Zwift Ride Indoor Bike (with Kickr Core) Thoughts

More: Wahoo Kickr Core Review

Zwift has over a million paying subscribers (Source: Zwift employee) yet still can’t turn a profit.

Subscriber growth will probably continue as indoor cycling is a lonely pastime and Zwift is the only platform with a huge number of fellow riders to be social with. However, Zwift faces challenges everywhere it turns and even when it doesn’t turn.

• Business As Usual Problems: Mywhoosh is trying to poach customers with a free Zwift-like offering albeit an offering that lacks sociability, Mywhoosh even let you transfer some of your hard-earned virtual achievements and currencies from Zwift to its platforms.
• New Business Problems: Zwift’s foray into wheel-off trainers encountered patent pandemonium as the company litigated with Wahoo. The two are now buddies again, selling each other’s products.

What Is Zwift Ride

It’s an indoor bike frame which offers a reasonable amount of adjustment possibilities. More than that, it integrates controls for virtual shifting and initially comes supplied with a Kickr CORE smart trainer. CORE produces the power and applies the resistance whilst Zwift’s app and electronic wizardry add virtual gearing to single-geared thingymabob on the trainer.

It’s a cheap Wattbike or even cheaper Kickr Bike (if you’ve ever heard of that).

Reasons to get a Zwift Ride (with Kickr Core)

• It’s a complete indoor riding solution, supported by one manufacturer
• It’s clean, you don’t use your regular bike
• It can be quickly adjusted to suit the dimensions of several household members
• Virtual gear shifters can be Shimano or SRAM-style
• Virtual steering
• A sturdy metal option
• Multiple household members want to share the same equipment and potentially save space
• Using alongside the Zwift mobile app circumvents some technical issues using similar products with Apple TV.
• One of the quieter options

Reasons to avoid

• Currently, it’s very much tied to the Zwift app rather than any other training app
• Cannot adjust the crank arm length
• Doesn’t physically simulate inclines like KICKR CLIMB (but does adjust the resistance)
• Doesn’t simulate road noise like Tacx NEO 3M
• 170mm crank length only (if you are 5’9″ or 174cm tall, as a broad rule of thumb that length might be OK. but even at 174cm tall you might prefer a shorter crank length)
• Changing the seat height, fore/aft, reach and handlebar tilt for your partner will take longer than swapping your bike for theirs.
• Eventually, you’ll be tied into a Zwift subscription

Cost

• UK: £1199.99
• USA: $1299.99
• EU: €1299.99

Add shipping onto that.

Availability: June 26, 2024.

Take Out

I wouldn’t say Zwift Ride is cheap. Anything that costs $1300 can hardly be described as cheap. However, it is VERY keenly priced in the context of other smart bike options out there. Sure, as an alternative, you can re-use an old bike frame but you wouldn’t have the clever virtual shifting/steering without also buying Zwift Play for $99/Zwift Cog for $80.

The reason for the keen pricing is that Zwift wants your subscription for years to come. That’s what gives them financial predictability if not stability, and that’s probably why we won’t see this frame opened up to competing training software platforms, although we will see most smart trainers offer compatibility. To re-iterate…Zwift wants the revenue stream, not the initial, likely modest, one-off profit from selling you a Zwift Ride.

If you get really into indoor cycling as a result of buying Zwift Ride, that’s probably a good thing for you and Zwift. Hopefully, the need to keep you and me as customers will make them innovate.

Q: Will this change the indoor training market?

A: Yes. I do NOT think it’s a game-changer in its current form though. It will appeal to many people for a few different reasons but Zwift Ride is a FAR cry from a catch-all solution to every kind of indoor rider and their numerous needs and wants.

Alternative setup: Kickr Core ($600ish), Your Bike or a spare frame, MyWhoosh (free), NPE Cord (cheap, $90), and your existing Apple TV. ie half the price and no ongoing subscription.