Wahoo buys RGT Cycling virtual training platform... and lays off 50 staff

Wahoo has defended the decision to lay off 50 staff, news which broke as the brand announced the acquisition of virtual cycling platform RGT Cycling.

The launch of the Wahoo X subscription service will give users access to all training content in the Wahoo SYSTM and RGT's virtual cycling routes under a single login.

However, the announcement came as news circulated of around 50 redundancies at the company, something Wahoo said was part of "strategic changes".

"The strategic changes were made to support the growth and development of Wahoo," the brand told road.cc.

"We didn’t take these decisions lightly, but made them to ensure Wahoo can maintain focus on new innovative products and services. The needs of our athletes are evolving and our approach to providing solutions needs to do the same.

"We greatly value the contributions of our talented colleagues and are committed to supporting impacted team members in their transitions."

A source told road.cc that employees have been laid off across all departments, including device, firmware and Wahoo SYSTM, and were notified last Thursday.

Wahoo had ramped up its employee numbers over the past few years, in part fuelled by the surge in demand for online training equipment during Covid lockdowns, but now cites "strategic changes" necessary to continue its "growth and development".

What's changed?

Wahoo is launching a new premium subscription service — Wahoo X, which will give subscribers access to both Wahoo SYSTM and Wahoo RGT (formerly RGT Cycling) under a single login, and for the same price ($14.99/£11.95 a month or $129/£103 a year) as the previous standalone SYSTM subscription.

Current subscribers of either Wahoo SYTSM or RGT Cycling will be moved across at no additional charge.

Wahoo has celebrated the acquisition and says adding to its portfolio of performance software will give athletes "unparalleled choice in how they train".

Wahoo X subscribers will have access to RGT's virtual cycling platform, including routes on real life roads and parcours made famous by professional races, such as the Tour of Flanders.

The platform also has a Magic Roads feature which allows users to upload their own GPX file from any route in the world and let RGT build an accurate virtual version.

"The acquisition of RGT Cycling and the launch of the new Wahoo X subscription service gives athletes more options, more convenience, and more control over how they train," said Mike Saturnia, CEO of Wahoo.

"With a single subscription and one account that works across the entire suite of Wahoo products, we're able to deliver unprecedented value and a best-in-class experience that seamlessly integrates the Wahoo ecosystem of hardware and software solutions, allowing athletes to get the most out of their training, whether indoors or outdoors.

"And while the benefits are best realised through the Wahoo ecosystem, we're committed to ensuring that our expanded offering of comprehensive training and virtual cycling software remains open and compatible with key industry players and standards. Athlete choice and freedom will continue to be at the heart of everything we do at Wahoo."

In 2019, Wahoo acquired The Sufferfest indoor training platform (last year rebranded to Wahoo SYSTM) to offer users personalised workouts paired with customisable training plans. RGT Cycling's virtual training platform has now been added to the package, under the new Wahoo X banner.