Best smart trainers 2024: Immersive indoor cycling for all

If you're looking to buy the best smart trainer, then in my opinion you can't go wrong with the Wahoo Kickr. In my experience, it is accurate, works consistently, offers the most reliable connection with your chosen apps and has a few nice-to-have features too. Alternatively, if you want to pare down the feature set and save some cash, I'd recommend the Zwift Hub / Kickr Core depending if you want virtual or traditional shifting. 

I believe most people would be very happy with those choices, but there are some considerations that might make another of the smart trainers on this list a better choice for you. 

For example, there's a trainer here that folds away much more easily; there are some that let you keep your wheels on your bike so you can easily swap it between indoor and outdoor use; there are some that have electronic resistance for a more realistic feeling of inertia through the pedals; and there are even some that let your bike move around beneath you in a more natural way. 

If you're unsure which smart turbo trainer is for you, then head to the bottom of this guide where you'll find a section devoted to helping you choose. There we've outlined everything you need to think about when investing in a smart trainer. 

But prior to that is a list of the best smart trainers available right now; derived from years of testing by the Cyclingnews team, myself included, to test for accuracy, consistency, ease of use and more. 

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Best overall

Wahoo Kickr V6

Bluetooth, ANT+, DirectConnect and WiFi connection. Side-to-side rocking motion for comfort. 2200-watt resistance and 1% accuracy with realistic pedalling feel, a stable platform and easy to carry handle. Weighs 22kg. Cassette included. 

Read more below

Runner up

Elite Justo

2300-watt resistance, 24% gradient simulation, 1% accurate and side-to-side motion for comfort. Cheaper than the Kickr, but no WiFi. Can be used without mains power. Carry handle. Weighs 17kg. Cassette not included. 

Read more below

Best value

Zwift Hub One / Wahoo Kickr Core

Both are the same affordable price and come with a year subscription to Zwift. Hub One uses virtual shifting while Kickr Core offers a choice of cassette. Both have 1800-watt resistance, 2% accuracy and 16% gradient simulation. Legs don't fold away, no side-to-side movement & no carry handle. Weighs 15kg and easy setup. 

Read more below

Value high-spec

Saris H3

High specs at vastly reduced RRP. Old model but still available worldwide. 2000w resistance, 20% gradient simulation, 2% accuracy. 9kg flywheel for realistic pedalling feel. No rocking motion for comfort. No WiFi. Cassette not included. Good carry handle. Weighs 21kg. 

Read more below

Best wheel-on

Wahoo Kickr Snap

Great wheel-on trainer with good app compatibility. 1500-watt resistance, 12% gradient simulation, 3% accuracy. Weighs 17kg. Folding legs. No carry handle. Easy to set up and highly durable. 

Read more below

Money no object

Tacx Neo 3M

With 1% accuracy, 2200 watts of resistance, 25% gradients and electronic virtual 125kg flywheel, motion plates and Bluetooth/Ant+/WiFi connectivity, it's one of the most premium on the market. Sadly, that's reflected in the price. 

Read more below

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I've been using a smart trainer to ride and race on Zwift, TrainerRoad and others since 2018. In my time at Cyclingnews, I've used more indoor trainers than I can recall, putting them all through a series of test rides to work out their accuracy, responsiveness and how easy they are to live with. 

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Josh has ably assisted our indoor trainer testing for the past four years, and is regularly found riding and racing on Zwift. He's covered well in excess of 1000 hours on the platform alone, using trainers from the budget-friendly Kickr Core, through to the premium Tacx Neo 3M and plenty of smart bikes too. 

For direct drive trainers to function, you'll need to remove your rear wheel. The trainer itself will have a cassette fitted (although it's not always included), and you'll connect your bike to it in a similar way you'd fit a rear wheel. This means your pedalling turns the flywheel directly, rather than turning a wheel and then relying on friction between your tyre and a roller. 

It's important to get a smart trainer that is compatible with the axle on your bike and ensure that the freehub body - the part that the cassette fits onto - is compatible with your groupset. You can't fit a 12-speed SRAM cassette onto an 11-speed Shimano Freehub, for example. 

Almost all trainers come with an 11-speed-compatible Shimano freehub, so if you are using SRAM or Campagnolo, expect to have to spend a little more to make it fit. 

Best overall with direct WiFi connectivity and top-level specs

Flywheel weight: 7.3kg / 16lb

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ANT+ FE-C, and up to 3 Bluetooth connections

Accuracy: +/- 1%

Max power: 2200 watts

Max simulated grade: 20%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: Sunrace 11-speed

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Stable and quiet in use

Doesn't require manual calibration

Bluetooth, ANT+, Ethernet and WiFi connectivity

Cassette included

The specs are good, but not class-leading

Cassette choice would be nice for 12-speed users

The Kickr V6 is my pick of the best overall because it offers the most rounded balance of high-spec performance, excellent ride feel, comprehensive connectivity and price. 

I'll tackle that last point first: the Kickr is among the more expensive smart trainers around, and if you're looking for a budget offering to get rolling indoors, then the Zwift Hub below will do that at a much lower price. But when it comes to the best smart trainers, things like pedalling inertia (from the heavier flywheel) and the amount of available resistance will improve the quality of the ride. There's also an improvement in the accuracy to which your power output is transmitted to your chosen indoor cycling app. 

The Kickr's top level specs are 2200-watt resistance, 20% gradient, 1% accuracy and five-degree left-right movement courtesy of the Axis feet, in a package that comes with a cassette included, folds down for storage and will automatically calibrate itself each time you ride. 

The Elite Justo (below) actually offers a slightly better package if we're just looking at those features, but where the Kickr stands out against that and other similarly-priced trainers is connectivity. All smart trainers will offer Bluetooth and ANT+ connections, but the Kickr offers three simultaneous Bluetooth connections (which is great for avoiding dropouts), as well as WiFi (which allows your Kickr to talk to your computer via your home WiFi network) and Direct Connect via an adaptor and an ethernet cable for a totally wired connection.

It also offers a feature called ERG EasyRamp, which allows you to restart hard intervals without the leg-sapping standing start, if ever you stop mid-effort. 

It's worth noting that the Kickr Move (below) also offers all of these features alongside even more movement. If you really want to push the boat out, that is an excellent trainer that you'll be very happy with, but the price is even higher. 

You can read more in our Wahoo Kickr 2022 review.

Elite Justo

Great value trainer that looks great, does the basics well, and can be used without mains power

Flywheel weight: 6.2kg / 13.7lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth (two simultaneous)

Accuracy: +/- 1%

Max power: 2300 watts

Max simulated grade: 24%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: No

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

High resistance and power accuracy

Side-to-side movement courtesy of rubber feet

Can be used without mains power

Leather loop handle makes it harder to carry

No cassette included

The Elite Justo is a high quality smart trainer that looks great, offers excellent specs, has performed brilliantly in around a year's worth of my testing, and does the basics well. It narrowly misses out on the top spot in this guide due to the value I place on the WiFi connectivity, but if you don't think that's necessary for you, then you should save yourself some cash and buy this instead. 

The top line specs include 2,300 watts of resistance, gradients of up to 24% and power accuracy within 1%. It will also self-calibrate, fold away neatly for storage, and comes with similar Flex feet that offer side to side motion for comfort. 

Its flywheel is lighter than the Kickr at 6.2kg, meaning the total unit weight is also lighter at 17kg, but it's actually slightly harder to carry around because instead of a solid handle, it uses a leather loop. The one other downside is that it doesn't come with a cassette, so you'll have to factor in the cost of that if you don't have a spare at home. 

Those aside, I particularly like that it can be used without mains power, which makes it a viable option for raceday warmups. 

Zwift Hub One / Wahoo Kickr Core

Best smart trainer for value

Flywheel weight: 4.7kg / 10.4lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth

Accuracy: +/- 2%

Max power: 1800 watts

Max simulated grade: 16%

Freehub: Choose at purchase

Cassette included: Yes, choose at purchase

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Free choice of cassette at purchase

Extremely affordable price

One year of Zwift included

Lightweight flywheel holds less real-feel inertia

No folding, no carry handle

When we published this guide in October, the title of 'Best Value' was awarded to the Zwift Hub Classic, but since then a lot has happened. Zwift discontinued it, before launching the newer Hub One which foregoes a traditional cassette in favour of a 'Zwift Cog'; a single-geared sprocket. That's paired with 'Zwift Click', a wireless shifter that can be mounted on your handlebars which sends a prompt to Zwift (the app, running on your laptop/smartphone) to shift virtually. 

In doing that, Zwift also raised the price slightly but threw in a year's subscription to Zwift to offset that increase. Shortly after, Wahoo dropped the price of the similarly-specced Kickr Core (which uses a traditional cassette) to match, also throwing in that year's subscription to Zwift. 

Therefore, the 'Best Value' award is now being shared by the Zwift Hub One and Wahoo Kickr Core, with the Hub One being recommended if you want virtual shifting (this will only work in Zwift itself, not Rouvy or MyWhoosh, etc), and the Kickr Core being the one for mechanical shifting. 

Zwift Hub One

An added benefit of the singlespeed cog and virtual shifting is that the broad compatibility means it's compatible with all 8-12-speed groupsets so you can easily swap between bikes, making it useful for multi-rider households. 

Of the two, it's the one to buy if you only ever ride on Zwift when indoors, have a multi-rider household (or multiple Zwift bikes) and/or have nearby neighbours/flatmates who could get tired of the noisy clunking of gear changes. 

Want to know more? Read our Zwift Hub review

Wahoo Kickr Core

The Wahoo Kickr Core comes with a traditional cassette, of which you get a choice when buying, meaning your shifting is done by your own bike's groupset. This does mean that you'll have to swap the cassette if ever you swap bikes indoors (assuming they're not using the same groupset).

Of the two, this is the one to buy if you plan on using apps other than Zwift, or if you prefer the realism and feel of traditional shifting. 

Want to know more? Check out our Wahoo Kickr Core review. 

Both the Zwift Hub One and Kickr Core are priced the same, come with a year's subscription to Zwift, and boast very similar specs. They feature a 1,800-watt maximum resistance, 16% gradient simulation and a power accuracy of 2%. They don't fold away, nor do they come with a carry handle (although at ~15kg, I never had much issue moving either, the fixed feet are quite easy to grab). 

Neither are going to trouble the likes of the Kickr or the Neo 3M on specs, but at half the price of the Kickr V6, with a year's subscription to Zwift included, their value is unmatched. 

Great value if you want a little extra spec performance

Flywheel weight: 9kg / 20lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth

Accuracy: +/- 2%

Max power: 2000 watts

Max simulated grade: 20%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: No

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Heavy flywheel provides a good road feel

Folds down for easy storage

Stable and quiet in operation

In terms of specs, the Saris H3 sits roughly between the more expensive Wahoo Kickr and the more affordable Zwift Hub/Kickr Core, and it does so at a price that is competitive, especially when it's on offer (which is common). 

It offers 2% accuracy, with up to 2,000 watts of interactive resistance from any of the popular apps and can simulate gradients of up to 20%. With a substantial 9kg/20lb flywheel to drive, the Saris H3 also offers excellent inertia with electromagnetic resistance, alongside quiet operation. 

The legs fold away, and there’s and carry handle so you don’t throw out your back trying to move the 21.3kg unit. It also comes with adaptors to suit most modern bike axles (except mountain bike Super Boost). It doesn't come with a cassette, though, so bear that in mind when buying. 

It doesn't offer the flexy feet of the Kickr or the Justo though, nor does it offer multiple simulatneous Bluetooth connections or WiFi, which may sway you in favour of the more expensive options. It's still a great option if you want the higher resistance without the added features though. 

Wahoo Kickr Move

Best for a realistic ride feel

Flywheel weight: 7.3kg / 16lb

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ANT+ FE-C, and up to 3 Bluetooth connections

Accuracy: +/- 1%

Max power: 2200 watts

Max simulated grade: 20%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: Sunrace 11-speed (11-28)

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Free-moving platform adds comfort and realism

Stable and quiet in use

Doesn't require manual calibration

Bluetooth, ANT+, Ethernet and WiFi connectivity

Cassette included

Extra setup required

Added price is higher than buying a separate rocker plate

The Wahoo Kickr Move takes the Kickr V6 from above and essentially mounts it onto an eight inch rolling track that lets your bike slide forward and backwards, as well as rock side to side slightly. This means it has all the great specs and connectivity of our 'best overall' smart trainer, but with additional comfort and ride realism.

That extra functionality does come at a cost, though, so you'll have to decide whether that's something you want from your indoor setup. Bear in mind too that for less money you could pair a Kickr V6 with a budget rocker plate.

In my experience testing the Kickr Move, the extra movement meant I was engaging my core more when riding. That was slightly more tiring to begin with, but after a few rides it felt great and led to more comfort towards the end of long rides. This is more reflective of real world riding, and offers a more rounded workout, hence I've awarded it the best smart trainer for a realistic ride feel. 

Just be careful when setting up that your Kickr is perfectly level though. I found myself settling into a not-quite-upright position on the first few rides because the feet weren't level and the lateral movement, albeit minimal, is quite 'free'.

Great ERG mode performance with added movement & best-in-class flywheel

Flywheel weight: 125kg / 275.6 lbs (Virtual)

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, ANT+ FE-C, and dual Bluetooth

Accuracy: +/- 1%

Max power: 2200 watts

Max simulated grade: 25%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: 11-speed (11-28)

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Virtual flywheel offers realistic inertia

ERG mode is smooth and accurate

Pedalling analysis stats

Back and forth motion with left/right rocking

Most expensive on the market

Cannot currently equip 12-speed cassette at purchase

The Neo 3M from Tacx (subsidiary of Garmin) is the most expensive option on this list, and the most expensive direct drive trainer on the market (excluding smart exercise bikes, of course). 

On paper, its specs are similar to the not-quite-as-expensive Wahoo Kickr Move: 2,200 watts of resistance, 1% accuracy, 25% gradient simulation, feet that let it move back and forth as well as rock left and right, and Bluetooth/Ant+/WiFi connectivity.

However where it edges ahead is in the virtual flywheel, a feature originally seen on the Neo 2T (below). This adjusts the inertia based on your weight and better simulates that real-ride feel, speeding up when descending just like you would in the real world. It also means the responsiveness of ERG Mode is incredibly accurate. It even means the Neo 3M can work without mains power, so it can be taken to the car park for your next race warmup. 

Like the Neo 2T, it offers individual pedal stroke analysis, the added rumbling feature that literally shakes the trainer when you go over rough ground in Zwift, and Garmin listened to our complaints (maybe) by adding a carry handle to make it easier to move around. It does still weigh 52lbs (23.5kg) though, so try not to make it a habit. 

To summarise, the Tacx Neo 3M is definitely a 'bells-and-whistles' trainer for those who want the very best ride feel, all the added features and the most amount of 'future proofing' available, but I find it hard to justify the cost over the Neo 2T, the Kickr V6, or the largely similar Kickr Move. 

The best smart trainer if you want great pedalling inertia

Flywheel weight: Virtual 125kg / 275.5lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth

Accuracy: +/- 1%

Max power: 2200 watts

Max simulated grade: 25%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: No

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142, 12x148

Realistic modelling of descents and road feel

Very stable and quiet

No calibration required

Can be used without mains power

Folds down for quick and easy storage

Road disc calipers rub on trainer casing without extra spacers

Cassette not included

No carry handle

The Neo 2T offers a clever motorised flywheel that not only replicates a flywheel much heavier than it actually is, but also provides added features such as replicating rough roads so if you are riding in Zwift and you cross gravel, cobbles or wooden bridges the trainer will shake in different ways to mimic the road feel. It's also the only trainer here that uses a motor to accelerate the flywheel during descending, replicating your rear wheel in real life. 

Using electromagnetic resistance, Tacx says it can simulate up to a 125kg flywheel and offers 2,200 watts to fight against and a max incline of 25% with 1% accurate power readings. It's also compatible with 135x10, 142x12 and 148x12mm axles without the need for extra adaptors. Like the Justo, it can even be unplugged and still function meaning it's workable for your pre-race car park warm-up. 

On top of those features, there's a bit of side-to-side movement built into the design and if that's not enough you can add the aftermarket Garmin Tacx NEO Motion Plates for around 5cm of fore/aft movement as well. 

The Neo 2T also offers advanced power metrics like left/right balance and pedal stroke analysis. 

The legs do fold, but it doesn't have a carry handle, so at 21.5kg, it's quite a difficult one to move around. I found myself giving it a bear hug when trying to transport it from place to place. 

Read more in our Tacx Neo 2T review.

The best smart trainer for portability

Flywheel weight: 3.5kg / 7.7lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth

Accuracy: +/- 2.5%

Max power: 1900 watts

Max simulated grade: 15%

Freehub: 9/10/11sp Shimano/SRAM (12sp sold separately)

Cassette included: 11-speed Shimano

Axle compatibility: QR, 12x142

Lightweight, good carry handle and folds up small

Often discounted

Cassette included

Low inertia due to small flywheel

Accuracy isn't as high as similar-priced options

Elite's Suito is the Italian brand's third-tier turbo trainer, sitting beneath the Direto XR and the Justo (above) in the range. The Suito comes completely assembled, with the 11-speed Shimano cassette fitted, so setup is simple for anyone using an 11-speed groupset. It's also available without a cassette, marketed as the Suito-T, which will be of use to anyone running 12-speed.. 

Once ready, the Suito is adequately quiet in operation. It provides resistance up to 1,900 watts, power readings accurate to within 2.5%, and with simulated gradients up to 15%. 

It has foldable legs, with adjustable feet to stabilise on uneven ground, plus a carry handle. While its 3.5kg flywheel results in less inertia and a less realistic ride feel, it's still a world apart from that 'pedalling through mud' feeling from years gone by. 

It also means it's lighter, which when combined with the folding legs and carry handle, mean you're getting an excellent trainer for packing away at the end of the ride. There are many who choose to leave their smart trainer ready to go all the time but if you have to tidy up after yourself, then the Suito might make life that little bit easier. 

Want to know more? Have a look at our Elite Suito review.

Like direct drive trainers, wheel-on turbo trainers hold your bike aloft via the rear axle, but they differ in that you don't remove the wheel. Instead, your rear tyre is placed against a roller so that when your pedalling input spins your rear wheel, it in-turn spins the roller. The resistance is then applied to that roller, which in turn makes it harder to pedal. 

Wahoo Kickr Snap

The best smart trainer that combines the pricing of wheel-on with the controllability of direct-drive

Flywheel weight: 4.8kg / 10.5lb

Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, and Bluetooth Smart

Accuracy: +/- 3%

Max power: 1500-watts

Max simulated grade: 12%

Axle compatibility: QR (Thru axle sold separately)

Quick to setup

Accuracy is good for a wheel-on trainer

It has a large footprint

If you're looking for a smart trainer, direct drive is the type we'd recommend you go for, but if for some reason you need to stick with a traditional wheel-on trainer option then you needn't look beyond the Wahoo Kickr Snap. 

With both ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity, Wahoo makes the unit compatible with basically every training app under the sun and the Kickr Snap plays nicely with iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.

At +/-3% accuracy, the power measurement of the V2 edges in just above much of the wheel-on competition and in the ERG mode, the Kickr Snap adjusts the resistance at the rear wheel to match what your app of choice dictates.

The frame is sturdy and doesn't feel as though you're going to tip over when the intervals get tough, but the legs are foldable for easy storage. It's pretty easy to buy no matter where in the world you live, and it's easy to find spares should you have any issues. 

The best turbo trainer if you want both ease of use and realistic ride feel

Flywheel weight: 4.7kg / 10.5lbs

Connectivity: ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, and Bluetooth

Accuracy: NA

Max power: 1500 watts

Max simulated grade: 10%

Axle compatibility: NA

Convenient and easy-to-set-up design

4.7kg flywheel for realistic ride feel

Refined aesthetics

Accommodates a wide range of bikes (up to 2.1-inch tyres)

ANT+, Bluetooth and Zwift compatible

required power meter raises price

not compatible with Zipp wheels

The Wahoo Kickr Rollr is technically a wheel-on smart trainer but it's unlike anything else on this list. For many years a roller system was the most natural ride quality available when riding inside. The downside though was the ability to fall off. If you weren't careful, you'd find yourself on the ground. As smart trainers rose in popularity the fact that rollers lacked a hard connection to the bike meant that it was difficult to integrate resistance and power measurement. With the Wahoo Kickr Rollr, the brand thinks they've overcome these challenges.

There's no system for bolting your bike to the trainer because all you do is set the bike onto the trainer and secure the front wheel with a hoop. The rear wheel moves just like it would on traditional rollers but there's no risk of falling so it's possible to integrate resistance. Then, sidestepping power measurement issues, you'd want to bring your own option from our list of the best power metres. 

The ease of use of the system makes it ideal for those who want a natural feel and fast bike connection. If you've got multiple bikes in the household and everyone has different groupsets and tyres it's still just as easy to put the bike on and get started riding. It's also a good choice if you prefer riding outside, already have a power metre, but sometimes need another option. 

One thing to consider though is that Zipp has specifically warned against using their wheels with the Wahoo Kickr Rollr. We will keep an eye on the news as it develops but for now at least, you'll want to swap wheels if you've got something from Zipp.

Want to know more? Have a look at our Wahoo Kickr Rollr first look. 

Elite Direto XR

This high-spec trainer comes at a decent price and has a good reputation for durability. It has 2300 watts of resistance, 24% gradients and 1.5% accuracy. It's not as cheap as the similarly-specced Saris H3, and the flywheel could be heavier, but it comes with a cassette and is fairly portable at 15.8kg.

Read our Elite Direto XR review 

Tacx Flux S

With 1500 watts of resistance, 10% gradients and accuracy of 3%, the Tacx Flux S offers specs that don't quite match up to the other smart trainers on this list, but the retail price is pretty competitive and it's regularly on offer. It's not for people who need portability though, as it doesn't fold, doesn't have a carry handle and weighs 50lbs/23kg. 

Read our Tacx Flux S review

To the uninitiated, bike trainers (commonly known as turbo trainers, indoor trainers, or when applicable, smart trainers) can present a confusing minefield of options, but that's where we can help. 

Firstly, you'll need to decide between smart and standard. While the trend of the best bike trainers of today definitely favours smart trainers, standard options are still produced and widely popular due to their budget-friendly price. 

Smart means they can connect (usually via Bluetooth or ANT+) to your electronic device (phone, laptop, tablet and most of the best cycling computers) to offer variable resistance which is controlled by indoor cycling apps such as Zwift or workout sessions downloaded to your cycling computer from coaching software such as Training Peaks.

When buying, look for connectivity specs and compatibility claims. If it has Bluetooth or ANT+ mentioned, or it claims to be compatible with Zwift, then you're looking at a smart turbo trainer. 

Standard bike trainers forego this connectivity and are much cheaper. They either offer a progressive resistance curve (the harder you pedal, the more it resists), or a manual controller, which works in a similar way to dragging the brakes. Of course, if you have a power meter or speed sensor, you can pair those with your Zwift-running device, but the interactivity is lost (Zwift can't control the resistance automatically).

Within smart trainers, there are two options: wheel-on and direct drive. Just as the names suggest, wheel-on lets you keep your rear wheel on your bike, and places a roller against your tyre to provide resistance. Direct-drive trainers connect a cassette to the trainer itself, and removes the rear wheel altogether.

The most significant factor in determining which turbo trainer is best for you will be how much you're willing to spend. Direct drive turbo trainers are definitely better, but also more expensive, the wheel-on smart variety is more budget-friendly, and standard (non-smart) turbo trainers are regularly the cheapest. 

Of course, there is a trade-off. The wheel-on trainers are usually louder and don’t offer the same power-measuring accuracy as their direct drive counterparts.

If you are starting from scratch and are a little unsure about what other equipment you need to start riding indoors, have a look at our comprehensive guide to indoor cycling.

Bikes use a variety of axle and freehub standards these days, so it's essential to check which your bike uses and make sure the turbo trainer you buy comes with the correct adaptors. 

Axles

Most modern bikes use either a 135mm quick-release (QR) skewer or a 142x12mm thru-axle. All of the trainers above are compatible with both, but some will require an extra purchase to make it work. We've outlined the compatibility of each trainer to help you decide which is the best turbo trainer for you. 

Many mountain bikes these days use a slightly wider 148x12mm thru-axle, so if you're a mountain biker and wish to use it on the trainer, then you'll need to consider this when buying. 

If your turbo trainer of choice doesn't come with the correct adaptor to suit your bike, then it will most likely be available as an aftermarket extra purchase, but of course, this is an extra cost you may be able to do without. 

Freehubs

When it comes to direct drive trainers, you'll need to consider whether the freehub is compatible with a cassette that is compatible with the groupset on your bike.

The agreed-upon standard is for a turbo trainer to come with a freehub that's compatible with 9, 10 and 11-speed Shimano/SRAM cassettes. So if you're using a groupset of that spec, you'll probably find you have no issues with freehub compatibility. However, if you're using Campagnolo, Shimano 12-speed, or SRAM 12-speed groupsets, you'll need a different freehub, which will be an additional extra purchase to consider. 

Cassettes

If buying a direct drive turbo trainer, it's also worth considering whether or not your prospective new turbo trainer comes with a cassette or not. Some turbo trainers come with an 11-speed cassette included, which can help save money (assuming it's compatible with your bike, of course). We've made it clear for each of the turbo trainers above which, if any, cassette is included. 

Riding a bike on an indoor trainer can place a unique set of forces through certain parts of your frame and in particular the rear dropouts. It's first important to check that your bike is actually compatible with use on a turbo trainer. Most new bikes are, but your bike's manual should offer details, and Wahoo has its own bike compatibility chart for extra help.

Correct installation of your frame and regular checks are important to ensure nothing is ever damaged. Don't just clamp your bike onto a trainer and ride it all winter without checking things over, especially after a few hard sessions. It's also really important to protect your bike and components from corrosive sweat if you're doing a lot of riding on your indoor trainer, we like to drape a towel over the handlebars to catch the majority of the sweat, and a wipe down after each use and regular bike wash will keep everything working as it should. 

For a more detailed answer, check out our in-depth article covering whether a trainer can damage your frame.

ERG mode is where the trainer will tailor the resistance to help you hit your target power, and is a feature of all smart turbo trainers. For example, let's say you're riding a preset workout and your target power is 200 watts, ERG mode will provide the right resistance for 200 watts regardless of whether you're pedalling at 60RPM or 150RPM.

This means you can focus more on the pedalling and less on shifting gears or ensuring you remain on target. It's also a big point of differentiation for every smart trainer. The hardware has the ability to almost instantly lock you to a specific power level but our bodies don't respond like that. Our pedalling isn't perfect and our power output vs cadence varies. The way that different manufacturers tune the software to respond to those realities changes the feeling of the ride. Some companies are faster for tighter adherence to specific power outputs. Wahoo follows this strategy. Other companies, like Elite, intentionally respond a little slower to provide a more natural feeling ride even if your intervals aren't as tight. You'll want to think about how you ride when you consider what brand of trainer is right for you.

When it comes to communication with your device, almost every smart trainer can connect via Bluetooth Smart FTMS (the FiTness Machine Service designed specifically for Bluetooth fitness equipment) or ANT+ FE-C. Both allow your trainer to speak to and receive commands from your computer, meaning you can ride in Erg mode or have the resistance affected by the terrain in Zwift. 

ANT+ FE-C can generally accept multiple connections at once, so you can record data on multiple devices or have your trainer controlled by TrainerRoad whilst following roads in Zwift for entertainment. Bluetooth is usually limited to one concurrent connection, although Wahoo devices support up to three. 

As of around 2016, virtually every smart trainer on the market is dual-band, meaning they worked on both protocols, so no matter if you're using a Garmin cycling computer or your Bluetooth smartphone, your smart turbo trainer should be able to speak the right language. 

Remember, a standard trainer forgoes this technology, so cannot communicate with your device at all. 

When it comes to indoor cycling we are a passionate group at Cyclingnews. 

The first step is pulling it out of the box, noting which adaptors come included, and how easy it is to fit our bike to the trainer. Next up comes the software check, where we see how easy any accompanying app is to navigate and how stable the Bluetooth and ANT+ connections are to our various devices. 

When we test indoor cycling gear we take it through a range of different use cases. TrainerRoad is an excellent way to check the response of a trainer in ERG mode and we check that using short intervals as well as long ones. We also make sure we race in Zwift to see how the hardware handles race situations and we do some free riding in Zwift, Wahoo RGT or Rouvy to compare ride feel in a more relaxed situation. 

We'll also use the trainer alongside a couple of on-bike power meters to make sure the readings from the trainer are correct across various power durations, from short sprints to long steady efforts. 

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Two New T-345 Trainers Delivered To The Test Wing Of The Italian Air Force

On Dec. 19, 2023, two new Leonardo T-345 trainers with the markings of the 61° Stormo (Wing), the Italian Air Force Flight School, based at Lecce-Galatina Airbase, in southeastern Italy, took off from Venegono airport, where the final assembly line of Leonardo Aircraft is located, to deploy to Pratica di Mare AB, near Rome, to join the RSV, the Test Wing of the ItAF.

In the hands of the test pilots of the 311° Gruppo (Squadron), the two T-345s, MM55248/61-206 and MM55250/61-210, will undertake the flight testing activity required before delivery to the 61st Wing.

The T-345 (local designation of the M-345) is an airframe based on the S-211 trainer, redesigned with improved aerodynamics, reinforced airframe, new cockpit and avionics and called initially M-311, before assuming the final name as M-345 High Efficiency Trainer. The aircraft, which shares also some parts with the M-346 Master (T-346A in Italian service), is powered by a Williams FJ44-4M-34 turbofan engine with 1,540 kg (3,400 lb) of thrust, can fly up to 40’000 ft with load factors of +7/-3.5 g and a max speed of 380 KTAS at sea level or 425 KTAS at 20,000 ft. The max range is reported as 760 nm in clean configuration and 1,000 NM with external fuel tanks.

The Italian Air Force ordered 18 M-345As (a number that might increase) to replace the ageing MB-339s in the Phase 2 and Phase 3 training, during which students obtain their Military Pilot Licenses before moving to Phase 4, the Lead-In Fighter Training with the T-346A Master.

Some time around 2030 (when the support contract for the MB-339 expires) or even before, the T-345 should also become the new platform of the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolori display team.

After the first T-345s, MM55234/61-202 and MM55235/61-20, were delivered to the Italian Air Force in December 2020, Leonardo started to work on the fixes required to address the type’s teething issues and fine tune some of the aircraft’s systems. The delivery of the new airframes to the RSV is the first step towards the resumption of the normal deliveries and the development of the new syllabus.

As already explained in details here:

The T-345 will gradually replace the MB-339s, beginning from the A variant and later continuing with the CD variant. In fact, thanks to its characteristics, the aircraft can be used for the entire training syllabus, from the Primary Pilot Training to the Specialized Pilot Training.

The T-345 will bring multiple advantages. Similarly to the M346, the new aircraft will be part of an integrated netcentric system, which will allow to shrink the time needed for the training while improving its quality and efficiency. The T-345 trainer offers performance typical of a jet aircraft, such as the maximum altitude and speed, with operational costs comparable to the ones of a turboprop aircraft.

The T-345 is equipped with simple and essential onboard systems, which require minimum maintenance and allow the maximum safety and reliability. The Williams FJ44-4M-34 turbofan engine is equipped with a modern digital control system and provides a good thrust with low fuel consumption. The acquisition costs are comparable to the ones of turboprop trainers, allowing a long service life of 15,000 flight hours.

The swept high wing provides a greater maneuverability and an easier recovery from dangerous attitudes, while its profile also creates a higher lift. The aircraft is equipped with the latest technologies, such as touchscreen multi-functional displays, exposing the students to these technologies, similar to the ones of front-line aircraft, early in the training, so they can gradually improve their competencies with such advanced avionics before reaching the OCUs.