Great video! I have had a very similar experience with my trainer, and I agree so much about how winter can make riding indoors more bearable. By the way, I recently came across a new project called the freebeat Morph 2-in-1 eBike. It's a revolutionary eBike that can be used both outdoors and indoors. The most impressive feature is that it can be charged when you use it indoors. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a versatile eBike that can enhance your riding experience. Keep up the great work with your videos!
Awesome vid. You got my attention with the mental health benefits of riding in winter. In upstate NY it's not possible unless equipped with fat tires. Your vid has convinced me to buy!
Thanks for the kind words. It’s hard to beat outside riding but the smart trainer does a decent job. I highly recommend trying some of the workouts on zwift, some of em are butt kickers.
Just unboxed mine this afternoon. Great tips. Appreciate the video and love the Fat Tire in the background. Just unboxed mine this afternoon. Great tips.
thanks that's really helpful - I get bummed out in winter too and I really don't like running/cycling about in the cold. Definitely going to research bike thongs too!
These trainers are great for making indoor riding less boring. Not as good as actual riding outside, but pretty close. Thanks for watching my vid and leaving a comment.
Thanks Scott! Considering getting my first indoor trainer and looking at the M2 as a good budget starting point. Amazon has it at half the msrp price now.
First, as for indoor smart trainers I’ve only used the M2, so I can’t compare it to another trainer. I’m starting my 4th year using it and I have 2,300 miles in it. It’s a little noisy. I have no idea how accurate it is (watts, distances) but I like it and if you can get it half off….I’d buy it. Also, I have a few friends that have the wahoo kicker and say good things about that one too
It's not quiet. I ride it in the basement and I'm told it can clearly be heard on the first floor. You can kind of hear it on the second floor. With that being said it's not obnoxiously loud. It's probably about as loud as a box fan on it's high setting.....if that makes any sense.
Questions that I was hoping would be in the review. What is the typical noise level of the trainer while riding? How is the power calibrated? Is the bike relatively stable while on the trainer?
Well, since I didn't get em in the video I'll give you my best answers right in this here comment. I don't own a decibel meter but when I'm in the basement riding my wife can hear me on the main floor (unfinished basement, nothing to deaden the sound). Not loud but she can hear the trainer when I'm riding and turns the tv up a few levels. The power is calibrated thru the Saris app, Zwift has a calibration but I've never had luck with it. Calibration is a fairly simple ramp down test. I can only speak for my bike which has a thru axle and it's very stable, I've only ever had one bike on it so I can't speak for bikes that have other types and sizes of rear axles. I check it weekly just to make sure. Hopefully I answered your question. Thanks for the feedback. Happy Biking
Hi, thanks for great review! I am thinking about buying this one. I red that its possible to go to 15% hill. What happend if you choose hill with sections over 15%? second question, Do I need any special bluetooth or ANT device to connect with Zwift? Third, Do I need any special tire for this trainer? Thanks!
I’ll try and answer these questions the best I can. I have come across some hills greater than 15% in zwift. I don’t know if those sections were tougher or not because my legs are screaming in pain at 15%. ANT or Bluetooth depends on your device and system you use. I use an iPad and it runs Bluetooth. I currently use a street tire but I used a trainer tire last year. If I had an expensive on my bike I’d probably swap it out with a cheap trainer tire. Hope I helped. Thanks for the watching and the feedback.
It seems that with the tire properly inflated to recommended psi and the dial turned until it clicked the tire is compressed quite a bit and very hard to pedal. Did you make any adjustments to maybe back off the tension. I’m not sure it’s supposed to melt the tire and leave rubber on the roller.
Maybe you have so much power in your legs the tire can't handle all that pedal power🔥. Last year I used a different bike and it did leave some rubber marks at first, I changed to a trainer tire and it kinda got chewed up if I didn't check tire pressure. I currently run 115 psi on my tires and the tire is also compressed quite a bit but it hasn't showed much signs of wear. Maybe try backing it off a half a turn at a time and recalibrating the trainer and see what happens. I don't know if any of these things will help but I can under stand your frustration after spending a fair amount of money on the trainer.
Awesome review, thanks and I have subscribed (not even sure what else you review yet) Question: how far in should I tighten the resistance roller to the rear wheel? I've waited for a click but heard nano..?
Thanks for watching and subscribing. I read in the owners manual to turn it until it clicks/stops. Its got some sort of mechanism that won't let you over tighten it. When I first set mine up I was very confused by the handle but I just kept tightening it and it eventually clicks. Also, regularly make sure your tires are properly inflated. Theres a lot of pressure on the rear wheel and I think (just a theory) that it helps with tire wear. As for future videos, I have no idea what I'm going to do or review. Hopefully, it's helpful/entertaining enough for people to watch.
@@emmastrong1879 I had the same problem. I got mine yesterday and discovered it would tighten all the way to the rim if I kept going. I think mine is just defective.
Wondering if you had any issues with the controllable resistance. My unit feels like the resistance spikes every 3-4s when going uphill, making training very annoying.
Hi, many thanks for the review, great feedback and tips. This is a difficult questions - what is the noise around the trainer like? Ie; my TV room is next to the room I plan to use the trainer is this going to be too loud.
It’ll be noticeable in the next room. I think the website says it’s around 65 decibels when someone is riding it. I ride it in the unfinished basement and my family can hear it on first floor. It’s no louder than a washer or dryer running. I hope that helps.
Last year I had some tire issues but it was due to under inflation and I wasn't running a fan and the tire was getting warm. (I'm not sure about the fan part). I bought a cheap trainer tire and it worked decent. I've got 400 miles since winter started on a new bike/tire and it's showing a little sign of wear. If I had an expensive tire on my current set up I'd throw the trainer tire on it. I hope this is somewhat helpful.
I think I will be getting a trainer tire instead of wearing out my original one. Also, I saw that you should keep the roller and tire clean. Wipe it down and that will help.
It's a subscription service, but it's pretty cheap. I haven't had a bad experience with Zwift. There are some others like trainer road, but I've never tried em.
The box just gets the front wheel up to get the bike in a more level position. They sell plastic blocks that do this but I built one out of scrap wood.
It's a little noisy, I ride in our unfinished basement and my wife can hear it (not annoying) on the main level. I use Zwift on my iPad but I don't know if you can to your tv, I've never tried.
I don't know exactly. It could be I just don't exactly understand the question (I'm not good with tech type stuff). I know you can manually adjust the resistance in the Zwift app. Sorry for the bad answer.
I've had more than one bike during those 800 miles so I can't give a rock solid answer to the question about tire wear. Early on I shredded a tire by not checking the tire pressure and I wasn't using a fan (I don't know if that contributed but I like to think the tire was getting hot from the watts I pump out 💪🏼). If you have an expensive tire on the bike I'd suggest picking up cheap trainer tire and watch your PSI.
Great video- I have had very similar experience with my trainer- agree so much about winter- riding indoors makes it suck less!
Thank you very much for checking out my video. I'm about to throw the road bike on the trainer to make winter suck a little less.
Great video! I have had a very similar experience with my trainer, and I agree so much about how winter can make riding indoors more bearable. By the way, I recently came across a new project called the freebeat Morph 2-in-1 eBike. It's a revolutionary eBike that can be used both outdoors and indoors. The most impressive feature is that it can be charged when you use it indoors. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a versatile eBike that can enhance your riding experience. Keep up the great work with your videos!
Love the music stand suggestion. Thank you for this review! I'll agree this trainer was easy to assemble, and it's super portable.
Hey, I'm glad my something from my silly video was helpful. Thx for checking it out.
Awesome vid. You got my attention with the mental health benefits of riding in winter. In upstate NY it's not possible unless equipped with fat tires. Your vid has convinced me to buy!
Thanks for the kind words. It’s hard to beat outside riding but the smart trainer does a decent job. I highly recommend trying some of the workouts on zwift, some of em are butt kickers.
I am going for a bike trip in Maine in May so I have to get in shape. Will try this one
It’s definitely helped my fitness and riding in the spring. Strava has some decent training programs
Just unboxed mine this afternoon. Great tips. Appreciate the video and love the Fat Tire in the background. Just unboxed mine this afternoon. Great tips.
Hey thanks for watching and leaving a comment. I’ve got my bike on the trainer and ready to hammer out some winter miles.
Awesome that you spoke about the benefits to mental health exercise can achieve.
It's kinda crazy how a little hard work and sweat can improve your mood. Thanks for checking out my vid.
Awesome video and thanks for sharing! Just got this same trainer today and am stoked to try it out now!
Thank you very much for watching my vid. I'm going on my 3rd year and it's worked well for me.
thanks that's really helpful - I get bummed out in winter too and I really don't like running/cycling about in the cold. Definitely going to research bike thongs too!
These trainers are great for making indoor riding less boring. Not as good as actual riding outside, but pretty close. Thanks for watching my vid and leaving a comment.
perfect review! everything I needed to know, definitely gonna try one of these out with Zwift. Thanks Scott!
Thanks for watching. I’ve enjoyed mine during the winter months.
Thanks Scott! Considering getting my first indoor trainer and looking at the M2 as a good budget starting point. Amazon has it at half the msrp price now.
First, as for indoor smart trainers I’ve only used the M2, so I can’t compare it to another trainer. I’m starting my 4th year using it and I have 2,300 miles in it. It’s a little noisy. I have no idea how accurate it is (watts, distances) but I like it and if you can get it half off….I’d buy it. Also, I have a few friends that have the wahoo kicker and say good things about that one too
@@scoro3 Great to hear. I went ahead and purchased the M2, just couldn't pass it up! Now if I can only discipline myself to use it!
Nice review! great way to kick the winter / lockdown blues. Trying to decide between this, a Tacx and an Elite.
Thanks for checking out my vid. I've never used the trainers you mentioned but I've been happy with the M2
Great video, short and to the point.
Thanks for watching and leaving me a comment.
Great simple informative video. I love it. Thank you
Thanks for watching and leaving me a comment.
Great review ordered one today.
Thanks for checking out my video. I hope you enjoy trainer, I've enjoyed mine.
you make me happy
Thanks Traveling Trainwreck….chooo choooo (supposed to be train noise).
Thanks man. Solid review.
Thanks for the video, I would like to know if it is too noisy?
It's not quiet. I ride it in the basement and I'm told it can clearly be heard on the first floor. You can kind of hear it on the second floor. With that being said it's not obnoxiously loud.
It's probably about as loud as a box fan on it's high setting.....if that makes any sense.
Questions that I was hoping would be in the review. What is the typical noise level of the trainer while riding? How is the power calibrated? Is the bike relatively stable while on the trainer?
Well, since I didn't get em in the video I'll give you my best answers right in this here comment.
I don't own a decibel meter but when I'm in the basement riding my wife can hear me on the main floor (unfinished basement, nothing to deaden the sound). Not loud but she can hear the trainer when I'm riding and turns the tv up a few levels.
The power is calibrated thru the Saris app, Zwift has a calibration but I've never had luck with it. Calibration is a fairly simple ramp down test.
I can only speak for my bike which has a thru axle and it's very stable, I've only ever had one bike on it so I can't speak for bikes that have other types and sizes of rear axles. I check it weekly just to make sure.
Hopefully I answered your question. Thanks for the feedback. Happy Biking
@@scoro3 Thank you very much!
Hi, thanks for great review! I am thinking about buying this one. I red that its possible to go to 15% hill. What happend if you choose hill with sections over 15%?
second question, Do I need any special bluetooth or ANT device to connect with Zwift?
Third, Do I need any special tire for this trainer?
Thanks!
I’ll try and answer these questions the best I can. I have come across some hills greater than 15% in zwift. I don’t know if those sections were tougher or not because my legs are screaming in pain at 15%.
ANT or Bluetooth depends on your device and system you use. I use an iPad and it runs Bluetooth.
I currently use a street tire but I used a trainer tire last year. If I had an expensive on my bike I’d probably swap it out with a cheap trainer tire.
Hope I helped. Thanks for the watching and the feedback.
@@scoro3 great thanks!
Great Review Thanks!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.
Nice review Scott!! Not something I am into, but I think you did a great job reviewing and your video editing is really good too!!
Thanks Mr Drums. I hope you and your crew have Happy Holidays.
@@scoro3 Thank you and likewise Happy Holidays!!
It seems that with the tire properly inflated to recommended psi and the dial turned until it clicked the tire is compressed quite a bit and very hard to pedal. Did you make any adjustments to maybe back off the tension. I’m not sure it’s supposed to melt the tire and leave rubber on the roller.
Maybe you have so much power in your legs the tire can't handle all that pedal power🔥. Last year I used a different bike and it did leave some rubber marks at first, I changed to a trainer tire and it kinda got chewed up if I didn't check tire pressure. I currently run 115 psi on my tires and the tire is also compressed quite a bit but it hasn't showed much signs of wear.
Maybe try backing it off a half a turn at a time and recalibrating the trainer and see what happens.
I don't know if any of these things will help but I can under stand your frustration after spending a fair amount of money on the trainer.
awesome video bro!
Thanks for watching bro!
Awesome review, thanks and I have subscribed (not even sure what else you review yet) Question: how far in should I tighten the resistance roller to the rear wheel? I've waited for a click but heard nano..?
Thanks for watching and subscribing. I read in the owners manual to turn it until it clicks/stops. Its got some sort of mechanism that won't let you over tighten it. When I first set mine up I was very confused by the handle but I just kept tightening it and it eventually clicks. Also, regularly make sure your tires are properly inflated. Theres a lot of pressure on the rear wheel and I think (just a theory) that it helps with tire wear.
As for future videos, I have no idea what I'm going to do or review. Hopefully, it's helpful/entertaining enough for people to watch.
@@scoro3 thank you, I will do that 👍
@@emmastrong1879 I had the same problem. I got mine yesterday and discovered it would tighten all the way to the rim if I kept going. I think mine is just defective.
Wondering if you had any issues with the controllable resistance. My unit feels like the resistance spikes every 3-4s when going uphill, making training very annoying.
I haven’t had any problems like this. Hopefully you can figure it out and put some miles on the trainer.
Hi, many thanks for the review, great feedback and tips. This is a difficult questions - what is the noise around the trainer like? Ie; my TV room is next to the room I plan to use the trainer is this going to be too loud.
It’ll be noticeable in the next room. I think the website says it’s around 65 decibels when someone is riding it. I ride it in the unfinished basement and my family can hear it on first floor. It’s no louder than a washer or dryer running. I hope that helps.
Thanks Scott, great practical feedback.
Thank you!!
Thanks for leaving a comment and checking out my videos.
Great vid bud.
Thanks for watching my vid.
Dude, you are hilarious! You sir, should be UA-cam famous! Great content as well.
Thanks for the kind words internet stranger.
This is a great video! May I ask you a question about the adapter for disk break you have ? Do you have a website link where to buy that adapter?
Thank you for checking out my video. I got my thru axle adapter from the saris website.
Thank you for replaying, it really helped me make a decision of purchasing it
Useful.
thanks
Hi Scott - thanks for the video. I heard these trainers can wear out your tires pretty quick? Any opinions on this?
Last year I had some tire issues but it was due to under inflation and I wasn't running a fan and the tire was getting warm. (I'm not sure about the fan part). I bought a cheap trainer tire and it worked decent. I've got 400 miles since winter started on a new bike/tire and it's showing a little sign of wear. If I had an expensive tire on my current set up I'd throw the trainer tire on it. I hope this is somewhat helpful.
I think I will be getting a trainer tire instead of wearing out my original one. Also, I saw that you should keep the roller and tire clean. Wipe it down and that will help.
Once one buys the trainer, is Zwift subscription service or can anyone use their software?
It's a subscription service, but it's pretty cheap. I haven't had a bad experience with Zwift.
There are some others like trainer road, but I've never tried em.
This wooden box under the front wheel - What is it? Is it needed?
The box just gets the front wheel up to get the bike in a more level position. They sell plastic blocks that do this but I built one out of scrap wood.
What about the noise level ? Can you cast Zwift from IPad to TV?
It's a little noisy, I ride in our unfinished basement and my wife can hear it (not annoying) on the main level.
I use Zwift on my iPad but I don't know if you can to your tv, I've never tried.
Is the Watts/kmh curve programmable through software?
I don't know exactly. It could be I just don't exactly understand the question (I'm not good with tech type stuff). I know you can manually adjust the resistance in the Zwift app. Sorry for the bad answer.
How does this compare to Wahoo Kickr Snap?
I wish I could tell you but I’ve never tried the Kickr Snap
Awesome review! After 800 miles how much wear has your tire seen from the M2?
I've had more than one bike during those 800 miles so I can't give a rock solid answer to the question about tire wear. Early on I shredded a tire by not checking the tire pressure and I wasn't using a fan (I don't know if that contributed but I like to think the tire was getting hot from the watts I pump out 💪🏼). If you have an expensive tire on the bike I'd suggest picking up cheap trainer tire and watch your PSI.
@@scoro3 thanks for the help! Saris should send you kickbacks for purchases off this review!
@@GM-ew5tz thanks for the kind words.
Which thread sizing did you have to get for your tcr?
I took my thru axle into my LBS and had em match it up. The kit had a shorter spacer to replace in the trainer. I’ll double check I’m the morning
Thanks
Thanks for watching
Thong comment got the immediate like!
(read this comment like the Thong song) thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks......thanks.
How do you connect it to zwift??
I connect to my iPad via Bluetooth/WiFi. I don’t know about other devices but it’s probably similar.
If you need another indoor hobby to keep you happy, try roller skating.
I did love playing some hockey and roller blading when my knees were good, brought some smiles to my face.
Lol get that thong!
I might have to get a bigger thong. It's not covering all the areas enough.
No real review trainer through.
Thank you!