Is there any risk that the Wahoo kickr that came with the Zwift frame bundle shows significantly inaccurate watt numbers in game? I am asking since I am considering switching from running to cycling, due to the good results I have had on Zwift since I begun. But I would like to have them verified before I switch, and an external power meter is quite expensive just for doing that. Is there any other way to check if I really am producing the watts that the game say I do?
Thank you for posting your question in the Zwift forum. I’m Alejandra from the Zwift support team—great to have you here!
That’s an excellent question. The Wahoo Kickr is known for its high accuracy, typically within a ±1-2% margin for watt readings. However, like any trainer, slight inaccuracies can occur due to factors such as calibration, environmental conditions, or general wear and tear.
To ensure your trainer provides accurate data on Zwift, it’s important to keep it in top condition. This includes ensuring the firmware is up to date—great news, I see your Wahoo Kickr Core is already updated! These trainers are designed to auto-calibrate, so manual calibration isn’t usually needed.
If you’d like to verify the data, you can perform a test using the Wahoo app to compare results.
Let me know if you have more questions—I’m happy to assist further!
Thanks for your answer. My Wahoo Kickr is only 7 weeks old so there should be no issues with the wear and tear.
In reality, any two trainers and any two power meters will be different, and will drift unless regularly calibrated to a reference standard. No one does this with cycling power meters because it’s ridiculous. The auto-spindown calculations done by the Kickr are pretty good. So are the auto-calibrations done by most on-bike power meters.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it.