Tacx has released an affordable $299.99 bike turbo trainer, the Tacx Boost.
It’s here to take advantage of the massive rise in interest in indoor cycling this year, which made turbo trainers hard to get hold of for most of 2020.
Let’s start with the key issue. The Tacx Boost is not a smart turbo trainer, so can’t connect to popular platforms like Zwift and TrainerRoad.
To do this you’ll need to buy the $329.99 bundle, which includes a speed sensor for your bike.
The Tacx Boost alone is relatively simple. It doesn’t need to be plugged in, it can fold up when not in use and has a resistance controller you’ll probably want to attach to your bike’s handlebar.
Peak resistance is 1050W, enough to give even those with thighs of steel a hard time. This is higher resistance than most cheaper “dumb” turbos, and the 1.6kg flywheel should offer at least some of the inertia you need for a reasonably realistic road feel.
The Tacx Booster weighs 8.53kg and has a clamp for your back axel that should have no trouble accommodating most bikes.
However, the Tacx Boost does seem to be a completely new design. Its specs appear identical to those of the Tacx Booster, released in 2012.
The Boost simply has moodier-looking black legs, and presumably some other hardware tweaks.
Should you get one? You can have more fun with a true smart turbo trainer. While the optional speed sensor lets faster pedalling translate to higher speed in a virtual cycling game like Zwift, the Boost’s resistance won’t change automatically when you head up a hill.
The obvious low-cost smart alternative is the Elite Novo. But to “go smart” with Tacx you’ll have to stump up $369.99 for the Flow Smart, which has lower maximum resistance of 800 watts.
