Wahoo Kickr Rollr Review

The Kickr Rollr is easy to set up, easy to use, and accurate enough for virtual riding. It's a nice upgrade to most wheel-on setups that take a bit longer to get going and have less road feel. Like most wheel-on trainers, the Rollr isn't perfectly accurate, so riders who consistently want to tackle Zwift races or precise ERG workouts won't be as happy as those who just want an easy indoor setup for days when riding outside is a no-go.

Connectivity and Power Accuracy

Like most other trainers on the market, the Kickr Core relies on the typical connection protocols: ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, and Bluetooth. It also supports Direct Connect. Setup is handled in the Wahoo app, which walks you through setup steps and accessory connections. Firmware updates and other features, such as a trainer odometer, are also available in the app. Thanks to a firmware update, the Kickr Rollr now lets you base power for virtual riding or ERG workouts on built-in power measurement (which we found wasn't that accurate) or on a power meter on your bike (which we found was more accurate). That means you don't need a power meter for Zwift rides or ERG workouts on the Kickr Rollr.

We use Favero Assimoa Duo power meter pedals as our baseline for power testing. In this test, we also used two separate SRAM Rival power meters on two separate bikes. The Rival power meter data aligned well with the pedals, as expected. During testing, we found the built-in power measurement did stray noticeably from our baseline power meters. That's really not surprising; measuring or estimating power with a roller introduces so many possible variables that could change the results. Rider weight, bike weight, tire choice, tire pressure, gearing, temperature, and pedaling dynamics are just some of the many factors that can cause the in-unit measurement or estimate to differ from the measured power at the pedal or crank. However, while the discrepancy was very noticeable, we don't think the Rollr's built-in power is egregiously inaccurate. The exact numbers depended on which bike we were using and our specific setup, but we found the built-in power typically was within 3-5% when riding steadily between 150 and 350 watts. Shorter bursts of higher power typically showed greater variation, with an 8-20% difference between built-in and power meter readings during multiple 5-15-second efforts ranging from 600-1100 watts. It's worth noting that the Rollr nearly always underestimated power, and that gearing and cadence had a noticeable effect on lower power levels.

So what's the takeaway? If you want precise power from the Kickr Rollr, you should use an external power meter. But honestly, the built-in power estimate is workable. It's more than passable for workouts and general riding. We wouldn't choose it if you're doing virtual races or regularly include high-intensity sprinting in your indoor riding, for both power and road feel reasons.

Road Feel

Speaking of road feel, the Kickr Rollr really has a pleasant feel when you're just pedaling comfortably. Your rear wheel is actually rotating in contact with the two rollers, so there's a bit of vibration transmitted through the frame that feels more like outdoor riding than most direct-drive units. There's also have a little bit of side-to-side movement as your tire shifts around on the roller, which feels realistic and adds to comfort on long indoor rides. Add the fact that uneven pedal dynamics are noticeable, and the Rollr really encourages you to smooth your pedal strokes, much like an old-school roller.

The Kickr Rollr has a 10.5-pound flywheel. That's lighter than most of the highest-scoring direct-drive units in our lineup, and it shows occasionally. While steady riding is great, accelerations and decelerations are a little choppier than some direct-drive competitors in this price range. We also found that decelerating from a hard effort often resulted in bouncing, and we don't think that's related to our pedaling dynamics, as other users have noted it as well.

When it comes to resistance adjustments, the Rollr isn't bad, but it doesn't stand out. Power ramping in ERG mode is smooth and well-timed, but its accuracy depends heavily on gearing and equipment. Choose a gear that is too low or too high, and the trainer will struggle to hit the correct power. That's an issue if you don't have an external power meter.

The Rollr has a max power of 1500 watts and a max grade simulation of 10%. The max power shouldn't be a concern for most riders; we rarely break 1200 watts in training, and even many pros don't crest 1500 watts that often. The max grade simulation, on the other hand, might be disappointing for a few riders. There are several steep gradients in the Zwift universe that exceed 10%.

Overall, we think the Rollr has decent road feel, even though it struggles in a few aspects of this category. It lags behind its direct-drive competition, but it is solid for a wheel-on unit.

Design

We love the design of the Kickr Rollr. We also think most riders who are interested in it will as well. It's sturdy and simple, plus this trainer is perfect for riders who hate taking a wheel off and on to swap from indoor to outdoor riding. The main drawback is the limited max-tire width.

The ease of setup makes it a great option for multi-bike households that only have one trainer. Simply lift one bike off and put another on, make the quick length/tire gripper adjustments, and you're ready to go. The only major caveat is tire-width compatibility. On Wahoo's Kickr Rollr page, they say “the front safety tire gripper can accommodate tires up to 2.1” (53mm)." We think that's a little misleading. If you click on the “check bike compatibility” link, you're taken to a page that will tell you the front safety tire gripper supports tire sizes up to 45mm, and that some larger tires may fit depending on measured height and tire pressure. Apparently, “this has not been tested.”

Well, we tested it. Our tester's gravel bike with 50mm tires set to 20 psi fit… barely. We had to wedge it into the trainer, and we do not recommend that setup. A different gravel bike with 45mm tires fit, but it was still a pretty snug setup. If you're thinking about purchasing the Kickr Rollr to use with your mountain bike, you'll be disappointed to know that your tires probably won't fit, and the Rollr doesn't support the wheelbase length of most modern mountain bikes.

Like all wheel-on trainers, the Rollr is pretty loud. Especially at moderate or high speeds, the setup generates a lot of noise, and non-slick tires make it worse. That should be a consideration for riders in small spaces, or with families they're trying not to disturb. Even when riding the Rollr right next to another person, speaking volumes have to be pretty high to overpower the drone of this unit. We loved our noise-cancelling earbuds on this trainer.

So where does that leave us? The Kickr Rollr has a phenomenal design that we think many road riders will love. We just wish that the design were more accommodating of gravel and mountain bike riders, and the tire size capacity were clearer.

Setup

Aside from getting the massive box the Kickr Rollr ships in through the door, setup is easy. The Rollr ships in a few parts. You unfold the front stanchion, attach the rear section with the rollers, tighten a few screws, and set the wheelbase length to match your bike. From there, you just put your front wheel in the block, put the rear wheel on the rollers, spin the tire gripper knob, and you're ready to ride. Overall, it's not the easiest in our lineup, but it ranks well. And the Wahoo app handles connections and firmware, making the experience smooth and simple.

The Kickr Rollr is the best trainer we've tested for transitioning from outdoor to indoor setups, hands down. Genuinely, it takes less than 30 seconds every single time. If you don't have to adjust the trainer for a bike's wheelbase each time, it's no exaggeration to say you can go from bike on the ground to riding in under 15 seconds. Because you don't have to take the wheel off or mess with an axle adapter, you can simply set the bike on the trainer, spin the tire gripper, and get on the bike.

Portability

The Rollr is towards the bottom of our lineup in this category. That's due to three reasons: it has a massive footprint, it's heavy, and it doesn't fold up well. At 50 pounds and well over 4 feet long, lugging it around is a lot like moving a poorly balanced dumbbell across the room.

It does break down into two smaller pieces for transport or storage, but they're still relatively large. While you absolutely could take it to the start of a race to warm up, we'd opt for a direct-drive unit that will take up less space in the trunk and will be easier to set up on location. Honestly, outside of moving it for portability-specific tests, we avoided moving the Kickr Rollr as much as possible. It's best as a set-it-and-forget-it option.

Should You Buy the Kickr Rollr?

No trainer in our lineup can get your bike set up and ready to ride as fast. If you do a lot of switching from outdoor to indoor riding and aren't concerned with perfect accuracy, then we think the Kickr Rollr deserves your consideration. If you're training seriously and want to race virtually or tackle tough workouts that require precise power output, we think you'll be better suited to a direct-drive unit. Similarly, if you're on a gravel or mountain bike, this trainer might be a no-go. Even similarly priced direct-drive options will outperform the Rollr in precision, noise, and compatibility. So, who's this trainer best for? Really, we think anyone who hates taking the wheel off their bike to get set up indoors will love this unit.

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