I have a hammer, I love it, Buy one

actually I bought the hammer because cyclops has hands down the best customer service. But my hammer is the tits

---

Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

Both trainers are solid. The hammer has a heavier flywheel meaning it will simulate road inertia better. It will also simulate gradient up to 20%. So if you decide to use Zwift for example and climb the mountains, you will feel resistance increase up to 17% which is the current max on Zwift.
However, I found the Direto to be more accurate as far as power and much quieter but comes with smaller flywheel than the hammer. It's a really good trainer for that price. It will only simulate up to 14% grade if that is important to you. The Zwift climb is mostly under 14% until you reach some sections but overall 14% is more than enough resistance for 99.9% of riders.

Overall, you will be happy with either one.

---

---

SmartBikeTrainers.com || YouTube || My Twitter

So keep in mind, that there are differences between every power meter/estimation source. Either trainer will probably suit your needs in terms of completing power based training indoors. I might vote for the Direto, purely due to the lower cost, yet having very similar features. In terms of value to racing, if you are looking at longer stuff and pacing to power, then you'll need a power meter on your bike (crank or hub or pedal, etc.) that you can both when completing tests such as an FTP test on the trainer (so you get both trainer based and PM data), and then use for workouts and races outdoors...

If you're just looking at doing training to get fitter, and to improve your power, either trainer will do, and there's less need for a separate power meter (I know many will disagree, because they would be lost without a PM on their bike, and don't remember what it's like to ride by feel).

So, you have two major paths (IMHO) to consider to optimize the balance between budget and impact.

1. "Dumb" trainer (like a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine) and a Power Meter.


• You have power all the time for training, outdoor rides, and racing, so you can optimize races based on power
• Higher cost than a smart trainer
• You must maintain discipline during training to hit the power targets
2. Smart trainer


• Very effective training
• Lowest cost if you go wheel-o and break even-ish if you go direct drive (compared to cost of a power meter)
• You do not know power during outdoor rides & races, so you must develop discipline to ride via RPE

My vote is a dumb trainer with a power meter. You will get most of the potential benefit of indoor training on a good dumb trainer with a PM, and then you will have the PM for helping to manage race performance. A smart trainer makes your training maximally effective, but it is not radically better than good discipline on a dumb trainer.

Ditto to this.

Read the reviews by DC RainMaker:

* CycleOps Hammer: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...-trainer-review.html
* Elite Directo: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...in-depth-review.html

I tested a Hammer and liked it a lot more than my first gen Wahoo Kickr

So does the power meter on the direto give me the watts and ftp... and whatever rpe is? I figure I will be on the trainer for a couple of months now, so can buy power meters for outside when spring comes around.

Watts - Yes, the Directo will give you watts you are pushing.
FTP - Your training program will lead you through an FTP test and then calculate your FTP for you. This is independent of the trainer; the trainer's only role is to support the ride and feed watts back to your training program.
RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) - This is all you and has nothing to do with the trainer or training program. This is how you feel.

I would not buy a Direto or Hammer simply because it has a power meter in it as it is not really a replacement for a power meter. For the price of a smart trainer, I personally would opt for a dumb trainer and a Power Meter. The value in having a smart trainer is not really having the power meter in the trainer, rather the ability to control the resistance in erg mode.

Based on your comments however, for you I would probably recommend JUST a dumb trainer. You can find used trainers on Craigslist pretty cheap and that would give you an intro to riding indoors. As for a power meter, I am a firm believer that no piece of equipment will make someone a better cyclist than a power meter if used properly. "If used properly" is the caveat. In order for a power meter to be effective you need to first learn how to use it... and then you need to actually use it. I see to many people that have a power meter on their bike that simply do not use it.

Before diving into an expensive trainer or a power meter, my recommendation would be for you would be for you to orient yourself to structured training. With a $100 Craigslist trainer and a $10 per month TrainerRoad subscription, you can set up "Virtual Power" which will estimate your watts based on your speed. It is not perfect, but seeing as you are new to structured training it will give you first hand experience as to what FTP is or what watts are/do. After a couple of months on the trainer with virtual power you can decide if you want a power meter, or you want an expensive trainer with erg mode. If you decide you want a trainer, you can then throw the dumb trainer back on Craigslist.

Just my two cents, but those two cents may save you $1,000 bucks if in two months you decide you hate indoor training and/or training with power.

I've had my Direto for about a week now. I picked it up from Nashbar. Last I checked they were one of the few online shops that had it in stock. So far, so good. It tracks very well with my P1 pedals (reads just a few watts lower which you would expect). The unit is a bit sluggish to respond to changes in resistance in TR (by ~1 second IMO) but that's just me being critical.