Indoor setup dumb or smart trainer

kevin306 · 21-10-2022 11:24am #1

I recently retired from team sports and looking to keep my fitness up. I have three small kids at home and work alot of weekends so for the next few years getting time to be out on the road for hours will prove difficult. Mainly I just want to have a small compact setup at home to do some zone 2 training to top up my fitness. I have a budget of about €1000. I am torn between the following two options:

Buy a decent entry level bike like https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ie/contend-2 and a dumb turbo trainer.
1. Pros: Have a good bike that will be stand to me if I get to enjoy cycling and want to get out on the road in the future.
2. Cons: Will need additional sensors to monitor stats & very noisy in a small house.
Buy either a kick snap/core and a cheap second hand road bike in local cycle store.
1. Pros:
  1. Built in stat monitoring with wahoo fitness app
  2. If I decide to use zwift rather than basic zone 2 training experience will be very good.
2. Cons
  1. End up not using smart features and waste of money
  2. Cheaper bike may not be the same experience on kickr core. Second hand bike I'm looking at is 8 speed may have issues.

From reading online generally if people buy the direct drive core they are never disappointed. However would the snap be enough for me is there that much of a difference?

Whyner · 21-10-2022 11:54am

https://www.garmin.com/en-IE/p/690886 - these are the biz. I'd be all over it if I was in the market. Have the Neo1 for 4 years or so and zero issues

Squidgy Black · 21-10-2022 12:57pm

I'd go for the new Zwift Hub or the JetBlack Volt over the Kickr Snap personally, that'd leave you with 500 quid for a bike.

You could pick up a nice older rim brake bike on adverts for that price with a decent groupset, would be better than the Giant too.

Macy0161 · 21-10-2022 3:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119775013#Comment_119775013

This, if I was buying now.

I don't know whether you can still get the Elite Turbo Muin, which was a quiet wheel off turbo as a third option. But if you want to use zwift or any of the "game" software you'd really want a smart turbo.

Actually, there's a 4th option - I'm using an old 7 speed (getting on for 10 year old Halford Carrera Zelos) on my smart turbo, with extra spacers! If you are genuinely thinking only inside to start with.

Whichever option, budget for fans/ cooling too (and have them in your noise level considerations).

traco · 22-10-2022 10:01am

I set a 1k budget 6 months back and am just about ther now with the bike, some gear, service parts for the bike and the trainer.

I picked up a second hand wahoo snap. Set it up the other night. Dowloaded the wahoo systm app on the laptop and started the free 14 day trial.

It's all new to me but I was impressed and will complete the 14 day program. The Kickr snap is fairly quiet but I'm in the old playroom and have a nice 42" telly.

Need to sort a better option for the mouse as the ironing board is a bit naff.

Supposed to do an hour session today so that will tell a lot. If it's for me I'll get a wahoo HR and cadence sensor also.

Herself was away all week for work so hasn't. Seen it yet. I may be wearing the ironing board by the end of the day??

rolling boh · 22-10-2022 7:17pm

Personally if you want to stick to your budget I would go for a decent bike which as you say could get use of and get a basic trainer .If you are just doing it for fitness do you really need all the extra stuff from a smart trainer if you use it you will keep fit and have your bike to get on you might find the time to get out more than you think .I agree basic trainers might be a little boring to use but I just stick on some music and pedal away .

saccades · 23-10-2022 9:13pm

Another option, buy a bike, fit the gen 2 4iiii power meter (cheap as the gen 3 just landed), and a really cheap dumb turbo.

Have power readings all the time when cycling and be able to move the meter from bike to bike.

Indoor setup dumb or smart trainer

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