I just obtained a new Wahoo KICKR Core and have my older ten-speed Trek on it; it’s an indoor trainer bike, I don’t need to put anything fancy on it! That said, I did just get a quick tune-up and made sure everything was indexed. The cassette, which I believe is a Shimano CS-HG500, isn’t in particularly terrible shape either, though I had used it a bit before several trainers ago, and my bike tech told me that, aside from some stretching, the chain doesn’t appear to be on its last legs, either. The rear derailleur and jockey wheels are still good, and I did check the chain with both a tool as well as a ruler, in addition to looking for any stiff links.
Everything’s been set up and I’ve done seven rides, in addition to a spindown, however I’m noticing something when I’m on Zwift. When I’m not on Zwift, on a lower wattage in ERG or lower virtual gear, everything’s smooth as can be. It’s also smooth when I hit certain sweet spots with regards to a smooth, consistent cadence. However, the rest of the time I’ll feel a slight sensation every few seconds or so, whether I’m in ERG mode or not. The trainer itself isn’t making any noise outside of the very light sounds of the chain passing around the cassette. I also used the included spacer and I don’t believe there’s any wobbling or flexing of the cassette as well.
Thoughts on this? Is this a normal sensation as you’re shifting to higher gears or hitting higher watt targets? This is my first brand new trainer after buying secondhand for the past several years. Any other thoughts?