spend 150 more.... Elite Direto .... direct drive smart trainer - DC Rainmaker gave a great review

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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

I think I'm over the smart trainer. I've had a kickr for a couple years now, and a feedback sports omnium for a few months. Other than getting to select the exact cadence you want for whatever power target (which could be a bad thing specificity wise), the kickr doesn't do anything better than the omnium. I can hold a steadier power on the omnium than the kickr does in erg mode. And the kickr is waaay louder.

I'm currently using a cheap spinning bike with Vector 2 pedals. My only motivation for changing is for the automatic resistance changes with workouts and to be able to incorporate hills in Zwift. Any other suggestions?

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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

were i you, i'd look at the thread i just put up about smart trainers.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

The kickr snap falls into a weird category I would call a dumb smart trainer. It is smart In the sense any software will readily adjust the resistance. It’s dumb in the sense it only really estimates power so it isn’t all that accurate.

A quick search online will reveal all the calibration/accuracy issues people have with the snap. Lots of spin downs and still the power numbers aren’t great. Like all wheel on trainers it suffers from inconsistencies in power transfer from the wheel to the trainer. So if you already have a power meter it a solid choice. If you don’t have a power meter there are better ways to spend the cash.

If you want a direct drive trainer, definitely get a direto. I got mine for $720 during backcountry's 20% sale (or you can buy it for 900 right now and get 30% back in performance points). If you don't want a direct drive trainer, get a kickr snap.

Personally, I won't own a non direct drive trainer again. It's so much quieter and I don't have to worry about the dog sticking his nose into a fast spinning wheel.

I get the direct drive trainer arguments. But I confused with all the buzz on kickr and other smart trainers.

I don't get why anyone would want a trainer that provides the power figures. Why not have the PM on the bike itself? This way you can train indoors, outdoors and race and have the data to work with. Having it on the trainer is pretty worthless in my opinion. What am I missing here? Which then corresponds with smart trainers....given the idea that a PM on the bike is superior to having it on the trainer...what is the appeal of spending all the money on the smart trainers? Is it just the automatic resistance changes and the ability to have it adjust with something like swift? I'm a little lost on the absolute "must have" type of attitudes I see from some athletes with regard to smart trainers.

I have the SNAP and while I like it and have had pretty consistent results re. Power numbers. I would have gone with the direct drive in hindsight.
Before every session I ride it for 10 minutes and then calibrate which is kind of a pain in the arse. I have also found that the skewer clamp on it isn't as solid feeling as my previous trainer , a Kurt Kinetic.

I have been doing a lot of my training in ERG mode with TrainerRoad this year and my results on the road have been much improved. The ERG mode on the smart trainer has been a game changer in my opinion. Spend the extra money and get direct drive though

My 2 cents:

• Good power data/correlation when compared with my PM (now since removed)
• Quieter
• No rear wheel
• I love ERG mode, especially at 5am in the morning and I just pedal.
• No shifting, just find my cadence and go.
• Free's up my PM's so they are only on my "outside" bikes
• Did I mention I love ERG mode and I am never going back?

All that being said if I could only have a PM or smart trainer I would probably go with PM so I could have data from races.

I didn't buy into the smart training hype for a while but there are a few big wins for me:

1. built in power meter: I now keep an older bike on the trainer full time, no power meter needed.
2. pre-planned workouts: I don't have to watch the clock as closely or pay close attention to what power number I'm supposed to be hitting. I just pedal, and when the interval is over, it gets easier. I'm only on the trainer doing hard workouts once or twice a week, but it is just so much easier!

Cycleops Magnus is arguably just as good, more accurate, and a little cheaper, using the same basic technology.

Edit: Just noticed you are looking for heavy flywheel (for some reason). The Snap flywheel is about 4 times heavier than the Magnus, so if that is a requirement I guess the Kickr is the way to go.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

I fought with myself about the Snap for weeks. I read every word about it that I could find on the internet. I found a lot of not so nice reviews and decided to go with a KK Road Machine with the pod.

I am super happy with the purchase so far, having logged 4 weeks of TrainerRoad workouts on the high volume base Full IM Plan.

Weight, yes, but more specifically, the distribution of weight; the farther from the center, the more inertia that weight posesses. My current trainer (Sunny spinning bike) has a 40lb flywheel, and while it's a PITA to move around, the momentum that it maintains is really terrific. It's amazing really. The only downside to my setup is having to manually adjust the resistance. I still haven't decided if it's worth an additional $1,000.

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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

wait until clevertraining will have 20% off, and get Elite Direto ~$720. Did this last year.

Another +1 for the Direto. I scored a new one from my LBS for $500 and I couldn't pass it up. Wanted to spend less on a wheel-on smart trainer, but I don't regret it one bit. It's so much quieter, smoother, and more accurate (at least that's what I'm told).

Hoping prices will be even cheaper next year. Tacx dropped their flux to $799 so hooing direct drive trainers will continue to drop. I’ve had a tacx vortex smart for 2 years. Mostly fine. It has some quirks at times I work around but for the most part it’s good. I think $500 is my price point if a good direct drive shows up for that. Maybe next year

Don’t consider anything until after Eurobike....

I love my omnium. I just wish someone could figure out a way to add some inertia to it.

Why would that be? New models introduced then or something?

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https://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/domingjm

Not a fan of my Snap. I'd readily go back in time and pay a few more hundred for a Hammer or something.

That's an endless cycle though. You wait 4 months until Eurobike. Then the really cool things announced at Eurobike are actually available 6 months after Eurobike. But then people start teasing what's going to be announced at Eurobike.

It’s 2 weeks away....

Yes. New items and usually price changes. If I was buying, I’d wait

Oh, shoot, I thought it was much later, sorry. Confused with Interbike or something.

Still, though, you often have to wait months to actually buy whatever is announced....but I agree, 2 weeks is worth at least scanning the playing field.