Turbo trainer advice

Nickolai

Hi looking to get into turbo trainers and looking for advice about what to get. Please bear with me as I am very new to all this (and bikes)

So the bike that I am hoping to use on the turbo trainer is a Specialised SIrrus 2.0 with a Shimano Altus, 8-speed, 11-32t Cassette. The plan is to use Zwift and do virtual cycling with friends, family etc
I have spoken to a few people who have essentially suggested getting a direct drive turbo trainer as it is a much worthwhile investment than a wheel-on turbo trainer
The question I have is which ones would you recommend (budget being around £500)?
Which are compatible with my bike - and if so would I need a new cassette/spacers (and which ones)?

I had been looking at Tacx Flux S which looks like it may be compatible with my bike and Elite Zumo.. which looks like it isn't?

I would very much appreciate your advice and guidance!

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

I have an Elite Direto, very pleased with it.
With a direct drive trainer you put on a rear cassette to suit your bike, there are adaptor to fit different speed ones. I have an 8sp cassette on at the moment and have used it with 10sp with no problems.
I am not sure why your bike would be incompatible with a direct drive turbo.

singleton

I'm not a zwift user, but I believe that if you want to race on zwift then you need to use a turbo with an approved or accurate power meter. You might also want ERG mode.

I have a Thinkrider A1 which has been great and suits me, maybe worth you looking at the X5 model which is still way under your budget.

wavefront

singleton said:

I'm not a zwift user, but I believe that if you want to race on zwift then you need to use a turbo with an approved or accurate power meter. You might also want ERG mode.

For Zwift, to use or to race, you don’t need an approved or accurate power meter (built in or otherwise). Having one that doesn’t give spurious readings will of course help so avoid the trainers which don’t have a built in power meter and somehow simulate power. Don’t worry, it’s only the elite races have more stringent requirements.

If you do race, quite a lot of them require you to use a HRM, but for general use it doesn’t matter.

I’d recommend budgeting for a BIG fan, towels, and an Ant + usb stick (I find Bluetooth connection flaky but that’s just my experience) to connect to your computer/ tablet. I’d also recommend, if you haven’t already, get some padded bib shorts. A trainer can be quite uncomfortable as you’re sitting very stationary unlike in the real world where you tend to move around, so invest in a comfortable pair.

Also get a front wheel block. Some people use a couple of books to balance the height, but without a block, my steering just goes too light and moves all over the place when out the saddle.

Good luck!

Bikeauthority.cc

If you like doing research and reading then check out DCrainmaker and/or GPlama. You will find all the answers you need to make a sound purchase.

If not then I think you need to ask yourself how much time and how seriously you are likely to take indoor riding. If it's just a bit of fun for when the weather is bad then I'd stick with a wheel on like a Kurt kinetic road machine or a cycleops/saris M2. The kinetic couldn't be controlled by zwift but has power of sorts so would allow you ride connected to zwift and with friends. The M2 is fully zwift ready. If you want to get more serious then see if you can find a saris H3, possibly on sale just above your budget.

There are other options you could pursue but this is how I'd be directing you if you came to us for advice.

navrig2

Budget is your main starting point. Direct drive Smart trainers tend to be expensive.

You also need to think where you are going to use it as wheel-on cheaper models can be very noisy and even create a lot of vibration. Direct drive tend to be quieter and smoother.

A mat or rug underneath can help.

One of the things which has helped me make more use of turbo training is a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones. They cut out any background noise and allow me to focus on the riding. I don;t use Zwift but Trainer Road instead. Therefore I use music.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

On a sub £500 budget, https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/elite-direto-smart-turbo-trainer/rp-prod177808 for ~£450 using SALE10 is probably a no-brainer in the CRC sale than ends on 3rd Feb.

If you catch stretch to £600, https://www.probikekit.co.uk/turbo-trainers-bicycle-rollers/saris-h3-smart-trainer/12684886.html is probably your best bet.

andyrr

singleton said:

I'm not a zwift user, but I believe that if you want to race on zwift then you need to use a turbo with an approved or accurate power meter. You might also want ERG mode.

I have a Thinkrider A1 which has been great and suits me, maybe worth you looking at the X5 model which is still way under your budget.

I’ve seen pretty much no users of Thinkrider machines on here and I’m tempted by the X5 Neo model for my own use as a upgrade from a much loved Kurt Kinetic. Any feedback on your own usage of your A1 would be appreciated.

pinkbikini

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

On a sub £500 budget, https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/elite-direto-smart-turbo-trainer/rp-prod177808 for ~£450 using SALE10 is probably a no-brainer in the CRC sale than ends on 3rd Feb

This trainer is great (the same as I have). Does everything you want, really reliable - been using it for nearly 2 years, no problems at all. And with the 10% sale discount taken off the already low price it's a good bargain.

You might want a buy an additional 8-speed cassette to keep fitted to it to avoid too much faff when swapping between indoors/outdoors. Your chain might wear a tiny bit quicker, but it will save you so much time.

Also consider a towel, fan, heart rate monitor and everything else already mentioned above.

DeVlaeminck

If you are leaving the bike on the turbo a wheel on turbo like one of the Tacx models is fine - you could pick up a decent used one for maybe £100. This would give you an idea if you enjoy turbo training.

The advantage of wheel off is doesn't square off your tyre and they are generally more accurate than wheel on. I do have a direct drive Saris H3 (cost £550 in a sports direct sale) but I zwifted perfectly happily with a Tacx Flow prior to that. The only real difference the Saris reads about 10-15 watts lower at my FTP (my power meter somewhere in the middle).

If you want direct drive don't worry too much about it being able to handle huge sprint wattages or being accurate to within 1% rather than 3% it doesn't make any real difference to your enjoyment.

singleton

andyrr said:

singleton said:

I'm not a zwift user, but I believe that if you want to race on zwift then you need to use a turbo with an approved or accurate power meter. You might also want ERG mode.

I have a Thinkrider A1 which has been great and suits me, maybe worth you looking at the X5 model which is still way under your budget.

I’ve seen pretty much no users of Thinkrider machines on here and I’m tempted by the X5 Neo model for my own use as a upgrade from a much loved Kurt Kinetic. Any feedback on your own usage of your A1 would be appreciated.

I use it once or maybe twice a week (twice only if the weather is really bad) and it's been fine for me. I do structured training sessions on Sufferfest (now Wahoo) and it's smooth, consistent and quiet.

andyrr

singleton said:

andyrr said:

singleton said:

I'm not a zwift user, but I believe that if you want to race on zwift then you need to use a turbo with an approved or accurate power meter. You might also want ERG mode.

I have a Thinkrider A1 which has been great and suits me, maybe worth you looking at the X5 model which is still way under your budget.

I’ve seen pretty much no users of Thinkrider machines on here and I’m tempted by the X5 Neo model for my own use as a upgrade from a much loved Kurt Kinetic. Any feedback on your own usage of your A1 would be appreciated.

I use it once or maybe twice a week (twice only if the weather is really bad) and it's been fine for me. I do structured training sessions on Sufferfest (now Wahoo) and it's smooth, consistent and quiet.

Appreciate your feedback - thanks. The X5 “seems” to be pretty much the cheapest Direct drive trainer, with a good spec (claimed accuracy, gradient etc) on the market.

johnah

I have been using a X5 for the last 3 months and have had no problems.
I use it on BKOOL just to give me different rides to do.
I am not using it to train for racing or anything like that, just to maintain my fitness for when the better weather arrives and I can get out on the road regularly again.

me-109

I was looking at the Thinkride X5 Neo as it seemed like decent value, but the reviews and faults info suggested variable build quality and success getting them paired and working. In the end I spent an extra 70 quid and got an Elite Suito that just works.

pblakeney

It's a minefield. If you are sure that you will get a lot of use out of it then cough up as much as you can for the best you can. If you are uncertain then try out a cheap second hand unit to get certain.

navrig2

pblakeney said:

It's a minefield. If you are sure that you will get a lot of use out of it then cough up as much as you can for the best you can. If you are uncertain then try out a cheap second hand unit to get certain.

I agree but my experience was that a cheap, basic Cyclops was a nightmare and I didn't use it. A Tacx Vortex was much better and I managed to use it a fair bit. My current Wahoo Kickr Core is much, much better and I use it almost daily with no boredom and little discomfort.

If I had just tried the Cyclops I would never had any real success in using a turbo. However I would never had immediately spent £700 on a turbo!

Not sure what the real answer is.

pblakeney

navrig2 said:

...much better and I use it almost daily with no boredom and little discomfort....

Not sure how the trainer defines that. Boredom is the concept and choice of app. Comfort is defined by the bike setup. A decent direct drive certainly adds to the immersion though.
Glad I upgraded from my KK Rock n Roll to a Neo 2T but the time spent on the KK confirmed I would get the use of the Neo.

MattFalle

MF has an Elite Direttto and can't fault it - works perfect everytime, no connection drop out, stable, all that jazz.

He says that he avoided 2nd hand as its all electronics and if its jeffed you have no chance of repairing it and it'll just be massively frustrating each time it jeffs up.

navrig2

pblakeney said:

navrig2 said:

...much better and I use it almost daily with no boredom and little discomfort....

Not sure how the trainer defines that. Boredom is the concept and choice of app. Comfort is defined by the bike setup. A decent direct drive certainly adds to the immersion though.
Glad I upgraded from my KK Rock n Roll to a Neo 2T but the time spent on the KK confirmed I would get the use of the Neo.

Obviously a personal experience but ERG mode allows for better variety in effort thus reducing or negating boredom. Comfort is improved from a point of the noise generated by the turbo. As I spent more the noise reduced then, with headphones, disappeared completely.

Overall having an app, as you suggest, determine my workout and adding variety to each session helped enormously.

The electronics in the Wahoo seem more reliable than the Tacx, in that I have fewer connection and display problems. I seemed to have to reboot the Tacx regularly whilst the Wahoo is mostly jump-aboard and ride.

My move from the Tacx to the Wahoo was dictated by circumstances. I ran out of luggage space and weight allowance in Bahrain and had to sell the Tacx. A year later I was facing a very strict lockdown in Vietnam and not being allowed out to exercise forcing me to invest in the Wahoo which thankfully had all the benefits I described above.

Ironically whilst the Wahoo was made in Vietnam but I had to pay the equivalent of full UK retail price. Then I paid to ship it home and was stung for import duty. For what I laid out I could have had a top of the range unit!!

Similarly when I bought new bibs in Ho Chi Minh City I could only find Castelli, manufactured in eastern Europe. Most other bibs are made in Vietnam or surrounding countries. The Castellis were marginally cheaper than the UK.

HilaryAmin

Very pleased with Wahoo Kickr.

Also the service. To start with I had cadence issues up steep stuff. The turbo was frequently dropping my cadence to a ridiculous 30rpm or even less when it was double that.

Wahoo asked for the data, so I did a few more rides up the Radio Tower and sent them the evidence. They very quickly despatched a replacement trainer, asking me to return the old one (in the new one's box if need be) at their expense.

The replacement works perfectly.