The tl;dr version:
I'm looking to move to a direct drive trainer and trying to decide between a Hammer, Direto, or Kickr. What would you choose and why?
The more detailed version:
I've been using a PowerBeam Pro for a little over 3 years. It's been a great workhorse but getting a bit outdated: no bluetooth and requires the legacy TrainerRoad app so I have to commandeer my wife's laptop while riding, which doesn't always go over well. I recently converted my old tri bike into a trainer-only bike, so I have no need for wheel swaps and would rather have a direct drive trainer (typically more accurate, easier/more reliable calibration, and no wheel slipping).
I don't care about the wahoo climb thing, I don't care about simulating downhills or cobblestones, I don't need a bunch of different thru axles, I don't care much about noise but quieter would be a plus.
What I care about most are accuracy/consistency and reliability. And dual ANT+/BlueTooth, but that's pretty much standard across smart trainers now. I use TrainerRoad and sometimes Sufferfest; haven't tried Zwift or other platforms and I don't currently feel any need to switch from or add to TR and Sufferfest.
Direto with the DcR discount would be the least expensive, but new trainers often have some bugs to work out. CycleOps typically does a 20% off for trading in an old trainer, so a Hammer would be about a hundred bucks more. The Kickr is 3 generations in but would likely be the most expensive.
I could also try to sell the PowerBeam Pro, but I don't know how much an older non-BTLE "smart" trainer goes for these days.
Thoughts?
I'm looking to move to a direct drive trainer and trying to decide between a Hammer, Direto, or Kickr. What would you choose and why?
The more detailed version:
I've been using a PowerBeam Pro for a little over 3 years. It's been a great workhorse but getting a bit outdated: no bluetooth and requires the legacy TrainerRoad app so I have to commandeer my wife's laptop while riding, which doesn't always go over well. I recently converted my old tri bike into a trainer-only bike, so I have no need for wheel swaps and would rather have a direct drive trainer (typically more accurate, easier/more reliable calibration, and no wheel slipping).
I don't care about the wahoo climb thing, I don't care about simulating downhills or cobblestones, I don't need a bunch of different thru axles, I don't care much about noise but quieter would be a plus.
What I care about most are accuracy/consistency and reliability. And dual ANT+/BlueTooth, but that's pretty much standard across smart trainers now. I use TrainerRoad and sometimes Sufferfest; haven't tried Zwift or other platforms and I don't currently feel any need to switch from or add to TR and Sufferfest.
Direto with the DcR discount would be the least expensive, but new trainers often have some bugs to work out. CycleOps typically does a 20% off for trading in an old trainer, so a Hammer would be about a hundred bucks more. The Kickr is 3 generations in but would likely be the most expensive.
I could also try to sell the PowerBeam Pro, but I don't know how much an older non-BTLE "smart" trainer goes for these days.
Thoughts?