Zwift axes turbo trainer at centre of legal case, following settlement

Zwift has dropped its Zwift Hub smart trainer, and is instead encouraging customers who want a multi-gear cassette model to opt for the Wahoo Kickr Core instead.

The news follows Zwift and Wahoo withdrawing from a legal dispute over patent infringement over the former's Hub trainer.

In September, a court filing in the US  showed that both sides in the action asked to dismiss Wahoo’s patent infringement lawsuit and any subsequent counterclaims.

Last year, Wahoo initially sued both Zwift and JetBlack and alleged that Zwift’s new Hub trainer - which is manufactured by JetBlack - is ‘identical, in all material respects, to the KICKR CORE’.

In a joint statement shared after the decision to end the dispute, both Zwift and Wahoo have said they will “embark on a renewed approach to collaboration”, selling each other’s products on their websites. 

Now, the Zwift Hub, the piece of equipment at the centre of the legal action, has been discontinued, with the link to the item on Zwift's website now linking straight to the Wahoo Kickr Core. 

Zwift still offer the Zwift Hub One, a smart trainer with just one one cog on the back, which comes with 'virtual shifting'. It has a Click device that can be attached to a handlebar in order to shift gear.

The Wahoo Kickr Core Bundle has seen its price drop to £549 ($599.99), matching that of the Zwift Hub One; both come with a year's membership of Zwift, showing the new age of collaboration between the two cycling tech companies. The Kickr Core Bundle comes with an 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12-speed cassette. 

The Zwift Hub One could be the better option for those who plan to switch bikes with different speeds on their smart trainer, while the Wahoo Kickr could be better for those with other Wahoo products to pair it with, something the Zwift trainer cannot do.

Last month, Wahoo announced that it was shutting down its virtual cycling platform RGT at the end of October, thinning the field of available indoor training technology.

In an email sent to Wahoo X subscribers on Monday, it wrote that it had "made the strategic decision to focus on our long-established strength in structured training content through SYSTM".

Users who paid for Wahoo X were given complimentary Zwift memberships in order to soothe the pain of RGT disappearing; monthly subscribers get a three-month access code to the virtual software, while yearly subscribers get 12-month long access.

In separate news this week, Zwift announced that users can now sign up for a whole year, in a deal which means 12 months for the price of ten, cheaper than simply paying monthly.