Tacx Bike Smart Where Are You?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
Tacx Bike Smart Where Are You?
I'd like to actually see a Tacx Bike Smart in real life before I buy any smart bike, but try and find one! Why are they so hard to find? Why no dealers?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,704
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 820 Post(s)
Liked 1,655 Times
in
782 Posts
Amazon.com: Tacx Neo Bike Smart Trainer : Everything Else
Hey, it's Amazon. You don't like it? Send it back for a refund.
Hey, it's Amazon. You don't like it? Send it back for a refund.
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
Amazon.com: Tacx Neo Bike Smart Trainer : Everything Else
Hey, it's Amazon. You don't like it? Send it back for a refund.
Hey, it's Amazon. You don't like it? Send it back for a refund.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 1,704
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 820 Post(s)
Liked 1,655 Times
in
782 Posts
Looks like you missed the demo at Landry's Bicycles in Boston in March. But hey, give them a ring and see if they have one.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
And yes, being down in Naples for the winter means a trip to Boston for a bike demo wasn't going to happen. ;-)
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 823
Bikes: 2002 Trek 5200 (US POSTAL), 2020 Canyon Aeroad SL
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 680 Times
in
327 Posts
Wahoo actively push their demo stations to bike shops and offer great support for the shops. You'll see a LOT of Wahoo demo stations (KICKR Bike, or KICKR + CLIMB). Tacx don't seem to do this much, for reasons I don't know.
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
Makes you wonder if Garmin can support the device if then can't even market it. I've had a Neo 2T, and really like it, but I'm moving to indoor riding permanently and want a dedicated smart bike. I've narrowed it down to the Tacx and the Wahoo, and support may be the deciding factor. They're both really nice units.
Likes For Ed Wiser:
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 823
Bikes: 2002 Trek 5200 (US POSTAL), 2020 Canyon Aeroad SL
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 680 Times
in
327 Posts
I've got an original NEO and it's been great, but if I were to go the smart bike route, it'd be a KICKR Bike for sure.
Likes For tempocyclist:
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
If you're riding indoors 100% then the KICKR Bike will give a slightly more "realistic" experience as it tilts with the virtual gradient. They're solid and very reliable units.
I've got an original NEO and it's been great, but if I were to go the smart bike route, it'd be a KICKR Bike for sure.
I've got an original NEO and it's been great, but if I were to go the smart bike route, it'd be a KICKR Bike for sure.
#11
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,396
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,696 Times
in
2,517 Posts
I was tempted to get one of the Stages bikes when Zwift had them on sale.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Australia
Posts: 823
Bikes: 2002 Trek 5200 (US POSTAL), 2020 Canyon Aeroad SL
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 313 Post(s)
Liked 680 Times
in
327 Posts
- NEO Bike has "real road feel" to replicate different surface feels (cobbles, gravel, smooth tarmac, etc)
- KICKR Bike has the "climb" feature, tilting up and down synced to the on-screen gradients
Whether either of those features are important or deal breakers is personal. I'm not a huge fan of road feel and have only used it on my NEO a couple of times. I've never "wanted" for a CLIMB either, but it is a very cool feature!
We use a KICKR Bike (or a KICKR + CLIMB) for almost all our displays and promotional events.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,425
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4403 Post(s)
Liked 4,853 Times
in
3,002 Posts
I have to say the Wahoo bike is pretty awesome. I did have one issue with the shift buttons failing (well reported issue so I wasn't surprised) but Wahoo support were very quick to send me a complete new bar assembly (making it a quick swap) and it's been faultless ever since. Tacx appear to have had supply issues with their bike for a long time so I would be a bit wary of that. But otherwise it seems like a decent product from the reviews I read. I do a lot of climbing, so the Wahoo bike with it's climb function made it an easy decision for me, otherwise it would have been very close.
Last edited by PeteHski; 04-29-22 at 04:34 PM.
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
I'm curious what it is you want to "see" exactly? Before I pulled the trigger on the Wahoo bike I just read all the in-depth reviews from the likes of DC Rainmaker, GP Lama etc which cover pretty much every minute detail.
I have to say the Wahoo bike is pretty awesome. I did have one issue with the shift buttons failing (well reported issue so I wasn't surprised) but Wahoo support were very quick to send me a complete new bar assembly (making it a quick swap) and it's been faultless ever since. Tacx appear to have had supply issues with their bike for a long time so I would be a bit wary of that. But otherwise it seems like a decent product from the reviews I read. I do a lot of climbing, so the Wahoo bike with it's climb function made it an easy decision for me, otherwise it would have been very close.
I have to say the Wahoo bike is pretty awesome. I did have one issue with the shift buttons failing (well reported issue so I wasn't surprised) but Wahoo support were very quick to send me a complete new bar assembly (making it a quick swap) and it's been faultless ever since. Tacx appear to have had supply issues with their bike for a long time so I would be a bit wary of that. But otherwise it seems like a decent product from the reviews I read. I do a lot of climbing, so the Wahoo bike with it's climb function made it an easy decision for me, otherwise it would have been very close.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,425
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4403 Post(s)
Liked 4,853 Times
in
3,002 Posts
I'd like to sit on the bike and pedal once it's adjusted to see if anything seems out of place. Like leg rubbing. The top tube on the Wahoo is pretty thick, as is the seat "tube" on the Tacx. Reviews are one thing, but nothing beats actually seeing and trying something in real life. This is a big purchase and I don't want to do it twice.
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northeastern MA, USA
Posts: 1,678
Bikes: Garmin/Tacx Bike Smart
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
191 Posts
Me, too. I think there's a dealer in Boston who stocks them, so once I'm back in the great white north I'll give them a call. Honestly, between the two of them I don't think there's a wrong answer.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8,425
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4403 Post(s)
Liked 4,853 Times
in
3,002 Posts
Yeah, that's why I asked. The only wrong answer really is NOT to buy either of them and miss out completely, LOL! Seriously though I'm glad I pulled the trigger on the Wahoo Bike as I had a great winter training on it. I considered it a risky purchase, but the very worst case scenario was a bit of minor hassle returning it if it didn't work out. I kept my old trainer (Elite Direto X) as a back-up just in case, but never used it again.