Black Friday smart trainer deals: save on Tacx and Saris trainers
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Black Friday smart trainer deals: save on Tacx and Saris trainers
Black Friday smart trainer deals to help your winter training
With winter approaching and the pandemic forcing many indoors, smart trainers are hot items at the moment.
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That’s in parallel to the rise of Zwift and other indoor cycling apps, which make pounding out a workout on the trainer a lot more interesting and immersive, while still helping you hit your fitness goals.
The popularity of smart trainers this year means there are very few Black Friday deals to be had – most are selling at full retail price. Even the discounts we’ve found aren’t huge, but there’s still money to be saved.
ProBikeKit has been the one online retailer offering smart trainer deals this Black Friday, giving you a rare chance to save some cash if you’re looking to join in the fun. However, discounted models are selling out fast so be quick. We’ve updated the article below to include the latest offers.
We’ve ridden and rated the Saris H3 too. Saris has made noise suppression a priority on the H3 and it’s compatible with a wide range of QR and thru-axle standards, with adaptors in the box along with a front wheel riser – although you’ll need to buy a cassette.
Other nice features include Headless mode, so you can run the Saris H3 without pairing it to apps. There’s 2,000 watts of resistance and simulation of 20 per cent inclines, and we found the power measurement accuracy very close to a Garmin Vector power meter.
The M2 is a wheel-on trainer, as opposed to the direct-drive units above, and that means it’s significantly cheaper. We awarded the M2 four stars when we reviewed it, so it’s a quality unit.
You still get automatic resistance control, so it’s fully compatible with Zwift and similar apps. Power accuracy is a claimed +/- 5 per cent.
The M2 can handle up to 1,500 watts and simulate gradients of up to 15 per cent. In other words, it can take everything you can throw at it.
Currys PC World – The store’s ‘Black Fri-Yay’ sale is underway
eBay – Reductions galore in the auction site’s Black Friday sale
Garmin – A number of the brand’s watches are on sale at Amazon
Halfords – A wide range of Black Friday deals online
Nespresso – Save up to 56 per cent on Nespresso coffee machines at Amazon right now
Tredz – ‘Black Ticket’ event with significant discounts on ‘nearly new’ ex-demo and ex-display bikes
Wiggle – The Wiggle ‘Brighter Black Friday’ sale features discounts on a huge range of products
Why go smart?
A smart trainer is the way to go if you want to get into using training apps like Zwift, Rouvy and RGT Cycling because it can be hooked up wirelessly to a computer, phone or tablet to run the app.
The trainer’s resistance level can then be varied by the app, to simulate climbs and intervals, making for a more road-like feel to your training and helping you fast-track your training. Many smart trainers can simulate descents too.
A smart trainer will collect a lot of stats on your ride, such as power measurement, cadence and speed, so you’ll have lots of data to evaluate your workout performance and your fitness level.
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The direct-drive, wheel off setup means that there’s no wear on your tyres and no chance of wheel slip, even under the highest outputs. Plus, direct-drive units are generally quieter than wheel-on turbos and should fold up easily for storage.
Paul has been riding since he was a teenager and has been writing about bike tech for almost five years. He was into gravel before it was even invented, riding a cyclocross bike across the South Downs and along muddy paths through the Chilterns. He dabbled in cross-country mountain biking too, before returning to drop bar bikes.
