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Saris M2 Smart Indoor Electromagnetic Resistance Bike Trainer, Compatible with Zwift App

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 505 ratings

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About this item

  • WHEEL ON: Connects to rear wheel of bike, no need to remove wheel or disassemble bike. Noise level: 69 decibels at 20 mph
  • PRECISE TRAINING: +/- 5% accuracy
  • CONTROLLED & CONSISTENT: Electromagnetic resistance provides a measured workout every time
  • CONNECTIVITY: Connects to indoor cycling apps with dual ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth standards. Zwift certified. Includes one month subscription to Rouvy virtual training app
  • COMPATIBILITY: Steel quick release skewer included for common road and mountain bike frames
  • FEATURES: Foldable frame, resistance knob, and cooling system that moves air through trainer to keep it cool

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Saris Bike Trainers
We develop trainers that let cyclists build and maintain fitness.
bicycle trainer virtual training indoor cycling power sensor electromagnetic train
The Nitty Gritty
  • Wheel-on smart trainer compatible with Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad and many other training apps.
  • Connects wirelessly via dual-band ANT+ FE-C or Bluetooth 4.0
  • Simulates up to 1500 watts at 20 mph
  • Whisper quiet at 69 decibels at 20mph
  • Integrated speed, cadence and power sensors eliminate the need for extra external sensors
  • 2" resistance unit roller allows for 650b, 700c, 26", 27", and 29" - up to a 2.0 tire.

The Saris CycleOps M2 Smart Indoor Bike Trainer

The Do-It-All Smart Trainer

Capable of replicating any workout thrown its way, the M2 smart trainer can handle up to 1500 watts at 20 mph and a 15% climbing grade. Simply connect to your virtual training software of choice via integrated dual-band ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth, and let the M2's electromagnetic response system do the rest.

Your Passport to Smarter Training

Whether you want to attend a group ride in Zwift, climb the Dolomites in Rouvy or simply need a sweat session, the M2 smart trainer can get you there. All you need is your bike, the M2 wheel-on bike trainer, your favorite virtual training software and device of choice.

Saris CycleOps M2 Smart Trainer: For every rider.

Zwift indoor training M2 CycleOps virtual trainer software connected indoor

Rouvy indoor training virtual ride smart trainer CycleOps

TrainerRoad training indoor cycle bicycle trainer  CycleOps M2 cycling

Ride On

Ride through a volcano. Chase a ghost. Set new PRs. You can do it all in Zwift's training software. From individual training sessions to group rides to customizable avatars, Zwift will have you coming back for more.

Indoor Cycling Reality

The only virtual training software of its kind with augmented reality. Rouvy gives you access to 2,000 real-life videos with some of the best routes and workouts from across the globe. Augmented overlays of 3D riders turn any road into a virtual bike race. There's no better way to train, race or travel the world by bike and have fun along the way.

Get Faster

Training plans. Structured Intervals. Data that doesn’t quit. TrainerRoad’s training software connects you to the data that matters most. Tapping into scientifically-backed data, TrainerRoad is where cyclists go to get faster.

Saris H3 Trainer Saris M2 Trainer Saris Fluid2 Trainer Smart Equipped Saris Fluid2 Trainer Smart Equipped Saris Magnetic Plus Saris Magnum
Saris H3 Direct Drive Smart Bike Trainer Saris M2 Smart Indoor Bike Trainer Saris Fluid2 Indoor Bike Trainer Saris Fluid2 Smart Equipped Indoor Bike Trainer Saris Magnetic Plus Indoor Bike Trainer Saris Magnetic Indoor Bike Trainer
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
295
4.2 out of 5 stars
505
4.2 out of 5 stars
722
4.2 out of 5 stars
722
4.2 out of 5 stars
368
4.2 out of 5 stars
368
Trainer Type Direct Drive Rear Wheel On Rear Wheel On Rear Wheel On Rear Wheel On Rear Wheel On
Decibel level at 20 mph 59 decibels 69 decibels 69 decibels 69 decibels 69 decibels 69 decibels
Resistance Unit Electromagnetic Electromagnetic Fluid Fluid Magnetic Magnetic
Grade Simulation 20% 15%
Maximum Watts at 20 mph 2000 1500
Maximum Weight 300 lbs 300 lbs 300 lbs 300 lbs 300 lbs 300 lbs
One month subscription to ROUVY virtual training app
Wireless, Bluetooth, and ANT+ FE-C Standards With speed adaptor
Compatible with virtual training apps With speed adaptor With speed adaptor With speed adaptor
Zwift Certified With speed adaptor

Product Description

Plus, our innovative Clutch knob ensures perfect tire-to roller connection for every single ride.

Product information

Technical Details

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Saris

Saris M2 Smart Indoor Electromagnetic Resistance Bike Trainer, Compatible with Zwift App


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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
505 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the performance of the bicycle trainer. For example, they say it works well and flawlessly with Zwift. They also like the connectivity, and value. That said, some complain about the alignment of the bolts, saying it's difficult to line up and screw in. Opinions are mixed on quality, ease of assembly, and noise.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

47 customers mention36 positive11 negative

Customers like the performance of the bicycle trainer. They say it works well, flawlessly with Zwift, and with the app. Some customers have not had any issues with the trainer, and it works perfectly with their axle. The unit is amazing with iPad and incredible with AppleTV on, and seems to meet their needs.

"...The WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube is great stuff, BTW, great on a good many things where you don't want petroleum-based lubrication and mess...." Read more

"...It came today and in fact one of the combinations works perfectly with my axle (photo)...." Read more

"...ERG works well with Zwift as it simulates and responds to the scenery in life-like fashion...." Read more

"...Phone support prompt ("press 2 for customer service") does not function (press any number and nothing happens) and I still have not received any..." Read more

11 customers mention11 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the connectivity of the bicycle trainer. They mention that it connects easily, has seamless Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, and syncs easily with rouvy and swift. They also say that the pairing process is quick and easy, and that it works flawlessly and smoothly.

"...Bike Trainer is a great trainer, well-made, works flawlessly and smoothly, and a good way to get a smart trainer for a reasonable price that doesn't..." Read more

"...It is very simple and I had no problems connecting trainer to the app and doing the setup...." Read more

"...This trainer is great, connects with the apps that I use and is keeping me motivated. Seller was great , very quick delivery." Read more

"...Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity has been seamless, and the calibration process is quick and easy...." Read more

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the value of the bicycle trainer. They say it's a great budget smart trainer, an entry-level purchase, and a good investment for a serious rider.

"...and smoothly, and a good way to get a smart trainer for a reasonable price that doesn't break the bank...." Read more

"...Seller was great , very quick delivery." Read more

"...This purchase is for my wife to use on Zwift. The price was amazing at 50% of the cost of the first purchase." Read more

"...Great entry level purchase." Read more

62 customers mention39 positive23 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the bicycle trainer. Some mention that it's rock solid, while others say that it was poorly designed and manufactured.

"...and to conclude this review...the Saris M2 Smart Bike Trainer is a great trainer, well-made, works flawlessly and smoothly, and a good way to get a..." Read more

"...-awesome aspect of the experience is that both Rouvy and Zwift feel a bit unpolished as far as software goes...." Read more

"...It appears to be a fine and durable piece of hardware which will probably outlast me.Software: I am using the trainer with the Rouvy app...." Read more

"...on Zwift I have to crank down a bit on the peddles and there is no wobble to the bike or handle bars...." Read more

46 customers mention25 positive21 negative

Customers are mixed about the ease of assembly of the bicycle trainer. Some mention it's very easy to set up, with standard, quick pairing. They say there's not a lot of parts to install, and the pictures make a simple installation. However, others say that it was a bit tricky to assemble, with fiddly parts and small images. They also mention that the instructions are not the best and that the trainer does not come assembled.

"...Pairing is standard, quick, easy and no big deal (on phones and tablets you pair it in the app(s) that you are going to use - not with the phone's..." Read more

"First of all, just assembling this thing was a b****. The tolerances are poor, as other reviews have stated, and they were not lying...." Read more

"...Software: I am using the trainer with the Rouvy app. It is very simple and I had no problems connecting trainer to the app and doing the setup...." Read more

"...The instructions were deficient in regard to the blue tooth setup...." Read more

13 customers mention6 positive7 negative

Customers are mixed about the noise of the bicycle trainer. Some mention that it is quiet and can help dampen some sound, while others say that it's super loud, not real quiet, and makes a huge grinding sound and smell when they pedal.

"...I am very impressEd how quiet it is. I was using a standard cycleops/trek trainer and the M2 is much quieter...." Read more

"...is supposed to be around 70 decibels at 20 mph (32 kph) but can be pretty loud if you are really putting a lot of power into it and are using just..." Read more

"...Connects easily, not too loud and feels very sturdy thankfully, I was concerned with this before buying." Read more

"...For anyone who thinks that this is a quiet ride Beware! It is very noisy...." Read more

12 customers mention0 positive12 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the alignment of the bicycle trainer. They mention that the bolt is difficult to line up and screw in. They also mention that parts do not fit well together and require force to put them together. Some customers also mention the bolt was pretty much a press-fit and they had to tap it with a hammer to get it to fit. Overall, some customers are disappointed with the quality and alignment of this bicycle trainer, and recommend it only to experienced bicycle enthusiasts.

"...bolt holes that form the "hinge" between the motor and the stand did not line up without me pressing down with my whole body weight on the motor..." Read more

"...go back years and they all say the same thing, the bolt is VERY difficult to line up and screw in.Also:..." Read more

"...that the tightness setting provided by a "click" from the yellow knob is way too tight...." Read more

"...It's a shame about the poor alignment, since that's the sort of thing which would be trivial to remedy on the production line, but such was Cycleops..." Read more

7 customers mention0 positive7 negative

Customers have negative opinions about the tension knob on the bicycle trainer. They say that it's faulty and doesn't work as designed. Some customers also mention that the bolt is not adequate.

"...So, not only did the clutch fail, the bolt is not really adequate......" Read more

"...They found the knob was faulty and it didn’t click until a damaging amount of pressure was put in the bike. Do Not Buy This Trainer." Read more

"...Clutch knob didn't work as designed and I ended up bending the frame and "L-Bolt" in an attempt to get the "click" per assembly instructions...." Read more

"...As others have noted, the knob didn't click. If you tighten too much, the frame yields and so does the L-bolt...." Read more

Great product - c'mon, buy it!
5 Stars
Great product - c'mon, buy it!
The Saris M2 is a wheel-on trainer. Originally it was the Cyclops Magnus and still shows up as the Magnus on ANT+ and Bluetooth, depending on what you are using.The Saris M2 comes packed well in a sturdy and neat little box.This box very prominently lets everyone know that you have just acquired a brand-spanking new bike trainer from Saris, so your mail/delivery person and your neighbors and friends and spouse and everyone will obviously be green with envy and jealousy over your new cycling purchase. Hopefully, porch thieves will not be.The box consists of two parts, the outer one slides into the inner one and is taped together, making it very secure and stable and protective.The main structure of the A-frame bike trainer is folded and secured in cardboard sleeves inside the inner part of the box and the roller/flywheel/resistance wheel and power pack (unlike non-smart trainers this unit requires power) and skewer are in a bag and secured in their own box inside the folded piping of the trainer structure.There are assembly instructions and a few other things like a one-month free membership to Rouvy.The Saris M2 also comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which is nice (make sure you register).Assembly of the unit is pretty straightforward and easily done with the included tools. One part gave me pause but it was my own issue - thinking I knew how the bolt SHOULD go in when I should have just followed the directions. It took a few minutes of assembly and it was ready to go.The process consists of bolting on the resistance unit and mounting the adjustment lever on the frame, and then the resistance clutch knob with a bolt. Easy for anyone to do.The legs fold out for use and back in for storage. Though I usually leave them folded out a bit so that it doesn't topple over when I store it. The two foot pads on the rear of the A-frame have leveling feet in case the surface you are putting in on leaves something to be desired in the level department, though the folding front legs give it a certain amount of self-leveling ability too. A quick turn of the knobs that make up the ends of the feet lets you increase or decrease it's level a bit. The structure itself is matte black painted metal, the whole thing weighs about 20 pounds or 9 kilos. It feels very substantial and heavy-duty. The rated maximum rider/bike weight is 300 pounds (140 kg).This is a magnetic resistance trainer so there are coils and magnets in a disc on one side, whereas the other side has a flywheel (with a cooling fan inside) with a roller in between. The skewer that comes with the Saris is of a common size and replaces the skewer that is already on the back wheel of your bike, it is easily replaced by unscrewing the existing one and replacing it with this one made especially for this trainer, tightening it. The ends of the skewer fit in perfectly to the nubs on either side of the trainer fork.To lock it in there is a lockdown level that has three positions for various skewer sizes ranging from 120 to 135 mm, and if you need to you can pick up skewers for other sizes from Saris or other companies..One of the hinges on one of the legs was a bit tight and very hard to pop out so I did have to get my socket set out and loosen it slightly, as the included tool only fit the parts that needed to be assembled. I also sprayed a bit of WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube onto the surfaces that touch each other where the legs hinge in and out. The WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube is great stuff, BTW, great on a good many things where you don't want petroleum-based lubrication and mess.The overall approximate size of the unit is around 21 1/5 inches (55 cm) wide and folds out to about 27 inches (69 cm) or so and folds to around 14 inches with a height being about 20 inches (51 cm).The flywheel itself is around two and a half pounds or 1.2 kilos and has a cooling fan inside it. I guess I am not putting in enough power as I never notice anything on the unit getting anything but barely warm! My other bike trainers had much smaller flywheels and resistance units and they got significantly warm, even hot sometimes.The Saris M2 can be used with most any common bike wheel size including 700, 26", 27", 29", 650b and the trainer info shows that it can take up to a 2-inch wide tire, though there's plenty more room for more width so I am not sure why that is only up to 2" (5 cm). The roller is aluminum and 2" (5 cm), pretty standard.Max wattage is 1500 watts at 20 mph with a 15% inclined simulation. 1500 watts is a lot, and I think someone like me is never going to even come close to approaching this, on the non-smart bike trainers I have lying around here it is pretty easy to surpass their maximum power, at least for a time. Accuracy is + or - 5% but strangely the Amazon page for the M2 shows a +/-2% accuracy. But I believe that all other official ratings are 5% so the 2% is probably a mistake by whoever created the Amazon page.The sound level is supposed to be around 70 decibels at 20 mph (32 kph) but can be pretty loud if you are really putting a lot of power into it and are using just regular tires. There are a plethora of bike trainer tires of all sorts for all sorts of bikes that are going to decrease your overall noise level. But I just use an old tire from the previous season, on mine. Checking the level with a simple decibel meter on my phone seems to correspond to what Saris rates it as, maybe a bit higher. You can also decrease the sound level by using a mat or towel and other things, it really depends somewhat on what surface you have it on in addition to the above factors. Check out the video at the end of this post for a quick demo of the nominal sound level.The M2 uses standard Bluetooth and ANT+ FE-C for connecting to devices, this allows two-way communications so its sensors are read in one direction and in the other direction can control the trainer's resistance.Bluetooth is sometimes better and more stable than ANT+, which is what I have found as well as others. Though Bluetooth seems to only allow one connection but if you have other devices you can also use ANT+ at the same time.  Power, cadence and speed sensors are built-in and sent to whatever device you are using.Pairing is standard, quick, easy and no big deal (on phones and tablets you pair it in the app(s) that you are going to use - not with the phone's native Bluetooth pairing).Pair it to the Saris app first for calibration - Android version here and iPhone version here. Though I did have a weird issue with the Saris app at first, and I had to uninstall and re-install it at which point it quickly paired and I was able to jump on and calibrate it. Calibrating just consisted of a quick spooling up to speed and then letting it roll down. Done and over with. It also had a firmware update, which while taking a while was also easy and straightforward. This is also done on the Saris app - as always with any device; don't unplug it or mess with it while it is being updated.Also, note here that you may need Location turned on on your phone or tablet when pairing.Once it is calibrated you can then pair or connect it to other apps on your phone or tablet, to programs on your computer (make sure you have Bluetooth turned on or an ANT+ dongle), or to bike computers or your watch. Pairing or connecting to each device may be different but with all of the devices that I have connected to, it was done quickly and easily. This included my phone, tablet, computer, Garmin Fenix Watch, and Garmin Edge 520 Plus bike computer. The Edge and Fenix can run a number of training sessions that you set up in Garmin Connect, or be used to manually change the resistance of the trainer or keep you running at a particular wattage.The Saris M2 is a basic smart trainer and there is no rocking, no steering, no raising up of the front or back or anything like that, etc - you would have to get external equipment for simulating those options. And it won't simulate cobblestones or stones or brought pavement or anything like that. Some people do make their own rocker stands and such and as I said - there are many external devices you can use with it.I like to put a towel down under the trainer and bike, not only does it provide a little protection and cushioning but frankly you are going to sweat profusely so it is pretty necessary, even with a fan! And it can help dampen some sound. There are lots and lots of bike trainer mats too, that are made especially for bike trainers or you can get a generic fitness mat or a cushioned mat from Lowes or another home improvement store, or any number of things as needed.So to go over the procedure for setting it up - it's pretty easy.  Make sure your rear bike tire is pumped up to proper pressure and try to keep this pressure as exact as possible each time you use the trainer for consistency in power output. Just set the trainer down and fold out the legs, position your bike so the skewer ends line up with the nubs on the fork of the trainer and push the lever down and it's locked in. When you assemble the Saris M2 you do have to set the lever position to correspond to the width of your skewer/frame beforehand, which just takes a few seconds of messing with and once it is done you don't need to again.A riser under the front tire (as I said - the Saris M2 does NOT come with a riser but there are tons of them on Amazon. I even made my own out of wood), plug the power pack into the back of the trainer and tighten the pressure knob down. The tension knob is yellow and you just tighten it until it clicks - which sets it to the same resistance each time via an internal clutch. Ideally, you may want to re-calibrate at the beginning of a session and as conditions can change, but I tend to not as I am not quite training so intensively that I need exactly perfect accuracy. You may also be able to calibrate individually in various programs or apps that you are using.Whatever software are using - whether it is an app or a program or the bike computer; I found that it generally works smoothly and easily and with very little trouble. Occasionally you may have a bit of a setup the first time depending on the app or program.There doesn't seem to be much of a warm-up needed for the resistance to be stable, and as for the resistance changes themselves - they are smooth and pretty quick but not so fast as to be unrealistic.It is certainly not real quiet, especially when you are really pumping some watts into it. I have maybe mentioned this often here and I don't want my readers to think that it is overly loud - I would say it's comparable to the other bike trainers I have and only gets a bit louder because it is able to put up a higher resistance/power output.Depending on what you have under it for a mat or towel (I highly recommend one or the other) and whether you have a carpet, and how your house is constructed - it can be a bit loud on the upper end; though I could still hear the TV with a bit of a bump in the volume.Standing up and pounding out as much power as I can in a cardio-swamping hyper-sweat dripping sprint - the trainer is stable and secure underneath the bike; no wobble or instability. Whether you are just spinning, doing intervals, or standing up and pounding out some wattage it is smooth and stable through the whole range.The flywheel is a good size and its inertial felt pretty good for me, like during coasting and such. But I also came from smaller trainers with fairly small flywheels so this larger flywheel makes a lot of difference. The flywheel also has cooling fans inside. This brings me to the other thing I noticed - because of various things like the higher wattage capacity and maybe the flywheel blades and the fact that it is a heavier-duty unit overall - I rarely feel much heat being generated or retained by the M2. Maybe I just don't put that much wattage into it ;)With ANT+ I had a few dropouts on a couple of programs on the computer, but that was solved by switching to Bluetooth and that probably was more a matter of the old ANT+ dongle that I have than any issue with the trainer. The only other thing that caused a slight burp was certain user-created interval workouts in Kinomap - most worked fine but a few increased the resistance too much on my particular trainer, I am guessing this had to do with the people who originally created that particular user-created routine. This is a non-issue for me as Kinomap seems to have started abruptly charging a subscription for sharing to Strava or even downloading workouts, so I have abandoned this app for others, like Wahoo RGT. See below screenshot.There are lots and lots of apps and programs that you can use with the Saris M2 - including but not limited to Wahoo RGT, Zwift (the M2 is Zwift certified), Rouvy, TrainerRoad, Bkool, Fulgaz, MyWhoosh, Kinomap, Golden Cheetah (a super swiss army knife of training, but with a slightly steep learning curve and only for computers), TrainerDay, etc  Also, noted earlier but worth mentioning again - you may need Location turned on on your phone or tablet when pairing any of these.Some software allows you to use ERG workouts created with other programs and run them for interval and training workouts, and others like Garmin Connect allow you to create them yourself right in the website or app.So to sum up here and to conclude this review...the Saris M2 Smart Bike Trainer is a great trainer, well-made, works flawlessly and smoothly, and a good way to get a smart trainer for a reasonable price that doesn't break the bank. It's a couple of steps above a non-smart trainer in quality as well as features, comparable in accuracy to more expensive ones, and is quick and easy to set up and be training with little effort or trouble, and lets you use any major VR training or smart training app out there. Great product, buy it!
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product - c'mon, buy it!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
The Saris M2 is a wheel-on trainer. 

Originally it was the Cyclops Magnus and still shows up as the Magnus on ANT+ and Bluetooth, depending on what you are using.

The Saris M2 comes packed well in a sturdy and neat little box.

This box very prominently lets everyone know that you have just acquired a brand-spanking new bike trainer from Saris, so your mail/delivery person and your neighbors and friends and spouse and everyone will obviously be green with envy and jealousy over your new cycling purchase. 

Hopefully, porch thieves will not be.

The box consists of two parts, the outer one slides into the inner one and is taped together, making it very secure and stable and protective.

The main structure of the A-frame bike trainer is folded and secured in cardboard sleeves inside the inner part of the box and the roller/flywheel/resistance wheel and power pack (unlike non-smart trainers this unit requires power) and skewer are in a bag and secured in their own box inside the folded piping of the trainer structure.

There are assembly instructions and a few other things like a one-month free membership to Rouvy.

The Saris M2 also comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which is nice (make sure you register).

Assembly of the unit is pretty straightforward and easily done with the included tools. One part gave me pause but it was my own issue - thinking I knew how the bolt SHOULD go in when I should have just followed the directions. It took a few minutes of assembly and it was ready to go.

The process consists of bolting on the resistance unit and mounting the adjustment lever on the frame, and then the resistance clutch knob with a bolt. Easy for anyone to do.

The legs fold out for use and back in for storage. Though I usually leave them folded out a bit so that it doesn't topple over when I store it. The two foot pads on the rear of the A-frame have leveling feet in case the surface you are putting in on leaves something to be desired in the level department, though the folding front legs give it a certain amount of self-leveling ability too. A quick turn of the knobs that make up the ends of the feet lets you increase or decrease it's level a bit. The structure itself is matte black painted metal, the whole thing weighs about 20 pounds or 9 kilos. It feels very substantial and heavy-duty. The rated maximum rider/bike weight is 300 pounds (140 kg).

This is a magnetic resistance trainer so there are coils and magnets in a disc on one side, whereas the other side has a flywheel (with a cooling fan inside) with a roller in between. The skewer that comes with the Saris is of a common size and replaces the skewer that is already on the back wheel of your bike, it is easily replaced by unscrewing the existing one and replacing it with this one made especially for this trainer, tightening it. The ends of the skewer fit in perfectly to the nubs on either side of the trainer fork.

To lock it in there is a lockdown level that has three positions for various skewer sizes ranging from 120 to 135 mm, and if you need to you can pick up skewers for other sizes from Saris or other companies..

One of the hinges on one of the legs was a bit tight and very hard to pop out so I did have to get my socket set out and loosen it slightly, as the included tool only fit the parts that needed to be assembled. I also sprayed a bit of WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube onto the surfaces that touch each other where the legs hinge in and out. The WD-40 Specialist Dry Lube is great stuff, BTW, great on a good many things where you don't want petroleum-based lubrication and mess.

The overall approximate size of the unit is around 21 1/5 inches (55 cm) wide and folds out to about 27 inches (69 cm) or so and folds to around 14 inches with a height being about 20 inches (51 cm).

The flywheel itself is around two and a half pounds or 1.2 kilos and has a cooling fan inside it. I guess I am not putting in enough power as I never notice anything on the unit getting anything but barely warm! My other bike trainers had much smaller flywheels and resistance units and they got significantly warm, even hot sometimes.

The Saris M2 can be used with most any common bike wheel size including 700, 26", 27", 29", 650b and the trainer info shows that it can take up to a 2-inch wide tire, though there's plenty more room for more width so I am not sure why that is only up to 2" (5 cm). The roller is aluminum and 2" (5 cm), pretty standard.

Max wattage is 1500 watts at 20 mph with a 15% inclined simulation. 1500 watts is a lot, and I think someone like me is never going to even come close to approaching this, on the non-smart bike trainers I have lying around here it is pretty easy to surpass their maximum power, at least for a time. 

Accuracy is + or - 5% but strangely the Amazon page for the M2 shows a +/-2% accuracy. But I believe that all other official ratings are 5% so the 2% is probably a mistake by whoever created the Amazon page.

The sound level is supposed to be around 70 decibels at 20 mph (32 kph) but can be pretty loud if you are really putting a lot of power into it and are using just regular tires. There are a plethora of bike trainer tires of all sorts for all sorts of bikes that are going to decrease your overall noise level. But I just use an old tire from the previous season, on mine. Checking the level with a simple decibel meter on my phone seems to correspond to what Saris rates it as, maybe a bit higher. You can also decrease the sound level by using a mat or towel and other things, it really depends somewhat on what surface you have it on in addition to the above factors. Check out the video at the end of this post for a quick demo of the nominal sound level.

The M2 uses standard Bluetooth and ANT+ FE-C for connecting to devices, this allows two-way communications so its sensors are read in one direction and in the other direction can control the trainer's resistance.

Bluetooth is sometimes better and more stable than ANT+, which is what I have found as well as others. Though Bluetooth seems to only allow one connection but if you have other devices you can also use ANT+ at the same time.  Power, cadence and speed sensors are built-in and sent to whatever device you are using.

Pairing is standard, quick, easy and no big deal (on phones and tablets you pair it in the app(s) that you are going to use - not with the phone's native Bluetooth pairing).

Pair it to the Saris app first for calibration - Android version here and iPhone version here. Though I did have a weird issue with the Saris app at first, and I had to uninstall and re-install it at which point it quickly paired and I was able to jump on and calibrate it. Calibrating just consisted of a quick spooling up to speed and then letting it roll down. Done and over with. It also had a firmware update, which while taking a while was also easy and straightforward. This is also done on the Saris app - as always with any device; don't unplug it or mess with it while it is being updated.

Also, note here that you may need Location turned on on your phone or tablet when pairing.

Once it is calibrated you can then pair or connect it to other apps on your phone or tablet, to programs on your computer (make sure you have Bluetooth turned on or an ANT+ dongle), or to bike computers or your watch. Pairing or connecting to each device may be different but with all of the devices that I have connected to, it was done quickly and easily. This included my phone, tablet, computer, Garmin Fenix Watch, and Garmin Edge 520 Plus bike computer. The Edge and Fenix can run a number of training sessions that you set up in Garmin Connect, or be used to manually change the resistance of the trainer or keep you running at a particular wattage.

The Saris M2 is a basic smart trainer and there is no rocking, no steering, no raising up of the front or back or anything like that, etc - you would have to get external equipment for simulating those options. And it won't simulate cobblestones or stones or brought pavement or anything like that. Some people do make their own rocker stands and such and as I said - there are many external devices you can use with it.

I like to put a towel down under the trainer and bike, not only does it provide a little protection and cushioning but frankly you are going to sweat profusely so it is pretty necessary, even with a fan! And it can help dampen some sound. There are lots and lots of bike trainer mats too, that are made especially for bike trainers or you can get a generic fitness mat or a cushioned mat from Lowes or another home improvement store, or any number of things as needed.

So to go over the procedure for setting it up - it's pretty easy.  Make sure your rear bike tire is pumped up to proper pressure and try to keep this pressure as exact as possible each time you use the trainer for consistency in power output. Just set the trainer down and fold out the legs, position your bike so the skewer ends line up with the nubs on the fork of the trainer and push the lever down and it's locked in. When you assemble the Saris M2 you do have to set the lever position to correspond to the width of your skewer/frame beforehand, which just takes a few seconds of messing with and once it is done you don't need to again.

A riser under the front tire (as I said - the Saris M2 does NOT come with a riser but there are tons of them on Amazon. I even made my own out of wood), plug the power pack into the back of the trainer and tighten the pressure knob down. The tension knob is yellow and you just tighten it until it clicks - which sets it to the same resistance each time via an internal clutch. Ideally, you may want to re-calibrate at the beginning of a session and as conditions can change, but I tend to not as I am not quite training so intensively that I need exactly perfect accuracy. You may also be able to calibrate individually in various programs or apps that you are using.

Whatever software are using - whether it is an app or a program or the bike computer; I found that it generally works smoothly and easily and with very little trouble. Occasionally you may have a bit of a setup the first time depending on the app or program.

There doesn't seem to be much of a warm-up needed for the resistance to be stable, and as for the resistance changes themselves - they are smooth and pretty quick but not so fast as to be unrealistic.

It is certainly not real quiet, especially when you are really pumping some watts into it. I have maybe mentioned this often here and I don't want my readers to think that it is overly loud - I would say it's comparable to the other bike trainers I have and only gets a bit louder because it is able to put up a higher resistance/power output.

Depending on what you have under it for a mat or towel (I highly recommend one or the other) and whether you have a carpet, and how your house is constructed - it can be a bit loud on the upper end; though I could still hear the TV with a bit of a bump in the volume.

Standing up and pounding out as much power as I can in a cardio-swamping hyper-sweat dripping sprint - the trainer is stable and secure underneath the bike; no wobble or instability. Whether you are just spinning, doing intervals, or standing up and pounding out some wattage it is smooth and stable through the whole range.

The flywheel is a good size and its inertial felt pretty good for me, like during coasting and such. But I also came from smaller trainers with fairly small flywheels so this larger flywheel makes a lot of difference. The flywheel also has cooling fans inside. This brings me to the other thing I noticed - because of various things like the higher wattage capacity and maybe the flywheel blades and the fact that it is a heavier-duty unit overall - I rarely feel much heat being generated or retained by the M2. Maybe I just don't put that much wattage into it ;)

With ANT+ I had a few dropouts on a couple of programs on the computer, but that was solved by switching to Bluetooth and that probably was more a matter of the old ANT+ dongle that I have than any issue with the trainer. The only other thing that caused a slight burp was certain user-created interval workouts in Kinomap - most worked fine but a few increased the resistance too much on my particular trainer, I am guessing this had to do with the people who originally created that particular user-created routine. This is a non-issue for me as Kinomap seems to have started abruptly charging a subscription for sharing to Strava or even downloading workouts, so I have abandoned this app for others, like Wahoo RGT. See below screenshot.

There are lots and lots of apps and programs that you can use with the Saris M2 - including but not limited to Wahoo RGT, Zwift (the M2 is Zwift certified), Rouvy, TrainerRoad, Bkool, Fulgaz, MyWhoosh, Kinomap, Golden Cheetah (a super swiss army knife of training, but with a slightly steep learning curve and only for computers), TrainerDay, etc  Also, noted earlier but worth mentioning again - you may need Location turned on on your phone or tablet when pairing any of these.

Some software allows you to use ERG workouts created with other programs and run them for interval and training workouts, and others like Garmin Connect allow you to create them yourself right in the website or app.

So to sum up here and to conclude this review...the Saris M2 Smart Bike Trainer is a great trainer, well-made, works flawlessly and smoothly, and a good way to get a smart trainer for a reasonable price that doesn't break the bank. It's a couple of steps above a non-smart trainer in quality as well as features, comparable in accuracy to more expensive ones, and is quick and easy to set up and be training with little effort or trouble, and lets you use any major VR training or smart training app out there. Great product, buy it!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2023
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
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5.0 out of 5 stars Does The Job Well and Folds Nicely For Storage
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2023
When I ordered this trainer I also ordered a QR skewer kit which had plastic adapters which fit in the frame and wheel to allow using the included QR skewer with a thru axle wheel. The adapter and skewer fit the wheel and bike well but sadly the setup is too wide for the Saris M2. As far as I can tell Saris does not offer an axle for the 142 x 12 1.5 pitch frame and wheel my carbon gravel frame requires. After much angst and research I ordered a Rapidlock Through Axle Kit from an Amazon seller in hopes that it would work. It came today and in fact one of the combinations works perfectly with my axle (photo). I hope this info is helpful to others who are considering the M2 trainer.

As far as the trainer itself goes so far so good.

Assembly: It took a bit of finagling to get the bolt that holds the resistance unit to the frame lined up to go through the holes. I took on assembly star off for this although it is not a big problem, it just requires a bit of patience and in my case a few blows with a short piece of 2x4 I keep on hand for such problems. The assembled product is as solid and stable as a rock. It appears to be a fine and durable piece of hardware which will probably outlast me.

Software: I am using the trainer with the Rouvy app. It is very simple and I had no problems connecting trainer to the app and doing the setup.

Riding: It is the work of a few minutes to change the bike's thru axle and put the bike on the trainer and start the software. I started out with the Rouvy @2 mile tutorial ride. I was surprised at how much resistance the trainer had until I noticed that the ride starts with a steep climb. Even on flat terrain the trainer has more resistance than riding on the road but I have quickly gotten used to this. My second ride was/is the first 11 miles of an 18 mile 1% max 85 foot elevation gain route in Korea (I wanted to start easy). For me it is harder to stay motivated on the trainer at least so far. Unlike riding outdoors which requires returning home from any point on a route on the trainer it is easy to stop and either end or pause the ride. I am on a pause and will finish the ride Korea ride after I finish this review. This is not intended to be a review of the app but it appears it will work out well for my purposes.

Summary: I considered a popular low end direct drive trainer but opted for the Saris M2. It is 1/2 the price even with the axle adapter and the folding feature is important in my limited space. I am concerned about wearing out my almost new Gatorskin rear tire on the roller. I set up an old rim brake QR wheel and tire in hopes of using it with the QR adapter kit mentioned above. Since this does not work I plan to find a way to convert the old wheel to thru axle or buy an inexpensive thru axle disc wheel to use with the trainer and one of my old tires. Although I have not ridden a direct drive trainer for comparison I think the Saris M2 is a fine and solution for indoor riding.
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Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars Bon produit et service après vente
Reviewed in Canada on March 13, 2024
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
Pedro
5.0 out of 5 stars Costo-Beneficio
Reviewed in Mexico on July 9, 2021
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
JuanPa
4.0 out of 5 stars De los mejores de su tipo
Reviewed in Mexico on January 14, 2024
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JuanPa
4.0 out of 5 stars De los mejores de su tipo
Reviewed in Mexico on January 14, 2024
Para ser de llanta, las características están muy por encima de los de otras marcas. Es muy bueno si se tiene un presupuesto ajustado y le permitirá a ciclistas novatos o incluso intermedios una muy buena experiencia virtual. Se usó con bicis de ruta y MTB (26”) sin problema. Solo recomiendo tener una llanta dedicada ya que este rodillo las castiga mucho.

Tiene un error de diseño ya que, con el tiempo, la “L” que se usa para ajustar la unidad de resistencia a la llanta y la zona del marco donde se acopla se van deformando y me preocupa que llegue un momento que esta deformación sea tal que impida el correcto funcionamiento del rodillo. (Tercera foto)

Sin embargo, recientemente los rodillos tipo “Direct Drive” han bajado de precio, incluso los he visto muy cercanos al precio de este por lo que si se presenta la oportunidad es mucho mejor ir por el “ Direct Drive” ya que son mucho más silenciosos y con mejores prestaciones.
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Stuart Doyle
5.0 out of 5 stars The M2 reprints the best value for money wheel-on trainer for Zwift
Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2021
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
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Angel A.
1.0 out of 5 stars No parece nuevo.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 17, 2022
Style: New TrainerVerified Purchase
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Angel A.
1.0 out of 5 stars No parece nuevo.
Reviewed in Mexico on June 17, 2022
Acabo de recibir el artículo y tiene marcas de uso previo. No parece nuevo sino reconstruido. Espero no tenga fallas
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