Tacx Neo Motion Plates (Fore-Aft)

You mean the ethernet connection that Zwift still does not support! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I fully expected they would eventually support the DIRCON. The fact that it has taken over a year is the only reason I took a shot at Zwift. After all, it’s hard to find reasons to pick on Zwift :wink:

edit: what was with the squeaking in your video? front tire too wide?

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Yeah, small steps ahead is what I’d expect. Fix the disc caliper and frame clearance issues we see more often with the Neo range. Maybe add to the connections like the 3x BLE of the Kickr and you hit on some interesting options too.

Polish more than reinventing.

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It seems like it would have been a better idea to add a similar attachment to the existing wheel riser or supply a new wheel riser with the moving bottom rather than the riser they supplied that squeeks if your wheel is too wide and relies on your front wheel rolling back and forth. I guess that would have made it $500 though… :unamused: Something to MacGyver in the Lama Lab? :grinning:

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Does this make a big difference when standing, or is it marginal? I find standing on the trainer to be entirely unlike standing outside.

Wait, are you implying the TR does support it, this is great news as I get far more drop outs (I think it’s when my neighbor uses her microwave) with TR, so this is great news

Yes. It’s my understanding that TR supports the DIRCON, although you might need to be on the beta train of TR. Then again, it’s been a long while so it is probably in the mainline TR now.

I’m keen on reducing saddle discomfort and staying on the trainer longer. Admittedly they are pricey but also well designed and a nice addition to the Neo if they make a positive difference to the ride. I’ve just bought them and if they do the job I’ll report back. Otherwise keep an eye on eBay!

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Hard to say. Personally, I’ve never had a fore-aft only rocker (ignoring the mominor flex in the Neo), but I imagine it might help a little.

For me, the biggest change is adding lightly sprung rocking motion. IMO, that basic action is the key difference between a rigid setup and a decent rocker setup.

The amount of actual lean angle varies feom ridwr to rider, and even between power levels and such, but most people apply at least some lean angle when standing.

As GP Lama mentions, standing on a non-leaning bike inside leads to a different motion pattern that what we apply outside. I won’t claim a rocker can match the exact same feel and function as outside, but it can sure get closer than a totally rigid setup.

Adding fore-aft helps a but with the transition and the fact thay we are not a perfectly balanced machine. So the F-A motion tames that imbalance to some degree.

As to the Neo flex in this regard, it is insufficient for standing efforts and only really beneficial for seated comfort when compared to real rocking action.

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Thanks Chad, looks like I won’t be getting the Flex.

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Just received mine and gave them a spin. The feeling is really really good. Hard to describe but it feels very much like riding outdoors.

Sure, maybe a bit on the expensive side, especially here in northern Europe (paid $350) but since I do a lot of indoor riding, more than outdoors, can’t really put a price tag on this feeling.
As for indoor sprinting, I don’t do those anyway, it always feels like I will break a lot of expensive gear every time I try it.

They do feel a bit plastic, but I hope they will keep intact for a couple of years at least.
Installation was super easy, except for some minor issues detaching the feet from my Neo OG. Super clever to keep the feet within the plates.

Highly recommended.

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exactly my thoughts. Hoping v2 gets released soon

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Already have them?! Garmin USA web site shows available to ship in 2-3wks. Here in TW, nothing on the Garmin site. Asked bike shop, said they can’t even order them yet.

I’ve seen people getting them from LBS’s already on FB

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I’m giving these a hard look, was going to buy the Leeze Boom Pro rocker plate before these came out…price is almost the same, but one does lateral movement while the Tacx one does fore/aft…I’m most interested in the feel and comfort (especially re saddle).

I feel encouraged by what you write, the Tacx Motion Plates would suit me better in terms of space but ultimately it’s function over form for me.

How have the plates affected your comfort on longer rides, have you had a chance to try them in that context yet?

The two rides I’ve done has been very short due to a recent surgery, and to be fair, I barely ever do rides beyond 90 minutes. So I’m probably the wrong person to ask.
However, during the short rides I’ve done, can’t feel anything that would indicate any strangeness in that sense either. Just a bit more core work, like riding outdoors.

Also, as the Neo already has some lateral movement, you kinda get the full range now. Looking at the handlebar when riding, you can see movement in all directions. Or maybe it’s my carbon frame breaking :wink:

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I have done a couple of rides on the motion plates at this point.

First, yes they are absurdly expensive, but are a niche product, and to be honest we spend plenty of money on bicycle parts and add ons that are of questionable value. In my case, I built a DIY side to side rocker plate a while ago, but found that with my limited ceiling height it was less than ideal. I settled for the slight side to side motion provided by the Neo 2T, and just became disciplined on regularly getting OTS.

These plates take up no more room than the dampening pads I had under the trainer. The fore/aft motion is fairly subtle, but the effect is to create a decent range of motion, and interestingly with the new front block and this motion, there seems to now be more side to side motion. For seated efforts the plates work well to reduce seat fatigue (I rode an hour without any OTS to validate this), as the effort level goes up the movement increases. The only issue I have is the OTS motion, which feels a little alarming if your cadence is even remotely high. It could be this is just something that one needs to get used to, but I chose to drop the cadence more than usual to address this issue.

Overall, I am happy with the addition and if it reduces fatigue and therefore makes it easier to spend more time on the trainer, it will have been a good investment.

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Right on! Sounds like a win overall.

For the OTS riding, do you have a guess as to the cadence you used or what is typical for you?

I found that a cadence in the low to mid 60’s was best, and anything over 70 seemed to create instability, I plan to play with it more as it might just require one to be smoother than I typically am in order to not create excessive motion. Typically for harder efforts my cadence would be in the 60’s, but I regularly hop OTS and ride at around 80+ just to shake out and alter my position for a while.

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Interesting. For reference, I do LOTS of standing at 60-75 rpm on my E-Flex. I am using only half the fore-aft centering springs as the stock unit, because I like a more ā€œfreeā€ motion. Depending on your upper body use, it can get a but out of hand at higher cadence, but that is fairly individual.

The look of the Neo motion plates is a shorter range of motion, and seems loose just off center, but I suspect it either ramps up shortly off center. That or people pushing the limits will hit the hard stop which is more likely to lead to odd sensations vs the motion leading to that rapid stop of motion.

That said, centering forces related to fore-aft are sure tricky from my testing and can impact the experience greatly if they don’t align well with the rider and their preferences.

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