Turbo trainers

Wahoo KICKR Snap

Team Sky-used Wahoo KICKR gets a more affordable little brother

Wahoo Fitness made a big impact when they launched their KICKR direct drive turbo trainer back in 2013, and they’ve been hoping for a similar reaction for the KICKR Snap, in many ways the KICKR’s little brother.

You’ll no doubt have spotted the original KICKR in the warm-up paddock of the biggest races, with Team Sky among those who’ve adopted it as their race-readying device of choice.

But the Snap has been positioned on the next level down for those ‘training to ride’ as opposed to ‘training to win’ as per Wahoo’s slogans.

Launched in June of last year, the Snap is more affordable, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing functionality in favour of frugality. For the most part, the Snap has been designed to be every bit the equal of it’s sibling, with only a few changes.

RCUK100 - Wahoo KICKR Snap turbo trainer, flywheel

Launched in June of last year, the Snap is more affordable than the KICKR, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing functionality in favour of frugality.

The way RRP is kept down is primarily due to the lack of the in-built power meter that the full KICKR boasts. Instead, the Snap determines power through use of an algorithm, a formula Wahoo claim to be accurate to within five per cent.

But if you already use a power meter, there is an option to override the in-built measurement and take readings from that unit instead, meaning the resistance will be controlled by your power meter’s readout, not the Snap itself.

The benefits of that are obvious as it gives you the chance to train to the same numbers you ride with outdoors, ensuring there’s no discrepancy between what you’re expecting and what you’re actually doing.

As you’d expect from one of the first companies to push smartphone-controlled fitness hardware, the KICKR Snap follows the lead of its elder sibling by being fully controllable through the Wahoo Fitness app. Thats on both Android and iOs, so it doesn’t matter which platform you favour. To do that, the unit makes use of both Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ connectivity.

Price: £649
Website: Wahoo Fitness

For anyone who has sampled the original KICKR, all apps built for that machine will work with the Snap – including third party apps designed to work with the open application interface (API).

In hardware terms, the unit itself is a hefty beast thanks in no small part to its 4.7kg flywheel, a full kilo lighter than the full KICKR but still significantly heavier than other flywheel-based trainers on the market. The total weight of the Snap is 17kg, meaning not only will you struggle to move it while riding, you’d better hope there aren’t any stairs to carry it up either.

Speaking of which, it boasts a maximum sustainable power output of 1,100watts, so there’s little chance of you over straining the machine either, and with a claimed 1.2sec adjustment time on resistance it means there’s a highly realistic road feel when riding with programs like Zwift.

While replicating the quality of a machine like the KICKR is a tall order, and you won’t see the likes of Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas making the switch any time soon, the Snap is a pretty close imitation, and seems much more of a bargain with its £300 lower RRP.