Originally Posted by Danhedonia

I have a KICKR CORE. It's terrific. I also know people who have Elite Diretos and like them, and Tacx customers also seem satisfied.

Given that Tacx product is marginally easier to find, you might look at those.

I'm an old roadie, have spent time on rollers (and hated them) and here's my prediction: unless you get a lemon (which happens), you're going to like whatever you purchase, because they're ALL so much better than what we were used to.

You're also likely to have a bit of a, well, process when it comes to getting into a rhythm and routine for your trainer workouts. The different programs are really different, enough so that I pay for three of them (Zwifty, Rouvy and TR) and definitely use them for quite different types of rides.

Bottom line, spend $1,000 give or take and you're going to get a great smart trainer. Then you're going to go on a journey of which software, do I want a big-screen TV (I easily ponied up for a 50" given that they're basically free at Costco these days), and how trainer rides can differ (I will admit that I never spent more than an hour on rollers, whereas I could do 3 hour rides on a trainer ... but: perineal care).

TLDR: Get a Neo, Wahoo or Elite. Read DC Rainmaker first about them - there might some little bit about them that's important to you. Availability is a huge challenge. All will amaze you as great leaps forward. Settling in with software will be a process. Also: big TV. My .02.

Originally Posted by jwalther