You're only going to get small improvements over the Suito with a higher-end model. Little bit more accurate, little faster response time, etc. I'd say it's probably not worth it.

Biggest difference is going from a wheel on trainer to a direct drive trainer. But, since you started with a direct-drive trainer, there are only small marginal improvements like better power accuracy and maybe durability. But if I were you, I'd run the trainer you have into the ground and then at that point you can always consider a higher-end trainer like a Tacx Neo or Kickr or whatever.

I'd agree with the "run it into the ground" before you update sentiment. The pace of change is dramatic, all of these companies are doing great business but know that they have to continually innovate to maintain their market share. The future will involve more realism and cheaper all-in-one home bikes. It's a very exciting time for indoor riding.

Thanks all!
I actually don't even use the power on the trainer as I have one on my bike and figure might as well have the same measurement indoors and out.
Also got a response from a buddy with a Neo 2 who told me, "a big tv will do more for your experience than any trainer"

I upgraded from a Core to a Kickr last fall. The Kickr is easier to set up and move and also (I think) more accurate, but the overall experience is about the same.

In all honestly, even the best trainer will not make things closer to road feel. The best you can get out of a different trainer is perhaps a quicker setup. Considering you are using your own separate power meter, I don't think you need to bother calibrating your suito each ride as that will have no impact on your accuracy. That is about the only advantage something like the NEO has, it doesn't require calibration each ride. As long as you aren't having issues with your existing one I would not spend the money to upgrade.

One thing that may prove useful is that the new generation of trainers are usually silent. If that's worth it to you, then upgrade. Otherwise, wait until end of life.

It is a matter of considering your personal preferences against what you would gain in an upgrade. For example, I upgraded from a 2016 KICKR to a Tacx Neo 2. I am glad I did. These are the little things I gained that were worth it to me:

• Silence
• Side-to-side flex
• Coolness features, like glowing LED, coasting for ride simulations
• Top-of-the-line prestige factor
• New toy factor

^^^^^This.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
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I found the neatest upgrade I did to my paincave was the Elite Sterzo smart allowing you to steer in Zwift. Increases the immersion a lot.

All things considered, it wasn't terribly expensive for a pretty big upgrade for my indoor riding experience.

in my opinion, the BIG upgrade is to a smart bike. it's a lot of money. they're over $3,000. but, the difference between $700 and $1,400 is maybe 10 percent worth of rider happiness. the difference between any smart trainer and either a NEO or a Kickr smart bike is, like, the difference between having a bathroom and an outhouse.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

By that metric, I’ve got a bucket and a shovel....

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wheel-on dumb trainer? or is that a finger and a tree leaf?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

It’s a fluid 2, so maybe a nice broadleafed maple. My first trainer, a Minoura mag trainer, would be a pine branch.

I get to upgrade when my fluid 2 dies. I’ll probably go first....

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

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Hi Dan, can you elaborate on what the huge difference is? I can put my actual road or tri bike on the kickr/neo, as opposed to a approximation that the smart bike would provide. So where is the difference, is it feel, and if so why don't/cant they offer this feel difference in the stand alone trainers?

The Suito does not require calibration each ride. Once every couple of months or if the temperature is radically different than normal is all that is required.

the following, mainly:

1. your gearing options are limited only by what the two major manufacturers offer. if there's a cassette, 11sp or 12sp, of any config, these bikes mimic that. so, if you're climbing up to the radio tower in zwift, you can choose one gearing scheme, racing a zwift du you can choose another.

2. the gearing is virtual, so there is no such thing as imprecise or whingy shifting.

3. the bikes are adjustable, more or less infinitely.

4. because the bikes are adjustable, you can tune your position indoor for translation to your bike outdoor. you'll learn things on the trainer you can transfer to your outdoor bike. you can make a positional change during a ride. without even stopping pedaling. to see if you like one fit coordinate more than another.

5. the bikes are just solid. the neo bike is a tank. you can feel how solid it is.

6. you don't have to put your bike on and off the trainer based on whether your ride is in or outdoors. your outdoor bike is just your outdoor bike.

7. the kickr bike has every possible feature built in. not only climb, but descend. and, steering. you're urban cowboy on that thing. it's a mechanical bull.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I'd also suggest a bigger fan over a new trainer.

You got me thinking about moving to a smart bike. The one key reason that I have leaned hard toward a smart trainer is that I like training on my actual TT position. I was afraid that I would lose that on a smart bike. I have not looked closely... are they easy to convert (or come) with a TT cockpit?

what you cannot easily do is change the handlebar. so, you'd be putting whatever clip on you choose on a road bar. further, there's really no changing the shifting system. so, if you want to train in the tri position, that's probably achievable. if you want to train in that position but also enjoy the shifters where you'll have them on your tri bike, this would be a failing of the smart bike. either the kickr or the neo.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I'm not sold on a smart bike. I rather have n+1 and ride outdoors or even have my outdoors bike on my indoor trainer.
But that's assuming that I have the cash to buy one.

I LOL at some choices my friends do, tho it' their money. To, having 22% gradient support or 3000w upper limit is mostly just a metric that nmaybe the Pros can use, the mortal folks however can't even reach those kind of wattage.

the biggest difference is it being a direct drive vs wheels on and like others said, you're already on a direct drive so no issues there.

Mine is the Gravat2 and it's one of the cheapest Direct Drive available in my area and using it w/ this app http://apps.apple.com/...raining/id1541280053 is great.

My race bike is a 20year old Trek 5500 with 9s Dura Ace. My cycling shoes are 15 years old. My helmets are between 10 and 20. I don’t have a gravel bike.... my mountain bike shifter is busted, but that also means upgrading the brakes, deraillleurs, cassette...

Plunking down $4k on a smart bike is really low on my priority list. Hell, a smart trainer is low, and that’s higher up the scale than the smart bike.

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I'm using a Giant ONCE TCR that's close to 20year old as well w/ 9Spd Mix Ultra/105 and Shimano 600 and I still use my Old Look Delta (which is like really hard to find nowadays but lucky the cleats are still sold in some specialty stores).