Wahoo ROLLR – A New Spin on Smart Trainers
Today Wahoo released a completely new category of indoor trainers – a hybrid between a roller trainer and a wheel-on smart trainer.
Indoor Trainer Innovation
When Wahoo released the original KICKR in 2013, it changed the direction of indoor trainers and created an entire new market. (Until then, CompuTrainer was the standard bearer, but it was not as accessible to a mass market.) The new KICKR ROLLR expands the indoor trainer market with a new category that focuses on comfort and ease of use. Traditional wheel-on trainers can be a little fussy getting the bike mounted and setting the tension for smooth and consistent power accuracy. The ROLLR eliminates the attachment complexity – the bike effectively rests on the trainer with the “Safety Tire Gripper” front wheel stabilizer as the sole attachment.
Wahoo’s vision for the trainer is consumers who frequently change bikes on the trainer, like an athlete who switches between indoor & outdoor riding, households with multiple riders sharing the trainer, or warm-up at events. One of the ROLLR’s uncommon features is that it works without being plugged in, so a rider can use it before a race. It only generates 450W resistance without power, but that should be plenty for a warm-up and probably enough for most workouts.
Roller Comfort and Smart Power
Rollers have an almost cult following among cyclists. Instead of a rigid fixture, your rear wheel floats on two contact points, so the bike can move with you some. The float greatly improves comfort and ride feel. But rollers are not for everyone because you are literally riding your bike – they take skill development to use well. Further, the idea of a roller with smart resistance is not new. The ROLLR approach combines the comfort of a traditional roller, adds smart resistance, and eliminates the balance and skill need. So, anyone can use it and benefit from all the advantages of the comfort and convenience.
Specs, Pricing, and Nuances
The key specs are close to Wahoo’s wheel-on KICK SNAP. It has the same 1,500W max resistance and 10% maximum include versus the SNAP’s 12%. 1,500W is more than enough for most riders. And the 10% slope is the indicator of how well it delivers resistance at low wheel speeds – the higher the number, the better it can support low RPM cadence power drills.
The significant different in the ROLLR from typical smart trainers is that it does not broadcast power. Internally, it must have a power meter to perform its ERG function, it just does not broadcast. So that means that you would need an external power meter to work with something like Zwift, Rouvy, and FulGaz that do simulations. But it would be fine with platforms like SYSTM or TrainerRoad that live in ERG land and do not care what actual power is. To accommodate this, Wahoo also offers the ROLLR as a bundle with their new POWERLINK ZERO pedals.
As noted above, this is ideal for someone who loves rollers in general, wants a more comfortable trainer, or moves bikes on and off regularly. To get the full experience of a Zwift simulation, you will need a power meter on your bike. Wahoo has not announced plans to expand this to a true roller (with another roller for the front wheel), but it will be exciting to watch how this product and the new segment expands.
