I’m assuming it’s going to be cog only but we’ll see.
Another side benefit to your point about modularity is that in addition to being easier to store / transport, you can also selectively upgrade elements. If Wahoo releases some incredible new KICKRs in the future you at least have a possible path to upgrade your ride experience in a way you couldn’t on a full smart bike.
Yeah, the more I think about this, the more I like it. The smart bikes are crazy expensive, weigh a freaking ton, and are difficult to service, and even get rid of once you’re done with it. Whereas with a drop-in trainer bike, you can have your choice of trainers at different price points, or switch to another if someone manages to come up with a nifty new feature. The trainer breaking doesn’t make the whole thing unusable, and you don’t need to worry about servicing or shipping a 300 behemoth. Plus the added benefit of the companies not having to ship a 300 lb machine in the first place, which is definitely not cheap.
I just realized another potential issue. Considering the Kickr Move is their top end, I wonder if this smart frame has some method to include the fore-aft motion? They rely on regular wheels for normal bikes, so this will have to include a wheel (even if a micro sized version) or similar f-a device.
It’s that or there will be a limit that potentially kills the reason people would pick a Move over the V6.
The teaser pictures are so blurry it’s hard to tell but it doesn’t look like it has fore/aft motion to me. My guess is it will work with the Core and the normal V6. Question is will Wahoo make a non-move V7 or will they consolidate down to the core for mass market and the move for premium?
There absolutely won’t be from that teaser, since it appears to be on the Wahoo Kickr Core that is fully rigid. My thought was forward minded per your “upgrade path” concept.
This appears to be a “Zwift” product at least in basic marketing (note to follow), so it may be that they are targeting lower to mid level stuff with no car to the Move in particular. I would just be surprised to see a new product that potentially negates a top-tier trainer.
PS: Wahoo is sharing in the promotion, so they may be just tangential from the virtual shifting connection, or could well be more tied in to the MFG side of things. Perhaps we will learn more next week.
Plot twist, the product is the enclosure that person is riding in. They’re bringing wind tunnels to the masses.
Just remembered this from a while back. I wonder if the new product is a descendant of this thing:
That prior design is shown/hinted at in the Zwift Insider article above. The related patent there is likely connected to all this. IIRC, that old design was essentially modular too, with the option to upgrade to the “bike” if you had started with a “trainer” purchase first.
I am betting that this ends up only being compatible with trainers that fully support the Zwift cog which effectively will mean only Wahoo going forward. So really I see this as a doubling down on their relationship rather than anything resembling the competitive play of building their own complete smart bike.
While details are yet to be confirmed, I don’t think I’ve ever seen two companies go from being sworn enemies to completely in bed together so quickly.
Just had a chance to check out the Zwift Insider article and yeah, some crossover seems unavoidable.
Here’s an image of the one from 2021:
Using the main frame and everything but the rear wheel would be a good way to put out a new product without (god help me, the pun is unavoidable) re-inventing the wheel and blowing through a huge, totally redundant R&D budget.
I’d expect this would come with some version of the Zwift Cog to give Wahoo an early advantage without locking other trainer manufacturers out. And that does provide an opportunity for a more tightly integrated drivetrain. Plus it would have the added benefits of being more easily serviceable and providing upgrade paths as new trainers come out or someone’s existing trainer craps out.
I’m assuming @dcrainmaker and @GPLama are going crazy about not being able to share anything while they’re busy with final edits waiting for the embargo to lift.
Not really. And you’re way overestimating how organised we usually are. 
Those boys should have no fear of ever being in violation of the UCI sock height rules. 
Tan lines matter!
And self promo as I’m still up at 1:20am for this shite…
Pricing is better than I expected…Kinda dig the monostay upfront.
Thanks for adding the links! 
I updated the OP with all the new links. I can add more if/when appropriate.
