I used a Bolt 2 all last year, but did run into some weird navigation issues - where it just stopped navigating. I’d already been using a Garmin watch and scale, so after reading the 1040 reviews grabbed one too for this year. Having it all under one ecosystem will be nice, though I may miss the Bolt 2 screen.
meh
old one i didnt do much maintenance, the odd rinse off. started reading weird 75% of the time after maybe 2 years of use
got a newer one and it worked alright for about 6 months or so of use i think (non-continuous) and then it stopped working properly and dropped like the previous one.
ill be switching back to garmin most likely
A la Logitech circa 2010. Amazing warranty experience you were almost ensured to get the pleasure of using 2 or 3 times.
In their current situation, having a product line with a reputation for needing frequent warranty service is not going to be helpful. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend their asking price for a trainer if it’s not clear that the company will be around to support it.
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Personally, I found the issue was the straps and not the actual TICKR…but I get that my experience may not be universal.
Correct. I don’t believe that Giant is currently producing any bikes for Specialized (but that nay have changed recently). However, I do believe that Specialized does use some other, smaller factories in China / Taiwan.
Wahoo has yet to come up with a compelling reason for consumers to leave Zwift…some people point to the better graphics or better physics when drafting, etc. but at the end of the day, those aren’t compelling enough reasons to leave Zwift.
They need to be able to provide a better user experience, but that user experience needs to overcome the most compelling reason people use Zwift - the social aspect. What user experience is more compelling than being able to ride with hundreds / thousands of others. Better graphics, etc. are just icing on the cake…and right now, Zwift has the better (and larger) cake.
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This.
Let’s look at the companies in the cycling “training” software space (yes, I’m using a broad brush):
- Peleton - not cash flow positive
- Zwift - not cash flow positive
- Strava - not cash flow positive
- Wahoo (Systm) - not cash flow positive. This is a guess, but I’m pretty comfortable with this guess
- TrainerRoad - cash flow positive. Again, this is a guess, but i’m very comfortable with this guess
- Xert - no clue. I’m guessing cash flow positive
My point is that if you look at the above, the only company / companies that are cash flow positive are on the smaller side of the user base. So it appears at the moment you either try and grow quickly - requires a lot of cash you can burn - or you grow at the rate you can organically support and you are a smaller player.
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The Y Combinator 10x Rule is relevant here. “Is your product 10x better than the competition?” Because peeling users away is difficult.
Product, this is super simple. Is your product 10X better than the competition? If it is, then you potentially have an unfair advantage and it has to be very, very clear. Someone should be able to look at your product and go, like, oh shit, this is so much better than everything else I’ve ever seen. It is 10X faster, it is 10X cheaper, etc. And if it’s not in order of magnitude let’s say it’s just like 2X or 3X again, that’s nice but it’s not enough for an investor to go like, oh, this is a slam dunk.
How to Evaluate Startup Ideas : YC Startup Library | Y Combinator
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I drill this into my staff all the time…everyone wants to get down into the details and talk about minutiae on sales calls. Pfffft…
“So what, who cares, what’s in it for me?” If you can’t answer that question in a single, concise sentence, you have already lost the sales pitch.
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I was almost going to add that it’s easier for Zwift to gain some of the RGT features, but caught myself since the foundation Zwift is built on seems to be a bit … rocky. Both sides just have different large problems.
Of those, Peloton, Zwift, Strava, and RGT are in social space where critical mass of users determines the outcome and ultimately there is usually a single clear winner. Gaining that critical mass is very difficult at an organic growth pace, and leaves the door open for a competitor with deep pockets to overtake you. For all their faults, Peloton, Zwift, and Strava have embraced this and become frontrunners in their respective categories. Now they just need to convert that position into one that generates rather than consumes cash.
Sufferfest, TR, Xert (and ErgVideo, Ful Gaz, Big Ring, Training Peaks, intervals.icu, etc.) are all better positioned to grow organically because the social side isn’t part of the value they offer. The TBD question is whether combining Sufferfest and RGT can create a viable product to compete against Zwift/TR.
I also definitely agree with the comment that buying a Wahoo product right now seems risky without knowing if they’ll be around to support the warranty.
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Price is key here. We saw plenty of people take a chance on discounted Saris H3 trainers even after their shaky company status was known, and more continued buying after they were purchased. Comes down to a risk reward thing.
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We saw quite a few people snatch up Kickr Bike V1’s at discounted prices, even after the initial batch of bad Wahoo info was known too. Risk here as with any product of theirs but at the right price, people seem willing to place a bet.
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I have zero doubt that Wahoo will be around, even after they go through whatever financial hardships await them in the coming months.
Too valuable a brand / product line to just crater. Someone will buy them and honor the warranties, IMO.
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This made me laugh and sad at the same time. Well played, sir!
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Or TR for that matter. I wasn’t against trying RGT, but there is a lot of inertia — don’t mess with a running system as they say in IT.
Man, this is a good quote. I will definitely store that in my long-term memory banks. 
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I have it on very good authority that a lot of Zwift employees double-dip and use TR for training.
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Should I bump that thread again? 
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As others have noted, this kind of news potentially starts the death spiral for a tech company.
Just using my own n=1 example, this thread coincides neatly with my (V1) Elemnt Roam becoming erratic. Having looked hard at the competition, at a price I’m willing to pay, my inclination would have been to buy the V2 Roam, but given warranty support is now very much less than guaranteed, I’ll probably move over to Garmin.
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I finally gave up on the tickrs, after owning and returning many for replacement 1st and 2nd gen , heart rate would spike, problems with cadence lock etc…
I tried the latest Garmin HRM-Pro and it was like night and day,
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I think this has taken out a few of mine and I’m hard on them, but I never had the problem with garmins. I did have two in a row that wouldn’t work out of the box so it’s not just that.
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This! Just like another wahoo product, the Ticker for me was disposable and only worked ok for awhile.
Now I buy the coospo HRM’s for under $30 from Amazon and couldn’t be happier.
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