Wahoo starts sending KICKR 2020 direct connection cable: practical details

Last summer, when Wahoo announced the KICKR V5 / 2020, one of the new features was a new port on the side of the trainer that would allow you to connect it to your home (or office) network, as a means of bypassing any wireless connectivity. problems you may have. Although most of us use wireless connections well, some of us are not so lucky – especially if we live in a crowded RF space, such as a large apartment building. Likewise, this can also be attractive for certain sports events.

Anyway, the KICKR V5 / 2020 didn’t really have an Ethernet port on the side, but something like a phone port. This, in turn, would require you to purchase an adapter (also known as a dongle) and connect it. Then, you would plug the cable into it. After that, the applications would be updated to see this new type of connectivity (in addition to the usual ANT + and Bluetooth Smart connections).

To make a long story short – starting this morning you can buy that $ 99 dongle.

Now I had planned a complete and detailed review to be released today … but … umm … things are not going well. However, in this rare scenario, I don’t think it is a representation of the product itself, but of the moment. Simply put – third party applications are not yet ready and the final firmware has just arrived in the last few days so that it is ready. If it were a week from now, it would probably be a different story. But from this very second when the embargo was lifted, the apps are a heterogeneous, yet tempting team that looks like they just ended a tough night in the bars. All bars … all drinks … all night.

So, I’ll be back next week or later with the final review and all the app players. This review will be loosely similar to this post, but with much more detail about some of the nuances and how each application implemented it. Furthermore, it is arguably the best introduction to a video I’ve ever recorded.

The quick details:

Above is the box in which you will receive the Direct Connect cable, it is almost the same as all other Wahoo Fitness boxes. Inside, you’ll find the dongle and a quick-release extension cable for the dongle. And yes, I will keep saying dongle. Because … I’m a 5 year old boy.

The extension cable is really there in case you trip over the Ethernet cable, as it will separate cleanly instead of tearing the dongle or the KICKR port. It works in the same way as the power cord. If there was a redeemable aspect for not having a native Ethernet port, the quick-release security cable would be this.

In any case, you will take the quick release cable and dongle and assemble all the parts connected to your KICKR V5 / 2020.

Oh, and then put an Ethernet cable in it:

After that, connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to your router / hub / switch (technically, you can connect it directly to a computer’s Ethernet port if you wish):

Remember, the goal here is to get the KICKR data flow on your home network. The application device you are using can be wired (like a computer) or wireless (like a phone). While it may seem counterintuitive to go back to a tablet or cordless phone, the reality is that for most people, the problem is not the drop in WiFi, but the drop with ANT + or Bluetooth Smart (due to WiFi or other interference). Still, in my case, I used a wired Apple TV (for fun), a Mac (WiFi) and an iOS device (WiFi) to demonstrate all the variants.

If you open the Wahoo Fitness app (the one where you can pair sensors and others), you will see the KICKR status of the Direct Connect connection (shown below ‘KICKR CLIMB’). It will show ‘disconnected’ for the status of the TCP connection when an application is not actively using it. It allows one simultaneous application via ethernet at a time.

Now, open our favorite training app to get pairing. Officially, Wahoo says the following in his press release today:

“As of today, Wahoo’s SUF Training System, TrainerRoad, FulGaz and RGT Cycling are compatible. Other platforms are expected to become compatible in the coming months, including Zwift. “

Officially, here’s the real-world status of all apps from the moment they go live:

FulGaz: In beta builds, but not fully working yet in my tests
RGT: Fully functional in the public production version
Sufferfest: Supposedly working in production, but not for me or others
TrainerRoad: In certain beta builds, but not fully working yet in my tests. Aimed at early February for launch.
Zwift: According to Zwift’s product and PR team, the actual official goal is “later this year”

I haven’t checked out all the other training apps out there yet, but I will add them to the list if they fire on their HEC.

And since Zwift is obviously the elephant in the room here (and probably the platform that needs it most), here’s Zwift’s full quote on this one, based on my question about when exactly it will be compatible with Zwift:

“Initial work has started and Zwift will offer support for the Wahoo Direct Connect adapter on all platforms as soon as all quality control tests are completed later this year.

The difficult deadline in the game is not in sight at this point, but we will communicate it as soon as we move through the testing process. “

Did you understand all that? Well, now, let’s choose the app that works for me today: RGT. To do this, you will use your mobile companion app to search for devices on the network. A few seconds later, you’ll see the Wahoo KICKR instructor listed as a Direct Connect instructor and a Bluetooth instructor (this was on iOS). It has a special icon that looks like a broom. I know … I know … it should look like a Wahoo dongle.

In this case, the Direct Connect connection will take care of the power and cadence, as well as the control of the trainer. However, ANT + and Bluetooth connections are still available for you to connect to, such as with a watch or bicycle computer. On KICKR itself, you will see both lights on the back light up and remain on, indicating a Direct Connect connection:

After that, you just ride normally. There is no difference here, nor a noticeable change. It does not transmit data faster, slower, or more often. It is identical.

And on FulGaz (on Apple TV) it’s similar too – you’ll see the ‘Network’ option listed there for each connection

That is all there is to do. The goal of Wahoo (and the apps I talked to) is to be completely transparent to you. You just connect the cable to your network and then your device / application finds the trainer and that’s it.

And, if you ask me a week or two from now – I’m sure it will work just like that. Unfortunately, as of today it is not yet fully cooked. So I’ll be back in a week or two, after these apps have a few minutes to get everything working, and dive into more nuanced details (like side-by-side comparisons of data flows). All the geek goodness you expect.

Wrap up:

As I said before, I will come back with the full results of the app tests (including some other ongoing tests that are hilarious or incomplete … probably both), once I get the last of the non-Zwift compatible apps. Given that Zwift will not be here until “later this year”, I will not wait for them. Some random day in 2021, when they release an update to make it compatible, I will go back and update this post on how it works on Zwift.

Ultimately, however, I suspect that the Wahoo Direct Connect adapter (also known as a dongle) will be a short-lived product. Not because something is wrong with him, but because I see no chance of being anything but a marvel of a hit. That is, I would be surprised (and disappointed) if the next KICKR or KICKR Bike simply did not have this built in-house. After all, the reason this wasn’t in the KICKR V5 / 2020 natively was just the complexities of time. And although I don’t know when Wahoo plans to launch a new KICKR, they are historically quite consistent towards the end of each August (except the year they launched a smart bike). This means that this product has a practical peak sales period of 8 months. Of which, Zwift may not be compatible during this period.

Of course, people will have KICKR V5 coaches for years, and many of them have been sold in the past 6-7 months. Therefore, the dongle will invariably be purchased for years by these people.

Now – while the dongle itself is likely to peak, I hope the underlying Direct Connect technology will become a standard option on Wahoo sneakers / bikes – and probably standard across the industry (in some way). Sports requirements are likely to address some of this, even though the feature is rarely used by most regular consumers. So, even if the adapter hardware is a little boring, the development effort that has been made for it will not be a waste – it will likely be integrated into future Wahoo products natively.

In any case, more in my final review.

With that – thanks for reading!