Zwift broke new ground with its innovative Hub One trainer back in October 2023. Although the best direct-drive trainers have been a massive step forwards compared to wheel-on trainers, their cassettes spelt compatibility headaches for multi-bike households with differing numbers of gears.
The Hub One solves this issue by replacing the cassette with a single sprocket - making the trainer compatible with 8 - 12 speed bikes. The 'gear shifts' are handled in the same way as a smart bike, with remote buttons that adjust the resistance of the trainer - issues of badly indexed gears and crunching shifts become a thing of the past.
The Hub One trainer sits in the middle of the smart trainer market. It might have a clever sprocket system, but its power meter accuracy is ±2.5% and its maximum simulated gradient is 16% - the Tacx Neo 2T is accurate to ±1% and can simulate gradients of up to 25%. The Tacx can also function without an external power supply and provides a more stable platform with its heft and large footprint.
On the other hand, the Tacx Neo 2T is over twice the price at £1,199.00. Everyone's needs are different - for some, low price and convenience are high up on the priority list. For others, the only consideration is peak performance.
Which end of the spectrum you lean towards is an entirely personal preference. But if you do prize the former, then you've got a good offer on the table - at least until Feb 6th and whilst stocks last
