Kickr Core turbo set up - drivetrain issues

[Harleyboy]

Hi,

So got my Kickr Core yesterday and set it up today. Put a 105 cassette on it with the same ratios as the ultegra cassette (and drivetrain) on the bike. But, it sounds terrible in the higher gears.

I thought 105 and Ultegra cassettes were
Interchangeable so can’t figure out why there’s such a bad noise.

I don’t need to adjust my gears do I?

Any ideas out there?

Thanks

[NorthDave]

Harleyboy said:

Hi,

So got my Kickr Core yesterday and set it up today. Put a 105 cassette on it with the same ratios as the ultegra cassette (and drivetrain) on the bike. But, it sounds terrible in the higher gears.

I thought 105 and Ultegra cassettes were
Interchangeable so can’t figure out why there’s such a bad noise.

I don’t need to adjust my gears do I?

Any ideas out there?

Thanks

I have a vague recollection of something to do with a spacer - check the wahoo support pages, I think they are quite good.

[gl20]

You may have the same problem as I had on my Kickr.

On mine it came with a SRAM cassette (it’s the full fat version hence it includes a cassette). Rest of my set up is Ultegra. Basically, the Kickr has a slight offset versus my wheel/cassette). So if I have my bike perfectly indexed for road use then move to the turbo the indexing is out to the extent it can’t get onto the largest gear. For mine, 6 half turns of the barrel adjuster To the left means I’m sorted so I just remember this whenever I’m taking the bike on or off the turbo.

May be similar for you? I did try looking at the spacers that came with the turbo, but they weren’t going to help in my case.

ETA - if I’m just using the turbo for an ERG session I don’t bother adjusting it and just select a quiet gear

Edited by gl20 on Saturday 3rd October 20:02

[frisbee]

If your old cassette and chain is fairly worn then a new cassette will be noisy. Drivetrain noise seems much more noticeable indoors.

Gears might just need adjusting though, Kickrs do seem slightly out of normal alignment somehow.

[Mastodon2]

gl20 said:

ETA - if I’m just using the turbo for an ERG session I don’t bother adjusting it and just select a quiet gear

This is good advice, when I'm doing ERG sessions I pick a gear that gives me the straightest chainline possible, save a watt or two of drivetrain friction, every little helps and you will need it if you do some of the Zwift workouts!

As above, if you use a new cassette with an old chain then you will get noise and yes, indoors you hear every single little squeak and grind. I had the same issue, bought a new chain which just goes on whichever bike is on the Kickr.

For what it's worth, I can't remember having to put a spacer on the Kickr, I've had it since August and it's one of the top of the line ones, it's had 3 or 4 different bikes on it, all with Ultegra, no noise issues once I put a new chain on it, no issues with shifting or anything. If I take a bike off the Kickr, I just put the wheel back on the frame and it's good to go, no need to re-index for me.

[Harleyboy]

Thanks everyone. I put the Ultegra cassette on and all is well. It is a good few thousand miles old though, although the chain was new in March/3000+ miles ago.

I hadn’t thought this could be an issue so maybe I should try a new chain with the new cassette. The bike will now sit on the turbo over the winter whilst the winter bike is out but a new chain won’t hurt now rather than in the spring.

I tried another new 105 cassette and that had created the same issues.

How long do cassettes last (piece of string?). I’d say the cassette has done about 8000 miles

Thanks for the advice

[frisbee]

It depends how you use it, whether you tend to stick to the same few gears, and if you replace the chain before it is excessively worn.

8000 miles isn’t unreasonable cassette life.