The Turbo Trainer Doctor

08/12/2025

Prior repair attempt. It's not usually hard to spot. Between this, and incorrect components used, this board was never going to work.
I've seen a few of these recently, some from professional electronics repair companies. Choose your repair person carefully.

29/11/2025

Feels a bit rough under power.....
Yep, I see that. Freehub bearings have left the chat.

28/10/2025

End of an era. On the right, the last GEM2 module I have in stock. Sadly, the manufacturer, north pole engineering, have taken the decision to increase the minimum order quantity to 100, which makes it well beyond what I can reasonably hold in stock.

Pinout of the gem2 module is custom, so there is no plug and play solution for wahoo kickr repair.

However, every challenge is an opportunity (I guess!). On the left are some alternatives I'm testing. The internals are the same nrf52832 we all love. Pinouts are different. I've designed up some adaptor boards, which should convert the new boards to the gem2 pinout, ready to add to the wahoo kickr mainboard. The bonus is I hope to be able to address the Bluetooth signal range which can be problematic. External antennas can be used with some of these, which should improve connection quality significantly.

27/10/2025

Well, that's where the glitter is from!

27/10/2025

My kickr core is making a funny noise.....
Yup. It is. You've let the magic glitter out.

04/10/2025

So, how do I test issues with a board which only occur under power, or only after a period of riding.
Well obviously I hop on a bike and whizz up the alpe.......
Ok, not entirely true. Here's my test rig. It is rough and ready, as honestly, I know these boards well enough that I can usually work out where to go based on symptoms described, so it doesn't warrant putting lots of time into a beautiful rig.
Side note, my pillar drill puts out a fairly consistent 300w. It's FTP hasn't improved for some time though. I'll have a word!!

24/09/2025

I get asked all the time the difference between the neo models. Well, someone just asked me by messenger, and I wrote a long reply. Seemed a shame not to share.
Here's my 300 word neo buyers guide!

The myth is that the originals are best. Thats true to an extent. I would look at whether the upgrades are worth it to you. Often they aren't, and you can save yourself some money.

OG. Lovely piece of equipment. Main downsides are, no cadence sensor, and poor thru axle support .
It works out cadence based on power spikes. Takes a few seconds to respond to big changes in cadence.

Neo 2. Adds a capacitive (proper) cadence sensor. Whizzy blue accents and a number 2 on the side.

Neo 2t. Max power is increased, and thru axle support is much better. You get glossy black stripes on one leg, which is very cool. Eliminates a problem with "virtual tyre slip". In short, if you smash a massive lump of power into the cranks instantly, it can slip for a split second. It's made to be a big issue, and depending on your style it *can* be. If you're a grinder, and want to go from standstill to 800w, grab a 2t. If you're a spinner, and are fairly smooth in your style, it's not a problem for you.
Bearing sizes are different to the OG and 2, and are more robust.

That's it. Choice is yours!

04/02/2025

Corrosion issues. I'm seeing more and more capacitors failing and leaking corrosive electrolytes on the board. A good clean revived this one, however this via looked a bit ropey. Of course the simple answer is pack it up and send it on its way, but how long will it work for?
Yhe quality solution is to install a wire jumper through the via.
Strand of my hair for scale. It's a bit fiddly!

06/12/2024

06/12/2024

"Neos are maintenance free". I see this on the internet quite a lot, and generally keep quiet, as clearly I have a biased opinion. However, let me say a few words, with the above caveat very clear!
Turbos are a mechanical item. Like anything they wear and need maintenance. Some is easy, keeping it clean, lubing your freehub periodically, not spraying your bike chain with l**e while on the turbo. Some is a bit more involved. Bearing replacement, both freehub and flywheel. On other brands, belt replacement and resistance unit maintenance.
Like everything, there's lots of opinions. The "run it til it breaks" group aren't wrong, but I bet you don't apply the same mindset to your bike, or car? I much prefer treating your trainer as a part of your bike. After all, it kind of is! Periodic maintenance saves big and costly problems.
This neo is a prime example. Run til it broke, and it's now a bigger and more costly job than it could have been.

As always, I don't judge, I fix.

16/11/2024

Ok, so I get questions occasionally about board diagnosis. Interestingly, the board has a relatively decent level of self test, and we can infer further stuff from it. Prerequisites to know
1) the neo uses one processor, plus a Bluetooth Comms chip. Each tests individually
2) the neo knows when it's input voltage is squiffy
3) the LEDs are powered separately. This is helpful. Bluetooth and ant+ LEDs are controlled directly by the Bluetooth chip. Power led is a function of the main processor.

So, what does a normal boot up look like. Annoyingly, it depends, a bit.

Og neos have this nice light display. If you don't see it, something is wrong. The video shows the power led flashing after boot up. This indicates the neo has identified a problem with itself. The flashing Bluetooth and ant+ LEDs indicate the Bluetooth chip is booting successfully. The flashing led next to the main processor indicates it has also booted and is executing code.

Neo 2ts and some neos do as per video 2. No flashy lights on the ant+ and Bluetooth, but they go off, then come on again .if your lights lock on immediately, suspect problems.

15/11/2024

Rare that I post non turbo related news, but when you've seen scouting for girls singing "Michaela Strachan" with Michaela Strachan in the audience I'll make an exception.