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Smart Turbo Trainer Review
Like real wheel, neo smart, and fluid trainers, smart turbo trainers are a great tool for cyclists and their bikes for a great workout in order to maintain their conditioning in the cold winter months and to prepare for races or cross-country tours. In recent years, leading Cycleops, Cadence Sensor, and Elite Supercrono have created brand names like turbo cycle trainers have undergone a major innovative shift with the integration of smart technology.
Smart turbo trainers make cycle training with bikes more fun, engaging, and convenient for bikers all over the world. This smart turbo trainer review is designed to educate bikers on the added benefits of use, as well as the top products on the market.
Turbo trainers are the elite method of a good workout for cyclists. They are small, reliable, and convenient to use in one’s home. The design of a traditional trainer implements a stand for the back wheel, which connects into an adjustable resistance unit. Riders can change the resistance based on their training regiment and moment-to-moment needs.
The designs of these units are mainly mechanical in nature, and therefore, require the user to stop riding in order to adjust the unit’s settings. Smart turbo trainers, maintain the design integrity of the best turbo trainers and implement a wide range of smart technology capabilities, benefiting the user in numerous ways.
What is a Smart Turbo Trainer?
A smart turbo trainer is essentially a turbo trainer—but better. These elite trainers are designed for cyclists to engage in a fully-focused training session, using their own bike from the location of their choosing, just like a traditional turbo trainer.
However, smart turbo trainers perform a range of additional functions to work out resistance levels and many other things, from sending stats on your session to your computer or mobile device to enabling virtual community training features with other riders all over the world. Smart trainers are, generally, sorted into two categories…
Half-Smart Turbo Trainers
Half-smart turbo trainers are designed with wireless electronic communication ability and sensors which measure speed, distance, and other general specs. These units are able to send this information directly to the user’s phone, computer and tablet automatically.
These units are excellent for bikers who are new to turbo trainers, but they lack the sophistication and convenience features of a fully smart unit.
Fully Smart Turbo Trainers
A fully smart turbo trainer will change the way you train and how much you enjoy doing it. Users have complete control of the smart turbo trainer from a downloadable mobile app, allowing them to control the unit remotely. With a smart turbo trainer, you can raise and lower the unit’s resistance with the click of a button, as well as engage with other real riders.
The best smart turbo trainers are designed with ANT+FE-C capabilities, which allows for the user to track their speed, heart rate, and power output, as well as to interface with the units control settings. Cyclists can even connect up with other riders online to race or cruise together, using apps such as Zwift.
Smart Turbo Trainers combine the best elements of cycling and virtual gaming to make your indoor training much more productive and enjoyable. Fully smart trainers have the ability to link up with a piece of software, which will tell the trainer when to change the resistance and by how much, automatically.
Combined with Zwift, riders can hook it up to their TV and be able to see the course on which they are riding, just as in real life. The resistance varies in conjunction with the terrain of the course, providing an incredibly realistic and satisfying experience.
Smart Turbo Trainer Review
To take advantage of all that a smart turbo trainer has to offer, you will want a mount on your bicycle’s handlebars to hold your phone or tablet. If you are using a laptop, it is recommended that you have a laptop tray that stands tall enough to easily reach from a seated riding position on your bike.
In this way, your smart turbo trainers will give you the most convenience and functionality during your ride. This smart turbo trainer review will give you a reference point on some of the best products available.
1. Wahoo KICKR smart trainer
We chose the Wahoo KICKR smart trainer, as the best smart turbo trainer reviewed overall. This trainer is the top of the line and features all of the bells and whistles that a rider could ask for.
The Wahoo KICKR is great for cyclists who want a trainer that accurately simulates the sensation of riding on the road.
Design and Features
The Wahoo KICKR provides the user with a state of the art, customizable, unique cycle training experience. This smart trainer is designed to measure the rider’s power output straight from the hub, which is a uniquely individual product feature of this unit. The user can control the KICKR smart trainer from their iDevice, Mac book laptop, Windows PC, or tablet.
The Wahoo KICKR implements a “wheel-off” design, which attaches the user’s bike to the trainer through a direct-drive system. This eliminates the added wear on your tire, as well as maintains an accurate power reading.
It features Bluetooth 4.0 compatibility and is perfect for linking up with virtual bike trainer accounts, such as Zwift. Coming in around $1300, the Wahoo KICKR is made for serious cyclists who appreciate master craftsmanship.
2. Tacx Satori Smart turbo trainer
For those who are serious about training, but are interested in a lower price bracket, the Tacx Satori Smart turbo trainers come in around $400 to $500.
Less than half the price of the Wahoo KICKR, the Tacx Satori delivers all of the required features expected from a smart turbo trainer, plus more. This is the best smart turbo trainer for heavy-duty cyclists on a budget.
Design and Features
Designed with a magnetic resistance drive, the Tacx Satori features 10 levels of resistance. This unit is Bluetooth enabled and communicates with all computer and mobile platforms, including Mac, Windows, Android, and iDevices.
Users can sync their wearable smart technology, such as heart rate monitors and smartwatches with the trainer to incorporate as much user data as possible. Although this unit does not feature an automatic resistance control, the manually controlled magnetic resistance handle is easily accessible while sitting on the bike.
