impulse bought a smart trainer

[cinema]

I have never even owned a bike computer but i am moving eventually and won’t be around as much elevation to ride in so i bought a smart trainer on an impulse from a buddy who didnt use it much at all.

i literally dont know anything about this stuff but its a tacx neo smart (doesnt appear to be the neo smart 2) and i got it for $400 without much wear at all. i think he used it a handful of times. maybe even just once. how did i do? these things seem pretty expensive.

daunting looking at all the literature. will it run zwift/what other programs can i run? do i need anything more than a box fan? are 16 year old kids going to ruin my fun by crushing me on every race?

[weisan]

I have never even owned a bike computer

And now you got a smart trainer.

That's like bypassing driver's Ed and straight to racing on formula 1!

Sorry I am of no help, I never had a smart trainer. I hate indoor riding.

Good luck!

Have fun.

[Yoshi]

Setup can be a mild pain, but I like mine.
If you are competitive you may like Zwift. I got tied of the cartoons. If you like riding with real scenery check out FulGaz or the Tacx app. Quality videos of real rides all over the world.

[mtechnica]

I would use a blower style fan. For most people, myself included, overheating is the #1 biggest problem for riding indoors.

Also if you race on zwift don’t take it too seriously.

[rccardr]

The TACX Premium app is pretty much plug and play. I run mine through an old iPhone-no cell service, just my WiFi- and it’s great. That’s hooked up to a 32” flat screen and a sound bar. Also, TWO high volume fans.
Haven’t tried Zwift yet, gonna do that soon. Peloton also has a digital sub that allows you to attend their spin classes and also has some core exercises. Prolly will give that a go too.
Would rather ride outside when I can, but when the weather sucks, I ride inside.

[loxx0050]

I use Trainerroad personally but if I wasn't grandfathered in to a lower annual subscription rate than what they currently charge I'd probably use something else with my smart trainer. If you're more interested in simulating hills and climbs maybe try Rouvy? It has videos of real courses from roads around the world and would be a perfect choice for the trainer to simulate grade on climbs.

If you want I also have available some 1 month trial referrals
for Trainerroad to dole out. Only caveat is they do ask for a credit card to sign up even for the free trial. Just gotta cancel before they start charging you the subscription fees. PM me if interested to try this out.

I don't zwift though and probably won't at this stage. Don't know in the future if that'll change.

[davidb]

Rouvy, give it a look. If you like to ride the same routes with lots of people Zwift might be for you. Rouvy lets one ride alone all over the world. Those famous climbs in the Alps really are fun and challenging. Both will calculate all kinds of training information. May also consider an ANT/Bluetooth heart rate strap. If you really enjoy it checkout rocker plates. I would get out of the saddle every 10/15 minutes just to stay comfortable. Enjoy!

[pickeringdaniel]

Good deal for sure. They were selling like hot cakes and super hard to find for a while with lots of countries restricting riding outside

Just sign up to the free trials of all the apps and give them all a go. I rate Zwift for training/competitive riding and FullGaz for more the joy of riding as the footage is impressive


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[cinema]

great info... rouvy sounds tight. climbing is really all i do and it looks like that might go away in the near future if/when we move. sounds like this is going to be fun... will definitely look into a blower fan.

[pickeringdaniel]

Fan or fan(s).....


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[glepore]

Veloreality. Little known but really good.

Tacx was purchased by Garmin and unfortunately parts for the first gen neo's are nla.

[pooneej]

I also just got a smart trainer a month ago. At first was very into Zwift. Was kind of wowed by it but then I tried Rouvy and Fulgaz and much prefer those now. I'm still in the trial period for them so it's gonna be one or the other in less than a week.

Despite all these apps to assist with riding indoors I still have not gotten an hour riding on this thing. Its just very very boring to me. I just can't tune out the monotony and ride it out for hours on end like others.

[teleguy57]

This fan is the cat's meow. (https://smile.amazon.com/Lasko-U12104-Velocity-Ventilating-Exhausting/dp/B07YKXF9VC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=240KRV3UPSTH&dchild=1&keywords=lasko+fan&qid=1605971272&sprefix=lasko%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-3) Highly recommended personally, and by all the cats at TrainerRoad. Great price too.

[cinema]

Veloreality. Little known but really good.

Tacx was purchased by Garmin and unfortunately parts for the first gen neo's are nla.

awesome... lets hope this thing works. im going to need a shimano freehub it only came with de campagnolo. i was thinking of getting a cheap projector and setting up in the garage.

[RiderR]

You got a great deal. They are perfect for virtual climbing. As others said, get a fan (or several ) and first figure out how to hook up the neo to your computer (try bluetooth first, may need to buy an Ant+ stick). Projector setup sounds awesome.

Rouvy, Fulgaz, Road Grand Tours are all good options to try out. Zwift is great if you're into more interaction (group rides and races).

[RiderR]

awesome... lets hope this thing works. im going to need a shimano freehub it only came with de campagnolo. i was thinking of getting a cheap projector and setting up in the garage.

Or, if running 11sp, just get a cheap campy cassette - should work fine with shimano/sram.

[uber]

Tacx needs some conversion hardware if you need to change from rim brakes to through axle on the first generation of the Neo. The unit is quiet and has been issue free for me.
Get a great fan(s).
I am also a big fan of Rouvy.

[glepore]

awesome... lets hope this thing works. im going to need a shimano freehub it only came with de campagnolo. i was thinking of getting a cheap projector and setting up in the garage.

Yep. I bought a $250 lcd projector on amazon that's been fabulous with the veloreality videos.

[mtechnica]

This fan is the cat's meow. (https://smile.amazon.com/Lasko-U12104-Velocity-Ventilating-Exhausting/dp/B07YKXF9VC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=240KRV3UPSTH&dchild=1&keywords=lasko+fan&qid=1605971272&sprefix=lasko%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-3) Highly recommended personally, and by all the cats at TrainerRoad. Great price too.

Yes one needs this. I have a similar one.

[teleguy57]

PM sent on Campy cassette.

[trener1]

Great deal for $400, smart trainers are hard to come buy with demand up due to covid and the supply chain down to well... covid
Others have already mentioned most of the good apps, but also have a look at Bkool, similar to Rouvy in that they have real footage of real roads that you ride, I believe I have a code for a 30 day trial floating around if you are interested.