Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

For discussions about bikes and equipment.

What's the best Turbo Trainer (in general) from this list?

Elite Zumo (£449, Halfords)
0
No votes
Saris H3 (£449, Evans)
0
No votes
Zwift Hub (£449, Zwift)
0
No votes
Tacx Flux S (£499, Tredz)
0
No votes
Elite Suito (£535, Amazon)
0
No votes
Wahoo Kickr Core (£549, Tredz)
3
100%
 
Total votes: 3

Manc33
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Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

I want to get one of these things and I am sure I'd be on it all the time if I had one, but I don't fancy buying a used one because no one seems to be prepared to send something like this in the post and it's expensive if it goes wrong, with little/no warranty - so I'm thinking about getting a new one.

I have no idea which ones are good for the money, or which ones work with Zwift (all?), or which ones have a realistic feel to them, are quieter than others, accuracy, which ones are reliable, which might develop a fault and so on, there's a lot to take into account.

I have setup the poll from least to most expensive, but these are all around the same price range (£449 to £549).

I have left out the expensive ones (£750 or more) because those trainers are perhaps geared at more serious cyclists.
The point of this poll is to cater to people just wanting a good trainer (not a "wheel on" one) for use indoors.

People on this forum have so much knowledge collectively and will have first hand experience either trying these trainers, or owning one, or both. A lot of people might have bought one and not liked it, then swapped to another that's miles better. Let's put it to a vote to see which one wins! It's setup so you can change your vote in future.

Personally, the idea of using Zwift is a huge factor with these - having a ghost version of yourself on screen from your previous best and trying to beat it, is a great idea... but are they all compatible with Zwift? Hmmm...
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
ed.lazda
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by ed.lazda »

A search on "Zwift trainer compatible" should tell you all you want to know. I'm guessing that most smart trainers will be compatible, otherwise they wouldn't sell very many. Chasing your ghost self is fun, and there's a lot of other stuff to enjoy on Zwift -- pace bots, group rides, etc. Personally I prefer Fulgaz, where you ride along to real filmed rides. I have a Wahoo, which had some issues to begin with (I think they must have had a bad batch of something) but customer service was excellent. I use it a lot over the winter, not so much in summer although it's still good on those summer days of pouring rain and howling wind :D . I don't really know enough about the various models to be of any use in helping you choose.
Manc33
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

Cheers. If Fulgaz has real rides, that's a step up from Zwift. I have seen a Zwift rider going through a road with lava at each side of him, where you'd never go in reality, it's a PC game. Maybe it has decent roads but if they are fictional on Zwift but not on Fulgaz then Fulgaz sounds better.
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
De Sisti
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by De Sisti »

ed.lazda wrote: 30 Mar 2023, 9:13am Personally I prefer Fulgaz, where you ride along to real filmed rides.
A bit like Sufferfest?
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Paulatic
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Paulatic »

I was going to say I’ve a code for an extra £50 off the Zwift making it £400. Just looked and it expired on the 28th March.
January this year I plumped for the Wahoo Snap at £250 from Shane cycles. Tried a few of the apps and settled on FulGaz suits my needs. Using it 4 or 5 times a week enjoying cycling all around the world without leaving my kettle. Never thought I’d use it as much as I do. I’m using it with Apple products without a hitch but I’ve read it can be problematic with Windows.
I’m impressed with how real the changes in pedal resistance are the reality of it all.
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

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Jupestar
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Jupestar »

No idea which one is best. I brought a Suito because it folded flat and fitted in a nice storage space I have when not in use.

Apart from different ranges and gradient limits which won't really matter. Suspect they all do the same.
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TrevA
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by TrevA »

I’ve got a v5 Kickr. I was going to buy the Core but when I went to buy it, they didn’t have any in stock, so I laid out for the Kickr. My son has the Core and my son in law has the Jet Black Volt, which has been rebadged as the Zwift Hub. Unless you are going on it all the time or you want ultimate accuracy, I think any of the trainers listed will be fine. I ummed and hawed for a long time before opting for the Kickr, but if I was buying today I’d probably go for the Zwift Hub. There’s hardly any difference in ride feel between them, and unless you are training seriously to power, you don’t need the greater accuracy that a higher end trainer will give you.

Be aware the the Core doesn’t fold up as small as some of the others (neither does the Volt/Hub). My son leaves his Core set up in the basement and my son in law leaves his Volt set up in the garage. I Zwift in my spare bedroom, so have to put my set up away after I’ve finished, so a trainer that folds up is good for me, but may not be important for you. The Flux doesn’t fold up at all. The Elite trainers and the Saris have legs that fold in.

They are all compatible with Zwift. I’ve personal experience of the Core/Volt/Hub and I’ve seen YouTube videos of people using the other trainers on Zwift.

Worth having think about how you will connect to Zwift or your chosen platform. I started off using my iPad but I now connect using a HD Apple TV and a big screen TV. The bigger the screen, the more immersive the experience, IMO.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
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Manc33
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

Cheers folks.

This might be a dumb question but, what if I don't want to use Zwift? :lol:

I mean what happens if you just do a ride on these trainers - how does the ride info like time, power, distance and average speed end up being saved? On a phone app?

If you aren't on Zwift, is it still possible to tell the turbo trainer you want to do a certain ride, like from a GPX file?
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
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Mick F
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Mick F »

I have no idea about the offerings regarding turbo trainers.

I have a set of rollers.
Get your bike on them, and ride it. It's like riding up a gentle hill and you need to concentrate to stay upright. It's a skill worth learning IMHO.
Mick F. Cornwall
Manc33
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

Oh aye yeah... this would be me :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJcxtTxqFHQ

He's probably falling off on purpose just to make a funny video but yeah, that would be me.

Regarding the list of trainers it seems the Zwift Hub or the Wahoo Kickr Core are maybe the ones to go for, not because the others are any worse but just because they aren't as well known.
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
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TrevA
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by TrevA »

Manc33 wrote: 31 Mar 2023, 9:53am Cheers folks.

This might be a dumb question but, what if I don't want to use Zwift? :lol:

I mean what happens if you just do a ride on these trainers - how does the ride info like time, power, distance and average speed end up being saved? On a phone app?

If you aren't on Zwift, is it still possible to tell the turbo trainer you want to do a certain ride, like from a GPX file?

If you just want to save your ride that you’ve done on the turbo, you can connect your GPS unit to your trainer via Ant+ and it will record and save your ride as it would outside. Most GPS units have an indoor mode. It might be possible to record the ride in Strava, though I’ve not tried it.

I think It’s also possible to re-ride a saved ride that you’ve done outside, but I’m not sure how you do it. My mate recreates rides on his BKool trainer, he re-rides our evening 10 course complete with gradient changes.

There’s also a free, simple version of Zwift called MyWhoosh, which is free to use.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
Manc33
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Joined: 25 Apr 2015, 9:37pm

Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

OK thanks TrevA. It's going to be funny riding up Snake Pass... in my loft. :lol:
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
ed.lazda
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by ed.lazda »

... what if I don't want to use Zwift? ...
With the Kickr, you can control the bike from the Wahoo app on your phone -- set the resistance, record the ride, etc. You can also use a Wahoo Elemnt GPS to control the trainer. Load up a route and it will show you where you are on the map, control the resistance to mimic gradient, and at the end give you a file that can be uploaded to Strava and looks just like you did it in real life.
Manc33
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by Manc33 »

OK now I want one even more. 8)

There's only been 2 votes up to now, both for the most expensive offering. I think if I got any of the others I'd always be wondering what the Wahoo might be like and if it's "only" £100 more than the least expensive it's probably worth just going for that one I guess.
We'll always be together, together on electric bikes.
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TrevA
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Re: Turbo Trainer (Direct Drive) Poll

Post by TrevA »

Manc33 wrote: 4 Apr 2023, 12:42pm OK now I want one even more. 8)

There's only been 2 votes up to now, both for the most expensive offering. I think if I got any of the others I'd always be wondering what the Wahoo might be like and if it's "only" £100 more than the least expensive it's probably worth just going for that one I guess.
I was like this before I bought one, thinking that the higher priced ones must be better. They are, but are they more than you need? I paid £999 for a Kickr, my son in law got his Volt for around £350 on a Planet X special deal. There’s not really much between them, they both do the job well. If you are racing on Zwift at a high level, then the Kickr might give you a slight advantage, but for general training, virtual group rides and just general riding along, any of the trainers you listed will be fine. I wouldn’t buy the Zumo though. Another friend has one and wishes he’d paid a bit more for a better trainer, he’s had problems with virtual wheel slip and inconsistent power readings.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
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