Need help deciding if a smart trainer is a good way to go

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Hi

So as things go to find I'm missing out on a lot of training and if I had the in door trainer I probably would do more training.

I've got a stages power meter and a standard old mag elite trainer with 5 resistance on it and I had a go at zwift and it seems fun to race against people but the speed doesn't seem to respond very quickly.

Also the turbo seems a bit like riding through syrup.

How much better is a full on smart turbo like the cycleops Magnus smart turbo trainer that would be able to simulate gradients ?

Would one of those trainers connect with my Surface Pro 4 as well ?

Any insight Into zwift and smart turbo a like the cycleops would be great thanks!
 

Tin Pot

Guru
I chose not to use Zwift and similar because little concerns about the game become more important than the training - see the other thread with a hundred and one reasons you can’t keep up in Zwift.

You’ve already shelled out for a power meter, I would find way to leverage that and save your money for something other than another trainer.
 

MiloSnowe

Active Member
I chose to Zwift. If you enjoy something you will try to do more of it. There’s your answer as to whether to Zwift to maintain your training or not.

I use Zwift and Bkool. I have a Bkool Pro which is probably one of the cheaper ways to get into smart trainers. Smart trainers connect to computers via an ant+ dongle. As long as you have a spare USB socket on your computer it should work.

Smart trainers make a huge difference over dumb trainers. You start up that steep gradient you feel it and change down the cassette just like real world, no syrup included. It’s very immersive you forget you are in a garage/dining room when you are chasing that guy/girl in front of you down.

Last year I started my winter turbo training in November. The turbo was the only place I could maintain a near max heart rate for 2hrs up a steep incline without any breaks. You just can’t do that on cold roads covered in mud and leaves. Once I got to spring I could feel the difference in my legs and felt stronger after the winter than the previous summer.

I don’t race on line or real world and I don’t follow structured training plans. I just ride for pleasure.
These are two massive areas of Zwift that I don’t use and I still enjoy it. If I added either of these then the potential to improve would be huge.

Be smart go smart
 

nickAKA

Über Member
Location
Manchester
I've not gone full 'smart' yet, but I bought an elite qubo digital smart plus using tesco clubcard boost vouchers at evans and installed the elite training app on my phone just cos you get 12 months free subscription with it (plus it works on android). There are videos available to ride that interact with the gradients on your route but the quality is very iffy, so I've taken to downloading gpx files off strava or making my own routes, and I find the simulations of my local hills are OK and add a bit of interest to the training at least. The qubo has a small flywheel which adds a bit of 'road realism' to counteract the resistance kicking in which I never got with the 'dumb' fluid trainer, so there's definite benefits to the upgrade in that respect.
As regards your surface pro I'd guess you'd be fine, I think zwift's specs are an i3 processor minimum / i5 recommended.
 
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