I have been so very close to buying a smart trainer but I keep convincing myself my current Kinetic Road Machine combined with a power meter is all I need. I’m at a point I feel like I might actually buy one and I had it narrowed down to the oh so popular Kickr Core or the H2. But then I came across the R1 and I’m really liking what I see. The problem is there is very little info out there and nobody even seems to have any yet. Anyone else holding out or know anything at all about them?
If Kurt Kinetic can nail the electronics side of it, it should be a really good option. I used to use a RocknRoll before I got a Kickr and now a Tacx Neo. The RocknRoll was great and having some lateral motion really helps with saddle comfort.
That being said, Wahoo, Cycleops, and Tacx have been at the smart trainer game for a quite a while and ironed out many of the early problems. Hard to know what issues the R1 might have initially.
Another consideration is the current 20% off deals, such as Clever Training. This works on most of the trainers, including preorders for the Tacx Neo2, but apparently not for the R1.
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Based on the rather issue plagued release of the prior Smart Control units from Kinetic, I would be (and I am) very hesitant to pull the trigger on the R1.
We haven’t even seen a proper test report from Ray Maker yet to know if they can get the power data correct (one of the many issues with their Smart Control units).
Those releases, and the clear issues with poor support and planning shown in their their Inride 1.0, 2.0 and now 3.0 units is a sign to me that Kinetic has some work to do when it comes to electronics and apps. They have a much more sketchy record compared to the other builders, IMHO.
Admittedly, none are perfect (as evidenced by the current Wahoo Kickr/Core issues), but Kinetic seems to have a worse track record based on what I have seen.
I think it is an interesting trainer and I want to try one, to compare feel to my rockers, but I wouldn’t touch an R1 until at least 2-3 months AFTER release and a green light from DCR.
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Great points from both of you pretty much confirms my hesitation.
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Reviving this thread…Anyone find new reports on the R1? Can’t find any recent reviews anywhere
Nothing from the big reviewers. But there is some info to be learned from the users on the Kinetic FB page. I have seen some good and some bad in there.
I still have minimal faith in Kinetic for electronic based devices from what I am seeing on the new unit.
Not enough info ever came out so I went with the Core. The R1 looked really appealing. It’s weird nothing really came of it.
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They clearly jumped on selling early to try and hit the Fall Indoor 2018 season. The unit was half-baked (just like they did with the original Smart Control release) and required fixes for many that I saw when people received the initial shipments.
Kinetic “Sold Out” of them (essentially a Stop Sale in my eyes) to address the one or more issues. They may have finally gotten on top of some of those, but I still see reports of other issues on them with more frequency than you’s like to see on a product that was released over 6 months ago.
They don’t even have a satisfactory review by any of the common reviewers. The one that Tariq had was plagued with the initial issues, and for whatever reason, was not resolved for a proper and complete review.
Just another new product mishandled by Kinetic.
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I really want the R1 to be good. Direct drive that rocks is very appealing.
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- It is very rewarding, in my experience, even if that requires a rocker plate to make it happen.
I expect we will see motion of one form or another integrated into trainers more as we continue to expand the world of indoor training and racing.
GPLama link:
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Can’t wait to watch this. But the short summary on the FB post is not encouraging for Kinetic fans.
Totally unsurprising to me based on their prior track record.
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Skipped ahead to the end, and knew it wasn’t going to be a positive review when scrubbing to find the summary and saw an R2 wishlist.
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I’m just stoked that someone finally capitulated and included a wired USB connection on these trainers. Why it’s taken this long is beyond me, but hopefully others follow suit.
Ironic that the R1 USB is not even fully functional yet, despite it having some merit in a narrow use case.
Yeah, well… Kinetic is probably the last company you’d want trying to implement the wired protocol, lol
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I completely agree with having a USB option. I already extend mine from my PC to about 3 inches away from the trainer, so why not give me the option to just plug it in.
Yes, already shared and discussed a bit above.