Hi, I know this question has been asked in the past but I really could do with feedback from owners of smart trainers.
I understand that all manufacturers can have faulty ones but some more than others, I am reluctant to spend £1000+ when I read scare stories of people that are on thier 3rd or more.
Am I being paranoid or should I just go for it, I was leaning towards the kickr but I am not sure now.
Advice would be most welcome
Regards Rob
Can I add one more to your list. Saris H3.
DcRainmaker has a lot of good things to say and he rated the H3 as the best when it comes to ERG mode.
I got one in the beginning of december and already done 22 hours on it and i am very happy.
Before the H3 I used a wheel on trainer with a Powertap G3 wheel, I can’t directly compare power differences between the powertap and the H3 but I can tell you my FTP stayed the same, not very scientific.
I do like the ERG mode for workouts, and the fact that it just feel so stable, I have a lot more confidence to get out of the saddle to sprint.
And it is cheaper than the other two you mentioned.
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I had to make the same decision about 5 months ago and I had no idea where to begin, so I just started reading the reviews.
I wanted a smart trainer that would give me as much realism as possible with the least amount of maintenance. I ended up with the Tacx NEO2 for those reasons…it gives you the most in incline and decline percentages (at the time I purchased) and required no regular calibration.
It only been a short time, but I think I made the right decision. Super easy setup, very quiet, and no issues so far.
Best of luck on your purchase, whichever you choose!
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I don’t think you can go wrong between any of the 3 trainers mentioned above. You might want to consider your geographical location as well, Tacx is made in Amsterdam I think, Wahoo and Saris are in the USA. I went with a Kickr Core due to budget and am very happy with it. No issues so far.
Also, I purchased mine from my local bike shop and they gave me a great deal, helped me set it up and troubleshoot. I know if I have any problems I can go to them and they will take care of me. This is why a relationship with your LBS is so important. You should also consider where you are purchasing your trainer from as an on-line dealer might not care if you have any issues once you have sent them your money.
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As @Gerrie_Delport says, have a read of DC Rainmaker’s guide - can’t go wrong with that
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No calibration was the final selling point for myself.
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Road feel was the thing I most wanted at the time so went with the original Neo, I like you was very cautious so bought from a place with good after sales, glad I did as the first one was faulty and returned it but its never missed a beat for the last couple of years after that. So a +1 for wiggle there from me.
I started with a Kickr Core and rode t for a few weeks. For me, I found it annoying that there seemed to be what I can only describe as a slight ‘lag’ in the belt between the cassette and the flywheel. It just always felt like it was slipping just a tiny bit. I returned it to my LBS and got a Tacx Neo 2, instead, and have loved all of the 10K miles I’ve put on it in the past year.
Got Kickr18 last autumn. First 600km or so no problems. Then clicking sound, drone sound & strong vibrations. After several weeks almost unusable - I was disappointed first, then annoyed, later pi**ed off … seriously. I was lucky to be able to return to seller and got full refund. I bought Neo2. Smooth as silk, silent and no calibration is a just bonus.
Still happy and never looked back. BTW - I still don’t use “Road feel” feature on Neo2 as those vibrations on cobblestones remind me those vibrations caused by faulty Kickr. Recently I sold Kickr Climb which I bought for Kickr and which is useless with Neo - of course, there was some financial loss (about 250 Eur loss).
GdF
I’m very happy with my Neo 2. I’ve had it over a year now.
Great not having to calibrate it. I did lose a few Watts compared to my power meter though. I’m still not 100% sure which is correct, but willing to accept the Neo could be.
I have the Neo, My brother has the Kickr. You cannot go wrong with either. Road feel and built in cadence on the Neo, but I think that doesn’t match the fact that the Kickr Climb can be used with the Kickr.
I have owned both. Kickr 17 and now Neo 2T. I have to say I think the 2T is the superior machine. No calibration is the big one. But for me it feels more like riding a bike outdoors than thr kickr. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the kickr (still do as still use it occasionally) but the 2T IMO is the better machine. However, I do think it is slightly harder to turn the pedals on a neo. Small difference but in ERG mode I find it slightly harder to maintain a high cadence.
Also for me, I did a vEveresting on the NEO in Dec. When I completed one rep on Alpe du Zwift on the Kickr at 100% difficulty, the kickr was red hot. 9 ascents on the NEO and it was cool as a cucumber.
The recent kickr issues put me off buying another one. I switched because I wanted a much quieter machine. The kickr 17 was loud.
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Thanks for the replies, I went for the Neo 2T.
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Congratulations Anthony.
Let us know how you get on with it, if you can.
“Ride On”
2 months use with no problems as such, unit creaks from the hinge points but an occasional squirt of silicone helps. Only thing I’m not overly happy with is it is to unstable out of the saddle.
Rob
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the hinge points of the folding arms or the pin where you mount your bike?
I thought so too at first, but I have really pushed it left to right in some of my failed races and it hasn’t broken yet, even with my heavier weight.
Folding arms creak but not much of an issue, I’ve not tried pushing it to much just in case.
Overall very happy with it
Rob
I asked because I also had a creaking sound occasionally coming from somewhere on the Tacx unit, but I finally found out that I really had to crank down on the quick release where the bike frame sits on the mounting pin…far harder than you do with a regular rear wheel. That stopped all the noise coming from the Tacx unit.
Cheers I’ll try that as well
Thanks for the update Anthony.