Wahoo KICKR Headwind Smart Fan: Product Details // Ride Review 

Had to laugh so hard about the air blowing cleaning at the end

I have this fan and love controlling from heart rate. One interesting observation involves cardiac drift. Even though I believe I hydrate adequately, my heart rate always increases about 10 bpm approximately 30 minutes into a workout while maintaining consistent power. I always understood that cardiac drift is primarily due to a rise in core temperature, and the body responds to this increase by sending more blood to the skin in an attempt to cool the body temperature, which the heart must then respond by beating faster to also keep blood flow to the muscles consistent. I have my fan speed settings to increase in a step fashion at specific heart bpm levels up to max flow at threshold bpm. If I'm maintaining a consistent power level but the heart rate drifts higher to the next higher speed setting, the fan increase immediately cools the skin to a point that the body can reduce blood to the skin, and it's fun to watch my heart rate fall 10 or 15 bpm almost instantly in relation to the increase in fan speed. The fan slows, and the cycle repeats. At first, I thought my heart was acting irregular until I connected the two events. I hope that's the case. When my heart does this, I don't feel light-headed or anything else at least.

Shane's transition to Wahoo fan-boy is now complete ;-)

Beach ball test... Stroke of genius!

That ending though :)))) Especially on that open field, just randomly walking with a smart fan :D Also, cool way to demonstrate the power of the fan with the beach ball. :) Very creative.

Today is like Christmas in July with all the videos from Shane and Ray. I hope this day never ends.

Mate you would be the only guy to review this with a beach ball. Love it!!

Shane just love your demo's of all this new tec, the beach demo was so cool ! Get my Kickr Climb tomorrow can't wait. I can see another purchase coming .Keep the video's coming great job.

I love the idea of this product. I love training indoors, but it is BRUTAL when I’m in my garage during the hot days of SoCal.

many contents today. Good job shane. I've watched all.

The “balloon test” was just smart! Great idea. A great video (as usual) considering it’s... a fan: smart but... a fan.

I never thought I would like a video about a fan.... interesting product, great video!

Loved the end credit leaf blower!! Made me chuckle!!

Shane i’m a big fan. Thanks! Yours faithfully, Kickr Headwind

Crushing it, 6 uploads in 18 minutes.

Wahoo Headwind..Easily converts into a leaf blower. 🌿 Nice Shane! Keep up the great work. Got to say Wahoo is really thinking out of the box with this. Cool concept.

I love this , well worth the money. I dislike having to flip on/off buttons and even more so to control a fan speed. the unit simply works automatically on its own in the background. the air blast is also focused exactly where it needs to be such that i don't have wasted air blowing around curtains or nearby papers. simply makes my swift/rouvy sessions so much more enjoyable.

I had not realized that th fan was designed to sit on leg bars of the table. Life changer! Thx!

Loving the outtakes..

That thing is a MUST have!

I might be 3 years too late but this video was awesome haha

I can't say the price is worth it... but ordered it anyhow as many have. I've watched a few of these reviews now... it's a fan… a “great” over priced fan! But your demo of a beachball and leaf blower topped them all! - Well done! lol 😄

I think this is a great product. Subject to Australian pricing being reasonable I will buy one to add another interactive element to training (and an impressive directional fan). I'm blown away by the concept 😀

Great review, keep it up!

When not using the Kickr Headwind for indoor training, you could always use it to demonstrate the Bernoulli effect with the beach ball as part of a physics lesson for kids. They will be amazed.

Nice touch of humour at the end

That's one of those products that I will buy if and only if it gets Zwift support. But if that happens it will be a must have for me. Apart from that, I loved the end of your video!

Omg need to get one of these.

You must’ve had so much fun making this video😁

The end with the walking around and using the fan as a blower reminds me of something Mr. Bean might do. Hilarious to me... :D

Glad I read the comments, had to go back and see the end of video, that was funny..

Nice one Shane Boy

nice one~ a fan that I wanted

Love the Video. 👍

LOL @ the ending scenes. Thank you for doing this video, to me what no one really seems to pinpoint is how much more air comes out of this fan. It's stated at 30 mph wind (if it really does that or not I don't know, I don't have one), but the extra price could be worth it for the airflow alone in my opinion. I'd rather be getting hit with extreme airflow to keep me cool, than save $150 for a fan that can't keep up with my ride. And remember, that's $150 one time. How much does that really come out to if you use this fan for the next 3-5 years of indoor training? $150 isn't much when you consider the extra cooling you'll be getting for hundreds, if not thousands of rides indoors.

Wow. A magic flying ball

Interesting product, ridiculous price, great review, cleaver ending. 🤣Thanks Shane.

Beach ball sold me...just ordered it.

More videos of the beach ball plz

KICKR Headwind has a wireless mode?

Having a ball again 😉 #true fan

Looks like fun time playing with a beach ball😋

Great and clever review! An alternative could be the ubiquitous Squirrel Cage Blowers (aka Squirrel Fan). They’re known for high volume & directional blasts of air, low cost, low energy use, and have air input on the sides. Could be wired to a dimmer and provide better solution than ordinary houseFans. Check ‘em out

Will the mode be controllable from the ELEMNT? Would seem obvious....

From the specs in wahoo, did I get that right to be compatible with 120 volt countries only?

Why am I seeing some reviews saying it can do ant power too? Wonder if they will do anything to deal with warming up

The price blew me away!

Where you a vacuum cleaner salesman in a past life?? The beach ball pitch is just as good as the bowling ball pitch lol. Nice one mate!!!

In speed mode, does the speed correspond with speed in Zwift exactly? I could've sworn when I had my watch looking at speed broadcast from my KICKR the KICKR and Zwift "speeds" were often quite different - in particular if I decided to coast down a mountain. Also to anyone thinking the price is ridiculous - if you look at the DIY for this that came out from the community just last year, it's less capable (only 3 speeds), involves a LOT of work, and if you were to make it work for fully variable speed the cheapest fully variable fans I've seen run from $70-$100+ dollars... not including the arduino, soldering, the fact it only works on certain platforms, voids a bunch of warranties of a bunch of the stuff involved... If you just go "$250 for just a fan?? That's ridiculous!" then it seems true, but the more you look at it the more it actually seems like a fairly fair price. I probably will wait for a sale or my birthday though since it isn't essential, but damn is it "cool!" (Get it? Cool?)

Is there a non overpriced product from wahoo?

Funny enough, the “KICKR CLIMB Incline Simulator” is still not ready to be delivered in the consumer market! My order has been pending delivery for more than 6 months now!

Hi Shane. I'm your subscriber and always love your videos, they're great. I own a TacX Neo 2T. Will the Wahoo Kikr HeadWind be compatible with it, please?

This video made me want to buy the Headwind and I nearly did until I went to Lowes and purchased a heavy duty 20in floor fan for $37.00 us. Like Marc Maron says about buying an expensive tube amp, “every record I’d put on I’d be sitting there going, that doesn’t sound like $14,000... then eventually you go to some other guys house and he just had a cheap set up and you’d listen to the same record and it’d sound perfect.”

Great review! Would you still buy this fan even without the kickr trainer? Let’s say you had just a basic bike trainer.

Ah cooling has always been my biggest issue on a trainer. I wonder if this would actually solve it or just nice marketing. I’d surely feel like I had to ride more regardless at that price!

I wonder if there would be Kicker Tailwind and Kicker Crosswind to follow...

Did they release any CFM numbers for the fan? The integration with heartrate or power doesn't appear to add much depth to the experience in my opinion. It looks like it pushes quite a bit of air but you could probably get a similar "dumb" fan for around $65 US. Great review though. Really blew those leaves around and the birds didn't look too scared ;)

I just got one of these. I am disappointed that it is not paired so to speak with the smart trainer and Zwift. It would be great if the fan speed adjusted based on %FTP. I don’t use a HR monitor so I have to go manual mode when on my Wahoo Kickr. Unless I’m missing something

Santa is bringing me one for Christmas :)

Is it possible to use the heartrate control when you'r on apple tv with swift. Than you have bluetooth connection. No ant+

Hi Shane. Considering taking advantage of the current Wahoo accessory sale with a Headwind purchase. Have you used it from an off center to side position? If so, what are your thoughts on how it’s worked for you? My training area uses a cabinet directly in front with limited space. Thanks!

Seemed pretty powerful from your video, but do you have any stats on the air flow rate of these units?

😆 "but honey, it doubles as a leaf blower!" Great selling internally strategy.

Is costly for a fan but small Dyson fan is the same price and the larger one more. This fan is at least purpose built for trainer use. So in the end if you don't want to spend that much you don't. Do like the way it works with the desk which I also like.

nice ball test. Still a bit pricey considering the electronics doesn't cost much.

I thought for sure that was a magic trick. With the beach ball.

Yep, expensive but ideal... I will buy one like I did the Philips Hue lights... Whew!!! When will it stop!

I see firmware v1.0.3 was released last month - Added support for Bluetooth Multi Peripheral. Does this mean it supports Bluetooth sensors now?

OMG!!!!! REALLY! IT.IS.JUST.A.FAN!!!!!!!

I almost thought it was April Fool's Day again

Thanks (belated !) for the review. Came here for the Headwind review but am now trying to track down a Sunair "clone". I've found one by Voxon I think but per its label it's rated at 35 watts at max speed when you measured 51 watts. Couldn't find a picture of the back or a manual online so if you still have the Sunairs could you check the label when you get a chance ? Thanks !

Is this a production unit? Plastics look quite cheap.

Hey Shane, Do you think the Kickr Headwind would work with a Taxc Neo Smart WHEN it is coupled with a Wahoo Heart Rate and the Cadence/Speed sensors?

I hope it turns down when you draft

I’d prefer they spend their time working on increasing the font of the turn by turn directions on the Bolt.

Will it dry your hair though shane!

Maybe if I say it's a leaf blower I might stand a chance....

If not for anything, then just for the last 30 secs of the video you, sir, get a like. ;)

Do you know if the headwind works with Wahoos rpm speed sensors?

This is not your ordinary fan. The built has heft, solid, no vibration, the wind is direct to rider, no waste. I waited so long before I bought one. Love it. When paired with HRM.

will it work with a Tacx Neo ?

Remote Controlled Fan with speed varied manually Or by sensed Hesrt rate Basic electronic really . Good Marketing

Hey Shane, love the beach ball and leaf blowing :-) Did wahoo say how far in front of the bike it needs to be? My bike isn't very far from the wall..

Time to setup the aero bike on the turbo to overcome the extra drag 😂

Great. This is going to be my hair dryer.

Remote control of the manual mode or not?

Out of curiosity do you find two works better than one?

Kicker tailwind 2020

Dude, too many videos all at once! Leave something for tomorrow. I need to sleep now!

This video blows.... OMG Shane blowing leaves. 😂🤣

That's awesome I've got perfect excuse to buy this, jus tell the other half it's a leaf blower

Given how powerful the fan is does it come with a remote don’t fancy getting off in the middle of a zwift race to adjust it

Expensive but not as bad as a dyson! I’m not sure I like the idea of it slowing down up Zwift mountain?

the price is truly ridiculous

Have they said when this (overpriced) fan enters the market to see how many of us fold and buy one as it looks cool #punintended #dadjokes

Lake Wendouree !

FANS

Nerdgasm!

lol that was great :-)

Right, I KNEW IT! Shane Miller is really Julius Sumner Miller!!!! Nice beachball demo, but not so fast Herr Doctor. Wahoo have used an overpriced squirrel-cage fan and they are good for producing positive air pressure, a standard axial fan produces air volume. The beachball demo essentially demonstrates different air pressures so the Wahoo fan was always going to have a head start there. Julius Sumner Miller should consult Shane Miller, The Lama is an IT wizz and knows it's pointless to try to duct shitty axial fan to cool over-clocked uP's etc as they won't work against the ducting back pressure and a centrifugal/squirrel cage is what's ya need ... and lots of blue LEDs, of course. Personally with summer on the way I'm going to order one of these puppies from Sydney tools sydneytools.com.au/bayer-bfh1200-1200w-155mm-dryer-fan $150 on my door, 1100W of 300 cfm goodness, and I'll spend Chip' Hawkins' share of his super-yacht on cheap wine and hookers! ... no disrespect to hookers!