Equipment choices for Zwift/Trainer Road

[Pinned]

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!

[Too Tall]

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

[Saab2000]

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.

[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.

[Too Tall]

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.

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

[Pinned]

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!

[SpeedyChix]

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

[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

[Pinned]

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

Thanks for the link!

[Tom]

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.

[Powerfibers]

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.

[roseyscot]

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

[rec head]

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.

[Too Tall]

This just announced >>> Zwift

Me like.

[rec head]

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

[chrisn]

This just announced >>> Zwift

Me like.

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

[hmai18]

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.