Wattbike has added not one, but two new indoor bikes to its range, with the launch of the Wattbike Proton and Wattbike Air. Both are lower priced than Wattbike’s flagship model Atom, at £1,795 and £1,895 respectively.
Both also give you access to Wattbike’s subscription-free training hub, which offers workouts and training plans. Wattbike says that it has revamped the Wattbike Hub’s contents to coincide with the launch of the new training bikes.
But why bring out two new indoor bikes with just £100 difference in their price?
The Proton is a smart bike with magnetic resistance that can be app-controlled and competes with the best exercise bikes and is designed for indoor cycling.
The Air is a non-smart model with fan-based resistance aimed at cross-trainers and team sports players wanting to work on their peak power and fitness generally.
Wattbike Proton smart bike
The Wattbike Proton is a smartbike that uses an electromagnetic resistance system and the same patented power meter system as used on the rest of Wattbike’s range.
Wattbike claims that its smart bikes often have multiple users in a household, so adjustability is vital. The Proton has been designed around tool-free adjustment to fit a range of rider heights, with the saddle height adjustable from 49.8cm to 82.7cm and a wide range of ride positions. The Proton also has a much lower step-over height than the Atom.
The Proton has a lower peak resistance level of 1800 watts, as against the Atom’s 2500 watts. However, not many of us will need to worry about those sorts of numbers. It ramps up resistance more gently too, so Wattbike recommends the Atom for competitive road cyclists and those racing online.
Both the Proton and the Atom can simulate gradients up to 25 percent and have the same 8.05kg flywheel weight and ANT+ and BLE connectivity.
You can hook the Proton up to a wide range of the best indoor cycling apps, including Zwift, Rouvy and also to Strava, as well as the Wattbike Hub.
At present, the Wattbike Proton is only available via Wattbike’s site in the UK, but the brand says that availability in other markets will follow.
The new Wattbike Air indoor bike
Wattbike is also launching the Air model, which can be pre-ordered now, with delivery scheduled for 7 October 2024.
It’s a non-smart bike, meaning no connectivity with mobile devices or training apps. It uses Wattbike’s fan-based resistance system, which the brand says reacts smoothly, progressively and immediately to all-out efforts. Peak resistance is 2500 watts.
Wattbike already has an air resistance trainer, the Pro/Trainer, but this is considerably more expensive and targeted at gym and club users. The Wattbike Air brings this tech to a lower, more home-user-friendly price point. While the Pro/Trainer has added features including magnetic resistance and a monitor, the Wattbike Air strips these out.
Wattbike says its target users include team sports players and CrossFit enthusiasts, who are aiming to increase their peak strength and power. It also suggests that the Air will be good for low-resistance rehab.
As such, it targets the same market as spin bikes and non-smart exercise bikes. Wattbike says that the Air is useful for high-intensity and HIIT training, while the Proton is designed to compete more with smartbikes and trainers.
As with the Wattbike Proton, availability will be UK-only initially, with pre-orders open for delivery from 7 October.
Now more smart bike options
The exercise bike market is hotting up. While it used to be the preserve of pricey models such as the £3,500 Wahoo Kickr Bike and the similarly priced Tacx Neo Bike Plus, more lower-priced options are appearing including the Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift.
Zwift has its new Ride smart bike, which is priced at £750 and docks to a smart turbo trainer to form a complete modular indoor bike. It has just announced broader compatibility with a wider range of smart trainers, including the Elite Diretto and the V6 Wahoo Kickr, adding to the Wahoo Kickr Core with which it was launched.
If you have space for a dedicated smart bike, the price differential with a top-tier smart turbo trainer is now not that great.
The Wattbike Proton is priced at £1,795 and the Wattbike Air at £1,895, as against the Atom’s price of £2,395, although the Atom is currently discounted to £2,145.
