Kettler Racer 9 Training Bike with World Tours 2.0

The Kettler Racer 9 indoor training bike, complete with World Tours 2.0, is a new bike for 2015. We've taken the opportunity to test one out and were very impressed to say the least.

As a bike it's aimed at outdoor cyclists who want to move some of their training indoors. This isn't the first time that this been done of course and there are a number of other bikes on the market with this objective. What makes the Racer 9 a bit different is that it includes a few trick features that other bikes can only dream of. More of this later - for now let's look at what you get for your money and what features make this bike a real contender.

In the box you get the Racer 9 bike and the World Tours 2.0 software. The bike itself is very impressive in its' own right but coupled with the World Tours software it makes for an unbeatable package for the price.

Let's take a look at the Racer 9 as a stand alone bike. Apart from looking great it's also a joy to ride - this is due to a number of factors which include:

- Adjustability of the seat; handlebars and console mean that you can closely replicate your cycling position on your road bike. The seat and handlebars adjust up/down and fore/aft which means that it will fit riders of almost any size. You can also position the tri-bars during the setup of the bike so that you get the best position for your body shape. Finally, the
console angle adjusts so that you can see the console when cycling.

- Heavy flywheel; belt drive and magnetic braking give a quiet, smooth ride with a good range of resistance that will simulate the steepest of hillclimbs

- Electronic Campagnolo gear shifters that enable quick and responsive gear changes. This is one of the unique features of the Racer 9 bike - the shifters are positioned at the end of the tri-bars with the left hand controlling the front two "chain rings" and the right hand controlling the rear 10 gears.

- The Racer 9 has a console as standard that shows speed; distance; time; cadence; Watts and heart rate (when used with the supplied Heart Rate chest belt). This is an instantaneous readout that shows your performance at that point in time

- SPD pedals are supplied with the bike so you can use your standard cycling shoes. If you don't have cycling shoes then don't worry - you can flip the pedals over and wear training shoes instead

In summary it's the ideal bike for anyone who's used to outdoor cycling on their road bike. It's probably not the bike for you if you're looking for a spinning bike but then again you do have a wide variety of other bikes to choose from.

So, the Kettler Racer 9 is a great bike but what about World Tours 2.0? How does this work with the bike? This is the subject of the next blog entry.....