Tacx Neo 2 Smart Exercise Bike Special Edition 2021 Roller Trainer

Product Information

Performance when riding Tacx or Zwift routes is superb, with the ability to replicate up to 25% gradients and simulate downhills and a wide range of surfaces from cobbles to ice. The transitions in resistance are smooth and accurate and almost indistinguishable as you roll through virtual terrain making for a very natural ride feel when following a route as well. The simulation of surfaces adds a dynamic and engaging element to virtual rides, as do the simulated downhills when the trainer spins up the rear to simulate the inertia of descents and give you the feeling of momentum over rolling roads. To achieve this, the Tacx Neo 2T has more magnets than before in its virtual flywheel and they have been re-oriented to improve the torque settings – not that anyone could tell the difference from the outside. The accompanying Tacx Training App, however, is less impressive. Its selling point is a series of videos of famous climbs including the likes of the Koppenberg, Passo Giau and Mont Ventoux. However, really, really bad got it with the Tacx app. Tried a few videos and there it is almost impossible to ride any gradient smoothly. Both Rouvy and TDA are connected via Bluetooth. But with Rouvy my bike powermeter is connected. I assume Rouvy takes this as input and controls the trainer accordingly. Hence, I assume there is some smoothing going.

In combination with Tacx films or Zwift, the NEO 2 can simulate different road surfaces such as cobblestones or gravel through vibration. ANT+ Speed/Cadence Profile: This broadcasts the speed and cadence portions as a standard ANT+ speed/cadence sensor. This is handy for those that have devices/apps that may not support power meters, but still get some basic cycling data. The Neo 2 has worked well for me. I have had two issues with it. Neither of them have made me reconsider my choice. 1. It took a minor adjustment (with good advice from customer service) to get it set up correctly with my disc brake calipers, but all the parts needed were in the box. 2. I have had an occasional communication issue with Zwift, where Zwift loses controllability of resistance and the road feel. This happens, I think, when the trainer has been left connected (to Zwift via Apple TV) for too long. It has stopped happening since I started closing the Zwift app after every session and reconnecting the trainer before every session. This has not been a major problem.

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The NEO 2 Special Edition works perfectly with the most popular training apps and software programs to create the ultimate indoor training experience. It connects to your smartphone, tablet or PC via Bluetooth Smart or ANT+. Of course, the training data can also be displayed and stored on ANT+ or Bluetooth-enabled cycling computers. There is a power discrepancy when racing. Erg mode is fine regardless of gearing but a difference in power readings arises in free ride on zwift especially when I start pushing the watts in races. I just use my power pedals for power now and I am fine.

It’s these same standards that also allow you to connect via head units too. For example the Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT as well as Garmin Edge series support ANT+ FE-C for trainer control, so you can re-ride outdoor rides straight from your bike head unit to your trainer. For example, for my accuracy testing section, I recorded the data on a Garmin Edge 520 as well as the trainer apps. From there I’m able to save the file and upload it to whatever platform I like. It’s true that sometimes I manage to get units to all properly align and almost match, though, that’s more the exception than the rule unfortunately. Oh, and as for cadence on that last ride? Pretty clean across the board – nearly perfectly matching its power meter buddies (again, ignoring the SRM drops): The third o-ring reduces the problem. When I wanted to install the fourth, I saw that the third o-ring was already (5 minutes of test) pushed on the existing two.

Tacx Neo 2T Smart Turbo Trainer

Looking at things, the NEO 2 and Stages are very close together, with the NEO 2 often below the Stages LR, where it should be. The SRM EXAKT pedals? Sigh…always le sigh. New microcontroller and additional memory: This will improve ERG control Tacx says, and reduce vibrations

On top of immersive features like Road feel, Dynamic Inertia and Descent simulation, this new direct drive also features Pedal stroke analysis. To protect the bike frame and allow you to move naturally, the frame of this exercise bike allows a few degrees of freedom of movement to the right and left. This makes the bike easy to swivel in the saddle for an even better riding experience. The ability to function without a cable means you can set up in a garage, shed or out on the balcony without having to trail an extension lead across your lawn. It also means you could take the trainer to a race or sportive to do warm-ups beforehand. He’s not kidding. The turbo unit itself makes hardly any noise at all, with most of the decibels coming from the chainset of the bike and wheezing of the rider. I happily conducted turbo sessions in my hallway while the rest of my family watched TV in the next room with no complaints. This is a huge advancement on older turbos that often sounded like a jumbo jet taking off.The other reason to go with the Neo 2T is its looks. I mean, if you are going to have a heavy lump of equipment hanging around your house, you might as well have something that looks like a spaceship from Star Wars (a Lambda-class T-4a Imperial Shuttle, to be exact). To illustrate the challenge of getting good 1-second matching between units, here’s another ride from a few days earlier. You can see on this ~800w sprint that the units are all separated like airplanes flying at different altitudes. So now I am on refurbished unit number 2 and at least the problem is less prominent on the other two. For Zwifters, this will be a big selling point. Not only is the pedalling action remarkably smooth and consistent, if you are riding in a virtual world such as Zwift’s Wattopia, you will feel the vibrations of wooden slats on a bridge or the judders of cobbles – it all helps to make the indoors feel more like the outdoors. App Compatibility: Every app out there basically (Zwift, TrainerRoad, Rouvy, Road Grand Tours, SufferFest, Kinomap, etc…)

Freewheel compatibility: 10-, 11-speed Shimano | SRAM ROAD (optional Campagnolo freewheel body available) With the NEO Tacx already thought they designed to most silent trainer possible. Yet, they’ve pushed its technical limits and created an even more quiet Smart trainer. Revolutionizing the market with the NEO 2 Smart. The Tacx Neo 2 transmits data on both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart as well, allowing interactive resistance control across both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart. By applying resistance control, apps can simulate climbs as well as set specific wattage targets.There does appear to be a case or two where it slightly overcommits on power – such as here in going a bit higher than the others: