Fave new Trainer: Wahoo KICKR

[seanmolin]

Resurrected from the dead!

How's the KICKR still faring? Trying to decide if I should get the KICKR, Tracx Neo, or hold off for the new CycleOps Hammer.

[steventran]

I love my Kickr, but I'd wait until Eurobike has come and gone before deciding on a trainer if you like the latest and greatest. You may want to add the Elite Drivo to your list as well.

[4151zero]

2017 kickr now for sale @ competitive cyclist with newish features.

[seanmolin]

I'd wait until Eurobike has come and gone...

Sigh. I guess I can wait 5 days.

[HammerTime2]

CharlesM, have you been on these babies (credit to jo.k for first posting about it, but his link is now dead)?

Rodby Innovation, http://www.rodby.com/english/eng_home.htm has informed that the RL2500E and their other bicycle treadmill products, are not available in the United States, as they do not have a dealer there. That seems a shame. However, it may still be possible, with some effort, to get one in the United States - stay tuned.

How about the no longer available, not that it ever really was to Joe Quadpack, Super Trainer?

... Inside Ride produced a small number (at least one, anyhow) of something called the "Super Trainer" Cyclingnews Tech News article from 2004 which includes write up on and pictures of the Super Trainer and http://www.operationgadget.com/2005/03/ ... e_sup.html, which used to be shown on its website, and was basically a giant adjustable incline treadmill for riding your bike. That was real climbing.



.

Of course, these units are somewhat pricier than your Joe average trainer or rollers.

Actually yes!

There's one of these on the east coast thats in a private home...

They're a tad bit more money than the Wahoo, but the road like feel is there for sure You could also call the set up and storage "involved", but then I'm guessing anyone having one will also have a pretty nice training room. The one that I used was in a 3500 sq foot "work out room"...

I'll also say that it's pretty unnerving to use. I bet you get used to it though... And I could get used to having a 15,000 sq foot house with a training wing .

I get Hammers point and it's valid and completely true. People shouldnt expect the exact same training effect indoors to out (climbing or not actually). If Anyone manages to replicate that full effect, it would likely be a HEADLINE rather than a part of the story...

Charles, you indicated that you rode a Super Trainer (if I correctly interpreted your post). Did you ride it at an incline? if so, was it like real climbing? My hope is that it is, and that one day (soon), I can get a similar unit, whether from Rodby Innovation, Inside Ride, or some other manufacturer.

Yes, the price and weight for such a unit will likely be considerably higher than for traditional high-end trainers and rollers. But I'll take a good mechanism over video games any day.

yes, and no... it wasn't like real climbing. Even in the case of something like that, you have limits, both physical and mental. That's a hell of a rig and works well but the speed adjusting and the proximity of the rails really make you think a lot about what you're doing. My HR for the watts produced was a LOT different than other trainers and the road. I would guess conditioning to it would make some of that go away, but not all of it. When you're operating dynamically in an enclosure, it just never lets you really free. on a bike it seems a LOT worse than on something like incline treadmills. I've been on a unit like that running as well and it was awesome. On a bike it seems really claustrophobic and a couple of other people have said the same thing... so even when you have free bike movement, it's still not the same...

it would be good to get an assessment from someone who has ridden the (Garmin) Tacx Magnum cycling treadmill at an incline. Perhaps its sensors and reaction time are better than the Inside Ride Super Trainer, which CharlsM gave a ride review of in the above quote.

[ms6073]

it would be good to get an assessment from someone who has ridden the (Garmin) Tacx Magnum cycling treadmill at an incline.

Why not ask Shane Miller (GPLama)? My understanding is that the Tacx T9000 Magnum Smart Trainer is manufactured on demand, and as such there are less than 20-30 in existence, which is understandable given the €8,500 (US $10082) price tag. Even if it were more main stream, I doubt it could ever be marketed at a price that made it competitive with the Oreka 02 cycling treadmill or even this years new generation of Smart bikes.

[HammerTime2]

I don 't believe the Oreka 02 cycling treadmill has incline capability. DC Rainmaker doesn't even mention that in his video review you posted.

So the Oreka 02 cycling treadmill is a totally different beast.

I am still trying to find out whether it is possible to buy a (Garmin?) Tacz Magnum in the U.S. if it is, they're not making it easy, even for people ready to plunk down 10 large on their credit card.