{"id":287220,"date":"2025-11-16T17:59:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T17:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/287220\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T17:59:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T17:59:19","slug":"dont-waste-your-money-these-500-smart-trainers-are-good-enough-for-99-of-riders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/287220\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t waste your money \u2013 these \u00a3500 smart trainers are good enough for 99% of riders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smart trainers are cheaper and more accessible than ever, but, here in late 2025, the sweet spot for price, features and performance sits around the \u00a3500 or $600 mark.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, I\u2019ve put three of the key models around this price through my rigorous test protocol, to find out which ones are worth your hard-earned cash.<\/p>\n

All that said, let\u2019s introduce our three contenders.<\/p>\n

Contenders for the middle-weight crown
\n\"WahooWahoo Kickr Core 2, JetBlack Victory and Elite Rivo smart trainers. Felix Smith \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

First up, we\u2019ve got the JetBlack Victory.<\/p>\n

Priced at just \u00a3399 \/ $399 \/ \u20ac449.95, it absolutely smoked the competition when it launched in 2024, with the best price to performance ratio of any smart trainer I\u2019d ever tested.<\/p>\n

Perhaps in response to JetBlack, Wahoo finally launched the Kickr Core 2 in September \u2013 the long-awaited successor to its influential mid-range direct drive smart trainer.<\/p>\n

Given it costs \u00a3499.99 \/ $549.99 \/ \u20ac549.99 \u2013 around 25 per cent more than the Victory \u2013 it faces a tough challenge to retake its crown as the go-to pick in this segment of the market.<\/p>\n

Lastly, we\u2019ve got the Elite Rivo.<\/p>\n

An update to the highly-rated, but ageing Suito, the Rivo borrows design cues from Elite\u2019s flagship Justo smart trainer, but keeps the price competitive at just under \u00a3500 or \u20ac520.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/p>\n

Specifications
\n\"SimonAll three trainers have similar specs on paper. Felix Smith \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

All three trainers have roughly comparable specs on paper, with each one claiming to provide enough performance to satisfy 99 per cent of riders.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019d expect in this day and age, they all use direct-drive (rather than wheel-on) designs, which see you remove the rear wheel from your bike and mount it directly to the trainer at the dropouts.<\/p>\n

Both the JetBlack Victory and Wahoo Kickr Core 2 have maximum power ceilings of 1,800 watts and can simulate gradients of up to 16 per cent.<\/p>\n

The Elite Rivo offers a little more on both fronts, with a maximum power ceiling of 2,100 watts and can simulate gradients up to 18 per cent.<\/p>\n

\"WahooWith 1,800-2,100 watt power ceilings, all three trainers provide more than enough resistance for most riders. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

All three offer Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, although the Rivo drops ANT+ connectivity.<\/p>\n

Where we see bigger differences on paper are with flywheel weight, overall weight and how easy they are to stow away after use.<\/p>\n

The Rivo is the lightest of the three at just 10kg, and perhaps unsurprisingly also has the lightest flywheel at just 3.5kg. It also fold ups to be the most compact of the three, making it by far the easiest to store between rides if you don\u2019t have a dedicated space to leave your bike setup and ready to ride.<\/p>\n

\"EliteThe Elite Rivo and Wahoo Kickr Core 2 both offer folding legs, but the Victory doesn’t. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

The JetBlack Victory sits in the middle, with a 12.9kg overall weight and a 4.7kg flywheel, while the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 is the heaviest on both fronts, with an 18kg overall weight and a 5.4kg flywheel.<\/p>\n

The Kickr Core 2 allows its front leg to be tucked into the body of the trainer slightly, but doesn\u2019t get as compact as the Rivo.<\/p>\n

The JetBlack Victory doesn\u2019t feature folding legs, but it\u2019s also fair to say it\u2019s still a fairly small trainer all things considered.<\/p>\n

\"JetBlackThe JetBlack Victory doesn’t feature folding legs but does have a handle. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that while the Rivo and Victory both have handles, the Kickr Core 2 doesn\u2019t \u2013 so it\u2019s noticeably more awkward to move it around, as there\u2019s not really an \u2018ideal\u2019 way to hold onto it.<\/p>\n

With all of these specs, though, knowing which features do and don\u2019t matter is crucial to distinguishing between the strengths and weaknesses of these trainers.<\/p>\n

Setup
\n\"WahooWahoo has put in the effort to make setting up the Kickr Core 2 as easy as possible. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

Before we get onto performance, let\u2019s quickly touch on setup.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fair to say all three trainers will be easy to set up for experienced riders, but for those that aren\u2019t, the Kickr Core 2 stands out for its colour-coded legs and axle adaptors guide.<\/p>\n

The Victory also includes colour-coded legs, but you\u2019ll have to get by without a guide for axle adaptors, while the Rivo doesn\u2019t include either.<\/p>\n

\"EliteThe Rivo isn’t difficult to set up but you might need to refer to the instructions once or twice. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

Again, I\u2019ll stress that none of the three are difficult to set up \u2013 especially if you get one with a Zwift Cog, as that means you don\u2019t need to worry about bike compatibility, for the most part \u2013 but beginners will likely find the Kickr Core 2 the most approachable.<\/p>\n

Performance<\/p>\n

With all of that out of the way, let\u2019s talk about how they compare in use.<\/p>\n

Connectivity
\n\"ZwiftAll three trainers offer Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. Zwift<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with the connectivity options as while there\u2019s little difference on paper, there are a few quirks with one of the trainers that complicates things in real life.<\/p>\n

As noted earlier, all three trainers offer WiFi connectivity, which means they can automatically keep their firmware up to date, and you get a potentially stronger and more stable connection to whatever indoor cycling app<\/a> you\u2019re using.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the Elite Rivo can only use virtual shifting over Bluetooth, so if you get one with Zwift Cog and Click controllers<\/a> then you won\u2019t be able to use a WiFi connection for riding.<\/p>\n

\"Pop-upIf you connect to Zwift over WiFi with the Elite Rivo you won’t be able to use virtual shifting. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

Annoyingly, this means missing out on the faster data transfer speeds \u2013 often referred to as \u2018Race Mode\u2019 \u2013 that you can get over WiFi with the Rivo.<\/p>\n

In contrast, both the Victory and Kickr Core 2 support virtual shifting and Race Mode over both WiFi and Bluetooth.<\/p>\n

Of course, if you\u2019re using a standard bike cassette rather than the Zwift Cog then this won\u2019t be an issue, but it\u2019s worth noting if the Cog is a key feature for you.<\/p>\n

Ride feel
\n\"SimonA more-realistic ride feel is one of the major benefits of direct-drive smart trainers. Felix Smith \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

In terms of ride feel, there\u2019s a clear hierarchy for me, with the Kickr Core 2 being the winner.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fair to say the Victory doesn\u2019t lag far behind, and you might not even notice a difference if you were blindfolded, but there is a clear step down with the Elite Rivo.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s more to a trainer\u2019s ride feel than flywheel weight alone, it\u2019s telling that the fluidity through the pedals does seem directly linked to it.<\/p>\n

\"JetBlackFlywheel weight is a major determinant of ride feel \u2013 with more tending to be better. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

The Rivo, for example, with its lighter, 3.5kg flywheel, simply feels slightly choppier and less realistic through the pedals than the other two trainers.<\/p>\n

Given it\u2019s so light, it\u2019s also more prone to moving about underneath you during sprints than the other two, while the Kickr Core 2\u2019s greater heft means it tends to be the most planted.<\/p>\n

\"EliteThe Rivo’s low overall weight means it can move around during high-power efforts.
\n\"WahooThe Kickr Core 2’s higher weight and wide led design makes it feel planted during sprints. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a similar story in terms of ERG mode<\/a> performance, with the Kickr Core 2 and Victory being able to hold the most consistent power levels \u2013 in that order \u2013 and the Rivo a little further behind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth pointing out that ERG mode performance is typically better on higher end smart trainers such as the Wahoo Kickr V6<\/a> or Tacx Neo 3M<\/a> \u2013 so if you\u2019re really into structured workouts, it might be worth saving up for one of those instead.<\/p>\n

In any case, I think most riders would be happy with the ride feel on offer with all three trainers, although when push comes to shove, the Victory and Kickr Core 2 are a step above the Rivo.<\/p>\n

\"JetBlackAlthough not as heavy as the Kickr Core 2, the Victory’s 4.7kg flywheel helps provide an excellent ride feel that gets admirably close to the Kickr Core 2. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media
\nNoise<\/p>\n

Before we move on to data accuracy, let\u2019s cover noise.<\/p>\n

In the past, noise used to be an area where you\u2019d see big differences between indoor trainers, but nowadays the differences tend to be so small as to basically not matter.<\/p>\n

Recording the noise levels with a decibel meter app on my phone showed that all three produce similar noise levels of around 60 to 65 decibels during normal use, which isn\u2019t particularly loud.<\/p>\n

\"GraphAll three trainers produce similarly low noise levels of around 60 to 65 decibels, which should be quiet enough for most riders. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

Much of that also comes from drivetrain noise, so it\u2019s fair to say that once you\u2019ve some headphones in and a big fan running to keep you cool you basically can\u2019t hear them at all.<\/p>\n

The Zwift Cog also helps in this respect as virtual gear changes are silent, whereas changing gears on a normal cassette can actually be quite noisy.<\/p>\n

Data accuracy
\n\"4iiiiI compared the data produced by each smart trainer to reliable on-bike power meters. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

Given most indoor cycling apps rely on power data to translate your efforts into actions on-screen, having a trainer that provides an accurate representation of your power output is absolutely crucial.<\/p>\n

On paper, all three should be similar thanks to their +\/- 2 or 2.5 per cent error bands, but we actually see some important differences between the three models here too.<\/p>\n

For a start, both the Kickr Core 2 and JetBlack Victory feature automatic calibration functions that help keep the data in check as you ride.<\/p>\n

In contrast, you\u2019ll need to do manual spin-down calibrations with the Elite Rivo, and only after 10 minutes of riding to give all of its internal parts a chance to come up to the right operating temperature.<\/p>\n

\"WahooThe Wahoo Kickr Core 2 produces practically faultless power data. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

As with the ride feel, the Kickr Core 2 comes out on top here, producing impressively accurate power and cadence data throughout testing.<\/p>\n

Notably, it even matched my on-bike power meters<\/a> a little more closely than the outgoing Kickr Core \u2013 which tended to read just a few watts higher than my power meters. You\u2019d normally expect the opposite, given it\u2019s further downstream and subject to drivetrain losses.<\/p>\n

Wahoo hasn\u2019t said it\u2019s made any specific changes to the Kickr Core 2\u2019s hardware to achieve this improvement, but I noted that Shane Millar (also known as GP Lama on YouTube), said in his review<\/a> that Wahoo is now factoring in drivetrain losses as part of its calibrations \u2013 so that likely explains it.<\/p>\n

\"JetBlackThe JetBlack Victory also performed well in testing, with no major flaws to its power data. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

The JetBlack Victory was also solid overall, matching my power meters well. As noted in my in-depth review, I saw some instances where the Victory would track a bit low at the beginning of rides, but this always sorted itself out after about 10 minutes of riding.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I found the Elite Rivo didn\u2019t live up to my expectations in this area.<\/p>\n

It generally tracked well with my power meters at lower efforts, but tended to noticeably under-report during sprints \u2013 often missing the peak snaps of power.<\/p>\n

\"\"At a macro level, the Rivo produces decently accurate power data. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media
\n\"EliteThe details hide a few faults, though, most notably that it tends to under-reports during sprints. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

I also saw some drift that didn\u2019t stabilise during the rides \u2013 starting low, for example, but then ending up a little too high towards the end of a ride.<\/p>\n

As with the ride feel bit, the numbers weren\u2019t a million miles off \u2013 and a few years ago this would have been close-enough for me to say \u201cit\u2019s fine for a smart trainer at this price\u201d.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, though, it\u2019s just not quite good enough given the available competition.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a power meter on your bike, you can link that to the Rivo and have it transmit that data in place of its own, which can effectively be a workaround for these issues\u2026 But obviously not everyone will have a power meter \u2013 and, to be frank, that just feels like papering over cracks that shouldn\u2019t exist on a smart trainer in late 2025.<\/p>\n

Bottom line
\n\"WahooWahoo’s Kickr Core 2 offers the best all-round performance but is slightly pricier than the Victory. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve made it this far then thanks for reading, and let\u2019s give you that all important answer as to what is the best smart trainer for under \u00a3500 or $600.<\/p>\n

In terms of pure performance, the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 edges it.<\/p>\n

It has the best ride feel, all the right features and produced the most accurate and consistent data of the three trainers during testing. The only thing it lacks is a handle.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s the one to get, right? Possibly, but it\u2019s also difficult to ignore how good the JetBlack Victory is for \u00a3100 \/ $150 \/ \u20ac100 less.<\/p>\n

\"JetBlackJetBlack’s Victory still stands out for its incredible price to performance ratio. Felix Smith \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

The performance is so close to the Kickr Core 2 in every area, that it\u2019s hard to justify spending that extra money.<\/p>\n

As was the case when I reviewed the Victory back in 2024, though, the major \u2018problem\u2019 is the fact that JetBlack lacks the same distribution network that Wahoo has, so it\u2019s therefore slightly trickier to get hold of one.<\/p>\n

As you\u2019ve likely guessed, it\u2019s tougher to recommend the Elite Rivo.<\/p>\n

\"EliteElite’s Rivo is a decent smart trainer but it can’t match its competitors for pure performance. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that it\u2019s a bad smart trainer, it\u2019s more that the competition has taken tangible steps forward while the Rivo has stood relatively still.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019ve got a great power meter to get around the accuracy issues, the relatively poor ride feel and fact you can only use virtual shifting over Bluetooth, and not WiFi, would be more than enough to sway me towards one of the other two trainers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Smart trainers are cheaper and more accessible than ever, but, here in late 2025, the sweet spot for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-287220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}