Cheap vs Expensive Smart Turbo Trainer | Wahoo Kickr Core vs Tacx Neo 2T

[@paulflory3532]

I have extensive experience with both trainers. I paid $900 for a KickR Core and used it for about 2 years. A year ago I sold it for $500 and upgraded to a TacX Neo2T, which cost me $1190 online. The store gave me a $120 credit, so the effective price for it was $1070. Same place is selling them now for $1050 with a $30 credit. So not TWICE as expensive. MSRP from Garmin is currently $1400. Thoughts: - The Neo2T's self-calibration is really nice, one less thing to keep track of. Spin-down calibrations are not difficult, just an annoyance - The Neo2T's power-assist on descents mean you can COAST on downhills, as you would on actual rides, so they become a recovery. If the downhill is steep enough, you can actually stop pedaling and the speed will keep increasing! On the KickR you have to keep pedaling when you come to a descent, which seems crazy - The KickR felt rigid laterally, whereas on a actual outdoor ride the bike sways back and forth, especially on uphills and out of the saddle. The Neo2T allows a bit of lateral motion. - The Neo2T's variable flywheel definitely feels more natural to me. Except on an unexpected sudden climb, where the resistance rises so rapidly you can almost stall out, which would not happen outdoors - Real Road Feel (RRF) on the Neo2T feels unnatural, mainly because it gives vibration only through the pedals, whereas outdoors you would feel vibration through the handlebars and saddle as well. Plus it does not activate for individual bumps in the road, only for continuous stretches of say gravel (this may be a shortcoming of the app I use). I shut it off. - Neither is loud, but the Neo2T is probably slightly quieter. Both trainers worked well for me, very reliable. But the added features of the Neo2T are worth it for me. Doesn't replicate riding outdoors, though close enough for me.

[@JourdainColeman]

Thank for commenting! 👍🏼 - Great info for people

[@davidrowe8747]

Kickr Core user here, paired with a rocker plate. Still much cheaper than the Tacx, and gives an even better, more realistic and comfortable side-to-side motion. Secured to the rocker plate with brackets, too, which sorts out the stability issue - it's not going anywhere. Would be better to mark out of 10 for every factor, and then multiply that by an importance factor. Price, for example, is very important. Ease of set-up affects you for maybe an hour, or an afternoon, so isn't as important a factor. Another example: 7 of the 14 points by which the Tacx beats the Kickr Core are for the left/right power function, which I think most people wouldn't care about.

[@JourdainColeman]

Thanks for your comment, David! That's a great idea about grading each point for importance, and then multiplying the score (Or something similar). I'll use that in the next comparison video I do. 👍🏽 I'm hoping to get my hands on the kickr core V6 sometime soon so I can do a full comparison to the Tacx. It sounds good about the rocker plates, which brand do you have?

[@davidrowe8747]

@@JourdainColeman it's a TurboRocks Realplate. Solid piece of kit that's transformed my training experience.

[@JourdainColeman]

@@davidrowe8747 Awesome, I'll check it out!

[@Ady_Sr]

I have tacx neo.. super duper happy with it. After 3 years, its now giving me issues. Get over heated and free hub loses all resistance and gets me to 0W. Reason could be- 1+ year of not cycling and kept it in uncleaned area.. may be debris or dirt got into it and chocking the fan- hence its getting over heated after 15 mins of ride. other then this never ever had a problem.. its bulky but gives me more stability.

[@SteveSmith-bq9rk]

I have a used Tacx Neo from 2018, bought for £400 five weeks ago, and couldn't be happier with it. A brilliant piece of kit, love the flex from side to side and general road feel, including ability to 'storm' small rises with all that motor simulated inertia. To me the Tacx 2, 2T and 3 don't add much to the original Neo magic. My Seller wanted through axle capability, while I'm still on a 7 speed steel Audax bike, and that works fine with just the 8-10 speed spacer despite what Garmin will try to tell you..

[@carljohan1642]

Very good and detailed comparison, much appreciated.

[@Cyborgon]

Thank you, this was a fantastic review and what i needed to hear.

[@JourdainColeman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Cyborgon]

@@JourdainColeman I ordered the tacx neo 2t, just currently trying to find a good cheap road bike to attach to it.

[@JourdainColeman]

You'll love the turbo trainer, it get's addictive! Honest, get a beat up frame to use indoors. All you need is a good frame your size and a good fan!

[@micksparrow8214]

Excellent comparison of the two turbo’s. Last month I purchased a Neo on special offer and got the motion plates free from Garmin under a promotion that Garmin was running so I’m very happy with the outcome. But I can honestly say I wouldn’t pay the retail price for the Neo.

[@JourdainColeman]

That is awesome! Glad you got a good deal! I hope you are liking the T2

[@lastpme]

I have the Core and it works for me. If I was stronger rider than I would need to upgrade to the Kickr.

[@scottmccann4509]

Very comprehensive breakdown and following on from your previous video. Thanks for taking the time to create this, very interesting. For me the Tax looks great, storage, colours, self powering and the more realistic cycling feel, but aren't game changing enough to justify double the price, I would love it don't get me wrong 😂 🙏. Did you notice any performance stats differences between them, like sprinting with the power smoothing, although they should be identical and hard to be scientific due to fatigue 🤔

[@JourdainColeman]

I agree Scott, the Tacx is amazing but I'm not sure it's double the price amazing. For the performance stats I don't have anyway to give a true scientific test (no power meter pedals yet either). From my experience it's pretty marginal so unless you are racing then I don't think you'd notice any difference.

[@derx6666]

Nice comparison, but you don't measure the accuracy, you expect the numbers the manufacturer puts on the box are correct. Are they? And are they correct under every circumstance, like in a 1300w sprint, or at a high flywheel speed? You could do a dual recording vs your Assioma pedals for both trainers, and compare them that way. The assioma's have been proven time and time again that they are quite accurate (GPlama, DC Rainmaker) and repeateable, so they would be a good powermeter to reference against.

[@relaxedtriathlon7095]

I deeply believe that athletes which trainings success rewlly profits of hitting a point of resistance more accurate around 2% are those who are sponsored by whatever fills their bank account and don‘t have free choice.

[@stevethepokieman]

Expensive vs more expensive

[@JourdainColeman]

I had the same thought myself!

[@fizzixrox]

Very good comparison video. One thing I wish you had covered is reliability and customer support record. Pretty unhappy right now that I have to replace a 4 year old Kickr Core for a problem that Wahoo knows exists. Also disappointed that Wahoo won't sell the part that will fix the problem.

[@JourdainColeman]

Sorry to hear you have had an issue. Wahoo replaced my Kickr Core from a fault and couple months back and I was impressed with their service. i hope you get your issue fixed soon 👍🏽

[@CY-pj5id]

Garmin reliability is no better. I have just screwed up my 3 year old Neo. No resistance, burning smell, fan failure. Garmin knows about this issue, the forums are littered with many similar failures. I suspect there is a hefty repair bill for out of warranty units.

[@danielwilliamson7661]

The Kickr uses a magnetic resistance as well as the physical flywheel

[@mjclr4]

I have the original Tacx NEO which I bought when there weren't any customer support and updating the firmware manually was a roll of the dice. so many units died after the update. after about 3 yrs owning it Garmin Purchased Tacx and my updates were smooth. The unit has to be at least 13 yrs old and still running smooth. Was thinking of upgrading to the Kickr but this video convinced me to run my unit to the ground then purchase the NEO 2.

[@JJ-yh1iw]

Wahoo's warranty is absolutely amazing, the past 5 years with wahoo products it has been so easy for replacements and they rely quickly. Garmin I found have been 50/50 for warranty quality.

[@JourdainColeman]

Thanks for sharing and good to know 👍🏽

[@raythorn1671]

That is incorrect about multiple connections with 2t, mine connects to shimano power meter and hr monitor, which required for some zwift races. Also when racing having the downhill decent motor to assist simulate is most welcome. Also the ability to throw it in my ute and take to the track for warm up is awesome 👌 no need for power cable just put bike on, turn zwift on with mobile and pedal away. It's the perfect trainer and makes the wahoo pale in comparison. Just my opinion.

[@JourdainColeman]

You can have multiple connections with Ant+ but you can only have one connection with Bluetooth. If you are connecting more than one device to the Tacx Neo T2 (for example zwift and a gps) then one of them will be using Bluetooth and one Ant+... Or both of them Ant+ It's well documented online, but to be honest, it's never a problem because most bike specific devices have both ant+ and Bluetooth. ,👍🏼

[@martinlarsson8671]

Thanks for a great review. How about the noise levels? Is their a large difference?

[@JourdainColeman]

Not really. Your bike will make more noise that the turbo trainer so it's not really a big thing for me.

[@relaxedtriathlon7095]

Want to double line Jurdains comment. Every test focussing about noises is missing the detail that all you hear when pedaling is the noise of your chain. So the noise of the trainers itself doesn‘t really matter. Maybe there might be trainers which are louder than the chain but Ive never seen one (none of the branded trainers starting at 400 bucks is louder in my opinion). And yes if you focus on the noise and try to concentrate not to hear the chain you might hear that there is a noise from the trainer. But the overall sound comes from the bike chain.

[@fabioslink5867]

Is the tacx harder to keep in movement in Free pedaling? Please someone answer 😢😢😢

[@Gledii]

Jourdain, did you notice a vibration/grinding feeling on the pedals at high gears on Kickr Core? it seems to be an issue happening with a lot of people, including myself...thanks

[@paulwebster4499]

I have both the tacx appears much harder more like a watt bike where u are constantly fighting magnets and voltage the kicker cores flywheel gives u a slight spin bike feeling and is much easier to kick up

[@ReadyF0RHeady]

chance you will compare kickR core and KickR v5?

[@johnyblamounth9142]

Right now you can buy Tacx for under £600. Which one would buy today?

[@JourdainColeman]

You can buy the standard Tacx Neo for £600 but not the Tacx Neo 2T. The 2T is still over £1000. If the 2T was £600 then I would buy that in a heart beat 👍🏽

[@johnyblamounth9142]

@@JourdainColeman Tacx Neo 2 Special Edition Smart Trainer £599

[@JourdainColeman]

The 2 is the older version of the tacx so I'd probably go with the kickr 👌🏼

[@MisterCristianH]

The bike flex quite a bit while you peddle..I just got a kickr core and see the same thing on my bike… is this normal?

[@limwiching2277]

Wish make comparison between Wahoo Kickr with ZWIFT HUB

[@JourdainColeman]

If I can get my hands on them I'll make a video 👌🏼

[@toddtannenbaum7092]

Fantastic job on this comparison. Question: I get the side-to-side movement on the Neo is nice for endurance rides, but how about for sprints? In other words, which trainer would you rather sprint on at the end of a Zwift race?

[@sprungeheuer]

In my opinion the side to side movement is negligible. I had massive problems with sprinting on the Tacx though. In a max effort it would feel like a non existing wheel was slipping. Maybe it's technique but I never had that issue on a Kickr.

[@rodofpv6877]

@@sprungeheuer the slipping was only an issue on the neo 2. the neo 2t doesn't slip

[@JourdainColeman]

I prefer the Neo 2T for sprinting 👍🏽

[@rubencalleh]

You may compare with Oreca

[@T1mj3n]

Really enjoy your videos - there is some similarity in our consume behavior (Chinese brands, etc.) So, I sold my kickr core because it began to rust and bought a neo2t as good as new. My direct comparision between 24 hours fits to your comparison, but (!) the wattage output was significant lower on the 2t - my output on the old kickr was at races about 330-345… in two races with the neo 2t I hardly reached 300 watts. For me this point weighs much more than other points on your list. As you said, there is no way to calibrate the neo, so there is no chance to fix this issue. I‘ve sold the 2T within 1 day with a slight benefit and purchased a new core now. Greetings from Germany

[@Maxibsa]

11:38 just Build your own rockerplate for 50€ and the Problem with the core will be gone

[@thesmok1000]

how can you compare a basic trainer from wahoo to top tacx trainer??? it is like you compared a top audi model with a low tier bmw.???

[@peterhart3898]

Why are you making a comparison of the top tier Tacx Neo 2T and the 2nd tier KICKR Core?

[@easter256]

Tacx all day!

[@wernerp3943]

Für Tacx gibt es Freilaufkörper für Campagnolo 1x13 Ekar.

Biased test 🤣 Downhill simulation 4 ??? It's a 10. I have Neo 2T and it's perfect.

[@hcazonis]

Arrived as expected with all parts intact, also included two hex keys for assembly. kzbin.infoUgkxwOUUBdw8-88Iu4QnQS7q6b2NwZkHiYVl Had to adjust mine slightly to fit my bike, this was easy enough with instructions. I bought it to train with my track bike and found it to have resistance similar to climbing a slight gradient. Takes a while to learn to balance but there is plenty of guidance to help on the internet. Edit: There was more resistance at lower speeds because of the number of contact points but at higher speeds it is much easier as you don’t have to contend with drag.

[@Vdbdesigns-3dprint]

i have the decathlon d100. and i had a tacx flux 2. not much difference exept the price. offcoarse there is a difference, but not so much to have this price difference

[@roboppers]

Why compare the core and not the v5?

[@PhilipDenys]

i bought a neo T2800 second hand and i think 350 euros is a good investment :p

[@dominickbrookes5103]

So, the kicker core is cheaper and has less features and is less enjoyable to ride due to instability and less "real" feel.

[@galinadorofeeva3829]

Where is noise comparison?

[@dannyjensen6489]

Alternative buy the Neo 2 Smart T2850 instead of the 2T 2875 (Newest model). Basically the same but I picked mine up for £670 without Casette and chain.

[@JourdainColeman]

Great idea!! 👍🏽

[@Fluxyzabc]

That moment when you get to buy a Tacx Neo 2T for cheaper than a Wahoo… 😌

[@Greatbatch87]

How 😂

[@Fluxyzabc]

@@Greatbatch87 it was a promotion where I live. To make it even better, the Neo 2t motion plates were for free also. In the meantime though the Wahoo kickr got cheaper than the Neo 2t.

[@tamaskaracsonyi846]

the best trainer is the "stupid" one, he may not know much, but he lasts forever and is cheap! in this tech world, cycling has also deteriorated!