- Good morning traniacs, short little off season
10 minute run, off season means runs aren't as intense.
It also means I'm a little hairier and a tab chubbier.
Also trying out the new GoPro Hero seven.
Short little clip to see how stabilized
and good the footage looks right now.
(treadmill running)
Comment below with how that looked.
Today isn't going to be about the GoPro,
it's not going to be about running,
it's not gonna be about the strength workout
that I'm gonna do later today.
It's about the 2018 Wahu Kicker versus
the 2018 Cyclops H2.
We're also gonna give one of these away.
(light music)
All right, traniacs, let's talk about the differences
between the new Cyclops H2, and the 2018 Wahu Kicker.
If you're looking at trainer to trainer,
I'm gonna give you a spoiler alert,
it does not really matter.
Just the trainers compared to themselves,
they are more similar than they are different.
You can choose this or this, you're gonna be happy
either way, they're the same 1199 dollars,
how ever you do have to buy a cassette with the H2.
They have the same plus or minus two percent accuracy
rating, they both weigh 47 pounds,
and they have the same simulated 20% maximum grade.
If you just look at the trainers, and you say
which one is better than the other Tarin?
I don't care, it's not going to make a difference
one way or the other what you buy.
It comes to a little bit of the intangibles,
and some of the small specifics about
what you absolutely need and what you might not need.
So first, let's talk about some of the small nuances
that literally don't matter.
When you're on the Kicker in your slippers
recording a video putting out max power,
the Kicker has a max power rating of 2200 watts,
versus the 2000 watts on the Cyclops H2.
Why does this not matter?
I do not know a single person who can get up to
really anything past about 1600 watts,
even pro cyclist Max Ode around 18, 1900.
So 2000, that's plenty.
The Cyclops Hammer has and requires a wedge
that is built into the unit for the front
of your wheel, whereas the Kicker does not.
So if you're looking for ultimate cleanliness,
just less parts sitting around, if you are
constantly breaking down and putting back together
your set up, just one more thing
that you've gotta do with the H2.
Now, there's a perceived difference that if you've
got the Wahu Element or the Element bolt,
that it'll communicate better with the Kicker
if you're uploading workouts to this that you want
this to control the Kicker, while that functionality
does exist, but the Wahu element
or element bolt, in this case, the custom limited
edition red color, because triathlon Tarin is red.
But if that's what you're thinking, it doesn't make
a difference because it can control any trainer.
Cyclops H2 has a 20 pound fly wheel where
as the Kicker has 16 pound fly wheel.
Typically, heavier is better, because it means
more inertia, and a more road like riding feel
with the new and improved fly wheel,
which I really don't notice a difference
between this and the 2017 model, it feels the same,
no difference there.
The Cyclops is coming out with a rocker plate
that moves your entire bike forward,
backward, side to side, but that's just a mechanical
device, it doesn't really have to pair to anything.
And it's going to be compatible with any trainer
out there, so that doesn't make a difference.
Wahu makes the head with the smart fan,
which blows faster and slower as you change speeds
in virtual worlds such as Whift, but it can pair
with any trainer, so that doesn't make a difference.
Now in order to calibrate the Kickers,
you do have to perform spin down, bringing it up to
I think it's 23 miles an hour, and then let it
spin down to calibrate itself.
Cyclops Hammer, basically always calibrated on
it's own, now let's talk about a couple
of the differences that do matter depending
on what your specifically looking for.
Good workout carrying these back and forth for you.
Noise, the 2017, 2016 Wahu Kickers had
a fairly noticeable high pitch whine,
where as the Cyclops Hammers did not.
The H2 still does not, this is the 2018 Kicker
which has got rid of that whine, it's about the same,
I would say, decibels as the H2, but because
it's not that high pitched whine, it doesn't hit the ears
nearly as strongly.
The Cyclops H2 has a built in cade and sensor
whereas the Kicker needs these little pods
strapped onto your bike, so if you already
have caden sensors on your bike,
and you don't want to be monkeying around
to these addition to that, this is gonna be
a little bit cleaner.
I'm gonna throw in a little bit of a wild card
here that could make a difference.
Wahu has the new Kicker core coming in at 899 dollars
which has a lot of the same features,
you lose a little bit of the top end wattage
going from 2200 watts on the Kicker to 1800 watts,
which nobody is really going to miss.
The maximum grade on this is 20%,
the maximum grade on the Kicker core is 16%,
that makes a fair bit of difference.
But, here's a big difference.
Cyclops is not of the same sort of apple,
we never discount mindset that Wahu is.
They have product that they need to sell,
they sell it, and if you look on Cyclops website
right now, the old Cyclops Hammer, the original
that is basically just as good as this,
this is on sale for $200 off, and there
are original Cyclops Hammers that are scratch
and dent models for $300 off.
I'm gonna get to why the scratch and dent models
don't bother me at all.
Cyclops is an American made, owned, and run company
that is legendary for their warranty honorability.
I told the store a few times over the last couple weeks
about how two days before Half Iron Man World's,
my power tap P1 power pedals died,
and they immediately, without question
shipped out a brand new set to me.
Now Sarus is the company that owns both Powertap
and Cyclops, and that's not just something they do for me.
They told me a story about how when they bought
a company that was involved with the fluid trainers
that they originally came out with,
that company hadn't looked into the manufacturing
of that fluid, and I think when it was heating up,
it leaked, so hundreds of thousands if not
I think it was millions of dollars they did
with a recall with every single model without question.
That is a stand up thing to do, and that is part
of the mentality of why they've also partnered
with the Traniacs, and if you are on the Traniac
training platform, you can get
a 10% off discount on Cyclops.
Fortunately, Wahu's not into that.
What this debate comes down to entirely is this,
Wahu Kicker Client, if you know 100% that you want
you to get the climb at some point,
you really have no choice but to get this $600 unit.
Pair that with a $1200 Wahu Kicker, you're looking
at an $1800 purchase versus about $1200 for the Cyclops H2.
So I think here's the play.
Compare that to the 10% discount that you get
as a team Traniac member and having to buy
a cassette, you're looking at around $1125 for a Cyclops H2,
I think that the play is to get a Wahu Kicker Core,
you have to buy a cassette for that.
But that brings the price down to $1550.
A fair bit more comparable to the Cyclops H2 at that point.
If you don't want the climb, save yourself some cheddar
and get the Cyclops H2, if you do want the climb,
go with the Core.
And if money is no object, just start buying
all the trainers you can.
So the that's what it comes down to,
now, here's the fun part about our partnership
with Cyclops, we're running a giveaway right now.
If you want to win a new Cyclops H2, we are going
to be giving one away and we will be giving it away
when we are in Cona, so there is a link in the description
below to how you enter that.
All you gotta do is put in your email,
you get bonus entries, if you share this video
and if you follow Cyclops, and all kinds of good stuff.
When it comes right down to the trainer,
they're both good trainers, and big Caviet
here, I don't know why, but what the best cycling
trainer is is a very contentious topic.
Every time I talk about it, everyone starts
giving me their opinions about why this is crap,
and the elite directo, I don't know what
the elite direto does but people love it.
And you all want to let me know that,
and you all want to let me know that that's
the one you should buy.
You know what, these are good trainers,
not gonna be upset with either one of them.
The Elite Direto is missing quite a few features
that this has, just so you know.
So you kind of get what you pay for,
it's a good value trainer, I don't disagree with that.
But don't be getting all snarky with me
in the comments about this, it's just bicycle riding.
All right traniacs, more content as I do more training
on the Cyclops Kicker, the Climb, the Headwind,
and little bit more on the H2.
Make sure you're subscribed, and if you are subscribed,
you are like a warm headwind breeze on a summer day.