Rock'n'roll meets heavy metal: Rubber buffers between the heavy, welded steel frame and the brake unit allow the bike to tilt slightly to the right and left when pedalling - this freedom of movement is a Kinetic trademark. It first requires precise levelling of the solid, folding feet, otherwise you end up overweight to one side.
The result is pleasing: constant equalising movements on the move mean that the saddle pressure is not quite as static as with a rigid suspension. The trainer starts whirring, but the sound is moderate up to medium speed. At high speeds, a low rumble is added and it gets loud. We only managed to calibrate it with the corresponding app after a very, very long attempt. This does not improve with new firmware. The power display is very inaccurate. The riding experience is good and the control on Zwift is fast once you get the device up and running. Not recommended for Android users in the form tested.
Technical data of the Kinetic R1
- Price: 999 Euro
- Weight: 23.8 kilogrammes
- Footprint W x L: 86 x 53 cm
- Storage dimensions W x L x H: 46 x 53 x 60 cm
- Max. power: 2,000 watts
- max. gradient: 20 per cent
- Volume at 27/40/66 km/h: 52/57/80 decibels
- Average deviation: 24 watts
Test summary of the Kinetic R1
- PLUS: Freedom of movement
- MINUS: Calibration very slow, inaccurate power display, heavy and unwieldy
How Tour tests roller trainers
We used all the devices in a normally furnished living room measuring just under 20 square metres. Firstly, the manufacturer-specific app was set up on a Samsung S7 running Android, if available, and the trainer's firmware was updated to the latest version. A calibration ride ("spindown") was then carried out using the app after warming up. We used the app in ergometer mode with Bluetooth to complete an interval programme. We also checked the accuracy of the power display.
An SRM system was used as a reference, which in turn was synchronised with other power meters. We limited ourselves to endurance performances in the range of 150 to 350 watts and also tested the control speed of the trainers during power jumps in interval mode.
Finally, we completed various courses on Zwift and tested the response behaviour of the brakes - the reaction time to changes in terrain - and evaluated the ride feel. We used ANT+ as the connection to the PC. The sound level was measured at a distance of one metre from the device at three speeds: 27, 40 and 66 km/h; at pedalling frequencies between 90 and 120 rpm. It should be noted that the sound level has a logarithmic scale. An increase of 10 decibels corresponds to a doubling of the perceived volume. Low frequencies are not adequately recorded by the level measurement, which is why we also describe these in the text.
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