wattbike atom
Comments
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royc wrote:I had a few issues at first with the gear changing but eventually found that this was due to impatience on my part.
:roll: :roll:
Either you're kidding yourself, or this is a disingenuous post.
The gearing is a serious issue and is still not sorted.
Put it this way, Wattbike managed to send me a SECOND Atom by mistake and didn't charge me for it......I sent it back anyway.
After receiving my refund for the original purchase, I found a Lifecycle GX spin bike (similar to a Kesier M3) second hand, bought a set of power tap P1s pedals for it, and a 3200 lumens projector.
I could not be happier with my training setup now - granted I have no ERG, but I now have power pedals that can be transferred to my road bike and the gearing changes are as fast or as slow I want it to be using the lever on the spin bike! :P
The sufferfest at 100" is quite something :shock:0 -
bsharp77 wrote:royc wrote:I had a few issues at first with the gear changing but eventually found that this was due to impatience on my part.
:roll: :roll:
Either you're kidding yourself, or this is a disingenuous post.
The gearing is a serious issue and is still not sorted.
Put it this way, Wattbike managed to send me a SECOND Atom by mistake and didn't charge me for it......I sent it back anyway.
After receiving my refund for the original purchase, I found a Lifecycle GX spin bike (similar to a Kesier M3) second hand, bought a set of power tap P1s pedals for it, and a 3200 lumens projector.
I could not be happier with my training setup now - granted I have no ERG, but I now have power pedals that can be transferred to my road bike and the gearing changes are as fast or as slow I want it to be using the lever on the spin bike! :P
The sufferfest at 100" is quite something :shock:
Well I thought it was a good first post
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I have some serious doubts concerning the Atom.
On Facebook owners group there are múltiple posts with users who are suffering with mechanical issues, al being resolved bu Wattbike y changing the entire bike or some parts...
Up until yesterday, i thought that by end january ( estimated delivery date for my unit) issues would be resolved, but i am really worried now as i will be shipping this to Barcelona, and there will be no international warranty until next year, so it is al my risk...
Watt should i do?0 -
So got mine a week ago and used it quite a bit.
Wattbike App: Everything works fine in wattbike app, the climb are awesome (but pain)
Wahoo Elemnt Bolt Computer - It detects it as a Kickr, let me select a route, but it does not alter the resistance so not exactly what I hoped it would do.
Zwift - I never planned to use Zwift as I didn't want another monthly, but signed up for the free trail and have really enjoyed it so may continue over the winter at least. As everyone has said the gear change is a tad slow, so when you hit a short ramp you may be over the ramp before the change occurs, i'd say its about a second more if you trying to drop 2,3 gears. I did find after getting to know a track you got be reactive and start change early which helped.
Def not perfect but I think for me I'm happy to use the parts that work well and wait for issues to be resolved as none are too bad for me. Oh did I mention it kinda looks nice and is very compact so happy wife too.0 -
Besides what appears to be a shill post, and so far as I can tell, there seems to be no one who has an unqualified positive review of the Atom.
Sure, there's a lot of goodwill expressed and optimism that future software will fix problems and overcome shortcomings, but as things stand today, no unqualified positive opinions.
If this wasn't such a nice looking product, nor one from a UK company, my guess it'd be getting a lot more stick for these problems and shortcomings.
I've goodwill towards them too, so I hope they sort the issues out.
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That's a fair summary, I guess there past reputation is giving them some wiggle room0
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Oh did I mention it kinda looks nice and is very compact so happy wife too.[/quote]
You know the saying.....deffo true re cycling...
HAPPY WIFE>>>HAPPY LIFE!!!
I hope the Atom works out, because it does look excellent..I am waiting for Version 2 though...0 -
Well considering all this there is probably a good reason why Tacx is waiting another year to release it's Neo bike - despite it having the core of the offering (the Neo) already in production.0
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UPDATE - About a month now and abs loving it, done loads of training and till today its been working spot on including the slow gear change, thats still the same.
Today ran into an issue, was doing a Zwift plan in ERG mode which had short 10 second sprints and due to the slow change the atom got its nickers in a twist till eventually it locked itself into the top gear and no way out. Called support and it seems that its screwed itself too tight and needs an engineer visit to resolve, albeit they say its a really quick fix.
They always stated its not designed for sprint training, think I will not use ERG mode on this type of training in future. Awaiting a date for engineer :-(0 -
Interesting!
I'm assuming that outside of a warranty period you'd be hosed: facing a mountain of hassle and a very hefty bill at best.
As the owner of a "it just works" Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for 12 years - that's worked flawlessly and could outlive me - I've a concern about the longevity and long term serviceability of many of these smart trainers/bikes.
The Atom's definitely of interest to me but the potential for hassle and expense during long term ownership is a concern. Same applies to all the other fancy trainer kit!0 -
rdt wrote:Interesting!
I'm assuming that outside of a warranty period you'd be hosed: facing a mountain of hassle and a very hefty bill at best.
As the owner of a "it just works" Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for 12 years - that's worked flawlessly and could outlive me - I've a concern about the longevity and long term serviceability of many of these smart trainers/bikes.
The Atom's definitely of interest to me but the potential for hassle and expense during long term ownership is a concern. Same applies to all the other fancy trainer kit!
I see where you're coming from, but that could be applied to just about any modern kit; power meters, modern cycling computers, electronic gears. Most modern kit his pretty reliable.0 -
Deleted, duplicate post.0
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J Power... you should NOT have to mess about like that with a premium 1500quid item...they should send you another and collect the useless one, especially as they are already having so many negative feedback ratings on it.
I sometimes wonder why companies are not just satisfied with the share of the market they already have/had.
No other company did anything like the WattBikes and to be fair, I think most companies must have realised they couldn't, so what do Wattbike themselves do?
Shoot themselves massively in the foot by trying to make an item to draw in more punters from the indoor interactive trainer community.If they had developed something truly awesome then it would have flown off the shelves...as far as I can see the only way the units are going is back to Wattbike!
Credit toJPower for sticking with it, but I WOULD NOT,in any way let them mend an item that cost so much when it is only about 6weeks old...the consumer protection phrase "not fit for purpose" would have been the very 1st comment I made to them whilst arranging a collection/refund.
I'm not slagging the Atom individually, but any company that wants 1500 for its item ought to stand by it for more than 6 weeks..repair will just mend the weakness, not remove it.
It is a pity because it looks the part, but it has to perform too.
Has anyone seen/tried the new Concept2 bike/
Now, if thats based on the Concept rowers (which it is) then the byword from the off is quality...and from looking at promo vids etc, it also links up with TR etc etc...worth a punt??0 -
Beatmaker,
Solid state electronics are very reliable.
Combine not-easily serviceable mechanicals with electronics and with software which has external dependencies, and you've a recipe for the average lifespan of these fairly complex trainers being materially less than that of the previous generation's. As they also cost a fair amount more, this is a good recipe for manufacturers but not necessarily for the punters...
We'll see!0 -
Engineer coming tomorrow - I plan to watch very carefully for outside warranty times :-)
So if the wattbike rep is right, the engineer is going to remove the cover and a screw which adjusts the resistance is going to be loosened a tad bit and viola it will spring back into action. Apparently this should not happen and the tension should release if you stop pedalling.
Regards fit for purpose comment as I mentioned and if you read the marketing the atom is not made for very short sprint training intervals in my case it was 3x10seconds burst with 10 second gap -- obviously they said this out front as they know that the atom cannot keep up with the resistance change. So if I had stuck within the parameters of the trainers design this issue would never have occurred. My lesson is on sprint type sessions do not use ERG mode.
NOTE - My friend who has a wahoo trainer not sure which one, told me they have the same issue on short burst sprints and that the wahoo becomes un-pedable (BIG DIFFERENCE - They don't need an engineer for it to reset)
SHIT I sound like I love this thing, arrgghhh.
Will report back on fix tomorrow.
NOTE - Some comp money would make me happier :-)0 -
My Wahoo Kickr copes fine with short sprint intervals.
I thought the gearing on the Atom was all virtual? its an electrical brake trainer like the rest of them?0 -
So back working. Note the engineer had very little idea as the bike is new and they have not worked on them so opening and closing the bike took an hour. The fix however was literally a spinning disc in front of the flywheel which controls the resistance he just spun that with his hand to the lowest setting. Then in the app which still thought it was in gear 22, just downshifted to 1 and then it all started to work as normal. Although would not say that till I’ve had a good few outings on it.
Wasn’t a pleasant experience. Don’t use ERG mode on short burst sprints.0 -
Good that the fix was simple...
Bad that the Atom's firmware doesn't prevent the bike from getting itself into a (mechanical) situation that requires engineer intervention...
Please keep up the feedback, Atom owners! It's all useful info for those like me kicking the tyres of various bits of kit and weighing up options.0 -
Hi everyone, I'm new here... looking at possibly buying the Atom, but a little wary after reading through all the posts.
I'm new to cycling in general really, rode a lot as a child but nothing until last Summer when I unburied my bike from the shed. It was brand new about 8-9 years ago (a b'day present) but just never got rode. I had it checked out at my local bike shop and after a service I rode it a few times over the Summer/Autumn. It's nothing fancy, just a SilverFox 'mountain' bike.
Anyway, for various reasons I'm looking at having something indoors. I do not have room for rollers or trainers such as Wahoo, I wish I did. I also don't have the know-how to remove a wheel (to my shame).
The Atom seems perfect for me space wise. My problem is the weight. The only space I have is in my bedroom, which is upstairs and I'm just a little concerned about the weight on the floor. I just don't have the luxury of space in our small house and the outdoor sheds are out of the question (one is falling down, wood the other is jammed packed full of stuff).
As a beginner cyclist I'd like to try out Zwift and just use it for generally logging miles with Strava. When the weather is better I will dig the bike out and get out and about locally.0 -
#di9girl wrote:Hi everyone, I'm new here... looking at possibly buying the Atom, but a little wary after reading through all the posts.
I'm new to cycling in general really, rode a lot as a child but nothing until last Summer when I unburied my bike from the shed. It was brand new about 8-9 years ago (a b'day present) but just never got rode. I had it checked out at my local bike shop and after a service I rode it a few times over the Summer/Autumn. It's nothing fancy, just a SilverFox 'mountain' bike.
Anyway, for various reasons I'm looking at having something indoors. I do not have room for rollers or trainers such as Wahoo, I wish I did. I also don't have the know-how to remove a wheel (to my shame).
The Atom seems perfect for me space wise. My problem is the weight. The only space I have is in my bedroom, which is upstairs and I'm just a little concerned about the weight on the floor. I just don't have the luxury of space in our small house and the outdoor sheds are out of the question (one is falling down, wood the other is jammed packed full of stuff).
As a beginner cyclist I'd like to try out Zwift and just use it for generally logging miles with Strava. When the weather is better I will dig the bike out and get out and about locally.
Mine is in the loft, had to go up to flight of stairs (regular width), one staircase goes round a corner too. Went up easy with 2 people. Weight has never been an issue for me up in loft. I would say that houses are made to support a hell of a lot more weight. Can't imagine a bike + you being any issue.0 -
Yesterday I was just thinking i love that atom, this morning workout tried to start a wattbike climb and I was flying up Alpe d'Huez, for a split second I thought its time to approach Team Sky for a place, but quickly realised the resistance was not adjusting and gear shifts were not working, ARRGHHH Team Sky dreams crushed, instead a call to wattbike for another service engineer appointment.
Did mention I just want it replaced this is second incident, but they want the service engineer to come out first, thats another weeks training plan crushed and Team Sky dreams even further away.
I have clocked 1000k on it, mostly zwift and just climbs on wattbike hub app, am I the only person having this problem???
Very frustrated biker here.0 -
Can any owners comment on the footprint of the Atom compared to a bike on a direct drive trainer?
I have a small room converted to a gym, looking at the length of my road bike it'd be 150cm or more on a direct drive trainer whereas the Atom is only 100cm.... for those with the Atom, is it really this compact?0 -
jpower wrote:Yesterday I was just thinking i love that atom, this morning workout tried to start a wattbike climb and I was flying up Alpe d'Huez, for a split second I thought its time to approach Team Sky for a place, but quickly realised the resistance was not adjusting and gear shifts were not working, ARRGHHH Team Sky dreams crushed, instead a call to wattbike for another service engineer appointment.
Did mention I just want it replaced this is second incident, but they want the service engineer to come out first, thats another weeks training plan crushed and Team Sky dreams even further away.
I have clocked 1000k on it, mostly zwift and just climbs on wattbike hub app, am I the only person having this problem???
Very frustrated biker here.
Your experience is not filling me with confidence for this bike 0 -
Mapaputsi wrote:jpower wrote:Yesterday I was just thinking i love that atom, this morning workout tried to start a wattbike climb and I was flying up Alpe d'Huez, for a split second I thought its time to approach Team Sky for a place, but quickly realised the resistance was not adjusting and gear shifts were not working, ARRGHHH Team Sky dreams crushed, instead a call to wattbike for another service engineer appointment.
Did mention I just want it replaced this is second incident, but they want the service engineer to come out first, thats another weeks training plan crushed and Team Sky dreams even further away.
I have clocked 1000k on it, mostly zwift and just climbs on wattbike hub app, am I the only person having this problem???
Very frustrated biker here.
Your experience is not filling me with confidence for this bike
Might be a Friday bike, a know a few other owners and they have had not had any issues.
UPDATE: They are planning to take to warehouse to repair and give me a loaner, I've asked that it be replaced altogether. Saga continues.0 -
jpower, IANAL but it seems possible that, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, because Wattbike have already had one failed attempt at fixing the faulty bike (ie. their attempted remedy failed), you can now choose to reject the goods if you wish to:
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights ... rights-act
There'd be exactly half the inconvenience to you if Wattbike dropped off a new replacement bike when they collected the faulty bike, instead of what they're proposing which is to take away the faulty one, give you a loaner, and then come back again to return your repaired bike and take away their loaner.
Particularly if you have to take any time off work in order to facilitate their drop-offs/collections then I personally would not be satisfied with going along with some drawn out fault-repair-fault-takeaway-repair-return... saga.
NB this is a very good book for not getting fu(4ed around by retailers or others:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Complain-E ... b_title_bk0 -
rdt wrote:jpower, IANAL but it seems possible that, under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, because Wattbike have already had one failed attempt at fixing the faulty bike (ie. their attempted remedy failed), you can now choose to reject the goods if you wish to:
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights ... rights-act
There'd be exactly half the inconvenience to you if Wattbike dropped off a new replacement bike when they collected the faulty bike, instead of what they're proposing which is to take away the faulty one, give you a loaner, and then come back again to return your repaired bike and take away their loaner.
Particularly if you have to take any time off work in order to facilitate their drop-offs/collections then I personally would not be satisfied with going along with some drawn out fault-repair-fault-takeaway-repair-return... saga.
NB this is a very good book for not getting fu(4ed around by retailers or others:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Complain-E ... b_title_bk
Wow amazing info, good to see law is on my side. I'll await a response from my email first, just because customer services for me has always been fantastic thus far. Let's see how they do before I quote the consumer act.0 -
Bear in mind the outcome you're seeking and let this guide how you go about any discussion or complaint with a retailer. For example, if you were to successfully reject the current Atom, it's possible you might just end up with a refund (and no new Atom), since WB aren't obligated to sell you another one, which is probably not what you're after.
Be very clear with a retailer about exactly what remedy you're seeking. Be reasonable, polite but firm. Generally works. Good luck.0 -
rdt wrote:Bear in mind the outcome you're seeking and let this guide how you go about any discussion or complaint with a retailer. For example, if you were to successfully reject the current Atom, it's possible you might just end up with a refund (and no new Atom), since WB aren't obligated to sell you another one, which is probably not what you're after.
Be very clear with a retailer about exactly what remedy you're seeking. Be reasonable, polite but firm. Generally works. Good luck.
Your spot on, even with this bother I've really enjoyed having the Atom. I'll follow the firm and polite route, usually works best.0
