The next generation Wattbike Atom smart trainer will power up your Zwift experience

Despite the original Wattbike Atom still being one of the best exercise bikes and smart turbo trainers on the market, this hasn’t stopped Wattbike from revamping its most popular product for 2020. Apart from technological advancements in the industry since 2017 – when the Atom was first released – there is also more competition in the market too, not to mention the surge in interest in cycling since the lockdown started.

• Pre-register your interest for the next-gen Wattbike Atom here (on sale from 1 July)

According to Wattbike, the next-generation Atom will "incorporate a wider resistance range, faster reactions to third-party apps such as Zwift and crisper gear changes, while updated electronics increase data-sampling precision." Better still, the new Atom will only be a little bit more expensive than the current iteration.

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Next-gen Wattbike Atom: what's new?

The new Wattbike Atom uses a "custom-made" electromagnetic resistance system: instead of using motors to move the magnets up and down, the new system "changes the current to the magnet to change braking force instantly, meaning not only does the bike react faster to gradients in third-party apps such as Zwift and The Sufferfest, but its own gear changes are crisper and faster". In addition, maximum resistance is increased to 2500 watts at 130rpm. The original Wattbike Atom's maximum resistance was capped at 2000 watts, for comparison.

Wattbike has also added a cadence sensor to the flywheel and a new crank angle sensor that will allow better accuracy for simulated gradients in Zwift. The new crank angle sensor reads 48 times per revolution, compared with the two per revolution of the original Atom, enabling the bike to make faster decisions, adjusting the resistance system without having to wait for either a half or full turn of the pedals.

Unfortunately, the new Atom still doesn't come with a screen, unlike rival indoor bike offering Peloton that has a 22" HD touchscreen included in the price. Having said that, the Wattbike Atom's main USP has always been the ability to recreate a carbon-copy of your outdoor cycling experience by adjusting every little bit of the bike and the new version offers even more options to do just that.

Another notable competition for the new Atom is the Wahoo Kickr Bike which offers similar – if not more – customisation options for serious cyclists. The Wahoo Kickr Bike only just became available to purchase in March for customers in the UK but unfortunately shipment of the bike has been pushed back due to COVID-19. For the extra £1,100 (!) you have to pay for the Kickr Bike, you'll get virtually silent operation, a little digital LED display that indicates gear selection and real-time physical grade changes from -15 to +20%, among other pro features.

Wattbike Atom 2.0 price and release date

The next generation Wattbike Atom will retail at £1,899.99 and is available for sale from 1st July 2020. Pre-register your interest and find out more about payment options here.