I used to regularly use the Tacx Neo first gen, and now I use the Tacx Neo 2T. I use the Tacx Flux 2 only occasionally when I am away from home and visiting my family. I use the Flux mainly for training in ERG mode. It seems that the actual power sometimes lags behind the target power, but it is mostly okay. I can adjust the target power, so it’s not an issue for me when training. During high power demand intervals, the Flux forces my cadence to drop, and I find it hard to increase it. I usually set the bike in 5th gear (first cog at the front), calibrate the trainer using the Tacx Training app, and then train in Zwift using ERG mode without changing gears during the session. I also avoid stopping mid-session, as those stops cause the ERG mode to disengage. Re-engaging it requires hitting the demanded power, which may necessitate changing gears. I have the impression that changing gears is when the trainer seems to have discrepancies in setting resistance and power measurements. I also slightly lower the FTP bias when using this trainer or manually decrease resistance to get through some harder intervals when my cadence starts to drop. The Flux is quiet and the Bluetooth connection is stable. In my opinion, both the Tacx Neo first gen and the 2T are superior trainers to the Flux, but I find the Flux acceptable for training.
I compared the power of my flux 2.0 with my assioma duos with very similar results as in your test. The greatest underreporting was in ERG mode in the small front chainring, it did considerably better when in the big ring. Although the accuracy was within 1.5% when just riding around in Zwift with the “trainer difficulty” at 0%, even at higher power numbers. The accuracy seems to improve with higher flywheel speed,
Wait a second… this was on the 2.0, not the 2.1? I own the 2.1 trainer and have never experienced drop outs. The one concern that I have is putting out more power than is being registered… meaning a waste of energy. But I can’t say that’s the case with the 2.1
Wairing for the loopback on the kickr core, as I'm on the verge of buying one to replace my AWFUL Elite Novo smart wheel-on trainer. That thing is unreliable, inaccurate, laggy, loud, and just plain bad. It got me through the winter, but I'm definitely replacing it before winter season. Kickr core is just within budget, but I've heard the good, the bad and the ugly, so I'm curious of what is actually true today...
I had one which i sold to fund a flux 2.1, i am now just saving money for a new Kicker. even if you get a bad unit from Wahoo the support is very good and the issues were well.documented. the tacx experience that Mr Llama has just described was only just becoming apparent. and the gearing solution thing was just gob smacking. its a hard game unless you spend decent money or you are willing to accept a mediocre experience. If the only thing motivating you are the numbers then those numbers have to be consistant and reliable. this Tacx Turbo trainer offers neither when you want it most
I don’t quite understand how a company that produces arguably the best trainer with the Neo series, can produce such a mediocre product line with the Flux series. Fingers crossed this lockdown is short, so you can see the sunlight again. I like this loopback theme on the older trainers.
Kickr Snap gen 1 and 2 please. I have mine and largely use it with a power meter but feel like it is pretty accurate even without the power meter. However it would be neat to see how it compares with some fresh 2021 perspective.
Make sure your rider weight is correctly set within the Tacx Training app (important if you’re using Zwift and Bluetooth). Next would be the trainer difficulty setting in Zwift.
You beat me to it. I'd love to see how's others suitos compare to mine. I had the original Kickr '14 and got this after it died. I feel like the smaller flywheel makes a difference on places like titan grove.
My first Suito was replaced because of the knocking noise (bearing). New one is great. Compared to my rotor Inpower they are usually within 5 percent of each other. Seems like the read closer when I run the trainer difficulty between 80-100 percent on Zwift. However that leads to a lot more front ring shifting on climbs. It's pretty good at ERG except at wattages 150 and below, seems to read much higher than my Inpower
@@Galaxieguy428 Yeah - I have a Core and a Suito side-by-side (we share 2 trainers between 3 of us) and the Suito's smaller flywheel makes a big difference on the rolling hills. It's much more of a "braking effect" versus "lost momentum" on the Core.
What turbo trainer would people recommend for my TCR ADVANCED SL 1 DISC? The Wahoo Kickrs aren’t compatible as it has sram:( Anyone know of any alternatives?
@@gplama There have been discounts for the Wahoo Kickr Core left and right the last month or so. I just bought mine for 670,- euro last month.... The price of this machine was always the same at 799,- euro. I would not be surprised if there's going to be a new one very soon.
you forgot to include Garmin Tacx repsonse on these issues which is that you need use your gears to manage erg mode ranges. there is a document which the ranges of whats that you need to use with gearing. i went from a kickr 1 to this and soo dissapointed. will be dropping on a new kicker this winter
@@gplama It was a tacx link: Thanks for reaching out to TrainerRoad support. :) I'm sorry to hear about the troubles that you're having with your Tacx Flux. Let's see if we can get things to work a little better: Firmware - Firmware is involved in nearly everything that your trainer does, so it's important to keep it up-to-date. Let's ensure that the firmware on your trainer is up-to-date. Similarly, we should also make sure that the firmware is up-to-date on your Power Meter pedals. Calibrate - It's also important to make sure that we've recently calibrated both your Power Meter Pedals and your Trainer. We generally recommend calibrating both of them before each ride. Power Cycle - We can also go ahead and try unplugging your Tacx Flux for at least five minutes before plugging it back in. This can help to reset the trainer. Gearing - In order to maintain smooth, even power across all of your power zones, you should maintain a mid-ring gearing in the rear cassette, and either a mid (if you have three) or inner (if you have two) front chainring. Your chain should follow a straight path from rear to front. The Tacx Flux has a particularly tight range of wattages that it can produce based on the gear, check out this article for more information: Tacx FLUX Gearing [click] With this trainer, it may be necessary to change gears at some points.
Have there been any improvements to this device over the years? Because I get a heavy discount on Garmin devices through work (A lot of UK companies do now - so it's worth looking at your corporate perks! including blue light for any NHS) I can get this for £490 which is a big saving to the Kicker Core currently at £599 on Wiggle
Pardon my ignorance, I am totally new to the bike world, am I going to buy a Tacx Flux 2, do I also need to buy a bicycle computer? I understand that no, right?
Is there like a specific gear combination that these trainers will transmit the most stable reading at? I read somewhere that the flywheel spin needs to be high enough in order to get stable power reading. Is it true? For context, I'm using a 52-36 with 11-32 cassette, riding on a Kickr Core.
Hi Shane. I’m looking at purchasing a direct drive home trainer and I have looked at the Flux S… but is it good enough??? I’m not a light rider at 83kg and absolutely not a wattage bazooka… What will your suggestion be? I’m also looking at the ELITE Suito, Direto or the Flux 2… Best regards Jannik
@@jahen65 buy Direto XR, that is ~630-650eur, with accurate power with OTS (just dont forget to calibrate it regularly/weekly), the Suito is ~480eur but only with power estimation and this estimation is not the best, and already not allowed in (serious) Zwift racing. And i think it is a good step for virtual racing and fairplay, the ZwiftPower is still full with fake power datas from garbage trainers, and with pathetic users who think that sustain 5-6w/kg for 60mins is real...
Kickr Core with Firmware 1.1.1 to PC using Bluetooth, but have had periods of ANT+ (long USB 3.0 for BT dongle to sit under the BB & towel ! ) Had to back off the over tight belt tension very early on after a trip up the Alpe and run a 100mm pointed at the electronics vents if I know I'm going to be riding hard, ie around threshold. I've done nearly 18,000 mikes on it and it feels great, don't do ERG so can't comment. Feel for the guys on Apple TV v1.1.1 was terrible for them .
My first smart trainer was a Flux 1. It worked well for a month or two and then caused a ton of headaches for several months until I finally managed to send it back to Wiggle. It's a truly terrible design compared to the Kickr Core.
When i do my workouts on this trainer it is so frustrating... You know that you are pushing to much, instead of the Z4 work you want to do you end up in Z5 and that's not how you properly train.
These are complete heaps of shit. Power can vary by 60+ watts depending on what gear you're in and cadence VS a second power meter. People selling them are frauds. The ride feel is only good if you're happy with a 10-second delay. The unit crashes almost every time I use it. You may not expect perfection, you should however expect this heap of shit to actually work as expected. I use the on-bike power meter as the power source because this janky heap of junk is so unreliable.
@@gplama yeah I heard that story. So funny. My 3 year old (called Cadence) asks me if I'm riding with her everytime she sees me on zwift, so I'm happy either way. Just so long as they don't change her last name...
I found what the Flux is flawless at. It's now a doorstop in my attic. Good luck Garmin.
I used to regularly use the Tacx Neo first gen, and now I use the Tacx Neo 2T. I use the Tacx Flux 2 only occasionally when I am away from home and visiting my family. I use the Flux mainly for training in ERG mode. It seems that the actual power sometimes lags behind the target power, but it is mostly okay. I can adjust the target power, so it’s not an issue for me when training.
During high power demand intervals, the Flux forces my cadence to drop, and I find it hard to increase it. I usually set the bike in 5th gear (first cog at the front), calibrate the trainer using the Tacx Training app, and then train in Zwift using ERG mode without changing gears during the session. I also avoid stopping mid-session, as those stops cause the ERG mode to disengage. Re-engaging it requires hitting the demanded power, which may necessitate changing gears.
I have the impression that changing gears is when the trainer seems to have discrepancies in setting resistance and power measurements. I also slightly lower the FTP bias when using this trainer or manually decrease resistance to get through some harder intervals when my cadence starts to drop. The Flux is quiet and the Bluetooth connection is stable. In my opinion, both the Tacx Neo first gen and the 2T are superior trainers to the Flux, but I find the Flux acceptable for training.
Would like to see a loopback review on the Saris H3, its at the top of my list but the price has gone up this year.
Had my Flux S since March & it’s flawless with TrainerRoad
Found the same problem with mine, snatchy and all over the place. Great video
Good reloop, Shane! Could you do a similar video of some older generation(s) Elite Direto? Thanks.
I compared the power of my flux 2.0 with my assioma duos with very similar results as in your test. The greatest underreporting was in ERG mode in the small front chainring, it did considerably better when in the big ring.
Although the accuracy was within 1.5% when just riding around in Zwift with the “trainer difficulty” at 0%, even at higher power numbers. The accuracy seems to improve with higher flywheel speed,
👍Another great Llama video. Ps love those blue socks. What brand.
AliExpress socks. Search up cycling socks and they should come up. Only a few $.
I hope there will be a loop-back review of the Flux S soon.
There's a few in the queue before I'd get to that.
Hey bud, this is a great idea for content
Could you do a loop back on NEO 1?
That's possible. Looks like our lockdown is being extended here again this week...... so I have the time! :)
@@gplama I’d be interested in that! I have a OG and it’s going on strong.
Tried using the Tacx Training app to update/ calibrate and that doesn't recognise my Tacx Ironman !
Wait a second… this was on the 2.0, not the 2.1? I own the 2.1 trainer and have never experienced drop outs. The one concern that I have is putting out more power than is being registered… meaning a waste of energy. But I can’t say that’s the case with the 2.1
2.0
@@gplama Gotcha. You'd think that some of the concerns you highlighted would be addressed in 2.1 ... especially since it's been out for a while.
Im using the tacx flux 2 smart trainer & facing the power drops issue while using in the training.
Can u help me on this issue
Thanks in Advance
Best contact Garmin support.
Wairing for the loopback on the kickr core, as I'm on the verge of buying one to replace my AWFUL Elite Novo smart wheel-on trainer. That thing is unreliable, inaccurate, laggy, loud, and just plain bad. It got me through the winter, but I'm definitely replacing it before winter season. Kickr core is just within budget, but I've heard the good, the bad and the ugly, so I'm curious of what is actually true today...
I had one which i sold to fund a flux 2.1, i am now just saving money for a new Kicker.
even if you get a bad unit from Wahoo the support is very good and the issues were well.documented. the tacx experience that Mr Llama has just described was only just becoming apparent. and the gearing solution thing was just gob smacking.
its a hard game unless you spend decent money or you are willing to accept a mediocre experience.
If the only thing motivating you are the numbers then those numbers have to be consistant and reliable. this Tacx Turbo trainer offers neither when you want it most
I don’t quite understand how a company that produces arguably the best trainer with the Neo series, can produce such a mediocre product line with the Flux series. Fingers crossed this lockdown is short, so you can see the sunlight again. I like this loopback theme on the older trainers.
Kickr Snap gen 1 and 2 please. I have mine and largely use it with a power meter but feel like it is pretty accurate even without the power meter. However it would be neat to see how it compares with some fresh 2021 perspective.
Would love a Saris Hammer loop back!
Sorry, any setting at tacx neo 2t for reducing the resistance ? as I feel that this is harder than riding on the road.
Make sure your rider weight is correctly set within the Tacx Training app (important if you’re using Zwift and Bluetooth). Next would be the trainer difficulty setting in Zwift.
Can you do a look back like that on the Elite Suito? Thanks for the content as always! :)
I'll see what I can do. That's one I haven't covered.
You beat me to it. I'd love to see how's others suitos compare to mine. I had the original Kickr '14 and got this after it died. I feel like the smaller flywheel makes a difference on places like titan grove.
I have the suito T and its been great, so much better than wheel on.
My first Suito was replaced because of the knocking noise (bearing). New one is great. Compared to my rotor Inpower they are usually within 5 percent of each other. Seems like the read closer when I run the trainer difficulty between 80-100 percent on Zwift. However that leads to a lot more front ring shifting on climbs. It's pretty good at ERG except at wattages 150 and below, seems to read much higher than my Inpower
@@Galaxieguy428 Yeah - I have a Core and a Suito side-by-side (we share 2 trainers between 3 of us) and the Suito's smaller flywheel makes a big difference on the rolling hills. It's much more of a "braking effect" versus "lost momentum" on the Core.
I have the original flux and it works for my purposes it’s fine. Only problem is the Bluetooth connection can be doggy sometimes
Hi , could you recomend the purchase of latest version 2.1(for novice user) or shift to Neo version ? More expansive…choice
The Neo range are better units. If budget isn't a problem, go with the Neo.
Hi 👋
How do you rate the build quality? (Like quality of the components, durability and assembly?
Thanks and have a good day 😁
It's a solid unit. Now backed with Garmin support.
@@gplama Thanks for sharing your time, really appreciated. 😊
What turbo trainer would people recommend for my TCR ADVANCED SL 1 DISC? The Wahoo Kickrs aren’t compatible as it has sram:( Anyone know of any alternatives?
@Luis Morales thanks:) just a bit unsure on it’s compatibility with trainers having seen the issues with the wahoo kickrs.
Should I wait buying a trainer or buy the kickr core? When are the release dates of new trainers?
Typically around Eurobike (first week of Sept). The last few years haven’t been typical. I don’t expect many (or any) new trainers this year.
@@gplama thank you!
@@gplama There have been discounts for the Wahoo Kickr Core left and right the last month or so. I just bought mine for 670,- euro last month.... The price of this machine was always the same at 799,- euro. I would not be surprised if there's going to be a new one very soon.
Shane, I have a Magene t200 (which is a updated gravat2?), which is better, the flux 2/2.1 or Magene t200? Appreciate any response.
you forgot to include Garmin Tacx repsonse on these issues which is that you need use your gears to manage erg mode ranges. there is a document which the ranges of whats that you need to use with gearing.
i went from a kickr 1 to this and soo dissapointed. will be dropping on a new kicker this winter
Do you have a link for this info? They didn’t supply it with the trainer.
@@gplama It was a tacx link:
Thanks for reaching out to TrainerRoad support. :)
I'm sorry to hear about the troubles that you're having with your Tacx Flux.
Let's see if we can get things to work a little better:
Firmware - Firmware is involved in nearly everything that your trainer does, so it's important to keep it up-to-date. Let's ensure that the firmware on your trainer is up-to-date. Similarly, we should also make sure that the firmware is up-to-date on your Power Meter pedals.
Calibrate - It's also important to make sure that we've recently calibrated both your Power Meter Pedals and your Trainer. We generally recommend calibrating both of them before each ride.
Power Cycle - We can also go ahead and try unplugging your Tacx Flux for at least five minutes before plugging it back in. This can help to reset the trainer.
Gearing - In order to maintain smooth, even power across all of your power zones, you should maintain a mid-ring gearing in the rear cassette, and either a mid (if you have three) or inner (if you have two) front chainring. Your chain should follow a straight path from rear to front. The Tacx Flux has a particularly tight range of wattages that it can produce based on the gear, check out this article for more information: Tacx FLUX Gearing [click] With this trainer, it may be necessary to change gears at some points.
and i was willing to upgrade from the Vortex to this... guess i'm stick with the good ol' Vortex for a while. :)
Have there been any improvements to this device over the years? Because I get a heavy discount on Garmin devices through work (A lot of UK companies do now - so it's worth looking at your corporate perks! including blue light for any NHS) I can get this for £490 which is a big saving to the Kicker Core currently at £599 on Wiggle
I’d still choose the Core.
Nice video, how can I know it's Flux 2.1 or Flux 2 2020 ? How about T2980.68, which version is it ? thanks :)
Pardon my ignorance, I am totally new to the bike world, am I going to buy a Tacx Flux 2, do I also need to buy a bicycle computer? I understand that no, right?
No. 👌🏼
Is there like a specific gear combination that these trainers will transmit the most stable reading at? I read somewhere that the flywheel spin needs to be high enough in order to get stable power reading. Is it true? For context, I'm using a 52-36 with 11-32 cassette, riding on a Kickr Core.
Usually it’s the small front ring and middle of the rear cassette. 36-39 on the front and 17 on the back. It’s about flywheel speed.
@@gplama Would it matter if I use eg. 52-15 instead?
@@fariqazaha6321 As shown in this video, at high flywheel speeds the Flux 2 can't hold the correct set-point. I'll go with a no on this.
@@gplama thanks! Stay safe Shane.
Hi Shane. I’m looking at purchasing a direct drive home trainer and I have looked at the Flux S… but is it good enough???
I’m not a light rider at 83kg and absolutely not a wattage bazooka…
What will your suggestion be?
I’m also looking at the ELITE Suito, Direto or the Flux 2…
Best regards
Jannik
My experience with the Flux range really hasn't been ideal. The third Flux 1 was ok (iirc).
@@gplama Ok… Think I’ll go for a ELITE trainer then 👍 Thanks 😊
@@jahen65 buy Direto XR, that is ~630-650eur, with accurate power with OTS (just dont forget to calibrate it regularly/weekly), the Suito is ~480eur but only with power estimation and this estimation is not the best, and already not allowed in (serious) Zwift racing. And i think it is a good step for virtual racing and fairplay, the ZwiftPower is still full with fake power datas from garbage trainers, and with pathetic users who think that sustain 5-6w/kg for 60mins is real...
Kickr Core with Firmware 1.1.1 to PC using Bluetooth, but have had periods of ANT+ (long USB 3.0 for BT dongle to sit under the BB & towel ! )
Had to back off the over tight belt tension very early on after a trip up the Alpe and run a 100mm pointed at the electronics vents if I know I'm going to be riding hard, ie around threshold.
I've done nearly 18,000 mikes on it and it feels great, don't do ERG so can't comment. Feel for the guys on Apple TV v1.1.1 was terrible for them .
possible Irony, took 3 reboots to watch this, a windows crash, then it found 2 win 10 Updates at the first 2 reboots...
Perhaps Tacx could loop back to looking after their own customer service...
Still no microspline body...
Not on this unit. The 2.1 and other 'native TA' Tacx units have a Micro Spine option. It's really bloody expensive though. (~AU$180)
I had to buy a replacement HG Neo OG freehub recently to replace a dead EDCO hub. $130 AUD!!! from Garmin.
My first smart trainer was a Flux 1. It worked well for a month or two and then caused a ton of headaches for several months until I finally managed to send it back to Wiggle. It's a truly terrible design compared to the Kickr Core.
Fond memories of Shane destroying the OG Tacx Flux 😂
The first was fun... blowing up the 2nd one of those was disappointing. 🤣
@@gplama bet Garmin will be sweating seeing you posting another Flux unit review 😰
@@5mattcolour I don't think they'll sit through a boring-ass 24 minute video of a three year old trainer. 🤣
Kickr or nothing, if you like a stress free life.
When i do my workouts on this trainer it is so frustrating... You know that you are pushing to much, instead of the Z4 work you want to do you end up in Z5 and that's not how you properly train.
If power accuracy is important then you’ll need a power meter on your bike.
These are complete heaps of shit. Power can vary by 60+ watts depending on what gear you're in and cadence VS a second power meter. People selling them are frauds. The ride feel is only good if you're happy with a 10-second delay. The unit crashes almost every time I use it.
You may not expect perfection, you should however expect this heap of shit to actually work as expected.
I use the on-bike power meter as the power source because this janky heap of junk is so unreliable.
Kudos for still calling her Coco Cadence. W(ho)tf is Cara?
They changed her name when they found out Coco Cadence is the name of an author who writes steamy novels. (no joke...!)
@@gplama yeah I heard that story. So funny. My 3 year old (called Cadence) asks me if I'm riding with her everytime she sees me on zwift, so I'm happy either way. Just so long as they don't change her last name...
ping 127.0.0.1 ;)
gotta love those geek jokes!