Smart indoor trainer - which one?

[Mamil]

What have you heard about local support. CWcycles just told me there's a 1 year factory defect warranty on the Tacx they are selling.

 

What do hubbers know about Tacx after sales support?

 

Usually see them on the Tacx Neo. Apparently Tacx support locally is not great though.

[Jakkals.]

Another vote for direct drive trainer. I am on Tacx Flux with Zwift on my iPad, syncing to TrainingPeaks. The Flux seemed like the best value for money to me.

 

Just something to note, my bike is a bit older and a 10 speed, and my partner rides an 11 speed, so we use different casettes, which makes sharing difficult. Hopefully you dont have this challenge.

 

Oh, and invest in a proper fan to go with your setup. You will soon dowcover why!

I've been riding my 9spd bike setup on the 11spd kickr cassette

select a gear that works, shift up and down in the front...hahahah...I will fix it as I'm going to 10spd now.

[awesme]

with these smart trainers, you 99% of time use them in ERG mode, other words you never change gears.

 

 

G

 

I've been riding my 9spd bike setup on the 11spd kickr cassette

select a gear that works, shift up and down in the front...hahahah...I will fix it as I'm going to 10spd now.

[Popit]

So I got the Tacx Flow smart from CWC ( Awesome service from Handre by the way )

It was easy to set up and connected to my phone immediately .

HOWEVER , after about 35 minutes it lost contact ( Bluetooth ) and wouldn't re connect .

Any ideas why ??

Also wouldn't connect with my Garmin 800 .

 

I am no tech guru and Tacx offer no software or help .

Pretty frustarted , but was a hard 35 min ...

The 3% gradient was a killer ....

[Christian van Zyl]

smelling blood, or is that smelling a sale...

 

Christian, your response ? - PS: might have another friend looking for a unit...

 

G

I smell support issues... 

 

Any IDT is a bit like a car. They have parts that need support, it has software and connectivity that needs support. 

 

We keep all parts in the country, I mean every single part, we have 4 reps in the country and a full time support agent looking after the Wahoo brand and KICKR support. Our three service centers are open to the public and we are opening 3 more in the next month. 

 

We're not fighting price point or dumping stock, we are including in our sale price after sale service, retailers that can feed their families and great value for money. 

 

Flash sale? If you are that kinda customer go to Cajees or Solomons, they will beat CWC pricing. 

 

No blood here... Just sweat, and support. 

[Pusher]

So I got the Tacx Flow smart from CWC ( Awesome service from Handre by the way )

It was easy to set up and connected to my phone immediately .

HOWEVER , after about 35 minutes it lost contact ( Bluetooth ) and wouldn't re connect .

Any ideas why ??

Also wouldn't connect with my Garmin 800 .

 

I am no tech guru and Tacx offer no software or help .

Pretty frustarted , but was a hard 35 min ...

The 3% gradient was a killer ....

Try connecting via Ant+

[plane^driver]

I am a very happy Hammer owner!

 

For me when it came to deciding between the Neo, Kickr and Hammer, it was simply which of the three I could get the cheapest.

I live in Hong Kong so my go to shop is Chain Reaction with free shipping and then no duties in Hong Kong! Chain Reaction had stock of the Hammer so it was a done deal. Landed on my doorstep for R14500!

 

It was really easy to setup, and so nice and smooth! Ive used a Tacx smart trainer before and that was crap compared to the Hammer. Ive also spent many hours on a wattbike which is good but it still rather ride my own bike on the Hammer!

 

Im working with a coach in SA who uploads my program onto TrainingPeaks and then also onto TrainerRoad, everything is link and transfers all the data to wherever its needed. TrainingPeaks, Garmin, Strava etc....

[awesme]

So your coach uses TP to monitor and TR workouts?

 

G

[plane^driver]

So your coach uses TP to monitor and TR workouts?

G

Ya. Thats it. Combined with riding on the road and that data uplinks from garmin connect to TP.

[Zatek]

What have you heard about local support. CWcycles just told me there's a 1 year factory defect warranty on the Tacx they are selling.

 

What do hubbers know about Tacx after sales support?

If you brake 1 unit its great but if you brake 2 in 7 weeks then not so great. Broke 2 iflows in the winter last year. After the last one I was iñformed that Tacx will not replace the unit but repair it. The said the unit overheated (at 6.00am winter morning) or I was riding it above the limit. Tacx HQ will only warrant my next unit if it was the Neo.

 

So I bought a KickR (R7k cheaper) and no problems. The refund only took about a week. So support was great up to a point.

 

That being said I wouldn't mind a Neo or Hammer to test.

[Mamil]

2 breakages in 2 machines would make me pretty skeptical about a brand.

 

How us the kickr 7k cheaper. I see them consistently quoted at 20k. Or do you mean the tacx machine is 7k cheaper? I think they're 13k at cwcycles.

 

 

 

If you brake 1 unit its great but if you brake 2 in 7 weeks then not so great. Broke 2 iflows in the winter last year. After the last one I was iñformed that Tacx will not replace the unit but repair it. The said the unit overheated (at 6.00am winter morning) or I was riding it above the limit. Tacx HQ will only warrant my next unit if it was the Neo.

 

So I bought a KickR (R7k cheaper) and no problems. The refund only took about a week. So support was great up to a point.

 

That being said I wouldn't mind a Neo or Hammer to test.

[Zatek]

Tacx Neo was R25k and KickR was R18k back then. I paid R8 500 for my Iflow and said I must buy the Neo.

 

Just keep in mind that the Iflow was the cheapest smart trainer so I can understand 1 of their point but not both.

[johanhorak]

Did you actually read what the OP wrote? They have the bucks so are not looking for a cheap option and her partner is a more serious cyclist.... so she is wanting recommendations on a SMART TRAINER..... not some botch job!!

Thanks. This may be a question by the Op but the suggestion is adding lots of value. I am reading this as I am in the market but are not interested in spending big bucks. I saw this trainer and wanted to know if it's any good. Now I know.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[AllAboutRides]

Hi everyone!

 

I might be in the market for a Tacx Smart trainer.....had a look at the Tacx Flux.

 

Any thoughts? Want to try out Swif but also want something with power and cadence readings.

 

The other problem.....I only have a MTB and recently upgraded to SRAM Eagle 1x12 groupset....will this work? What should I do regarding the rear tyre and cassette?

 

Thoughts and help will be highly appreciated

[awesme]

There are wheels and wheel off Smart trainers, I'd propose the wheel off.

 

The smart trainers work by managing the resistance so you don't change gears, so even with your thinner chain, it should still fit onto the 11 speed cassette most of these newer units take.

 

Cadence... none of the smart trainers give you that directly, they only give you power, cadence you get from a cadence pod,

 

My proposal, and I just got another friend to buy this setup over the weekend.

1. Wahoo Kickr (Includes the cadence pod you need, to go onto Crank arm),

The Cadence pod is ANT+ and Blue Tooth so will work with your current computer and also pair with a iPad or Samsung Pad

2. Get the Wahoo Tickr Here Rate Strap, (Blue Tooth capable)

3. MTB so probably a 12x142 axle so get the Wahoo adapter

and then use TrainerRoad, Zwift and/or Sufferfest to do some self inflicted suffering

 

G

Hi everyone!

I might be in the market for a Tacx Smart trainer.....had a look at the Tacx Flux.

Any thoughts? Want to try out Swif but also want something with power and cadence readings.

The other problem.....I only have a MTB and recently upgraded to SRAM Eagle 1x12 groupset....will this work? What should I do regarding the rear tyre and cassette?

Thoughts and help will be highly appreciated

[BicyclePower]

Hi everyone!

 

I might be in the market for a Tacx Smart trainer.....had a look at the Tacx Flux.

 

Any thoughts? Want to try out Swif but also want something with power and cadence readings.

 

The other problem.....I only have a MTB and recently upgraded to SRAM Eagle 1x12 groupset....will this work? What should I do regarding the rear tyre and cassette?

 

Thoughts and help will be highly appreciated

You may run into some problems with the 1 x 12 groupset as to my knowledge none of the direct drive (wheel off) smart trainers accommodate XD free hubs yet......

 

You could always run a 10 or 11 speed cassette and make use of workout mode or erg mode that all smart trainers offers this way you don't need to change gears as the resistance will be loaded or released depending on the workout you doing. Zwift, TrainerRoad and CycleOps Virtual Training all support workouts / erg mode.

 

if you want to ride virtual routes with Zwift or CycleOps Virtual Training this will require changing gears as you climb and descend a route profile and this is where the troubles may happen when running a 11 speed cassette on a 12 speed bike........