Tacx Neo 2 Smart Exercise Bike Special Edition 2021 Roller Trainer

Product Information

The NEO 2T measures cadence using a passive sensing system, and it does a bang-up job. The two traces of the trainer and the pedals here – which of course can directly measure the cadence so should be spot on – are mostly indistinguishable, and the average is almost exactly the same. Certainly it's as good as you'd ever need it to be, and much better than the Saris H3, for example, which uses algorithmic detection and isn't as good. Overall: another top quality NEO trainer It’s true that sometimes I manage to get units to all properly align and almost match, though, that’s more the exception than the rule unfortunately. Oh, and as for cadence on that last ride? Pretty clean across the board – nearly perfectly matching its power meter buddies (again, ignoring the SRM drops):

Ultimately disc brakes on road bikes have been around for a while and dominating the sales of new bikes so it's an oversight by Tacx that it's not compatible straight from the box, especially considering the price point. For me personally, it’s hard to separate the fact that I’m riding indoors from outdoors. It’s still a trainer, and I’m still looking at a wall in front of me. My brain can only turn off so much of that. Next the NEO 2 has downhill drive simulation, which means that as you go downhill the trainer will forward spin the rear ‘wheel’ (cassette and flywheel since there is no wheel). This means that the trainer will simulate the inertia of going downhill. This is yet another little touch that makes things feel more realistic than they are.

In the case of simulation (aka slope) mode, the Tacx Neo 2 can simulate from 0% to 25% incline – which is the highest out there.

The NEO 2 Smart has been equipped with an high-quality chipset that enables smoother and more responsive control of the NEO motor. This leads to a quieter indoor cycling experience and paves the way for new and immersive features. With the new pedal stroke analysis function, power distribution and driving performance can be improved. A capacitive left and right detection sensor has been added to allow the bike trainer to measure the exact position of both legs. The familiar features of the NEO Smart are still available. Like Road Feel, with which you can experience the vibrating feeling of driving on cobblestones, gravel and many other road surfaces (in Tacx Films and Zwift). And this exciting feeling of accelerating into a descent after reaching the top of a mountai The other standout feature of the Tacx Neo 2T is road feel and it's another feature that's only possible because of the direct connection to the motor. This is a feature that you can't buy from anyone else at any price point and it's really as simple as a pulsation of the motor in a variety of specific ways. As you ride over cobbles, or gravel, in Zwift the Tacx trainer will shudder in a way that does a remarkably good job of simulating the feel of real-life cobbles or gravel. It’s these same standards that also allow you to connect via head units too. For example the Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT as well as Garmin Edge series support ANT+ FE-C for trainer control, so you can re-ride outdoor rides straight from your bike head unit to your trainer. For example, for my accuracy testing section, I recorded the data on a Garmin Edge 520 as well as the trainer apps. From there I’m able to save the file and upload it to whatever platform I like. ERG Mode: Setting a specific power level – i.e., 230w. In this mode, no matter what gearing you use, the trainer will simply stay at 230w (or whatever you set it to). Sound: Identical to the original NEO, essentially silent. Only the sound of your drivetrain is heard, and a very faint hum of internal fans/electronics.The accompanying Tacx Training App, however, is less impressive. Its selling point is a series of videos of famous climbs including the likes of the Koppenberg, Passo Giau and Mont Ventoux. With the Tacx NEO 2T Smart Garmin has revolutionized the market by creating something that was perceived impossible: a completely silent trainer. By redesigning the internal components, they were able to significantly improve the stillness and power of the NEO 2T. The noise coming from internal air displacements is reduced even more and the same goes for the vibrations noticed at a low cadence. The very powerful resistance unit is able to simulate incline gradients up to 25% and sprints up to 2200 Watts. Moreover, it can deliver a very high resistance when cycling at low speeds, in small gears and on very steep climbs. This enables very realistic hill climb and sprint simulations. The little bit of flex allowed by its frame improves the ride feel even more. This direct drive trainer also measures your power with incredible precision, making sure that your data is accurate within 1% and reliable. Ok, so as seen above, that’s the baseline and basically the same as the NEO 1. However, here’s what’s new/unique on the new NEO 2:

The new motor design of the NEO 2T also improves the ride feel during a climb or acceleration. We were able to give the motor of the NEO 2T more power, resulting in the ability to generate higher resistance levels under specific conditions, like in a sprint or at low speeds. Cadence measurement seemed accurate too although while it worked faultlessly with both of the road bikes I used on the Neo 2T, it might not work with short crank arms, as I found out with my mountain bike. This is because the cadence sensor is housed in the body of the trainer, which the crank arm passes. Short cranks don't reach the sensor and therefore don't create a reading. So if for some reason you’ve got height limitations in your storage spot in a small apartment, this may not be the trainer for you. Erg mode workouts are perfect: Erg mode in small ring and mid cassette are great. TrainerRoad workouts are excellent and spot on power. Power lines up with my P1 pedals within the margin of error and are consistent (in my case 3-6 watts)I absolutely loved setting up and using this trainer when it first arrived. The underneath is lit with LED lighting that changes color based on your wattage output is a nice touch. I was also impressed with how quiet the trainer was, and the novelty of the road feel when crossing wooden structures or cobble. Control by - Smartphone, Tablet, ANT+FE-C bike computers, Stand alone, Connect to computer via ANT+antenna