After writing about the Wahoo Kickr smart trainer now is the turn of the Tacx Flux 2 smart trainer. We purchased two of these in 2022 and so far have been impressed with their performance. One customer did have connectivity issues but it may have been because of a home connection. The unit is sturdy and weighs in at 23.6kg (52 lbs).
Following unboxing this is what I found:
The unit comes in two parts so assembly is straight forward even for a novice with some assembly skills. The legs need to be bolted to the unit as you can see in the photos below.
The Tacx Flux 2 does not come with a cassette. You need to buy one separately. Note that the power cable is quite short so you may need an extension lead if you cannot get close to a power socket.
Also in the box is a set of adapters for disc brake and also for rim brake bikes. Compared to the Kickr which allows you to simply insert the adapters by hand, you will need to install the adapters with a 17mm spanner and tighten. Once you get the cassette and power source set up you need to perform a calibration spin down for the powermeter. You can use the Tacx app for this. The unit also has cadence measurement built in which is a minimum requirement for any smart trainer.
A nice safety feature of the Tacx trainers is the flywheel housIng which keeps the flywheel covered and out of reach of inquisitive children or pets. The face of the flywheel is exposed however but a much safer design than other smart trainers. In this respect. Only the silver plate rotates. See image below.
Let's get to the ride feel. At the price point it is a really good smart trainer however It is lighter than the Kickr so does not have the same feel. The Tacx Neo 2T is the next model up from the Flux 2 which we do not have in our rental fleet but by all accounts is a serious contender to the Wahoo Kickr. We have found in a number of first time user cases that it is difficult to maintain an effort for a long period. No such feedback on the Kickrs.
There have been some complaints regarding bluetooth connectivity but very few. We purchased some Tacx antennas in the meantime!
It can be stored easily but in order to keep it in it's box you need to remove the bolts mentioned above. It is a sturdy unit and sprinting out of the saddle is not a problem. All in all a solid mid range smart trainer which we would highly recommend.
CONCLUSION
Comparing the Tacx Flux 2 to the Wahoo Kickr, I would say that the Kickr is a superior unit. It is heavier than the Tacx it and has a better ride feel but you get bang for your buck with the Tacx unit for sure.
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