Hi
I’ve recently bought a Wahoo kicker snap as a second smart trainer. I already have an elite Suito.
I’m seeing a swing of -20 to -50watts on my rides.
I’ve calibrated both trainers. I initially had an old kinetic with cadence and speed monitor with a power tap and was comfortably finishing top half in C cat races. Ftp was around 240. I changed to the Suito and my ftp dropped dramatically to 199.
So C races were a nightmare. Zwift power dqs me in D races but that’s a different story.
Anyway I’ve built up my ftp to 210 but the kicker snap has again dropped my watts output.
I’m finding it hard to believe that the 2 different smart trainers would have such a difference in output on Zwift. Any help on this would be appreciated. Btw I have the rear tyre pumped to 100psi and have calibrated the kicker on spin down on both the Wahoo app and Zwift.
Cheers Chris H
Kickr Snap is a wheel-on trainer, so as such is going to be very sensitive to its setup. I’m not surprised that you’re seeing a difference like that.
Been there, done that. Even with calibration, wheel-on trainers report higher values than direct drive. Personally, having now upgraded I’m happy to let the 90-days pass and reset my figures to their truer lower values. At least it saves me from being mistaken for the A cat I never was.
I’m finding the opposite with the kicker snap. 20 to 50 watts drop when I ride on it. It’s also harder to maintain a smoother wattage ride. As the trainer kind of runs away on the flat and I’m constantly pushing to maintain a steady ride. The Elite Suito as a wheel of seems more realistic.
My view of what people have reported here is that it can go either way.
Wheel-on trainers are always going to be less accurate, because the rear hub/cassette isn’t turning the trainer directly. So depending how it’s set up (tyre pressure, roller pressure, type of tyre etc) the wheel-on might over-report or under-report. People have reported both experiences here when moving to a direct drive trainer.
So in your opinion Steve what composition and pressure of tyre works best. I know it will make little difference but nobody likes their ftp dropped because of the trainer inefficiency .
Cheers
The shorter answer is I don’t know. I don’t have a wheel-on trainer.
But the first thing would be to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions on tyre pressure and how to tension the roller against the tyre. Also to use the manufacturer’s calibration (in their app), and not Zwift’s.
I would also look out for tips from users of your own trainer to see if they have any specific advice. Probably a search in these forums for “snap” would find something.
I doubt that the tyre composition will make much difference, especially if you’ve followed the other parts of the setup properly. Certainly the other factors are likely to make much more difference and make the tyre composition an insignificant factor in my view.
Suito is much more accurate than the Snap.
BUT, if you HAVE TO use the Snap, use a GOOD quality TURBO specific tyre like the Elite Coperton Indoor Turbo Trainer Tyre. These are designed to cope with the excess heat that will destroy normal road tyres. You need to check tyre pressure before each ride, maintain ~100 psi (6.5/7 Bar).
You also need to regularly clean the roller, keep it free from any oils etc and remove excess build up of old rubber. But most importantly, you need to make sure the clamping pressure on the tyre is the same and do a calibration after 10 minutes of riding after each cleaning.
A LOT of extra work and hassle compared to a direct drive trainer.
Personally would recommend getting a set of Favero Assioma Duo Power Meter Pedals, using these for Power and Cadence and set which ever trainer for resistance. Benefits are Industry leading accuracy and you can use them outside…
Ride on!
Thanks Darren. I’ll get the tyre it makes sense. I’m a bit annoyed with myself for getting the snap. I’m really happy with the elite and was going to get another but everywhere was sold out. I bought it for my wife who is an excellent GB triathlete. I thought something was up when she couldn’t keep up with me on the meet-ups .
I’ll wait until the spring when the demand is less and get another Suito and sell the snap next winter.
Sell both on eBay and buy one direct drive??
It’s impossible to say about what composition is best as is down to the pressure on the roller that determines the accuracy. Too much pressure and you’ll be under wattage, too little and you’ll be over. Tyre pressure is a personal choice again and as long as you keep it consistent and regularly calibrate then that’s the best you can hope for.
I used to run at 100psi on my old vortex. Never had puncture.
I had two Taxc Flow smart, then 2 Elite Novo smart wheel on trainers in about two years. After destroying multiple tyres, erratic power numbers, I got a spider based power meter and this confirmed that the Trainers were reporting way over wattage.
Now on my second Elite Direto OTS2%, I would like to upgrade to the Direto XR but the current Direto has been perfect for the last 53 weeks and NO destroyed tyres:thinking: