Anyone use a smart trainer?

[Zephyr]

With my wife getting cleared to ride again last month,  she has gotten a few rides in but we are on the wet coast and the rainy season is coming. 

I think I want to get an indoor trainer, one where she (or I )can hook up and ride our own bike.   I was thinking of looking at the ones where you can ride roads on your tv.  Not looking at it as a hard ass trainer, just more for burning calories and time in the saddle

[bikeman564™]

I don't, but I know a lot of my riding peeps do. I have a dumb trainer it works for me. I hear the smart trainers are fun when hooked up to zwift, which is a pay subscription though.

[Parr8hed]

Yes.  We do some indoor training, I feel fairly well versed.  I would be happy to help answer your indoor training needs questions.

I have a couple of "dumb" trainers.  They really only go to cross meets to let G warm up on them.  I do very little with them.  G has a computrainer.  It does well for what it is.  Measures watts, adds resistance, etc.  It will hook up to Zwift.  Zwift is the program you want.  It's like Strava kinda.  It will show you the map that you ride on and gives you real time feedback while you are riding next to other people.  The problem with the computrainer is that it chews up tires like old trainers.  It is rather finicky to get all set up.  It works, but just not the best. 

I would suggest a wahoo kickr.  You don't attach a tire at all, your rear drop outs attach to the trainer and your chain goes over the cassette on the kickr.  Pretty good feedback and it interfaces well with Zwift. 

[Parr8hed]

Myself I go a different route.  I have a couple studio type spin bikes in the basement.  I have a program called Les Mills.  They have body pump classes, core classes, boxing, all on demand.  They also do spin classes.  A couple of times a week I do a spin class on one of my spin bikes and call it good.  No watts, just sweat. 

[maddmaxx ★]

Petite uses a trainer.  I don't know how smart he is though.

[Wilbur ★]

2 minutes ago, maddmaxx said:

Petite uses a trainer.  I don't know how smart he is though.

I did too.  He screwed up my shoulders.  20 something trainers don't appreciate the limits of aging bodies.    He was not a smart trainer.