Last week Wahoo released “race mode” for the Wahoo KICKR 6 trainer – an enhanced communication mode that sends power data up to 10x per second (10Hz). This is significantly faster than the typical 1Hz typically seen on smart trainers and power meters.
See last week’s post for details on enabling race mode >
Race Mode Rollouts
Today, Wahoo released a firmware update for the Wahoo KICKR 5 trainer which enables race mode when using Direct Connect ($99USD). Race Mode on KICKR 5 was originally planned for release later this year, but Wahoo saw the feedback from KICKR 5 owners and their engineers put in late nights to make it happen quickly. Chapeau!
Additionally, Race Mode will soon be enabled for the KICKR Bike 2 when connected via WiFi or Direct Connect. Wahoo isn’t saying exactly when, but we’re hearing it will be in the next few weeks.
Simply put: if your Wahoo trainer/bike connects via WiFi or Direct Connect, it now supports Race Mode… or will very soon.
UCI Esports World Restriction
The release of race mode came at a somewhat awkward time, considering the KICKR 6 is the official smart trainer for the UCI Esports World Championship happening this Saturday (February 18).
We heard whispers that race mode was being disallowed for the Worlds races, and have confirmed with Zwift that this in fact the case. Why is it restricted? Because race mode requires the KICKR to be connected by WiFi or Direct Connect, and not all racers’ setups use those methods for connection.
With such a short time period between race mode’s release and the Worlds events, it seemed best to disallow the feature rather than scramble to get all riders on a race mode-enabled setup. Sounds sensible to us.
Is It Advantageous?
Our favorite Aussie Lama continues to experiment with race mode… for science! Shane released this video just today, showing how in 7 test races, race mode won 6:
Why is race mode advantageous? Because it gives you the jump on competitors. When it comes to the final sprint to the line, Zwift will see your power spike sooner in race mode than if you’re running a typical 1Hz setup… and that may be just the edge you need.
Questions or Comments?
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