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E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit
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I use rollers for my indoor training and I am considering adding the SMART Resistamce unit to my InsideRide e- motion rollers. Wondering if anyone has first hand experience with this unit. Does it actually work well, and is it accurate, consistent etc. Bugs? How do you find it working with zwift?

Thanks you and my apologies if this has been asked already.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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titemple652 wrote:
I use rollers for my indoor training and I am considering adding the SMART Resistamce unit to my InsideRide e- motion rollers. Wondering if anyone has first hand experience with this unit. Does it actually work well, and is it accurate, consistent etc. Bugs? How do you find it working with zwift?

Thanks you and my apologies if this has been asked already.

I've been using the new setup for a month or so, and it works really well. I've been riding e-motion rollers for about 10 years and I had to buy a completely new set of rollers since the old model doesn't work with the new smart resistance unit. Anyone looking for a good deal on some "dumb" emotion rollers?

I race zwift 1-2 times per week and the setup works perfectly. They are really designed to be used in conjunction with a power meter and that's how I use them. When I first connected zwift to the rollers (trainer), the default setting is to get power from the smart rollers and it causes a power lag in zwift of 1+ seconds (very annoying). I've heard that many smart trainers have the same issue. I switched zwift to control the trainer, but get power from my power meter and the response on the screen when I pedal is instantaneous. It makes zwift racing more realistic and helps to have more resistance for climbing and sprinting (I would sometimes spin out when I didn't have the resistance unit).

The rollers also have a ergo mode where you can fix the wattage regardless of speed. It works well and there is a little remote for your bars to adjust the wattage.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [bluto] [ In reply to ]
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awesome post, thanks for the reply. Maybe I will get this unit and save myself $1200 on a direct drive smart trainer.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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I also just got the smart unit (Christmas present!), which was easy to retrofit on my rollers. I’ve only used it for one ride on Zwift, but it worked very well. I have a power meter on the bike and paired that to Zwift while it controlled the rollers. I haven’t tried Erg mode yet.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [rtc9f] [ In reply to ]
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I wish the smart unit worked on their older rollers :(.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [ridenfish39] [ In reply to ]
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ridenfish39 wrote:
I wish the smart unit worked on their older rollers :(.

Just get a cheap computrainer for the days you want to ride smart trainer. They are bomb proof. For years, I had the CT and emotion rollers. I actually gave away my eMotion rollers to a friend training for Kona and got myself some $100 Performance Bike rollers. I kind of regret not having the eMotion rollers....I may look for a second hand old set.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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I have a cycleops Hammer too. I prefer the rollers. I made a really nice rocker plate for the hammer and it still doesn’t feel nearly as “right” as riding rollers.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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I just installed the new SMART resistance unit on my Emotion Rollers last night and used if with Zwift for the first time.


I paired it with my powertap and then with Zwift, like Inside Ride instructs, and they worked great with Zwift. No issues what-so-ever.

Really cool that when the incline in Zwift goes up, the wattage required goes up, and when the incline goes down, the wattage required goes down. If you want to change the 'loading' then you just shift gears.

Really cool experience.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [Dbeitel] [ In reply to ]
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I am completely on the fence between adding the smart resistance unit to my rollers which will cost $500 Canadian dollars or buying an Elite Direto direct drive. $1050 cad
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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I bought and installed the Smart Resistance unit on my rollers in late November - been using them since with TrainerRoad (ERG) and Zwift (simulation)......it's fantastic. Highly recommended. My Gen 1 KICKR has sat unused since I got it - I'm thinking about selling it and just getting the InsideRide fork stand that I can install and remove when I want to.
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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I have a computrainer that I have been using forever, and have been riding rollers for even longer. I like the feel and the benefits of riding the rollers, but have always wanted the 'erg' capabilities the computrainer has provided.

I was a beta tester for InsideRide's first generation attempt and I have to give them props for sticking with it, and I feel that this third generation is fantastic.

They provide an App that can control the SMART unit that is fully functional as well.

For sprinting and high intensity workouts, they offer a fork stand for around $150 that can be used in addition to the rollers.

I don't think that this combination can be beat !
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [titemple652] [ In reply to ]
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titemple652 wrote:
I am completely on the fence between adding the smart resistance unit to my rollers which will cost $500 Canadian dollars or buying an Elite Direto direct drive. $1050 cad

Have you tried an elite direto? I switched over to an elite direto last year after 5 years of riding emotion rollers. I wasn’t even in the market for a smart trainer. There just happened to be one set up on the floor of my lbs, and when I tried it I was surprised to find that I liked the road feel better than the feel of my emotion rollers. Sure the bike’s immobilized, but the pedalling motion just felt smoother and more realistic to me. I’m not saying it’s better, I’m just saying it felt better to me, it’s personal preference. You should try it, and choose whichever one has better road feel for you -- IMO that is a more important consideration than power accuracy or lag time or any other feature. If your lbs doesn’t let you try one out, then you could consider ordering one from MEC -- I’m told they have a very liberal return policy which they honour (Yes, I’m in Canada too).
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Re: E - Motion Rollers / Insideride SMART resistance unit [AndyCaleb] [ In reply to ]
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Yes MEC is great that way I have been a member for 20 years. MEC is our version of REI if you folks are wondering what the hec MEC is.

I am also considering a Wahoo Kickr Core as I get 15% of at a dealer who sells them. Lots to think about!
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