Another development in the seemingly burgeoning relationship between Wahoo and Zwift has taken place today, with both brands adjusting their turbo trainer range in what appears to be a connected move.
Starting with Wahoo, the Atlanta-based brand has today unveiled price cuts for its Kickr Core and Kickr Snap turbo trainers. These aren't merely Black Friday turbo trainer deals, but a permanent cut of the respective products' retail prices.
The move brings the Kickr Core down to £449.99 (US $499.99/ CA $599.99 / EU €499.99) as a standalone product, matching the previous price of the Zwift Hub—the smart trainer that Zwift launched in 2022, and which was soon-after the centre of a patent infringement court case between the pair—before last month, when it was made available only as a bundle deal with a year's subscription to Zwift.
Speaking of which, Wahoo is also listing the Kickr Core at £549.99 (US$599.99 / CA$939.99 / EU€599.99) – the same price as the current Zwift Hub price – complete with a year's subscription to, you guessed it, Zwift.
Similarly, the Kickr Snap wheel-on smart trainer is reduced to £349.99 (US$399.99 / CA$739.99 / EU€399.99), again with a year of Zwift.
Moving onto Zwift's change in lineup today and interestingly, DC Rainmaker revealed that Zwift has today removed the Zwift Hub Classic from its store, leaving only the Hub One smart trainer on sale. A spokesperson from Zwift confirmed to Cyclingnews this is a permanent move, "the Zwift Hub Classic has been discontinued."
History and the court case
For context, a bit of history: Zwift launched the Zwift Hub Classic, then just known as the Zwift Hub, in late 2022. This sparked a court case between Wahoo and Zwift, with the former attempting to sue the latter for patent infringements relating to the Wahoo Kickr Core.
The case rumbled on through spring and was eventually, if rather abruptly to those on the outside, settled in early September. The two gave little away about what that actually meant, besides confirming that Wahoo would grant Zwift a 'limited licence' on the patents, and that the two sides would pledge to collaborate "with a view to growing the indoor fitness category."
Since then, things have moved quickly. First, Zwift stopped selling the Hub as a standalone product, instead increasing the price and bundling it with a year's subscription as mentioned. Wahoo then dropped the price of the Kickr Core from £699 to £549 ($899 to $599 / €799 to €599), effectively price matching, but without that year's Zwift sub. Soon after, Zwift launched the Zwift Hub One, concurrently changing the name of the original Hub to the Hub Classic.
The Hub One also introduced the Cog and Click kit. A single-sprocket device that replaces a cassette, fitting onto the freehub as a normal cassette would, but opening up compatibility with more bikes without the faff of swapping cassettes and freehubs between use. It's great for multi-bike households and less confusing for potential buyers who aren't au fait with the inner workings of bike groupsets, compatibility and the likes. The Click takes the form of a wireless Bluetooth two-button shifter that mimics shifts by adjusting the resistance of the trainer, similar to how smart bikes offer virtual shifting with belt-driven drivetrains.
Today, with the removal of the Hub Classic from the Zwift lineup, the Hub One will seemingly live alongside the Kickr Core in the market, allowing each brand to have its unique product without direct competition from the other.
Zwift is also committed to selling the Wahoo Kickr Core on its website, with our contact at Zwift confirming that "Wahoo KICKR CORE with Cassette will be available to customers in all existing Zwift e-commerce markets: the USA, the UK, and the EU. In addition, Wahoo KICKR Core with Cassette will be available to buy in Canada immediately, with availability in Australia and Japan soon to follow."
Other Wahoo changes
Elsewhere alongside the price drops, Wahoo has added the 12-month Zwift bundle available with the rest of its smart trainer and smart bike range, with new prices available as follows.
- Kickr Bike: £3,599.99/ US $4,099.99/ CA $5,439.99 / EU €4,099.99
- Kickr Bike Shift: £2,799.99/ US $3,099.99/ CA $4,339.99 / EU €3,099.99
- Kickr Move: £1,499.99/ US $1,699.99/ CA $2,289.99 /EU €1,699.99
- Kickr: £1,199.99/ US $1,399.99/ CA $2,019.99 / EU €1,399.99
- Kickr Rollr: £649.99/ US $699.99/ CA $939.99 / EU €699.99
Black Friday is quickly approaching and Cyclingnews is keeping track of all the deals, from equipment, clothing, accessories and technology. Check out the Black Friday bike deals which are curated and updated throughout each day in the UK, USA and around the world.
