Every one tells me to buy smart trainer.
But i have elite fluid trainer and i am satisfied with it. I dont use zwift and other apps.
I just put some live concert and blast the hours
Am i wrong?should i buy elite direto or similar?
And to say. I use my fluid trainer on my balcony where is fresh. In winter to.
Dont know.
Opinions and suggestions?
why do you care what people say?
if it works for you, get you to your goals, no need to change.
why do you care what people say?
if it works for you, get you to your goals, no need to change.
Not that i care.
Just wondering if am i missing a lot coz i dont have smart trainer
The biggest advantage is that you can load workouts and let it control the resistance, so it can really kick your ass.
If you are good pushing yourself on the normal trainer, keep it up!
Good fluid trainers are really quite good at what they do. They’re better at it than most (maybe all) of the electronic trainers.
If that one thing is what you use a trainer for - and it sounds like for you it is - than an electronic trainer would probably be a step down.
The main purpose of an indoor trainer is to enable you to train effectively. I’m happy to be corrected, but seems the main difference between your trainer and a smart trainer (aside from nuances about how resistance is generated) is that the good ones have a decent power meter built in.
If you have a power meter on your bike, that’s covered, so any other differences (eg, improved connectivity to apps) are window dressing that it doesn’t sound like you need to get training done. So just keep doing you and you’ll be fine.
Good fluid trainers are really quite good at what they do. They’re better at it than most (maybe all) of the electronic trainers.
If that one thing is what you use a trainer for - and it sounds like for you it is - than an electronic trainer would probably be a step down.
Not to derail, but What does a fluid trainer do better than a Kickr or Neo ?
It’s not the smart trainer per se, for me it’s more the interactivity on a platform like Zwift that is the game changer. Being able to do races, ride in groups (with drafting and scenery), etc. has made the winter months of indoor training much more enjoyable than all those years spent biking whilst staring at a wall on a fluid trainer (never could get into watching TV/DVDs while on the turbo).
Not to derail, but What does a fluid trainer do better than a Kickr or Neo ?
The very best fluid trainers (things like the old Kurt Kinetic with the 18lb flywheel) still outperform the electronic trainers in terms of “feel” and resistance impulse response to rider output when the electronic trainers are in “dumb” mode, IE: just providing resistance. It’s just not that easy to simulate inertia effects with an electronic trainer, especially when everyone who tries to do so is instantly hit by a lawsuit from a patent troll, but the combination of a big damn flywheel and fluid resistance actually does a pretty decent job of it. A giant weighted fan that sounds like a jet plane is even better.
Modern electronic trainers are pretty good at this, but the current trainer landscape is a long way from back when something like the Lemond trainer could succeed by just being a dumb trainer that felt better than all the rest. Trainer “feel” just isn’t something that the market cares all that much about anymore as all the obvious advantages of virtual cycling completely dominate the trainer conversation. And, honestly, you can’t really feel the difference when your trainer is doing all the stuff that current trainers can do. Lock the thing down in “dumb” mode, though, and put it side by side with a really good fluid trainer or a Lemond, and you can feel the difference.
Same thing I ride…fluid or mag trainer–I don’t even know which it is to tell you the truth. I just ride it & put on a good show. No Zwift, Rouvy or whatever. I do intervals on commercials, or climbing and it seems to work just fine and get me in good shape.
In their replies a lot of people have focused on the interactive aspect of smart trainers and the data collection.
However, setting that aside, a modern direct drive trainer has a few advantages:
- they are much quieter (especially top end models)
- they don’t consume tires like a wheel on trainer
- you distribute the cassette usage on a second cassette (the one that goes on the trainer)
Living in an apartment, a quiet trainer can be a game changer.
The disadvantages are the higher cost, weight and size. Also, some of the smart trainers require being plugged the whole time with few exceptions (Tax neo).
Keep in mind there are wheel on trainers with smart features (kickr snap, elite tuo).
I’ve never liked any of my wheel on trainers as much as my tacx neo or wahoo kickr.
Many people are fixed on the idea of using smart trainers with a route or a workout. That’s due to the design of the apps they are using - not a limitation of the trainer. Many smart trainers can be used disconnected (no app controlling it, they have a default resistance) and in three controlled modes (power target, grade simulation, resistance level).
Not weird, as long as your legs can do the work. If you find yourself in trouble to complete the sessions, for boredom reasons, then you can consider a smart trainer