Zwift did not create indoor training or the concept of training software, but it has fueled a rapid expansion of the interactive hardware available to riders to make indoor riding more fun. Smart bikes are the latest category of interactive training tools. They combine the measured and dynamic resistance of smart trainers with the convenience of a dedicated indoor bike.

Over the past three winters VeloNews editorial director Ben Delaney tested a couple dozen smart trainers, and this winter I tested four smart bikes: The WattBike Atom, the StagesBike, the Tacx Neo Bike, and the Wahoo Kickr Bike. 

It’s important to note that smart bikes are different than a normal indoor bike like you may have used in a gym or even the higher-end electronic home models like a Peloton. The primary difference is that smart bikes are cyclist-focused, wattage-based tools designed to integrate with third-party software like Zwift, TrainerRoad, and FulGaz. Peloton, NordicTrack, and others have their own closed ecosystem for workouts and classes. These can be great tools for the gym-class crowd, but if you’re looking for power-based training and virtual racing, they don’t work.

Ben tested each of the four smart bikes in Zwift group rides, workouts, and races. He's logged more than 5,000 miles in the game on a variety of smart trainers, so he has a decent feel for the options out there.

Each smart bike has its own quirky personality, and the differences between bikes are far greater than the differences between smart trainers of a similar price point. The stability, fit, adjustability, shifting, and accommodation for tablets and phones varies greatly. 

Conversely, Ben found all four bikes to deliver reliable measurement that he would happily use for training, with less variation from one to the other than with some smart trainers. For power reference, he used a set of Garmin Vector 3 pedals that he has in turn tested against meters from Shimano, Quarq and Stages. Also, in terms of noise, all four smart bikes are relatively quiet, in the 60dB range when doing 200 watts at 90rpm.

Visit VeloNews.com for a more detailed information on each of the bikes.