scoobydrew
03-28-2020, 03:10 PM
I'm looking to get a mid-range ($500-750) direct drive smart trainer for a combination of Zwift and one of the structured training programs (Trainerroad, Sufferfest, etc.).
There's some good sales right now, and I've narrowed it down to the following:
KICKR Core
Elite Direto X
Cycleops Hammer (H1/Gen 1)
Looking at the specs, the last one technically isn't considered a mid-range model, but the sale price puts it in this bracket. The biggest disadvantage I've come across with the Hammer is the noise. Don't really care about weight and they're all fairly similar from a max power threshold and accuracy standpoint.
Thoughts on the above options?
Lastly, it seems that I can get away with cheaper options, but the simulated max gradient (closer to 10-15%) and max power (~1500W) thresholds are lower. Is it really beneficial to have more than that for Zwift and training purposes?
There's some good sales right now, and I've narrowed it down to the following:
KICKR Core
Elite Direto X
Cycleops Hammer (H1/Gen 1)
Looking at the specs, the last one technically isn't considered a mid-range model, but the sale price puts it in this bracket. The biggest disadvantage I've come across with the Hammer is the noise. Don't really care about weight and they're all fairly similar from a max power threshold and accuracy standpoint.
Thoughts on the above options?
Lastly, it seems that I can get away with cheaper options, but the simulated max gradient (closer to 10-15%) and max power (~1500W) thresholds are lower. Is it really beneficial to have more than that for Zwift and training purposes?