Bespoke Blog

Training smart....

Indoor trainers have come a long way from a few years back. Sitting at home on a bulky, noisy contraption, burning rubber as you sweat away, bored....

New technology means that the options are much wider now and boredom can be held at bay much easier as well as getting a better workout. We've been selling a couple of smart trainers over the last few months, notably the Wahoo Kickr and the Tacx Neo, both of which are more than worthy of your attention.

First up, the Wahoo Kickr. We've had these since they came out and we really rate them. Kickr is direct mount, so you simply remove your rear wheel and then mount your bike directly on the cassette on the Kickr itself, securing it with a QR skewer. Done. Minimal fuss, no changing skewers, no worn tyres.

The Kickr, (and the Snap, it's simpler cousin), is built around a heavy, high-inertia flywheel that replicates the feeling of cranking up climbs and descending full pelt out on the open road. The resistance generated by the flywheel is controlled by an app, a variety of which are available. This allows you to control your training experience from your smart phone, tablet or laptop. Apps like Zwift let you ride along with others and you feel the resistance change as you chase up hill. With ANT+ connectivity you can monitor all your data in app, and the Kickr is also compatible with third party power meters.

The ability to set your power and resistance means that you get a more efficient workout, perfect for intervals and other time-crunched training options. The Kickr is available now at £950.

The Tacx Neo is in extremely short supply and has been really well received by press and consumers alike. The design is pretty different to any other trainer and it folds up neatly. It has lights that run under the unit, changing colour depending on the effort you put in, which is handy for head-down extreme efforts.

The Tacx Neo is the quietest indoor trainer currently available on the market. The lack of any physical transmissions means this is the first true direct drive. Road feel is simulated in a highly realistic manner, there is no loss of power. The powerful motor is able to apply resistance up to 2200 Watt and simulate slopes realistically up to 25%. It also speeds up during descents. This ensures the most realistic cycling experience, also during climbs. Again, connectivity is via ANT+, with PC connectivity via an upgrade, allowing you to connect to HD training movies in POV. We've enjoyed trying out riding the Stelvio in store and had a go at the cobbles of Roubaix, it's certainly impressive.

The Neo is available now at £1,200.00.

The Wahoo Snap offers many of the same features, though with a wheel-on configuration. It's less accurate at reading power and other data, at +/- 5%, and is NOT able to read cadence or use third party power meters, though it does offer a decent smart training experience at a lower price, coming in at £499.

Come in and see us for more details, we'll be happy to show you which smart trainer could be right for you.