 300w and stop mid-workout, the resistance will still be equivalent to 300w on your first pedal stroke after the rest. As you know, it can be challenging to restart. Restarting is now much easier as the restarting resistance is progressively but quickly added after a stop from a low level to the correct level.
Adding KICKR CLIMB to the mix, and raising and lowering the front further improves comfort and engages muscles more realistically when the gradient changes. However, going downhill isn’t realistic, even with a negative gradient on CLIMB. Downhill cycling in the Wahoo ecosystem would benefit from motor-assists like the TACX. Finally, Wahoo does not attempt to simulate different road surfaces.
Overall, I like how the KICKR performs in terms of ride feel. For me, comfort trumps everything else, and KICKR MOVE delivers on that front. Any criticisms of other minor aspects of road feel aren’t that important—at least to me.
Wahoo KICKR MOVE – Accuracy Report
TL;DR – Claimed accuracy is +/-1%, and I’ve no reason to doubt that from my rides covering about 48 hours of riding.
Some selected rides don’t paint a perfect picture for Wahoo. However, a big part of that is because of some of the issues I had with my Stages cranks that kept dropping cadence (cadence times torque = watts…no cadence…no watts).
Every single ride had the Assiomas calibrated, and the KICKR never changed its physical position, so its autocalibration should be fine. The Stages sometimes didn’t want to calibrate for fun.
The rides on MyWhoosh sometimes require me to combine 3 KICKR data sets on DCR’s Analyzer tool. The three separate KICKR files are displayed in the same colour as other PMs in different colours. Sometimes, the times were out of sync, and having multiple files for one PM also meant that the mean-max curve didn’t work.
Warmup 1
Warmup 1
5x 270
5x 270 – one of the reps
warmup, gradual rampup/down
gradual rampup/down
short spikes
not quite sure what i was doing here
600w section
Steady
Steady, CP curve
CP curve
3 levels on MyWhoosh
3 levels on MyWhoosh, spikey bit
General, lots of Stages dropouts
These rides cover six weeks. At the start, I was getting quite a bit of chain noise, so I might have expected 2-3 watts of drivetrain loss between Assioma and KICKR; perhaps that’s evidenced by the 5×270 ride. Towards the end of the period, e.g. on the 3 Mywhoosh levels ride, the two curves were very similar, and at this point, I’d cured my drivetrain noise problem.
Sprints, intervals, easy ramp tests, easy deceleration, and free rides with acceleration on and off the saddle all seem okay. However, there is certainly not always a perfect correlation between the data.
Cadence data on KICKR is derived from mini accelerations during the pedal stroke. There seem to be a few lags or overestimates with the KICKR cadence, but I’m not worried about that. Unlike many outdoor power meters, KICKR does not need cadence to calculate power. Cadence is far more important to get right for other types of power meters. This chart shows a strange overestimate for an extended period at the start of a ride. It doesn’t affect the power.
AFAIK it’s impossible to get an estimated L/R power balance unless the crank position is known. The crank position is not known on KICKR MOVE.
Tl; DR – Accuracy Take Out: I trust KICKR MOVE to show accurate power data, but I haven’t proved it satisfactorily from the data sets above.
Detailed Specifications – Wahoo KICKR MOVE (2023)
KICKR MOVE 2023 has market-leading specifications in every aspect. These nuanced specs are essential to understand if you or your bike are unusual. Most of us…skip to the next section; all is good.
Type: Mains 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 an 11-speed with an 11-28 ratio (a 12-speed adapter is available), which is also compatible with 8, 9, and 10-speed.
Connectivity: ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, WiFi (2.4GHz, not 5GHz), 3 Bluetooth Connections, LAN (requires Direct Connect Adapter). Almost everything
WiFi auto-updates
Wahoo KICKR V6 FAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions
Q: Is Wahoo KICKR MOVE worth it?
A: KICKR MOVE is the most comfortable trainer I’ve ridden. What price comfort for those who need it? Otherwise, it’s hard to justify this amount of money and the extra cash over the V6 or V5. You’re paying for the comfort, Easy ramp and WiFi features, which are super nice but hardly essential for most people. If I didn’t run this site, I’d probably get KICKR CORE. If I often experienced interference, I’d get V6. I don’t use indoor trainers every week in the winter. If I did, I’d get KICKR MOVE for the comfort factor.
Q. What’s the difference between the Wahoo KICKR MOVE and the cheaper KICKR Core?
A: The smaller flywheel on the Core gives a less-than-good ride feel. It lacks a carry handle, and it is a tad less accurate. The importance comes down to the types of rides and where you store Kickr. If you leave the KICKR setup out in your pain shed all winter but tend towards monotonous training, Core would be fine. It would be fine anyway.
Q. When was KICKR MOVE released?
A: Wahoo Kickr Move was released in September 2023, 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, which allows fore/aft and side-to-side movement. These movements give comfort and a superior ride feel.
Q: Should I also get the KICKR Mat, CLIMB, Headwind, etc?
A: I’d recommend KICKR CLIMB. Depending on your needs and circumstances, you’ll need a mat and other things, but you can get those from any other brand. CLIMB is uniquely suitable for Wahoo KICKR; get one!
Wahoo KICKR Review – A History
The indoor training market evolved from dumb trainers and manually controlled spin bikes into standards-based, high-tech machines and ecosystems that bring precision and ‘fun’ to our pain caves.
The first KICKR was released ten years ago and is perhaps the single product that kickstarted Wahoo’s phenomenal growth. Wahoo went from a lowly maker of heart rate monitors to a leading cycling brand with smart indoor trainers ranging from $400 to $4,000.
Early features involved compatibility with ANT+ bike computers and different kinds of bike wheels and frames. That has expanded to cover 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 to give 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 and link up to your Wahoo ELEMNT [KICKR SNAP]
Dumb trainer – clamp on your back wheel, manually control the resistance and hope that there is a display for speed as that’s the most data you’ll get.
Wahoo KICKR Move – The Future
KICKR MOVE has it all. Well, almost.
Expect to see Wahoo add a new steerer and the ability to emulate road surface noise.
New tech components on the inside could give us better downhill simulation with a motor of some sort, as well as weight scales to reduce the impact of cheating in online racing. Expect to see further developments to prevent cheating, including verification with secondary power meters and the transmission of check signals.
The MOVEment mechanism in KICKR MOVE will eventually trickle down to mid-range KICKRs as it is such a good feature.
Take Out – Wahoo KICKR Move Review
It’s an excellent-quality kit that offers the most comfortable indoor ride I’ve ever had. I have completed 4- and 5-hour rides on KICKR MOVE, but I’ve never previously completed anything near that duration due to discomfort.
The dynamic movement and responsive power characteristics are excellent when used with CLIMB.
The price is hard to justify, but the comfort factor might convince you to spend more than you otherwise might.
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