GROUP TEST SMART EXERCISE BIKESSweat buckets, bullets or barely a drop and still get fit at
home with the very latest connected exercise bikes
Spin classy
STATSY JAZZ
The new Atom
reads your data
1000 times a
second, leading to
a claimed accuracy
level of within 1%.RESISTER BLISS
A tweak to the
resistance system
has boosted the
bike’s max levels
from 2000W to
2500W at 130rpm.[^ W
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What’s the story?
Designed for those who live
for Lycra, big thighs and sore
bums, the latest upgrade to the
already exceptional Wattbike
Atom indoor cycling trainer
brings electromagnetic
resistance for smooth and
instantaneous gear changes,
enhanced flywheel and crank
sensors that check your data
1000 times every second, plus
improved power output of up
to 2500W.
All this is based around a
44kg frame with twin 4.5kg
flywheels and 22 gears. It’ssuper-solid even when you’re
sprinting like a loon, and you
can swap pedals and seatpost
to mimic your road bike. There’s
no display, so connectivity
is key – but with ANT+, FE-C
and Bluetooth LE offering
up seamless syncing to
Strava, Zwift, The Sufferfest,
TrainerRoad and Wattbike’s
own Hub, what you lose in
Peloton-style personal trainers
you gain in metrics. The Hub
monitors over 30 different
measurements; our favourite
is Angle of Peak Force of Left
Leg (AoPF LL).Is it any good?
This is no beginner bike, but if
you’re looking to improve your
cycling form at home you’re in
for a treat. Pedalling feels eerily
real, and the improvements
to the gear and resistance
changes are significant – the
original Atom had a slight delay
as the gears shifted, which has
gone now – and racing in Zwift
feels much better for it.
The Wattbike Hub, while
looking like a spreadsheet,
is packed with training plans,
tests, warm-ups/cool-downs,
hill climbs and races – and ifyou’re bored by that, this bike
isn’t for you. It’s all a bit much
for the ‘just pedal till you’re
puffed out’ brigade, but this
data-heavy approach is fitness
nirvana to some. So if you’re
looking for a centrepiece to
your pain cave, you’ll love this
Wattbike – and your growing
cycling prowess will thank
you for it.Price £1899 / stuff.tv/WBAtomKey specs O No display
O No speakers O Bluetooth LE,
ANT+, FE-C O 44kgWattbike Atom (Next Generation)
STUFF SAYS The upgraded Atom is the benchmark for people who love riding in real pelotons +++++