My Cycleops Wind trainer just sucks, I am tired of dealing with the noise and lower power resistance. I am looking for a nice smart trainer that works well with Trainer Road. I have read a lot of the DCRainmaker reviews but they all seem good to me.
I am in the US and need a recommendation based on what you have and why you like it. The only deal breaker is I don’t want to take off the wheel as having horizontal dropouts makes changing the wheel a pain. My bike had a Stages pm if that matters at all.
My Cycleops Wind trainer just sucks, I am tired of dealing with the noise and lower power resistance. I am looking for a nice smart trainer that works well with Trainer Road. I have read a lot of the DCRainmaker reviews but they all seem good to me.
I am in the US and need a recommendation based on what you have and why you like it. The only deal breaker is I don’t want to take off the wheel as having horizontal dropouts makes changing the wheel a pain. My bike had a Stages pm if that matters at all.
I am in the market as well and looking for a smart trainer, it has been suggested to wait until AFTER Eurobike as there will likely be discounts as new models are announced
How much do you want to spend? Do you want a wheel on or wheel off trainer?
I’ll throw in a plug for what I bought, the Tacx Vortex. At the time it was by far the cheapest smart trainer when purchased from UK/German sites at around $300. I use it with Trainerroad powermatch with my powertap wheel and it has really been great for the last 9 months, especially as the guys at Trainerroad have improved the powermatch functionality.
How much do you want to spend? Do you want a wheel on or wheel off trainer?
I’ll throw in a plug for what I bought, the Tacx Vortex. At the time it was by far the cheapest smart trainer when purchased from UK/German sites at around $300. I use it with Trainerroad powermatch with my powertap wheel and it has really been great for the last 9 months, especially as the guys at Trainerroad have improved the powermatch functionality.
+1 on Tacx, I got the Bushido which is the same thing as the vortex without the cord. Works perfectly 99% of the time, takes up almost no space and you don’t need to take the wheel off your bike. I’m not sure what functionality the kickr has that would justify paying $1,000+ vs $350 for the vortex, but it’s certainly nothing that I would need.
The only deal breaker is I don’t want to take off the wheel as having horizontal dropouts makes changing the wheel a pain. Budget would be under $600. I have been hesitant to get the Tacx because it seems too good to be true.
I think the replies below missed the “I don’t want to take off the wheel” part.
This limits you a bit more, but based on this and TR compatibility, KICKR Snap is an easy decision. If you consider a direct drive, then that’s a whole other kettle of fish. Rationale for the Snap is compatibility with TR, it’s wheel on smart trainer, and in general, Wahoo is a leader in customer service.
It’s been pretty flawless for me, and according to trainerroad I’ve spent 231 hours on it. The only very minor issue I’ve had is that I need an extension USB cable for my ANT+ adapter to get close to the trainer because if I just leave it plugged into my laptop there are dropouts. Also if you buy from one of the European sites and you are in the US you will probably need a plug adapter.
You should also be able to get a Kickr Snap for under $600 if you wait around for a sale.
I recently got the Vortex as well, ~3 months ago. Haven’t used it too much yet but I like it so far. I’ll be setting up with TrainerRoad in ~month after my last couple races are done. The only issue I have had is that the trainer and my phone pairing can be janky sometimes. This isn’t too much of a deal tough and have found consistent work arounds.
Sorry for all the questions, what’s the deal with their flywheel? I saw a horrible thread on here a few months ago about a guy that had one explode and I shied away ever since.
Sorry for all the questions, what’s the deal with their flywheel? I saw a horrible thread on here a few months ago about a guy that had one explode and I shied away ever since.
I believe that was one of their early, recalled flywheels that wasn’t replaced.