Zwift has unveiled its new Hub One smart trainer, which forgoes a standard cassette for a single cog, allowing the Hub One to work more seamlessly with a greater range of bikes, spanning everything from road to hybrid models that are equipped with 8 to 12-speed drivetrains.
The most visibly different about Zwift Hub One, compared to the original Hub trainer, is the Zwift Cog. In a departure from all previous direct drive trainers, Zwift Hub One replaces the standard cassette with the new Zwift Cog, a revolutionary single cog component that comes pre-installed and allows the trainer to work with almost any 8-12 speed bike. Thanks to its unique design, riders can put chain drops in the past as sides act as a chain retention device.
In addition to its wide compatibility, Zwift Hub One enables cyclists to take advantage of the many benefits of virtual shifting. Virtual shifting, normally only seen on smart bikes, is now available to those who prefer the value and convenience of a trainer. With virtual shifting, cyclists will enjoy shifting free of lag and chain skips, even when shifting under load. Modern smart bikes are now so quiet, the loudest noise when riding actually comes from the bike’s physical drivetrain. With virtual shifting, much of this added noise is eliminated, leaving the rest of your house in peace while you sweat it out in the virtual world of Watopia.
Zwifters will control virtual shifts with the included wireless Zwift Click which easily mounts to any type of handlebar (road, flat, and TT) via two rubber O-Rings. Shifting is as straightforward as you would expect, with plus and minus buttons to shift the gear up or down. From launch, Zwift Hub One comes with 24 gears, offering a range wide enough to tackle any Zwift terrain with minimal jumps between gears.
Zwift’s Hub One trainer is ideally suited to a variety of different bikes, offering the same riding experience regardless of the bike you choose to install on it. To ensure consistency between bikes, Zwift Hub One is able to detect the gear ratios on your physical bike which allows it to set the virtual gears accordingly. It achieves this through a process called ‘real gear ratio calibration.’ The trainer does this within the first few seconds of of every ride automatically. Magic. In addition to delivering benefits to those with multiple bikes, real gear ratio calibration offers new benefits to riders using smaller chainrings, like those found on gravel and mountain bikes, preventing those riders from spinning out on flat or downhill terrain in Zwift.
The Zwift Hub One is available for $599, alongside the Zwift Hub Classic, also priced at $599.
Zwifters who already own a Hub will have two options that will allow them to unlock the benefits of virtual shifting. Once updated to Zwift Hub Firmware version 5.2, or newer, Zwifters who own Zwift Play can turn Virtual Shifting on from their setting menu. Side buttons on the Play Controllers allow for virtual shifting and also bring added benefits of improved game navigation plus steering and braking controls. Zwift Play is compatible with drop handlebars only and is available to purchase separately for $99/€99/£99 via Zwift.com.
For those wishing to upgrade their existing Zwift Hub units, a Zwift Cog + Zwift Click upgrade package will be available for purchase. Zwift Cog comes pre-installed on a freehub and installs easily with the tools included with Zwift Hub. The upgrade bundle will be available for $59.99/£59.99/€59.99 for a limited time after launch, to allow existing Zwift Hub owners to upgrade, down from the full MSRP of $79.99/£79.99/€79.99. The Zwift Play and Click can both be paired with Zwift at the same time, giving riders the option to shift from multiple locations on the handlebar.
In order to use Virtual Shifting, Zwifters will also need to make sure Zwift is updated to version 1.50, which will be rolling out between October 11 and October 13.
Zwift
You must be logged in to post a comment.
