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Price: $359
Style: Fluid resistance
Style: Indoor cycling
The right trainer for: Race-day warmups, interval sessions, and getting in on the virtual fun
The Kinetic Road Machine Smart 2 is one of the best low-cost smart trainers currently available that is both reliable as an indoor training device and that allows you access to the world of virtual cycling. It may look rather plain. There is nothing earth-shattering about a fluid trainer with a basic metal frame that holds the bike by the back wheel. When it comes to setting resistance via roller tension on the back wheel, Kinetic didn’t try to, um, reinvent the wheel. Nor did it try any other tricks to make this trainer more visually appealing.
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There is a lot to be said for keeping it simple and sticking with what works. In this case, what works is a proven design (fluid resistance) that’s been enhanced with Kinetic’s inRide 3 power sensor with ANT+, FE-C, and Bluetooth connectivity so you can get in on the virtual action.
The frame is the same sturdy, tried-and-true, folding metal frame that other Kinetic trainers, notably the Smart Control, use. It’s also the same frame that older Kinetic models use. That’s not an accident. The resistance units on all of Kinetic’s trainers attach to the frame the same way, and resistance units are also sold separately. If you have an older model, you can buy just the new resistance unit to upgrade to a smart trainer. In a world full of planned obsolescence, this is a breath of fresh air.
The trainer comes with a trainer-specific skewer, and if your bike has thru-axles, Kinetic’s thru-axle adapter, the Traxle, will have you up and running.
Road Machine Smart Fluid Family
Within the Smart fluid trainer family, Kinetic has a few different options, all of which utilize the same fluid resistance roller. The Rock and Roll Smart 2 ($549) has the same connectivity features as the Road Machine Smart 2, but it allows the bike more freedom to move from side to side in an effort to combat the feeling of being locked into a stationary trainer. The Road Machine Smart ($269) lets you ride in the virtual world but doesn’t have the inRide 3 power sensor. The Rock and Roll Smart ($449) has the same connectivity as the Road Machine Smart, and like the Rock and Roll Smart 2 allows you more freedom to move the bike from side to side.
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Fitbit Ionic
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Garmin Vivoactive
Track everything on this all-sport Garmin.
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Streamlined & Capable
Microsoft Band 2
All the functionality, with a limited battery.
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Consistent, No-Slip Resistance
Performance-wise, this trainer lives up to Kinetic’s reputation for building top-quality, reliable fluid trainers. Twisting a knob to set the roller tension on your back wheel may be a minor inconvenience, and you may get it wrong the first few times, but it’s the most effective way of ensuring your wheel doesn’t slip against the roller on high-torque efforts.
The roller itself is larger than some other fluid trainers, and although this trainer doesn’t have ridges on the roller to enhance traction, as others have, traction is not an issue when you press the roller hard enough into the rear tire. That large roller, together with the 6.25-pound flywheel, gives a remarkably consistent ride. Many trainer companies like to talk about road feel in the same breath as they mention flywheel weight. But let’s be honest. We’re riding a trainer. Inside. Or maybe outside if you take this trainer to a race, which you can do with this one because the inRide 3 power unit runs off a 2032 watch cell battery and does not need to be plugged in. So let’s take that “road feel” thing with a grain of salt.
Good for Zwift—and for Race Day
While this trainer may not match the “road feel” of the Wahoo Kickr, the holy grail of indoor trainers, it gives, by far, the best ride (ride, not road) feel of any other fluid trainer I’ve ridden. Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. The Kinetic Road Machine Smart Control also gave me the same, great ride feel (notice the theme from Kinetic?). Whereas other trainers in this category give you a noticeable hitch in your pedal stroke at the dead spots, either due to poor momentum from the trainer (that’s where this road feel thing actually comes into play) or because the roller needs to warm up, that isn’t the case with the Road Machine Smart 2. It’s consistent and reliable throughout. Long, steady efforts feel great, the flywheel does give you a little momentum so adjusting your speed doesn’t feel terrible, and you can sprint flat-out (or at least I can, but I can’t lay claim to a terribly powerful sprint) without fear of your wheel slipping on the roller.
If you’re looking for one sturdy, reliable trainer that is easy to throw in the car for a race-day warmup, good for interval sessions, and also lets you join the virtual crowd, you won’t find a better option under $400 than the Kinetic Road Machine Smart 2.
Kinetic by Kurt Road Machine Smart 2
