As a returning rider who's never used such a trainer before, seems like this thing will be perfectly adequate. The main thing for me is to gain the interactivity that will make indoor training fun.
I bought a flow smart from a buddy who had it stuffed in a closet for 18 months without using it. For me as a new cyclist i thiink it is a great product, it´s still in better shape than i am so no need for an upgrade anytime soon.
I bought at Decahtlon 200 bucks! Delighted! Don´t care lack of accuracy. Having power data bring home training to another level. Much easier to motivate!
Nice review and very educational for a first time indoor cyclist. Started cycling ‘bout 6-7 months ago and a friend gave me this Tacx Flow in exchange for a bottle of whiskey 😎 Now I know how to set it up. Can’t wait to try it out during rainy days.
Great review. I got one of these as my first smart trainer, and I can honestly say, for its price range, and specs, its a good first trainer to have, for riding about Zwfit. I've now upgraded to a direct drive, but despite the thoughts of selling this on, as a back up in case my direct drive breaks down, (which its done so once already, and was kindly replaced by the manufacturer).
I've been using one of these for a couple of years now. Other than getting stuck trying to figure out how to calibrate it (tire pressure was too high after a tire swap so the rolldown didn't work), it's been a great little unit. I've mostly been using my Quarq as a power source, so no qualms with accuracy. You learn to shift so you stay within the bounds of the trainer (it has a ceiling and a floor), no big deal after a while. It is much quieter with a dedicated trainer tire. I really don't notice the sound of the trainer over the industrial fan I have running and the music I have loud enough to hear over the fan.
Hey dude - I like seeing the power stats in all your trainer videos! It might help also showing a time aligned plot of speed as well, then dividing power by speed (in rad/s) to show torque too (I'd certainly be interested in seeing that). My hypothesis on the delay and accuracy: There is a delay in power measured at the trainer because there is a component of torque generated at the crank which goes into the rotational acceleration of the rear wheel (and other rotating masses). The trainer has to imply this from changes in measured speed, calculating rotational acceleration. For better accuracy (and reliability) this speed signal is probably passed through a moving average filter introducing a delay. Accuracy is lost with respect to a "wheel off" trainer because it has to assume a value for the moment of inertia of the rear wheel (this is clearly known for a "wheel off" trainer). Again this is probably well known to the road biking community to which I'm a noob!
Hi Shane had one of these for a year good in parts but terrible in others. Tacx quality control leaves something to be desired unit delivered with no qr or bolts. Unit struggles to register low cadence high power efforts in zwift work outs. But just got my direto delivered yesterday after your recommendations and it is the bomb thanks for all the vids keep going!
Hi Shane thank you so much for doing as always a great review on this particular product. I have had this for about one year now with very little instructions. I agree you do have to learn how to ride this especially in erg mode. I had installed tacx training and couldn't figure out how to update the firmware now sorted that out and up to date. I enjoy your videos keep them coming. This product like you said is very good for entry level but of course you always want better so looking to upgrade in time to tacx flux.
Another great Lama production! :) ... Due to bad snowy, slippery weather here in the Netherlands I couldn't ride for a couple of days and started looking at some trainers that can be hooked up on Zwift. I'm a long-ish distance average recreational rider. I'm aiming at making my flight time up to 100km a week to get through the winter. So, I'm not the sprinter, heavy wattage and what not total freakout user, but I am a sucker for quality. Have said that ... Comparing the Flow with the Vortex, as far as judging them on video goes, the Flow looks/feels a bit flimsy. I would like a more high-end trainer but I'd rather invest that in outside gear because cold and rain don't bother me ... Just want to keep paddling through those few truly horrible weeks :) ... Thus, Viewed your Vortex review as well and I think my heart is set on the Vortex. Thanks again, keep it up and enjoy the good stuff!
The lag in reported power reading is due to the internal smoothing on power measurement. Since it needs so much, this suggests internally the readings may be noisy.
Great timing with this review :) I'm looking to get a smart trainer and was wondering what the differences were between the Vortex and the Flow and if it the Vortex was worth the price difference. I think the Flow will do just fine for me. Just discovered your channel a few weeks ago by the way. Fantastic content. I watched a bunch of your videos. Great insight, great reviews, great discussion. Keep it up!
I've been running the Flow for just under a year now. I got a good deal from Halfords with BC discount, £171 IIRC. Overall the Flow's been a great starter unit with no problems or faults. 95% of the time I'm using it in ERG mode on one of Zwift's training plans. In those workouts I am consistently having to change gear to adapt to the power required. As this is my first trainer I assumed this was normal. Also I cannot get my unit to register above about 580 watts. I concede that I may just be a weakling (my FTP = 257) but I was surprised to see Lama could get his to 850w. Overall a good starter at an affordable price but I will be looking to upgrade mine to something a bit more capable this winter.
Good review Shane, I've had my Flow for nearly a year now and it's been brilliant for the money, looking to upgrade now but definitely happy with my choice for an introduction into the smart trainer world. £200 from Halfords not bad!
Same here, just £160 with British cycling discount. Used it for 6 months with power from the unit and experienced pretty much the same as Shane but it was good enough to get me hooked on Zwift. Have done another 6 months taking power from a stages pm and the resistance from the flow and it’s worked really well. I’m sure a high end trainer would feel better but £500+ better? Not sure I can justify it unless the flow does on me a some point.
Thanks for this info. I'm currently using a reliable, quiet but "dumb" fluid trainer, I'm actually not bothered about ERG mode but wondered if I could take power from my 4iiii power meter and use the Flow to give a better feel for the terrain within Zwift - sounds like this approach works fine? Also how does the resistance change feel on the hills within Zwift - worthwhile and quickly responsive to gradient changes or not?
Ian - I’ve had no problems using power from the stages and resistance from the flow. Erg mode even works reasonably well with that setup. There’s a second or 2 delay on resistance when you hit a hill but you get used to that - definitely more immersive than a dumb trainer. You’re reaching for the gears with even the slightest gradient change, you just won’t use quite the range you would if you were outside up a real 15%. I found that when I used power from the flow it overestimated on hills for some reason. It was about 10-15% over the watts I’d normally put out over say 5 minutes on the flat in Zwift. Once I switched to a power meter for power it’s been much more realistic and matches what I can do on the road more closely.
Thanks for extra info, much appreciated. Sounds like a good budget buy to take it up a notch on Zwift this winter. The 800-900W ceiling might be a bit of an issue for me but to be honest that will likely be super-seeded by the ability to get out of the saddle for an indoor sprint (currently I have to stay seated if I'm going over 500W due to wheel slippage/trainer using my body weight, which means it's a struggle anyway to push past 900W for long).
Great video. Suggestion....since these bikes are typically for newbies, you were right on until the firmware update was completed. As a newbie to the whole bike trainer world, I was lost. Would have been nice to show how to use the app vs jump right into Zwift.
Tks Shane! Great review! I believe these products are a big chunk of the market, especially for the other countries like here in Brazil that we do not have the products officially imported, besides being expensive. I thought the Qubo Digital Smart Elite seemed better, I'm right? Anyway these products are not for the very high requirement. This week I'm going to start zwift, and I'm anxious, it's a simple trainer with ant + sensors, but the desire to pedal in Watopia is huge, thanks for your videos, you have a big part in it.
I’ve used this trainer for 9 months and had already sussed out the need to change 2 to 3 gears to hit short power intervals in ERG mode. The BLE dropouts mid ride have been very frustrating. Only recently found out that the Flow has a known overheating issue at low rpm and power over 250 watts. Now need an extra fan trained on the Flow to avoid that.
I have the Flow Smart and I am quite happy with it... The only bad thing I can say about it, is that it is a bit noisy... but I've never had another trainer to compare it with, so maybe it's normal for such type of a trainer...
Great review Shane! About the inaccuracy of the 350W intervals at slower flywheel speeds, isn't that just the unit hitting the maximum resistance? I mean, the unit is specified as 800W at 40km/hr, but that also means that it will capable of substantially less than 400W (300 to 350W?) at 20km/hr. It would be interesting to see the sped plotted in the same graph. Generally, thumbs up! Really helpful reviews.
I was using a Neo in a cycling studio until I moved. The Flow was a no brainier for me at £180 new. It’s decent in workout mode - that said ERG mode isn’t he smoothest - but honestly this will do me nicely until I can do a under the radar Flux or Neo purchase.
I have the same "problem" with the Vortex in ERG mode, but really it's not that big of a deal, you just have to change to a bigger gear when it asks for more watts. Still, ERG mode is way better on the Vortex than on the Drivo ! What I wish you would review, is the actual slope simulation: the Vortex is supposed to simulate the slope "up to" 7% but in my case I don't feel any difference above 4-4.5%.
This is exactly what I've found. I have a Flow Smart for indoor with Zwift, and also a 4iiii power meter. The Erg mode is extremely laggy, and does require gear changes to match. Weirdly, it's a lot better in TrainerRoad than it is in Zwift.
I have the Vortex and I find it also suffers from the ERG mode peculiarities, you do have to learn how to ride them. Having said that I do love it and would recommend it as an entry level smart trainer.
Very difficult to give any advice because an acceptable noise level is a very personal measure. I train in my garage so the noise is fairly irrelevant to me but I don't think it's particularly noisy. To get a very quiet machine you may have to spend a lot more money :-(
tobortine might not be practical for early morning rides, but should be OK for evenings. Probably not even a fluid one would be OK for early morning anyway.
I think you're right. Also worth investing in a mat or piece of off cut carpet (cheaper) that should reduce the transmitted noise and makes it feel more comfortable.
Hey man, wondering if you can help me. Ive been dying to know this and cant find the answer anywhere. Can you upload rides from this trainer to strava without using or having zwift ?
love to see an indepth on the qubo like this if youve still got one.ive just bought one off the back of your original review and the one done by athletic tech review. more than good enough for the money but seems to have similar drawbacks with lag and erg.
Hi Shane - I just got Tacx Flow for Christmas! I'm having trouble calibrating. I suspect its because I'm running tubeless tire at 82PSI. I'm afraid to inflate it to 100PSI as it's not recommended for my wheel and tire. Should I just go back to tubes so I can inflate to the Tacx recommendation of 100psi or is there another solution to calibrate with tubeless setup? Thanks a bunch and love your videos!
Hi Shane. I am loving the videos! What are your thoughts between this and the Tacx vortex smart trainer? I am in the UK and am looking for my first trainer for an indoor set up and to test out Zwift. I can get the Vortex for £169.99 and the Flow for £189.99 here in the UK. Which would you go for at those prices. Thanks again.
Given this review is a few years old, I'm guessing not sure much has changed.. Finally pull(ed)ing the trigger on a smart trainer with what my wallet could currently comfortably allow right now, and it was between this and the Kinetic Road Smart 2. Weighed the pros/cons on both in terms of tech, and the personal reviews on both, but after getting a slight headache about this, I went with the the Tacx Flow! And should arrive in 5-7 business days.. I'm a new Cat3 living in California, and hopefully this will do what I need it to do Lol Also to note; I'm going with TRAINERROAD for training, and have the Favero Assioma UNO pow'met, so hoping for the best!
On many forums there is a complaint about faulty clicking rollers. I think people are over-tightening the tension with the calibration app - it’s not accurate. Check the metal roller with your thumb and see if it clicks.
Hi Shane, would be interesting to see a review of Tacx Genius Smart now and see how it looks compared to Vortex and Flow (high end wheel on trainer vs. entry level).
Even with the flux I have to shift up to hit some numbers as it can only simulate 10% and I like riding in the 34 23 gear... But for say 400e I have to shift 3 cogs down
Yep. I've found slowing the flywheel down by changing to an easier gear is sometimes required on the FLUX when in ERG mode. 20-25km/h flywheel speed is the optimal range for ERG on the FLUX.
You should try to get your hands on a Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer they look cool. They should make an interactive front wheel chock that adjusts the wheel height to match the grade on zwift.
Novice with bikes, only have a spinning bike, have been advised affordable price and quality reliable will more than likely go for this and get a bike to go with it that is compatiable and affordable again with quality. Wanting to sign up to Zwift when all completed and purchased. Great informative video very informative for my needs.
Shane great review. I have noticed that the Tacx training app has the facility to show/record data such as calories burned, km/h, wattage, bpm etc. Does this particular trainer show/record all this data on your phone/tablet app?
These units are on sale atm. Is it simple/easy enough to use for a beginner cyclist with a spare bike that just wants a late night exercise option. Like I have an electric mountain bike that I’ll take outside when it’s light/dry enough and an entry level road bike I don’t get to use much. I also assume I’d need to figure out the whole cleat situation for an indoor system like this but I’m mostly just worried that it’s a bit tricky to balance on etc.
If you're using ANT+, yes. The Flow has Bluetooth, so if you're using an iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, Android, or MAC, no. Windows does have Bluetooth support in most training apps.... some can be troublesome.
Shane, could you explain what you mean with big and small rings for more precision? You mean front (chain) rings or rear cog rings? I am confused. Further, i'd like to use the device in offline mode in a separate room without electricity for some time and basic training. DC Rainmaker in one of his reviews (Booster?) could set the power mode to a defined level (e.g. 200W preset), then unplug and the trainer would stay in the same 200W mode (magnets distance to the wheel). Is it the same with the FLOW smart? Decathlon is selling them at a very exciting price at the moment and I am willing to klick on the "buy" button.
This looks like essentially a vortex with the a different resistance unit. I heard that the pedal cycle is a bit choppy with dead spots, did you feel any issues with pedaling smoothness?
Hi, great video. I need to strengthen my leg after a ligament tear. I was told that cycling would do this. Would this be good for leisurely exercise while I watch TV. Could you recomend something else not to noisy.
Was wondering how much you have to turn the tension dial, to have the right mount of resistance on the rear wheel. I am getting a Cycleops Fluid 2 in a couple days.
The Fluid 2 is a different unit. With the FLOW you need to have the roller just touching the wheel then locking it in with the mechanism. The Fluid 2 is 2 (maybe 2 1/2) turns of the knob. It should be in the manual or on the CycleOps site.
Shane Miller the first unit wouldn't sit flat and rocked about 10mm, construction/weld issue. And the second unit was fine for about 120k over a few sessions, came to use it again and pushed the lever to pull unit against the tyre and the bolt popped out of the nut, ruined the thread so kept popping out after fixing. it's a bit of an issue looking online, to get it tight enough to calibrate via the app you almost reach the end of the thread. Rightly or wrongly with this one I'm running in the mtb wheel position as I can see it happening again, wheel just fits and needs a little tightening and calibrates fine, feels the same in zwift...
@Mark That's exactly the same issue the Vortex and Bushido have but for a different reason. The Vortex and Bushido have plastic tabs for each wheel size but they're not strong enough and slowly bend. As they're bending you will need to keep tightening and tightening until either the bolt falls out or the plastic tabs snap. At least with the Vortex and Bushido you can buy a replacement part for £5 and then pre-fill it so the tabs can't bend. With the Flow it seems like you'd need a whole new frame.
@toomanygooglaccounts not sure what the plastic tabs are you mention? Halfords have been great so far but they should be really, it's my time spent going back there, re-setting up etc, safe the say i'm keeping the receipt safe ;)
If you google for "Broken tabs in Bushido smart" (including the quotes) the only result should be the Tacx forum with a photo of a broken tab. I think it's rocking side-to-side motion that breaks the tabs rather than pure downward force. I seem to break mine when doing aggressive climbs on Zwift.
Pretty old video, but I’ll try anyway. I got this trainer after this video was posted, and I’m really happy with it for my needs. Like you, I’ve purchased a tru-axle bike since then, and I wonder how I can fit it to this trainer. The bike is a Focus with R.A.T tru-axle, so not really a «standard» tru-axle either. Any ideas?
Hey Shane, enjoy your videos and reviews!! Which wheel-on smart trainer would you recommend at this point with all the current offerings? Thinking about asked no for that for Christmas for my wife...
Hi there Shane cracking video as usual. I am looking to get zwifting over the winter. Despite the age difference in the units I would love to know how this stacks up against the qubo smart b+ as both units can be had for circa £180 now in the uk. Regards Gareth
@@gplama Cheers for the reply. Only have ant+ sensors at present (other than mobile) so not a deal breaker. Will see if can get my mitts on them before purchasing. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.
please dont buy the qubo. it has some big problems and can not be calibrated properply. i have bought the cubo and the smart flow and sold the qubo because of the big problems.
Hi Shane, I see this is posted in 2017, wondering if there is later version now and a second question - do you have to change the skewer to the one supplied or can you just drop standard bike in if you have a standard steel skewer on it?
Got a new version of this hometrainer for this winter, Tacx Vortex. Can't get my garmin power meter even close to what tacx is showing. And i was doing my training at set amount of watts on the tacx app. Any ideas as to why there is such a big difference? Let's say i am riding at 250w on tacx while garmin shows around 210 +/-. I am using Garmin Vector as my power meter, had it the whole year while riding outside, had no problems with it.
Make sure you're performing the correct spindown procedure on the Vortex after a warm-up. Failing that if the numbers are significantly different, you'll need to talk to Tacx and/or Garmin. (who are the same company now days)
I bought this dead cheap for £160! I love it. Edit: Turbo’s never last long for me (1-2 years) and spare parts cost more than a new unit in the U.K. It is cheaper to buy the same or a new Turbo.
Good timing... and you might be able to help with another video I was about to do. You're saying the spares are expensive to buy from Tacx / a Tacx dealer? I've just found tacx.com/spare-parts/ and thought it'd be a good video to do for Tacx owners who might want to replace a part or two to keep their trainers ticking along.
Hi Shane, your videos are really informative. Sorry but a Long breath: Unfortunately the 3 different brand turbo’s I’ve owned have all been binned due to the high costs of parts vs. an identical new turbo. My Father’s Taxc Blue Matic 2650 is dying after 2 years of heavy use. I also used a Tacx PDF for the roller part number. To buy a new roller part, Tacx directed me to their U.K. importer. They wanted to charge me £110 for a whole new rear braking unit - which is greater than the price I can get the whole turbo trainer new (£82 with discount). Ironically, I’ve just bought another Smart Flow today (£162 with discount) for him. So we both have a new Smart flow in parallel in the lounge. He’s elderly and lives and trains with me. It’s a shame apps don’t sell a family subscription except FulGaz who do. I’m impressed by the Tacx Flow ERG and the price and specs vs. £1000 units. I can’t complain, as it can be expensive to buy in Oz when I last lived there. Keep up the good work! Kind regards, James.
Do these work with normal mountain bike type tyres / with tread? I’m, not particularly into bike riding but have a Carrara bike and looking at getting into ZWIFT
Hi, I just bought a Flow smart. I use a 27.5 x 1.25 Tacx training tire. I'm on position 2. Whatever I do, It looks to me that it is always too tight against the tire. On position 1, I can't get the tire to touch the unit. Also, how hard should it be to press the lever. In position 2, it looks like it's going to break if I press too much. Help would be appreciated 😁
Hi Shane，I'm finding a good quality floor pump that don't break my valve，and I saw you are using Topeak brand floor pump，so what is the model are you using？
My wife and I are looking for an indoor affordable smart trainer. The price point is good. Are there any other models you can recommend? I see farming has a cheaper model as well. Thanks
Is this one better than the elite Qubo smart ant + ? (or whatever it’s called) the one you’ve previously reviewed as part of your budget zwift set up. I bought the elite and have about 650km on it, so far so good except where the power cord plugs in. My kids walked past it and pulled the cord slightly sideways and it actually broke the pin off where it’s soldered on to the board. I took it to an electronics store and had the plug replaced. It needs something to protect where it plugs in.
The Tacx reviewed in this vlog looks better to me because it has adjustable tension for the contact with the rear tyre/wheel. The Qubo Smart bla bla, as I've reply posted in other vlogs, relies on the rider's weight to provide the aforementioned tension. Thus, for me, the Qubo bla bla you refer to, suffers a LOT of tyre slippage when riding out of the saddle, ie; either sprinting or steep climbing. Even the Elite ugly indoor tyre (entitled opinion only) does not help. The Specialized TurboPro Gripton bla bla tyre seems to grip best for me. I point out that I too sprint in a similar style to the great lil' OS-Greenedge sprinter Caleb Ewan, so I wonder how he would get by on one of the the Qubo bla bla trainers haha. Basically, I infer that you get what you pay for. Also, after nearly 12 months, my Qubo already has the mechanical condition equivalent to arthritis. Second to last, I have always had to work fairly hard when the gradient is 0%, which I put down to the tension already applied by the rear wheel contact with the trainer, resulting in questionable gradient quality riding, resulting in having to work harder, especially noticeable on group rides. As an example of my experience whilst zwifting my time away (now only Lvl19), I had found it hard to retain a steady position in the pack (save 'peleton' for the road), and I'm watching myself moving all over the place onscreen fairly rapidly with small gradient changes that I assume would not affect the overall pace. Looks like a dodgem car ride. Just my own experience of online riding. Finally, the Qubo bla bla power connection does remind me of that on an electronic toy from the 1980's or thereabouts.
I've noticed it slip too, I try and keep mt weight back when out of the saddle to help this a little. I'll give the Specialized tire a go. thanks. That's a good way of describing the power connection. Thanks for the insight
i`m thinking of getting another smart trainer so that i can enjoy zwifting with my dad but kinda considering between whether i shoud stick to wahoo or try another brand.. any suggestion?? snap or... vortex or turbo muin i guess
Hello @Shane Miller! Im not a very trainer person since I'm from Puerto Rico (Carribbean) and basically we don't have winter (just rain hehe) but Im moving to Atlanta and I have to start looking for a trainer. As a "rookie" in smart trainer (No Bool, Zwift, etc experience before) and with the idea (at least at this point) to use this type of smart trainer only in Winter do you recommend me this model??? I like very much the automatic/electronic resistance adjustment when using with a program, that is something that I definitely one in my trainer!!!! Thank you very much!!!
Shane Miller really? Wonderful!!! I just bought one of the Bike computer from them. I’ll look for Wahoo once I arrive ATL. Thank you very much for that hint!!!!
I don't use Chromecasting. I have't tried this with my Android phone and Zwift. Screen mirroring like this usually results in poor upscaling of the graphics.
Guys Im very new to this so sorry if the question is dumb: this trainer can simulate like a uphill where I would need to shift my gears to spin more? If Yes, how that works? I mean, the pressure of the trainer on the wheels change according to the road?? Can't understand that
Hey Shane! So I'm about to get my very first smart trainer for zwift! Should i get the vortex or flow? Or any other lower end smart interactive trainer?
Great review. It seems to me that just about every trainer, even high-end need to be ridden in a certain way to get ERG mode working properly: when I do intervals with my Elite Drivo, I need to shift down to hit the low power, high RPM intervals such as 100W @ 120RPM. Is this the case on the KICKR and the Neo? Another question: you are very smooth when sprinting out of the saddle on a trainer. Do you sprint the same way outdoors or have you had to adapt your sprinting style indoors? Ride On!
Amazing that 6y later, this is still useful
As a returning rider who's never used such a trainer before, seems like this thing will be perfectly adequate. The main thing for me is to gain the interactivity that will make indoor training fun.
I bought a flow smart from a buddy who had it stuffed in a closet for 18 months without using it. For me as a new cyclist i thiink it is a great product, it´s still in better shape than i am so no need for an upgrade anytime soon.
I bought at Decahtlon 200 bucks! Delighted! Don´t care lack of accuracy. Having power data bring home training to another level. Much easier to motivate!
Nice review and very educational for a first time indoor cyclist. Started cycling ‘bout 6-7 months ago and a friend gave me this Tacx Flow in exchange for a bottle of whiskey 😎
Now I know how to set it up. Can’t wait to try it out during rainy days.
Shane you have been killing it!!!! Honestly every smart trainer I look at you have done an amazing review of it! Thanks matey! :)
Did you get a smart trainer, Katie? Which one?
Great review. I got one of these as my first smart trainer, and I can honestly say, for its price range, and specs, its a good first trainer to have, for riding about Zwfit. I've now upgraded to a direct drive, but despite the thoughts of selling this on, as a back up in case my direct drive breaks down, (which its done so once already, and was kindly replaced by the manufacturer).
can you give me a hint on how loud this thing gets ? im thinking about getting one but im not sure if i will annoy my neigbours lol :)
@@yuumeow393 th-cam.com/video/c7e3tPHHATA/w-d-xo.html
What a brilliant video. Well paced, no unnecessary waffle and lots of great information.
I just ordered this today I’m new to indoor cycling, so I think this would be just fine for me. Until I become professional❤️🥰😜
Well instead I got the wahoo snap instead because that one was in back order for almost 5 weeks. I got wahoo snap less than a week. On wahoo.com 😍🥰
@@brownsugarcoffee1 how is the wahoo? I'm also newer to indoor cycling and am considering it.
Great review. Just bought myself tacx Flow smart in Decathlon for 199,95eur :) For now i did 2 rides on zwift and I'm loving it!!!
I've been using one of these for a couple of years now. Other than getting stuck trying to figure out how to calibrate it (tire pressure was too high after a tire swap so the rolldown didn't work), it's been a great little unit. I've mostly been using my Quarq as a power source, so no qualms with accuracy. You learn to shift so you stay within the bounds of the trainer (it has a ceiling and a floor), no big deal after a while.
It is much quieter with a dedicated trainer tire. I really don't notice the sound of the trainer over the industrial fan I have running and the music I have loud enough to hear over the fan.
Just ordered one - thanks for your video, the only place to figure out it contains the compatible quick release, no need to order a separate one :)
Hey dude - I like seeing the power stats in all your trainer videos! It might help also showing a time aligned plot of speed as well, then dividing power by speed (in rad/s) to show torque too (I'd certainly be interested in seeing that).
My hypothesis on the delay and accuracy:
There is a delay in power measured at the trainer because there is a component of torque generated at the crank which goes into the rotational acceleration of the rear wheel (and other rotating masses). The trainer has to imply this from changes in measured speed, calculating rotational acceleration. For better accuracy (and reliability) this speed signal is probably passed through a moving average filter introducing a delay. Accuracy is lost with respect to a "wheel off" trainer because it has to assume a value for the moment of inertia of the rear wheel (this is clearly known for a "wheel off" trainer). Again this is probably well known to the road biking community to which I'm a noob!
Hi Shane had one of these for a year good in parts but terrible in others. Tacx quality control leaves something to be desired unit delivered with no qr or bolts. Unit struggles to register low cadence high power efforts in zwift work outs. But just got my direto delivered yesterday after your recommendations and it is the bomb thanks for all the vids keep going!
Yep. For bigger wattage intervals harder gears and greater wheel speed are required. It works the same on Vortex.
Hi Shane thank you so much for doing as always a great review on this particular product. I have had this for about one year now with very little instructions. I agree you do have to learn how to ride this especially in erg mode. I had installed tacx training and couldn't figure out how to update the firmware now sorted that out and up to date. I enjoy your videos keep them coming. This product like you said is very good for entry level but of course you always want better so looking to upgrade in time to tacx flux.
Cheers Shane, just ordered one as a present on the back of this review.
Another great Lama production! :) ... Due to bad snowy, slippery weather here in the Netherlands I couldn't ride for a couple of days and started looking at some trainers that can be hooked up on Zwift. I'm a long-ish distance average recreational rider. I'm aiming at making my flight time up to 100km a week to get through the winter. So, I'm not the sprinter, heavy wattage and what not total freakout user, but I am a sucker for quality. Have said that ...
Comparing the Flow with the Vortex, as far as judging them on video goes, the Flow looks/feels a bit flimsy. I would like a more high-end trainer but I'd rather invest that in outside gear because cold and rain don't bother me ... Just want to keep paddling through those few truly horrible weeks :) ... Thus, Viewed your Vortex review as well and I think my heart is set on the Vortex.
Thanks again, keep it up and enjoy the good stuff!
I’ve got this turbo trainer coming tomorrow so I’ll let you know how it goes!
Great flooring in the new pain cave. Keep up the reviews of both the high end and lower end kit. It's interesting to compare them
The lag in reported power reading is due to the internal smoothing on power measurement. Since it needs so much, this suggests internally the readings may be noisy.
Great timing with this review :) I'm looking to get a smart trainer and was wondering what the differences were between the Vortex and the Flow and if it the Vortex was worth the price difference. I think the Flow will do just fine for me. Just discovered your channel a few weeks ago by the way. Fantastic content. I watched a bunch of your videos. Great insight, great reviews, great discussion. Keep it up!
Tarquin I just bought a flow instead of a vortex. I hope I don’t regret it.
@@DavidMacVicar are you enjoying it?
David MacVicar inhad 2 vortex and got my money back. Both failed
I've been running the Flow for just under a year now. I got a good deal from Halfords with BC discount, £171 IIRC. Overall the Flow's been a great starter unit with no problems or faults.
95% of the time I'm using it in ERG mode on one of Zwift's training plans. In those workouts I am consistently having to change gear to adapt to the power required. As this is my first trainer I assumed this was normal. Also I cannot get my unit to register above about 580 watts. I concede that I may just be a weakling (my FTP = 257) but I was surprised to see Lama could get his to 850w.
Overall a good starter at an affordable price but I will be looking to upgrade mine to something a bit more capable this winter.
Good review Shane, I've had my Flow for nearly a year now and it's been brilliant for the money, looking to upgrade now but definitely happy with my choice for an introduction into the smart trainer world. £200 from Halfords not bad!
Big Mitch yes mine was exactly the same from Halfords think I paid £170 plus postage.
Same here, just £160 with British cycling discount. Used it for 6 months with power from the unit and experienced pretty much the same as Shane but it was good enough to get me hooked on Zwift. Have done another 6 months taking power from a stages pm and the resistance from the flow and it’s worked really well. I’m sure a high end trainer would feel better but £500+ better? Not sure I can justify it unless the flow does on me a some point.
Thanks for this info. I'm currently using a reliable, quiet but "dumb" fluid trainer, I'm actually not bothered about ERG mode but wondered if I could take power from my 4iiii power meter and use the Flow to give a better feel for the terrain within Zwift - sounds like this approach works fine? Also how does the resistance change feel on the hills within Zwift - worthwhile and quickly responsive to gradient changes or not?
Ian - I’ve had no problems using power from the stages and resistance from the flow. Erg mode even works reasonably well with that setup. There’s a second or 2 delay on resistance when you hit a hill but you get used to that - definitely more immersive than a dumb trainer. You’re reaching for the gears with even the slightest gradient change, you just won’t use quite the range you would if you were outside up a real 15%. I found that when I used power from the flow it overestimated on hills for some reason. It was about 10-15% over the watts I’d normally put out over say 5 minutes on the flat in Zwift. Once I switched to a power meter for power it’s been much more realistic and matches what I can do on the road more closely.
Thanks for extra info, much appreciated. Sounds like a good budget buy to take it up a notch on Zwift this winter. The 800-900W ceiling might be a bit of an issue for me but to be honest that will likely be super-seeded by the ability to get out of the saddle for an indoor sprint (currently I have to stay seated if I'm going over 500W due to wheel slippage/trainer using my body weight, which means it's a struggle anyway to push past 900W for long).
Yay thank so glad you made this one! Been waiting for it :)
Great video. Suggestion....since these bikes are typically for newbies, you were right on until the firmware update was completed. As a newbie to the whole bike trainer world, I was lost. Would have been nice to show how to use the app vs jump right into Zwift.
Tks Shane! Great review! I believe these products are a big chunk of the market, especially for the other countries like here in Brazil that we do not have the products officially imported, besides being expensive. I thought the Qubo Digital Smart Elite seemed better, I'm right? Anyway these products are not for the very high requirement.
This week I'm going to start zwift, and I'm anxious, it's a simple trainer with ant + sensors, but the desire to pedal in Watopia is huge, thanks for your videos, you have a big part in it.
Very helpful, I'm reviewing my 'cheap smart trainer' options, many thanks!
Codefoto ok boomer
Thank you. I am new to riding and found this test review/set up very helpful
I’ve used this trainer for 9 months and had already sussed out the need to change 2 to 3 gears to hit short power intervals in ERG mode. The BLE dropouts mid ride have been very frustrating. Only recently found out that the Flow has a known overheating issue at low rpm and power over 250 watts. Now need an extra fan trained on the Flow to avoid that.
Happens to me too, and now it makes a really loud noise.
I have the Flow Smart and I am quite happy with it... The only bad thing I can say about it, is that it is a bit noisy... but I've never had another trainer to compare it with, so maybe it's normal for such type of a trainer...
Great review Shane! About the inaccuracy of the 350W intervals at slower flywheel speeds, isn't that just the unit hitting the maximum resistance? I mean, the unit is specified as 800W at 40km/hr, but that also means that it will capable of substantially less than 400W (300 to 350W?) at 20km/hr. It would be interesting to see the sped plotted in the same graph.
Generally, thumbs up! Really helpful reviews.
I was using a Neo in a cycling studio until I moved. The Flow was a no brainier for me at £180 new. It’s decent in workout mode - that said ERG mode isn’t he smoothest - but honestly this will do me nicely until I can do a under the radar Flux or Neo purchase.
Getting this as a present for Xmas, great review - can’t wait to get started on it.
Questions though - what does “erg mode” mean?
This explains ERG mode: th-cam.com/video/LbeliW8uObk/w-d-xo.html
I had two and had to bring them both back, moved onto a Tacx flux S ...so fingers crossed
I have the same "problem" with the Vortex in ERG mode, but really it's not that big of a deal, you just have to change to a bigger gear when it asks for more watts. Still, ERG mode is way better on the Vortex than on the Drivo !
What I wish you would review, is the actual slope simulation: the Vortex is supposed to simulate the slope "up to" 7% but in my case I don't feel any difference above 4-4.5%.
Awesome video! Thanks always for the great content
Just bought one today..
Hope it's good!! Halifax, Canada
Is it good! I am in Halifax as well planning to buy it !
Great thorough review !
This is exactly what I've found. I have a Flow Smart for indoor with Zwift, and also a 4iiii power meter. The Erg mode is extremely laggy, and does require gear changes to match. Weirdly, it's a lot better in TrainerRoad than it is in Zwift.
Thx for a great review. I've just bought Flow and hope it will be fine. Greetings from Poland :D
jaro0011 What do you think of it after a year of use?
@@milan4ever any reviews after usage?
Moose I bought Wahoo Kickr Core and I’m super happy, very quiet and works great. Help me stay sane during COVID-19 lockdown.
I have the Vortex and I find it also suffers from the ERG mode peculiarities, you do have to learn how to ride them. Having said that I do love it and would recommend it as an entry level smart trainer.
tobortine wow's the noise level in normal use, I am thinking of getting one but I live in a apartment
Very difficult to give any advice because an acceptable noise level is a very personal measure. I train in my garage so the noise is fairly irrelevant to me but I don't think it's particularly noisy. To get a very quiet machine you may have to spend a lot more money :-(
tobortine might not be practical for early morning rides, but should be OK for evenings. Probably not even a fluid one would be OK for early morning anyway.
I think you're right. Also worth investing in a mat or piece of off cut carpet (cheaper) that should reduce the transmitted noise and makes it feel more comfortable.
Hey man, wondering if you can help me. Ive been dying to know this and cant find the answer anywhere. Can you upload rides from this trainer to strava without using or having zwift ?
Great in depth review. Thanks
Thanks for the instruction. Do you need to change anything on the bike before you put it on the trainer?
love to see an indepth on the qubo like this if youve still got one.ive just bought one off the back of your original review and the one done by athletic tech review. more than good enough for the money but seems to have similar drawbacks with lag and erg.
They're very similar units.
Great review, makes me want a higher end model now :D
This one fits the purpose at the lower end. But yes, the higher end units which usually get all the attention are the premium experience for sure.
Hi Shane - I just got Tacx Flow for Christmas! I'm having trouble calibrating. I suspect its because I'm running tubeless tire at 82PSI. I'm afraid to inflate it to 100PSI as it's not recommended for my wheel and tire. Should I just go back to tubes so I can inflate to the Tacx recommendation of 100psi or is there another solution to calibrate with tubeless setup? Thanks a bunch and love your videos!
accuracy for this one on tacx web says
Hi Shane. I am loving the videos! What are your thoughts between this and the Tacx vortex smart trainer? I am in the UK and am looking for my first trainer for an indoor set up and to test out Zwift. I can get the Vortex for £169.99 and the Flow for £189.99 here in the UK. Which would you go for at those prices. Thanks again.
did you buy a trainer I'm looking at getting one myself? is the taco flow or vortex any good?
Given this review is a few years old, I'm guessing not sure much has changed..
Finally pull(ed)ing the trigger on a smart trainer with what my wallet could currently comfortably allow right now, and it was between this and the Kinetic Road Smart 2. Weighed the pros/cons on both in terms of tech, and the personal reviews on both, but after getting a slight headache about this, I went with the the Tacx Flow! And should arrive in 5-7 business days..
I'm a new Cat3 living in California, and hopefully this will do what I need it to do Lol
Also to note; I'm going with TRAINERROAD for training, and have the Favero Assioma UNO pow'met, so hoping for the best!
ok good video, but what if you have a thru axle? What type do you need to use to mount the roller?
You'll need a thru-axle adapter kit as shown here: th-cam.com/video/kZAVVFH5tSM/w-d-xo.html
On many forums there is a complaint about faulty clicking rollers.
I think people are over-tightening the tension with the calibration app - it’s not accurate. Check the metal roller with your thumb and see if it clicks.
Also pride open the fan cover, push it gently in and tighten the screw.
Hi Shane, would be interesting to see a review of Tacx Genius Smart now and see how it looks compared to Vortex and Flow (high end wheel on trainer vs. entry level).
I like the idea! If I can get a hold of one, I'll do just this.
Even with the flux I have to shift up to hit some numbers as it can only simulate 10% and I like riding in the 34 23 gear... But for say 400e I have to shift 3 cogs down
Yep. I've found slowing the flywheel down by changing to an easier gear is sometimes required on the FLUX when in ERG mode. 20-25km/h flywheel speed is the optimal range for ERG on the FLUX.
You should try to get your hands on a Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer they look cool.
They should make an interactive front wheel chock that adjusts the wheel height to match the grade on zwift.
I've tried. I'll keep trying. What you've just described is the Kickr Climb. That'll be out soon.
Shane Miller Awesome I'll keep on the lookout for it. Just searched it didn't realize you made a video for it lol. Must have snuck past me
Does this type of trainer go through tires faster? Please excuse my lack of knowledge, just started looking into indoor trainer.
Novice with bikes, only have a spinning bike, have been advised affordable price and quality reliable will more than likely go for this and get a bike to go with it that is compatiable and affordable again with quality. Wanting to sign up to Zwift when all completed and purchased. Great informative video very informative for my needs.
Shane great review. I have noticed that the Tacx training app has the facility to show/record data such as calories burned, km/h, wattage, bpm etc. Does this particular trainer show/record all this data on your phone/tablet app?
The Flow should be compatible with their software, yep.
Ok, brilliant. So all these data readings should show up on the phone/tablet app whilst training?
Great review. Super helpful
These units are on sale atm. Is it simple/easy enough to use for a beginner cyclist with a spare bike that just wants a late night exercise option. Like I have an electric mountain bike that I’ll take outside when it’s light/dry enough and an entry level road bike I don’t get to use much. I also assume I’d need to figure out the whole cleat situation for an indoor system like this but I’m mostly just worried that it’s a bit tricky to balance on etc.
Thanks Shane. Does this work with a disc brake bike 142x12mm through axel ?
great info thanks so much was very helpful
Nice video but I didn't get if you need to buy an ANT+ antenna or not.
If you're using ANT+, yes. The Flow has Bluetooth, so if you're using an iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, Android, or MAC, no. Windows does have Bluetooth support in most training apps.... some can be troublesome.
Thanks Shane! Very much appreciated
is there anything special about the screwed that hold the wheel to the bike? or all bike road will be able to hook up to this trainer ?
The skewer has to be compatible with the trainer clamps. Your local bike shop will be able to help here.
Shane, could you explain what you mean with big and small rings for more precision? You mean front (chain) rings or rear cog rings? I am confused.
Further, i'd like to use the device in offline mode in a separate room without electricity for some time and basic training. DC Rainmaker in one of his reviews (Booster?) could set the power mode to a defined level (e.g. 200W preset), then unplug and the trainer would stay in the same 200W mode (magnets distance to the wheel). Is it the same with the FLOW smart? Decathlon is selling them at a very exciting price at the moment and I am willing to klick on the "buy" button.
"Rings" are the chainrings, up front. I don't believe the FLOW will provide resistance without power.
This looks like essentially a vortex with the a different resistance unit. I heard that the pedal cycle is a bit choppy with dead spots, did you feel any issues with pedaling smoothness?
The 'ride feel' was similar to that of the Vortex. I assume this was due to the same flywheel weight.
I have the Flow smart and I can't say that is has any dead spots... It's smooth.
How do you calibrate these units? Do you need an external computer and sensors like you used for the comparison?
There's a spindown process within the Tacx Utility app.
You obviously posted this sometime ago but still a good video...!
Thanks! :)
@@gplama Well done!!!
Thank you ! very nice review, good job !
Hi, great video. I need to strengthen my leg after a ligament tear. I was told that cycling would do this. Would this be good for leisurely exercise while I watch TV. Could you recomend something else not to noisy.
Was wondering how much you have to turn the tension dial, to have the right mount of resistance on the rear wheel. I am getting a Cycleops Fluid 2 in a couple days.
The Fluid 2 is a different unit. With the FLOW you need to have the roller just touching the wheel then locking it in with the mechanism. The Fluid 2 is 2 (maybe 2 1/2) turns of the knob. It should be in the manual or on the CycleOps site.
Hi! What's better between this trainer and Elite Rampa? Also considering the difference of price...
The Rampa is end of life I believe, so I'd lean towards the Flow.
Great video, thanks for posting.
love the videos! What would you recommend the flow or the elite qubo interactive trainer? I am torn between the two.
3 months after purchase mine is dead...power supply failure?
I got one three weeks ago, great when it's working....but I have had the annoyance of having it replaced twice. Am really enjoying zwift with it.
Oh. :( What have been the issues?
Shane Miller the first unit wouldn't sit flat and rocked about 10mm, construction/weld issue. And the second unit was fine for about 120k over a few sessions, came to use it again and pushed the lever to pull unit against the tyre and the bolt popped out of the nut, ruined the thread so kept popping out after fixing. it's a bit of an issue looking online, to get it tight enough to calibrate via the app you almost reach the end of the thread. Rightly or wrongly with this one I'm running in the mtb wheel position as I can see it happening again, wheel just fits and needs a little tightening and calibrates fine, feels the same in zwift...
@Mark That's exactly the same issue the Vortex and Bushido have but for a different reason.
The Vortex and Bushido have plastic tabs for each wheel size but they're not strong enough and slowly bend. As they're bending you will need to keep tightening and tightening until either the bolt falls out or the plastic tabs snap.
At least with the Vortex and Bushido you can buy a replacement part for £5 and then pre-fill it so the tabs can't bend. With the Flow it seems like you'd need a whole new frame.
@toomanygooglaccounts not sure what the plastic tabs are you mention? Halfords have been great so far but they should be really, it's my time spent going back there, re-setting up etc, safe the say i'm keeping the receipt safe ;)
If you google for "Broken tabs in Bushido smart" (including the quotes) the only result should be the Tacx forum with a photo of a broken tab.
I think it's rocking side-to-side motion that breaks the tabs rather than pure downward force. I seem to break mine when doing aggressive climbs on Zwift.
Pretty old video, but I’ll try anyway. I got this trainer after this video was posted, and I’m really happy with it for my needs. Like you, I’ve purchased a tru-axle bike since then, and I wonder how I can fit it to this trainer. The bike is a Focus with R.A.T tru-axle, so not really a «standard» tru-axle either. Any ideas?
Oh, RAT. You'll need to contact Tacx Support.
how do you keep your feet locked in on the peddle? are those cycling shoes?
Yes.
Great vid Shane, I have a dumb question how do I turn ERG mode ON/OFF on my TACX app? I do not have Zwift.
ERG is controlled by whatever training app you're using. There's no on/off setting as such.
Hey Shane, enjoy your videos and reviews!! Which wheel-on smart trainer would you recommend at this point with all the current offerings? Thinking about asked no for that for Christmas for my wife...
This will help: gplama.blogspot.com.au/p/indoor-trainer-guide-gplama.html
Hi there Shane cracking video as usual. I am looking to get zwifting over the winter. Despite the age difference in the units I would love to know how this stacks up against the qubo smart b+ as both units can be had for circa £180 now in the uk. Regards Gareth
I'd lean towards the Tacx due to the dual protocol support (at the same time). Entirely your call though. My experience on both is up here on TH-cam.
@@gplama Cheers for the reply. Only have ant+ sensors at present (other than mobile) so not a deal breaker. Will see if can get my mitts on them before purchasing. Keep up the good work. Best wishes.
please dont buy the qubo. it has some big problems and can not be calibrated properply. i have bought the cubo and the smart flow and sold the qubo because of the big problems.
How about compared to the Qubo Smart B+? We can now get those here in the States for $250 US.
Very similar units.
Redlegjgm: see my opinion in reply Nick Rogers post herein. Suggest you try before you buy if you consider that it is a lot of $ to spend.
Thanks Gents. I’ll stick with my Revolution Lama-style set-up for the time being and hold out for the Kickr.
so the only real difference between this and the vortex is that it has less max watage and less max incline?
Hi Shane, I see this is posted in 2017, wondering if there is later version now and a second question - do you have to change the skewer to the one supplied or can you just drop standard bike in if you have a standard steel skewer on it?
No updates to the hardware since. Maybe a firmware update or two, nothing major iirc. If you already have a solid skewer that fits, that'll be fine.
Got a new version of this hometrainer for this winter, Tacx Vortex. Can't get my garmin power meter even close to what tacx is showing. And i was doing my training at set amount of watts on the tacx app. Any ideas as to why there is such a big difference? Let's say i am riding at 250w on tacx while garmin shows around 210 +/-. I am using Garmin Vector as my power meter, had it the whole year while riding outside, had no problems with it.
Make sure you're performing the correct spindown procedure on the Vortex after a warm-up. Failing that if the numbers are significantly different, you'll need to talk to Tacx and/or Garmin. (who are the same company now days)
I bought this dead cheap for £160! I love it.
Edit: Turbo’s never last long for me (1-2 years) and spare parts cost more than a new unit in the U.K. It is cheaper to buy the same or a new Turbo.
Good timing... and you might be able to help with another video I was about to do. You're saying the spares are expensive to buy from Tacx / a Tacx dealer? I've just found tacx.com/spare-parts/ and thought it'd be a good video to do for Tacx owners who might want to replace a part or two to keep their trainers ticking along.
Hi Shane, your videos are really informative.
Sorry but a Long breath:
Unfortunately the 3 different brand turbo’s I’ve owned have all been binned due to the high costs of parts vs. an identical new turbo.
My Father’s Taxc Blue Matic 2650 is dying after 2 years of heavy use. I also used a Tacx PDF for the roller part number.
To buy a new roller part, Tacx directed me to their U.K. importer. They wanted to charge me £110 for a whole new rear braking unit - which is greater than the price I can get the whole turbo trainer new (£82 with discount).
Ironically, I’ve just bought another Smart Flow today (£162 with discount) for him. So we both have a new Smart flow in parallel in the lounge. He’s elderly and lives and trains with me. It’s a shame apps don’t sell a family subscription except FulGaz who do.
I’m impressed by the Tacx Flow ERG and the price and specs vs. £1000 units.
I can’t complain, as it can be expensive to buy in Oz when I last lived there.
Keep up the good work!
Kind regards,
James.
Had to take it back due to faulty manufacturing and then the replacement had missing nuts.
Finally managed to get it going phew!
Do these work with normal mountain bike type tyres / with tread? I’m, not particularly into bike riding but have a Carrara bike and looking at getting into ZWIFT
It’ll work.... just not very well. These roller resistance units work best with slick tyres.
Hi,
I just bought a Flow smart. I use a 27.5 x 1.25 Tacx training tire. I'm on position 2. Whatever I do, It looks to me that it is always too tight against the tire.
On position 1, I can't get the tire to touch the unit. Also, how hard should it be to press the lever. In position 2, it looks like it's going to break if I press too much. Help would be appreciated 😁
One for Garmin/Tacx support.
Hi Shane，I'm finding a good quality floor pump that don't break my valve，and I saw you are using Topeak brand floor pump，so what is the model are you using？
JoeBlow
@@gplama yeah but Joeblow have so many model like Ace，Sport，Max and other more，so which exactly did you use？
@@tiegejh715 Sport. I assume they all have quality heads on them.
My wife and I are looking for an indoor affordable smart trainer. The price point is good. Are there any other models you can recommend? I see farming has a cheaper model as well. Thanks
This is the cheapest in most markets.
Is this one better than the elite Qubo smart ant + ? (or whatever it’s called) the one you’ve previously reviewed as part of your budget zwift set up. I bought the elite and have about 650km on it, so far so good except where the power cord plugs in. My kids walked past it and pulled the cord slightly sideways and it actually broke the pin off where it’s soldered on to the board. I took it to an electronics store and had the plug replaced. It needs something to protect where it plugs in.
They're very similar units. I might need to loop back to the QUBO and give it the updated Lama Lab Test run-down.
The Tacx reviewed in this vlog looks better to me because it has adjustable tension for the contact with the rear tyre/wheel. The Qubo Smart bla bla, as I've reply posted in other vlogs, relies on the rider's weight to provide the aforementioned tension. Thus, for me, the Qubo bla bla you refer to, suffers a LOT of tyre slippage when riding out of the saddle, ie; either sprinting or steep climbing. Even the Elite ugly indoor tyre (entitled opinion only) does not help. The Specialized TurboPro Gripton bla bla tyre seems to grip best for me. I point out that I too sprint in a similar style to the great lil' OS-Greenedge sprinter Caleb Ewan, so I wonder how he would get by on one of the the Qubo bla bla trainers haha. Basically, I infer that you get what you pay for. Also, after nearly 12 months, my Qubo already has the mechanical condition equivalent to arthritis. Second to last, I have always had to work fairly hard when the gradient is 0%, which I put down to the tension already applied by the rear wheel contact with the trainer, resulting in questionable gradient quality riding, resulting in having to work harder, especially noticeable on group rides. As an example of my experience whilst zwifting my time away (now only Lvl19), I had found it hard to retain a steady position in the pack (save 'peleton' for the road), and I'm watching myself moving all over the place onscreen fairly rapidly with small gradient changes that I assume would not affect the overall pace. Looks like a dodgem car ride. Just my own experience of online riding. Finally, the Qubo bla bla power connection does remind me of that on an electronic toy from the 1980's or thereabouts.
Please do. How to check for firmware updates (if you can with this model) too please. Thanks for the great videos.
I've noticed it slip too, I try and keep mt weight back when out of the saddle to help this a little. I'll give the Specialized tire a go. thanks. That's a good way of describing the power connection. Thanks for the insight
There's an Elite model called the Intera Ritmo, here in Canada at $599. Wonder how it stacks up!
i`m thinking of getting another smart trainer so that i can enjoy zwifting with my dad but kinda considering between whether i shoud stick to wahoo or try another brand.. any suggestion?? snap or... vortex or turbo muin i guess
This may help: gplama.blogspot.com.au/p/indoor-trainer-guide-gplama.html
great overview Shane! love your ratings^^
Hello @Shane Miller! Im not a very trainer person since I'm from Puerto Rico (Carribbean) and basically we don't have winter
(just rain hehe) but Im moving to Atlanta and I have to start looking for a trainer. As a "rookie" in smart trainer (No Bool, Zwift, etc experience before) and with the idea (at least at this point) to use this type of smart trainer only in Winter do you recommend me this model??? I like very much the automatic/electronic resistance adjustment when using with a program, that is something that I definitely one in my trainer!!!! Thank you very much!!!
Wahoo are based in Atlanta. Drop into a local bike store where they'll discuss what bike you have and the best option for your training.
Shane Miller really? Wonderful!!! I just bought one of the Bike computer from them. I’ll look for Wahoo once I arrive ATL.
Thank you very much for that hint!!!!
Are you chromecasting to the tv from the app, on your mobile ? And if not, is it possible
I don't use Chromecasting. I have't tried this with my Android phone and Zwift. Screen mirroring like this usually results in poor upscaling of the graphics.
Guys Im very new to this so sorry if the question is dumb: this trainer can simulate like a uphill where I would need to shift my gears to spin more? If Yes, how that works? I mean, the pressure of the trainer on the wheels change according to the road?? Can't understand that
did you change the pin of the rear wheel?
Hey Shane! So I'm about to get my very first smart trainer for zwift! Should i get the vortex or flow? Or any other lower end smart interactive trainer?
Your call on what's the best. Vortex > Flow. Or any of the midrange direct direct drive units would be a step up agin.
Great review. It seems to me that just about every trainer, even high-end need to be ridden in a certain way to get ERG mode working properly: when I do intervals with my Elite Drivo, I need to shift down to hit the low power, high RPM intervals such as 100W @ 120RPM. Is this the case on the KICKR and the Neo? Another question: you are very smooth when sprinting out of the saddle on a trainer. Do you sprint the same way outdoors or have you had to adapt your sprinting style indoors? Ride On!
Higher end trainers handle ERG more robustly. Sprinting indoors is different to outdoor, yes. There's no swaying of the bike inside.
So the issue with the erg mode power differences is solved if you have a proper power meter on the bike?
Yes, for accuracy.