Cheap smart trainer that can be calibrated?

CRAIGO5000
CRAIGO5000 Posts: 697
edited November 2016 in Indoor training and turbo forum
I really fancied a Kickr or Neo or Flux (always being put back on release) but the more I wait and the more cocked up Brexit becomes, the higher the prices go and the more loath I become to paying 30% more for something than it was sold for a few months ago.

I now have a different idea. I know some of the cheap turbos like Qubo are way off in terms of real power comparisons but since I already own a power meter, I need something that can offer consistency so I can compare and train to watts on the indoor trainer.

I've thought about buying a cheap smart trainer (once where the resistance automatically ramps up ANT+FE) but do they allow the user to calibrate them to a proper power meter? i.e. line up at 50, 100w, 200w and so forth?

I could then put the power meter on the Winter/commuter permanently for the Winter months and know my indoor training is also accurate.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Ribble Stealth/SRAM Force
2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3

Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    on zwift you can "allegedly" use a power meter to control the power with the smart trainer to control the resistance .... so you wouldn't need to calibrate the turbo, you just use thepowermeter as the power meter
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Why a smart turbo ? You can just use gears on the turbo for the resistance ?
  • CRAIGO5000
    CRAIGO5000 Posts: 697
    Yes, I thought about that but the potential to use the power meter as a permanent Winter bike fixture wouldn't work.

    Cheers though!
    Ribble Stealth/SRAM Force
    2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Just use a turbo thats already been calibrated for Trainerroad ? Use virtual power. You'll be able to see that improving through the winter and higher VP = higher real power ?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    CRAIGO5000 wrote:
    I've thought about buying a cheap smart trainer (once where the resistance automatically ramps up ANT+FE) but do they allow the user to calibrate them to a proper power meter? i.e. line up at 50, 100w, 200w and so forth?

    I could then put the power meter on the Winter/commuter permanently for the Winter months and know my indoor training is also accurate.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks

    I think perhaps you're looking at it from a false assumption. The calibration of smart trainers is to do with their power measurement functions. If you already have a power meter then you don't need to worry about that at all, as you'd just use the power meter as your power source. The trainer just provides you some resistance, how much resistance doesn't actually matter that much.

    In Zwift you can select the power meter as your power source then pair the controllable trainer to simulate grade slope etc. The only thing you can do there is ERG mode (where it holds you to a specific power for intervals) however you that will work with Trainer Road.
  • CRAIGO5000
    CRAIGO5000 Posts: 697
    That's not what I want.

    Okay revised question. I want to take off my PM from the indoor trainer and use it on my Winter bike. Is there a cheap smart trainer (with automatic resistance Zwift/TR etc) that can be calibrated by using a proper PM?

    Thanks
    Ribble Stealth/SRAM Force
    2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    CRAIGO5000 wrote:
    That's not what I want.

    Okay revised question. I want to take off my PM from the indoor trainer and use it on my Winter bike. Is there a cheap smart trainer (with automatic resistance Zwift/TR etc) that can be calibrated by using a proper PM?

    Thanks

    Do you want to calibrate it and then remove the power meter and then have the trainer report the power? If so no, that's not a feature I'm aware of in any of the current trainers.

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