First turbo trainer advice

[figbat]

I have previously eschewed turbo trainers in favour of real riding on the basis that on a turbo I get bored. However recently I am revisiting this view, what with things like Zwift, BKool etc to add interest and with less time available for me to get out due to work and home situations. I am now thinking about the realities and practicalities of turbo training and seeking input.

First things first - money isn't really an obstacle - I have access to an allowance that could buy any of the smart trainers (ones that need a bike adding anyway). But I am reluctant to blow this allowance on the most expensive one just because it is expensive. I am slightly invested in the Wahoo universe, with an ELEMNT Bolt and a general liking for the Wahoo experience, but this doesn't have to be a deciding factor. I would probably use it in my garage where I have power, light and some space, but no heating as such (other than the boiler and hot water tank for the house, which does tend to keep the space warmer than ambient). I would definitely want to engage an online training app or program to add interest and targets, but I would probably not go for a full-on 'training' program, it would be more like an arcade game for me to keep me going.

One worry is that I would buy it, use it a few times then abandon it. I guess it would have some future value should that happen, but I'm keen to try and avoid that so I want something that gives me the incentive to keep coming back to it, rather than being a chore that I feel obliged to complete. I have no problems with motivation for riding outside, any weather, any time of day or night, but this takes me away from home for long periods of time which isn't ideal or sometimes isn't possible (for example if my wife is out for the day or night then I can't go for a ride as I have to look after the kids - but I could use a turbo).

So, with the context set, any thoughts, advice, experience? Let's say I am looking at the Wahoo KICKR or KICKR Core as a straw man proposal. If I was to buy, is it now in the pre-Christmas sales, or wait until the Boxing or New Year sales?

 

[HLaB]

I used to hate the turbore with a vengeance, until I got a direct drive one and power (virtual at first, power meter now) and later a smart turbo (I went with the Suito, probably not the best/smoothest but one of the most compact. If space/money was no object for me I'd probably look at the Taxc Neo 2 for its ability to simulate downhills and surfaces (cobbles, tarmac, etc).

I like Trainer Road for serious workouts leading to a targeted event (it doesn't really feel a chore when you have a target) and RGT Cycling for virtual reality (A bit like Zwift but cheaper and more real).

 

[fossyant]

If you want cheap and reliable and does the job, Tacx T2240, £200 ish. Otherwise plump for what you fancy. Direct drive are smoother.

 

[CXRAndy]

If you want Wahoo then Kickr is direct drive. . the core is just slightly less in specifications.

Real video rides are Bigringvr or RGT.

Virtual world, lots of social interactions, training plans, racing Zwift

Dedicated training Trainer road

 

[JtB]

The thing I’ve learnt about indoor cycling is that it’s all about ‘Motivation’. For me I like to get my head down during a session so watching Zwift etc. on a screen is not really for me. The things that motivate me are a trainer that provides a smooth, quiet and realistic experience, a pleasant environment, good music, structured sessions and a record of the sessions.

I used to use a turbo trainer during the winter, and while the weather was bad I was really grateful to be able to cycle indoors. But on those days when the weather was good I longed to be outdoors cycling, but that wasn’t possible with the bike locked into the turbo trainer. In the end I got a dedicated indoor bike trainer which allowed me to free up my bike for outdoor cycling weather permitting.

My indoor bike trainer is able to recreate my bike’s the geometry, it provides a very realistic experience, it analyses my performance and it also records my sessions (including connecting to Strava). It would also connect to Zwift etc. if I wanted, but I choose instead to structure my sessions around videos download from YouTube (of which there are many).

 

[figbat]

Perhaps I should have mentioned I have a bike in mind to go on the turbo - my 'best' road bike would go on it as it doesn't get used in the winter anyway, so may as well store it (and use it) on the turbo rather than on a rack in the garage. I could probably also rustle up a spare cassette in case I need one (I believe the KICKR Core comes without and the KICKER is 11-speed whereas my bike is 2x10).

 

[HLaB]

If you're anywhere near any of their stores @figbat I see Rutland Cycles are going to have a Turbo demo day.
View: https://www.facebook.com/23264335824/posts/4948978671778804/

 

[Ridgeway]

Convenience i found is key in terms of actually using any training set up once the novelty has worn off, which it seems to do pretty quickly (even for the most motivated of us).

I've changed my set up a few times and have experienced many start up issues with bluetooth not connecting, sensors not connecting etc etc as well as issues with apps also, all very frustrating when you're "ready to ride". I've now kept my system very simple and reliable and very quick to start up on, like this i'm more likely to get my f@t arse on that bike

 

[fair weather cyclist]

I bought a turbo trainer this summer and I use it all the time.

Trainer road for structured serious workouts and zwift when I have Z1-2 rides on my training plan.

One big difference is how boring indoor training is. While I enjoy riding outdoors for 3 hours and more, on the turbo after 1 hour I'm bored as hell and need to stop.

So yeah, it can be a good investment as long as you're ready to change your training style.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Do you have good Wi-Fi connectivity in the garage?
Do you have a tablet you can mount on your handlebars?
Do you have a Bluetooth or dual Bluetooth/ Ant+ HR chest strap?
Will you be able to leave the turbo permanently setup?

As for no heating in garage. That is perfect. You get really hot on a turbo as there is no airflow to cool you. That makes is perfect to use turbo when it’s too icy to be riding outside.

As for which turbo. As long as it is Bluetooth Smart it’ll connect to any one of the online offerings. Many of the online ones offer a free trial of a month or so. To see if their offering is for you.

I have a Tacx Bushido which has no need of an external power supply. Perfect for me as I use it on the patio and don’t want power cables to trip over.

 

[amasidlover]

I've been through 3x Tacx 2240 - two replaced under warranty then sold the final one before using it, a bkool pro II, replaced under warranty and now use a Wahoo Kickr 2018.

I think the Tacx failed because I was using it several hours a week at a reasonably high power (avg 250W) and that wasn't the intended use case.

The Bkool was fine on 'course simulation' where it just replicates the gradient of the course on Zwift, however, in 'Erg mode', where you're doing an interval session and Zwift tells the trainer to keep you at a specific power then the Bkool was horrible - compared to a known good power meter it was 10-20% wrong, but it would also ramp up the torque required if you momentarily slowed your pedaling; taking you repeatedly in to the 'erg spiral of death'.

The Wahoo has been a revelation; its been accurate to within 2% of both my old and new power meter and the erg mode is incredibly smooth - I never feel like I'm fighting the trainer to hit the correct power. It is frustrating that to get a trainer that has an adequate Erg mode and is accurate I've ended up paying 5 times the price of the Tacx and I do wonder why trainer control firmware is quite so hard to get right...

My conclusion would be that if you are a lighter rider on the lower power end of the spectrum doing a couple of group rides or races a week then the Tacx is a bargain. But if you're a more powerful rider and training several times a week in erg mode I would suggest going straight for one of the more premium options (Wahoo Kickr / Kickr Core, Tacx Neo or Hammer H3).

For what its worth the direct drive trainers particularly the Wahoo and the Neo are incredibly quiet compared to a wheel on trainer, but for me that wasn't an issue as my shed is fairly isolated from the rest of the house.

 

[Norry1]

I used to find turbo training really boring and only did it when I couldn't get outside. I then got into Sufferfest and later on Zwift and now I do a fair proportion of my riding indoors - nearly all on Zwift although I've done some RGT as well.

I had a very basic dumb turbo for quite a while which was fine as I had power pedals which worked with the apps I used. I finally took the plunge and bought a Tacx NEO 2T which is a full on smart wheel-off turbo.

Both set-ups (dumb and smart wheel-off) work fine depending what you are after. The more important factor is to find an app or other that engages you.

 

[newts]

I had a tacx flow wheel on for a couple of years, it worked fine. Sold it for close to its purchase price on marketplace. I moved to a Kickr & find it much smoother, also folds up neatly when not is use. Secondhand value is still quite strong for smart trainers.

 

[fossyant]

Not touched Zwift for nearly 12 months as I've been riding outside. That said, one of my road bikes sits in the turbo (roller released) for storage and readyness to go. As others have said, faffing causes the issues - I've got a small PC set up with Zwift, so switch on and go. If bored, I have a second screen to do some Netflix or music (although screen isn't connected to the machine at present).

Also road bike can be unclipped and off I go on it 'outside' - I don't use a turbo tyre - just ensure you aren't putting too much pressure through the tyre, but enough for grip. That's the only advantage of a wheel 'on' turbo.

 

[figbat]

Do you have good Wi-Fi connectivity in the garage?
Do you have a tablet you can mount on your handlebars?
Do you have a Bluetooth or dual Bluetooth/ Ant+ HR chest strap?
Will you be able to leave the turbo permanently setup?

Yes.
Yes (I can nick a music stand from the kids).
Yes (used with the ELEMNT Bolt).
Yes (with a bit of moving stuff about).

We also have a room fan that I thought might be useful?