Immediate MediaĪ dedicated trainer table with extendable legs will help you easily get your laptop or tablet at eye level, as well as provide a convenient place to put your phone and spare water bottle. In terms of specs, it offers a maximum power of 1,800 watts, claimed power accuracy of +/- 2.5 per cent and a maximum gradient simulation of 16 per cent.Ī few choice accessories will fine-tune your Zwift setup. It offers good ride feel, high accuracy and is very quiet. They’re also generally able to simulate steeper gradients and offer better support for higher-wattage outputs because there’s no risk of the tyre slipping on the trainer during sprint efforts.Īs a result, if you can afford it, we’d typically recommend a budget direct-drive trainer over a mid-range wheel-on trainer.įor £449.99 / $499, the Zwift Hub is one of the best budget direct-drive smart trainers we’ve tested. The best examples are able to offer better power accuracy, as well as a quieter and more realistic ride feel than a wheel-on trainer – usually thanks to having a larger flywheel. The advantage of this is there’s no wear on your rear tyre. With a direct-drive trainer, you remove the rear wheel and connect your bike to the trainer via a standard cassette. Good-quality direct-drive smart trainers are more competitively priced than ever. The Zwift Hub is one of the best mid-range smart trainers on the market. Your in-game wattage will also be capped at 400 watts, so this isn’t a long-term solution for many.įinally, you might also consider a trainer-specific tyre for use with a wheel-on trainer, but you’ll ideally need a spare wheel to put this on because swapping tyres every time you want to use the trainer isn’t practical. Realistically, this is a last-ditch option, so don’t expect the numbers to be particularly accurate. If you have an unsupported trainer, Zwift will try to make a rough calculation based on your wheel speed. If you own a trainer that Zwift has tested (the full list of compatible trainers can be found on Zwift’s website) this can be a fairly accurate way of measuring power, but your in-game wattage will be capped at 1,200 watts. The first way is for Zwift to use the known power curve of your turbo trainer. If you are just using a speed/cadence sensor and a non-smart trainer or rollers, then Zwift has two methods of calculating virtual watts. Something like Wahoo’s RPM Speed and Cadence Cycle Sensors is what you’re looking for, but any Bluetooth or ANT+ speed sensor should work. Those without a power measurement tool will need a speed/cadence measurement device instead. It is worth noting that if you’re using an iOS device, then connecting via Bluetooth is your only option at this point. Of course, this means missing out on things such as simulated gradient changes, drafting and ERG mode, but it’s a workable option in a pinch. If you currently own an ANT+ or Bluetooth-compatible measurement tool, such as a modern power meter, Zwift can use the data from that device to power your on-screen avatar. The cheapest Zwift trainer, therefore, might just be the one you already have. We’d recommend starting with a wheel-on smart trainer if you’re on a budget, as detailed above, but any standard, non-smart turbo trainer can be used with Zwift, as long as you have a few accessories. It’s also worth noting that, while both of these trainers can technically only simulate gradients up to 6 per cent, Zwift’s default trainer difficulty is set at 50 per cent, meaning you won’t actually max out the trainer’s resistance until you hit a 12 per cent gradient in the game.Ī basic Zwift setup can be cobbled together from a few bits of kit that many cyclists will already own. While that may be important if you’re embarking on serious training or virtual racing, for riders on a budget wanting to explore Zwift’s features, the accuracy on offer here is absolutely fine. While its construction quality doesn’t quite stand up to that of the Tacx Flow Smart, and it has a lower maximum power output (660 watts versus the Tacx Flow Smart’s 800 watts), it nevertheless takes full advantage of all of Zwift’s immersive features.īoth the Tacx Flow Smart and Elite Novo Smart offer claimed power accuracy of +/- 5 per cent.Īs you spend more, the power accuracy of a smart trainer will improve. Simon Bromley / Immediate MediaĪlternatively, an even cheaper option is the Elite Novo Smart (RRP £259 / $350). The Elite Novo Smart is another good budget-priced option.
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