Best indoor bike with steering support

General Discussion
#1

I want to buy a high-end indoor bike compatible with zwift.
Steering simulation is important for me since besides doing exercise I want to have fun and, if available, play games.
I found in the zwift support pages that there are only 3 indoor bikes fully certified (no extra setup needed) with zwift. They are:

  • KICKR BIKE.
  • NEO Bike Smart.
  • Wattbike Atom.

Is correct that out of these only the “KICKR BIKE” provides out-of-the-box steering support ? (Meaning that they actually provide buttons for steering, even if they do not work yet with zwift).
That would be a pity since I was starting to like more the description of the “NEO Bike Smart”.

Another question is: if what I am interested in is steering and possibly VR, is now the right moment to buy ? I ask because I see that Eurobike 2020 was postponed to 2021 (COVID crisis) and I expect new models will be announced there, so maybe is better to wait few months ?

Thanks in advance for your feedback !

#2

Sergio,

You need to add the Stages SB20 to your list. Stages has already provided the necessary info to Zwift to implement steering using the two reserved buttons on SB20s.

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#3

Thanks David, I was comparing only the ones that say “zwift certified” in the zwift support pages (cannot include the link since forum rules forbid it).
I do not know why the stages is not “officially” certified since apparently it has everything required to work out-of-the-box with zwift. I will consider it in my comparison.

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#4

Sergio: Just don’t be disappointed if you don’t find much use for your bike’s steering buttons in Zwift, at least not anytime soon. The Sterzo steering device already implemented is only useful in fringe opportunities in Zwift: a few races, and the off-road path.

#5

From what I understand, you can use the Sterzo in free rides at any time.
The KICKR BIKE has been out for almost 18 months, and Zwift has not enabled the steering buttons. I would not hold my breath waiting for it to be implemented. Just like showing the gears on screen. Any Smart Bike has that ability, but Zwift has only enabled (allowed?) it on one of them, from what I have seen.

#6

How about buying a nice bike and a nice smart trainer, that way when the smart trainer gives up, you’ll still have a bike that works.

#7

Yes, but it’s worse than useless in free rides. If you want to get a draft or provide a draft, it won’t work well for long with the 99% of other riders who aren’t using steering; you’ll bump off constantly to the left or the right out of the draft. If you want to get out of the way of other riders, you’ll find that they swerve around you wildly for no reason. As in, riding in the far left of the lane, other riders in the normal lane on the right half of the right lane will swerve around you to the left, passing across the yellow divider into the lane for traffic going the other direction.