Long Term Review: Wahoo Kickr Core and Kickr Climb

Wahoo’s Kickr Core and Climb have been around for one and half years and I have been using my set for a year. Here are my key takeaways.

The Good

  • Good value for money. The Core delivers excellent value for its price. Prior to the Core, I was using the second generation full Kickr and I missed nothing moving to the Core. I did not need the trainer to be able to put out 2200W of resistance because the Core’s 1800W was more than enough. The Core’s max incline of 16%, which is 4% lower than the full Kickr’s 20%, was a negligible difference as well. In exchange, I saved S$550 , which went to the Climb.
  • Great indoor riding experience. I really like how the setup integrates into Zwift. Going up and downhill feels great and realistic. I actually have to climb out of the saddle on >10% inclines. The Core’s and Climb’s performances have been very consistent, no sync issues, no dropouts, nada.
  • Silent. A huge upgrade over my old full Kickr was the noise, or rather the lack of. It is amazing that the only sound you hear is that coming from the drive-train. I am sure my wife and neighbours are relieved.

The Bad

I really like how the set has been working for me especially now that I have a gym at home and can hop on any time. It has been a critical part of my fitness regime given my busy year at work. Definitely recommend it. I bought mine off Carousell as the price was way lower than retail.

Fyi – I am keeping my posts short and informal to avoid being bogged down by long write-ups. I hope to post more frequently and not have to spend more than 30 mins doing so. Let’s see how this goes.

8 Comments on “Long Term Review: Wahoo Kickr Core and Kickr Climb”

    1. Hi Jun, you can refer to Zwift’s guide on what equipment to get. https://zwift.com/video/how-to-cycling/what-you-need-to-ride-zwift

      You will have to decide between a classic or smart trainer. I would recommend the latter due to a better and more accurate experience. But it will cost more.

      There are various places in Singapore that carry trainers. I bought my Kickr equipment from Carousell. (The seller basically mass imports.) You can also do so from Singapore based platforms like Togoparts, SixFive or even find dealers that carry in brands like Treknology – Cycleops. Hope this helps!

  1. Hi Dave,

    Apart from yourself, any other friends have got a Climb? Just a sampling to see how prevalent the belt snapping issue is.

    Am looking to get one, but read about the belt snapping issues

    1. Hey Melvin, unfortunately I do not know anyone else that has a Climb. Mine has been working well but I do not consider myself a heavy user. Roughly 3 hours per week.

  2. Hey Dave. Can you confirm that the climb never goes over 16% when used with the core, even if the climb is supposed to be?
    I’ve just ordered both and should be a bit disappointed if I’m not getting to use the climb to it’s full potential

    1. Hey Christian, yes it maxes out at 16% when used with the Core. The maximum the Climb can do is 20%. I do not think the difference is very noticeable. While a four percentage point difference may seem a lot, it is on an incline so the difference to the rider is not very drastic. Also not many climbs in Zwift go past 13%.

  3. Hi Christian. What was the fix for the bad teething issue? I just did the initial set up on my Climb and I think I have that issue. It makes a loud, rumbling noise with each movement and feels like I’m riding over rocks instead of a relatively smooth adjustment with elevation changes. Thanks!

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