I went from a Kirt Kinetic Road Machine with P1 pedals to a KICKR (with P1 pedals). I am hugely glad I did. The smart trainer is not a miracle worker-- I got to pretty solid power on the dumb trainer. However, it makes your workouts far more efficient and impactful. The change is that I do not have to hyper-focus on hitting the interval targets. The trainer simply does that for me no matter how fast or slow I may pedal. When I was getting fatigued or feeling weak on the old dumb trainer, I could slack off. On my current rig, I have to force myself to comply and I do hit the numbers. The mental and physical strengths that creates are huge.

Switched from dumb to smart 2 years ago. Also on the P1s. Bought a Hammer. I still log my power from my pedals for my indoor rides so TSS stays consistent (vs from the trainer). The P1s and my smart trainer are usually very close, but might as well keep the power source consistent between indoor/ outdoor.

Smart trainer makes for a much more immersive experience, especially riding on zwift. I enjoy zwift racing, especially for some top-end tuning, and a smart trainer is worth every dollar for the zwift racing experience. Erg mode (where the smart trainer forces you to hold a certain power) is pretty nice too and takes a lot of the mental load of execution out of an interval set. That is (of course) a double edged sword.

It was a lot of money, but I can realistically only ride outside in wisconsin ~7 months a year consistently, so I used that to justify the purchase to myself.

Got in the best shape of my life with Vectors and a dumb trainer.

Now I'm on a Kickr Core trying to get back to where I was a few years ago. Main difference (as stated earlier) is that with pedal power you can bail out on an interval. With erg mode not so much. Is it different? Yes. Is it better? Depends on what makes things "better" for you.

Lower intensity rides become a no brainer. Just tune out and pedal at your desired cadence. That's probably what I've enjoyed most.

I train with a Kickr and previously had a Neo. I use a direct drive smart trainer mainly because I like that it's silent, feels more natural (heavier flywheel), and there is no wheel-slip.

Others have mentioned ERG mode is a great training tool. I think people tend to overly rely on it. Yes, the trainer will maintain a set power for you and all you have to do is pedal. On the flip side, I'd argue training is both physical and mental. When you're in Erg mode, you lose the mental training of staying focused on hitting your power targets for long stretches of time, and not slacking off.

I went the other way - had a kk road machine for years, used a kickr for 6 months then sold it and went back to dumb trainer.
Erg mode I just felt like I was mashing a bit. Kickr will put the clamps on when your cadence and power falls off. I didn’t like the feel or how I lost that engagement.
I prefer changing gears and paying attention to keeping on top of the power. Some days I feel good and will get above targets. Other days I may be just shy. Erg mode doesn’t care about those things.
I have lots of friends who have a smart trainer and get great benefits from them. Me, I find them a bit less interactive which sounds like an oxymoron.
The other positive is the road machine just doesn’t die- no computerised parts to go wrong.
One won’t make you faster over the other.

To me, you just made the argument to use a dumb trainer.

I picked up a Kurt kinetic rock n roll with the in ride sensor used for $135. I’ve been riding it for about 7-8 months. A friend of mine had a wahoo kickr he wasn’t using, so he let me borrow it. I kind of wanted to see if I was missing out on the direct drive, smart trainer deal.

I did a couple of rides on it and wasn’t blown away. I certainly wouldn’t pay $700-$800 for the kickr. I can get just as good of a workout on my fluid trainer as on the kickr. Did it make zwift more immersive? Maybe a tad...but as far as overall training effect, not so much. I put my rear wheel back on and went back to my trusty, over engineered rock n roll trainer.

Thankful I was able to try out a kickr before dropping big bucks on one.

In a way, yes. A smart trainer will not make you strong, that is in the heart. However, a smart trainer makes it easier to get strong on those weaker days.

Personally unless you plan to use Zwift or the like I would stick with a dumb trainer. In all honesty I loved the feel of my Lemond besides it being too loud to watch recorded cycling races on the TV while I train. I now have a Tacx Neo and love how quiet it is but use it like a dumb trainer basically winding up the slope and using gears to find the cadence/watt range I am after rather than just use gears. I firmly believe that if you can't hold specific numbers that may have been planned in your program then yes you may need to work on your mental toughness but more often than not it is your body telling you something. I don't hesitate to drop to what feels like my body has to give that day to complete a session.

I’m using the kinetic road (no power) and just pushing hard when I feel I should. Was thinking of getting a smart trainer and looking at a power meter. Yeah, yeah, I know “it’s one of the first things to get”. I don’t care about power (obviously), but riding on the trainer is soooooo boring. And figure Zwift will make it suck less.

If you ride by feel, probably not.

I still spin on a 35-year old Blackburn Trackstand. Yup, 35 and going...even though it is rusting. I am shocked after all these years, that the magneto resistance part hasn't seized.

You can buy the in ride sensor for around $40 and it attaches to your Kurt kinetic trainer. This will allow you to see power in zwift or you can simply use the free Kurt kinetic app. Very inexpensive way to make your trainer sessions more effective in my opinion.

What if you're racing on a weaker day? ;)

I still use a dumb trainer (another KK RM user) because I have no interest in ERG mode and I haven't convinced myself that slope simulation is enough reason for the investment. I don't slack off intervals unless I need to. The mental strength is in making the decision based on your actual ability, not what you want. If I know I'm having a bad day and simply don't have the strength to maintain an effort, I'll back off slightly, and conversely, if I'm feeling good I'll push slightly beyond my target. The decision is not made in the moment to relieve pain, that would be a failure. It's made as objectively as I can manage. If I adjust it correctly and can just barely complete the session, I've succeeded. The weakness is needing the ERG to make you do it ;)
I may get a smart trainer one day, and may even try ERG mode again, but I really doubt I'll ever switch over to ERG for tough sessions.

Going from no power to a smart trainer is $500 that will change your life. You're already measuring power so it's just a slightly different experience.

I keep getting intrigued about smart trainers and using erg mode on a TrainerRoad. I’ll price them, read online reviews etc.

But I really prefer the simplicity of my fluid trainer and PowerTap hub.

i have used a kickr and e-motion rollers w/ a powertap and owned both for a while. I ended up selling the Kickr because I just prefer the way the rollers work. They are not perfect but work fine for riding Zwift or whatever.

What smart trainer would you suggest for $500?

KICKR Snap: https://www.clevertraining.com/wahoo-fitness-snap

I’ve been very happy with my cycleops magnus, which is widely available under $500.

I couldn’t tell you whether it is better or worse than other options in that range.

This sort of failure to provide an opinion, regardless of whether you have the basis for one, will not fit in around here. If you don't have the info just make something up. Stop being so lazy.

I think you should have a good hard think about your attitude sir!

The only $500 smart trainer I would definitely avoid is the kickr snap. Its a dumb trainer parading a smart trainer and is therefore way over price. I got a Tacx flux on clearance for sub-$500 and it works really well.

The key to a smart trainer is that it is consistent/reliable in reporting power numbers. This is where the snap fails miserably and is a struggle for any wheel on trainer.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the Magnus. That is the no-brainer. It has the coolest name by far, and it has the best wheel tension knob design. And, it has the value price point.Back to MrTri123's question, the only one I would avoid is the Elite Directo. That one has an issue with a wattage floor that can affect you on rest intervals. In a nut, it has trouble with minimum resistance, so you need to be in the small chainring to minimize this issue.

I apologize. It's widely known by everyone who knows anything that if your Wahoo doesn't break in the first month it's only because you've never made more than 100 watts on it.

That's more like it.
Was that really so difficult? Hopefully next time you'll do it without having to be told.
Now run along...