Zwift Ride & Kickr Core 2 - Riding performance (Standing)

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So, taking advantage of the post Christmas offer (UK) I have taken delivery and set up my brand new equipment and started riding. I’ve been Zwifting for 12 months already using my old setup of an Echelon Ex3 linked to Zwift via QZ. This had become increasingly inaccurate and was giving a hideously generous impression of my ability. I knew I needed better equipment and thought the Zwift would be just right.

There’s a lot that I love about the new setup in particular the connection works great (after some initial difficulties setting it up) and the steering really adds something to solo rides. Also the reaction to the terrain is great, feeling somehow “environmental” rather than just the gears taking more or less load. I can’t comment on racing yet (a primary reason for the change) as my performance has changed utterly from the way it was before and I’m waiting for the powers that be to reset my power profile and racing score.

I am, however, much less certain about the ride feel. I’m used to the silky smoothness of a heavy fixed wheel (the Echelon) and am finding that I’m getting a kind of “thrum” that comes up through the Ride’s frame. I’m uncertain as to whether this is coming from the frame or the Kickr Core. It stops when I stop pedalling but that doesn’t really prove anything. I’ve now ridden it for just under 40 miles so would expect things to have settled in by now. To me it feels like the rumble from a crankshaft bearing on the way out which shouldn’t be the case on a new machine. So is this normal or do I have an issue.

I am really unhappy with the performance when standing.In many reviews of the Ride, folks have talked about how well it mirrors the experience of riding in the real world and I was looking forward to this. But the machine’s standing performance is like no bike I have ever ridden. When changing position, the first downstroke seems to accelerate the weighted wheel in the core so it momentarily overtakes the pedal stroke so the second stroke has no resistance and just skips with an audible clunk. This then repeats with another clunk and then the timing goes all over the place forcing me to sit to regain the rhythm. Again - is this normal?

It is most noticeable when using a smaller gear when climbing. It feels like the only way to deal with it, is to accelerate continually when standing, which means if you simply want to climb in a smaller gear, your only option is to remain seated throughout. Is this right? So standing to accelerate into a sprint finish is fine, but grinding out a hill climb “dancing on the pedals” is impossible?

I’d welcome any feedback from experienced Ride users as I’m in the dark about whether this is normal or not. At the minute I’m questioning whether I should stick with the machine, get a replacement or just return it (and get some power meter pedals for my Echelon)

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I get a “thrum” feeling/sound in my Ride + Core 1 setup as well. There are TONS of posts in various forums about “noise”. I have no idea if these are all the same thing or many different types of issues. I feel like mine has gotten marginally more noticeable over time but it’s hard to tell if it really has or I’m just paying more attention to it. Not sure what to tell you about it - I’m just riding it and I’ll deal with it if/when I have to.

As for standing, this is just the way it works. Did you NOT get this kind of behavior with your old trainer? You normally do need to shift up when standing but you should not have to keep accelerating. You have to find a gear and cadence that matches the grade. You might have to support a bit more of your weight with your arms but you should also, with practice, be able to stand with almost no pressure on your arms.

If you are getting the “clunk” from no resistance, shift up a gear and/or slow your cadence a bit. I get the clunk if I’m pedaling too fast for the gear/resistance I have. You have to slow your cadence to let the resistance “catch up” to you.

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Thanks for the info. I guess I’ve been confused by all the reviews which call it just like riding irl! No bike I’ve ridden behaves like this when standing. My previous set up (Echelon) was in effect a fixed wheel machine so there was absolutely no skipping or missing a beat. On the downside you couldn’t just stop pedalling either! I guess this might just be the way the ride works. I’ll give it a little more time and see if I can adapt to it. I just expected better

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Don’t you always need to change up a gear or two when moving from sitting to standing IRL though? Unless you are already grinding against a too-big gear when you’re sitting.

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I bought a KickR2 with a cassette before xmas, like my Saris H2 before ( it died, hence the new KickR ) I find I nearly always change down to a harder gear before standing on the pedals and have no problems or funny feeling

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I read the OP and came to the same conclusion. The behaviour described sounds exactly like riding a real bike.