TACX NEO SMART BIKE REVIEW: So Quiet

[@neilallonby9310]

Big like for this review... The apartment noise test was really helpful... 👍👍

[@AusTexish]

The best quality review I’ve seen ever

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@NormCorriveau]

FYI, the latest firmware adds more visible metrics to the display when running Zwift. I was very happy to see this.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Oh jeez... this update changed a few things since I last checked. Thanks for letting me know

[@MrDamonLeBeouf]

thanks for posting this, i wasnt aware! i need to update. i always thought it was so stupid that all i could see was JUST my HR when connected to zwift.

[@victorchatue2]

Best Review on this IDT anywhere on the net. Thanks you. I just received my unit and looking forward to it.

[@chbrosz]

btw, thanks for your review - it helped me decide on this bad boy over the others. I have had it for a few weeks and am so stoked with it thus far (7 rides or so in). fav things: astonishingly quiet, and i didn't know the road feel would be such a cool feature! the fans aren't bad either on high - glad they're there. anyway, my two cents.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Happy to hear you are enjoying your new bike. Ride on 👍

[@michaellange7841]

Thanks for all these worthful informations! It was exactly what I needed to know!

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

I just got a Neo bike a few weeks ago. So far the belt has been terribly noisy. They tell you to put belt conditioner on it, but that has not helped me. My thighs do not hit the seat post, but if you are beefier they most certainly will, I think. I've also had a horrendous time with dropouts, despite eliminating all interference in my home. Prior to this I was on a Kickr and I didn't have a single drop-out in 2 years. Support is not nearly as good as Wahoo, either. Plenty of people love this bike, but if I had to do it over again, I would get the Wahoo bike for sure. The fans are pretty worthless, so I took those off as well. Lastly, the gear buttons take a little while to get use to, but they're not terrible. Again, another reason I'd go with wahoo given that it has normal shifters. All in all, for the price I expected to have 0 issues, but it has been quite the opposite.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Oh man... sorry about all your issues. I’m assuming you use ant+? Have you tried switching to Bluetooth? Ant+ is funny when used indoors.

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

@@SmartBikeTrainers I've tested both BLE and ANT+. Same issues. I've even changed my WiFi frequencies to ensure there's no interference. I sent support about ten log files and the team is working through them.

[@Nuno_bikes_fun]

I had drops with ANT, but BLE is flawless with windows 10, my bike is also incredible silent

[@Nuno_bikes_fun]

Hi Tariq, I have just bought the NEO BIKE, all great so far, I even like the fans...the only criticize is the handle to adjust the seat post that cannot do a full rotation due to hitting the frame. What about you ? Any complaints ? I have read a lot of issues with the belt.. Cheers and congrats for your great channel

[@MrAndypree]

More need to be said about the general feel of this bike. I own this and have done for a few months. It does not feel anywhere near as good as my previous Tacx Genius. It’s far harder to push out the watts. 220 watts on this is a struggle to hold, I can hold 260 outside no problems at all. It doesn’t spin in the same as a chain would do. It doesn’t speed up downhill like all previous virtual ERG trainers do. There’s so many issues. The biggest issue being that they’re at firmware 0.4, it’s not even at full release. They’re still fixing it via updates after shipping it.

[@DoomNerd67200]

But Tacx Genius is an HT right, I wonder how this compare to other indoor bikes

[@RuedigerB]

Nice review! As you do have the SB Rockr, place the bike onto it and start enjoy riding :)

[@wawanbalik]

Wonderful review. Hoping you'll be doing a comparison review between the Tacx Neo Bike and Wahoo Kickr Bike sometime. Thanks Tariq!

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

It’s in the pipeline :)

[@martindaly8683]

Loved all the info. I’m visually impaired and really wouldn’t be using or looking at any of the heart rate or powers meters. I would be using this as my winter indoor trainer. So, here’s my question. If you had a choice between wahoo Kickr or Tack Neo smart bike. I’m only a rider for enjoyment. I’m getting a shed just for winter training. Your opinion is welcome.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

I think you will be happy with either one. Both bikes offer different features that might appeal to some but not the other. Such as the incline simulation with the kickr bike or road surface simulation with the Neo bike. The Neo Bike feels a bit more solid and built like the indoor bike where the kickr bike is built a little more like a road bike. At the end of the day, they are both solid bikes.

[@alejandrocamogli4072]

What about the frame clearance with the legs, i have read they are issues with the legs rubbing the seatpost.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

I’ve seen/heard about that but I personally didn’t have that issue with the seatpost clearance even when I purposely tried to replicate it. But I see where it might happen depending on how far back your seat is, size of your legs, and pedal form.

[@MichaelSnasdell]

I get slight thigh rub on the seatpost, but its certainly not a deal breaker at all. Most noticeable out of the saddle for climbs or sprints for me, but not uncomfortable so much as noticeable. PS I have very large thighs lol

[@Nuno_bikes_fun]

Hi , I am planning to order the T8000 this week, but have read so much unhappy users... can you please answer two questions: road feel in Zwift ( Bluetooth and ANT) does it work ? Do you have any strange Noise issues ? Cheers and thank you

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

No strange noise issue with the bike I have. As for road feel, yes it does work in BLE and ANT+.

[@fabioslink5867]

Hi, i’m interested in this bike, i see That there are some users that report very bad power measurement. Do you see Any difference for example in high power sprints? I’m undecided between tacx wahoo and stages bike. Normally i use garmin 1030 so the tacx Will be the natural choise but now i use a kickr core trainer and is great, exctract the fit file and import to connect. My ftp is 226 and 1.81m high. In your opinion wich one, the tacx or? I see all the rewies but i’m not convinced. Many many thanks

[@mischugo]

Super video. Thanks a lot!!! From your point of view, is there any alternative of this bike to watch for sure?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

The Wahoo KICKR bike, Watt ATOM and Stages smart bike are alternatives to this bike. I reviewed the KICKR bike on this channel as well.

[@mischugo]

@@SmartBikeTrainers Thanks a lot! I've almost gotten a little hooked on the TACX because it works with Garmin Connect. Problem-free. And I use Garmin Connect for my daily tracking and running (Forerunner)

[@gotzonsolaegi249]

Great review!!greetings from Spain! I have a keiser m3i and I am thinking buying the tacx neo smart bike. I do 15,000 km a year and many of them are in indoor mode. I am not a Zwift user but I like to do watt based workouts. Would you recommend this bike to me? Thank's!!

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Definitely. It's great for power workouts and ERG mode structured workouts.

[@maxwilsathletics848]

Great review! Does the bike adjust the resistance independent of the cadence when in erg mode to reach the target wattage? I'd like to use it for ramp tests and combine it with my dynostics spiroergometry. Thanks! Best regards

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Yes it does adjust resistance to keep you at your target watts. It’s great for structured workouts and works perfectly for Ramp testing. Thanks for watching!

[@dskordo]

Another great review. Laughed out loud watching you try to lift it - doing the cycling thing by pushing with your legs. As for "licking handrails"bwahahah

[@Mark-ge8ov]

Thank you for the great review. Bit of a dumb question but does it come with pedals? If not do you recommend any for this trainer...

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

It does come with just standard pedals. I would recommend getting clipless pedals and cleats like the Look Keo www.amazon.com/dp/B07WDSYNPZ/?tag=sbiketrainers-20

[@RHR147]

Nice videos! Can you recommend me any indoor bike about 1000$ budget for me and my family. Quiet and comfortable to use, thanks

[@marcobertolino2705]

What do you think about ZCycle Zbike? Can you test her?

[@bjarnefruergaard7307]

Hi. I am considering buying a Tacx Neo. Is it true that you cannot change or scroll the display setup to show other cycling computer features like avg heart rate, avg speed, calorie count, lap watt, lap time and all those other thing you normally scroll through on a bike computer or run watch?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Yes, that’s correct. The screen isn’t customizable to show only metrics you want to see.

[@Jazzysoda]

Well that's no fun! Your Spoiler Alert kind of.....well..... spoiled things! When you say it's "good......really good" well, then what's left? LOLO. Geez Louise - they are going to sell a ton of these when you do the math and factor in the "pain" of swapping your bike in and out of a traditional trainer (especially in Spring Summer and Fall when you're Inside and Outside back and forth, dodging the weather days). It's one of the things I love the most about my Inside Ride Rollers - dump the bike on and GO. The MIssus however needs me to mount and dismount her road bike on her Neo2T 1-2 times a week these days *sigh*. Great Review as always even with Spoiler Alert.... :)

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Yeah, that spoiler isn’t going to help with retention numbers for this video :) agree with you on the InsideRide. I loved just being able to put my bike on it regardless of which wheels I had on and just go. Just make sure the wheels are inflated :)

[@christophecontant4856]

Nice job thanks a lot ;)

[@mischugo]

Have it now and love the device. But quiet? that's relative, I think... I always hear an irregular knocking after a certain time. My brake unit has been replaced. And I still have the noise. Garmin now says that is nothing unusual ... (?)

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Knocking? How loud is that? I don’t hear any knocking on mine. Did you check the cranks to make sure they are tight? Sometimes they might get lose.

[@mischugo]

@@SmartBikeTrainers Thanks a lot. With the crank everything is ok. I also already have the Nachfolgemodel with the new crank. It is a dull knock, very irregular. At Garmin they say that could have to do with the temperature / expansion ...

[@aggropa]

Great review. I noticed a loud sound when not pedaling from the freewheel/flywheel; can you prevent that?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

No you can’t prevent that. It’s really not that loud and if you have a fan on, you won’t even hear it.

[@aggropa]

@@SmartBikeTrainers ok. Thanks

[@floecki9715]

ist zwischen 1. und 2. Stock nur eine Holzdecke? Nicht mal Beton?

[@chrisogrady28]

I'm not a fan of the design, handlebars thay move up and away like Keiser spin bikes are bad for tall aero people like me, I need my bars low and far. And I don't understand why they needed to add a belt connecting the pedals and drivewheel, they could have just mounted the pedals directly to the big magnet circle disc wheel thing. I'll stick woth my 2T for now, I love the bit of flex it gives, but I'm getting fed up of my creaky bike when standing at low cadences

[@marcusdali3997]

Why they have a belt. They could have gone direct but they would need to redesign the generator. Instead, they choose to go with the generator and tooling they had. That's what I think.

[@chrisogrady28]

Marcus Dali is umagine so, but I can’t imagine sticking a couple arms onto it instead of a sprocket is that difficult, in context of designing an entire bike

[@marcusdali3997]

@@chrisogrady28 The difficulty is creating the amount of torque you need in that small space for the money.

[@guillaumerome3190]

Hi, thanks for the test and all explanations, I saw two versions : T8000.60 and T8000.61. Are there differences between them ? Thks

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

From a spec perspective, they are the same.

[@guillaumerome3190]

@@SmartBikeTrainers thank you for your answer

[@realsstates1180]

After hearing too many people complain about clanging noise in the neo’s flywheel area, I kind of expect the same noise for the tacx bike also.

[@marioumazul]

Do you still think is worth to buy this now in 2021? Don't you think Tacx will be updating this soon with a second version?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

If you can find one, yes, I would still get one.

[@marioumazul]

@@SmartBikeTrainers Thanks. That's true, is sold out everywhere. That's why I wonder if they will update the Bike this year.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

They are a bit behind on manufacturing with the new factory and high demand. That’s why they are out of stock and don’t expect them to catch up for few months.

[@lawor8]

DO you have any thoughts on the stages bike?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Not yet but hopefully soon

[@PedroPrego]

What if you usually have your laptop in front of the bike and not on a dedicated screen? I will have both the tray and the display basically covering my screen, won't it be? Can someone just use the bike without the tray, fan and that display? I really need it with the space in front of the handlebars cleared.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Depending on how high the laptop table is but you can make it work. The bike isn’t really designed to work without the display.

[@PedroPrego]

@@SmartBikeTrainers ok. I currently have sligtly above the front wheel and my system won't allow me to go higher than that. As a comment, I still think the kickr bike is more well thought in term of desing but tacx (or now garmin) still has the advantage of the production know how where their product show higher reliability than wahoo's bike. The have to start poaching employees from one another :D

[@AusTexish]

At 110 pounds whomever wants to steal this without assistance, dolly or hand truck deserves a medal.

[@Brantastic07]

Is financing available on the Neo bike??

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Depends on where you buy it from but most do financing through Affirm. CleverTraining does: smtbk.co/tacxneobike

[@Brantastic07]

Thanks

[@Nuno_bikes_fun]

BY the way, I use the fans paired with HR and have no isses like you reported.

[@RodrigoDeJaneiro]

What is the software you use to compare files and rides? looks good !

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

That’s RubiTrack for available for Mac.

[@RodrigoDeJaneiro]

@@SmartBikeTrainers Great, I'll download and take a look. Always looking good options to review my workouts on macOS

[@armedandready9181]

Dude you look like roger federer.

[@TrilmaRose]

What do you think is this bike better than the stages or wattbike atom next generation? I am planning to buy one and I need your help. I don't like the wahoo bike

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Yes, it’s a pretty good bike and you will enjoy it

[@marcusdali3997]

Hey, Is needing to be plugged a deal-breaker?

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

You can use it either way. Plugged in or not.

[@fent98]

Ugh, I hate those small bits of clingy Styrofoam

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Few months of use and still see a random one come out of the bike from somewhere 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@AaronGoodTimes]

We're not supposed to lick handrails anymore? Uh oh.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

Sometimes you just gonna have to make hard choices and go for it :)

[@AaronGoodTimes]

@@SmartBikeTrainers Haha!