Tacx flux - are the problems fixed?

redvision

Just wondering whether there are still issues with the flux?

I know when it was launched a lot of units were returned due to faults.

My lbs has one left on offer for £450. Seems like a real bargain but having previously experienced issues with the kickr snap and kickr 2 I am wary.

Would welcome any reviews and opinions from owners of the flux. Have tacx fixed the issue? Just how good is it?

rozzer32

There's a tacx flux owners group on Facebook that's got loads of info. Depends on what serial number the flux is.

That is a good price though. If you do go for it I'd do a fair few sessions on it early on. Then if it does break you've got time to get it sorted. Last thing you want is to find it breaks in the winter when you need it most.

Sgt_Pepper

I recently purchased one from wiggle, done a fair few miles and training sessions on it and it's still running well, sn:861708429. It seems a lot of the problems came with Sn:8616*****. It has a 2 year warranty so if it does go funny later on i'd hope they have ironed out all the niggles by then so would get a good working replacement.

redvision

Thanks for the replies.

I know Shane Miller still isn't convinced after he had two failures but the tacx forum does mention the serial numbers and suggests 8617 seems to be where the reliability improves significantly.

It is a hell of a bargain at £450.
I am going to have a go on it tomorrow morning in the shop and then decide.

rozzer32

Have a look on the titanium geek website. He went and did a tour of the tacx factory and did a whole piece on the issues of the flux. Worth a read.

Also Shane Miller is at tacx hq as we speak. So I suspect he will do a post on what's going on with the flux.

MiddleRinger

redvision wrote:

My lbs has one left on offer for £450. Seems like a real bargain but having previously experienced issues with the kickr snap and kickr 2 I am wary.

If it's left over old stock from the initial batch I wouldn't touch it. If it's some of the latest units off the line then you could take a punt at that price and hope for the best - Miller puts down some serious wattage so if he doesn't break the latest incarnation then you're safe. Personally I wouldn't buy one until it's had more user test time, but that's just me being paranoid.

redvision

Well i have shelved the idea.

Test rode the flux this morning and wasn't that impressed. Didn't feel as nice to ride as my old kickr, and did not like the strange sort of grinding noise it made. On top of that the serial number began with 8616.

Wasn't all bad though, also had a spin on the Neo and was so impressed I paid a deposit then and there!

daniel_b

Ha,I went through the same thought process as you, but about 2 months ago.

I was set on the Flux, as it's in theory the best value direct drive smart trainer out there, but the reports, reviews and the Facebook page put me off.
In the end I decided on the Neo, and bagged one at £865 when Amazon were selling them cheap, later to be matched by Wiggle.

My suspicion about the Flux is that the tolerances are simply too fine, and I just couldn't bring myself to trust it - what sealed the deal was that some people said they had been riding fine for 1500km, and only then it had failed.

I appreciate the Neo is not perfect, but it seems the issue that can affect it, can be managed fairly well, and they will send you a tool so you can do it yourself.

2 Months on, and it's a cracking bit of kit, I think you will not be dissapointed, has pushed my training and FTP on a fair way (In combo with trainerroad and riding 7-8 hours a week) and I am going to do a hard 90 minute workout, probably in a horribly hot garage in about later today.

redvision

Daniel B wrote:

Ha,I went through the same thought process as you, but about 2 months ago.

I was set on the Flux, as it's in theory the best value direct drive smart trainer out there, but the reports, reviews and the Facebook page put me off.
In the end I decided on the Neo, and bagged one at £865 when Amazon were selling them cheap, later to be matched by Wiggle.

My suspicion about the Flux is that the tolerances are simply too fine, and I just couldn't bring myself to trust it - what sealed the deal was that some people said they had been riding fine for 1500km, and only then it had failed.

I appreciate the Neo is not perfect, but it seems the issue that can affect it, can be managed fairly well, and they will send you a tool so you can do it yourself.

2 Months on, and it's a cracking bit of kit, I think you will not be dissapointed, has pushed my training and FTP on a fair way (In combo with trainerroad and riding 7-8 hours a week) and I am going to do a hard 90 minute workout, probably in a horribly hot garage in about later today.

Cool, thanks for the info.
I was blown away with how quiet it was and the feel. I did test ride one about a year ago and it felt totally different to the one i tried today. I dont know why, but just a short spin this morning was enough to make my mind up.

daniel_b

No worries - I would join the FB page if you have not already done so.

Good tips on there, and one I picked up is to carry out workouts in the smaller cog at the front, for whatever reason it ends up giving you a smoother power output, less spiky.

it also showed me my Vortex was over-reading by about 10%, so if you are coming from a non direct drive trainer, be prepared for a bit of a shock.

PinarelloPrince

There's been a few BNIB Tacx Flux on eBay lately. Presumably they are warranty replacements that owners are selling to avoid further hassle.

I'm wondering if it's worth taking a chance on one of these. Problems sorted or ongoing?

dannbodge

If you are going to buy one, get it from a shop.
At least then you can get the warranty replacements from Tacx for 2 years.

However, after going through 3 of them I would never get another and would advise against getting one to everyone.
The issue is a design flaw, not a manufacturing issue. So unless they have redesigned it at some point, it will still have failures.

matt_n-2

redvision wrote:

Seems like a real bargain but having previously experienced issues with the kickr snap and kickr 2 I am wary.

Sorry for going slightly O/T, but what issues did you have with the KickR Snap?

A guy in my club is selling an 8 month old one for £250 and I was quite tempted.