What are you used to riding on for reference?
I have been on a Cycleops Fluid 2 for about 8 years now.
Did 5 rides on a Kickr 2018.
I had a fluid 2 and sold to a friend. Tried it a few months after being on a direct drive H2 and it felt super chunky. I think youāre just used to the Fluid cause thereās almost no way the Kickr can actually be worse. Even with my disappointment in the Neo, I thought it was still better. Fluid trainers tend to be very mushy and I feel like I canāt spin in smooth circles. Iāll let you know how the Kickr is, but Iām expecting it to feel similar to the H2/H3 which would give it one of the better ride feels on the market. Could be wrong though, I just canāt imagine how it could sell in such numbers if it was that bad.
I imagine after 8 years youāve developed some kind of familiarity with the unit and probably donāt feel what someone new may feel, maybe the same reason I thought the Neo was so bad, cause Iām used to something totally different
Is anyone else bummed by all the problems you hear about on these expensive trainers? Not to mention the fact that they all have short, 1 year, warranties, and you canāt buy parts. In my mind, a $1000 trainer should be able to be rebuilt after 5 or 10 years if need be.
Are there any good options on an extended warranty?
My Tacx Vortex seems to be dying. I had a Kickr Core in my cart at REI (20% discount and all) and then thought that since I have a power meter I could easily go back to my 25 year old Minoura Mag trainer if needed.
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FWIW, I bought my Kickr last year in March. Iām now on my second replacement. When it works I love it, but the adjustment for the resistance has died twice on me.
Seems like for now going back to H2 might be way to go for you if youāre looking for best ride feel.
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If by āgo-toā you mean āGO-TOā the UPS store to drop it off for warranty repair and āGO-TOā the UPS to pick it back upā¦rinse and repeatā¦hard to disagree with you.
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Important to note that while some Kickr users have had one or more replacements, there are plenty that have not needed any replacement.
Unfortunately, there are no perfect trainers or companies available right now. Itās easy to point to bad apples with each and every one. Welcome to the trainer lotteryā¦ get your ticket and ride the ride. 
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Agree. This most recent round of releases has been a bit of a contest of terriblity from everyone. Iāve sent back the final H3 so should get a check soon, will be using this loaner NEO till end of the week and Kickr all next week.
My buddy who I sold the H2 to said I can borrow it if needed, but my plan is done and itās warming up so probably wonāt need it.
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Is anyone else bummed by all the problems you hear about on these expensive trainers? Not to mention the fact that they all have short, 1 year, warranties, and you canāt buy parts. In my mind, a $1000 trainer should be able to be rebuilt after 5 or 10 years if need be.
This somewhat annoys me as well. I wouldnāt mind paying a bit more for a Kickr that has guaranteed parts in 5 years, or even 10. Ant and bluetooth for ERG would most likely be good enough.
My 2 year old Direto doesnāt feel as crisp anymore. Iām not quite sure what Iām going to do when it gives up. I might even go back to a dumb trainer that is bombproof. I would have to get another power meter then, as my trainer bike doesnāt have one - the Direto is close enoughā¦
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I also find the lack of reasonable warranties annoying. Based on my 2ish year kickr starting to have power accuracy problems I donāt think these are as robust as they should be. Out of warranty they offered to swap it with a refurbished (old model) one for $300, which isnāt terrible, but I generally donāt trust refurbished equipment like this. Mine was having intermittent problems, so if I sent it back it would get a quick ārefurbishmentā, during which they would be unlikely to reproduce the problem (if they would even try), and then be sent to some sucker as a refurbed unit.
I really canāt imagine buying a smart bike without a much longer warranty. Something like that should have a useful and warrantied life of 5+ years. 1-2 years on something like that is not adequate.
On top of this parts are not available (beyond wear items, like belts) so you canāt even repair things yourself. Even these fancy smart trainers are pretty much some bearings, gears/pulleys, and a few PCBs - most of which could be easily replaced if spare parts where available.
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It seems ridiculous compared to say a NordicTrak treadmill or other fitness industry piece of equipment. For a treadmill you can get an exploded parts diagram and still buy parts for 5-10 year old pieces of equipment. It makes me wonder if there is a law requiring parts availability for a certain period of time.
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You could always pick up a used Computrainer. Sure itās wheel-on, wired and youāll have to use the TR legacy app but theyāre built like a tank. I sold my 14 year old Computrainer last year and sometimes regret that decision.
Iād like to have a wheel-off trainer but maybe I can wait for the industry to get better. Iām not sure yet but my Tacx Vortex may be dying. If it dies I will try my old-school Minoura with the power meter on my bike. I think I can live without erg mode.
Just unboxed a Neo 2t and so far itās working great. Installed the cassette and updated the firmware with zero issues. No problems with slippage on a random London Zwift route (climbs up to 12% at least). The London underground feels crazy over the boards. I did a 30 minute workout in erg mode with 400W and 600W intervals. Nothing felt to crazy in erg mode. I can imagine if you arenāt paying attention and the interval sneaks up on you itās going to hurt. My max sprint power is about 800W and the Neo 2t didnāt have any issues. The slight side to side motion is nice and will take some getting use to after riding a Saris M2 smart trainer that really locks you in place.
So far very happy with the Tacx Neo 2t and zero issues.
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Iamholland have you tried the neo2 yet? I would love to know what you think of it compared to the Saris H3
I tried the NEO2, and even considering all the problems I had with all my H3s, I would still rather have the Saris than the TACX. ERG changes are too abrupt, road feel on zwift is nice but road feel in ERG mode is no good, at least as far as Iām concerned
I have a Kickr Core purchased in Sept 2019 and have had zero issues with it. I use it with a Garmin 935, with an iPad as the connection device to Trainer Road and all works fine. I also purchased the Wahoo cadence sensor that clips to a cycling shoe, since it transmits using Bluetooth and that gets my cadence and power data showing in TR on the iPad. Overall, Iām very pleased with this set up and definitely recommend the Kickr Core.
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I bought a Kickr in 2018 and have had zero issues and lots of use out of it. I suspect that as far as TrainerRoad is concerned, theyāre all good, so maybe go for the one you can get a deal or, or is local, or whatever. I doubt your final FTP or anything will be nuch affected by whether you trained on a Kickr, a Tacx or NEO.
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I have spent about 160hrs on my Elite Suito since October without any issues so far. I canāt say I look for being able to simulate a 20% Zwift climb, and Iām no power monster (246W FTP), but I put on a few hours each week and have had no issues to date. My partner also has a Suito and has put on probably 70-80 hours since Christmas on it, again with no issues. For the price, and considering it comes with a cassette, I would say it is hard to beat.
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