Hey Guys,
I wanted to create a thread to see what everyone is doing to maximize the life of their trainer, specifically the Neo 1.
My trainer:
I have a Tacx Neo 1 I bought in January 2019, I think it was one of the later gen Neo 1s. Serial number starts with 19. I haven’t had any serious problems with it so far. It did arrive with a few of the plastic housing screws very loose (thread visible) and a crack in the housing. This was actually a replacement for a dead Flux 2 so I didn’t bother returning it again. My trainer developed a creak I think about a year and a half into its life. The creak only showed up late into the ride and it didn’t really bother me. I think I have it fixed (more testing needed) as I replaced the freehub body, greased everything up and tightened the nut that holds the freehub body on as it was a little loose (from factory?). I have a bike dedicated to my trainer and I keep a towel over the bars and head set during rides. I would say my pedaling is not that smooth. Never had to pull the Neo disc off (knock on wood). I have smelled the weird smell after a high power sprint for probably 10 seconds then it disappeared. The virtual tire slip problem exists and it sucks but only happens on Zwift.
My Pain Cave:
Everything is basically permanently set up, I never put way the Neo or the bike that’s on it. Its in a main floor of a house with laminate floors (no static from carpets). When I’m training its usually around 70 F, sometimes crack the window if its not too cold out. No pets (less dust/hair to get into the Neo). The Neo sits on floor mat/pads to get it a little damping. I use a wheel chock under my front wheel.
My Legs/Trainer Usage:
When I got the trainer I had an FTP of around 200 watts and weighed around 68 kg, pretty new to training at that point. At peak, I hit 272 watts and weighed 65 kg. I typically do the mid volume plan and ride indoors pretty seriously during the Canadian winter from mid November to early April. I spend most of the other months outside but sometimes ride inside during the summer. I do the odd Zwift race, more and more rarely now, but mostly have it paired to TR. TLDR: I’m pretty light, power isn’t impressive and the trainer is ridden more than average but with few sprints.
Regular Trainer Care:
I always have my Neo plugged in during a ride. After my ride I point my fan at my trainer and leave my Neo plugged in. I leave it like this until the disc on the Neo is room temperature-ish. I’ve heard a lot about them over heating and my theory is this stops heat from building up in them post ride. Usually ends up being an hour as I forget about it haha. I wipe, lube and wipe again my chain probably every few weeks with wet lube. Usually whip the dust off the plastic housing every few weeks as well.
Less Regular Trainer Care:
I check the chain wear every few months. Chains seem to last a while when they’re only ridden inside. I try to wash my trainer dedicated bike a few times a year to get rid of the sweat. I have only greased the freehub spacer and surrounding parts once but probably should do it annually or so. Once a year or so I try to blow the dust out of the fans with canned compressed air while carefully stopping the fans from spinning. I still have a few months of warrant (2 years for the Neo) so I don’t want to take too many pieces off it.
That’s my background and maintenance plan. Hopefully I get a few more years out of the Neo, might be a bit of a dream though. Anything else I should do?