Black Friday turbo trainers: Up to 70% off smart trainers and accessories

A cyclist on a smart trainer, with a Dell computer in front of him, with Zwift on the screen

(Image credit: Josh Croxton)

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Quick deals
Smart trainers (USA)
Smart trainers (UK)
Smart bikes
Basic trainers
Rollers
Setup guide

It's definitely indoor training weather now, at least in much of Europe and the US, as cold weather and dark evenings make outdoor riding less attractive. To help you, we've pulled together a guide containing some of the best Black Friday turbo trainer deals, covering indoor trainers as well as other indoor cycling equipment.

Lower down, we've also got loads of advice on choosing your indoor training set-up.

Given not all smart trainers are created equal, knowing which one to buy could be difficult. Some people will want the lowest price available that is compatible with Zwift and other indoor cycling apps, whereas others will want a higher level spec without having to pay top money. Our experience here pays off, as we have reviewed pretty much all of the smart trainers on the market, so can judge whether a discount makes a good deal or not.

Quick deals in the USA

36% off Tacx Neo 2T
~~$1399.99~~ $899.99 at Amazon

47% off Tacx Flux S
~~$749.99~~ $399.99 at Competitive Cyclist

Quick deals in the UK

70% off Pinnacle HC
~~£700.00~~ £210 at Evans

40% off Elite Direto XR-T
~~£829.99~~ £499.00 at Evans

Tacx Neo 2T: $1399.99 $899.99 at Amazon
36% off - The Neo 2T is a high-spec indoor trainer with an electronic flywheel that offers real-world levels of inertia, as well as advanced pedalling analysis and cool features like rumbling when your Zwift avatar goes over rough surfaces. It's been around for a while, so it misses things like WiFi connectivity (as per Wahoo Kickr V6), but it's still among the best trainers around. If the high spec and accurate power readings are important to you, then this is a good deal worth considering.

Saris H3: £749.99 £449.00 at Evans UK
40% off - The H3 is quite long in the tooth in its design when compared to the high-end trainers it once competed with. It's 2% accurate, which isn't market leading (1% is) but still more than good enough. It does, however, boast a good maximum resistance of 2000 watts, and a pretty good gradient simulation of 20%. If those specs or the folding legs are important to you, then this new price is pretty competitive. Be sure to consider the Pinnacle HC though, as that's less than half the price of this, although with lower specs and non-folding legs.

While trainers need you to mount your own bike onto them, smart bikes offer everything: pedals, saddle, handlebars and more. They're also easily adjustable so that multiple people in one household can use them, and they typically come with belt-driven gear, which is quieter, cleaner, and more durable than the chain on your bike. The downside to all this is that smart bikes are far from the cheapest Zwift setup available.

Stages Cycling SB20 Smart Bike: $3,149.99 $2,499.99 at Competitive Cyclist
Save 21% - This discount brings the well-renowned Stages SB20 smart bike down to a price that competes with the entry level products in the smart bike space. Boasting impressive specs that include accuracy within 1.5%, 3000 watts of resistance and a 50lb flywheel for realistic inertia, as well as leading features including a silent belt drive drivetrain, virtual shifting with customisable gears and even adjustable crank arms, this model earned 4 stars in our SB20 review, but would be our pick today with this discounted price in mind.

Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift Smart Bike: $2,999.99 $2,499.99 at Wahoo Fitness
Save 17% - The Kickr Bike Shift is Wahoo's lower priced smart bike trainer. It delivers a quiet ride and is easily adjustable for multiple users. WiFi connectivity means that there's fast data transmission to Zwift or other indoor apps. There's also a discount on the premium Kickr Bike at Wahoo. UK riders can purchase the Kickr Bike Shift for £2,199.99 instead of £2,699.99 and again there's a discount on the Kickr Bike too.

Wahoo Kickr Bike Shift review

Like trainers, rollers also come in 'smart' and 'basic' formats. The same primary differences apply in that smart rollers are Zwift compatible, while basic rollers aren't. The one caveat to this is that basic rollers don't typically tend to offer any resistance to your pedalling. They're fine for riding at low intensities and high cadences, but you'll find them lacking if you want to do anything more taxing.

Wahoo Kickr Rollr: $599.99 $499.99 at Wahoo Fitness
16% off - The Wahoo Kickr Rollr trainer gives to variable resistance in a set of rollers you can't fall off, as the front wheel is clamped in place. You don't get a power meter, but the advantage of the Kickr Rollr is that you can just plonk your bike on top and start riding, no fiddling with wheels required.

In the UK, Sigma Sports has a discount on the Kickr Rollr bundled with a Powrlink Zero single sided power meter for £949, down from £1,200.

Wahoo Kickr Rollr review

Zwift itself is reasonably inexpensive, but it's the required hardware that can add up to make getting onto Zwift a rather expensive investment. If you don't take advantage of the Black Friday sales, the most premium setups can cost thousands and that's before you consider the cost of the bike, possible additions of a computer or tablet, as well as a fan. If you're planning on running Zwift in an unpowered garage or shed, you may even need to factor in the cost of an extension lead, WiFi booster, and even the light bulbs.

Basic trainers are not compatible with Zwift by themselves, but you can still use them with the app. All you need to add is a speed sensor. With a simple trainer and speed sensor, Zwift calculates power output based on the speed of the rear wheel. Zwift engineers have tested and mapped the resistance curve of almost all trainers on the market so that they can use the speed reading to calculate your power, which is used to drive your avatar.

To fit your bike onto the turbo trainer, you'll also need an adaptor for the rear axle. This is where it can get a little bit confusing, as you'll need to use the correct adaptor for your bike. If your bike uses quick-release axles, the most common rear spacing (the distance between the dropouts) is 130mm for road bikes. If your bike uses bolt-thru axles (an axle that goes through the hub and threads into the frame), then check the axle itself for size spec. The most common on road bikes is 142 x 12mm, but it should be written on the axle.

If your gym doesn't have smart bikes like a Wattbike, with a pair of power meter pedals and a polite request, your gym might allow you to swap them onto one of their non-smart indoor bikes - the type used for group classes. Pair them with your Bluetooth-enabled phone or tablet and you've got Zwift at the gym. It's great for those who are often on the road with work and don't have the means to take their bike and turbo trainer with them. I've done it myself numerous times; it's much easier to pack a pair of shoes and pedals, and it means I don't have to resort to going for a run.

The problem here is that resistance is usually limited by the friction between your tyre and the roller. You will also need a trainer-specific tyre with a hard rubber compound, or you run the risk of wearing through your rear tyre quickly. Also, the small flywheel offers minimal inertia, which means it can often feel like you're pedalling through treacle rather than rolling along a smooth road. Some are better than others in this regard, but they are rarely as good as direct-drive trainers.

Be aware that budget trainers don't always come with a cassette, so you'll need to factor that into the cost. The top-spec direct-drive trainers add extra niceties such as vibration (to provide off-road feel on off-road in-game sections) and motorised freewheeling (to prevent the flywheel from stopping, requiring a sprint to get it going again when your avatar is riding downhill) and they generally have higher maximum resistance and incline simulation.

Rollers are the left-field inclusion here, but they certainly warrant a ticket to the party. They differ in that your bike isn't fixed into place, and as such, it requires greater concentration in order to avoid riding off the side. They take a bit of getting used to - just search YouTube for 'first-time cycling rollers' for proof - but they're great for working on balance and core stability whilst riding.

However, they're big and heavy, so they need to be given a dedicated space in your home; they can't just be hidden under the stairs after you're finished. They're also not cheap - far from the cheapest Zwift setups available - but they're a great premium solution for indoor cycling's most dedicated participants, as well as multi-cyclist households, and they're also not immune to inclusion in the sales.

If you're unsure, you can either check with the gym's staff as to the facilities available or just open up the settings on your phone and search for Bluetooth devices. If a smart bike is found, it'll likely connect up to Zwift without a hitch. Bring a power bank though, as Zwift can be battery-intensive for your phone/tablet, and other gymgoers won't appreciate you trailing charging cables across the floor.

Do you need internet for Zwift?

Yes, you'll need an internet connection. This can come in the form of mobile data (4G / 5G) but be careful with your data allowance if choosing this option - in my test, a one-hour-long Zwift ride used approximately 300MB of data.

If you're Zwifting in your spare bedroom, then you're probably fine for signal, but if you're in the garage or shed, then you might have extra needs. Running an ethernet cable from your house to the garage mightn't be the most permanent solution, but it might be the only option you have. If you're considering this method, a second router or WiFi booster is an alternative idea. I use Google Nest at home, which bounces the WiFi to my garage.

Do you need mains power for Zwift?

Not necessarily, but ideally yes.

A select few of the most feature-rich turbo trainers, such as the Tacx NEO 2T, will work without mains power, but you'll probably also want a fan and you don't want your laptop's battery life to cut your ride short.

For anyone looking to run Zwift in a garage or outbuilding, a power supply might not be a guarantee. The options here will very much depend on your circumstances. If you're unable to run a permanent power supply, then an extension lead and temporary ethernet cable might be the only option. You can get a 50m extension lead from Amazon for around $40/£30, and a similar length ethernet cable for around half that.

There's a good chance it'll be dark in your garage too, but you can get plug-in light bulbs from Amazon for around $20/£15, which are essentially a cable with a plug at one end and a lightbulb connector at the other. Battery-powered LED lights are a wire-free alternative.

If an extension lead isn't going to work for you, then a generator might be a solution. I've looked into solar and rechargeable generators, but these typically don't have enough juice to power a full workout, with the laptop, fan, trainer and lights running. Therefore, a petrol/diesel generator might be the only solution, but it's not as good for the environment - or just go for a ride outdoors.

Do you need a computer for Zwift?

Yes, you'll need a Zwift-compatible computer. This can be in the form of a PC, a laptop, a tablet, Apple TV, or even your smartphone. The majority of us will already have something that technically can run Zwift, but in our experience, a phone screen is too small to read the data numbers when riding at or near your limit. Check out our guide to the best computers and tablets for Zwift for a few recommendations.

Is Bluetooth or ANT+ best for Zwift?

You'll need Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity to run Zwift, and neither one is necessarily better than the other. ANT+ can typically connect to multiple devices simultaneously, whereas Bluetooth usually has a limit. However, no smartphone, tablet or laptop will have ANT+ built in, whereas most have Bluetooth.

Almost all new turbo trainers, power meters and speed sensors can work with both. However, if you're using an old power meter, then it may be ANT+ only, in which case, you're likely to need an ANT+ adapter for your computer. Our 'what is ANT+' guide takes a deep dive into the technology.

If you're using Bluetooth, then there's a greater chance your device will connect without the need for an adapter, which will obviously save you some money.

Should I use a fan with Zwift?

You technically don't need a fan, but once you've tried cycling indoors without one, we promise you'll want one more than you've ever wanted anything before.

The oncoming air that you get when cycling in the real world performs a huge role in cooling you down. When you take that away by remaining stationary, you very quickly overheat. Your body's natural response to this is to sweat... a lot.

This gets out of the realm of 'cheap', but if you want a real pain cave hack, buy as many fans as your budget will allow, then plug them all into smart plugs with remote control (or Amazon Alexa). This way, you won't need to get off your bike to switch them on and off, and you can leave them switched off for the first few minutes until you need them. Or go the whole hog and buy the Wahoo Kickr Headwind, which varies its output as your hart rate or in-app speed increases, with a maximum airflow of 30mph / 48km/h.

What accessories can improve your Zwift experience?

Desk

If you're running a laptop, you'll need to be able to reach it so you can use the Zwift menu without having to climb off the bike. Brands do make dedicated turbo trainer desks, such as the Wahoo Kickr Desk, but for the budget-conscious, you can often make do with a less dedicated solution, such as an ironing board or some adjustable shelving from your local hardware store.

Sweat protector

To protect your bike against corrosion from the cumulative drips of salty sweat, you can get a dedicated sweat protector to catch the drips. The majority of sweat will drip from your face and shoulders, so it's the handlebars that need the most protection. Therefore, a towel placed atop the bars and stem will generally do a good job - with the added benefit of being able to wipe your brow every so often. For the budget-conscious, an old sweatshirt draped over the handlebars and top tube can have the same outcome. Don't drape anything over your bars when using rollers as if it gets caught in the front wheel, you'll be in trouble.

Turbo trainer floor mat

Unless you're in the garage or shed, you'll probably want to protect your floor from your salty sweat droplets, not to mention the damage caused by the feet of your turbo trainer. A turbo trainer mat will offer this protection and they are available pretty cheap, but an old yoga mat or even an offcut of kitchen linoleum will do the same job. Our tried and tested method is to use interlocking floor mats designed for gyms or garages. Not only do they offer protection, but they also offer a few millimetres of cushioning which helps with your natural rocking motion whilst riding.

A turbo trainer-specific tyre

If using a wheel-on turbo trainer - especially a cheap one - the roller's interaction with the soft rubber of your rear tyre can quite quickly churn through your rubber. Dedicated hard-wearing turbo trainer tyres exist to overcome this very problem. You could invest in a dedicated turbo trainer tyre, or alternatively, if you regularly ride on the road, upgrade your best road bike tyres and recycle your old part-worn tyre for indoor use only.

Riser block

If you're using a wheel-on trainer, it will lift your rear wheel off the ground, which tilts you forward into an unnatural position. A riser block goes beneath your front wheel to level you out again. They don't need to be anything special, the cheapest versions can be found cheaply at Amazon. Or you can save that and slide a piece of wood or a few books (ideally taped together so they don't slide) beneath your front wheel. However you choose to bodge this, just make sure it's stable enough not to topple during sprint efforts.

Zwift Cog and Click/Zwift Play

I mentioned the need to reach your computer earlier. A cleverer solution is the Zwift Cog. This fits on a direct drive turbo in place of your cassette and provides virtual shifting with a single cog at the rear and up to 12 speeds.

The shifting is controlled from your bars by the Click controller.

But Zwift offers an even more sophisticated option with the Zwift Play controllers. These come in a pair and hook over your bars, acting like virtual handlebar shifters. They include a series of buttons too, which you can use to control Zwift and navigate through its menus without needing to use your computer screen. They even provide in-game steering and power-ups.

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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.

On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.