Help me choose? Cycleops H2 or M2 (+ extras)

Noise is definitely different between the two based on my short tests. In use a 34x17 for most training and that keeps the H2 pretty quiet. But the Neo is more quiet at the same gearing. If noise is a primary concern, it’s hard to beat the Neo.

I will try my best to get some rides in on the Neo so I can share info at the end of the week end.

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I’m extremely happy with the H2, before the H2, I had a Kinetic Road Machine for 3 years, loved that too but it was time for an upgrade.

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I just went from a tacx vortex to a kickr core (failed in 3-4 weeks) and now an h2. The h2 is solid and a bit noisier than the core. Definitely a hum there. But I picked it up for $800 at REI during the 20% off. If I used zwift I would have held out for a neo and saved up. Also was going to get a flux 2 but as dcrainmaker and gplama started they are not ready for the world yet.

I’m happy with h2. I turn up amplifier 5 db higher and all is good. Very solid trainer with a great track record from a great company.

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I own both the H2 and the M2. I take the M2 with me when I travel because it is 30 pounds lighter then the H2.

If you are not worried about transportability go with the added expense of the H2. There is really no comparison. Much smoother and quieter. Calibration is quick and easy. Calibrating the M2 is a pain because you need to go through the Rouvy Mobile app which is outside of TrainerRoad (TrainerRoad does NOT calibrate the M2).

The H2 and M2 share the same firmware and, as a consequence, share a similar flaw. Both report wildly incorrect cadence values at low power. For example, at around 150 watts, my dedicated cadence monitor reports 95 rpm and my H2 says 50 rpm. The problem seems to go away around 180 watts. I consider this a small inconvenience. One of these days a trainer manufacturer will embed a dedicated cadence device directly into the trainer.

One more cadence issue is when you ramp up quickly. When Coach Chad asks me to form sprint for 10 seconds the H2 and M2’s algorithm simple does not react fast enough. In fact, sometimes, it says my cadence went down when my dedicated cadence monitor is reporting 145 rpm.

To sum up, for a stationary setup the H2 beats the M2 hands down. Smoother, quieter and greater stability. Easily worth the extra dollars.

As far as I am aware the only way to calibrate a H2 is through the Rouvy App. Tr has stated in the past that TR cannot calibrate an H2.

My h2 is only a few weeks old but I do not have these cadence issues. I used the H2 with a magene cadence sensor for comparison and cadence has always seemed fine except at the end of a sprint when I used the large ring and there was to much momentum.

Last night during sprints I did not change gearing and also had my 4iiii’s powere meter connect ed to my garmin 1030. Cadence seemed to track very cllosely.

Ill check more on my end to see if I can replicate it.

The H2 is easy to calibrate on TrainerRoad by clicking on calibrate*.* The cadence issue is also easy to see if you do a set that has some higher power intervals then low power rest intervals. Any VO2 max workout will show the problem. I normally don’t care because the cadence is correct at the higher power levels.

Oh for sure. I replicated that my first sprints when I switched to the big chain ring. There is no stress on the h2 so it cannot use its algorithm to calculate cadence. Yesterday I stopped 1-3 seconds before the end of the interval so that the inertia dropped. By doing this I could keep load against the flywheel and not have it spin out from under me. Worked like a charm. Kickrs have the same issue with spinning out but you have to use an external cadence sensor there. Try shutting down a couple seconds before and it will solve the problem.

Does anyone have experience when it comes to noise level between H2 and original Elite Direto?

I have tested Direto and it’s noise level is good enough for me, from the specs it seems like H2 should be similar if not little better.

Just bought an H2 and am very happy with noise levels. Completely fine and no noisier than my fan.

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Just wanted to say, with an mtb on it, it was quiet. With the road bike and high speeds, it is very loud. Am going to try and grease the free hub and see how that goes.