Manatee Mayhem Part Deux - 2017 Edition (Page 31)

Originally posted by DaveL differing opinion - My CX came with AVID BB7 mechanical disc brakes - I really hated them, truly loathed them! My mountain bikes all have hydraulic brakes and they are a lot less finicky. Generally once they are bled and aligned correctly there isnt much that needs to be done. With the mech discs on my CX bike I had to adjust the pads closer to the disc as the pads wore down. Not a huge deal, just turning a dial, but after adjusting they always seemed to rub on one side so I would adjust the caliper so it was centered (only one pad on most mechanical brakes actually moves) this doesnt sound like a big deal but it was just another hassle and I would constantly have to do it over and over in an effort to get them to run silent. The difficulty in adjusting also came from the crazy conical washers Avid uses. I also found the BB7's had a wooden feel. After a 100mile gravel ride in the rain and sand with them rubbing most of the way I switched to TRP HY/RD's which use my existing mechanical levers but uses a cable actuated hydro caliper. These self adjust and dont rub ever., I havent touched them since I installed them last winter. If I were buying a new bike I would consider going straight to a full hydraulic setup. -> but thats just me. Try both and see which is better for you.

Originally posted by jmkizer

Originally posted by jmkizer

Originally posted by lisac957

Who here has a smart trainer and do you love it?

Thinking about this one, all though it doesn't automatically adjust resistance for a program like Zwift. I don't want to spend more than around $400 though, and currently have NO power reading devices, so I thought this would be a step in the right direction to at least get power data and such. Is there something better out there in the same price range?

Originally posted by amd723

I have the Tacx Vortex, which is a step up from the one you linked, so it does the automatic adjustments.  I got it earlier this year off ebay (new) for about $325. I had a bit of a headache getting it set up and synced to zwift, Rouvy, and trainer road, but once I did I was very happy with my purchase.  My weekday rides are all on the trainer and they were much less miserable on the smart trainer than the dumb one   Having the program automatically change resistance based off my FTP was really nice. When I used zwift or Rouvy i was able to just watch the screen (i use an ipad) as they both have graphics worth watching. Rouvy even has some videos of various courses, so you can actually ride the course. Trainer road is just a graph, so I also had my tv on when using it. 

I can't say whether or not I would be as thrilled with my purchase without the auto adjustment, but with it I am very happy.  Maybe try ebay or look for a sale around the holidays.

ETA: I checked ebAY and found this one on sale for about $450. Says its the last one! 

Originally posted by amd723

I have the Tacx Vortex, which is a step up from the one you linked, so it does the automatic adjustments.  I got it earlier this year off ebay (new) for about $325. I had a bit of a headache getting it set up and synced to zwift, Rouvy, and trainer road, but once I did I was very happy with my purchase.  My weekday rides are all on the trainer and they were much less miserable on the smart trainer than the dumb one   Having the program automatically change resistance based off my FTP was really nice. When I used zwift or Rouvy i was able to just watch the screen (i use an ipad) as they both have graphics worth watching. Rouvy even has some videos of various courses, so you can actually ride the course. Trainer road is just a graph, so I also had my tv on when using it. 

I can't say whether or not I would be as thrilled with my purchase without the auto adjustment, but with it I am very happy.  Maybe try ebay or look for a sale around the holidays.

ETA: I checked ebAY and found this one on sale for about $450. Says its the last one! 

Originally posted by amd723

I have the Tacx Vortex, which is a step up from the one you linked, so it does the automatic adjustments.  I got it earlier this year off ebay (new) for about $325. I had a bit of a headache getting it set up and synced to zwift, Rouvy, and trainer road, but once I did I was very happy with my purchase.  My weekday rides are all on the trainer and they were much less miserable on the smart trainer than the dumb one   Having the program automatically change resistance based off my FTP was really nice. When I used zwift or Rouvy i was able to just watch the screen (i use an ipad) as they both have graphics worth watching. Rouvy even has some videos of various courses, so you can actually ride the course. Trainer road is just a graph, so I also had my tv on when using it. 

I can't say whether or not I would be as thrilled with my purchase without the auto adjustment, but with it I am very happy.  Maybe try ebay or look for a sale around the holidays.

ETA: I checked ebAY and found this one on sale for about $450. Says its the last one! 

Originally posted by jmkizer

I'm in the same boat as Lisa -- trainer replacement imminent. I'm trying to wait until the end of the month figuring they'll be some kind of Black Friday sale. I'm looking at the ones in the Mid Range section here https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/10/annual-trainer-recommendations.html -- Wahoo KICKR SNAP, CycleOps Magnus, Elite Rampa, Tacx Vortex Smart. I think that folks in this group have all but one of them covered. I'm trusting that if one of you hates your trainer, you'll speak up!

Follow up question -- zwift, Rouvy, or trainer road.  What do you prefer and why? Do you use your phone or iPad or ???

 

XX

Originally posted by amd723

As I menitoned, I've tried all 3.  Trainer road I used to find workouts that replicated what my plan called for. As Mel mentioned, you can create your own workout, so it would be exactly how your plan reads, but I never took the time to figure out how to do that  TR has more workouts to choose from.  I found myself using it more than the other 2, but it is just a line moving across the screen.  Some workouts do have options to have you do drills and form work.

Zwift is cool as you can race others! There are a number of workouts you can do. It is way more visually appealing than TR.  I did not fully explore all it had to offer, but you can get great workouts with it.  I think Matt and Darren use it a lot, so they can probably give you more insight.

Rouvy was my last addition. I got it because they had a free trial period.  It has workouts like TR, so you can intervals, sweet spot, FTP tests etc.  It also has courses of various races, so you can ride the courses -most with video of the course. It had Louisville, but I only rode part of it one time because it did not fit in with my weekday ride plan. That may have been a bad move on my part!

I probably won't keep all 3. Right now I am leaning toward TR and Rouvy as the combo of the 2 will get me more workouts then i ever need.  I do realize that if i took more time to look at Zwift i might see that it is the best of all, so I look forward to seeing what the experienced zwift users have to say.     

Originally posted by amd723

As I menitoned, I've tried all 3.  Trainer road I used to find workouts that replicated what my plan called for. As Mel mentioned, you can create your own workout, so it would be exactly how your plan reads, but I never took the time to figure out how to do that  TR has more workouts to choose from.  I found myself using it more than the other 2, but it is just a line moving across the screen.  Some workouts do have options to have you do drills and form work.

Zwift is cool as you can race others! There are a number of workouts you can do. It is way more visually appealing than TR.  I did not fully explore all it had to offer, but you can get great workouts with it.  I think Matt and Darren use it a lot, so they can probably give you more insight.

Rouvy was my last addition. I got it because they had a free trial period.  It has workouts like TR, so you can intervals, sweet spot, FTP tests etc.  It also has courses of various races, so you can ride the courses -most with video of the course. It had Louisville, but I only rode part of it one time because it did not fit in with my weekday ride plan. That may have been a bad move on my part!

I probably won't keep all 3. Right now I am leaning toward TR and Rouvy as the combo of the 2 will get me more workouts then i ever need.  I do realize that if i took more time to look at Zwift i might see that it is the best of all, so I look forward to seeing what the experienced zwift users have to say.