Fitness can be intensely tribal. I can spot the yogis congregating outside studios or the post-barre groups at the coffee shop, but mostly from a distance as I run past.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been inadvertently getting an opportunity to join those tribes. I’ve been logging into Zwift, the online fitness platform, to bike on Wahoo Fitness’s new Kickr bike. These virtual pelotons (yes, the word refers to a pack of cyclists and not just the brand) swarmed me as I pedaled along, sometimes giving me a friendly PowerUp—the Zwift version of a high five.
As someone who is not a competitive cyclist, I feel the same way about these PowerUps as I do about the Kickr bike. I get that both the bike and the online cycling groups are amazing, and I can see the appeal, but competitive cycling requires a big investment for a niche sport. As of today, I have yet to give anyone a PowerUp myself.
Wahoo Fitness sent me the tester by courier from another tester in Portland, so my experience with delivery and setup will probably differ greatly from yours. It’s worth noting that unlike other large pieces of home equipment, the Kickr bike’s packaging requires that it stay upright.
The courier left it at my front door and it was a little awkward to wrangle into my house. The bike itself weighs 93 pounds and I measured the box at a little under 3 feet tall and 4.25 feet long. Wahoo Fitness is working with retailers to deliver it in 2-man teams, but expect to meet some resistance if you pull up to your local REI and try to shove it in the trunk by yourself.
Parts of mine came preassembled, so all I had to do was stick on the handlebars, seat, and pedals, but once you're all set up the bike’s footprint is a small 48 x 30 inches. It also has transport wheels on the back end of the stand, and you can set the bike upright and maneuver it via the back wheels and rotating flywheel.