Trainer which does not need external mains power

cimh

Hi, first post in this forum. I am quitting my gym membership, so I am looking for a trainer which can be used without a mains power supply or possibly running off low voltage eg 12v so I could run it off an external Li or car battery. In the gym I usually cycle using an interval program that simulates a series of hills and flats. I do not need the bells and whistles of some of the more elaborate video simulators. Ideally £500 or so is my price ceiling.

I am aware of Tacx neo 2 (much too expensive but great), Fliiight (looks fiddly, not sure my wheel would work and perhaps not fully sorted) also Jet Black whisper (dc rainmaker was not impressed in 2018 is it better now?). I guess there must be more. Any thoughts about wheel on or low voltage trainers that would fit the bill? Ideally I would much prefer something that is quiet. (I am fit and a keen cyclist but in my 60s so I almost certainly do not need huge resistance levels!)

Thank you

legendary_27

I used to use a TACX Bushido Smart trainer, which was self-powered. I found it to be pretty good. It was quiet - though definitely not silent - at anything but high speed. I found it to be reasonably smooth at lower resistances, but once the resistance ramped up, it became markedly less realistic in terms of 'road feel'. I bought it second hand on eBay quite cheaply. Spare parts were still available from TACX, as I had to replace a bracket, though that was eighteen months or so ago. I have since moved to a direct drive trainer, but would not have any issues using a Bushido again.

Regards,
Gordon

fenix

Stac Zero turbo. Magnetic resistance so it's almost silent and no wear on your tyres.

Just adjust the resistance using your gears if you get the dumb base model.

StillGoing

legendary_27 said:

I used to use a TACX Bushido Smart trainer, which was self-powered. I found it to be pretty good. It was quiet - though definitely not silent - at anything but high speed. I found it to be reasonably smooth at lower resistances, but once the resistance ramped up, it became markedly less realistic in terms of 'road feel'. I bought it second hand on eBay quite cheaply. Spare parts were still available from TACX, as I had to replace a bracket, though that was eighteen months or so ago. I have since moved to a direct drive trainer, but would not have any issues using a Bushido again.

Regards,
Gordon

Bushido was a terrible trainer. Had one and suffered the legendary slippage and slow reaction in erg mode. Slagged off by Shane Miller too.

dannbodge

Tacx Neo can be used without a power source.
It also the best trainer you can buy, second hand gen 1s sell for about £5/600

legendary_27

StillGoing said:

Bushido was a terrible trainer. Had one and suffered the legendary slippage and slow reaction in erg mode. Slagged off by Shane Miller too.

Weirdly, I had a bit of slippage when I used an old TACX turbo tyre, but when I changed to a cheap Halfords turbo tyre, the slippage completely stopped. I never use ERG mode, so will bow to your greater knowledge on that.

Regards,
Gordon

cimh

Thank you for your suggestions. In the end I have just picked up an Elite Zumo. First impressions are excellent considering it's just 479 UKP. Just bolt on the legs and add a shimano cassette. It quickly connects to my android phone / tablet. Using the elite mytraining app which comes with a 1 year free sub, it was easy to set up and save an interval training program. This is my first trainer so I have nothing to compare it with but it feels life-like and the resistance changes controlled by the app seem smooth and consistent. Most importantly it seems v quiet not at all intrusive. Easy to have a quiet conversation, most of the sound is the drivetrain - so in that regard much better than I expected. The power input is 12v 1.5amp so in theory it could be powered by a suitably regulated output from a battery pack.