Zwift and Wahoo have announced a new smart trainer which is a collaboration between the two indoor cycling juggernauts. Named the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One, this trainer combines Wahoo’s well-respected hardware and broad distribution network with Zwift’s innovative virtual shifting.
The result? A very capable smart trainer that is available to more Zwifters than ever before.
Today we’ll look at the new trainer’s specs and availability. A more in-depth review of the new trainer will be published separately.
What’s In a Name?
Wahoo KICKR Core Zwift One. The name is quite a mouthful, but it also describes this trainer nicely. The main “trainer” hardware is the same Wahoo KICKR Core we all know and love. But instead of a standard cassette, the single-cog Zwift Cog is installed, with a Zwift Click included for virtual shifting:
Simply put, the Wahoo KICKR Core Zwift One is a KICKR Core with a Zwift Cog installed. I’ll be calling it the CORE One for the rest of this post to keep things simple.
CORE One Specs
Built on Wahoo’s well-established KICKR Core line, the CORE One has all the capabilities required to deliver a high-quality Zwift experience. Here are the trainer’s key specs, with new features in bold:
- Zwift Click included for virtual shifting
- Calibration: automatic
- Cassette: Zwift Cog (compatible with most 8-12 speed bikes)
- Accuracy: +-2%
- Flywheel: 12lb
- Max Wattage: 1800 W
- Max Incline: 16%
- Cadence: built in
- Communication: ANT+ and 3-Channel Bluetooth
- Axle Compatibility: 130/135mm quick release, 12×142/12×148 thru-axle
- Weight: 18kg
- Physical Dimensions: 9″L x 23″W x 21″H (closed), 20″L x 23″W x 19″H (open)
Low Price, High Availability
The CORE One is priced very competitively at $599/£549/€599, the same price as the KICKR Core and the Zwift Hub. This price includes one year of Zwift. It is now available on zwift.com and wahoofitness.com.
The big news, though, is availability. Thanks to Wahoo’s distribution channels, the CORE One will be available via wahoofitness.com to customers in Australia and Canada beginning in late March! This is great news to Zwifters in both markets who haven’t had access to the Zwift Hub (which is only sold in the US, UK, and EU).
Virtual Shifting Expansion
Wahoo is now rolling out a firmware update (version 1.3.17) for all KICKR Core owners which, among other things, enables virtual shifting in Zwift. If you own a KICKR Core and Zwift Plays or Zwift Click, you can begin using virtual shifting as soon as you update your firmware.
What exactly is virtual shifting? With virtual shifting, your chain doesn’t move between different rear cassette cogs when you shift. Instead, a virtual shift changes the resistance of your smart trainer so it feels like you’ve changed cogs. This is how smart bikes like the Wahoo KICKR Bike, Wattbike, StagesBike, and Tacx NEO Bike have always worked.
Why do Zwifters like virtual shifting? Because it beats mechanical shifting in several ways:
- Fast, smooth, quiet: with no chains skipping between cogs, your shifts are completely silent, perfectly smooth, and lightning-fast.
- Less wear and tear: your chain won’t wear out as quickly, and neither will the Zwift Cog, since it is built beefy because weight is not a concern.
- Shift under full load: no need to ease off the pedals when shifting under power, as your chain isn’t going to “skip” when virtual shifting like it can with mechanical shifting.
- Compatible across many bikes: no more spinning out on your low-geared mountain bike, or needing to swap cassettes if you swap bikes. Virtual shifting works with almost any 8-12 speed bike and auto-calibrates to your physical gearing.
- No more fine-tuning: many riders have to fine-tune their physical shifting when moving between outdoor riding and a direct-drive trainer, since the cassettes aren’t lined up exactly the same. The Zwift Cog doesn’t require any such fine-tuning… just shift to a physical gear that has your chain lined up straight on the Cog and you’re ready to ride.
- Expanded gear range: Zwift’s virtual shifting currently supports a virtual 24-speed setup, which is more gears than most riders have on their outdoor setups. Additionally, the gear ratio range is very wide (from .75 to 5.49), meaning everyone should find that virtual shifting offers more easy gears and more hard gears than your mechanical gearing.
- In-game visualization: with Zwift’s virtual shifting, you can always see what gear you’re in on screen.
Zwift’s virtual shifting was rolled out to the Zwift Hub in late 2023, and it’s arguably the most significant technological advance we’ve seen in smart trainers in years. The CORE One is the first non-Zwift trainer to support virtual shifting, and that’s big, good news for Zwifters. I bet virtual shifting will be rolled out to many more trainers, with Wahoo’s flagship KICKR being one of the first, as consumers begin demanding this functionality.
CORE One vs Hub One
Wahoo’s CORE One compares favorably to the Zwift Hub One, matching or improving on the Hub One’s specs in almost every area:
| CORE One | Hub One | |
| Accuracy | +-2% | +-2.5% |
| Max Wattage | 1800W | 1800W |
| Max Incline | 16% | 16% |
| Flywheel | 12lb | 10.4lb |
| Connectivity | ANT+ and Bluetooth | ANT+ and Bluetooth |
| Bluetooth Connection Limit | 3 | 1 |
| Cadence | Built In | Built In |
| Calibration | Automatic | Automatic |
| Virtual Shifting Capable | Yes | Yes |
| 10Hz Race Mode | No | Yes |
| HRM Bridging | No | Yes |
| KICKR Climb Compatible | Yes | No |
As you can see, the Hub One only wins when it comes to offering 10Hz race mode and heart rate monitor bridging. (Both of these features could be added by Wahoo via a firmware upgrade. But Wahoo may choose to reserve those “premium” features for their high-end trainers.)
You may recall that back in November 2023, Wahoo dropped the price of the KICKR Core and began offering it with your choice of cassette. At the same time, Zwift stopped selling the Zwift Hub classic, effectively replacing it in their store with the repriced Wahoo KICKR Core.
Zwift still has the Hub One trainer listed for sale, but the new CORE One will be replacing the Hub One. (Zwift says they will continue to support the Hub and issue Hub firmware updates for the next two years.)
Buying a Zwift Cog for Your KICKR CORE
Zwift tells me a Zwift Cog + Click upgrade pack will be available in the future for KICKR CORE owners who wish to replace their cassette with a Zwift Cog, but it is not yet in stock. It’s worth noting that the Zwift Cog for sale on Zwift.com will not work with KICKR CORE trainers, as the freehub is incompatible.
For now, you can enjoy virtual shifting using your Play Controllers and existing cassette. I’ve done it myself, and it works swimmingly.
Conclusions
Today’s announcement is all good news, as I see it. The Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One is a capable successor to the Zwift Hub One: more accurate, more connected, compatible with the KICKR Climb, and backed by Wahoo’s industry-leading support. It will also be available to more Zwifters, including riders in Canada and Australia!
And while the new trainer offering may grab the headlines, the bigger news may be virtual shifting arriving for a huge new chunk of Zwifters. With thousands of KICKR Core trainers already in use on Zwift, virtual shifting is now just a firmware update (and perhaps a Zwift Play purchase) away!
As I said above, I’ll be publishing a review of the CORE One soon. Until then, here’s a review from our favorite Aussie Lama:
And DC Rainmaker:
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
Any indication if this will eventually be available to Kickr V6?
I would like to know this too. It was eluded to that this might be coming to other manufacturers, but I got impatient and recently pulled the trigger on a V6 for the 10hz over Wifi
As I see it, virtual shifting has to come to the V6, since it’s a premium feature Zwifters want. There’s no reason why Zwift+Wahoo wouldn’t want that to happen, so I would predict the V6 will be the next trainer to support it. Hopefully it’ll roll out to earlier KICKR models, too.
No ideas/indications on timing, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it happened in the next 3 months.
Yeah I’ve the 2020 (prior version works great KICKR).
Would love to have the one-cog from zwift for inter-bike compatibility (especially with visitors who want to throw their whip on my kickr to try it).
I didn’t realize the Zwift play did this or forgot…the connectivity with apple tv is a issue and I also want to get the “dongle” to do race mode so doing a bridge type device (I’ve used the NPE “Cable” before) not sure is optimal even if works may lose some .. data or latency … the less extra steps the better. I have to wrap my mind around all this if I have the direct connect for the Kickr maybe then I only need the one bluetooth connection for heart rate (and the controller for apple tv) as kickr does power and cadence. And already have the apple tv ethernet connected…lol I do a lot of Zwift tech support but I’m lagging! Any tips to speed me up welcome.
In summary, if I get the race mode dongle, I should be able to swing the zwift play controllers with my apple tv, and yes here’s to hoping for “one cog for all” system coming to our KICKRs!
On the dc rainmaker review he states it is coming soon for kickr V6 and then later for v5 and v4.
Industry guru DCRainmaker published the following on his blog:
”Wahoo/Zwift say that very shortly you’ll see firmware updates for the KICKR V6 (2022), and KICKR MOVE (2023) trainers released. Additionally, Wahoo is also working on the KICKR V4 (2018), KICKR V5 (2020) firmware, but that won’t quite be as quick. Again, this is all just using Zwift Play or Click, with your existing cassette and new firmware.”
Do you announce when it will be possible to but the Zwift Cog + Click upgrade pack for Wahoo Kickr Core users?
My question too. As a Kickr Core owner in Canada (now no-longer served by the Zwift store) having the option to buy this as an aftermarket ad-on would be terrific. It would solve the issue of having to continuously fix grumbly shifting on my 12 year old trainer bike!
You could actually buy the pack now from Zwift (the one for the Zwift Hub) and remove the cog from the included free hub, installing it on your existing free hub.
But as for when Wahoo and/or Zwift will sell the upgrade pack with a freehub that works for the KICKR Core… I don’t know the answer to that.
I’m confused; above you said “It’s worth noting that the Zwift Cog for sale on Zwift.com will not work with KICKR CORE trainers, as the freehub is incompatible.”???
I think I’d like a Wahoo/Zwift cog and Zwift play rather than a Zwift click.
Paul – the method in my comment is a hack, basically. You’re buying the Zwift Hub Cog unit, removing the freehub that doesn’t work with the Core, then installing just the gear part of the Cog onto your Core’s freehub.
Thanks! Sorry I didn’t understand; I didn’t understand how the cog included a freehub; I thought that was part of the trainer rather than part of the cog.
Alternatively, it would be great to be able to buy just a Zwift Click for those of us that the Zwift Play is overkill or not compatible with a bike.
Yes, I have a Kickr Core already and I wish I could just buy the Zwift Click and be done with it. It’s got two buttons on it, how expensive can it be to make? I only want the virtual shifting and don’t care about steering or anything else the Zwift Play offers.
This was my question as well. I have a 2020? Core as my backup trainer in case the Hub One goes kabloowey. It would be great ro have on both trainers if needed.
Okay, now I understand. Thanks a lot!
But what about the two plastic cups? Do they fit on a Wahoo Kickr Core freehub?
Yes they do. You remove the freehub that comes with the current Hub One kit, and they put everything but the freehub on the KICKR Core freehub. https://youtu.be/0DjOtsFbvW4?si=QYSZYiNs98NzbGMV
Any idea / info as to whether Tacx would do a similar thing such that the cog could be used on a Neo?;
From what I hear from Zwift internally, it’s basically up to Garmin/Tacx to get it done. Zwift is happy to have virtual shifting come to more trainers, but the companies have to update their own firmware for that to happen.
I haven’t heard that Tacx is working on virtual shifting, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to learn they are.
I still haven’t seen an explanation for why this needs trainer support at all. Zwift Play connects directly to Zwift, not the trainer, Zwift controls the resistance on the trainer, so why does the trainer need to support virtual shifting?
Zwift’s virtual shifting implementation uses their Zwift Protocol. When you do a virtual shift in Zwift, the game doesn’t say to the trainer “add X resistance”. It says “shift up a gear” or “shift down a gear”.
It’s up to the trainer companies to implement the best resistance (and shift “curve”, that is, how a shift “feels”) for their particular trainer hardware.
Okay sure, they can do it that way, but why? Why not just change the resistance using existing standard protocols so that all trainers support it immediately?
It uses a zwift protocal and not a standard protocol (or proposed standard)? That doesn’t seem good. Why would they do that?
I used to think the same as you Tim, but Eric’s explanation makes me look at it like this:
If Zwift implemented virtual shifting via standard resistance changes across all trainers, the changes would feel better on some trainers than others. People with poor experiences would go to/blame Zwift, and Zwift would likely have to process a lot of costly refunds/returns for Zwift Cogs, Clicks and Plays. Doing it this way puts the responsibility for making it feel right onto the manufacturers.
The first reviews for virtual shifting on the Zwift Hub were that it “just works” and it seems to be the same for the Kickr Core. If any other manufacturers now implement virtual shifting and it’s not great, it’ll be them – not Zwift – who get the blame and have to deal with the technical support.
One reason, Tim, may be because the standard protocols (ANT and Bluetooth) don’t have data fields for virtual shifting. So Zwift would be “hacking” the protocols, which can get really messy if trainer manufacturers don’t all treat those hacked fields the same.
Another possibility is that Zwift was concerned with trainers who have a lower max resistance. How would hacking the resistance using gradient numbers work if you’re on a climb, on a trainer that maxes out at, say, 8%?
And Zwift doesn’t know the trainer maxes out at that percentage…
Leaving it up to the firmware means (hopefully) the manufacturers can set up virtual shifting that results in a good experience for their particular trainer.
I should add: I’m not saying I support Zwift’s decision to do it the way they did. Maybe it was the best way to go, maybe not. Haven’t really dug into it enough to know the answer.
I hope it comes out for the Kickr soon. I think mines a Version 4. I want this.
I have updated my Kick core today and i hace Zwift Play. Do i need to enable virtual shifting? I tried to ride a small bit, but i didnt seem to work.
Should work… but the Core will need to be paired via Bluetooth or thru Companion (same as Play).
Ok, my Core is paired thru ANT and my play thru companion on iPhone. I must try to pair Core thru BT instead.
I have Kickr v5 connected via direct connect to be able to use race mode. It means I will not be able to use virtual shifting when v5 is compatible?
You can still do virtual shifting with direct connect… I mean, there’s no way to test it yet. But it’ll be doable. DCONN is basically a Bluetooth connection.
You must enable virtual shifting in settings.
Is it “good news” that Zwift has indicated firmware support for existing Hub One customers for only 2 years? Will I have a 30 pound brick after that?
In two years, I think you’ll have a well-functioning trainer that doesn’t need firmware updates.
It’s pretty normal for companies to stop updating the firmware on older trainers after a couple of years. Wahoo, for example, hasn’t issued an update for the KICKR v4 since Oct 2021. (It first came out in 2018).
A lack of firmware updates doesn’t make your device a brick. It just means it doesn’t get further upgrades.
I’d love it if virtual shifting was made available for my V2 KICKR! Crossing my fingers but not holding my breath.
Eric, from the post:
“For now, you can enjoy virtual shifting using your Play Controllers and existing cassette. I’ve done it myself, and it works swimmingly.”
If you go this route, how does the Kickr calibrate wattage? It wouldn’t know which cog you are in, would it?
Seems like a very simple cheat? Or maybe I’m missing something…
Yes, you’re missing something. 😀
KICKR doesn’t care what gear you’re in. Never has. All it cares about is how fast the hub/axle is spinning… that’s how it calculates power.
Just like the Zwift Hub, the Core will automatically calculate your mechanical gear ratio when you first start riding, then set the resistance of the 24 virtual gears based on that.
Got it
I have apple tv so had to use companion app for play controllers but this never works for me as keeps cutting in and out . Any ideas how to make this work ?
Sure – here are our tips: https://zwiftinsider.com/companion-app-connections/
Lots of people want (free) firmware updates to access this feature. I alas, just want to be able to purchase Zwift Play. Sigh… 😉
“Low Price, High Availability”
This appears to be an either OR, not an AND. Ie choose either low price or it’s available in your country but not both.
$599 in USD converted is $806 CAD. But the price in Canada on Wahoo’s website for the trainer is $940 CAD. And this is a repeated problem, the same thing happened months ago with the Wahoo trainer changes announced then.
I have a Kickr Core and Zwift Play controllers. After updating everything I had a fantastic experience shifting and steering while completing Tour de Zwift today. I have no doubt that my climbing and sprinting pace increased as a result of being able to shift under full load. It will take me a few rides to get used to keeping the pressure on the pedals versus backng off a bit while shifting mechanically. The shifter buttons on Zwift Play are in the perfect position and work flawlessly!
If you power went up because you could shift under load…what if you set your trainer difficulty setting to 0? So you don’t have to shift at all, you can put all your energy into the pedals instead of worrying about shifting at all. What do you think?
Single speed Zwifting! Great idea…
I’m not sure if you’re being sarcastic or not. You should really try it, I’m being serious, you might like it as I outlined already.
I was being sarcastic. Wouldn’t I need to shift regardless of my difficulty setting? Maybe I’m missing something?
Once get I warmed up and get the fly wheel moving and up to speed I find that I don’t have to shift, just finding a good gear and then increasing cadence is enough, and then I can just focus on the watts without having to worry about shifting. Maybe that’s just me. Give it a try and see how it goes? If you don’t like it you can go back, nothing to lose.
Sounds good. Thanks!
In my opinion setting the trainer difficulty to zero would destroy the immersiveness that makes Zwift enjoyable. I absolutely hate ERG mode and workouts for the same reason. When I’m going up a hill in Zwift it has to get harder to pedal, when I’m going down a hill i has it to get easier to pedal. The minute I break that, for me at least the experience immediately goes from “riding a bike in a idyllic virtual world without cars” to “tediously grinding out watts in my basement”.
That’s great, if you enjoy trainer difficulty at whatever setting then I’m happy you are enjoying some indoor cycling!
I used to feel the same way, I couldn’t imagine why I would want to turn off the very thing that I bought my smart trainer for, but then I did it, and I was very happy. I only want to pass on this knowledge so that others consider it with an open mind so that they too could improve their experience if it is to their liking, instead of dismissing the idea and being closed to the idea that it might suit some people better. If they like shifting then that is great too.
I don’t really find zwift to be a very immersive experience in that I don’t feel like I am cycling up a hill or anything. I feel like I am solidly planted on my bike that is not moving in my spare room. I’ll quote dc rainmaker https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/10/elite-tuo-smart-trainer-in-depth-review.html “for me personally, it’s hard to separate the fact that I’m riding indoors from outdoors. It’s still a trainer, and I’m still looking at a wall in front of me. My brain can only turn off so much of that.”
I do find zwift to be very engaging in other ways, the social aspects, keeping up with the peloton, etc. Just I do not feel like I am riding outside or anything like that. Having to tap my shifters constantly decreases my enjoyment, I feel like “why do I have to do this busy work?”, it feels tedious to me, like I have to randomly tap these buttons whenever the computer decides meanwhile I’m trying to focus on putting out power and staying on th wheel of the person in front of me. I’d rather just focus on the other aspects of riding in zwift that I do find enjoyable and engaging.
Hi Eric,
Is there any indication when the software/firmware update will arrive to display the virtual gearing from e.g. a Wahoo KICKR BIKE Shift on the Zwift screen?
Would be very helpful, I often ‘run out’ of virtual gears.
I know I can change the settings to something I don’t use outside and I know a Wahoo head unit can display the virtual gearing, but I have a Garmin head unit and displaying the virtual gearing on the Zwift screen would be very nice.
Thanks.
Haven’t heard anything, but it definitely needs to happen. I said so when I reviewed the KICKR Bike Shift when it first released!
Just bought the Zwift one. Not happy to hear they will only support it for two more years.
Wahoo doesnt support their products either. Have kickr snap, dog ripped wires loose, just needed a new pigtail. Nope, have to buy entire flywheel assembly. So I wouldnt get down on Zwift alone for what appears to be standard product support from most companies – little to none.
I’m not referring to (free) repairs of hardware but software updates.
Nice,
Now i have to wait till the software update is available for the kickr V5. Guessing it won’t be before i start to ride outside again. So i can use it next winter. I will buy the play controllers to use virtual shifting with my current setup (spare bike with cassette, normally only for indoor riding). I don’t think it would be necessary to buy the cog?
Correct
One thing where Hub One edges Core One is max rider weight. Hub One is listed at 120kg, Core at 113. For bigger folks, like me, who hover around 110kg, this makes a difference. I bought Hub One few weeks ago, and as much Core seems better in most of things, this max rider weight limit gives me some solace
I’m not so sure that this new cozy relationship between Zwift and Wahoo is good at all as they are effectively creating a Monopoly where no-one else is allowed join the party. Wattbike/Stages still waiting for support to bring steering to their smart bikes. Virtual shifting on Tacx/Elite trainers? Very unlikely as this requires support from Zwift which they only freely hand out to Wahoo. There are more examples …
Cant recommend buying a kickr core. Its a major fail construction. There are tons of posts and videos with always the same problems. I bought a new one from Zwift. Out of the box several problems. I bought a second one. I got an already returned one, which has a high pitch sound. Then i bought a Zwift Hub One as my girflriend already has. No problems at all. Super silent. The 2 Kickr Core were way louder. Only chainsound is way louder with that plastic ring.
Wahoo seems not want to improve there product since 6 years.
My KICKR Core is two years old, used nearly every day during winter, and occasionally otherwise, and still works flawlessly.
I have Zwift Play and a Kickr 5.
So (other than when?) the only question is how is shifting done with Zwift Play? I.e. what buttons etc.
I also have a kickr 5 and will buy the play controllers is virtual gearing is possible. As fat that i have found, you shift up and down with the black peddels next to the red/orange you use for steering. But as i said, i don’t have the play controllers yet.
Good news for everyone except for those Of us that shelled out $500 for the classic Zwift hub in the past two years and now learn it will have limited support and it’s more or less obsolete.
I don’t understand this attitude. Zwift has said they’ll support it with firmware updates for another 2 years, which is about the same “lifespan” as any other trainer. And the trainer already works great and doesn’t really need firmware updates anyway. So why would it be obsolete?
It works great now, and will keep working great. And if it breaks during the warranty period, Zwift will honor the warranty. Seems like the same experience as basically any other trainer. This news doesn’t change that.
So you see no difference between a discontinued product and warranty coverage? Ever try to find parts or get repairs on discontinued products? Maybe bike trainers are built to last or conversely not to last?
Zwift has agreed to honor their warranty, and that includes repairs. (I know they’ve set aside a stock of trainers in case people need replacements, etc.)
No trainer company sends out parts so you can fix your trainer… or at least, that’s pretty rare. Wahoo generally doesn’t.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that you have the same trainer today as you had last month, it works great, and you got it for a great price. I wouldn’t worry too much about the CORE One’s release impacting that.
Tacx has sent me multiple parts, sometimes for free, sometimes outside of warranty.
Two years of support is standard for most products.
This may be a case of differing expectations. In my experience when products are discontinued the company eventually stops updating the software/firmware among other things (eg Apple products). So as Zwift modifies software this may also necessitate future firmware changes etc. Hoping this hardware lasts that’s all and that it will continue to be supported beyond 2 years. Maybe I’m just cheap.
I was planning to buy a KICKR as I understand it supports a 24in. wheel (for my son’s bike). Will the CORE One support 24in wheels?
thanks.
I think the bike would mount on the trainer just fine, but it doesn’t have the height adjustment that the KICKR has, so the front wheel would be lower than the rear. Put it up on a riser block and you should be good.
I’ll see if I can find an old telephone directory! Thanks very much for your help. 👍
Question: How can I pair my Wahoo Kickr V5 with Zwift Klick
You can’t. For two reasons.
1) You can’t pair ANYTHING to the Zwift Click. It’s just a single-sprocket rear cassette. It doesn’t have any electronics.
2) KICKR v5 doesn’t support Zwift virtual shifting, which is what you’re really asking about! Only v6.