Takeaway: The Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One combines Wahoo’s base-model trainer with Zwift’s Cog and Click systems into one convenient package. The pre-installed single-gear (which debuted last autumn on the Zwift Hub trainer) combines with a Zwift Click controller for virtual shifting in Zwift’s online world. The Cog makes sharing bikes on the Kickr Core easier. Unfortunately, the virtual shifting only works when riding Zwift, and the Click device is difficult to position for a natural shifter feel on dropbar bikes.
Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One with 1-Year Zwift Membership
Pros
- Easy to set up and swap bikes
- Extra cassette not required
- Wide range 24-speed virtual gearing
Cons
- Click shifter ergonomics
- Virtual shifting lacks a real-world feel
- It only works with Zwift
Patent lawsuits in the cycling product world can have a happy ending instead of years of costly back-and-forth litigation. The amicable resolution of the patent-infringement case between Wahoo and Zwift is already bearing fruit that benefits indoor cyclists with sharper pricing and compelling products.
The $600 Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One, a direct-drive trainer purpose-built for easy use with Zwift, is the latest collab between the two brands.
From Competitors to Collaborators
In September 2022, the online cycling platform Zwift announced its entry into the trainer-hardware segment with the affordably-priced Hub direct-drive trainer. When Zwift began selling the Hub a month later, the trainer brand Wahoo promptly filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Zwift and JetBlack, the manufacturer of the Hub trainer. While Wahoo and JetBlack settled their differences in late 2022, litigation between Wahoo and Zwift stretched into the spring of 2023.
In late August 2023, Wahoo and Zwift announced they had patched things up. Zwift stopped selling the Hub trainer with multi-gear cassettes, instead adding a new single-gear freewheel with virtual shifting to the trainer. Soon after, the two brands began selling each other’s products on their websites and rolled out new package-deal pricing on Wahoo trainers with Zwift subscriptions during the holiday 2023 shopping season.
The all-new Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One (that product name is a mouthful—let’s call it WKCZO moving forward) is the first hardware collab between the brands. The WKCZO combines Wahoo’s stalwart Kickr Core model and Zwift’s Cog and virtual shifting into a well-priced, low-hassle package. It’s ideal for riders seeking an (almost) turn-key way to get into Zwifting or those looking to upgrade to a direct-drive trainer from a more basic wheel-on trainer. The WKCZO is also a good option for households sharing a trainer and regularly swapping bikes—especially if those bikes use different drivetrains.
Getting Into the Trainer
Simply put, the WKCZO is a Wahoo Kickr Core with a Zwift Cog pre-installed. So, the trainer's specifications and details are the same as a regular Kickr Core. It has a maximum power output of 1,800 watts, measures within +/- 2 percent accuracy, and simulates gradients between -10% and +16%. The total unit weighs 40.9 pounds.
Wahoo updated the higher-end Kickr model over the years, but the Kickr Core remained relatively unchanged (save for a price reduction last year). The WKCZO collab is the first change to the Core since its introduction more than five years ago—and it’s more of an extra offering since the standard Kickr Core is still available. Even though the Kickr Core is a little long in the tooth if it ain’t broken, why change it?
I have regularly used a Kickr Core as my primary home trainer for about three years. In the world of direct-drive trainers, the Kickr Core is relatively no-frills. Though it lacks the portability, direct Wifi connection, heavier flywheel, and accuracy of the higher-priced Kickr model, it works perfectly fine for my needs. I tested and tried other indoor units, but the Core remained my go-to for its price and performance. And as long as someone isn’t a hyper-competitive Zwift racer, I often recommend the Core to friends and readers seeking buying advice.
Trainer Setup
Compared to the standard Kickr, the WKCZO requires a little more setup out of the box. It’s not simply plug-and-play, but the assembly is very straightforward and took me at most fifteen minutes (and that included chatting with a coworker). All you need to do is install the feet, pick the appropriate axle spacers (142x12mm, 148x12mm, or quick release), attach your bike, and plug it in. But remember, the axle spacers can fall out without a bike or axle holding them in (I lost one between the office and my apartment 🤦🏻♀️). If you store your trainer for warmer months, remember to zip-tie the spacers or put them in a safe place.
Unlike many other direct-drive trainers, the WKCZO does not require the purchase or installation of a cassette. The trainer comes with the Zwift Cog pre-installed. So long as your bike uses an 8- through 12-speed drivetrain, it should work. I tested the WKCZO with 11- and 12-speed drivetrain-equipped bikes; both worked without a problem.
However, the WKCZO needs Zwift to work as intended, so it includes a free 1-year subscription. (A stable internet connection is also needed to run Zwift.) To use the trainer, download Zwift and create an account (if you do not already have one). If you have a Zwift account, open and log into it on your device of choice (update Zwift if needed). Then, pair the WKCZO and Click with Zwift before riding.
While I occasionally experience issues pairing my 3-year-old Kickr Core with Zwift, the WKCZO connected problem-free every time I used it.
Virtual Shifting
Zwift’s virtual shifting was first introduced with the Zwift Hub One in 2023. But you probably missed the memo about this new feature unless you remain very up-to-date on indoor trainers (or work in the cycling or fitness media). That is understandable because the virtual shifting feature previously only worked with Zwift’s Hub One trainer (or as an upgrade kit named Zwift Cog for Hub users) before the WKCZO launched. Since virtual shifting only works on these two trainers, its audience (for now) is limited.
The Zwift Cog is a singlespeed, 14-tooth cog that replaces the Kickr Core’s cassette. To change gears, pair a Zwift Click or Play controller to Zwift (on a laptop, tablet, etc.) and select virtual gears when riding in Zwift’s Watopia world.
Unlike other trainers—where you use your bike’s shifters to select an appropriate gear on the cassette—Zwift‘s virtual shifting changes “gears” within the Zwift environment when you engage a shift of the Zwift Click or Play. Zwift automatically adjusts the trainer’s resistance to produce the feeling of a gear change. Virtual shifting has 24 speeds, no matter how many gears are on your IRL drivetrain.
An upside of virtual gearing is that Zwift tunes it for almost any rider's ability level or equipment. Whether you are a new cyclist or an experienced racer, the gear range will most likely handle any terrain you will come across in Zwift. It also means that your gearing in Zwift is no longer limited to the cassette on your trainer or chainrings on your bike. For example, you can use a mountain bike on the WKCZO and have sufficient gearing for road rides in Zwift.
The virtual range is very wide—gear ratios ranging from 0.75 to 5.49. In cycling gear terms, it’s similar to having 55/33-tooth chainrings with a 10-44T cassette. But unlike a traditional bicycle drivetrain, the virtual gearing does not have overlapping gears. It also shifts sequentially, 1 through 24 (it starts in 12th gear each time you turn on Zwift or enter a new Watopia world).
Grafting the Zwift Cog onto the Kickr Core might open the virtual shifting to more users. But most Zwift users will not get to try the feature unless they purchase the WKCZO. A firmware update to non-Zwift Cog-equipped Kickr Cores allows to activate virtual shifting if they have Zwift Play controllers. And I would bet Zwift offers the Cog kit to existing Kickr Core owners at a later date.
Riding the Trainer
After sorting out some pre-release software bugs, I logged about 100 virtual miles in about two weeks using the WKCZO. And while I love the standard Kickr Core, I did not similarly fall for the WKCZO. The reasons mostly come down to the virtual shifting feel and poor ergonomics of the shifter buttons. However, the trainer has some upsides for certain segments of indoor riders.
Compared to my Kickr Core with a cassette, the WKCZO seems to ride quieter. While I didn’t use any fancy acoustic measuring devices to confirm noise levels, I noticed from my first ride that virtual shifts are perfectly silent. Anecdotally, 11-speed Shimano seemed a little quieter than 12-speed SRAM in my testing.
The only noise I heard came from the WKCZO’s chain-to-cog interface versus the usual assortment of crisp “pops” echoing through my bike’s carbon frame with each gear change on my 11-speed cassette. The chain-to-cog noise was subtle enough to get drowned out by the noise of my fan. I hope my neighbors in the adjacent apartment appreciated that small degree of noise reduction.
I needed a few rides to get a feel for the virtual shifting. But even after more than 100 miles of use, I still don’t particularly like it. The steps between gears feel unnatural, and delineating between gears is tough. (The shifting feels akin to riding a CVT bike hub where the options are endless but often not quite right.) Sometimes, shifts seemed slow to engage; other times, I double-tapped the shift button and found myself in a massive gear that was like pedaling through wet concrete.
At some point on every ride with the WKCZO, I instinctively used my bike’s shift lever to engage a rear shift instead of the Zwift button. And I was promptly met by the grinding sound of the chain rubbing on the plastic bumpers next to the cog. It was annoying, but it didn’t cause any issues.
I found the Zwift Click (included with the WKCZO) shifter challenging to place anywhere that feels ergonomically natural and intuitive. Using the Zwift Play controllers for shifting is slightly better but is still far from ideal. Without the Play controllers, I strapped the Click to the inboard side of my right-side brake hood. I put the Click on the bar tops when using the Zwift Play controllers.
This winter, I am mainly riding indoors for structured training, so less Zwift freeriding or racing than my past two winters. I found virtual shifting bothersome for some workouts—particularly sprint intervals where I was on/off power in short bursts.
With a traditional drivetrain on my Kickr Core, I can quickly shift to the needed gear for each interval. But with virtual shifting, I needed to repeatedly tap the Play or Click button to find a virtual gear that felt right. To get around this problem, I shifted my front derailleur to the big ring for higher watt efforts (since WKCZO sets up in the small ring). However, bikes with a 1x drivetrain will not have this option. And on 2x bikes, you might experience chain rub on the Cog (depending on your chainline) or risk dropping a chain if your FD isn’t properly-adjusted.
Two potential changes by Zwift could help alleviate some of the gearing and ergonomic challenges. The first would be an option to adjust the gear range in Zwift’s settings to match your IRL bike’s drivetrain or preferred gearing. (For example, to match your road bike’s gearing when using your mountain bike on the trainer.) The other change would be the ability to re-map the buttons of Zwift’s Play controllers to locate the shift buttons where best for the rider (In an ideal world, Zwift’s virtual shifting would pair with SRAM AXS and Shimano Di2 shifters...a girl can dream.)
This highlights a key drawback for the WKCZO: virtual shifting is only compatible with Zwift. The Zwift Click and/or Play controller communicates shifts in the Zwift program versus with the Kickr unit itself. If you like using your trainer with other indoor cycling platforms, the ERG will adjust the resistance automatically, but you lose the ability to shift gears.
Sometimes, I watch a race or catch up on a series and spin my legs without fussing with Zwift. And for some workouts, I do not want the distraction of Zwift riders around me so I just ride the trainer like in the pre-Zwift days. But I can’t with the WKCZO; it must be connected to Zwift to shift.
Luckily, a standard cassette can be fitted to the WKCZO if you end up not enjoying virtual shifting or want to use the WKCZO after your free Zwift subscription runs out. The Zwift Cog sits on an HG-type cassette body, so you can remove it and install a multispeed cassette. The standard Kickr Core with cassette option is still offered if you prefer a traditional 8/9/10/11/or 12-speed cassette.
Who Should Buy This Trainer?
While I don‘t think this particular trainer is for me, the WKCZO will meet the needs of many indoor riders. Some limitations I had with the trainer might be desirable traits for other users—mainly the sequential virtual shifting and near-universal compatibility with any drivetrain. Some good use cases I see for the WKCZO include:
Riders Who Don’t Race:
The WKCZO might be a strong option if you do not intend to race or use structured training plans. Bikes go on and off the WKCZO easily without worrying about the number of gears or range on the trainer’s cassette matching the bike’s derailleur settings. Also, the ergonomic position of the Click or Play matters less when you are not worried about shifting for a sprint or keeping pace with a group.
Sharing One Trainer with Multiple Bikes:
If you use multiple bikes on the same trainer, the WKCZO could work well for you. For example, if you have a 10-speed drivetrain but your partner’s bike is 11-speed, you can use the same trainer without worrying about cassette compatibility. Another use case is the rider who splits time between different types of bikes—for example, a road bike and a gravel or mountain bike.
Mountain Bike or Gravel Bike Users:
The lack of big gears can limit using 1x gravel or mountain bikes on trainers. The WKCZO’s virtual gearing can turn your off-road-specific bike into a virtual road racer. Plus, the Click shifter positions best on the top of a bar—great for flatbar riders.
Kids:
Thanks to youth cycling programs (like NICA), lots of kids are riding mountain bikes. And many of them need an indoor riding option for winter months or rainy days. The WKCZO’s wide virtual gear range helps riders of all sizes or abilities ride almost anywhere in Zwift.
As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.
