Garmin TacxNEO 2T Smart Direct Drive Trainer(Return to Product Page)

I upgraded my Lemond Revolution non-smart trainer to the Garmin NEO 2T to set up for post-ACL surgery recovery, knowing I would need more stimulus than the concrete floor.

I was a bit worried about the fussiness and configuration for a smart trainer, but setup was straightforward and I was able to use my existing Garmin Connect account to get up and running quickly with the Tacx app. Connecting to Zwift was a bit more complicated and required several trips to the web before success. MyWhoosh was a similar experience. Overall, I've been pleased with the reliability and ease of use.

Pros:

- The unit is very quiet, especially compared to the fan-driven Lemond. So quiet all you really hear is the chain going over the sprockets.

- Easy setup, for a smart trainer, and re-starts have been very reliable.

- Decent Tacx app experience with a nice set of demo videos and simple workout controls. Works with all other major services.

- Works without power, so if you want a simple ride or need to warm up on it before a race, you can.

- Fun features like road surface simulation increases the verisimilitude of the experience.

- Plenty of resistance--so far. I haven't pushed it to the limit yet but have no concerns about it.

- Solid and stable. It's a bit heavy if you are moving it around frequently, but it also doesn't shimmy or bounce around under harder efforts.

Cons:

- It's not the most expensive unit out there, nor is it the cheapest, but ~$1k is worth a second thought

- A monthly subscription ($10-15/month) is required to one or more services to fully benefit from capabilities of the trainer. If you're willing to drop $1k for a trainer, this probably isn't a concern.

- Setup is more involved than an analog trainer -- you need at minimum a mobile device to run the trainer and larger screen (tablet, monitor) to get the full experience.

- You also need a place to put the display so you can see it properly and interact with the app when necessary. You'll also want a fan for air circulation since you get very warm very quickly indoors. If you don't have a dedicated space and equipment for it, you'll be spending a chunk of time setting it up for each session. This however is true for any indoor cycling experience.

I've used this trainer maybe 15-20 hours so far and it's excellent. I've never owned another smart trainer, so I can't compare it to much, but it's worlds better than the 'dumb' trainers I've used in the past and I also splurged for the rocker feet upgrade which made it even better. Works with or without power and honestly I can barely tell the difference between those modes, so it's great if you don't always want to (or can't) plug it in. I use it with Rouvy even unplugged and it has been flawless. My reason for knocking it a star is that I frequently have to fold it up and put it away. Getting the bike on and off is no issue at all - but this thing is HEAVY, it doesn't have a handle, and there are two latch mechanisms on each leg which makes folding it up a very difficult job. And that's before you account for the magnetic rocker feet falling off any time you have to pick it up. The newer model solves this with the handle, but the cost of that one is insane. For the money on one of BTD's big sales, I think this trainer is excellent value and I'm looking forward to using it this winter.

As mentioned in the opening, this is a great trainer, holds power in your zones well, even gives you a variation in power within your zone much like riding on the road. Perfect for the cold winter days when you don't want to be outside or just want to do a quick recovery ride and are not feeling like donning all you kit.

Over the past 5 years I've gone through the gamut of indoor trainers, starting with low end wheel-on, rollers, eventually springing for direct drive. The wheel-on options never impressed--too noisy, unrealistic feel, chews through tires, etc. I wound up just continuing to ride through winter with better clothing. I did really like rollers for realistic feel and forcing improvements to pedal stroke smoothness, but let's face it--even a second of distraction on rollers can lead to crash/injury, so not exactly something to spin away while streaming. So if you're serious about indoor training, you'll eventually come around to direct drive.

Now when it comes to direct drive, there are a handful of options, and I've used three of the top brands. You can't go wrong with any of them IMO, though I'll point out a couple aspects of this one that on my scorecard put it slightly ahead of the rest:

1--whisper quiet. The nicer ones are all quiet, this one makes no sound at all unless you plug it in, in which case it comically CREATES a but of noise by spinning the freewheel hub when you are simulating descent so that it adds a touch of realism (and this can be disabled if you find that annoying)

2--supports a bit of side to side rocker motion. Fixed/locked trainers only unrealistic "feel" is when you amp up the effort, sprint, etc. and don't get that real-world swaying of the frame. This is why there are a few (expensive) rocker plate solutions for the higher end cyclists. This supports a few degrees of side to side swaying that makes for a more comfortable and realistic ride.

3--a gimmick, to be sure, but this simulates "road surface" changes. So if you're on Zwift and hit a stretch of dirt or cobbles, you'll feel small vibration. I personally think it's cute but if given a choice of including it or dropping the price by $25-50 without this, I'd ditch it. It's very minor vibration, hardly Roubaix pave...

All the main specs, ease of setup, etc. are just what you'd expect at this end of the market, simply outstanding.

Originally I planned to purchase the Wahoo Kickr v5, but Wahoo decided to hike (now they regretted it) when I pulled the trigger. The ride feel is very real, it's very quiet, much quieter than my drivetrain and fans. The free motion plates is a nice addition (though I never understood Garmin priced it so expensively). Most importantly, it looks COOL! I have clocked more than 2000 kms of virtual rides on Zwift since October 2022, so it's definitely a worthy investment.

caught a good sale price and had to pull the trigger! i didnt like riding indoors when i tried it a few years ago but i'm liking it a lot more this time.

the trainer is pretty quiet, easy to set up and has operated flawlessly so far. love being able to ride all winter without worrying about early sunsets, rain or any of the other stuff that comes with the PNW winter experience

Works as advetised, a little confusing to set up & took me a minute or 75 to get the Zwift app to pair to it. But with some help from a techy friend, was able to get it done.. So far (6 Weeks) I'm enjoying the virtual indoor experience a lot more than I thought I would.

I did a lot of research before purchasing my 1st trainer in Feb 2021. The original brand that I purchased back then was in the same category as this trainer. While both perform at very high levels, the Neo 2T can mimic up to a 25% grade vs my other trainer at 20%. In addition, this trainer is a little quieter (perhaps the quietest of all trainers in this category) and can also operate without electrical power. You'll pay a little more for this trainer compared to others in the same category, but it is worth the investment. Only downside is that it is not quite as portable as my other trainer, but I'm not planning to port this one around to another location very often.

I bought this to be able to ride in the winter. If below 65 degrees i just get too cold on the bike. Since setting up I have rode over a dozen rides mainly using video. This is the first smart trainer I have used and it is the bomb! I have realized that Florida doesn't have any hills and a moderate ride is killing me. I have not even attempted the hard or extreme rides!! I would recommend this trainer! LOVE IT!

Easily the best trainer I've owned. No issues with connecting to TrainerRoad for workouts, no need for calibration before each ride. I've forgotten to plug it in before several rides and only realize it about 10-15 minutes into the workout since this thing can work without needing to be connected to a wall outlet. It rocks with you as you ride and reduces saddle soreness that comes with other stationary trainers. I can't recommend it enough, obviously expensive, but well worth it.

I was looking for an indoor trainer to help me maintain my legs during the off season when it is below 40 degrees outside . The side to side movement mirrors an actual ride . When riding a course in the Foirds of Norway I leaned when I rode around a curve . Love that I can download our morning training ride course to my Garmin 1030 Plus and ride that course feeling all the changes in elavation , resistance riding up the hill and free wheeling going down .

BTD shipped this to me as promised. Very easy to setup. Very easy to get started riding also!! The Tacx app works great with Garmin login that I already had with a Garmin watch. I have logged some miles on <10 rides on the trainer. I used mag trainer before this and the TACX trainer makes it more fun using graphics to see the route and stats as I'm riding or just the road with scenery. I should have gotten one of these before but I am happy with this purchase!!

BTD does me good on all my purchases. I keep coming back and they do not disappoint!! Thank you BTD!!!

BikeTiresDirect had a great price on this trainer and I couldn't resist. It was simple to set up and connecting to my laptop was a breeze. I am already cranking out lots of watts and miles and winter isn't even here in full force yet. Because the trainer is so quite and high quality, I just want to keep on riding! I considered lesser expensive trainers and I am so glad I decided to purchase the Tacx Neo 2T. I don't think it gets any better.

I love this trainer and. I hate riding indoors. It is accurate (stays in line with both an NgEco and Garmin Rally), very comfortable(side to side motion is huge), stable, and quiet. By far the most realistic trainer I have used I came from a kickr gen 2 and kickr 18. I won't be going back to the Wahoo line. This feels too good. The flywheel based trainers don't feel realistic in less you tow a baby carrier behind you. I had constant bugs with my Kickr and always afraid to update the firmware. This makes indoor training tolerable. A word of warning, my kickr was reading close to 10-15% higher on climbs so it was kind of a bummer to be taken back to reality with an accurate trainer. But what's the point if it's not accurate?

I got the smart trainer for a fair discount. I've had it for 2 months. Initial set up done within 20 minutes. Just add your cassette of choice, plug it in, calibrate/update with the app and it's good to go. Runs smooth with optimal noise level. Connectivity is seamless. I use Zwift and Rouvy. It's responsive and I can really feel the gradient (especially on 25%ers on Rouvy). You may need to use the spacers (washers) included in the box when your RD Pulley hits the trainer and makes extra noise (instructions found on Tacx Faqx Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVUp3ou6cq4). Besides the fixable minor issue, it's worth it.

When you do a lot of indoor training always having to do a spindown after 10 minutes of riding is a major hurdle. Tacx Neo 2T doesn't require that. Getting accurate power measures without having to do so is a major plus. Also, I really like the road feel simulation on gravel, cobble, wood, etc surfaces. It adds a fresh sensation on otherwise monotonous indoor trainer rides.

Besides the two major points, I also like the look of the trainer. The light emitted towards the ground makes it look futuristic and cool.

I've been using a wheel on trainer for years with the plan on moving to a direct drive. I ride 7 months out of the year indoors utilizing Zwift and Sufferfest. It was a well thought out process (over a year) with thorough research involved (DC Rainmaker, GPLama, Tacx Faqx and hours of review combing). Narrowed it down to The Italians (Elite), the Americans (Wahoo) and the Netherlands (Tacx). In the meantime Garmin acquired Tacx and here we are today. Final two were the Wahoo KICKR V5 and the Tacx Neo 2T. Review nightmares about "the NEO Tacx time bomb" or "Wahoo's firmware issues" made it extremely hard to choose. Neo 2T cost a bit more but has a few more bells and whistles. The KICKR has the climb. I decided on the NEO 2T with it's 2 year warranty compared to the KICKR one year. The road feel and the freewheel effect going down hill in Zwift is cool. The smoothness and responsiveness in ERG mode of the NEO 2T is amazing. I own Garmin GPS devices so I figured the integration with Tacx can only get better. So far I'm extremely happy with my decision and keeping the faith that this top of the line machine with a top of the line price will last a long while. Oh yeah, I used the VIP points to by the Sterzo but that's another review.

Use the trainer 6-8 hours per week in winter. First off this thing is huge, if you need to move it often to train look elsewhere. I have a dedicated space for it so not an issue. The mass gives it a solid feel, I 'm a bigger guy so it feels very planted when I ride it. The road feel is fantastic, the feedback from different surfaces isn't a game changer but definitely makes you more engaged in your virtual rides. Downhill this is the most realistic trainer I have been on. The responsiveness of this unit is excellent it tracks well to grade changes and in erg mode it just works perfectly. It costs a bunch of money, but it's totally worth it. Last, I had a major issue with another brand of trainer I purchased from BikeTiresDirect, your customer service was excellent. Thank you!

Have been using a Kickr Snap for three years without any major problems. Unfortunately, it required a spin down before every ride to get accurate speed and power results. That spin down didn't happen very often. Enter the Tacx Neo 2T! No spin down required, no tire to air up, no tire slipping and no cleaning up tire debris. The Neo 2T ride is smooth and feels like you are outside and virtually no maintenance. Using the Neo 2T it on Zwift is a major upgrade in that you can "feel" the road and power is accurate and now my speed has improved noticeably. With the Bike Tire Direct discounted price the Neo 2T was only a little more than the Kickr. If you can afford this trainer, buy it! No regrets here!!

Just Wow! I have been on a wheel on trainer for years. I migrated to a smart trainer a few years ago. After thousands of miles my partner gave me a Tacx Neo 2T as a gift. I am thrilled with it! It's incredibly simple to set up... Once the cassette (your own... Garmin should providev one, but I'm not grieving that) is installed, then update firmware through the Tacx Utility App. You need only pair it with your watch (For me FR935) and your computerapps (ZwiftRouvyTracx), install your bike and go! It's incredibly quiet, has some pretty cool road feel that really does feel like riding on different surfaces and the resistance is natural. I've used it in both ERG and free ride, in structured workouts and just cruising around in Zwift. Everything feels great! I like it so much I had to buy one for my partner so she can enjoy it too )

Oh, and let us not forget the discount and credit through Bike Tires Direct.

If it continues to be what it is I will be riding happy for a very long time.