Turbo trainer bandwagon

[Dan Ferris]

Good morning everyone,

I have read a number of forum posts but i was hoping someone could help me with a couple of questions that i have as i think about my first turbo trainer. This is what i currently have:

An old road bike which is in reasonable working order. It has an old 10 speed tiagra groupset
A large space in the summer house which includes power and Wi-Fi. It also has bi-fold doors so at this time of the year cooling is not a challenge.
A large screen TV with HDMI output
An old Chromebook

This is what I would like:

A turbo trainer that i can operate Zwift on
A turbo trainer that simulates inclines, declines and possibly (although not mandatory) cobbles etc (unless that is all part of the resistance)
Quiet'ish although as its in the summer house i will not be waking anybody up if i am using it once children are in bed
I'm not sure on the terminology but if i can source one that i connect a cassette to rather than an actual wheel (i may not have explained that correctly)
Finally, given the fact the demand far outweighs the supply at the moment is there a specific model i should look for second hand

I'm sure most of these have been asked before but i need a solid sales pitch ;-) before i start looking around.

As always, thank you in advance for your help.

Thanks
Dan

 

[fossyant]

none do cobbles. What's the budget for a turbo ? You'll also need Speed/cadence sensors (about £30), a USB Ant+ dongle and extension lead (about £20). You will need a fan - I even use one in a cold garage. I'm not sure Zwift will work on an old chromebook though.

You are ideally looking at Apple TV, laptop, or PC, Ipad. If you have a new-ish Android phone you can run the full Zwift app on that and project to TV (assuming Smart TV)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

You also need a certain mindset, some people thrive & enjoy them, personally I think they are the worst experience possible.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Why Zwift?
There are other training programmes out there.

 

[DCLane]

If you want simulated climbs, with the bike pointing up, the it'll be a Wahoo Kickr plus the Kickr Climb. Good luck finding one. It'll cost you as well. Expect to pay around £1500 for a full set-up.

If you just want to feel the gradient then a direct drive smart turbo is fine. Again there's a shortage but you should be able to find one.

We've just a basic Elite Zumo, which is at the bottom end price-wise, but it works fine for Zwift, Rouvy etc. It cost £430 in March last year.

 

[Mines_a_pint]

I bought one of these in March https://www.halfords.com/cycling/tu...rs/elite-novo-smart-turbo-trainer-461874.html
it comes with a free app that you use on phone iPad etc this connects to the trainer, you can then select a training program (they have different profiles for resistance and time) it can also connect to hr strap and cadence (I don’t have those) when in use the app adjust the resistance to the trainer according to the profile.
I don’t use any other apps as I’m not keen at looking at a screen when in use, I’d rather just listen to music. Obviously not as enjoyable as a ride out but useful when the weather is bad.

 

[Milkfloat]

If you can find one a Tacx Neo sounds perfect. You will get simulated inclines (as in the resistance changes), simulated declines and simulated cobbles (I don't find this a huge benefit). They are direct drive and very quiet. Zwift will not run on a Chromebook, so use your phone or a tablet or notebook and connect to the Neo via Bluetooth, you can also connect to your TV for a big display. This should meet all your needs. If you are willing to sacrifice the road feel (cobbles) then the majority of direct drive trainers will meet your needs.

Be warned - Garmin (Tacx) are out of stock for the Neo and indeed pretty much all trainers. You cannot even order them directly though them until later this quarter. I get a hefty discount and so over the last 9 months have purchased quite a few for my friends/family some arrived quickly, but some had an almost 6 week wait. The fact that you cannot even backorder at the moment shows how long the wait will be. If you can find one, buy it, personally I would not look at second hand as you may well need the warranty.

 

[Specialeyes]

Just jumping in to say that the Tacx Neo does do cobbles, and gravel and wooden boards too. I switched from an Wahoo Kickr, which Mrs Spesh now uses, to a Neo 2 in October 2020. The road feel function is rather fun, as the surfaces change in Zwift. The cobbles between the Italian Village and the forward sprint are the 'cobbliest' of the lot!

Ooh Dan - I've just noticed it's you - will PM in a sec!

 

[mattobrien]

Another thumbs up for the Neo.

It appears wiggle have stick of the Neo 2, but not Neo 2T which is the latest version.

Mrs O uses a Neo 1 and I have a 2T, so I wouldn’t discount a 2 If that’s all that is available.

 

[Colin Grigson]

Thumbs up for the Tacx Neo 2T as well .... simulates gradients both ways, ’road feel’ so cobbles, decking and so on. It sets resistance too for HIIT based on your FTP watts. I’m not great with tech but I managed to link my Neo to my iPad and onwards to a smart tv for Zwift sessions ... and I love doing it - when it’s -7’ outside and icy it’s much safer/warmer/more fun ... . Not cheap but decent gear seldom is.

 

[Legs]

Another thumbs-up for the Neo 2T here. As Colin says, it's not cheap, but it's an awesome bit of kit. Very hard to get hold of one at the moment. I shelled out £1200 for mine in November; Chain Reaction allegedly had them discounted to £900 for Black Friday but were immediately out of stock.

Neos record a fair bit lower than other systems; my brother's compared his Neo 1 with his Stages cranks and it consistently reads ~10W lower, and Wahoo KickRs have a reputation for over-recording.