Hot!
- Less fatigue due to 5 degrees of lateral side-to-side movement
- Reduces vibration and noise on hard floor surfaces
- Choose from 3 stiffness levels to customize your experience
- Easily retrofits onto all KICKR models
Not!
- Additional cost
- Not a significant difference when using on carpeted flooring
Price: $79.99
Compatibility: Wahoo KICKR (not SNAP or CORE). Note KICKR released in 2020 comes with AXIS feet
Lateral Movement: 5 degrees total side movement
Ride Stiffness Levels: 3 – easy, medium, hard
Assembly time: 15 minutes with minimum tools
Availability: Online
Obtained from: Company sample
RBR Advertiser: No
Reduce Fatigue When Riding Indoors
I think it is safe to say we all dread having to shift our riding season to the basement. Indoor training rides can be long, hard, and sometimes darn uncomfortable.
As the miles roll by, your lower back and rear end start to ache or go numb. This is mainly due to the static nature of the trainer. There’s no lateral movement like you get during an outdoor ride. Wahoo Fitness has developed the KICKR AXIS to solve this problem.
The AXIS retrofits to current and older models of KICKRs and it took me only 15 minutes to install following these few steps:
- Remove bike from the trainer and unplug the trainer
- Tip trainer back to expose feet
- Using a screwdriver remove the rear and front feet. Replace with AXIS feet.
- Unscrew the feet, remove the locking ring and install the locking ring on new AXIS feet.
- Tip trainer so it is upright and install bike.
- Enjoy your ride!
The only issue I encountered during installation was trying to remove one of the screws on the rear foot. It was in so tight that the Philips-head screw started to strip, but I eventually got it out and replaced it with the new screw provided in the AXIS kit.
In the picture above you’ll notice there are three cap sizes. The sizes are for the weight of the rider.
- Small diameter cap: 0-140 lbs rider (more movement)
- Medium diameter cap: 141-180 lbs rider
- Large diameter cap: 180+ pound rider (less movement)
From the very first ride, I could feel some difference, but not a lot. I ride on a carpeted floor in the basement and experienced some rocking side-to-side. For those who use the KICKR on concrete, tile, or wood flooring, the AXIS feet help to absorb some of the vibrations and reduce noise. This translates to a better experience. See Wahoo’s video.
I asked Wahoo if there is any added stress to the bike frame with this set-up. Here’s the official word from Wahoo on the stress on frames as the result of trainer use:
The AXIS feet do provide more natural side-do-side movement for the overall ride but this doesn’t impact the mounting points of the trainer and bike. With more understanding of the physical interaction between the bike and the trainers, there are longer concerns about stress on frames caused by trainer use. In regards to stress: our testing and other bike manufacturer’s testing have shown no additional stress caused by a direct drive trainer when compared to a normal wheel setup.
Bottom Line
If you own a Wahoo KICKR and use it on a hard surface (concrete, wood, tile) consider adding on the Wahoo KICKR AXIS. You’ll feel less fatigue and enjoy a quieter, smoother indoor ride.
May of the images are not shown.
Is this problem with my browser (Firefox latest version).
Thanks for your comment. Are you located in Europe? I think this is a problem related to our content distribution network system Cloudflare, and we’re having trouble figuring out why it is happening.
Yes, I’m living i Sweden.
The curious thing is that some images are shown, but not all.
I have also tried the Microsoft Edge browser, with the same result.
I disagree! I recently bought a 2020 Wahoo Kickr to replace my 2016 version so I could use the Kickr Climb. For about six months, I had the 2016 mounted on a homemade rocker plate using tennis balls for suspension. I was excited to use the 2020 directly on the vinyl floor. I weigh 165 pounds so left the medium cap on the Axis feet. No joy! The 2020 didn’t rock at all! Never mind 5°! I tried the small caps and found it did rock a little (no measurement). But in the end, I mounted the 2020 with the medium caps onto the rocker plate. Ahhhh…satisfaction! I’m not the least bit disappointed in my 2020…it’s much more precise when connected to Zwift. And it’s significantly more quiet than the 2016. I enjoy the Kickr Climb on Zwift. The change of hip angle reduces lower back fatigue while my $5 rocker plate reduces butt fatigue. My (amateur) analysis: Axis feet don’t work!
Ray, how did you build the rocker plate? I have a Kickr and would like to try it. Thanks.
Sorry for the delay, Matt. This is the first time I have gone back to this article.
My rocker plate is supported on 5 Dunlop tennis balls. If I could, I’d show you a picture. But basically, it’s cut from a sheet of 3/4″ OSB in a modified triangular shape so that it’s wide enough to fit the Kickr at the back, but slim in the front to support the Kickr Climb. Four of the tennis balls are in the back 8″ left and right of the centerline and 6″ fore and aft of the feet of the Kickr. The remaining ball is just behind the contact point of the Climb exactly along the centerline thus forming a pivot point for the rocking motion.
Sorry, I left out that the balls are held in position by 1 3/4″ holes in the OSB deck. I used a hole saw to make them. There is NO bottom deck…the balls rest on the floor. The Kickr is held in position on the rocker plate by zip ties around the “arms” of the legs.
Thanks Ray! This is very inspiring. If you could send me photos I would be grateful. My email is [email protected]. I am also interested, as I imagine other readers of RRR would be too, in more detail about what it’s like riding your KICKR hack :). Thanks!
Hi! I would love pics of the setup, too. Thanks! [email protected]. Sounds awesome!!