But what’s the point? If the Kickr and Kickr Snap are able to offer real-time resistance changes, whether following an interval workout or riding on Zwift, aren’t you getting the diet of watt-based training you require? Well, that won’t change, but Wahoo say the Climb engages climbing muscles and improves pedaling technique to ‘enable the rider to become a more efficient and powerful climber’. The Kickr kick-started the virtual training revolution now jointly fueled by Zwift and Wahoo say the Climb will offer a more immersive riding experience.

– The gamification of cycling: how Zwift has revolutionised indoor training –

“The world we ride in isn’t flat, which is why we believed the indoor riding experience on the Kickr should follow suit,” said Wahoo Fitness CEO, Chip Hawkins. “And as we continue to keep Wahoo at the leading edge of innovation in this category, we’re proud to quite literally take structured climbing workouts and virtual course rides to the next level.”

Wahoo Kickr Climb – first ride impressions

So that’s the tech looked after, but how does it all translate when put to use? We’ve been hands-on with the Kickr Climb at its official unveiling at Eurobike over in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and what first strikes us is just how responsive the system is.

When the road pitches up on the Zwift test platform, so does the Climb, while the newly redesigned Kickr, with its rotating axle system, allows free movement at the rear without adding extra stress to the frame. Set up on a particular rolling section of Zwift Island, the system responds with impressive sharpness, both when pitching you to a sudden 20 per cent gradient, or simulating a 10 per cent downhill.

There are limitations, of course – the bike still won’t rock side to side with the redesigned axles (perhaps that’s an update for the future), and the trainer is of course a slave to the limitations of the Zwift system, which itself can only update gradient input once every second.

As a result, the Climb can adjust itself in a slightly jerky manner, despite Wahoo’s launch claims, as it responds to input commands, but if there’s a device that can stick you in a position dynamically that closely mimics real world gradient changes, then this is it.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Climb is only compatible with the next generation of Kickr smart trainers, which have been updated to allow for dynamic movement. The Kickr is also now thru-axle compatible, while the more affordable Kickr Snap’s accuracy has been improved from five per cent to a claimed three per cent.

Both trainers still cost £999 and £499 respectively, and will be available immediately. The Kickr Climb, meanwhile, will cost an additional £499.99 as an accessory and will be available from November.

Website: Wahoo Fitness