I've waited to review this since it was a big purchase, but I've now hit 1,042 miles (64 rides) on Zwift, with a total time of 61 hours in the saddle.
Setup:
Fairly straight forward. I had never installed a cassette before so I bought the Luditek chain whip (ASIN: B07517WGKY) at the same time. Only took about 10 minutes to take the cassette off my wheel and install on the H3. I watched a couple of generic videos on how to do this, and the Saris website has an un-boxing video with great info as well. It comes with a spacer - the spacer stays on for 8-10 speed cassettes and comes off for 11 speed. That all worked fine and I was ready to ride. Each of the support legs has a height adjustment so make sure you screw those down so you're not wobbling back and forth. The unit itself seems very heavy duty and stable.
Connection:
I haven't had any issues connecting to my computer or iPhone to ride on Zwift. It usually auto connects after waking up the H3 and remembers the previous connection type (don't know if that's the H3 or Zwift). Within Zwift you can chose if you want bluetooth or ant+. I've been using Bluetooth connecting to a Mac Mini or the iPhone Zwift companion app. I've had 1 ride where the connection was lost (it reconnected after about 30 seconds) and 2-3 rides where I felt like there was a delay in the resistance changes, although I don't know if those cases were the H3, my computer, or Zwift so I'm not taking off any stars. Those cases were fairly soon after I got it so maybe the Firmware updates have fixed this issue. Overall it has performed great and been easy to connect.
Ride:
The resistance is amazing. If you're coming from an old school fluid trainer this thing will kick your butt. The hill resistance changes are consistent and in line with the gradient on screen. During erg mode workouts it does a great job holding at the specified wattage. Riding in Zwift you WILL be shifting and using your entire gear range. If you ride without connecting to a program (Zwift, the app, etc) it mimics a fluid trainer resistance, which is great for cooling down or warming up. My only complaint is the cadence calculation doesn't keep up when shifting. With firmware updates it has gotten more accurate when riding a consistent tempo, but drops out when shifting compared to the cadence output on my CatEye computer still mounted to the bike (which only shows cadence now). Not taking off any stars since this is a fairly minor complaint overall.
The Saris App:
This has received major updates in the last 2 months (almost like it wasn't ready when they launched the product). The firmware updates have worked without issues, the calibration works (I haven't noticed a major difference before and after so I think it was fairly close right out of the box for me), and the ERG mode functions as expected. The app is free so I'd recommend downloading that for the firmware updates and calibration. It has to be disconnected from other devices to connect to the app, so I usually check firmware and calibration about every 2 weeks at the end of a ride.
Summary:
Overall I'm very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend this unit. I've been riding more, riding longer and enjoying it MUCH more than I ever was with my old 'dumb' trainer. I'm also getting stronger and faster during the wet off-season.
| Brand | Saris |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Material | Composite, Aluminum, Plastic |
| Wheel Size | 29 Inches |
| Bike Type | Mountain Bike |
| Resistance Mechanism | Electronic |
| Product Dimensions | 22"L x 22"W x 12"H |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 22 x 22 x 11 inches |
| Package Weight | 26.76 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 22 x 22 x 12 inches |
| Item Weight | 47 Pounds |
| Brand Name | Saris |
| Warranty Description | Limited Lifetime Warranty |
| Model Name | H3 Direct Drive Trainer |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Saris |
| Part Number | 9830T |
| Style | H3 Smart Trainer |
| Included Components | Direct Drive Trainer |
| Size | One Size |
| Sport Type | Cycling |
