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Am looking for a wheel-on (so not direct drive) smart turbo trainer. While I can find good info on how quiet/noisy the main direct-drive ones are (the dcrainmaker site is good for that), it's difficult to find out what the queter options are for the wheel-on ones.
The Bkool pro 2 is getting some reviews mentioning it is pretty quiet. Anyone has compared a few different ones? Or found some good info on the web?
I currently have the non-smart Elite Crono fluid (the very popular one from Wiggle), which I find quiet enough.
Cheers,
Mike
I bought one of these a month or so ago - it is a lot quieter than the old Tacx basic it replaced. The elastomer coated roller seems to work. Don't know if that helps?
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/turbo-trainers/trainers/elite-novo-smart-turbo-trainer
I found a dedicated trainer tyre made a massive difference in reducing noise, so I'd say whatever you do, budget for that as well.
I moved from the same elite trainer to a tacx vortex but you have to make sure the tyre is on perfectly. The elite trainer just uses your weight on the bike to press it onto the roller where as the vortex has to be calibrated by adjusting the pressure the tyre exerts on the roller. I couldn't for the life of me get my trainer tyre to sit properly on my rim so the resistance changed as the tyre turned, now have a normal slick on my bike which sits fine but to be honest I don't notice much difference between the normal slick and the trainer tyre
I went from a basic manual adjust Elite trainer from Halfords (about £70) to an elite Rampa which is a wheel -on smart trainer. The difference in noise was staggering with the Rampa being quiet enough to listen to the TV while riding. Was a great trainer for Zwift and never had a problem with it other than my wife spent so much time on it we kept having to replace the rear tyre! AThen a mate offered me his barely used wheel-off Elite Direto so I jumped at it and that thing is just about silent.
Have a (non-smart) TACX blue motion which cranks out peak of 950 Watt.
Great little machine.
But quite? This thing is not quite at all. No problem for me so...
I'm selling a BKOOL on eBay. (DaveG01) its definitely a lot quieter than the Kickr I also have
I’ve got a very quiet turbo sat in the garage doing nothing. It’s wheel on, not smart, liquid resistance and very quiet indeed. It’s also been replaced so happy to get rid for a good price to someone who can pick it up from the Midlands. The problem is I can’t for the life of my remember who it’s made by and the model!
i can update later if anyone’s interested.
All, thanks very much!
AD: That Elite Nove is the cheapest two-way smart trainer I have seen and also the highest rating from the user reviews. I would like the higher % climbing incline from the Bkool though. Still tempting - thanks for mentioning it.
daviek: how does the Vortex compare with the Elite Crono fluid in terms of noise?
I have had 2 wheel on, an elite and a tacx iflow. Both pretty noisy even with a proper tyre. The direct drive flux I bought for 450 from Halfords is almost completely silent other than the drive train far more accurate power also, tracks to within a few percent of my stages. Possibly out your price range however but in a different league in regards to noise, power accuracy, and level of resistance. I'm well impressed
I can't really give you a like for like as I could never get it to work properly with the trainer tyre which I used all the time on the elite. I do also usually have music on so I don't really hear either. I'm away from home at the minute otherwise I'd have given them both a spin to see.