3 New Smart Bike Frame Trainers

Recently, there has been a flood of the most popular bicycle trainer brands releasing their very own “smart bike trainers”, in the past more commonly referred to as stationary bikes. Stationary bikes have been around for quite some time, and some trainer brands (anybody remember CycleOps?) have even released these quite some time ago without the trend catching on. We’ve seen a handful of new releases recently that are catching a lot of attention that we wanted to dive into. There seems to be a new category afoot in the indoor cycling training space with “smart trainer frames” (is that what we are calling them?). Brands are offering smart trainer frames designed to connect to an existing smart trainer and allow all the benefits of a smart trainer bike but at a lower cost and with more versatility. We are […]

Recently, there has been a flood of the most popular bicycle trainer brands releasing their very own “smart bike trainers”, in the past more commonly referred to as stationary bikes. Stationary bikes have been around for quite some time, and some trainer brands (anybody remember CycleOps?) have even released these quite some time ago without the trend catching on. We’ve seen a handful of new releases recently that are catching a lot of attention that we wanted to dive into.

One of the original bike trainers, the CyclOps Power Pro.

There seems to be a new category afoot in the indoor cycling training space with “smart trainer frames” (is that what we are calling them?). Brands are offering smart trainer frames designed to connect to an existing smart trainer and allow all the benefits of a smart trainer bike but at a lower cost and with more versatility. We are going to dive into what we love about them, hate about them, and what you should consider from a fit perspective before purchasing one.

Zwift Ride with Kickr Core

Zwift Ride powered by Kickr Core.

What’s great about it

Built on the back of the amazing Wahoo Kickr Core, one of the best direct drive smart trainers out there. Compared to other smart bike trainers, the price is quite reasonable at $1299USD and is even cheaper than the higher end trainers. Shifting is built directly into the bike with Zwift controls to help avoid having to remove your hands from the bars and navigate your device with sweaty hands. Very wide range of adjustability for riders ranging between 152cm (5’) and 198cm (6’6). Adjustable gearing ratios and shifting style (SRAM vs Shimano) to match your outdoor bike.

What could be improved

You’re locked into Zwift, which depends on your training preferences, isn’t the end of the world for a lot of riders. We like to dabble with different training platforms though and it’s nice to have that flexibility as your training needs and preferences may change over the years. It’s a decent investment to be mainly limited to one platform. There is fairly limited adjustability around the bike compared to other smart bike trainers. While the cost is impressive, you will still need to pay for a Zwift subscription and a device for running Zwift.

How it fits

Zwift is claiming the bike will fit anyone from 152cm (5’) and 198cm (6’6), which may be true from a saddle and handlebar height perspective, but isn’t in other aspects. The crankarms are 170mm and are not adjustable. This is an okay middle ground, but is too long for people on the shorter end of the range, and too short for people on the taller end of the range. Similar to the cranks, the handlebar width is locked in at 420mm. This would actually be on the larger end of handlebars and will be fairly wide for most riders in the height range.

Zwift Ride fit adjustment recommendations.

Overall thoughts

A great offering from Zwift at an awesome price point that will do most things (on Zwift) really well for most people. It’s not the most fit customizable option compared to Smart Trainer Bikes, but it’s also 1/3 of the cost at least.

Caveworks Rivet Smart Bike

Caveworks Rivet in the “Geared” option.

What’s great about it

Compatible with a variety of trainers and training software. Has a few different spec options at purchase depending on whether you currently have a trainer and what software you plan to use. The frame is built with industry standards (well, as close as it gets in the cycling industry) allowing you to use a wide range of components to customize the setup. This will allow a lot of adjustability for different proportioned riders. Front axle is designed to pair with Kickr Climb and has adjustable feet for trainers that require risers. This indoor trainer frame does seem built to be customizable for any setup you desire.

What could be improved

There is no trainer included, or an option to have a trainer included. It’s not the end of the world, but in comparison to other options out there, it’s another step and expense in the process. The single speed option depends on “virtual shifting” and the geared option is 1×12 with a 48 tooth chainring. They claim the gearing working well “with trainer difficulty settings”, which seems sort of vague considering the cost of the equipment. Both of those purchasing options leave something to be desired or something that needs to be tweaked in order to have a “do it all” indoor training setup.

How it fits

Caveworks claims the Rivet will fit riders between 147cm (4’8) and 198cm (6’6). The frame has a dropped top tube offering plenty of standover clearance for shorter riders. The only proprietary piece from a fit perspective is the stem, and their stem solution is awesome. The Rivet has a custom stem solution allowing you to raise/lower the handlebars and adjust the stem length with a simple knob. The handlebar height has a wide range of adjustability, and the stem has up to 120mm in adjustability.

The best part is that it’s just a simple twist knob to adjust both of these parts, allowing the bike to be shared in a household without the need to swap out stems. Otherwise, the seat post diameter, stem diameter, and bottom bracket are all fairly “industry standard” sizes allowing riders to basically use whichever handlebar, seat post, or crank arm length they desire. From a bike fitters perspective, this indoor bike frame is a dream come true in its ability to allow riders to achieve almost any fit they desire.

Caveworks Rivet in the barebones “frameset” option for custom builds.

Overall thoughts

The Caveworks Rivet is a super cool “open software” version of trainer bikes that will allow riders to build their indoor training set up just about any way they like. Although, it’s sort of the indoor trainer version of building your own computer. It’s the better option if you know what you’re doing and don’t mind spending a bit more, but it will be a bit of a process to get going if you’re less technically inclined.

Elite Square

The Elite Square smart trainer bike frame.

What’s great about it

The ability to have pre-set profiles with custom shifting systems (SRAM, Shimano, Campagnolo), custom cassette ratios, and custom chainring ratios. Gearing and shifting styles are customized in the Square app making it super accessible to riders without mechanic skills. Wide range of adjustability including saddle height, saddle tilt, saddle fore-aft, handlebar height, handlebar fore-aft, top tube length, and crank length. Compatible with any popular smart trainers on the market. Handlebar has built in controls for popular training applications (ei. Zwift Play).

What could be improved

There isn’t much to hate about this one as far as the smarter trainer frames category goes. The Square is priced at $1250€, which would be comparable to the Zwift Ride except the Square doesn’t include a trainer. Considering the Square’s adjustability, it does make sense for it to come in at a higher price, but you will need a trainer to pair with it.

How it fits

Elite claims the Square will fit riders between 152cm (4’11) and 198cm (6’6). This trainer frame does have A LOT of adjustability built right into it. It has a wide range of adjustability in the basic places (saddle height and handlebar height), but also adjustability with saddle fore/aft, saddle tilt, top tube length, and crank length. The crank lengths available are an amazing range from 165mm-175mm.

All of the adjustments are made with a simple tool that comes with the trainer so not much mechanical know-how is required. Unfortunately the handlebar is not interchangeable and is on the wider side at 420mm. All-in-all, we believe most riders will be able to get comfortable on the Square.

Elite Square top tube frame adjustability.

Overall thoughts

The Elite Square is an amazing, out of the box option. It will give you a lot of adjustability, with strong performance, and be versatile with different trainers and software without any complications.

Key Takeaways – Smart Bikes vs Smart Frames

This new category of smart trainer bikes has the potential to be a game changer for indoor cycling training. The new options being released are a fraction of the cost of a full smart trainer bike, while offering more versatility and a lot of the benefits of a dedicated smart trainer bike. They also offer the ability to take the trainer frame off of your trainer, and bring your trainer with you in the case of events where you want to warm up beforehand. It’ll be interesting to see how this category evolves in the coming years as we suspect it may gradually take over the indoor training space.