I made myself get on the bike the same day I built the new Kickr Core. What would be the point of a new trainer if I did not ride it immediately?

The first thing I noticed was that there is no need to calibrate the bike. I had to do a quick search to double check, but apparently it does calibrate continuously, which is much more convenient than essentially having to re-calibrate the Magnus every time because of tire pressure. I also ran into a number of other issues when calibrating, so it is nice to not have to worry that a calibration is going to hold up a workout.

Next, it is quiet. I had a customer on the Kickr Move at work a couple weeks ago and was reminded of how much quieter the direct drive trainers are. I usually split screen my computer and have YouTube or another streaming service on one side and Zwift on the other, and the thing I noticed was that I did not need to have the volume as high. I am a picky sound, so I keep a low volume and adjust as soon as I move back to my couch where I am closer to my computer and do my work, so it was nice not to have as big of an adjustment when I moved.

It was also so smooth. I didn’t think I would notice that much of a difference, and I had not ridden a direct drive trainer in year, but the changes in the grade were much more realistic. There were some sections with varying grade between 1 and 5%, and I felt like it was much more realistic. On the Magnus, the changes felt more sudden, like it was just jumping from one to the next, where this felt a lot more like some of the hills I ride in my area.

The one negative that isn’t really a negative is that I now need to adjust my derailleur. Any time you change wheels, even if you are using the same size cassette, you may need some adjustments. I have one of two problems. First, I just need to adjust because of slight differences with the trainer. This is what I am hoping for, and I can adjust easily. The second is that I need a new chain. The cassette I put on the trainer is the newer of the cassettes in my house, because it was on my carbon wheels, so the chain was worn more with the cassette on my old wheels, and usually you go through two chains per cassette, so it is possible I need a new chain.

Key takeaways from this first ride.

Direct drive trainers are quieter

The ride is more realistic

You may need to adjust your derailleur even if you use the same cassette

After many years, I finally gave in to buying a direct drive smart trainer. For about six years now, I have been using a Saris (formerly Cycleops) Magnus (now M2) smart trainer. The way the price has come down when I searched it to find out the current name is shocking. The price on direct drive trainers on the other hand has not come down as much, but there is a wider range of prices, so the top end remains the same, while there are some lower price options.

Picking my trainer
This was more difficult than it seemed, because there are so many options. I primarily looked at Wahoo and Tacx (Garmin), and I was set on going to a direct drive. Wahoo had essentially two options, because the Kickr is out of stock, so the options were the Kickr Move or the Kickr Core, and with Tacx there were more options, but with the Kickr Core at $499, I quickly settled on that price point on the Tacx. There was the Tacx Flux S, but the max grade simulation was only 10% compared to 16% on both the Core and the Flux 2. I ended up basically getting the Core because I could also get a discount on one year of Zwift with it, which is worth it for me.

Accessories
You may be thinking the Kickr Climb, or the trainer mat, but the only things I purchased were a chain whip and lockring tool to install my cassette. The Kickr does come with the option of a cassette, but my bike is 10 speed and they were out of 10 speed cassettes, so I will just use one of the ones that I already have at home, and I just needed the tools to be able to set it up at home. I buy yoga mats at TJ Maxx, and I bought a computer stand from Aamzon years ago that I still use today.

Delivery
It was FedEx delivery, and they did leave it in front of my door. I have a few steps and the occasional Amazon driver will not walk up them. I have not dealt with the Kickr Core as much as the Kickr, but it does seem slightly lighter, which is nice for me, since I am the one that is moving it around my house to set it up.

Unboxing
This was a little unpleasant just for getting the actual Kickr out of the box. The lid came off nicely, and they position everything so you don’t miss it. I especially like the way the additional adaptors are laid out when you open it. The Kickr itself is very secure, so I just kind of dumped it over to get the box off, which is best done on carpet or a rug like I did, not nicer floors.

Set-up
This was surprisingly easy. Trainers can be awkward to move around, but the two legs were easy to install, and it took me less time than finding my cassette in my car to install. I was pleasantly surprised they did include the spacer needed for if your cassette is 8-10 speed, so now I have a spare, and my bike went on easily. Sometimes when putting a wheel into a tri bike with horizontal dropouts, I struggle a little with getting the derailleur out of the way, but maybe this one was easy because I have the older style derailleur on my bike. I lined up the chain with my smallest cog and was able to slide it right on.

This was all about setup, which was much easier than I expected, and I will do an entirely separate post about actually riding it. I have used a demo Kickr before, and just on a first look, this is much quieter than my old Magnus, which I am planning to possibly move to my parents’ house in Ohio for when I go up there.