Looking at potential benefits, build quality, locally sourced materials. Anything made in the USA is going to be more. They could have sourced over seas, cut the quality and the price and hit a 600 price tag. Maybe we’d end up with another kickr 2018 where the build quality is hit or miss. You could buy a Trek SL which is outsourced and save a lot of money or but an SLR made in the USA and pay a lot more. Lots of options and I’m glad we have options.
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I’ll likely buy the h3. Just waiting for Eurobike and then availability of the h3.
… but the mp1. Sure, it’s nice, but could’ve probably had broader appeal with lesser material quality and likely served the same purpose with minimal drawbacks.
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Hehe…
You know the mtb bro insult “dentist”, no offense intended. I’m of the other type of medical professional that somehow didn’t get that association even if we do deserve it.
Well, your bike does move forward and backward on the road just not in steady state. Even been close on someone who is inexperienced wheel as they stand up? Okay, so that is being pedantic so fair enough.
I don’t see why you need fore-aft movement other than maybe they are attempting to simulate more realistic power delivery in explosive terms? Ie sprints and the power lost as the bike moves backwards rather than into the cranks? It would force you to not rely on the bike stability and utilize your own balance? Dunno.
Huh… I very recently bought a H2 on sale - $1450 (with a free mat). I now know why! The sale price could well be an indicator of the H3 price.
No, pedantic would be pointing out a bike doesn’t move backwards at all. It moves ‘less forwards’ when people get out of the saddle. 
That’s why this experience indoors really needs to be nutted out (?) / discovered / put to the test before we really know if this is going to be a thing.
I think the fore-aft aspect boils down to relativity. We are rolling at a given speed seated. When we stand, and because our bodies are the highest mass (compared to the bikes lower mass), we maintain our forward velocity in 3D space, while the bike is the item that goes ‘backwards’.
The bike is still moving forward in 3D space, but it momentarily decreases in velocity compared to the mass of our body. It’s effectively the opposite of a bike throw at the end of a race for a sprint.
A fore-aft rocker aims to handle these imbalances in forces and direction. The rocker will shift primarily one direction when standing, and then the opposite direction when returning to seated.
I have a theory on how to video capture these motion shifts while outside. I need a small rig on the bike that captures the pendulum effect I think exists. Then my hope is to reproduce the video on the rocker and see if the pendulum effect is similar or not.
That’s one of a few videos I want to try and capture comparisons from inside and outside.
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Get over to the Tour Down Under McNuggets We’ll film it here. It’ll be summer, it’s great riding too!
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Ha, would love to 
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Hah… true. Totally correct… your bike does not move backward when compared to the road, but it does when compared to the rider. It’s the frame of reference that matters. Since the bike isn’t actually moving forward on the trainer, a move backwards (with reference to the ground) is a simulation of the bike movement relative to the rider. Is it a thing? Dunno. I’ll leave that to you to figure out.
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Reality is though… you’re riding a stationary bike. Just accept the fact and get on with it. Each to the own etc but personally I really don’t understand the whole “make it feel exactly like you’re on the road” thing and will no way be dropping coin on any “rockers”.
“Each to the own” indeed
Sure. I guess what I mean is to me, it will never be the same regardless of what you do to make it feel as it is so I pull up stumps there. I’m there for intervals, for focused training not for enjoyment. If you are on the trainer for fun, because you can’t ride outside for whatever reason then okay… it makes some more sense to me to hunt for realism.
For me, the rocker plate isn’t about realism. It added significant comfort to my trainer time. Before the rocker, I topped out at 1 hour stints on the trainer. With the rocker I can go 2+ hours.
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I started with and still use the Kurt kinetic rock and roll. This is one of the major reasons I haven’t jumped to a smart trainer yet.
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I ordered an h3 directly from saris and it seemed like it was available now. Does anyone know an actual release date in the stars? I’m thinking this was actually a preorder but not indicated as such on their order page.
UPDATE I just got an email from Saris that it has shipped. Just in case anyone is interested, it does appear to be available today and is shipping out now. I also noted that Amazon now has it listed (sold and shipped by amazon) as available today.
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So I have the Hammer 1 is there enough benefit to got the H3??? I am debating it pretty heavily but not sure I see the that much advantages?
Would be interested to know myself… but the way my H1 is performing there’s no need right this minute to upgrade unless there were big big benefits.
Belt replacement kits are available, though not needed yet, might get more years out of it and increase that ROI… then who knows what will be available for purchase Saris Smart Bike integrated rocker trainer??
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Only issue I have had so far was the noise level increased but I just took the cover off wiped it down some then put on a touch of belt conditioner quiet as new again maybe a bit quieter actually.
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That’s good to know…most of my rides I do with headphones and loud music… but I’m sure after several thousand virtual miles it could do with a little TLC. What conditioner did you use… got an Amazon link?
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