The new Wahoo Kickr Move smart trainer is essentially a Kickr on rails, so is it worth this hefty price tag?
Price and weight
While the standard Kickr costs £1,099 ($1,299), the Kickr Move will set you back £1,399 ($1,599). For your extra £300 you get a new base providing 20cm of fore-aft motion, which Wahoo claims is ‘a more realistic riding experience than ever before’.
It also provides some lateral movement, although some of this is via Wahoo’s ‘AXIS feet’, which come in two sizes depending on your weight.
Speaking of weight, the extra gubbins make the Kickr Move a hefty 29kg.
You’ll need a dedicated training space, ideally on the ground floor, and even with the ergonomic handle it’s a beast to carry.
Wahoo Kickr Move specs, accessories and setup
In terms of specification and features, everything else on the Move is the same as Wahoo’s excellent Kickr: virtually silent operation, built-in Wi-Fi for faster connection, +/-1% power accuracy, 2,200 watts max power output and 20% max gradient simulation are some of the highlights.
If your love for Wahoo products (and bank balance) extends further, you can accessorise with the Kickr Climb (£529.99) for real-time gradient simulation, and the Kickr Headwind smart fan (£229.99) for blasts of air to match your effort. It’s an impressive ecosystem.
Once in position, setting up is easy as you just need to fold out the legs and fit the Axis feet.
An 11-speed cassette comes pre-installed, which can be swapped out, and there are adaptors to fit most bikes.
There’s very little admin to get riding because the trainer auto-calibrates; connect it up to your app of choice and you’re away.
Like the Kickr, the Move responds very well to gradient changes when free riding, and it’s very responsive when the power changes in ERG mode.
Power and cadence accuracy were spot on, too. None of this was a surprise, though, because we know the standard Kickr is fantastic.
What's new on the Wahoo Kickr Move?
So, what about the new features? When you first mount the Kickr Move it feels quite unusual, but you quickly get used to the movement, and it doesn’t really require extra coordination.
When you put the hammer down you’ll be thrust towards the front, and backing off means you’ll also move backwards.
This isn’t really what happens when riding outside, but it feels more natural than being bolted to the spot, and you do get some energy return.
We definitely felt fresher after an hour on the Move compared to non-moving trainers.
If you don’t want the movement, the trainer can be locked out via a big button that’s just about accessible when in the saddle.
We’d recommend locking it out for races or sessions involving sprints, as the movement felt distracting and energy-wasting out of the saddle.
You still get side-to-side movement when locked, though this wasn’t particularly wanted when sprinting.
Wahoo Kickr Move verdict
For us, the Kickr Move isn’t quite worth the extra spend over the Kickr yet, as good as it is.
If you’re a real fan of movement while indoors, a rocker plate is probably still your best option.
Verdict: A very good high-end trainer with added motion, but there's some room for improvement.
Score: 81%
