Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsGood machine but horrid documentation
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2020
The TacX Neo 2T was for me a replacement for my former TacX TT4 system trainer. The improvements were most remarkable. Specifically: 1. The user interface is much improved. 2. The program crashes much less frequently, 3. It continues to offer fantastic training that simulates real-life situations quite closely. 4. I appreciate that I don't need to use the bicycle rear wheel with its special training tire.
The problems with the TacX Neo 2T are many. 1. The program still crashes frequently, and there's nothing you can do about it. 2. The assembly instructions are absolutely horrid. Assembly of the unit is often just plain wrong. Clearly the people that wrote the assembly manual had no clue as to the product. Not noted is that you may have to completely re-tune your bicycle derailleurs (yourself) in order to make the shifting function like it should. 3. Instructions for the software are near absent. This has always been typical of TacX but now far more so. Determining how to configure your software is something that you must do hit and miss, as there is no manual to explain what everything means. 3. You are now forced to a subscription system. True, it's not terribly expensive, but still, in order to use the trainer, it is approximately 10 euros per month. 4. You might have purchased many videos for the older trainers. Those are worthless in that they are incompatible with the new system, and they are not maintaining the older TT4 system. Thus, they go in the garbage. Sadly, TacX has not upgraded those rides. 5. The trainer simulates real life but now feels a bit harder to pedal on both the level and on climbs, compared to real life. I could adjust the percent work down from 100% but that just doesn't feel right. There is no way that I know of to calibrate the system to real life. 6. The GPS rides are stupid and a bad excuse for TacX not filming those rides. They used to use Google street view (for a subscription), but now they just use the satellite view, which is not exactly a "virtual reality" ride. In addition, TacX has no filmed rides for the USA. That is inexcusable.
I would recommend the TacX trainer with a guarded "yes". It's the best out there and in a rainy environment like the Northwest, it provides a fair bicycle alternate. This is a sad statement because TacX could improve their product with minimal effort.
