Which trainer for a budget of around £250 - £400 ?

[Maylian]

So....like many others here with the dark mornings and nights my daily miles have taken a nose dive. Several colleagues and friends have got turbos to use with Bkool or Zwift and I'd like to join them.

The problem is which one, my friends have Bkool Classics or Tacx Vortex Smart, both seem rather loud. Not a problem for them, however I live in a first floor apartment block so need it to be as quiet as possible and still reasonably affordable. I have a garage, but it is too far away to allow me to connect and has no power, so was going to try and use the turbo on my balcony.

So far I've seen a few, but would appreciate anyones feedback on some way of getting the "best" out of both worlds.

Elite Volano Fluid Direct Drive Turbo Trainer - took my eye and something around the 250-400 (very top) budget would be ideal.

 

[HLaB]

The elite turbo muin, also a direct drive is very quiet, it has virtual power but is so heavily damped you'd want to get the Real Turbo Muin which has variable resistance if you want to use it on Swift/Bkool. Which unfortunately costs a bit, the basic version is towards the lower end of your budget :-/

 

[RickB]

So....like many others here with the dark mornings and nights my daily miles have taken a nose dive. Several colleagues and friends have got turbos to use with Bkool or Zwift and I'd like to join them.

The problem is which one, my friends have Bkool Classics or Tacx Vortex Smart, both seem rather loud. Not a problem for them, however I live in a first floor apartment block so need it to be as quiet as possible and still reasonably affordable. I have a garage, but it is too far away to allow me to connect and has no power, so was going to try and use the turbo on my balcony.

So far I've seen a few, but would appreciate anyones feedback on some way of getting the "best" out of both worlds.

Elite Volano Fluid Direct Drive Turbo Trainer - took my eye and something around the 250-400 (very top) budget would be ideal.

That trainer isn't variable resistance via pc so won't give you the full bkool experience im afraid. Haven't used zwift which that trainer would likely be fine with but I have to say that the changing resistance is what makes it all come to life. For the money a bkool classic would be the best option for interactive cycling. The pro unit is quieter and can be had from sigmasport for 369 I think. I did have an elite realtour which works well on bkool but only generates hill up to 6% rather than bkools 10-11% depending on weight.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I'd use something like this ( if I was ever persuaded to go down the Turbo training route).

It won't put unusual loads on bits of the frame, that wouldn't normally be exerted on it. It is a bit noisy, but better for the bike.

 

[Cb300]

Bkool Pro is the best option ,I've looked into quiet turbos but will stick with my Pro as it works properly with Bkool and Zwift (resistance on hills) Yes it's a bit load when going 25/30 mph and over but the really quite ones are £1000 ish Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo you will have to spend that if you want a quiet one that works correctly with Bkool and Zwift. If you're not bothered about resistance then yes there are cheaper ones available that are a bit quieter than the Bkool Pro .

 

[Maylian]

I've plumped for the Elite Muin Direct Drive, should be arriving tomorrow so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully it will match my needs, otherwise may have to return it and try again