Indoor cycling software specialist Zwift has had a tumultuous relationship with hardware over the past two years, but its latest product is a smart idea that could disrupt the industry and create an entirely new product category.
Called the Zwift Ride, it simply takes an existing smart trainer – namely the Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One – and provides the rest of the equation: the bike. Everything from the handlebars and frame, through the seatpost and saddle, to the cranks and drivetrain are provided, turning the intelligence of the best smart trainers into a smart exercise bike.
Like any smart bike, it eliminates the need to use your outdoor bike on your trainer, keeping your carpets clean, extending the life of your bike’s components, and shortening the setup time between deciding to ride and first pedaling , is shortened.
All contact points are also widely adjustable, via an integrated ‘Zwift Key’ that mounts magnetically to the underside of the top tube. The frame can be adjusted to fit riders between 6 feet and 6 feet tall, meaning it’s suitable for the whole family.
The aluminum frame has a single central leg at the front, positioned like the forks and front wheel, to keep the bike upright. This is a fairly traditional bicycle design, with headset shape and height and reach adjustable handlebars. The handlebar comes pre-equipped with shift/brake levers that mimic Zwift Play controls, allowing the user to shift gears almost silently and instantly and control the Zwift app directly from the handlebars.
The included phone/snack tray sits on top of the reach-adjustable handlebar clamp area, while an optional tablet holder can be purchased to mount to the front (Image credit: Zwift)
There is a rubberized smartphone tray on top of the handlebars, and an additional tablet holder can be purchased to mount on the front.
On the way to the back of the bike, past the two included bottle cages, towards the height-adjustable seat post. The included saddle sits on traditional 6mm round rails so can easily be swapped out for your own preferred option.
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The drivetrain is a singlespeed affair, using the Zwift Cog device. The chain is looped around a tensioning device to simplify installation. The frame fits the included Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One trainer using a traditional 142 x 12mm thru axle (included).
The Zwift Frame resembles a typical bicycle design, but the front wheel is replaced by a single-leg strut (Image credit: Zwift)
Software meets hardware
In March 2022, Zwift teased a smart bike design, but amid an industry-wide recession and financial problems, it quickly scrapped that idea in May of the same year. Months later, it launched a smart trainer, the Zwift Hub Classic, which led to a nearly 12-month lawsuit with Wahoo over patent infringement.
Towards the end of this, Zwift also launched the Zwift Hub One, which featured the same smart trainer but with a universally compatible single-speed cog and a housing that replaces the cassette.
Once Zwift and Wahoo agreed to settle their differences, they entered a new realm of hyper-collaboration with the Zwift Hub Classic eventually being replaced by the pre-existing Wahoo Kickr Core, while the Zwift Hub One became the Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One.
Today’s launch is another collaboration between the pair. Zwift provides the frame and Zwift Play-style controls on the front, while the Wahoo Kickr Core provides the smart trainer.
Zwift says the Zwift Ride will be available later this summer as a standalone frame that users can pair with the smart trainer they already have. However, non-Wahoo users will have to forego the virtual switching feature (unless other brands release a firmware update to make it work). The price for this has yet to be determined.
For now, you can only buy it in conjunction with the Kickr Core device, priced at US$1299.99 / €1299.99 / £1199.99 / AU$2,299.95. The add-on tablet holder costs US$49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99.
