Five types of cyclist who would be better served by Wahoo's new KICKR ROLLR

Wahoo has just unveiled the latest in its line of indoor cycling hardware, a smart roller system that takes key features from traditional rollers and the KICKR turbo trainer, and melds them into a system that is easy to use.

It's known as the KICKR ROLLR, and it's different from anything we've seen before. However, while cyclists aren't particularly known for embracing technological breakthroughs, we think there's room for the KICKR ROLLR in the indoor cycling market and in this article we're going to outline why.

But first, how does it work? In indoor cycling, there are a few solutions to taking your training indoors: exercise bikes, turbo trainers, and rollers. They have all been around for decades, but in recent years, the technology within them has advanced faster than Tadej Pogačar's ascendence to greatness. Wahoo has been at the forefront of this, pioneering the smart turbo trainer with the Wahoo KICKR, and subsequently the KICKR BIKE smart exercise bike.

The KICKR ROLLR is the brand's first attempt at rollers, and it has solved one key issue for users, the associated risk of crashing.

Typically, rollers comprise a trio of rolling drums onto which you place your bike - two drums beneath the rear tyre and one beneath the front. The front and rear drums are connected via a rubber band, and as you pedal, your steering input allows you to maintain balance just like in the real world. However, unlike the real world, you are limited to a 'road' that is 18 inches wide, and you're not going anywhere. It's unintuitive, and a quick browse through the YouTube results for 'My first attempt on rollers' will give you an idea of just how many people get it wrong.

The KICKR ROLLR removes this issue while maintaining the free-floating rear-wheel realism by simply removing the front roller and replacing it with a static cradle that your front wheel sits in. An A-frame then holds the front of your bike upright, leaving you to focus on keeping the watts coming. A flywheel is connected to the rear, and when paired with a power meter like the Wahoo POWRLINK ZERO, the integrated smart tech allows your chosen indoor cycling app to control the resistance - Wahoo SYSTM would be their recommendation for that, of course.

But to go back to the beginning of this article, who is it for? And why would anyone choose it over the immensely popular KICKR turbo trainer? We can think of five personas, and we've listed them below.

1. The multi-cyclist household who'll benefit from easy bike swaps on the trainer

Whether we're talking about a group of keen cyclists who house share, or a family scenario where a dedicated cyclist lives with someone who just likes to dabble now and then, the KICKR ROLLR could be a good fit. Mounting a bike onto a KICKR ROLLR is a process that takes just a few seconds and one that even the most mechanically inept are able to do. Simply place the rear wheel onto the rollers, the front wheel into the cradle, and tighten the A-frame to grip the tyre. There's no need to remove a rear wheel like with a direct drive turbo trainer, and there's no worrying about getting oily hands in the process. It's quick, it's easy, and it means more time can be spent riding. 

2. The owner of multiple bikes with different groupset compatibilities

There are plenty of cyclists out there who own multiple bikes, such as road bikes, time trial bikes, mountain bikes and more, and it's especially common for riders to have various different groupsets across their collection of bikes.

Imagine you own a road bike with 11-speed Shimano and a time trial bike with 12-speed SRAM eTap AXS, and you want to train in your time trial position once per week. The KICKR ROLLR will allow you to swap bikes in seconds, rather than having to change both cassette and freehub before you can fit your new bike. Not only does this save you valuable training time, but it will also save you money on the various freehubs required, the tools required to change them, and the potential of damaging something in the process.

3. The cyclist who wants to benefit from the roller realism but doesn't want the risk

We've already touched on it above, but the risk of crashing when riding traditional rollers is high. Not only during those first few rides, but even after you've mastered the technique, a hard session can slow your cognitive capacity and result in a concentration catastrophe.

For this reason alone, many turn to turbo trainers, and while the KICKR V5 and its AXIS feet offer a market-leading level of real-ride feel, the risk-free KICKR ROLLR will tempt anyone wanting more. Thanks to its clever front wheel cradle and easy-adjust A-frame, the bike will be held stable, even during all-out sprints.

4. The cyclist who's trying to decide between buying an indoor trainer or a power meter for training outside

Throughout the past two years, cycling has seen a veritable boom in participation, and many of those new cyclists will now be at the point where they want to take it more seriously by investing in their training. Buying the Wahoo KICKR ROLLR bundled together with the POWRLINK ZERO pedals will mean those riders get the best of both worlds.

Not only will they have a hyper-accurate indoor training setup, but they will also have that same power measurement and accuracy when they take their bike outside. What's more, this will use the exact same power meter in both settings, which means consistent readings across all of their training sessions.

5. The enthusiast who wants to take their cycling indoors, but doesn't feel confident in taking their wheel off (or doesn't want the hassle) 

Indoor cycling is great. It allows people to ride when the weather is poor, it allows people to connect with others across the world, it lets people be competitive without putting themselves or other road users at risk, it allows people to get fitter - and healthier - faster. The list goes on.

But there's no denying it comes with a learning curve. From ensuring drivetrain compatibility to learning how to remove and refit wheels, cassettes, freehubs and more. For some people, they just want something that allows them to ride indoors quickly, safely, and easily. The learning curve is a barrier, and it could be the difference between someone cycling or not, and the fewer barriers to entry into cycling there are, the better.

The KICKR ROLLR removes those barriers and makes indoor cycling more accessible to more people. For that reason, it should help to increase the number of people riding indoors, and in our opinion, more people on bikes can only be seen as a good thing.