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Mar 09, 2024

Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift review: The indoor bike that is worth a spin

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Download the app. Here in SoCal, the weather is

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}">Download the app.

Here in SoCal, the weather is still triple digits, and the outdoor riding remains the place to be. However, it won’t be long before the time change, and along with it will come the need for a few indoor sessions a week or night riding. Well, Wahoo has had all season to get their new product line ready, and with almost perfect timing, the Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift is hitting the market so you too, can get your indoor setup dialed for the colder months ahead.

While the Kickr Bike Shift showed up about a week before the launch, I was simultaneously leaving the next day for an overseas excursion to ride the new Specialized Roubaix SL8 on foreign roads. Luckily, I have a handful of trusted riding partners who enjoy endless indoor miles because I don’t. After years of living in the Midwest, an outdoor California winter ride is always better than any stationary ride if you ask me. So, I have leveraged a few friends as well as my own quick spin on the Shift to give you our first-week ride review.

I’m not 100% clear on how the bike will be shipped to consumers, as mine was just left at the door. The “this side up” indicator was obviously ignored, and if I’m being honest, the box had seen much better days. It didn’t seem to matter because inside, the bike was perfect. From what Wahoo told me, most will receive the bike by some sort of carrier that will actually deliver it to you and help place it if needed. Moving the box without a dolly or at least two people would be difficult otherwise.

The first thing I noticed when opening the box, the bike is more narrow than the previous versions. The top tube itself is really narrow. While none of us had an issue with the original Kickr Bike, the narrower frame offers more room for your knees if you are really getting after it for a sprint or big effort. On top of the new frame design, the electromagnetic flywheel is hidden in an enclosure and is larger in diameter than the original Kickr Bike.

The bike is very easy to adjust to fit like a real road bike. There are plenty of adjustment points, so riders of almost any height should be able to adapt the bike to match the fit of their normal bike. Just a few measurements and tweaking, and it was ready to ride.

Like most stock bikes, none of us were super fans of the saddle the bike came with. Most will put their own saddle on it anyway since it uses a normal round rail system. While many parts of the bike are similar to a regular bike, the cranks have different pedal positions for the length of cranks you normally use. Just make sure you install your pedals in the correct position.

Other than that, you plug it in and start pedaling. The bike does automatically go into hibernation mode when not in use. Once you start pedaling, everything kicks back on and is ready to connect in seconds.

You can sum up the ride pretty easily. Silent and responsive.

The Shift does not make a noise. No matter if you live in an apartment or want to set it up in a baby’s room, you will be riding in silence. You, as the rider, will make more noise than the bike itself. Even the drivetrain is quiet, something that a regular trainer can never match.

With limited time to test, we jumped on our favorite indoor platform, Zwift. It works perfectly. The bike itself has no gear indicator like the other model, so you can’t tell what gear you’re in, but after some time riding, it wasn’t an issue.

The resistance and power response is almost instantaneous. There is almost no lag, something that not even the more expensive unit seems to have. Another useful feature is the ERG Easy Ramp, which allows you to ease back into a workout after a pause in a workout. It might seem like a small thing, but if the effort was high when you stopped, it’s a real game changer.

The bars feel a bit cheap, and of course, the saddle isn’t much to write home about, but all in all, it is a great option for indoor riding. It is much easier and better than mounting your regular bike to a trainer, that is for sure. If indoor riding is a regular part of your routine, even if seasonal, a bike like this is almost a must. This isn’t a spin bike with a fixed flywheel, no, this feels and functions like a regular bike, allowing you to freewheel and change gears.

Yes, the Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift might be the less expensive version of the original, but in many ways, it is better. Honestly, for most, this is a better experience overall. I wouldn’t say it is all out better, but for indoor cycling it is more than enough to keep you riding for miles and miles nowhere.

Give me or any of the testers the option between the original, the Shift, or a smart trainer with their bike mounted, and the Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift is the choice. The only real downside for something like this for me is what do I do with it in the summer months? Sure, many will ride indoors year-round, but not me.

One thing that should be noted is that this and the rest of the Wahoo product line all work seamlessly together. The number one accessory for any indoor trainer is a fan, and the Wahoo Kickr Headwind is ideal. If you’re riding indoors, no matter what trainer you have, try the Headwind.

Price: 2999.99

wahoofitness.com