Saris H3 Discussion/Issues

Equipment
48

Think the cheapest in the UK currently is to use the 10% British cycling discount at Halfords bringing it down to £765

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49

I have been using my new H3 for a few days now and I was initially very pleased. Power seems accurate, road feel is excellent and Erg mode is very smooth indeed.
It is very quiet, approaching silent I would say, at least most of the time. Which brings me to the potentially deal-breaking issue that I have…

There is a very loud creaking noise whenever I pedal at low cadence (below 60rpm) and push hard on the pedals, simulating grinding up a very steep climb for example. The noise totally disappears as soon as I spin up to a normal cadence.
I’m aware that creaks are notoriously difficult to pin down on carbon bikes, so I’ve tried to eliminate all the potential non-trainer variables. I’ve swapped bikes, I’ve swapped the cassette on the H3 and the quick release skewer, but the creaking is still there at low cadence and it is VERY loud and very annoying.

Is this normal for smart trainers?
Do any other Hammer owners (H1, 2 or 3) have this same issue, or it is likely that my H3 has a fault?
Any ideas welcome.

50

Is your bike clamped in place properly? Generally speaking there is more force through the system at lower rpm so not sure.

51

I believe you are referring to the same issue some have reported in the comment section in the review and myself included. I would reach out to Saris and report the issue.

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52

Thanks Tariq. I fear that you are correct and it sounds like this will have to be returned. Have you (or anyone else), had any feedback from Saris on this issue yet?

I have now tried 3 different bikes and various combinations of cassettes and QR skewers. All combinations give exactly the same loud creaking noise when peddling at low-cadence/high-force, so I am pretty certain it is an H3 issue not a bike issue. Very disapointing if there is a widespread problem for a newly launched top of the range trainer - yet again.

Your reviews are brilliant by the way! Keep up the great work.

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53

I have tried various QR skewers, so I am now pretty sure that this is an H3 issue.

54

Interesting, my H3 feels like it has been really jumpy in erg mode.

55

There seem to be some kind of an alignment issue with the pulley wheel causing this noise. I do have a second unit which I received from Saris and unfortunately it’s worse that the first one I had :man_shrugging:t2:

57

You and me both iamholland. But since mine won’t ship until next week maybe I can cancel the order and get a refund :frowning:

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59

Let us know when you get a chance to test it out.

If this turns out to be a widespread issue like the 2018 Kickr had I don’t want to get involved in shipping a 50 lb. box back and forth across the country. The shipping charges alone would eat up the 20% savings quickly.

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60

Not to make light of the problem but it was like 4-5 people who had the issue on that review. I haven’t heard of this problem anywhere else. Sounds like a bad batch of them perhaps. Wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water just yet

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61

Yeah, this is early and I would hesitate to read too deeply into it right now.

63

I really hope you are right that this turns out to be a small issue. I like Saris as a company and I thought that my H3 was a great trainer apart from this issue.
However, given that Tariq has had two units with strange noises, then I fear the worst.
I have returned mine today for a refund and will let the dust settle before deciding what to do next.

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64

Reference strange noise… I have a strange noise on the H1. I have found with mine that if I apply the power after a free wheel at the “wrong” time I get a clunking noise, happens probably around once in ten sessions. It’s just a case of free wheeling for another second and applying the power again. I assumed it was something out of sync with the heavy flywheel.

This hasn’t been an issue in 20 months with workouts or Zwift races and it’s been “hammered” at lot! I find it a solid unit with this one idiosyncrasy. Do find it strange that the H3 has been said to be flimsy. Have they changed their external manufacturing of the unit, mine I’m sure would survive a nuclear blast and would only assume it would improve with the minor revisions.

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65

Thanks for the detailed report. Good info.

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66

I think there is a bit of overreaction right now to a handful of reports of noises. As far as build they are identical to the H1/2 AFAIK which should make them nukeproof.

Thanks for the in depth feedback to iamholland but what more did you really want from the LED lights? They light up, you can glance down and clearly see them, I feel like you’re nit picking something that isn’t a problem. Agree on the handle aspect though, the trainer doesn’t carry well with it and is off balance.

Personally think people are overreacting with cancelling orders and such but it’s your money. My hope is this makes my unit arrive sooner

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67

Is noise really that much of an issue? I put earbuds in and hear nothing but music.

68

It can be a sign of an underlying issue if there’s a knock noise inside the unit.

And to supplement the whole build quality wobbly feet issue, my H2 feet don’t wobble, at all, and the Hammer series is one of the most stable on the market because i believe it has the single widest footprint of any trainer when it’s fully opened. I cannot imagine tipping over when riding this thing, and I put out a half decent sprint

69

LED:

  1. The Saris has a single light that changes color and blinking to indicate status. It works, but you need to use the reference file to learn what the colors and blinks mean.

  2. Most other trainers use multiple lights with dedicated labeling on the case to indicate primary purpose. The blink vs solid is bot defined, so a reference is still needed to know what they mean.

Essentially, the others are 1 step better with immediate labeling.

Build:

  1. The Hammer series use a large aluminum casting for the main body. It adds a plastic cover and plastic legs. The main case is sturdy and doesn’t seem to flex. The legs are glass-reinforced injected plastic. Super strong and tough material, but some people see it as inferior when compared to metal. They are both solid with no reason to really question them for quality or strength.

Stability:

  1. The Hammer series may have the widest footprint, but u haven’t verified it. One oddity that some don’t notice is how and why it’s as wide as it is. Saris uses the same leg for the left and right of the trainer. Makes sense in general, until you look closer at the overall design. The trainer body is offset from the midline of the bike axis by a few inches. This leads to the legs (same length on both sides) sticking out further on the left side. I consider it a bit odd.
  2. The Kickr and many others use a footprint that is symmetrical about the bike middle.
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73

I believe my H2 also makes a similar “takeoff noise” initialy and then doesnt do it anymore. Never paid much attention to it.

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