Turbo

feisty
feisty Posts: 161
edited March 2016 in Road general
Dear all

I am thinking about getting a turbo trainer. It would have limited use; when icy at weekends and the odd night when my wife is out. While I could just use with the radio on, I have seen Zwift (which seems like a really neat toy) and Trainer Road which looks quite hard core.

I do not want to spend £400 on something I might use 20 times a year (maybe even less).

Zwift says it can be used with non-smart trainers like:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycleops-mag-trainer

and fluid ones:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-crono-flu ... el-trainer
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycleops-fluid-2-trainer

and the latter with various additional kit: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycleops-fluid- ... aining-kit

I need it to be reasonably quiet as I would be in the kitchen underneath the room where the kids would be sleeping.

My questions are:
1. Can you really use Zwift with a non-smart trainer or is the experience really no where near as good? (That's not a deal breaker, just wondering)
2. Are the fluid ones really that much quieter?

Thanks

Comments

  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Trainerroad is awesome but you need to follow a plan for best use.

    My turbo would be too loud to use with kids sleeping above. Then again some kids like a bit of noise.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Zwift really comes into its own when using a smart trainer to simulate hills. Plus in workout mode it'll keep you in a defined power band so all you need to do is watch your cadence. Buying a dumb trainer new for the purpose of Zwift, or trainer road for that matter would be a waste IMO.

    Halfords is doing the Tacx Flow for £200 and Wiggle does the Tacx Vortex for £260
  • deejaysee
    deejaysee Posts: 149
    I got the Tacx Vortex recently and its quality.
    Don't bother with their crap software package, go straight to using zwift
  • barmour
    barmour Posts: 1
    I've been using bkool for the last couple of years and have been pleased with it and the results.

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bkool-one-trainer/
  • feisty
    feisty Posts: 161
    Thanks all

    Decided against Zwift on basis my laptop graphics card wouldn't handle it so just gone with a cyclops fluid 2 trainer off ebay

    Cheers for advice though
  • donboogie
    donboogie Posts: 75
    deejaysee wrote:
    I got the Tacx Vortex recently and its quality.
    Don't bother with their crap software package, go straight to using zwift
    I agree except I would say go straight to TrainerRoad
  • deejaysee
    deejaysee Posts: 149
    feisty wrote:
    Thanks all

    Decided against Zwift on basis my laptop graphics card wouldn't handle it so just gone with a cyclops fluid 2 trainer off ebay

    Cheers for advice though

    Wise. I had to buy a 100 quid graphics card to use Zwift with as the standard card was stuttery as hell