As we head into September and the nights start drawing in, Wattbike has not one but two new indoor training bikes aimed at lighting up the dark months. The Proton is a new smart bike priced below the existing Atom, which stays in the range as the flagship home trainer, while the Air is a lower-priced, home-friendly version of the fan-powered Wattbike Pro and Trainer, as seen mostly in gyms.
The British brand says the Proton, with its price of £1,795, “is designed to bring Wattbike’s cutting-edge technology and proven free training app to a broader fitness audience”. Meanwhile the Air, priced at £1,895, “takes the core functionality of our commercial products and packages them in a more consumer-friendly solution. The commercial handlebar, internal power generator, supplementary magnetic resistance, monitor, and multiple resistance variants are removed to offer a bike which is a single model, is easy to use, has a resistance gradient which covers the majority of both the Pro and Trainer commercial models and works seamlessly with the Wattbike Hub app and others.”
First let’s look at the Proton. It’s not just the lower price that makes the Proton more accessible (it undercuts the Atom by £600): with its step-through frame has a bigger range of adjustability than the Atom and is suitable for riders from 4ft 6in (137cm) to 6ft 6in (198cm). Wattbike says its research has shown that many Wattbikes have multiple users at home; for families who share their Wattbike, this range of adjustment – which is also tool free – makes it easy for different users to set up quickly.
One of the big benefits of the Wattbike Atom compared to a standard bike and smart trainer is the small footprint, and the Proton reduces it even further with its minimum length of 102cm against the Atom’s 125cm.
It has a price of £1,795 compared to the Atom’s £2,395 but the Proton runs on the same electromagnetic resistance system, has the same 8.05kg flywheel and has the same compatibility with Zwift and other training apps. The maximum power output is lower at 1,800W compared to the Atom’s 2,500W, but the maximum gradient for both is listed at 25% and power meter accuracy is +/-1% for both.
The Proton is slightly heavier than the Atom at 48kg compared to 45kg and this is likely due to the Proton’s steel casing rather than aluminium – and will reassure potential customers that the lower price isn’t due to inferior materials used in its construction.
So what’s the difference between the Proton and the Atom? Wattbike answers: “While Proton uses the same patented power measurement system as all Wattbikes, and also uses an electromagnetic braking system, the functionality and experience of these bikes are very different. If you’re looking for family use, super quick and easy adjustability, gentler resistance ramps, or training for other activities than cycling, the Wattbike Proton is ideal. With Atom, reaching the power output ranges required for competitive road cyclists, quick resistance changes, and the rigidity to ensure the best possible transfer of power to the drivetrain was key during development. If you’re racing online or need to handle high power outputs, Atom fits the bill.”
However, Wattbike firmly dismisses the idea that the Proton is a Peloton alternative: “Peloton are fixed wheel spin bikes with limited handlebar adjustability and limited ability to simulate realistic riding or ride feel.” Compared with the Peloton Bike, which is priced at £1,345, Wattbike says: “the Proton delivers “the fantastic ride feel expected of Wattbike and loved by tens of thousands of Wattbike users around the world, the safety and familiarity of a freewheel rather than a fixed-wheel spin bike, completely unrestricted access to training apps including free access to the Wattbike Hub, an app developed with the best coaches and used by the world’s best athletes.”
With more brands than ever fighting for a share of the indoor training market, who else does Wattbike see itself in competition with? That one’s easy. In June Zwift launched the £1,199 Zwift Ride, a ‘smart frame’ packaged with a smart trainer – the Wahoo Kickr Core. This was something of an unexpected move from Zwift. Aimed at reducing the cost and complexity of hardware according to Zwift, it was claimed to “bring all of the advantages of a smart bike at an incredibly affordable price. It’s clean, it’s quiet, incredibly simple to set up and adjust, and can be shared with any member of the household.”
Naturally Wattbike highlights that, unlike the Zwift Ride which is only compatible with Zwift, the Proton has compatibility with all training apps. Nevertheless, says Wattbike, the Proton has a “great experience in Zwift even with Apple TV, ease of adjustability with no tools required [the Zwift Ride requires a ‘frame key’ that comes with it], huge range of adjustability especially at the lower end due to the removal of the top tube [Zwift Ride starts at a rider height of 152cm compared to the Proton’s 137cm], free training app with world class content covering many disciplines and outcomes, compatible with Zwift Play…” Wattbike doesn’t mention here that the Zwift Ride with Kickr Core has a footprint length of 136cm compared to the Proton’s 102cm, which for those with limited space for a full-size indoor training set-up is a big bonus.
As for the Air, Wattbike is clear that it’s for a different customer from the Proton and therefore the Atom too. Not strictly a smart bike since its resistance can’t be controlled by a third-party app, the Air, and air resistance trainers in general, suits high intensity-workouts exceptionally well, according to the brand. “For users looking to concentrate on higher intensity work, peak power and HIIT training the Air is ideal.” And why more expensive than the Proton when it’s not a smart bike? Wattbike says: “The technology built into the Air is used around the world by elite sports people and Olympians across many sports. It is a highly technical and performance-built machine, with the same exacting build standards as the commercial variants used by commercial gyms and elite athletes.”
Check out Wattbike’s website for more information.
