KICKR CORE 2
- Trainer type
- direct-drive
- Maximum resistance
- 1800 W
- Maximum simulated gradient
- 16%
- Claimed power accuracy
- ±2%
6 functions verified with the Cadexa app.
Demonstration content. This product entry was created to show how the platform works. Specifications are manufacturer claims gathered from public pages and have not been independently verified; nothing here reflects hands-on testing by Cadexa.
About the KICKR CORE 2
KICKR CORE 2 (announced September 2025) replaces the original 2018 KICKR CORE. Per Wahoo and DC Rainmaker, power/gradient/flywheel are unchanged vs CORE 1; new are built-in WiFi, 3 concurrent Bluetooth connections, 10 Hz Race Mode, KICKR Bridge sensor relay, redesigned bolt-on flat legs (not fold-out), and lighter weight (13.6 kg vs ~18 kg). Flywheel is not motor-driven: no descent simulation despite the -10% minimum grade figure on the Wahoo page. No Ethernet/Direct Connect port. Compatible with KICKR CLIMB.
Demonstration entry: the notes above summarise public sources collected on 1 November 2026 and have not been independently verified by Cadexa.
Specifications
Manufacturer claims with their sources. Where Cadexa has measured a value it appears in its own column. Missing values are shown as unknown. Manufacturer page
| Specification | Manufacturer claim | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Trainer type | direct-drive | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Resistance unit | electromagnetic | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum resistanceHighest power the trainer can resist, as claimed by the manufacturer, often at a stated speed. | 1800 W | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Maximum simulated gradient | 16% | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Minimum simulated gradientNegative values mean the trainer can simulate a descent; only motor-driven flywheels truly do. | -10% | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Claimed power accuracyManufacturer claim. Independent measurements, when we have them, are shown separately. | ±2% | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Flywheel mass | 5.4 kg | Press / reviewdcrainmaker.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| High-rate data mode | 10 Hz | Press / reviewdcrainmaker.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Control | ||
| ERG mode | Yes | Press / reviewdcrainmaker.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth FTMSThe open Bluetooth Fitness Machine Service. Required for trainer control by the Cadexa app. | Yes | Press / reviewthe5krunner.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| ANT+ FE-CANT+ trainer control, used by Garmin and Wahoo head units and many desktop apps. | Yes | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Concurrent Bluetooth connections | 3 | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Wired (Direct Connect) | No | Press / reviewthe5krunner.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Setup | ||
| Cassette | 11-speed 11-28 pre-installed (standard version); Zwift Cog & Click bundle also offered | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Freehub / drivetrain | Compatible with 8 to 13-speed drivetrains (Shimano/SRAM HG freehub supplied) | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Axle compatibility | 130/135 mm QR, 12x142, 12x148 thru-axle (adapters included) | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Folding legs | No | Press / reviewthe5krunner.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Physical | ||
| Maximum rider weight | 113 kg | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Weight | 13.6 kg | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Ownership | ||
| Warranty | 2 years | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
| Companion app | Wahoo App (automatic firmware updates over WiFi) | Manufacturereu.wahoofitness.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 |
Cadexa coverage
Review
Cadexa app review: a smart trainer coach built around FTMS, by the people who wrote it
A detailed, hands-on account of how Cadexa drives a trainer, coaches a workout and replays a route, written by its developer. Read it as a maker’s walkthrough with the limits spelled out, not as an independent verdict.
Guide
Best smart trainers for indoor cycling: a specification-based shortlist
No hands-on testing yet, and we say so. This shortlist is built from manufacturer specifications with sources, organised by the decisions that matter: drive type, price band, protocols and gradient.
Review
Wahoo KICKR CORE 2: features and compatibility
What changed from the original CORE, what did not, and how the second generation lines up with Bluetooth FTMS control from a phone. A specification-based overview ahead of our hands-on test.
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