Equipment choices for Zwift/Trainer Road

I have two goals this winter - get faster and lose more weight. This means actually wanting to ride indoors, so I'm hoping for a little feedback on equipment choices.

I have the following already:
-Garmin 520 w/ HRM + cadence / speed sensors
-Kreitler Rollers w/ headwind fan
-Basic mag trainer with 3 settings

I've got a budget of $500-$600 to make my indoor work outs as effective and enjoyable as possible. It seems like I could buy a Wahoo Kickr Snap for $500ish, one of the Qubo Interactive trainers for $400ish, or use my current equipment and get a power meter like a 4iiii or Stages (which would be nice to have when out on the road).

Is it worth foregoing the utility of a dedicated power meter to get one of the variable resistance trainers (is it a much more realistic / enjoyable experience than without)? Or will I be plenty happy utilizing the power meter and rollers setup and just shifting to increase resistance / wattage?

Appreciate any thoughts!

I have done both rollers and ended with the Wahoo Which is very good.

I finally did my first ride with Zwift yesterday, using a Cycleops fluid trainer. It's decent but it's clear that a smart trainer would greatly enhance the experience. That's not in the budget at the moment but it's a goal for the future.

Tough call now, I'd really like a power meter but I also know that if the riding is monotonous I won't do it and it seems like the smart trainer is the key there.

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Originally Posted by Pinned

Tough call now, I'd really like a power meter but I also know that if the riding is monotonous I won't do it and it seems like the smart trainer is the key there.

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That and a endless stream of people to virtually ride with. It kinda works.

Well it seems like the Kickr Snap is probably the way to go over the Elite Qubo interactive given that Kickr seems to be the leader in this. Though I did notice KK is introducing a Rock and Roll trainer with controlled resistance...which seems like it'd be an even better buy as they can be pre-ordered for $679. Anyone think that'll be worth waiting for? I could always ride now without the fancy trainer.

Decisions decisions!

Take a look at wahoo's cyber Monday 10/off on the snap (and gen 2 Kickr).

This is the best deal for a smart trainer. tacx vortex smart. works well, $320. i ordered from this site in gernmany and it was on my doorstep in a week. highly recommend as the budget option for a smart trainer that controls resistance.

Tacx T218 Vortex Virtual Smart Trainer | Turbo Trainer Shop

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Originally Posted by AngryScientist

This is the best deal for a smart trainer. tacx vortex smart. works well, $320. i ordered from this site in gernmany and it was on my doorstep in a week. highly recommend as the budget option for a smart trainer that controls resistance.

Tacx T218 Vortex Virtual Smart Trainer | Turbo Trainer Shop

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Thanks for the link!

Just burned up my second BKOOL unit in one year so I ordered a Kickr Snap. I hope these are more reliable. The BKOOL units were different generations and failed in different ways, I sort of don't like to say anything but two units only lasting about a year each is tough. The first was replaced on warranty but it was a hassle and took a while, it is easier to bite the bullet and replace it.

I have the Tacx Bushido, and it works great. I have had no issues with consistency or controlling targets or grades in Zwift. I do use my power meter for power output, as the Tacx seems a little low (but consistent which is important). I am running on an Asus Xteriz gaming laptop which cost me $1100, but the upgrade was worth it! Using an ethernet cable for connection and ANT+, I am having a great experience. Running on a crappy computer yields crappy results.

My buddy has the Kickr Snap, and he loves it with his Mac using BlueTooth.

I despise wheel on trainers. Last year I used zwift a bit with emotion rollers and a stages pm. It was fine. I sold the rollers and bought a kickr this season. So far, the kickr is pretty sweet, and I'm using my old bike with no pm while I keep my pm on my outdoor bike. If I were you, I'd buy the pm this season and use the trainers and rollers you've got. If you're smitten enough with the zwift experience, upgrade the trainer next year

I have the Tacx Vortex and like it. My wife rides it using Zwift and I'm just using the Tacx app. The Tacx app isn't phenomenal but it works. I make my own workouts on the app and what I have found is that I really like having it auto-switch resistance every minute. So instead of riding 10 minutes at 230 watts I would rather do 1m at 220 and 1m at 240 and keep alternating. The constant changes just keep me more sane. I have no specific goal besides maintaining some fitness and that method might not work for everyone. It is definitely not how I ride outside.

This just announced >>> Zwift

Me like.

Update to what I said about the Tacx, their customer support is horrible. I wouldn't recommend them based on that alone.

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Originally Posted by Too Tall

This just announced >>> Zwift

Me like.

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Apple TV connectivity sure solves a few hardware problems for me (like work not allowing any non work software such as Zwift on my Surface Pro.)

Need to get a direct drive trainer in the new year, so i guess a Kickr is the default option although the Bkool Air looks interesting too if its as quiet as they claim:

Bkool release two new smart trainers | road.cc

My vote goes to a dedicated PM. You'll appreciate having access to power data and being able to train properly outdoors once the weather gets nice again.

I'm running TrainerRoad using a Cyclops Fluid2 and an Nexus 7 tablet, while listening to tunes on my phone. I thought long and hard about getting a smart trainer earlier this fall, but decided to stick with the budget approach. This setup is enough to keep me engaged for the 60 minutes or so that I want to be on a trainer.