[Closed] Talk to me about smart turbos trainers

Still turbo season... smart turbo used as much now as I was in the winter, means I can get some structure to my training rather than just riding. Just need a bigger fan and ride early or late to keep cool!

Definitely go direct mount, wish I’d spent the extra myself it’s definitely not as good with the wheel and turbo tyre.

All you need extra really is a speed/cadence sensor, hr strap and zwift subscription... mine runs on a 10 year old MacBook Air happily.

Core is the one to go for, you won't need the extra watts. New versions come with a cadence sensor in the box, but not a heart rate monitor I believe. Zwift does not need HR or cadence, but will display them for you on screen.

To connect to Zwift you will need any of the following:

1) iPad running iOS Zwift - need to have a bluetooth HR monitor for HR. I use this with an HDMI to a TC for big screen. It's hard to read the options on the mini!

2) Laptop/pc with ANT dongle - can use ANT HR monitor and cadence sensor. You can control Zwift using an app on your phone near the bike.

3) Apple TV - again bluetooth only sensors supported - mine is connected to a projector.

Graphics are better on PC and possibly Apple TV

And a fan, a big fan.

Hmm I suspect my gen 2 iPad and gen 2 Apple TV probably won't be supported.

I was hoping to use my desk top so I'll need to get an ant+ dongle then I guess

Might end up having to use a laptop if I get banished to the shed but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Good shout on the fan. I used to turbo directly under the ac in angola with it on the coldest setting blowing straight into my face.....it was still +30 in the room

Gen2 Apple TV is not supported (I have one and a new 4K one). Desktop just needs a £30 ANT USB dongle and you are good. If it has BT, it can probably see the KICKR already. I bought new BT Wahoo sensors to use with my iPad.

I can't recommend the KICKR enough, the road feel is so good (big flywheel). You can also add their nice HR-controlled fan and the CLIMB to tilt the bike. Or buy a cheap fan and don't worry about tilting. It's a world of difference from a wheel on turbo.

I'm using a Tacx Vortex Smart, running Sufferfest on my phone to a telly via an older (mk2) Apple TV. The trainer does cadence but gets erratic much over 100rpm, so I use my Garmin on the bars.
With this setup I have to download the workouts rather than stream, but it's not a problem. I couldn't run Zwift this way.

Eventually I think I'll upgrade to a direct drive trainer which should be quieter and handle more power. If you haven't tried Sufferfest, give it a go. I really quite enjoy it, probably because it's a bit daft, but it's had a dramatic effect on my fitness.

Core is the one to go for, you won’t need the extra watts. New versions come with a cadence sensor in the box

I'm interested in getting the core too but looking on their website it says that cadence is NOT included, and I'm assuming their own site has the most up to date info on it.

I run TrainerRoad on my iPhone connected to a Tacx Flux, meaning I can use the laptop for full-screen entertainment. Fairly sure that the same setup would work with a Wahoo as well.

I've tried Zwift and found the setup to be far more finnicky than TR. I'd say it's worth trying out for a bit on whatever kit you have or can borrow to see if you get in with it. It's not for everyone, and some folk get a bit bored of watching the same wee guy pedal on the same roads over and over.

Direct drive so much better if your budget stretches. Currently using mine with Zwift iPhone mirroring to TV via Apple TV....but just realised from this thread I can probably run it directly off the Apple TV via the Zwift App. It's a Tacx Flux2. Went around all the options at the time and determined they're all much of a muchness so just when with what was most convenient and cost effective to buy, and my local bike shop did Tacx trainers. It's a bit bulky and tricky to move around whereas the Wahoo Kickr seems to fold up and be easier to move around, but I don't really need to move it much so not a major drawback for me. Also the Flux can be used as a dumb trainer without being connected to the power, not a feature they all have.

I'm using the Zwift structured training programmes and find it really beneficial. Getting one big ride in the real world in the weekend, a couple of turbo sessions a week along with a short evening bike ride and my fitness and speed has improved far more than just riding my bike...never a truer word said about its not about the quantity of miles you put in, but the quality. Between the turbo and the power meter its the best investment I've made in the bike. Forget upgraded group sets and wheel sets (though they are nice but won't improve your riding)...spend your dough on training aids.

nickdavies

Subscriber
Still turbo season… smart turbo used as much now as I was in the winter

Totally agree. Maybe I got lazy - but when you dont get home from work till 6pm; its so much easier and less faff to just smash an hour on zwift.

I have been using an Elite Direto now for about 18months. Running on an Apple TV 4k and a 42" tv .. and a cheap 20" fan that could blow the paint off the bedroom wall!
The Direto has built in cadence sensor, so all you need is a bluetooth HR strap and you good to go.

right **** it

in for a penny in for a pound.

ive been using the original suffer fest vids since pretty much they started and im used to training with purpose - but ive always hated turboing.

Im looking at this as a personal - it saves me buying a power meter - be it cranks or pedals - for a bike i never use in winter - when im training most......

and itll mean mrs T-R can get miles in quickly when she gets time rather than needing 2-3 hours to get ready get out , get back and tidy away.

Hopefully it doesnt mind living in the shed. Ill use an old laptop we have to start with and take it from there.

Got a kickr core recon unit from the wahoo store for 599

Just over a year on a elite direto here. Still very happy with it. Direct drive is so much better than wheel on. I also got a ant+ dongle and connect it to my laptop. Added a ant+ HRM as I found the Bluetooth connection via the companion app flakey.

If your strong and are going to zwift race then a HRM is necessary to avoid DQs. If your only going to train it's not that necessary.

ive got ant+ hrm and speed/cadence sensors

Erg mode is good on that trainer, makes intervals easier as you don't have to actively concentrate so much on power delivery. But then you can get a bit more out of the legs with it, and there is no way of slipping off the power target, so could be said to make intervals harder.
You can also do fine structured stuff like ramped over / unders and be absolutely spot on with the power, whereas I was always a bit messy when I tried this on a conventional trainer.

Not everyone likes it, mind - can feel odd sometimes, but it's a good feature IMO.

Great price TR. it appears you will need a cadence sensor as only the full fat KICKR comes with them in the box. Ant+ is fine with a laptop and usb dongle. I bought a reconditioned 2017 kickr 18 months ago. Now I’d go for the Core instead as it is silent and has almost all the same features. Having a handle is the most useful as they c an be pretty heavy to carry.

The road feel is very very good.

Have an elite direto, it is great. I started off with sufferfest, great for training but moved onto zwift as I find it more engaging, although not as good with training plans. I like the changing scenery and other people riding rather than the vids for sufferfest (although I think that is a better training system). I just use my laptop with ANT dongle. Seems to generally work well, had a few issues with the laptop picking up the trainer but think that is due to dodgy USB ports on the laptop.
You will sweat, alot. Get a good fan

Well it arrived yesterday. I opened it - i looked at it

It was 24 degrees so I pulled out the propel

And I went for a ride instead.

How ever I assembled it when I got home ,paired it with the computer and it all seemed to work. Had a little ride round watopia and then made dinner.

This morning I did a ramp FTP test. Came out pretty much my known number from wattbike training

Fwiw. Erg mode alone has me sold and it certainly has a much nicer ride quality than our mag trainer we use for club turbo sessions.

Desktop just needs a £30 ANT USB dongle and you are good.

If you're using an ANT+ dongle, it's worth getting an extension cable so it sits close to the Kickr as possible. Helps to minimise drop-outs. I've also found that with the Wahoo cadence sensor, ANT+ seems to respond more quickly to changes than Bluetooth, though that might just be me and my hardware.

The only other thing I'd add is that when your drive-belt goes - mine lasted around 12,000km I think, don't bother wth the £60-odd Wahoo belt, it's just a standard automotive belt that you can buy online for a fiver. The exact specs are somewhere on the net.

The heat thing is interesting. I found last summer that when it was really hot, my ability to hit power numbers after about 45 minutes was severely compromised. I think basically I was overheating to the point where my internal governor just shut things down and that was with two serious fans.

good shout BWD it took me about 30 seconds to work out why i was getting ANT drop out.

The computers one of them small form factor *macalikes* and the USB port is on the side of the monitor - which is at the back of the desk - Line of sight from the Kickr to the ANT has a pretty hefy desk in the way.

Moved monitor to the front - drop out stopped. Cable on order.

Anyway. I'm pretty sold.

I live on top of a hill - but to get to the hill to my house , you had to climb and descend another hill, recovery rides were a pain as getting home inevitably meant getting home was hard work -and given how i felt yesterday i couldn't face climbing it.

No worrys i thought , ill throw on Zwift and have a spin about. 45 mins on just ride which gave me a nice flat low resistance route to spin my legs out around london. worked wonders , my legs feel much better today for it.

Woke up early this morning (4.30 am) and was lying listening to the rain and looked out at the mizzle and thought - **** that , still not feeling wonderful enough to spend it getting soaked and fighting with cars in low vis . So i had a look on group rides and joined a z1/z2 fatburner ride at 5am. (or as i was using it - recovery) and that group ride aspect was really quite good.

I'm not convinced it is the sharpest training tool in the shed - as above Sufferfest or possibly trainer road have that covered but it appears that if you set it up so - zwift could be as per the tuesday night ride in winter - ie you dont really feel like going out in -7 and upwards snow but you have scheduled it , people are expecting you so you go anyway and you have a good time once you are out......

I stuck in an extra fan last week and the same workout I'd done twice that week already had the same average power with average heart rate down 5bpm and the warehouse floor was a lot dryer. A much more pleasant experience.

same average power with average heart rate down 5bpm

Doesn't that mean you should have been going 5bpm harder? 😉

I'm currently training for heat so no fans, but will be interested to see if/how my peformance improves with a couple of those Honeywell fans that everyone seems to use. Will be nice not having to wring out my riding gear at the end of the session...

Oh yeah I forgot the whole point of my earlier post.

I was riding my bike on the kickr in the spare room downstairs.

My wife was asleep upstairs.

The neighbours wouldn't have been sleeping if I was doing it on the mag trainer.

Terry- drop me your email mate. I'll send you a free 3 months trainer road trial.

Doesn’t that mean you should have been going 5bpm harder? 😉

ERG mode so much as I wanted to work harder I couldn't `:-)