Hi,
I am brand new to cycling and have been given a road bike by a family member.
I am looking for a smart trainer to get setup on zwift as I have some friends who use it.
My budget is 400-450, can anyone make any recommendations for something suitable?
I want the trainer that directly connects to the bike, I understand my budget will probably be on the 2nd hand market.
The bike I have is a Giant, 10 speed shimano SGX 50F.
Not sure if there is anything else I need to tell you!
Many thanks
Check out zwiftinsider.com and their trainer reviews. For a direct drive smart trainer you will need to find one used or go for a wheel on trainer.
Check out the expert here too: The Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide: Winter 2019-2020 | DC Rainmaker
Since you are new to this you may be thinking that you need a smart trainer in order to Zwift. You don’t. Unless you really think you’ll be Zwifting a lot and possibly want to race I would recommend buying a classic trainer, like a used cyclops fluid trainer for $100 or so, add a speed sensor to your rear wheel (you can get a Magene sensor from Ali or maybe Amazon for $15-$25) and then you are good to go. Try the Zwift free trial to see if you like it and go from there. You can buy a wheel-on “smart” trainer where Zwift will control your trainer but these cost quite a bit more and a direct drive trainer is considerably more.
If in the US a brand new Saris M2 (wheel on) is $499. Check Craigslist for used Saris or Wahoo Kickr Snap. If in Austin I have a Snap or a H3 (no power supply) that I can sell you. For used DD the best I have seen is around $600 for Hammer 1 (Saris). Much like RV’s, the used market is currently inflated due to people staying at home.
I think Tacx (now Garmin) has a lower cost unit but the name escapes me. Seems like Elite are hard to come by.
In Europe/Rest of the World…I have no idea.