Wattbike Atoms have, worryingly, become an integral part of my existence. In fact, at last count I’ve spent a total of 39 days, two hours and 16 minutes sat astride one. Dedicated or doolally. You decide.
So what is it about the Wattbike Atom that so clearly rings my bell? Through its three iterations – the third of which is on test here – Wattbike has fine-tuned what already started out as a premium quality product. The first Wattbike I tested, and later went on to buy, was released in 2017. At this time my daughters were young and my wife was working shifts, so I had very little time to venture out onto the open road. After working my way through a series of (comparatively) sub-standard smart trainers (the selection was admittedly sparse eight years ago) I was fortunate enough to find the Atom in my crosshairs and the world suddenly became a better place. Pedalling was fluid, transitions were smooth, it provided a steady platform to wind up big watts and the sound never – I know this because I asked her – never penetrated the adjoining wall to my next door neighbour’s living room. “No,” she said, “I’ll occasionally hear an anguished howl, but there’s no mechanical drone disturbing my evening soaps”. To be slightly more scientific about the matter, the first Wattbike emitted some 70 decibels at 200 watts – similar to that of a washing machine and this has remained more or less a constant through each of the three additions.
All of the big boxes, then, were ticked off – the first version of the Atom it seemed, was although significantly dearer than a garden variety turbo trainer, the holy grail of indoor training. And it went on to get better…
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If you’ve been paying attention to anything I’ve previously written you’ll be aware that I can shed a litre of sweat just by looking at a turbo. In fact, during a recent trip to Precision Fuel and Hydration’s Heat Chamber, I entered the Hall of Fame (shame?) as one of the sweatiest people to ever darken their door.
The first Atom, then, was flawed only in that it hadn’t been given the Shrubsall Sweat Test and after some six months of riding, sweat ingress had become an issue and the power inlet towards the back of the bike had also corroded.
The only gripe I had, which hung over from the first version, was that although gear transitions were smooth and more or less instantaneous, they didn’t come with the reassurance of a ‘click’. Would this be addressed in the new 2025 model?
The build
Well, no, not exactly, but there was a more tactile feel to the shifter – not quite a ‘click’ more of a recoil from a rubber button that’s similar in clarity to the Wahoo Kicker bike, but not quite as pronounced as the Zwift Ride. Zwift has also introduced an in-game ‘click’ which almost negates the need for this, but it would still be a welcome addition.
The facade of the bike is also slightly different with previous silver fairings being replaced with matt black, giving it a more premium look. ERG mode has also been enhanced to offer a clean transition when the bike is making the gear changes for you.
But for me, one of the biggest improvements here doesn’t come via its prowess underway – after all, that’s more or less been on the money since day dot. No, the new Atom’s key upgrade is the ease of adjustability. Gone are the days of rifling through your drawers for the correct Allen key to tweak geometry. Saddle height, reach and stack height are now a cinch to fine tune by way of ergonomic paddles – much like the Wahoo Kicker bike. The levers are chunky enough for good purchase but remain unobtrusive to the point of barely being visible when riding.
The saddle also gets an update but this is an item with often very personal preference so it’s easy to swap out for your own perch. Unlike the Wahoo Kicker bike which offers up a choice of crank lengths, the Atom’s remains fixed at 170mm which for me has always been perfect and is generally considered optimum for producing power.
The ride
The Atom offers feedback aplenty within Wattbike’s in-house app. Pedalling dynamics and power data combine to help you become more efficient at varying cadences and wattages – a great way to save power and identity weakness. My right leg, as I’ve always suspected, indeed something that was recently highlighted in a DEXA Scan, tends to do a lot more work than the left – something that was quickly picked up on by the software.
On planet Zwift – where I put most turbos stupid enough to enter my pain cave through their paces – I was firstly mindful that the new Atom tops out at 2,500 watts. My name’s not Matt Richardson and I’d be lucky to trouble half of that figure, but it’s testament to the solid structure of the bike that it can withstand such punishment and not leap frog through the shed wall and halfway up the garden.I managed a lung-throbbing 1,300 watts and the bike – which weighs in at 45kg, a kilogram heavier than previous iterations – stayed rooted to my shed floor.
The best way to test the real ride feel of a turbo trainer, in my experience, comes via the cut and thrust of a Zwift race. Numerous gear changes, surges, following attacks, sprinting and drafting would all have to be played out on Zwift’s virtual roads. As usual I cannot fault the experience. Gear changes are quicker than a mechanical transition, pedalling is incredibly fluid in drafting situations when soft watts are required, and it doesn’t take long to scroll through the gears to launch an attack.
For me it’s this ride feel and simulation that sets the Atom apart from the competition – a secret sauce that Wattbike has built its name on. Yes, you pay a premium for the name, and for the fact that it’s a standalone trainer. Indeed at £2,499 this isn’t the sort of purchase that comes without serious thought. But this is the sort of machine that, if properly maintained, cleaned and sanitised, will provide you with many thousands of miles of sweaty indoor cycling.
(Image credit: Future)
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