Hi All,
My man cave or office as the other half insists on calling it has been built and I'm looking for a smart turbo trainer which will work with Zwift for over the winter. Smart trainers seem to go from about £200 to over £1000.
Anyone have a recommendation? I don't want a piece of junk, but equally I don't really want to pay £1k.
Cheers...
FT
Comments
I don't have one but the Tacx Flow is going at Halfords for £189 at the minute plus if your a member of british cycling? You'll get further 10%
Am sure there are plenty of reviews of it out there
you need one with full ANT+ FE-C support, as that is essential for most software.... and ideally a trainer that operates on both ANT+ and bluetooth.
If you want to ride decent slopes, above about 8%, then a wheel off trainer is a much better option, as the wheel on versions can start getting a little slippy or inconsistent...
Personally, I've just bought a Tacx Neo, which wasn't cheap, replacing a Bushido, as I got fed up of it feeling 'wrong' when I rode VR climbs with steep sctions, plus, the version of Bushido I had wouldn't work with Zwift, which I'll get when they release the ipad version out of beta (not buying a new laptop just for Zwift!).. however, I hear great things about the new Tacx model one down, and of course, the Wahoo Kickr is supposed to be excellent.
FWIW, I don't think you'd go far wrong with any decent ANT+ FE-C trainer.... but here's DCR's indepth review
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/10/annual-winter-2016-2017-bike-smart-trainer-recommendations.html
+1 for Tacx Neo. Pricey yes, but worth it? Absolutely.
I used to have a bog standard turbo trainer and it was never something that I looked forward to using. Even using Sufferfest etc. it was quite boring and more of a chore than a pleasure. Since getting a smart trainer though, and in particular using it with Zwift, I find that I am getting so much more out of turbo sessions, both in terms of enjoyment and development.
IMO, there is ‘price’ and there is ‘value’. The initial outlay for the Neo was high, but given how often I have used it so far, and how often I am likely to use it throughout winter, it actually represents superb value for money.
Used Zwift for the first time this afternoon... it is FANTASTIC!
Can't believe I've left it so long to try it... can see myself being a very regular user...
Just did 1/2hr to test out a recovering leg, and it went in the blink of an eye... and made me work much harder than I would have done on a normal turbo session!
hrrm. Based on this I might have to give Zwift another go. I haven't used it since the beta, where it was just going round and round in circles on the island. I prefer being able to follow a trianing plan so stayed with TrainerRoad instead.
There are training plans on zwift, I really like it although it takes some discipline to not chase after people