Might be looking to just buy a trainer only machine.
If you own one can you chime in why you went with that unit.
Have you reviewed the existing threads on each model?
Most have some customer and use feedback that is worth reviewing.
And likely you already seen the comparison from DCR, but just to cover all the bases:
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Since DCR’s shootout is a couple years old, and these threads haven’t been updated in a few months, I’d love to hear from any current users of these bikes (and the Stages SB20) if the ERG mode issues that are common to all of them have been resolved or at least improved.
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I have the Stages SB20 since December 2019, and I’m happy with it. I use it for TR workouts (no Zwift) in erg mode basically 100% of the time, and my wife uses it in resistance mode for freestyle usage (no program or following along to online Soul Cycle on-demand / recorded classes).
I got this because I could get it - availability for the others was zero, and I’m a CTS athlete so I got a ~15% discount off of the price.
I’ve had the following two issues:
- When I initially got the bike, I had the Scratching, grinding, or banging in rhythm with the flywheel speed problem. Which was annoying that right out of the box I had to fix something. Following the these directions, I fixed the problem. So an annoyance that Stages could easily fix with a 10 cent or cheaper washer so that the chance of this happening is basically zero
- The top of the seat mast that slides was slightly canted, so that it was impossible to get my saddle horizontally level. I figured this out because I was never 100% comfortable on the bike, and I was sitting a little twisted. To diagnose this problem, I took a level and started from the ground, and moved my way up until I found where the saddle out of horizontal level came from. I took a picture, sent that to Stages, and they sent me a new seat mast without any hassle. The new seat mast fixed this problem
Besides the above, I’ve had no issues. I have over 150 rides on this, and wife probably has another 100 or so.
Things to note:
- This bike is a tank. Zero flex, zero rocking. Coming off of my previous setup - Kickr on the Inside Ride E-Flex - I really notice the lack of movement. I need to stand a lot more often than I used to, and I’m really thinking of getting a rockr plate for the bike
- For non-ERG rides, the dream drive (you can setup the SB20 as a 1x with up to 50 gears) mode is great. My wife and I both have this as the mode, and having 50 gears spread across a 11x50 cassette allows you to really fine tune cadence. Plus you can configure the “front” shift button to go up / down the “cassette” in any number of cogs you want (e.g., click the “front” shift button, and go up / down 5 “cogs” at a time).
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Dang, thanks for that. I think you may have just sold me on an SB20. Other than the flywheel and the seat post fixes (which sound pretty annoying), how much maintenance have you had to do to it?
Wipe it down to keep it clean - no other maintenance except occasionally updating the firmware. The bike itself is incredibly quiet. It’s in the pain cave which shares a wall with our bedroom, and the only time my wife has complained about noise was because my shoes were creating a squeaking noise on the clipless pedal interface. If you didn’t run a fan, it’s basically a silent setup.
I don’t know if you are planning on sharing with a partner / spouse, but operation (changing positions) is straightforward. All of the adjustment points have number indicators in mm marks, so once you (your partner / spouse) find your position, just write it down and you can easily get back to that position. Being OCD, I put together a table - computer printed - that shows the position for each item (i.e., bar height, bar fore/aft, seat height, seat fore/aft) for my wife and for me. And that is in a protective plastic sleeve that lives next to the bike.
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