Tacx Neo 2 Review

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
I recently picked up a Tacx Neo 2 from Halters and figured I would post up my first impressions. I’m coming from a sorta-smart Tacx Satori, which is an older wheel-on model.

The tl;dr: I like the Tacx Neo 2 and recommend it. It really improved my Zwift experience.

The details: To start, I’m honestly not a fan of Zwift. I tolerate it, barely. I used it last year in the winter and I admit one can definitely blow themselves up on a Zwift ride, but it’s still a far cry from riding. Yep, you get a workout, but staring at screen while working hard just isn’t for me. I’ve never been able to feel connected at all to the experience.

All that said, the Neo 2 has definitely helped change my experience and attitude toward Zwift.

I never found the Zwift experience “immersive” in any way (maybe because I didn’t have a gaming system growing up and don’t game now) but the Neo 2 has a feature where it rumbles with the terrain. Who would have thought such a simple change, that probably requires some serious engineering, could make such a difference in the experience. Going over dirt it rumbles. Going over wood slats on bridges it “ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunks” just the right amount. Added to that butt-rumbling, the resistance increases on climbs and decreases on descending. Being someone who has struggled with sitting in front of my TV for an hour sweating my ass off, it’s made the experience better. I normally want off in ten minutes. I can do an hour now and not want to hang myself.

Set up was easy. Right out of the box, it’s all assembled other than the cassette and your bike. It’s a heavy unit so it’s not going anywhere. It has a battery, so it can work without a power cable which is nice if you need to move it around. Connecting to the Zwift app was a breeze. I am not tech person and get frustrated when stuff doesn’t work when it should… I didn’t have an issue at all. A nice surprise.

This trainer has made me consider getting one of the fancy smart fans that adjust with speed. I feel like having the equipment react the way this trainer does really makes it that much better for getting a ride in when I’m in the house. This is giving me the flexibility I need to hang onto the ledge of fitness with my fingernails.

5/5 stars.
 

rottin'

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I never found the Zwift experience “immersive” in any way (maybe because I didn’t have a gaming system growing up and don’t game now) but the Neo 2 has a feature where it rumbles with the terrain. Who would have thought such a simple change, that probably requires some serious engineering, could make such a difference in the experience. Going over dirt it rumbles. Going over wood slats on bridges it “ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunks” just the right amount.

This trainer has made me consider getting one of the fancy smart fans that adjust with speed. I feel like having the equipment react the way this trainer does really makes it that much better for getting a ride in when I’m in the house. This is giving me the flexibility I need to hang onto the ledge of fitness with my fingernails.

5/5 stars.
Happy to read this...i recently joined zwift (but using my saris H3 trainer) and enjoy the changes in resistance that the app provides...as well as exploring the different rides and rotating zwift universe. I had also done the free trial on Rouvy which was OK i guess, but I liked the interaction more on Zwift, even though I don't really interact with other users yet, if that makes sense...

Interesting point about the haptic feedback....I just resurrected an old Nintendo Gamecube from my attic over the long weekend and was playing Medal of Honor Frontline--as I was getting shot by the German force my controller would vibrate...I had forgotten about this feature lol.
 

Juggernaut

Master of the Metaphor
I recently picked up a Tacx Neo 2 from Halters and figured I would post up my first impressions. I’m coming from a sorta-smart Tacx Satori, which is an older wheel-on model.

The tl;dr: I like the Tacx Neo 2 and recommend it. It really improved my Zwift experience.

The details: To start, I’m honestly not a fan of Zwift. I tolerate it, barely. I used it last year in the winter and I admit one can definitely blow themselves up on a Zwift ride, but it’s still a far cry from riding. Yep, you get a workout, but staring at screen while working hard just isn’t for me. I’ve never been able to feel connected at all to the experience.

All that said, the Neo 2 has definitely helped change my experience and attitude toward Zwift.

I never found the Zwift experience “immersive” in any way (maybe because I didn’t have a gaming system growing up and don’t game now) but the Neo 2 has a feature where it rumbles with the terrain. Who would have thought such a simple change, that probably requires some serious engineering, could make such a difference in the experience. Going over dirt it rumbles. Going over wood slats on bridges it “ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunks” just the right amount. Added to that butt-rumbling, the resistance increases on climbs and decreases on descending. Being someone who has struggled with sitting in front of my TV for an hour sweating my ass off, it’s made the experience better. I normally want off in ten minutes. I can do an hour now and not want to hang myself.

Set up was easy. Right out of the box, it’s all assembled other than the cassette and your bike. It’s a heavy unit so it’s not going anywhere. It has a battery, so it can work without a power cable which is nice if you need to move it around. Connecting to the Zwift app was a breeze. I am not tech person and get frustrated when stuff doesn’t work when it should… I didn’t have an issue at all. A nice surprise.

This trainer has made me consider getting one of the fancy smart fans that adjust with speed. I feel like having the equipment react the way this trainer does really makes it that much better for getting a ride in when I’m in the house. This is giving me the flexibility I need to hang onto the ledge of fitness with my fingernails.

5/5 stars.
The wahoo fan, though stupidly expensive, is worth every cent to me. If I can offer one bit of advice…rather than speed, set it up to use Heart Rate. Yes you miss out on the rush of wind on a sprint or going down hill, but you’ll thank me on the climbs. Does a better job of regulating body temp overall too in that mode. Either way, have fun Mr. C. 👍
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I couldn’t get into zwift either. I tried a few times and I did nothing for me. I settled on TrainerRoad which I think is the best trainer/plan app out there. It’s all structured training so there is nothing exciting to look at, but I find other things like races, movies or shows.
If you want to try it let me know, I have a free trial codes.
 

1speed

Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
All that said, the Neo 2 has definitely helped change my experience and attitude toward Zwift.

I never found the Zwift experience “immersive” in any way (maybe because I didn’t have a gaming system growing up and don’t game now) but the Neo 2 has a feature where it rumbles with the terrain. Who would have thought such a simple change, that probably requires some serious engineering, could make such a difference in the experience. Going over dirt it rumbles. Going over wood slats on bridges it “ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunks” just the right amount. Added to that butt-rumbling, the resistance increases on climbs and decreases on descending. Being someone who has struggled with sitting in front of my TV for an hour sweating my ass off, it’s made the experience better. I normally want off in ten minutes. I can do an hour now and not want to hang myself.
I think it's really interesting how different people look for different experiences with these indoor apps. I don't really care about the haptics - I never really try to make the ride more "real". The fact that you can feel the incline has always been enough in that regard, so I don't think the haptics would be a selling point for me, but I like that it's there for those who want it.

For me, the one thing I knew I'd need to enjoy Zwift from the start was a larger screen and to make it feel like an "event" by itself. So I rigged up my "studio" with a large screen TV and some Xmas lights in my basement. It's never going to be like an outdoor ride for me no matter what so I wanted to make it its own thing. If you are going to spend more time riding indoors in the winter, I'd recommend investing a little bit to do a full setup. I got my TV for only a couple hundred bucks on an after-Xmas sale and connected my Apple TV to it. It's for sure an unnecessary expense, but I do think having the larger screen makes the experience much better - the different worlds really pop on-screen (especially NYC and Titans Grove.)

This trainer has made me consider getting one of the fancy smart fans that adjust with speed. I feel like having the equipment react the way this trainer does really makes it that much better for getting a ride in when I’m in the house. This is giving me the flexibility I need to hang onto the ledge of fitness with my fingernails.
As for the fan, a cheaper option than the blue tooth fan is either one that comes with a remote or getting a remote controlled outlet for a standard fan. I initially set up with the former, but I didn't really feel like it was strong enough when I start to get really hot. I had one of those steel "hurricane" fans that I wasn't using, so I picked up a remote outlet for it and now I use that one on high when I need it. I usually find that I'm too cold to have it running when I start, but after about a half hour I need it, so now I just use the remote to turn it on without having to get off the bike.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
@1speed i do the big screen thing too. I think it’s a big help. Staring at an iPhone screen just doesn’t do it. We have a big Tv in the basement where my son games and when my kids have their friends come over they can watch movies. I plug in direct via an HDMI cable (the cheap way to connect an iPhone to a Bravia TV).
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
@1speed i do the big screen thing too. I think it’s a big help. Staring at an iPhone screen just doesn’t do it. We have a big Tv in the basement where my son games and when my kids have their friends come over they can watch movies. I plug in direct via an HDMI cable (the cheap way to connect an iPhone to a Bravia TV).

That works!

I've been using an old 40" tv on a cart for zwift (well, whenever the last time was) and there is 70" tv on the wall
for netflix/casting. when grinding out a 1:30 minute climb, i'm not watching for balloons, the Zwift dirigible, or the sun peaking over a mountain.

i'm more into watching the zwifter on the group rides - focus on rotation, or staying with the lead, so that is engaging.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
That works!

I've been using an old 40" tv on a cart for zwift (well, whenever the last time was) and there is 70" tv on the wall
for netflix/casting. when grinding out a 1:30 minute climb, i'm not watching for balloons, the Zwift dirigible, or the sun peaking over a mountain.

i'm more into watching the zwifter on the group rides - focus on rotation, or staying with the lead, so that is engaging.
I pick someone and try to hang with them, or try to beat them up a climb, after I warm up.
 

carvegybe

Well-Known Member
I couldn’t get into zwift either. I tried a few times and I did nothing for me. I settled on TrainerRoad which I think is the best trainer/plan app out there. It’s all structured training so there is nothing exciting to look at, but I find other things like races, movies or shows.
If you want to try it let me know, I have a free trial codes.
I have been on TR since 2018. I toyed with Zwift, but went back to TR. I think the choice depends on one's objectives for training. If you want to be faster, TR wins. I don't have a smart trainer though and for MTB training I think the cadences on dumb trainers are too high for me - especially before the oil warms up. Ramp tests on cold oil are a hoot...

I might go back to the gym where they have Stages bikes and one can crank up resistance on those as needed. I don't know enough about the applicability of ERG mode to MTB training nor about whether smart trainers have the required resistance. I assume rollers are a problem for the same reason.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
smart trainers have the required resistance.

Yes they do. well the direct/wheel-off version, cause no slipping.

Did you try the training plans in zwift? or try to load one?
I realize the gaming part isn't for everyone.
There is no drafting when training, you hit your numbers or don't.
doesn't matter if you are climbing, flat, or DH..

I'm scared to do the ramp test!
 

1speed

Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
@1speed i do the big screen thing too. I think it’s a big help. Staring at an iPhone screen just doesn’t do it. We have a big Tv in the basement where my son games and when my kids have their friends come over they can watch movies. I plug in direct via an HDMI cable (the cheap way to connect an iPhone to a Bravia TV).
That's great - and probably way smarter! I use the Apple TV because I'd heard it was one of the simplest, most failure-free ways to do it (I think the first time I heard that was from GPLlama's YouTube channel) and that's been pretty much the case for the three years I've used it now. But it never occurred to me that my iPhone is basically the same thing! Plus it's one device for both Zwift and the companion app. Apple TV doesn't support the companion app - or if it does, it's useless because I can't have both of them onscreen at the same time. I still use my phone for that (like if I want to give RideOns or track other riders.) Are you able to access the companion app without losing the ride onscreen or do you even bother with that?
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I might go back to the gym where they have Stages bikes and one can crank up resistance on those as needed. I don't know enough about the applicability of ERG mode to MTB training nor about whether smart trainers have the required resistance. I assume rollers are a problem for the same reason.
I think you would be pretty happy with a smart trainer. Not to go too off topic but a big part of training is holding a certain resistance for a certain amount of time. Those times and the time in between intervals vary, but that’s the gist of training. ERG mode does all the work for you so you don’t have to worry about switching gears or changing the resistance. Like i said before, I like to watch races.

You’re right about TR being for people who want to get faster. If that is the goal, I think it’s the best tool in this arena.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
That's great - and probably way smarter! I use the Apple TV because I'd heard it was one of the simplest, most failure-free ways to do it (I think the first time I heard that was from GPLlama's YouTube channel) and that's been pretty much the case for the three years I've used it now. But it never occurred to me that my iPhone is basically the same thing! Plus it's one device for both Zwift and the companion app. Apple TV doesn't support the companion app - or if it does, it's useless because I can't have both of them onscreen at the same time. I still use my phone for that (like if I want to give RideOns or track other riders.) Are you able to access the companion app without losing the ride onscreen or do you even bother with that?

Also running apple tv 4 - the 4k version is on sale for $100 right now.
iphone mounted on the bars for kudos, and back when Glenn was doing a weekly ride,
we had a discord channel open so we could heavy-breath each other.

the problem with apple tv, is it only supports 2 BT channels, so cadence, hr, and smart trainer are 3 - and i think the power meter may be a 4th.
so the companion app is required - the iphone relays some of the BT communications.
 

carvegybe

Well-Known Member
Yes they do. well the direct/wheel-off version, cause no slipping.

Did you try the training plans in zwift? or try to load one?
I realize the gaming part isn't for everyone.
There is no drafting when training, you hit your numbers or don't.
doesn't matter if you are climbing, flat, or DH..

I'm scared to do the ramp test!
I did try the Zwift training plans. I prefer Adaptive Training of TR which is admittedly still buggy but I like the general direction. I can see how the product will improve over time.

The worst thing about the Ramp Test is not the test itself. It is the consequences of testing well, which until the arrival of Adaptive Training translated to a level of pain and suffering I had not known before.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
That's great - and probably way smarter! I use the Apple TV because I'd heard it was one of the simplest, most failure-free ways to do it (I think the first time I heard that was from GPLlama's YouTube channel) and that's been pretty much the case for the three years I've used it now. But it never occurred to me that my iPhone is basically the same thing! Plus it's one device for both Zwift and the companion app. Apple TV doesn't support the companion app - or if it does, it's useless because I can't have both of them onscreen at the same time. I still use my phone for that (like if I want to give RideOns or track other riders.) Are you able to access the companion app without losing the ride onscreen or do you even bother with that?
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to figure out how to keep the Companion app up at the same time. I don’t use it, but on the MTBNJ Zwift group rides I would use another device just for the companion app. With that many devices around me with wires and lights I start to feel like a cyborg.
 

1speed

Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
Also running apple tv 4 - the 4k version is on sale for $100 right now.
iphone mounted on the bars for kudos, and back when Glenn was doing a weekly ride,
we had a discord channel open so we could heavy-breath each other.

the problem with apple tv, is it only supports 2 BT channels, so cadence, hr, and smart trainer are 3 - and i think the power meter may be a 4th.
so the companion app is required - the iphone relays some of the BT communications.
I have heard this but I believe there are ways around it - I know the companion app can help as you say, but I've never done the kind of focused training that would require additional connections so I never pursued it. I'd check out ZwiftInsider to see what other options there are - I don't know any, but I do recall seeing that there are workarounds and I figure if they actually do work, ZwiftInsider is probably the place to find them.
 

kearneyb

Well-Known Member
@clarkenstein thanks for posting! I had considered the neo2, but not ready to pull the trigger to upgrade from the wheel on tacx flow. Curious on your thoughts on the neo2 in a month or so, but of course I'll have missed out on all the sales. I keep comparing the cost of new tubes to the upgraded drainer and can't justify the cost yet. Although setting tire pressure before every ride seems to have alleviated my constant trainer flats.

i don't think you can run the companion app and zwift on the same device. I run zwift on an older ipad mini mounted on a generic handle bar mount. If i need the companion app I'll open it on the phone. I mostly use the companion app for the map and very occasionally chat on a group ride. On group rides or workouts I'll mirror the ipad to the TV. I have recently experienced some picture issues and screen jumping when mirroring to the TV in neotokyo. Haven't seen if picture quality improves using HDMI.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
@kearneyb the HDMI input is great. I have zero hiccups… actually I do have a slight hiccup when I choose a direction when the app give me an option. But it’s so minor - barely noticeable. Other than the cable being there, I recommend a direct link. It’s nice.

I’ll definitely do a follow up to this when we are deeper into the winter suck.
 

trener1

Well-Known Member
@kearneyb I can pretty much guarantee you that if you pick up a Direct drive trainer you will not regret it, its money well spent.
There are some really good deals out there right now.
Saris H3 Refurb $649
Kickr Refurb $699
If you are on the fence, jump in.... both of those deals are really great.
 

kearneyb

Well-Known Member
Going to try to win the new neo 2t. Unfortunately I misread the post and did the shorter ride for stages 1 amd 2. I’ll be home on Monday and will be motivated to do the longer stage 3 ride and then the longer stage 4 ride. Looks like a 90min session for the longer ride. I’m typically good for an hour on the swifter but should be able to power through an extra 30mins.

 
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