Watt Bike

Jim Stynes

Anyone have one? What are the best ones with one costing 1000s? Would love one for over the winter and to get some proper trainin on.

Beasty

There are only 3 models - the Pro is aimed at serious cyclists. The "Trainer" covers a lower power range than the Pro and is more aimed at juniors, leisure cyclists or females at the lower end of the power scale. The Freeride is calibrated to the same level as the trainer and has fewer bells and whistles. That's the cheapest with a retail price of £1,695 which currently around €2,100. The other 2 are priced at £2,250 which will set you back over €2,800

Got mine (a Pro) delivered from the UK, which probably added getting on for a couple of hundred quid to the price. That was 3 years ago when they were cheaper and I'm pretty sure my total outlay was less than £2,000

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

the Pro is aimed at serious cyclists. The "Trainer" covers a lower power range than the Pro and is more aimed at juniors, leisure cyclists or females at the lower end of the power scale...Got mine (a Pro) delivered from the UK

Riiiight. Ryan Mullen did a 19:01 10 miler as a junior.

gilleek2

Beasty wrote: »

There are only 3 models - the Pro is aimed at serious cyclists. The "Trainer" covers a lower power range than the Pro and is more aimed at juniors, leisure cyclists or females at the lower end of the power scale. The Freeride is calibrated to the same level as the trainer and has fewer bells and whistles. That's the cheapest with a retail price of £1,695 which currently around €2,100. The other 2 are priced at £2,250 which will set you back over €2,800

Got mine (a Pro) delivered from the UK, which probably added getting on for a couple of hundred quid to the price. That was 3 years ago when they were cheaper and I'm pretty sure my total outlay was less than £2,000

How do you find it Beasty?
Have used a Pro many times (not mine) and while a good training tool i think there are much better ways to spend €2800.

Beasty

gilleek2 wrote: »

i think there are much better ways to spend €2800.

I know, but I've probably found pretty much all of them already.

The WB does what it says on the tin. There is unlikely to be anything better out there if you want to train indoors with power. But yes it's expensive.

I can and do focus on my efforts on the WB. I reckon an hour on the WB is worth probably 2 on the road training - wise. I'm sure they are not for everybody though and people really need to think long and hard before committing. I reckon that over the winter I've probably averaged a couple of hours a week on it. This winter I'll probably be using it even more.

I do though have a specific focus where the WB is a great training tool. That's the pursuit and it is possible to pretty much mimic the sort of efforts I need to do on the WB. In fact I have never done any proper pursuits outside Irish, European and World Masters events. With no indoor track here I essentially do all my event - specific training on the WB, supplemented by a few 10m TTs

learn

Beasty wrote: »

I know, but I've probably found pretty much all of them already.

The WB does what it says on the tin. There is unlikely to be anything better out there if you want to train indoors with power. But yes it's expensive.

I can and do focus on my efforts on the WB. I reckon an hour on the WB is worth probably 2 on the road training - wise. I'm sure they are not for everybody though and people really need to think long and hard before committing. I reckon that over the winter I've probably averaged a couple of hours a week on it. This winter I'll probably be using it even more.

I do though have a specific focus where the WB is a great training toll. That's the pursuit and it is possible to pretty much mimic the sort of efforts I need to do on the WB. In fact I have never done any proper pursuits outside Irish, European and World Masters events. With no indoor track here I essentially do all my event - specific training on the WB, supplemented by a few 10m TTs

Has it improved your pedalling style ?

Jim Stynes

Is there only one main type of watt bike? Surely there are others on the market that do the same thing? I have seen adverts for some type of watt bike during the Tour de France coverage. It allowed you to upload tbf routes etc.

2 Wheels Good

Have used one in my gym in Cork (NRG) and find it good. I've found it good for ironing out kinks in my pedal stroke and making sure i'm not compensating with either leg. If you're serious about training over the winter I'm sure if could be a great addition. Maybe try and find a gym with one first and see if you're getting the benefit from it.

gilleek2

Jim Stynes wrote: »

Is there only one main type of watt bike? Surely there are others on the market that do the same thing? I have seen adverts for some type of watt bike during the Tour de France coverage. It allowed you to upload tbf routes etc.

Well Wattbike is a brand so yes. You might be thinking of the likes of the Lemond trainers that you hook your bike up to or Tacx top end virtual reality trainers.

2 Wheels Good

And there's also Zwift Could be an interesting way of spicing up winter training.

fat bloke

There's probably a strong second hand market for these if one were to plumb for one, but still for that kind of coin, you'd want to be damn sure that you have the discipline to sit on a stationary trainer in your gaff for a an hour or more.

If 20 minutes on a 150 quid turbo is an unbearable eternity for you, then a posh 3k watt bike ain't gonna strengthen your resolve!

I'd love one if I could afford it but it'd be a long way down list from say - the garmin vector pedal system and a regular turbo trainer - probably a 1400 spend overall. With the ability to measure power in both legs out on the road as well.

Junior

A Watt Bike is a large investment for sure, but as Beasty has pointed out it's a no nonsense machine, you get out of it exactly what you put in. It's a long term investment however - think of it this way - you'd probably spend a grand on a decent winter bike (maybe something with discs) say another 500 on a powermeter of some description, you'll need some decent wet gear - say another 100-200 and suddenly having yourself kitted out to train hard during the winter is 2 grand, in that light a Wattbike is in my eyes a good investment.

Now if I only had the spare 3k

pprendeville

If inad the dosh and the time I'd go for the Wahoo Kickr. Nice features like like competing against KOMs on Strava. Would make the intervals that bit more bearable I think. A good fan helps as well.

gilleek2

fat bloke wrote: »

There's probably a strong second hand market for these if one were to plumb for one, but still for that kind of coin, you'd want to be damn sure that you have the discipline to sit on a stationary trainer in your gaff for a an hour or more.

If 20 minutes on a 150 quid turbo is an unbearable eternity for you, then a posh 3k watt bike ain't gonna strengthen your resolve!

I'd love one if I could afford it but it'd be a long way down list from say - the garmin vector pedal system and a regular turbo trainer - probably a 1400 spend overall. With the ability to measure power in both legs out on the road as well.

In my opinion Garmin Vector + mid to high end turbo would be roughly similar. That assumes of course you have a spare bike to hook it up to.
Cant wait for Zwift to start off.