Tacx have designed an innovative direct drive indoor trainer that will help make those dreary indoor workouts a touch more exciting and judging by it’s futuristic looks a little more stylish. At the heart or engine of the Tacx NEO Smart turbo trainer is a magnetic and electronically braked unit that has no separate flywheel, the flywheel is essentially part of the rotating unit that contains 32 neodymium magnets and 30 coils. When plugged in to power the trainer will provide up to 2,500 watts resistance and even at low cadences and speeds of 6km/h will still provide 450 watts resistance. Unplugged the Tacx NEO Smart will still deliver enough resistance to simulate flat road riding.
A major advance claimed in comparison to existing trainers is the lack of noise as there is no fan, no separate flywheel, no belts and no tyre noise, the resistance is all generated out of one moving electronic brake. The unit is driven by chain and cassette attached to an Edco freehub that will take a Shimano, SRAM or Campagnolo cassettes.
Take a look at the video including the internal shots of the electronic brake (screenshot below).
Tacx NEO Smart connectivity and virtual training
The Tacx NEO Smart uses both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart wireless protocols and they can be used simultaneously meaning you can connect two devices at once including PC’s and Garmin and similar devices and the trainer can be controlled by smartphone and tablet as well. The Tacx NEO Smart will work with their own virtual reality cycling software as well as all the popular third party virtual reality cycling programs inlcluding Kinomap, TrainerRoad, Zwift and ErgVideo.
Cyclists won’t need a separate power meter as the NEO Smart will accurately measure power based on the electronic motor calculations. The NEO Smart will compete against the Wahoo Fitness KICKR and Wahoo Fitness KICKR Snap.
… the Tacx Neo Smart is not your average training companion, it represents a significant step forward in training experience – Simon Wilkinson, Design Team
Release is scheduled for September 2015 and pricing for Australia to be confirmed.
Pictures and information via tacx.nl
