Turbo/Zwift/GPS advice for newbie

[R1gtr]

Hi guys, currently injured and waiting for a potential operation on a broken collarbone so can't get to the gym or out on the roads.
I have a £50 cheapo Halfords Turbo which is horrific.
I have decided that now is a good time to jump on the Smart Trainer wagon as it appears that tech has settled and it's a decent experience.

I am looking at 2 trainers in specific-
Wahoo Kickr Core £599 refurb
And
Elite Drivo 2 £750

Both look great but I think the Elite Drivo has an accurate power meter and cadence sensor.
I have read that the Elite can download a ride you have done off your Garmin/wahoo Gps and recreate it.
This is a big plus for me as would be great to mimic actual rides/hills I have done.

Does anyone know if this can be done on the Wahoo Kickr Core?
Anyone have experience of either of the two above trainers? Positive or negative.

All my friends are on Zwift so will use that a lot I would imagine along with simulating old routes. I may need a new GPS computer though as my Lezyne is pretty basic.
Any preference between Wahoo or Garmin?

Regarding Zwift I assume it works fine with Android now? I was planning just using my Samsung Galaxy S9 and beaming it to my Smart TV. My laptop is a relic and I don't have Apple TV.

Any advice welcome
Cheers

[IrateNinja]

I bought a Kickr Core last week, perfectly timed for the storms both last and this weekend! Before buying i tested the Neo 2 and full fat Kickr, and neither offered enough to convince me to part with 50% more cash. note I've only done around 200km so far.

I've been trialling it with Sufferfest so far, and was intending to also give Zwift and Trainerroad a whirl but for now Sufferfest is working well for me. I really liked the '4DP' test.

The Core has both an accurate power and cadence sensor. As part of my shakedown ride after initially setting it up I paired it with my Garmin Edge 530 which controlled it to simulate a ride and included hills I'd done locally. With the apps however it's not a feature i currently envisage using too much, the Sufferfest app is very decent although Trainerroad seemed a bit more polished. I'm enjoying the flexibility afforded through sufferest categorizing workouts via what part of your power profile they target, as i can pick and choose based on what outdoor riding im able to do, which is still my priority.

I love the Garmin, particularly after not being overly impressed with the software on previous devices this is really great and transformed my riding.

My local shop did 10% off the core as well, so wasn't worth saving a comparatively small amount to settle on the refurb model from Wahoo direct.

Overall, the Kickr Core is great, and I have absolutely zero buyers remorse. It is to all intents and purposes silent, the drivetrain and fan i have on are far more noisy.

[Hudson1984]

R1gtr said:

This is a big plus for me as would be great to mimic actual rides/hills I have done.

Does anyone know if this can be done on the Wahoo Kickr Core?
Anyone have experience of either of the two above trainers? Positive or negative.

All my friends are on Zwift so will use that a lot I would imagine along with simulating old routes.
Any advice welcome
Cheers

https://whatsonzwift.com/gpx-to-zwift-workout/

if you go here you can upload gpx routes to Zwift direct. Of course what's on screen will be different but it'll simulate the ride at least.

Additionally, I bought a Garmin Edge Explore off ebay - £120 best thing ever! really like it, connects to other bits on the bike, plus turn by turn gps. A lot like a normal car sat nav.

[frisbee]

I can replay routes on my Kickr using my Wahoo Elemnt, I think it does similar from Garmins as well.

It appears to use map gradients rather than actual gradients, most of the time not an issue but you occasionally encounter extra steep bits you just don't remember!

[mie1972]

As well as the KICKR Core, take a look at the Elite Diretto X. Just been reduced to £529 (from £650). I’ve got the previous Diretto and it’s been great. Diretto has power meter built in whereas KICKR core doesn’t.

Steer clear of a Tacx (apart from the Neo/Neo2 as they’ve had reliability issues

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Elite/Direto-X-OT...

[R1gtr]

Thanks chaps, good to know that it's not too difficult to replicate old routes on the Turbo.
I had heard only good things on the Kickr core and one of the reasons it has caught my eye is the potential to add the Kickr Climb at a later date.
The reason the Elite caught my attention was that I saw it for £750 which seems a good price for top end kit when compared to the Neo And Kickr.
Going to head to a few local shops tomorrow and see if they have any demos to try.