Zwift and Wahoo officially join forces: Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One review

Already the best budget smart trainer, the Kickr Core gets an upgrade

Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One
(Image: © Josh Ross)

Cyclingnews Verdict

For years the Wahoo Kickr Core was the default measuring stick for all entry-level smart trainers. Wahoo has the brand recognition and the Kickr Core is good enough that it even steals sales from Wahoo's own higher-end products. The Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One takes a standard Kickr, with all the inherent advantages, and adds a special cassette. Drivetrain no longer matters, use whatever you want whenever you want, and it's hard to see how anyone else will compete. It is loud though.

Pros

  • +

    Zwift Cog and Click works with any drivetrain

  • +

    Virtual shifting

  • +

    Add a traditional cassette later if desired

  • +

    Simple setup

  • +

    Budget Pricing

Cons

  • -

    No handle

  • -

    Slow shifting

  • -

    Zwift Cog is loud

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

In the fall of 2022, when Zwift entered the trainer market, it was a sea change. I remember sitting in a conference room at Zwift headquarters asking those at the table what the expectations were around the launch. Did everyone understand that Zwift was about to make every other trainer on the market irrelevant?

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Testing scorecard and notes
Design and aestheticsBasic and industrial. Aesthetically nothing special and there’s not much to make it easy to store. The design of the Zwift Cog is pretty genius though. 8/10
ERG ModeAverage. It does a reasonable job holding requested power but it’s not refined in the way it holds you to the intervals.8/10
Ride feelNo movement and slow shifting lets the budget pricing show through.7/10
Noise and stabilityJust when you thought noise wasn’t an issue anymore.7/10
ValueWhat you get for the price is better than anything else on the market. This is a quality trainer at a good price and Zwift is included.10/10
OverallRow 5 - Cell 1 88%

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