Hello Newbie here, I was looking for advice on a setup for a beginner who has never used zift (or any.other bike app).
First off, I’m trying to decide if buying a smart bike or a smart trainer and connecting my mountain bike would be the best start?
Halfords do an Elite direct drive smart trainer under £300, would this be a good entry point?
Second thing is the front, should I buy the rest for the front wheel? Fans and mats seem to be popular on YouTube videos, another starting addition to the setup?
Lastly, the Elite direct drive I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t change resistance, should I opt for a bit more expensive to include resistance?
Any suggestions on sub £400 make/model would be ideal. I figured ask the pro’s before running off and buying the equipment.
hi the elite drive is a good starting point ifyou have a limited budget , ifyou can go for a direct drive ie connect the back the bike to the trainer direct , this will make for more accurate readings when training and you will get a better resistance when the road tilts upwards. The Tacx flux is going for about the same price at the moment also i do not use a front wheel block at all as not needed on the direct drive trainers, as to the mat depends where you set up is i use one to dampen the noise somewhat other than that it is used to absorb the sweat and liquuid spilled during the rides
Definitely go for a direct drive controllable trainer if you can stretch to it. If you enjoy Zwift you will eventually want one anyway so save yourself the hassle (and money) by making the right decision now. The mat is a must if you sweat a lot and/or you want to reduce the noice level a little.
I would definitely recommend that you get a controllable trainer, it will transform the way Zwift feels. you can get a good as new one on eBay for less than £200. But I would concur with George that a direct drive trainer will give the very best experience. Look at the reviews on line from Shane Miller (GPLama on youtube) and others before deciding which one. The tyre driven trainers need to be calibrated and that can be difficult to get right at first. The main difference between the entry level ones and the best (Tacx Neo and Wahoo Kickr usually share that accolade) is the maximum gradient that they support. Some come with wheel rests because the rear end is higher than the front otherwise. Some have cassettes, some have in built cadence sensors. I couldn’t ride without a fan, but some people can. Same with a big screen. I would say have a look at as many on line reviews as you can, then decide Get the trainer and start using it with your mountain bike. Go from there to see how much you enjoy it and see what else you need to add to make the experience right for you.
Thanks all, I’ll defo go for direct drive smart trainer and I’ll try to get one of the models mentioned.
The below Elite Turbo Muin B+ is more affordable than the Zumo, does it look like a good option? I’ve found a second hand one for £150. Is there a reason I should avoid this model?
Check out DC Rainmaker’s website and annual winter review posts or GP Lama’s website for detailed analysis of which smart trainers are good at different price points.
The Elite Muin is not really a smart trainer, it will not be controllable by Zwift, so as the terrain changes you will not feel any difference. This is basically just a fluid (dumb) trainer that hooks up directly to your drive chain so you don’t need a speed and cadence sensor. This was released back in 2013, so the technology is pretty old.
