Trainer x gravel combo

Feeling like I need to get a trainer set-up in the garage. These are some barren winter plains in the Helena area right now. I have to drive 2 hours for decent Nordic skiing if I don’t want to go up to the local spot for hill repeats on a short stretch of steep, groomed road. Looking for some insight from you buzzards on a couple things:

(1) main pitfall to a trainer/gravel bike set-up is just going to be a less than ideal ergonomic situation, right? Planning to start using Zwift, and I’m not all that worried about being competitive, so I figure as long as I’m comfortable it shouldn’t really matter whether it’s a road-dedicated set-up or not? I just want to be able to go out and crank in the garage when I’m not motivated by ski conditions (and I know virtual reality is going to help motivate me for it), and I want a bike that I’ll actually use when the season’s right. I won’t do much of anything on pavement, but there are plenty of great dirt roads and single track I would love a gravel bike for around here.

(2) Perusing pinkbike it seems lots of people are offloading sc stigmatas, surlys, devincis, salsas...thinking about trying to pin something down with an ultegra layup and generally higher-end everything else in the $2500-3000 range. Any of you have strong opinions about a frame and build for my intended use?

Thanks for participating in my survey. Happy New Year!

(1) Are you getting a wheel off smart trainer? If so I don't see a gravel bike mattering at all, and maybe it's better since the relaxed geo would be nice for long zwift rides? I'm new to the trainer world though so maybe I'm missing something there.

(2) Any lightly used bike at that price with an Ultegra style spec is going to be good. Really, you'll be stoked no matter what. But a specific bike recommendation is more about your intended use and buying a bike with the right geo/features for that goal. Like if you're just out for mellow cruises on dirt roads and singletrack I wouldn't suggest you get a Cervelo Aspero or 3T Exploro. But if all you want to do is race those are the first two bikes I'd suggest you look for.

I like this thread as a way to explain to non-cyclist friends why a peloton is stupid. #pelotonisstupid

This is my exact setup - a diverge on a TacX Flux S. Works great for winter training and I'm loving having a roadbike+ in the summer.

I bought both used and my father just went through the process of looking hard at different gravel bikes (Diverge, Topstone, etc.) and ended up going with a Giant Revolt Advanced 0. Found one in another state, paid for the bike and packaging and had UPS pick it up so the shop wouldn't get in trouble. We couldn't find anything at a local shop that would arrive before middle of next year.

I also built myself a rocker plate in hopes that it makes longer rides more manageable. I'll post back with my experience. Good luck - I don't live that far from you (in Kalispell) and feel that the gravel bike is the perfect bike for Montana because we have so many great remote unpaved roads. I think you'll really enjoy it!

Seth

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Does peloton suck? People seem to love them

The reason to buy a Peloton is if you enjoy spin classes with an instructor yelling at you.

I have a Tacx Neo with my MTB on it. That works fine for training in erg mode, but for free rides I think I’ll want to put my gravel bike (2016 Devinci Hatchet) on it - I run out of gears with a 30t ring. My MTB will be going into the shop for a new wheel build and drivetrain in a few weeks anyway, so that will accelerate that change.

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Originally Posted by kathleenturneroverdrive

Does peloton suck? People seem to love them

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Peloton probably makes a bit of sense for city dwellers that never make it out of the jungle...but wouldn’t you still rather have the option to get out and pedal in the real world?

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Originally Posted by evasive_MT

I have a Tacx Neo with my MTB on it. That works fine for training in erg mode, but for free rides I think I’ll want to put my gravel bike (2016 Devinci Hatchet) on it - I run out of gears with a 30t ring. My MTB will be going into the shop for a new wheel build and drivetrain in a few weeks anyway, so that will accelerate that change.

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If you set your “Trainer Difficulty” in Zwift to MAX, You should not run out of gears.
Before I had a FD on my Zwift bike I could use my 34x11 no problem when set to MAX.

I have a Hakka MX (as my only road, gravel, CX bike) and will be using that on a trainer as well...but now to decide which one! I want a smart trainer so I can be geeky and hit Zwift, etc...but not sure I need to spring for the wheel off type. Living in NorCal, riding outside is nearly always an option. The trainer would be for when I'm on duty for 48/72hrs+, or when it actually does rain :-)

I'm looking at the Saris M2 or Kickr SNAP (seems like a solid pricepoint for what you get).

Interested in what your research finds as well!

The zwift thread in here has lots of good advice for getting set up (and lots of knowledgeable people [not me] to answer your questions)

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Originally Posted by NorCalSJK

Interested in what your research finds as well!

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Up here, if you want to ride this winter, your trainer research can pretty much start and end with “what is in stock?”. If you have a longer timeframe and can wait a few months, then you can start to look into details like price and features.