With turbo trainers currently like gold dust, the Tacx Boost should fill a void
(Image credit: Tacx)
The Tacx Boost is a brand new turbo trainer that’s launched just in time for Christmas. It’s a simple and affordable wheel-on turbo trainer with adjustable magnetic resistance of up to 1,050 watts.
Since the lockdown-induced indoor cycling boom this summer, there’s been a significant shortage of the best turbo trainers and many pain cave plans have had to go on hold. With winter in full swing, it’s the ideal time to start up an indoor cycling training plan, so this injection of fresh blood into an otherwise waning market will come as a relief to many.
If you’ve been waiting all this time to get your hands on a turbo trainer, you don’t have to give up your dream of setting up the ultimate pain cave. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Tacx Boost, including its main features, the price and availability.
(Image credit: Tacx)
Tacx Boost turbo trainer: overview
The Tacx Boost is a basic wheel-on turbo trainer that connects via the rear axle and looks like it should be easy to set up for fuss-free indoor training. With a 1.6kg (3.5lb) flywheel placed against the rear tyre, Tacx says the brand new Boost is able to simulate a realistic feeling of riding on the road.
According to Garmin (the parent company of Tacx), the Tacx Boost can simulate up to 9.18kg of mass inertia from its 1.6kg magnetic resistance flywheel and offers 1050-watts of resistance. To put this into context, the Tacx Flow - the brand's entry-level smart trainer - simulates up to 11.8kg of mass inertia from the 1.6kg magnetic resistance flywheel to generate up to 800 watts of resistance.
It comes with 10 levels of magnetic resistance that’s controllable via a lever attached to the handlebar, so you can apply as much or as little as you need, with the maximum reaching 1,050 watts to fight against. Unlike other basic wheel-on turbo trainers, the Tacx Boost has a concealed resistance unit, which Tacx claims will reduce noise as well as allowing for manual resistance control.
The Tacx Boost includes a front wheel support to place the rider in a natural cycling position, and it also doubles up as a carry handle when the unit is folded up for storage. Its portability when folded would make it very convenient for car park warm-ups on race day, as well as being easy to tuck away when not in use.
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While the Tacx Boost is a basic turbo trainer, combined with a speed sensor or power meter, you could add another level to your training, tracking your speed, distance and power output, and combining this with platforms like Zwift, TrainerRoad and the Tacx Training app.
(Image credit: Tacx)
Tacx Boost turbo trainer: price and availability
The Tacx Boost turbo trainer is available to buy now and costs £229.99 / $299.99 / AU$349.00 for the unit. There’s also a bundle option for £249.99 / $329.99 / AU$399.00 which includes a speed sensor and a free 30-day Tacx premium subscription.
Mildred joined as Reviews Writer for Cyclingnews and BikePerfect in December 2020. She loves all forms of cycling from long-distance audax to daily errand-running by bike, and does almost everything on two wheels, including moving house, and started out her cycling career working in a bike shop. For the past five years she's volunteered at The Bristol Bike Project as a mechanic and session coordinator, and now sits on its board of directors.
Since then she's gone on to write for a multitude of cycling publications, including Bikeradar, Cycling Plus, Singletrack, Red Bull, Cycling UK and Total Women's Cycling. She's dedicated to providing more coverage of women's specific cycling tech, elevating under-represented voices in the sport, and making cycling more accessible overall.
