I live in Canada so the Zwift Hub is not available, and budget is a concern so I’ve been watching my used market for a while now. Finally have a couple different options to mull over. Use is ERG for TrainerRoad and maybe the occasional RGT or Zwift race for fun. One of the most important features is noise as I train at 5am when the house is asleep. I currently have a Saris M2 and it can get decently loud.
Options are (all prices are CAD): Cyclops (Saris) Hammer (“H1”) $500Removed as it’s too loud
Elite Suito $600
Elite Direto XR $750
Saris H3 $800
Additional option is I have a Garmin 40% off code coming through my health benefits so I could get a brand new Tacx Flux S for $605.99+tax= $678.71
The original Hammer is the most appealing because of the cost, but it’s also quite old. Any advice between these options? Cost is quite important, so not sure if there is much of a tangible benefit spending more or not.
With noise as your primary functional concern, the Hammer (H1) may not be the best choice. It uses the original cogged belt & pulley design that gets a notable “whine” as the flywheel speed increases. May not be an issue if you plan to use lower gearing, but it is potentially as loud as the M2 in some cases.
Like @mcneese.chad mentioned the H1 should not be an option if noise is important. It is loud. I went from an H1 to the H3 and it is night and day when comparing the sound level. With the H3 I hear my drivetrain over the actual trainer most of the time… That would be at the top of my list - but I have not heard or used the Elite’s.
I’m in the UK, so not sure if these are available in Canada, but over here wahoo was advertising refurbished kickrs for the same price as the zwift hub (…surprise…). I don’t have a kickr, but a Blackjet Volt, which according to wahoo is identical enough to infringe their patent. The Volt is pretty much silent. You still hear the drivetrain and any fans you have running though.
You missed out on a kickr core sale that was happening a few weeks ago at MEC
suito works, i have one, had an issue with a circuit board but they sent me a new circuit board at no cost
my neighbour bought the h3 and has had no issue with it
between the kick, suito and h3 in general the noisiest thing will be your drivetrain on the bicycle, there isn’t that much noticeable different in noise between those i think, or i havent noticed anything
some retailers have the thinkrider (don’t know about it) but could be an option
I had the H1 and H3 should be equally as noisy in reality as they use the same freehub. My H1 wasn’t noisy until you stop pedaling. Then you’d hear the pawls go for days as the flywheel spun down. No amount of grease will quiet it, but you can do your workouts in a lower gear to minimize it. It is THE BEST if you do sprint/explosive type work as the heavier flywheel gives more instant resistance( I’d assume the Suito would be the easiest on your muscles tendons if it’s the other way around). The other issue with the H1 I had was, if you’re using a ‘normal’ gear, while working out the thing would take forever before you’re able to hit a lower power target while the flywheel spun down.
One option for super quiet workouts… used spin bike with a power meter. It’s not interactive, but it is quiet. You won’t miss the interactivity so much.
Ended up getting the guy with the Elite Suito down to $450 and went for that one. Haven’t done a workout yet, but just did a 30 sec spin and it feels a lot more solid and nice compared to the Saris M2. Looking forward to doing an actual workout!
