I’ve read so many reviews both bad and good on all smart trainers that I’ve over-educated myself. I literally have no idea which smart trainer to get (Wheel off, Under 1K).
Every one of them is both appealing and yet rife with crappy reviews as well.
Despite the fact that it has it’s own thread, I lean toward the Core.
Any advice?
Check out what DC RAINMAKER says
If I were buying a trainer right now, I would choose the Kickr Core if I needed the quietest possible trainer, otherwise I’d buy the Hammer H2 which is being discounted everywhere
Just bought a KICKR core & really like it. No complaints thus far.
I’ve been reading him non-stop!
If you’re anything like me, you read and read and at some point that reading no longer helps to inform your decision.
Research enough and you’ll find bad reviews of anything, so do yourself a favour and just hit BUY on one of them today, if you’ve done your research then you won’t make the “wrong” choice
EXACTLY! I’ve read so much good and bad on each one, that its paralysis by analysis
Just buy one then - you know enough to know there are multiple good options. You’re overthinking it
I’d personally look at the Saris (Cycleops) Hammer H3. Alternatively, if you can find an H2 for a great price (< $800), then that would be a good option too, but those have been discontinued by the manufacturer and are getting harder to find.
If you’re a bit flexible with your timing, consider waiting until mid-November. Clever Training (and usually other vendors, such as REI) historically has their twice annual sale at this time, and you can (typically) get 20% off, which makes the H3 an even better bargain at $800 + tax. Personal experience would be to steer clear of Wahoo, but consensus is that their quality control has improved some in recent months, so you may not experience the KICKR problems that many of us faced. Tacx Neo 2T is another solid option, but I don’t think there’s enough there to justify a $400 premium over the H3.
Good thinking on the patience until November. Didn’t even think of that, in all this.
Hammer vs Core
Louder vs Quiet
More reliable vs. Less so(?)
Clever training currently has the Neo 2 on sale for $1200, I use a Neo and cant imagine going back to daily calibrations. I have the Neo 2 and only downside is the virtual wheel slip above 1100 watts or when really stomping on the pedals but I am also 215lbs.
Got my Core just after Christmas and it has been flawless. Black Friday this year might be your best bet on it though.
First trainer was a first gen KICKR…taught me the value of quiet as it required ear plugs to use after a few months of use. Current trainer is H2, pretty quiet. If you have the means then I would prioritize quiet.
Just to balance things out, my device was faulty and I already delayed my initial training start for two weeks and they still didn’t send out the replacement unit.
I didn’t know about the CycleOps H2 and the sell of due to the release of new model. With 50 € below the Wahoo Kickr Core it seems to be like a great opportunity.
Whatever you do be careful of the suito - see DC Rainmaker for all the problems being reported and my experiences here with problems and poor service in trying to get them resolved.
thank you. Yeah, I had essentially eliminated them from the prospectives
Reviews from the H3 suggest that is much quieter than the H2–and almost as quiet as the KICKR, so I wouldn’t eliminate the H3 on noise alone (see DCR and GP’s video from earlier this month). I have the H2 and it is louder than the KICKR, but it’s not obnoxious or deafening and really not that bad at all… a mild mid-decibel “whirl” that’s certainly quieter than my old Kinetic fluid trainer.
If I was buying a trainer today, the H3 would be at the top of my list, and especially so if you can get it for $800 + tx in November.
I have the H3 and DCRainmaker nailed it when he said the noise is sub-fan level. I can’t hear it over my two Lasko fans, so spending anymore on noise reduction would be wasted for me.
For quietest possible, I’d suggest the 4iiii Fliiiight.
From DC Rainmaker’s First Look:
…with the Fliiiight, the main appeal of the trainer is simply the silence, as well as lack of vibrations. There are none of either. So the only sound you’ll hear is that of your drive chain, and for apartment dwellers that may have thin floors or walls – there’s no vibrations from the trainer, since your rear wheel is just floating spinning in air, not physically rubbing/driving against anything like a typical wheel-on trainer or direct drive trainer would.
I don’t have an H3 or KICKR to compare it against, but it’s not just the lack of noise, but the lack of vibrations that help it stand out.
that is a wheel on, correct?