# Is a wattbike worth the money?



## JRTemple (29 Jun 2020)

I’m looking to by an exercise bike to use when the weather turns or I just don’t have the time for a ride, I was looking to get something for the bike to fit on and then the wife said She wants to use it as well’ 😟 we both know she won’t but....
So I’ve been researching them, I know nothing so all help appreciated, I am a keen enthusiast not a super fit or even a fit man wanting to smash 100 miles out on a bike, It would be more like a couple of hours 30 miles or so.
I’ve seen a Nordic Track GX 5 2nd hand for £200 but reports they are poorly made, is the wattbike worth £1000? 
advise please

jr


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (29 Jun 2020)

It's a serious piece of kit at £1k, which is cheaper than I paid for my Tacx Neo - which I've used frequently for 3 1/2 yrs.

I see the value  big difference with the wattbike is the relative ease of setting a new position for other riders


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## CXRAndy (29 Jun 2020)

JRTemple said:


> I’m looking to by an exercise bike to use when the weather turns or I just don’t have the time for a ride, I was looking to get something for the bike to fit on and then the wife said She wants to use it as well’ 😟 we both know she won’t but....
> So I’ve been researching them, I know nothing so all help appreciated, I am a keen enthusiast not a super fit or even a fit man wanting to smash 100 miles out on a bike, It would be more like a couple of hours 30 miles or so.
> I’ve seen a Nordic Track GX 5 2nd hand for £200 but reports they are poorly made, is the wattbike worth £1000?
> advise please
> ...



Dont know about the Nordic. The original Wattbike is a robust trainer, with accurate power readings, it has a mechanical resistance which you adjust with a lever by hand. 

It will work with Zwift and others, but doesn't offer the automatic variable resistance of the Wattbike Atom, Tacx Neo Bike or the Wahoo Kickr bike.

For the odd occasion your wife will want to use it, opt for a decent wheel on trainer like the Wahoo Kickr snap.

Else plumb for the Tacx Neo- I know someone selling (unless he's sold it)


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## DCLane (29 Jun 2020)

Wattbike's are a great training tool, but a serious investment. A smart turbo would be more sensible - although you'd need to swap bikes over.


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## JRTemple (29 Jun 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> Dont know about the Nordic. The original Wattbike is a robust trainer, with accurate power readings, it has a mechanical resistance which you adjust with a lever by hand.
> 
> It will work with Zwift and others, but doesn't offer the automatic variable resistance of the Wattbike Atom, Tacx Neo Bike or the Wahoo Kickr bike.
> 
> ...


Any idea how much?


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## CXRAndy (29 Jun 2020)

Ill ask him


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## IanSmithCSE (30 Jun 2020)

Good morning,

When the weather is really unpleasant I used to go a gym which has a Wattbike and LifeFitness 95c bikes.

The 95c has videos of routes through Frances and the resistance varies as you go up and down hills and this is the bike that I choose as I struggle with boredom as the Watt bike isn't connected to anything and has only a very basic display.

On this logic you may the find best value is a trainer and some decent screen app where you are at least vaguely enjoying the ride even if the Watt bike is "better".

Bye

Ian


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## JRTemple (30 Jun 2020)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Good morning,
> 
> When the weather is really unpleasant I used to go a gym which has a Wattbike and LifeFitness 95c bikes.
> 
> ...


 I found a Lifefitness 95c for sale at £2700 😙
I wasn’t looking at spending that much !!!

Any suggestions? I’m not a pro!


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## AndyMacca (6 Jul 2020)

Hi, I've got a Wattbike Atom which I use almost everyday, like you I'm not super fit or particularly serious* about cycling. * with the exception of the Cyclechat league on Bkool which is great fun (sadly in it's Summer break now). I've used it on Zwift and Bkool, TBH it works better on Zwift but somehow Bkool is more interesting as there's a great bunch of friendly guys in the league from here (dont tell them I said that!). My wife has used it too but she lost interest quite quickly but I'm still glad I got it, I've had it since November last year and prior to that I had a Tacx wheel on for a year which started my cycling journey really. The Wattbike is just so available, you jump on and go, the wheel on was a bit of a faff ensuring the correct tension and comparable pressures, my results varied too much, with the Wattbike I can see much more consistency and any improvement I feel more confident is real rather than some temporary blip. Having said that the direct drive options would eliminate some of that just not the ready to go part but I've never had a direct drive so perhaps it's super quick.
If money's no object then the Wahoo bike is a better option but I'm still happy with my Atom and probably wont upgrade till something significantly better comes out.
I've used a standard Wattbike regularly in the gym but the interaction the Atom has with the apps makes it much more engaging.
I paid £1500 for mine and it's done over 3000 virtual km's now mostly on Bkool. You also need to factor in the £8-£10 per month for the apps but they are well worth it if you use it regularly.


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## GravityFighter (7 Jul 2020)

Another Atom owner here, so my reply is slightly biased, but I think it's a great bit of kit. Easy adjustment, great interface with Zwift, Sufferfest, RGT and other third party apps, solidly built and no faff with swapping bikes. They need servicing every so often, but otherwise no mechanical adjustment / wear either. 

The Version 2 atom is out now, which apparently has better shifting on Zwift and a couple of other minor updates. You can probably find a good, used Version 1 for under RRP on the various selling sites though - most are well-cared for so that would be my first port of call.


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## CXRAndy (8 Jul 2020)

Stages have just released their SB20 bike. Stages are a big player in gym bikes by already. 

DC rainmaker review


View: https://youtu.be/3RSx8N9jMc8


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## kingrollo (11 Jul 2020)

I never got on with turbos - I found being locked into one position gave me all sorts of aches and pains.

I haven't got a spare room- so it was set up in the garage.

Mine was a low end £250 smart turbo. So each time I put the bike on I had to calibrate the wheel - synch all the devices - it was getting like 45 minutes to set up.

Come lockdown I almost went the wattbike atom route - but then took the totally opposite route.

I brought a domyos bike 100 from decathlon £200. It's a spin bike ! - no power meter , no blue tooth, it won't work with zwift...

The big plus is - it's small and clean enough to fit in my bedroom - I just get on it- load a spin bike vid from YouTube - and off I go - it's worked better for me than the smart turbo & bike route. The thought of loading up the bike, checking everything is working ....urgggh ...not for me..


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## CXRAndy (11 Jul 2020)

kingrollo said:


> I never got on with turbos - I found being locked into one position gave me all sorts of aches and pains.
> 
> I haven't got a spare room- so it was set up in the garage.
> 
> ...



My setup is permanently ready. I have a Neo 2, sat on my home built full length rocker board. I can and have ridden 5-6 hours non stop on Zwift. 

That's nothing these days with riders doing 'Everesting' and 24 hours lockdown rides


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## kingrollo (11 Jul 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> My setup is permanently ready. I have a Neo 2, sat on my home built full length rocker board. I can and have ridden 5-6 hours non stop on Zwift.
> 
> That's nothing these days with riders doing 'Everesting' and 24 hours lockdown rides


That's what you need - I couldn't be doing with loading the bike onto the turbo each time.
Interesting about your rocker board - reviewer of the wattbike atom commented on how rigid it was .


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## AndyMacca (11 Jul 2020)

kingrollo said:


> That's what you need - I couldn't be doing with loading the bike onto the turbo each time.
> Interesting about your rocker board - reviewer of the wattbike atom commented on how rigid it was .


Yeah it's pretty solid which seems like a good thing until you go past an hour...

Haven't tried a rocker-board but if it makes longer rides easier then that's definitely worth a look.


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## Supersuperleeds (16 Aug 2020)

AndyMacca said:


> Hi, I've got a Wattbike Atom which I use almost everyday, like you I'm not super fit or particularly serious* about cycling. * with the exception of the Cyclechat league on Bkool which is great fun (sadly in it's Summer break now). I've used it on Zwift and Bkool, TBH it works better on Zwift but somehow Bkool is more interesting as there's a great bunch of friendly guys in the league from here (dont tell them I said that!). My wife has used it too but she lost interest quite quickly but I'm still glad I got it, I've had it since November last year and prior to that I had a Tacx wheel on for a year which started my cycling journey really. The Wattbike is just so available, you jump on and go, the wheel on was a bit of a faff ensuring the correct tension and comparable pressures, my results varied too much, with the Wattbike I can see much more consistency and any improvement I feel more confident is real rather than some temporary blip. Having said that the direct drive options would eliminate some of that just not the ready to go part but I've never had a direct drive so perhaps it's super quick.
> If money's no object then the Wahoo bike is a better option but I'm still happy with my Atom and probably wont upgrade till something significantly better comes out.
> I've used a standard Wattbike regularly in the gym but the interaction the Atom has with the apps makes it much more engaging.
> I paid £1500 for mine and it's done over 3000 virtual km's now mostly on Bkool. You also need to factor in the £8-£10 per month for the apps but they are well worth it if you use it regularly.





GravityFighter said:


> Another Atom owner here, so my reply is slightly biased, but I think it's a great bit of kit. Easy adjustment, great interface with Zwift, Sufferfest, RGT and other third party apps, solidly built and no faff with swapping bikes. They need servicing every so often, but otherwise no mechanical adjustment / wear either.
> 
> The Version 2 atom is out now, which apparently has better shifting on Zwift and a couple of other minor updates. You can probably find a good, used Version 1 for under RRP on the various selling sites though - most are well-cared for so that would be my first port of call.




I'm seriously looking at getting an Atom so good to see some positive comments as it is a good lump of money for one.


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## JtB (20 Aug 2020)

There seem to be lots of good reviews on the WattBike Atom and even though it’s expensive it’s still cheaper than other bikes in the same class. So this evening I made the decision to order a next generation Wattbike Atom.


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## AndyMacca (21 Aug 2020)

JtB said:


> There seem to be lots of good reviews on the WattBike Atom and even though it’s expensive it’s still cheaper than other bikes in the same class. So this evening I made the decision to order a next generation Wattbike Atom.


Cool, interested to hear how the next gen bike works keep us posted.

Which apps are you going to use on it, the Wattbike Hub or venturing into other stuff Zwift,Bkool etc?


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## johnblack (26 Aug 2020)

I've been thinking about an atom but I know I won't use zwift so really just need a spin / gym bike that measures power, I was using a wattbike or Schwin Carbon Blue in the gym so just want a home version as looks as though I'll be working from home for a while. Looking at the BH Spada 2 or Taurus Z9 which are both available sub 750, just really don't like turbo trainers.


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## GravityFighter (27 Aug 2020)

johnblack said:


> I've been thinking about an atom but I know I won't use zwift so really just need a spin / gym bike that measures power, I was using a wattbike or Schwin Carbon Blue in the gym so just want a home version as looks as though I'll be working from home for a while. Looking at the BH Spada 2 or Taurus Z9 which are both available sub 750, just really don't like turbo trainers.



The Wattbike Hub, TrainerRoad, Sufferfest are all good options and less 'gamey' than Zwift if you just want to ride to power and need to justify an Atom!


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## McStumpy (28 Oct 2020)

I received my next gen atom in August and after swapping several mails with wattbike my issues remain unresolved.

specifically -

It’s unusable in ERG mode. Power fluctuates wildly therefore so does resistance. In trying to hold, for example, 115w at the start of a workout, power jumps from 60w to 220w as resistance varies widely even though my cadence stays the same. Wattbike are trying to suggest the issue is my pedalling efficiency but I’m not buying that.

also gear shifting in zwift is erratic. most of the time it’s instant but sometimes it’s over 10 secs. On a recent workout where I turned off erg mode due to above issue, gear shifting stopped working completely

covid doesn’t help, the lag on email response is several days. I phoned but there is no support option given on the menu. Their emails mention live chat but I can’t find that.

if I can I’m going to return it , it’s a useless pile of junk and I was better off with a bike on a decent smart trainer.


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## derrick (28 Oct 2020)

JRTemple said:


> I’m looking to by an exercise bike to use when the weather turns or I just don’t have the time for a ride, I was looking to get something for the bike to fit on and then the wife said She wants to use it as well’ 😟 we both know she won’t but....
> So I’ve been researching them, I know nothing so all help appreciated, I am a keen enthusiast not a super fit or even a fit man wanting to smash 100 miles out on a bike, It would be more like a couple of hours 30 miles or so.
> I’ve seen a Nordic Track GX 5 2nd hand for £200 but reports they are poorly made,* is the wattbike worth £1000?*
> advise please
> ...


Only if you use it, I settled for a good quality belt drive spin bike, fitted with speed and cadence, nice and quiet and gets used in the winter months. I did 3 months on a Wattbike a few years ago with a coach, defo got me fitter.


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## AndyMacca (28 Oct 2020)

McStumpy said:


> I received my next gen atom in August and after swapping several mails with wattbike my issues remain unresolved.
> 
> specifically -
> 
> ...


Not good, massively frustrating.
Dcrainmaker also noted the ERG issues and has been battling with them, some info here;
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/10/wattbike-smart-review.html 
Haven't heard about the gear shift lag, the improved gear-shift is one of the reasons I was thinking to upgrade to a next-gen atom but I'm holding back to see how these issues get fixed.
I'm sure you can return it as they have a good return window on new sales and also if it's that bad then it's not fit for purpose.
Good luck with it.


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## johnblack (28 Oct 2020)

I


derrick said:


> Only if you use it, I settled for a good quality belt drive spin bike, fitted with speed and cadence, nice and quiet and gets used in the winter months. I did 3 months on a Wattbike a few years ago with a coach, defo got me fitter.


I've just bought a really good belt drive, mag resistance spin bike too. Absolutely silent. I've always hated turbo trainers, plus the rest of the family wouldn't use it, whereas they will get on the spin bike. I just ride with cadence and resistance now, once you get used to the bike you have, the power isn't so important because you know what effort you are putting in at any given resistance by your rpm and speed and also your hr.

I enjoyed riding with power in the gym on a wattbike but as I can't go back there anytime soon I thought I'd bite the bullet and spend out. Got it on 0% for 24 months so that made it an easy decision. I miss the power but I don't ride with it on the road so it's no big deal and if I really wanted to I could add a vector pedal (I won't).


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## McStumpy (28 Oct 2020)

AndyMacca said:


> Not good, massively frustrating.
> Dcrainmaker also noted the ERG issues and has been battling with them, some info here;
> https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/10/wattbike-smart-review.html
> Haven't heard about the gear shift lag, the improved gear-shift is one of the reasons I was thinking to upgrade to a next-gen atom but I'm holding back to see how these issues get fixed.
> ...


Thanks will let you know how i get on


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## CXRAndy (29 Oct 2020)

McStumpy said:


> I received my next gen atom in August and after swapping several mails with wattbike my issues remain unresolved.
> 
> specifically -
> 
> ...



Poor gear shifting in Zwift was known from new and didnt get resolved. I would like a dedicated bike but all of them have issues and I'm not paying £2-3k for a crappy setup. I will stick with my Neo 2 setup, which has been just as reliable as my Wahoo Kickr V1


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## McStumpy (30 Oct 2020)

If erg mode works ill be happy as i mainly use for workouts. 

Wattbike got back re my latest mail and are arranging an engineer visit


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## steverob (30 Oct 2020)

On my original version Atom, I don't really use the ERG mode much so I can't comment on that, but recently I had noticed that my gear changes (which weren't exactly super fast in the first place) had been getting slower and slower and sometimes weren't registering at all. In fact sometimes I'd hit the button a few times out of frustration that it wasn't registering, then 5-10 seconds later would suddenly get all of the (what I'd presume were queued-up) gear changes happen simultaneously - not great when you're trying to race on Zwift at the time!

The solution to that turned out to be to replace the coin battery that is in the shifter - it's a rechargeable one, so theoretically should not run out as it's always getting a charge while the bike is on, but clearly mine had other ideas. Since changing it, things have returned to normal.


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## McStumpy (8 Nov 2020)

Engineer visit has sorted it. Flywheel was out of alignment.


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## AndyMacca (9 Nov 2020)

McStumpy said:


> Engineer visit has sorted it. Flywheel was out of alignment.


Really glad they came and fixed it - did they fix both the gear shift and ERG issues?


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## raycoltrane (8 Dec 2020)

I have tried the WattBike original and the Atom. It may work in a gym, but for your home it's a waste of money and half the functions don't work reliably or properly.

Whether you think you will need ERG mode or any other features or not, for the cost of an indoor bike trainer you should be adding these in to the longevity factor and additional capability, particularly if you become a better cyclist and get more into the hobby.

As someone who has cycled for decades I would strongly advise anybody not to buy an expensive static bike. Issues with positioning, saddle fitment and a whole host of other issues mean you are stuck with the bike and the supplier until the entire bike breaks. This applies to hardware and software. Peloton did allow zwift integration before, in the sense of allowing users to sideload, with some fuss, zwift on to the peloton tablet. This is gradually being disabled across the range of Peloton bike.

Your best bet for future compatibility AND sell-ability in future is: indoor turbo trainer, a bike you are comfortable to ride and enjoy using, with an old laptop, tablet or even your phone connected to any old monitor to use your favoured training program.

I now use a Tacx Neo (version 1, original) and it is fantastic. It is user serviceable, unlike the new 2T version that Garmin has used proprietary bearings within and no tool yet exists to service it.

If you aren't into cycling then a £300 to £600 turbo trainer, used with your favoured bike, should last you for years. My own personal preference if I was doing things all over again would be to buy a second hand Tacx Neo v1, as they appear to be bulletproof and are easily fixed. I've not had to fix mine in 4 years and I love how quiet it is - another consideration for those living in apartments or living with those with sensitive ears.

I explored a range of options over the last two years and various faults with the WattBike Atom and software restrictions put me off buying one. It is worth remembering that with a trainer+bike+phone/tablet/PC combination you are not tied to any software.

I use zwift, but also use RGT (RoadGrandTours) and Golden Cheetah. Golden Cheetah is opensource and free. You can load training programmes and/or videos to cycle to. I don't use the videos much. This gives a way to achieve FTP improvement and cycling goals without much brain effort. Watching a TV series or movie means I don't mind 60 to 120 minutes on this setup. I strongly recommend it and, having used a WattBike in the gym, can only say that cycling in comfort on my own bike indoors rates far higher for me than having a massive single unit arrive with everything integrated. I therefore won't be engaging with Peloton or WattBike in the future, nor the other brands who provide a single unit bike for indoor training, as they lead to a world of captive software, less comfort and of course less enjoyment of cycling indoors.

Cycling should always be enjoyable.


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## AndyMacca (16 Dec 2020)

raycoltrane said:


> I have tried the WattBike original and the Atom. It may work in a gym, but for your home it's a waste of money and half the functions don't work reliably or properly.
> 
> Whether you think you will need ERG mode or any other features or not, for the cost of an indoor bike trainer you should be adding these in to the longevity factor and additional capability, particularly if you become a better cyclist and get more into the hobby.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a solid thumbs up for the fantastic Tacx Neo v1 after 4 years of trouble free use, that is commendable. Does make me wonder why you even looked at Peloton / Wattbike though? There has been a few more bikes introduced in this space over the last year or so, I expect we'll continue to see more coming out too and they should get better as they learn from the consumers.
Just to clarify, the Wattbike Atom doesn't restrict buyers to proprietary software, it's designed to be used on as many platforms as possible, it's no secret I'm a fan and use mine on Bkool, Zwift and BigRingVR too. I've used it almost every day this year and have had no problems with bike fit but I guess we're all physically different.
Also the space the bike uses is far less than my road bike on a turbo.
It's not perfect though, slow gears and sometimes you can get variable resistance on a downhill but overall it's got me a lot fitter and stronger, if I had to set the road bike up on a turbo then I'm not sure I'd have done so many rides. Plus I love having my bike available if the weather does improve or a club rider suggests a quick spin. Just for fun here's my distance so far Atom: 7495km (14months), main roadbike 3055 (18months) though lockdown has massively boosted the Atom's numbers.

Never used the Peloton but there's a Peloton shop near where I work and I had a quick look once, it did feel like a captive ecosystem and put me off however I've got a friend who really gets a lot from the trainer led sessions.

Yes cycling should always be enjoyable👍 except when you want to suffer


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (16 Dec 2020)

Cycling should be enjoyable and training should be uncomfortable - but not painful


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## JtB (30 Dec 2020)

Our Wattbike Atom arrived just in time to open on Christmas day. My wife and I have used it every day since apart from today which is our recovery day.


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## SWSteve (31 Dec 2020)

JtB said:


> Our Wattbike Atom arrived just in time to open on Christmas day. My wife and I have used it every day since apart from today which is our recovery day.
> View attachment 566322



looks great!! Considering one of these in the summer for next winter, can you plug a tablet into it to charge?


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## JtB (31 Dec 2020)

SWSteve said:


> looks great!! Considering one of these in the summer for next winter, can you plug a tablet into it to charge?


Unfortunately not, that’s one of my little niggles with this machine.

PS. Another little niggle is that the shifters require batteries, it would have been better had they been powered by the Atom’s main power supply. I guess though that Wattbike have used standard components.


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## AndyMacca (31 Dec 2020)

JtB said:


> Unfortunately not, that’s one of my little niggles with this machine.
> 
> PS. Another little niggle is that the shifters require batteries, it would have been better had they been powered by the Atom’s main power supply. I guess though that Wattbike have used standard components.


Yeah they missed a trick with the lack of power to the handlebars, I've mounted (cable ties) a 5 port USB hub to the front upright and have a decorators overshoe to cover it from sweat.


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## SWSteve (31 Dec 2020)

Okay, I had hoped it would have some USBs suitable for tablets as I seem to get 1minute/% charge when running zwift.
I’ll wait and see if this gets added with future models.
Also bizarre the shifters (a ‘major selling point’ of the atom) aren’t part of the central power system.
Thanks


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## Supersuperleeds (31 Dec 2020)

Mine came Christmas Eve, done 336 "miles" on it so far including an 100 miler on the 27th to get ahead of the festive 500 curve. 

The Watthub is bloody useless, doesn't show you how far you have gone until you stop and save the ride.

Zwift is great, though I hate how slow it makes me going up hill.


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## Bondsy (16 Feb 2021)

Watthub has been updated and now displays distance and speed if you toggle thru the cadence tabs.


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