I didn't see any improvements when switching from one trainer to the other.

My improvements came from how much time and the effort I rode on the trainer. For the last 2 years I've ridden on a computrainer and have enjoyed it a little more so I've ridden a bit more during the off-season.

Then several years ago I did a lot of high intensity workouts on a dumb trainer and saw a lot of improvement.

If moving to a smart trainer works for you then I would expect to see an improvement.

I bought a Tacx Neo, upgrading from a Cyclops Fluid2 that was 8 years old.

The power made zero change, but the enjoyment of how buttery smooth the Neo is, and the realization that I had sunk more money in a trainer than my TT bike, has had me riding it 6 days a week.

You get out what you put in.

the biggest pro for switching to a smart trainer from a dumb trainer is the will to ride. I've often slacked in terms of my riding on the dumb trainer, not during the workouts, but in terms of frequency... since I've gotten my flux, I've been much more motivated to ride, since doing workouts in the tacx software or riding in zwift are much more enjoyable and focused than what I was doing on the dumb trainer... I suspect I will see a significant increase in FTP this off-season... not from the virtue of it being a smart trainer, but from the virtue of being more motivated and focused in my training indoors...

This x1000

Very little for me. I went from 0 bike riding to my current FTP in about 9 months on a dumb trainer. About 2/3 the gains were with the dumb trainer and the Kurt Kinetic workout app with no structure. Then, I got the last 1/3 of FTP gains from TrainerRoad on the dumb trainer. I have had a smart trainer for about 6 months and have not seen a material gain in FTP.

I had good discipline on a dumb trainer. A smart trainer will not inherently make you more powerful. However, a smart trainer makes it easier to train better. So, if you do not have the focus to maintain a target power level on a dumb trainer, a smart trainer will improve the quality of your training which should improve FTP.

Given your choice, I would buy a power meter. That was my path: KK Road Machine; then bought a PM; then got a KICKR 2. The PM improves the quality of your dumb trainer training, and it is a huge asset for outdoor training and races.

This! ^^^

There's nothing you can do on a smart trainer that you can't do on a dumb trainer (from a workout perspective). However, doing 2x20's while staring at a power meter or trying to figure out other ways to pass the time gets old in a hurry. A smart trainer + Zwift makes me *want* to get on the trainer every day.

Thanks! My workout routine with the KK with inride is fine, just wasnt sure which one to use as my xmas present to myself this year. Seems like I am in a similar situation to your past self.

Agree 100% about the "will to ride" comments. I actually will stick with my dumb trainer (KK Road Machine) and poor man's power meter (Virtual Power) along with my poor man's subscription to Golden Cheetah (free). I don't mind doing structured interval based workouts because you're not riding enough at the same intensity for it to get too boring. Whether the equipment is dumb or smart, you still have to do the work. Establish FTP, train, retest, establish new FTP, train some more and hopefully the spring brings a stronger rider.

I have a lot of friends that do the Zwift thing and it seems to get them on the bike more than years past.

Buy a power meter for training. Not for racing (well... To pace you can).

100% agree. I trained all last year with a Cycleops Fluid 2 then switched over the summer to a Tacx Neo (both primarily with TrainerRoad). I actually think I was able to maintain a smoother, more consistent workout with the Fluid 2 as compared to the Neo. With the 'dumb' trainer and power meter, you are forced to focus on the workout and the target power. You have to think and anticipate which gearing and cadence will get you to the power target you are to be at. For me, time went by very fast on the 'dumb' trainer because of the focus. I would listen to music while training, but it required a lot of focus on the task at hand. Switching over to the Neo, afforded me to opportunity to shut my mind off and just rotate the pedals. This new mental freedom could be used for other things such as focusing on a podcast, movie, music, zwift, etc. As far as expecting a performance gain by switching, I don't think that will happen. That is, unless you are unable to focus using the 'dumb' trainer and miss shifts in power targets. Another thing that could (?) be of benefit, is that with a 'dumb' trainer, you have your power target, which you either hit or you don't. If you're not feeling it, you can just not hit it. With the 'smart' trainer, it holds you to that power. If you want to achieve it with a high cadence, or grind it out with a lower cadence, you have to hit it. That is the only way I could see it giving you an edge. With all this said, I wouldn't trade my Neo in for anything. Just know going in what the advantages are of a 'smart' vs 'dumb' t trainer.