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Wattbike Atom or something else? #newbie

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  • January 28, 2018 at 8:58 pm #28084
    tammie1983

    Hi everyone, I just joined 🙂

    I have a question, but first of all I’m a complete newbie when it comes to indoor cycling and probably cycling in general.  Cycled a lot as a child then nothing until last Summer when I dug my bike out from the shed.  It was brand new but never ridden, now 8-9 years old but still working fine when I took it to the local bike shop for a checkover.  I rode it maybe 4 times last Summer/Autumn, very short rides, just down to the local park and back.

    Anyway, with the terrible weather we have and because my bike is buried again (!) I was thinking about an indoor bike.  I’ve been doing a lot of research and keep coming back to the Wattbike Atom.

    Rollers and trainers are out for me, I just don’t have the space nor the know-how to remove wheels and things.  It’s just not practical.  Like I said, #newbie (but willing to learn).

    The Wattbike seems perfect for me, but I was wondering a couple things… is that the only all-in-one bike that works with Zwift and Strava?  (I use Strava regularly but haven’t used Zwift yet).  Also, because of space the only place I can put it would be upstairs, will the weight be an issue?  It’s 44kg (6.92 stone, I’m old skool) and maybe I’m being daft but I’m a little worried :-/

    I’m not what you call ‘fit’ but I think it’ll be good for me as I don’t exercice, I’m not planning on doing the Tour de France or anything crazy.  I’ll still use my outdoor bike when it’s nice if I can.

    Thanks in advance and sorry about the #newbie thing…

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  • February 5, 2018 at 11:34 am #911169
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    CXR94Di2

    The very recent update to
    The very recent update to Zwift and the Atom firmware have made a significant improvement in the riding experience within Zwift. This was reported by my mate who has the Atom and did a Zwift ride yesterday and enjoyed the ride

    February 5, 2018 at 11:31 am #911167
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    davel

    rjfrussell wrote:

    rjfrussell wrote:

    davel wrote:
    There’s another atom thread not far from here with new owners reporting disappointment in detail. Worth a read.

     

    Link?

    Wipe a man’s arse for him: clean his arse for a day.

    Teach a man to wipe his own arse: keep his arse clean for a lifetime.

    Tl;dr – use the search function, which will turn up two other relevant threads.

    February 5, 2018 at 10:21 am #911165
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    rjfrussell

    davel wrote:

    davel wrote:
    There’s another atom thread not far from here with new owners reporting disappointment in detail. Worth a read.

     

    Link?

    February 5, 2018 at 7:01 am #911163
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    davel

    There’s another atom thread
    There’s another atom thread not far from here with new owners reporting disappointment in detail. Worth a read.

    February 4, 2018 at 11:39 pm #911161
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    Tulip

    I really enjoy training on a
    I really enjoy winter training on a wattbike pro at my gym and ordered (and paid for in full..) a wattbike Atom 4 months ago. It arrived last week and I was impressed at how small and light it was. Unfortunately, it was squeaky, the trim was hanging off and during testing, a drop in cadence repeatedly resulted in a massive increase in resistance – I’m not sure why anyone at all would tolerate this glitch. I sent mine back with the couriers and have requested a refund. I’m going to try for a reconditioned pro instead. Shame – it looked so promising. I’ll let you know if there are problems with the return process.

    February 4, 2018 at 8:03 am #911159
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    dc-rider

    If you can at all, try a few

    If you can at all, try a few options out before spending a big sum on an investment like a Wattbike.

     

    I’ve got one of the cheaper end Tacx smart turbos I ride at home with Zwift when the weather is rubbish, but recently they’ve got a couple of Wattbikes in the gym I go to. It’s great because I can ride in the morning before work (when the Turbo at home would be too loud for the family).

    I just pair it to the Zwift app on an iPhone, and it seems to work without any issue. The Wattbike App has some virtual rides in it too. 

    I’d recommend having a look to see if you can find a local gym where you could test them for a bit before having to invest.)

    January 30, 2018 at 2:17 pm #911157
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    Yrcm
    peted76 wrote:
    There are other indoor bikes out there..

    I’ve actually got one of the dreaded Proform TDF bikes and really like it, though my OH was less keen and touch wood it’s performed faultlessly for 18 months. Find the riding experience pretty close to the real thing (within limits of course) and the gears and incline add to that. Plot a route up a French col and stick a TV screen connected to the PC in front of the bike and you’re away. It’s also exceptionally quiet.

    Doesn’t do Zwift but you can create streetview workouts anywhere you like and then export the results to Strava via tcx as a virtual ride. 

    It’s a recent model though, the older ones are still on the market at lower prices and probably best avoided.

     

     

    January 30, 2018 at 1:08 pm #911155
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    sergius
    tammie1983 wrote:
    Hi CXR94Di2 – if I had the space, I would… but whatever I get has to go in a tiny space in my bedroom, on carpet… I think I’d cause a World War if I bought my bike indoors. 

    Richard1982 – I really can’t have the bike indoors.  I wish I could.  There is just literally nowhere.  Even if I spent the difference and bought a dedicated bike to go with the trainer it just isn’t practical.  As I said above, I’d cause a World War.

     

    This was my situation, blanket ban on ever having the bike indoors.  I’d already spent a fair whack on a exercise bike – but I’m basically not allowed to use it as my wife uses it a lot (she won’t let me put SPD-SL pedals on it and goes mad if I adjust anything)

    After three crashes in 2017 due to ice (broke both wrists the first time in January, then came off a further two times in December with just bumps and bruises), I basically accused my wife of trying to kill me and told her that I was buying a f****** turbo.

    Some further negotiations later and I ended up picking a up a fairly basic one – at least to begin with.  It has been a relevelation to me.

    £300 on a Tacx Vortex Smart, plus a further £100 on the Ant+ adapter for my laptop + a floor mat.

    I use it in the kitchen, I reckon it’s about 3-4 minutes to get it setup by the back door and to bring my bike inside.  I’m currently trialing the Bkool software – have done a load of rides and races and actually really enjoyed it.  I’m doing 200km/week in January – which is about 150km more than I used too!

    January 30, 2018 at 12:26 pm #911153
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    Johnnyvee

    Bit of advice building on
    Bit of advice building on these. Zwift is OK if you have a pc or apple tech at the right age. I got a smart turbo trainer last year and use it in the garage with TrainerRoad which is good for structured workouts but it’s no substitute to getting outside. I also love my rollers.
    Check the tech requirements for zwift – I’m looking at having to buy/upgrade tech to use it so at the moment it’s a no no. Also subscription has I believe just increased.
    Like others have said use your bike more. Maybe invest in some decent kit to wear outside and see if you still love it as much later in the year. Perhaps the cheaper way to decide and still avoid world wars… I’m sure we’ve all been there.

    January 30, 2018 at 12:07 pm #911151
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    VeloVert

    If you can, I would say wait

    If you can, I would say wait a while – there will be some potentially better options in the “Dedicated indoor trainer” category in the next 3-12 months, as Zwift has ensured a ready market for such devices, saving the bulk and hassle of a turbo with bike mounted.  I expect that those other options may be cheaper too, but don’t expect the Tacx one to be cheap – according to DCRainmaker, they were expecting to sell it for huge money. Expect someone to at least compete on price, if not undercut the Atom.

    A really cheap option for the device too, is the Apple 4K TV, a steal at £179, much cheaper than a laptop/PC/iPad.  I’ve tried it, works really well too.

    January 29, 2018 at 3:53 pm #911149
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    peted76

    There are other indoor bikes

    There are other indoor bikes out there.. it’s generally considered that the Wattbike (proper) is the best one for the money (circa. £2250).  These also command a really good resale value so if you did find it sat there for a year unused and unloved, you should be able to move it on pretty sharpish.

    There are also a couple of places where you can also rent these bikes for about £75a month for a fixed period.

    The Wattbike ‘Atom’ is very new and has a few niggles which are cause for some concern, however I’m sure these niggles will be ironed out with a software update sometime soon. 

     

    Stages do an alternative indoor bike which connects to Zwift – https://stagescycling.com/global/indoor/ 

    However to me it does seem a little extravagent to spend all that money on a trainer just to ride ‘virtually’ on a screen and then pay the monthly fee on top. You may be very wealthy and not like leaving the house much, or maybe you live in the middle of nowhere I just don’t know.. however I’d suggest you looked at your local ‘spin classes’ or maybe you’re lucky enough to live near an Athlete Lab or SoulCycle class or similar.

     

    Let us know what you decide.

    January 29, 2018 at 2:28 pm #911147
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    fenix

    You say you don’t exercise –

    You say you don’t exercise – so why would you bother inside ?

    I’d say most turbos sit there unloved and unused for most of their lives. 

    If you only rode the outdoor bike 5 times last summer then I can’t see you sticking with this.

     

    If you don’t want to stay fit and healthy that’s up to you – but just buying a wattbike or similar is of no benefit unless you are motivated enough to use it. 

    January 29, 2018 at 1:45 pm #911145
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    alansmurphy

    Indoor cycling is dull, it’s

    Indoor cycling is dull, it’s hot, it’s harder than outside, finding the motivation is hard.

     

    I’d suggest another summer of fun on the bike before such a big investment – Zwift et al makes it a bit more enjoyable but think how many exercise bikes become clothes hangers.

     

    A basic turbopaired with a heart rate montior means you could do some GCN training videos – some bargains on gumtree and the like. Or Halfords do the Tacx Smart Flow for under £200 with BC discount, this will provide resistance, link to Zwift and retain some of its value for sell on. If you use it loads then great or upgrade, if you don’t then you’ve lost much less!

    January 29, 2018 at 1:41 pm #911143
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    tammie1983

    Hi CXR94Di2 – if I had the

    Hi CXR94Di2 – if I had the space, I would… but whatever I get has to go in a tiny space in my bedroom, on carpet… I think I’d cause a World War if I bought my bike indoors. 

    Richard1982 – I really can’t have the bike indoors.  I wish I could.  There is just literally nowhere.  Even if I spent the difference and bought a dedicated bike to go with the trainer it just isn’t practical.  As I said above, I’d cause a World War.

    I’m afraid all that number stuff went over my head.  I just want to ride, lol 🙂 

    January 29, 2018 at 12:57 pm #911141
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    Richard1982

     I appreciate you don’t wanta

     I appreciate you don’t wanta turbo trainer, but… I have a Tacx Neo and it was simple enough to set up. I had to buy a computer as well to run Zwift, but maybe you have a tablet or something – either way it’ll probably come in at the same price as an Atom I’d guess. As a beginner I’d be hesitant about recommending spending so much just to play on Zwift though. Realistically the Flux* (similar but limited to 1500W/10% slope) is probably a more sensible option if you go down the turbo trainer route.

     I’ve not measured it but I can’t imagine it’s that much longer than an Atom. I have mine set up in a tiny cupboard sized part of the house 😛

     

    Richard

     

     

    *Or equivalent model by another company.

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