I want to buy a trainer but there are too many options.
Kicker core looks good but a bit wobbly. Flux 2 is good but doesnt have decent feature neo 2 looks to be best but price high so is it worth it?
Of the 4 top of the line smart trainers, you’re looking at retail of $1200 or more. You could get last year’s CycleOps Hammer for $1000 or a “scratched” model for $900. The others may be a little quieter but I doubt you’ll notice if you ride with music playing in the background. That’s also only $100-200 above the cost of the smart trainers that are one step/level down from the top. I love my Hammer H2 and I’m sure you would also like the others as well, each one has its positives & negatives.
Sorry I just noticed you’re from UK, not sure what the pricing is there since Hammer is made in US.
I had a 1st gen Kickr for a few years. Loved it. No issues. Due to noise concerns (complaints), I sold it and picked up a Neo1. Neo has been great for over a year now. Quiet. Power numbers match that of my on bike power meters (2 different bikes, both w/p2max). If I were to buy again today, my first choice would be the Neo2. My second choice would be a Neo1. Prices for Neo1 might have come down a bit since the Neo2 debut?
Yes, the price is high. But, if you have noise concerns, want something that just works (no calibration), and really intend to ride indoor regularly, then I believe it to be worth the money. Dropping down to the next tier, I would go w/the Kickr Core.
I only mention Wahoo and Tacx because I only have experience with these brands. I have nothing against Cycleops, Elite, etc… Actually, back in the day I had a Cycleops SuperMagneto.
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Hi Duncan, I picked up a Cycleops Hammer about 3 months ago for just over 600 quid. I can only comment on this as it’s my first trainer. So far it’s been very sturdy and reliable, connected to Zwift on ipad and ZC on Samsung S7 with no major issues. There is whir noise from flywheel but not enough to scare the cat off, put some bangers on the stereo and its totally gone. Resistance change at flywheel seems to work fairly well whan doing trainig programme.
If money were no object, I’d be all over the Neo 2.
In fact, even though money is an object, I’m seriously considering buying one on 3 years interest-free credit.
3 years seems reasonable - I’ve had my Vortex for longer than that. 
Neo all the way. No calibration. No wasted time. Just get on a ride. I have had mine for coming up on three and a half years so far and everything still works.
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I don’t know if I’ve been especially lucky or others have been unlucky, but for the price, my Direto has been rock solid - no issues at all. I use an Apple TV 4k for Zwift, positioned close to the bike and have solid connection with Bluetooth, and the trainer itself has been great - very quiet, stable, and no issues at all with 2000km under its belt. I regularly check the offset, and I’m still within a few digits of the factory setting, so no need to recalibrate thus far.
If money were no object, Neo2 would likely be my choice, but I think the Direto (so far) looks like it will last quite a while.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
I think I’m gonna go for the neo2 but really interested in the flux 2 but not much data/reviews on this model yet.
At £500 less it’s an attractive option.
get the Neo2 - its really the best one out there now
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