The 7 Best Bike Trainers of 2022
By: Jon Kennedy: Bike Buyer | May 27, 2022
In the not-so-good old days, if you wanted to pedal year-round you needed a clunky, expensive exercise bike that took up a bunch of space and didn’t feel anything like riding your real bike. Luckily, times have changed, and now there’s a wide variety of bike trainer options on the market that can integrate with your existing bike. The best bike trainers are all designed to help you stay motivated even when the snow is falling hard and there’s no dry riding to be had.
New This Year:
This list has a wide variety of trainers, that all take different paths towards the same goal: getting you motivated to ride your bike indoors. Some options on this list are portable, perfect for traveling with to warm up for races. Others are fully integrated systems that very closely approximate the varying challenges of real bike riding. No matter which one you choose, you can look forward to the added happiness and fitness that comes with more time on your bike.
This Year's Best Bike Trainers:
Wahoo Kickr Core Smart Trainer
Watts up? With the Wahoo Kickr Core Smart Trainer, you'll know exactly how much power you're delivering and what you're capable of. With a smart trainer like this, you'll be able to not only maintain your fitness during inclement weather, but you'll be able to really build a measurable regimen to improve in the real world. The Kickr Core is a direct-drive design, saving your tires for the road. It's compatible with all the popular training apps and Wahoo accessories, and the firmware updates make it future proof so you'll be spinning its heavy flywheel for seasons to come. The Kickr Core is a modular smart trainer that makes winter riding fun.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Electromagnetic | Direct drive for maximum compatibility | $899 |
Wahoo Kickr Snap Bike Trainer
Setting up the Wahoo Kickr Snap Bike Trainer is a breeze. Just put your rear wheel in it, click it in, and "snap": you're in! This is a wheel-on trainer with all the mechanical and electronic expertise from a leader in the field. It delivers a realistic ride experience on your bike, the same bike you use out in the wild world. Its firmware is wirelessly upgradeable, it's compatible with all the software training apps, and it's very accurate and durable to boot. If you want to take your riding higher, the Kickr Snap is an excellent choice. This is an affordable and practical entry point to the world of off-season training.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Electromagnetic | Measures speed, distance, power, and cadence | $499 |
Tacx NEO 2T Smart Bike Trainer
The Tacx NEO 2T Smart Bike Trainer is straight out of a sci-fi movie. It recreates a bike ride with phenomenal accuracy, able to mimic climbs, descents, and the thunk of cobbles under your wheels. Extremely accurate and smart, the NEO 2T can communicate with all your apps via Bluetooth and ANT+. It's surprisingly portable thanks to a folding design, so you can stash it in the closet without too much trouble. Silent and still, this is a high-end direct drive trainer for the discerning indoor cyclist. The Tacx NEO 2T is about as close as you can get to actually heading out the door for a ride, all in the comfort of your home.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Electromagnetic | Road feel simulation | $1399 |
Tacx Flux 2 Smart Bike Trainer
There's no need to let your splits go south just because it's the middle of January and there happens to be 3 feet of snow outside your front door. The Tacx Flux 2 Smart Bike Trainer brings the club ride inside with a sophisticated, highly connected feature set capable of mimicking your favorite routes. The electromagnetic flywheel resistance mechanism can handle 2000 watts of output, and simulate brutal mountain climbs up to a 16% grade - more than enough to get your quads burning before bedtime. This is a fully-functioned trainer that won’t break the bank.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Electromagnetic | Standalone, or software integrated modes | $899.99 |
Saris M2 Smart Trainer
When the seas, CO2 levels, and temperatures rise, leaving the confines of your underground bunker as the only place to ride your bike, the Saris M2 Smart Trainer will keep you race-ready and connected. This is pedaling gadgetry in all the best ways, with full connectivity to your sensors, training apps, and bike. Its resistance is controlled electronically, with a smart hookup to your training programs, with all their built-in maps and simulations. When those last roads crumble into the sea, know that you'll be happily cycling from the comfort of your impermeable fortress. (Or, just stay on top of the game with all the latest wizardry, should everything turn out okay!) The M2 is a practical, effective trainer that works well with a wide variety of bikes.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Electromagnetic | Zwift certified | $549 |
Saris Fluid2 Trainer
The Saris Fluid2 Trainer brings fluid resistance to your indoor cycling regimen, with the most progressive curve of all the options. It's quiet and simple, with difficulty adjusted by the click of a knob. It has a precision-balanced flywheel that mimics the feel out on the roads and is very stable for its size. Fight rain with fluid resistance and pedal no matter what the weather holds! The Fluid 2 is an affordable easy-to-set-up trainer, perfect for folks getting started with indoor cycling.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Fluid | Progressive resistance curve | $329 |
Feedback Sports Omnium Over-Drive Portable Resistance Trainer
Love your bike but the weather's playin' games? The Feedback Sports Omnium Over-Drive Portable Resistance Trainer is the answer to all your separation anxiety. It's adaptable to virtually any bike size and geometry and fits into a heavy-duty travel bag for bike workouts anywhere. Turn your living room into the next Tour location with the Feedback Sports Omnium Over-Drive Portable Resistance Trainer. This is the perfect trainer for folks who want to stay fit all winter and warm-up for races on the same trainer.
| Resistance Type | Special Features | Original Price |
| Eddy current | Collapsible for easy transport | $490 |
Learn More With Our Other Bike Guides:
How to Choose a Mountain Bike
Mountain Bike Sizing and Fit Guide
How to Get Started Mountain Biking
How to Choose a Mountain Bike Wheel Size
Mountain Bike Suspension Basics
Women's Mountain Bike Buyer's Guide
How To Get Started Gravel Biking
Electric Mountain Bike Buyer's Guide
Classes of eBikes
Travel Guides - Where to Mountain Bike
Travel Guides - Where to Ride eBikes
Mountain Bike Cockpit Setup & Seat Height
How to Choose a Mountain Bike Dropper Post
How to Choose Mountain Bike Tires
How to Choose Mountain Bike Handlebars
How to Choose Mountain Bike Pedals
How to Choose Clipless Pedals, Shoes & Cleats
How to Choose a Bike Seat / Saddle
Women's Mountain Bike Gear & Clothing Guide
How to Choose MTB Knee Pads
Bike Helmet Size & Fit Guide
How to Choose Bike Shoes
Shimano Groupset Hierarchy Explained
SRAM Groupset Hierarchy Explained
SRAM vs Shimano Groupsets Compared
What to Bring Mountain Biking
What to Wear Mountain Biking
Mountain Bike Tire Pressure Guide
Mountain Bike Maintenance Schedule
How to Clean a Mountain Bike
How to Change Bike Pedals
How to Bleed SRAM Brakes
How to Bleed Shimano Brakes
How to Convert to Tubeless Tires
How to Replace Internal Cable Housing
How to Adjust Your Rear Derailleur
How to Replace a Bike Chain
How to Fix Bike Creaks & Noises
The Selection Process:
Our bike buyer has an endless amount of knowledge on all things bike stemming from years of experience in the bike industry in tandem with their countless hours out on the dirt, gravel, and tarmac. evo's buyers assess all products coming to market, lean into this knowledge, and put together this selection of the best products. They have a unique perspective as they truly see everything offered across the category.
Jon Kennedy
Jon is a Bike Buyer and joined evo in 2015 to help launch the category. He has a long tenure in the bike industry bringing over 20 years of experience.
Jon was formerly the Marketing Manager for Diamondback bikes and was the Executive Director for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance prior to that. His broad experience in the bike industry from the brand, advocacy and retail side has contributed to a well-rounded understanding of trends, needs and opportunities.
Jon grew up in the Seattle area and currently resides there with his wife Ilana, kids Erez and Lilah, and his Boston Terrier Marley. He is a daily rider packing countless miles in every year, loves all disciplines, and simply considers himself a cyclist… a title he embraces with great passion.
