Live Science Verdict
The Zwift Ride provides all the subject matter of a full voguish bike at less than half the price . It ’s cheaper than some turbo trainer alone and looks good than the median bicycle hook up to one . You get an excellent Zwift experience here . The only major downside is that the proprietary virtual gear system is not compatible with rival program , limiting how devoid you are to try out Zwift rivals .
It ’s basically a sassy cycle , for much less money
Smooth and confident ERG mode transition
The Zwift Ride smart bike is easy to assemble.
look fairly sleek , and is easygoing to instal
Gear shifting not compatible with other apps
Uses a mid - range trainer
The Zwift Ride smart bike is relatively easy to set up and adjust.
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Smart cycle became all the rage during thepandemicwhen so many of us were stuck at home . But there was one consistent takings : they be a fortune ! The Zwift Ride select some of the sting out . It costs just $ 1,299.99 , compared to $ 2,549 for theWattbike Atomor $ 3,199 for the Tacx Neo . It is also gaudy than most of our favoriteexercise bike .
Zwift manages this by keep thing simple . The Zwift Ride is a chic bike , but it ’s also three disjoined bit . There ’s the frame and the smart handlebar , while the brains of the operation is a long - standing Wahoo Kickr Core turbo flight simulator .
The Zwift Ride smart bike does not feature a display.
This wo n’t have made the Zwift Ride design slowly , but it must have cut off down on the R&D headaches a piece . Is it any good ? This is an idealistic pairing for any Zwift fan and provides an all - round first-class indoor cycling experience .
The only key issue is that chopine - groundball who also want to check out Rouvy , TrainerRoad , IndieVelo or Fulgaz will find the otherwise super - convenient practical gear shifting does n’t work . By buy a Ride you are buying into Zwift more than you are with another overbold wheel .
Zwift Ride smart bike review
Zwift Ride: Price and availability
Zwift released the Ride in June 2024 . It cost $ 1,299/£1,199 / AU$2,299 .
It might be considered the culmination of Zwift ’s ironware travail over recent year . Zwift set in motion an own - branded turbo flight simulator in 2022 , the Zwift bid controller in 2023 and the Zwift Cog virtual appurtenance system later that yr . This is the one - stop solution for all your virtual cycling needs . Sort of .
One upgrade you might consider is a pair of right clipping - in foot lever — only canonical mat unity are include . Zwift ’s Ride Tablet Holder is an additional $ 50/£40 , and is highly recommended if you utilise an iPad / tab for Zwift . And , as with any bike , you may want to raise the tail end too , which uses standard rails .
Meaty handlebars allow you to interact with the Zwift menu system without touching your mobile device.
you’re able to also buy the Zwift Ride frame ( with handlebar ) separately for $ 799.99/€799.99/£749.99 . That ’s handy if you already own a compatible Zwift Hub , Kickr Core , JetBlack Victory , Wahoo KICKR v6 or Kickr Move flight simulator . The elect Direto and Decathlon D100 will be supported in future tense too .
Zwift Ride: Design
Fit range : 59.8 - 74.4 in ( 152 - 189 cm )
Weight : 78 lbs ( 35.4 kg )
Accuracy : + /- 2 %
The controls are intuitive and responsive.
Max power : 1,800 W
Max grade : 16 %
Connectivity : Bluetooth , ANT+
The Wahoo Kickr Move turbo trainer does not move side-to-side.
Flywheel system of weights : 11.9 lb ( 5.4 kg )
A Zwift Ride delivery total in at least three boxes . More if , like us , you also opt for the overprice Zwift training mat ( £ 80 ) and the tablet bearer accessory .
Sure , that ’s a whole bunch of composition board . But it also means there should be absolutely no concern if you dwell in a family or mat without much clearance in the room access .
This mid-range smart bike delivered great performance in our at-home tests.
I place a timer on my phone when coiffure the Zwift Ride up , and it was done in just over an minute . You do n’t need any extra tools . The required one is included . It ’s a standard bike - style Allen cay too , should you lose the master copy .
The frame come for the most part pre - made : you just slide in the seat situation . There ’s some minor construction oeuvre to do to make the phone- and water - holding front tray by the handlebars , but the only potential subject for most is in interpreting the instructions . They ’re good but , in modern flatpack fashion , are largely a spoken communication - agnostical pictorial guide . Still , it ’s all reasonably soft .
The Zwift Ride frame uses steel tube , just like other overbold wheel , and it ’s beautifully finished with a two - tone paint job with some flashes of Zwift theme song orange . You want to keep this rouge intact too , as you ’re gong to perspire all over this thing , and brand will eventually eat . But the build is sturdy , and sweep up a strand adaptation system that , unlike a material bike , does n’t top to you gravel oil all over your fingers when you impound the chain to the turbo flight simulator .
The Zwift Ride offers a smooth and comfortable cycling experience.
Zwift also provides a clean guide as to where / how you should ready the various adjustable parts , estimate by your altitude . The final setup is not instant but is just as simple as the rest .
Unlike a Peloton , though , the Zwift Ride does not let in a showing , so you ’ll need some form of sieve . That could be a phone or a tab attached to the optional tablet holder add - on . I upgraded to a projector setup a few days ago , which is great , but a much pocket-size display can work just as well .
Zwift Ride: Features
Despite all the stigmatisation splashed across the anatomy , the handlebars leave the meat of the Zwift - specific feature in the Zwift Ride . It looks like a curing of unconstipated route bike handlebars combine with a video plot console pad — and that ’s what it is functionally , too . It allow you interact with the Zwift menu system without touching a phone or pad . And it cover the interactions in - game beyond stark pedaling : gear shifts , braking and guidance .
Most Zwifters miss out on the latter two of these . There ’s no obvious room to control steering or braking with a real bike pilfer up to a smart turbo trainer , unretentive of bribe a Zwift romp ADHD - on . The Zwift Ride gives a fuller Zwift experience than not just 95 % of regular setup but than some other much more expensive fresh bikes too .
I do n’t cogitate guidance and braking are all important , though . While Zwift has been play on implementations of wheel - turning dominance for years , it ’s not a super - important part of the platform . Sure , you may show off by weave about anywhere on the track . But it ’s only a of the essence part of the gameplay in a specific ( and not particularly well - advertised ) off - road road , where you use steering to collect power - ups and avoid obstacle that slow you down .
The Zwift Ride setup is a great smart bike for those on a tight budget.
I tried this route with the Zwift Ride , of course , but found the slightly stodgy feel of the steerage controls made it frustrating . The rubbery click button feel just fine for meandering about a road , but come up unawares in these more picture plot situation .
The Zwift Ride also has a rather novel approach to pitch changes . It ’s all treat electronically , urinate gear changes understood , which is handy if you want to avoid your turbo flight simulator annoying neighbors and people you inhabit with . At first , I missed the clunks of my real motorcycle ’s gears , but you could just as easy say the Zwift Ride is more like a super - expensive set of electronic gears . It ’s for sure easy on the hands .
This gearing system also introduces the Ride ’s biggest potential roadblock . It uses proprietary Zwift software package , so it wo n’t work on with other platforms like TrainerRoad . To practice another platform , you ’ll have to attach a wheel to the Wahoo turbo flight simulator here , leaving out the frame exclusively .
“ Virtual shifting only works with Zwift , so the Zwift Ride has been designed to declare oneself the most utter indoor cycling setup for Zwift , ” Zwift ’s rep told me .
On the positive side , these handlebars have a pair of integrated batteries and use wireless transmission for minimal fuss . They have a tough rubbery outer that shrug off sweat , and while I was ab initio worried I ’d urge on the “ Zwift ” buttons accidentally during rides , this turned out to be a non - egress .
You get a great Zwift experience here but do miss out on some of the more expensive - to - enforce features of some competitor . A Tacx Neo Bike has haptic effects for unlike road surfaces , for illustration , while a Wahoo Kickr cycle slant up and down to emulate the look of side .
Some people bang these feature , others say they ’re gimmicks . Either way , you do n’t get them in the Zwift Ride . The missing rival feature film I ’d perhaps wish to see most here is the side - to - side effort of the Wahoo Kickr Move turbo flight simulator . But that costs more than the full Ride frame-up on its own .
Zwift Ride: Performance
The Zwift Ride ’s center performance is all down to the Wahoo Kickr Core , a tried and tested turbo flight simulator pattern that has been around since 2018 . It ’s a great mid - range model , and unless you ’re a pro - level cyclist , I do n’t think you ’ve go to miss the specification downgrade here much . It has a maximal electric power of 1,800 atomic number 74 rather than 2,000W+ , and its maximal simulated including is 16 % rather than 20%+ . state accuracy is + /- 2 % rather than + /-1 % .
Your chances of being able to get remotely close to maxing the Wahoo Kickr Core at all , let alone for doing so beyond a couple of second , are slim .
I ’m more interested in how the ERG mode feels . This is what ’s used for integrated workout , where the resistance is determined not by the terrain of the Zwift plot world but by how many watts the special workout says you should be crank out at any degree .
ERG mood can flow down when transition are too severe , when the electric power wave-off on an step-up in exploit or when the resistance careen all over the place as it tries to hit the aim . The Zwift Ride ’s Kickr core feel super - unruffled , even when going from a minimum exertion to a passably concentrated time interval .
The James Watt it reports are unnervingly consistent , even if you attempt to outpace it by suddenly increase your cadence . I ’m fairly for certain the Wahoo Kickr must report flattering figures to Zwift ( which are then display as a three - second average as standard ) . But the feel of the ERG fashion is excellent .
A few times , the Zwift Ride showed a huge free fall in outturn for just a fraction of a second . But it ’s not something I ’ve felt while actually riding , which has been all smooth sailing in every workout . The 11.9 - lb ( 5.4 kilo ) flywheel also contribute the cycling experience a good sense of weightiness and realism .
Zwift Ride: Verdict
The Zwift Ride is idealistic for anyone who wants a smart bicycle but is put off by the cost , or for anyone who owns a unmarried bike for indoors and outdoors cycling , and is tired of switch the two . But you had better jazz Zwift , too : while the Zwift Ride is n’t 100 % engage into using the platform , its practical gear system is .
Still , it offers all the core substance of rival smart bikes at as little as a third of the cost . Heck , you could expend more on a turbo trainer alone .
The Zwift Ride does lack sincerely expensive features like road - flavour haptics , incline motor and crabwise motion , but at this cost , it seems churlish to kick too forte .
If Zwift Ride is not for you
If it ’s mostly the Zwift optimisation that appeal here , do n’t forget you may buy the Zwift free rein , which can be retrofit onto a more ordinary “ bike plus turbo trainer ” setup . practical gear shifts can also be added to sealed turbo trainers using Zwift ’s Cog + flick accessory .
Direct comparisons to full - on smart bikes hardly seem to enforce here , as they are at least doubly as expensive . But if money is not so much of a headache , check out theWahoo Kickr Bike , the Tacx Neo Bike or theWattbike Atom . The Wahoo and Tacx do each have exceptional features that the Zwift Ride lack and beneficial cross - platform compatibility . But for dedicated Zwift devotee , the core experience is n’t going to be all that unlike .
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