(It’s worth noting at this point that the Tacx Neo Smart doesn’t come with a cassette. You simply take off your back wheel and attach the bike at the rear dropouts, connecting the chain to the cassette as you would when putting a real wheel on your bike. DIRECT DRIVEĪs a ‘direct drive’ trainer, the Tacx Neo Smart connects directly to the drivetrain of your bike. The matte black finish is simple and stylish and the package as a whole looks solid and stable. Those criticisms aside, the Tacx Neo Smart does look sleek once it’s fully set up. (Again, it’s worth pointing out that the Neo Smart certainly isn’t the only trainer on the market that’s heavy and awkward to move around). And when the legs are extended, the unit is very unwieldy, making it difficult to carry. (If this is the case for you, it’s worth noting that Tacx has a range of other, more portable trainers that might be more suitable).Ĭarrying the Neo Smart any sort of distance is particularly challenging - when the legs are folded up it’s difficult not to get your fingers jammed between the legs and the cassette. But if you live in an apartment or elsewhere where space is at a premium - or if you’re planning to take this to races for your warm-up - you’ll likely find it a hassle to set up and pack down the Neo Smart every time you use it. If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated space where you can leave your trainer set up, the unit’s heft is unlikely to be an issue. But at 21kg it’s awkward to get out of the box, awkward to move around and somewhat awkward to set up (extending and collapsing the legs effectively requires tipping the unit on its side). So how does the Tacx Neo Smart stack up? And does it perform well enough to justify its hefty pricetag? UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONSĪs we’ve come to expect of ‘smart trainers’ (and indeed of turbo trainers in general) the Tacx Neo Smart is very heavy, and not without good reason – there’s a lot of machinery under the hood and the weight contributes to the stability. Some suggested the device could “redefine” the indoor trainer market with its realistic road feel others echoed Tacx’s claims that the Neo Smart is the quietest trainer on the market. It’s been a few months now since Tacx revealed its top-of-the-line Neo Smart trainer, prompting considerable fanfare from some within the cycling industry.

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