Wahoo Starts Shipping KICKR 2020 Direct Connect Cable: Hands-on Details - DC Rainmaker

Last summer when Wahoo announced the KICKR V5/2020, one of the new features was a new port on the side of the trainer that would allow you to plug it into your home (or office) network, as a means to bypass any wireless connectivity issues you might have.

Anyway, the KICKR V5/2020 didn’t actually have an ethernet port on the side, but rather something akin to a telephone port.

That would in turn require you to buy an adapter (aka, a dongle), and plug it in.

Then you’d plug the cable into that.

Above is the box you’ll receive the Direct Connect cable in, it’s roughly akin to every other Wahoo Fitness box.

Inside you’ll find the dongle and a quick release extension cable for said dongle.

The extension cable is actually there in case you trip over the ethernet cable, since it’ll dethatch cleanly rather than ripping apart your dongle or KICKR port.

If there were one redeemable aspect for not having a native ethernet port, the quick-release safety cable would be it.

In any event, you’ll take the quick release cable, and the dongle, and stick all the pieces together attached to your KICKR V5/2020.

Oh, and then stick an Ethernet cable into it:.

After that, plug the other end of the ethernet cable into your router/hub/switch (technically you can plug it straight into the ethernet port of a computer if you wanted to):.

If you were to crack open the Wahoo Fitness app (the one where you can pair sensors and such), you’ll see the KICKR status of the Direct Connect connection (shown below ‘KICKR CLIMB’).

“The initial work has begun and Zwift will offer support to the Wahoo Direct Connect Adaptor across all platforms once all QA testing has been completed later this year.

A few seconds later you’ll see the Wahoo KICKR trainer enumerate as both Direct Connect trainer as well as a Bluetooth Trainer (this was on iOS).

I know…I know…it’s supposed to look like a Wahoo dongle.

In this case, the Direct Connect connection will take care of power and cadence, as well as trainer control.

On the KICKR itself, you’ll see both lights on the back illuminate and stay steady-on, indicating a Direct Connect connection:.

You just plug the cable into your network, and then your device/app finds the trainer and you’re done

Ultimately though, I suspect the Wahoo Direct Connect adapter (aka, dongle) will be a short-lived product

And while I don’t know when Wahoo plans to release a new KICKR, they historically are pretty darn consistent for the end of every August (except the year they released a smart bike instead)

Now – while the dongle itself will probably peak-out, I’d expect the underlying Direct Connect technology to become a standard option on Wahoo trainers/bikes – and probably standard across the industry (in some manner)