I was planning on using them, but I wanted the option of hoping on and just doing a session without the hassle of booting up a computer.

The Kickr is not what I thought it would be at all.

... what am I missing ?

A basic understanding of smart trainer design. The trainer firmware is lightweight and intended to offload the application specific processing to a separate device. The trainer just broadcasts data and receives basic commands to set resistance in ERG mode. All of the interpretation of that data and formulation of the commands to send back to the trainer is application specific and can be done without touching the firmware as evidenced by ctANT+ doing this 5 years ago on the CT.

I actually like the idea though of HW design that would process the data stream from a separate PM and directly use that for the resistance control loop. It would be too radical of a design departure to be implemented in firmware of the current gen, but you could develop a new trainer that eschews an on board measurement entirely only uses external, thus lowering costs and offering more consistency between indoor and outdoor readings.

As adoption of on-bike PMs increase the presence of on-trainer power measurement changes from a feature to a liability as there is little benefit of replicating the functionality and much consumer angst over discrepancy of estimation methods.

I'm guessing it's only guys like you that see the beauty of a piece of hardware that could only be made accurate by using a software solution and require it be re-implemented every s/w solution out there. Bottom line, they have an inaccurate product that can be made accurate with only 3 of the dozens of apps they claim are their advantage.

I would send DCRainmaker an email. Perhaps he would be willing to trade you one of his perfectly accurate Kickrs for two of yours. Perhaps this way he can do another review that won't mislead folks into believing the Kickr is the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm guessing it's only guys like you that see the beauty of a piece of hardware that could only be made accurate by using a software solution and require it be re-implemented every s/w solution out there. Bottom line, they have an inaccurate product that can be made accurate with only 3 of the dozens of apps they claim are their advantage.

Most of all, I never encourage people to simply take my word for it, nor DCR's for that matter, and after all of the increasingly juvenile rants in these threads certainly not your lot's.

Who said anything about beauty? This is simply how smart trainers work today, all of them.

You and the familiar gang are free to try and project your frustrations onto me and frame all discussion to suit your personal narrative. In that narrative, I am an ardent defender of the Wahoo KICKR and it is the duty of the scrupulous defenders of consumer rights to topple the conspiracy being led by the vile DCRainmaker and perpetuated by his pawns to mislead the world into believing that the KICKR is an infallible product whose purchase should be compulsory.

Back in the real world, I don't make personal recommendations for any product and don't endorse anyone who does. I preach that there is no such thing as a "best" of anything, that every product is a collection of features, compromises and often flaws. Making adamant claims of the obvious inferiority or superiority of any product is at best an ignorant or at worst a self-absorbed assumption that your wants and needs in a product are more important than anyone else's, else you might have taken more time to ask questions before answering them.

Most of all, I never encourage people to simply take my word for it, nor DCR's for that matter, and after all of the increasingly juvenile rants in these threads certainly not your lot's.

Haven't been on in a few days, but you're right about the attitude. I was fed up with all of the melodrama associated with the topic and the irony is that my post was far more melodramatic than anything anyone else had written.

I don't really want to debate the whole KICKR thing anymore, I could ramble on and on about it but I'm sure we all have better things to do.