cheap smart trainers for zwift, getting confused

wife isn’t too keen on me riding on the road in the dark for my winter training. So I watched a couple of youtube vids on cheap zwift setups.
But I’m getting a tad confused on the smart turbo trainers as I clicked on one last night that is called ‘smart’ yet it doesn’t let zwift adjust the resistance.
So in short what are the cheapest smart turbo trainers which allow zwift to adjust the resistance?
thanks

You can get a Tacx trainer for around £200 that will be Zwift compatible*. The downside to the ‘cheaper’ smart trainers is that they don’t always offer a lot of resistance. The model I mention gives a maximum of 6% simulated incline. There are more expensive models (I have a Tacx Genius) that simulate up to 20%.

Depending on the courses you’re planning to ride on Zwift 6% max doesn’t have to be a problem but if you’re planning to do the Watopia mountain course it might be a little lacking.

The other thing to take into account is that the trainers can be a bit sensitive to rider weight so if you’re over say 85kg that can have an impact on how much resistance / incline you’ll get.

FYI, you can dial up the resistance via Zwift if you want to. Haven’t tried it beyond the default setting myself so can’t vouch for how much it works (or not)

HTH

* also works with Trainer Road and others

I bought a Tacx Flow from Halfords for around £170 with BC discount. This works fine with Zwift, both on the iPhone and on a laptop. As mentioned above, the resistance is limited to 6%. For me it was the most affordable way to a smart trainer. Previously I’d used a ‘dumb’ trainer and a garmin speed/cadence sensor, with zwift calculating power.

I read this title and thought Zwift required you to have smart training shoes like an over zealous pub bouncer… 😆

I’ve got a T2240 from halfords. It’s cheap for a reason, i’ve done just over 400miles on it and I seriously doubt mine will last the rest of the winter but I’ll keep going until it falls apart and then take it back for a replace/refund.

thanks for the replies, the tacx flow T2240 is the model that keeps popping up through my google research. So that looks the cheapest option at £190 ish to give it a go with a smart turbo trainer.

jam bo – Member

I’ve got a T2240 from halfords. It’s cheap for a reason, i’ve done just over 400miles on it and I seriously doubt mine will last the rest of the winter but I’ll keep going until it falls apart and then take it back for a replace/refund.

Yours and others posts the same are the reason i didn’t buy one of these recently… pointless if it’s going to grumble to a halt in a month, then another month… etc.

If you want zwift to alter the resistance you need a trainer that has ANT+ F-EC

true weeksy, I’ll check the returns/warranty before I invest.

Tacx Flow for me also as I wanted to get into Smart trainer for Zwift. Yes the 6% incline is a bit of a limiting factor but to be honest it does the job well. It will do me for this winter and perhaps I’ll upgrade next winter but for now it certainly is the cheapest way to get into a smart trainer setup.

The Tacx trainer that Halfords sell is made for them exclusively by Tacx. The idea is to offer the features of a more expensive model at a lower price than you can get via LBS. Dunno if this links to potential issues with faults /longevity but I suppose it’s possible that the odd thing has been down graded parts wise.

Definitely worth considering a more expensive version (e.g. for the weight ‘issue’ I mentioned in my first reply)but also worth noting that the power on the Halfords model is 800w v 1500-2000w on other models (this is the mechanical bit that controls the resistance).

Don’t know if the Halfords model has Bluetooth but some models do and if you’re using the Zwift app it’s happier and less likely to lose the signal than ANT.

Once again HTH

you can buy it at decathlon as well.

the ant+ connection in my experience is considerably more reliable than the bluetooth connection.

Didn’t know that about Decathlon Jambo.. admittedly my info is about a year old.

I think it’s horses for courses with the connection. I had issues using ANT via my laptop (Tacx plus Stages power meter) but none so far with both connecting via Bluetooth on the Zwift app.

Tacx Vortex here. Works fine. I don’t seem to be running out of resistance. Do the FTP test and set weight and FTP correctly and Zwift mountain will provide a challenge.

Got a Flow Smart….regarding the 6% incline thing….for a relatively unfit rider like myself I find it fine on Zwift.
Zwift is set to default ‘realism’ (50%) and the mountain still gets me nice and sweaty….you can always change gear if it feels too easy.

I had a few issues with the first ones, but I got there eventually. Just check that the qr skewer and bolts are in the box – the first two I had didn’t….
Then I bricked two units doing the firmware upgrade. Tacx reckon I was ‘unlucky’…
They sorted me with another unit pre-loaded with the latest firmware and it’s been fine since.
I pair mine using a cheap usb ant+ dongle and also use a Garmin cadence sensor from my Edge 500…

Regarding durability….the chassis, casing, roller etc seem to be the same as used in more expensive units like the Vortex Smart…so you might not,get a more reliable/durable Tacx by buying the next one up….

Since my original problems, mine has been fine. I’m not very powerful or heavy though….73kg and probably struggle to break 500w for more than a few seconds….

I have an i flow, but a far as I know it can’t be paired with Zwift.

I just use a power meter and change gears to make it harder or easier.

still more fun than training without Zwift!

Another vote here for the TACX T2240. I have a newish baby and am working very long hours this winter . My wife works a lot too. I thought I’d try Zwift to see if I got in with it. I didn’t want to spend a fortune in case I didn’t like it , as I’ve had a dumb turbo in the past and got bored after my 5th ride on it.
Well – I absolutely love Zwift . It means I can train when my wife is out and I have the baby upstairs asleep. It’s very immersive, and like the real world – you end up riding and duelling with people. It’s very very good and allows me to train when I otherwise wouldn’t be. The cheap tacx is a means to an end. I think now I know I like Zwift , I will upgrade next winter, I think the tacx will last , but it dosent half crunch and grind at times. But I will have done 1000 miles on it by next winter and it will have served its purpose. I think it could well last , but turbos are like bikes , there’s always a need to upgrade, and I will get one I know will last a few years next.

Again Tacx T2240 from Halfords here. Only just over a week and 100mi into the trainer and zwift. All good so far, it didn’t like the bluetooth, but works fine now on ant+

Nothing sinister to report on the build quality so far. Seems to handle my slender 100Kg fine.

Get the Tacx from Halfords.

If you can sustain 800w + (which no one on here can) for any length of time the Zwift algorithms will just take care of your pace and if it breaks(which they dont anymore than other traners) its covered by warranty.

Get the Tacx from Halfords.

Oh yes and ANT+ is a much better comms protocol than Bluetooth for lots of well known reasons, google it and save yourself lots of ANT+ ate my hamster BS.

Another T2240 user and so far I’m happy with mine. The 800W and 6 degree limits aren’t an issue for me. Occasionally I’ll hit over 800W when on the road, but it’s infrequent and very brief, and as others have said the resistance level for 6 degree’s is plenty to give you a serious workout.