Sometime last year, Garmin announced that the acquisition of Tacx, a company well known for their indoor smart trainers which replicate “highly realistic and accurate” outdoor riding experiences. The move made sense—after all, Garmin is clearly trying to strengthen its foothold in the fitness technology industry.
Now, Tacx’s range of indoor cycling trainers and rollers have been announced for the Malaysian market, with Ivan Ong, Sales and Marketing Manager of Garmin Malaysia explaining that the trainers’ features will help Malaysian cycling enthusiasts stay sharp from home.
Four models are now available as part of Tacx’s first offering in Malaysia: the Neo 2T Smart, Flux 2 Smart, Flux S Smart, Antares, and Galaxia. Pricing and features range from RM999 all the way to RM6,699, so here’s a quick breakdown to understand which model works best for you.
Tacx Neo 2T Smart
The top-of-the-line model in the range, Tacx’s Neo 2T Smart is designed to give riders a realistic outdoors feel, but with as little noise as possible. A redesigned motor and improved analytics, along with new magnets help to reduce vibration and noise, a supposed improvement over its predecessor.
What’s interesting here is the twin capacitive sensors that sit on either side of the trainer to help measure leg position. This, according to Garmin, will help cyclists to train power distribution, as overall performance.
You can also pair the Neo 2T Smart with the Tacx Training App, where you can “virtually experience” famous courses, structured workouts, or even rides through some exotic locations like the Alps. Data is measured accurately within 1 percent.
And to further improve on the experience, the Neo 2T Smart automatically adjusts speed or incline changes. There’s even “descent simulation”, which is pretty self-explanatory.
Tacx Flux 2 Smart
A step down from that is the Flux 2 Smart, which has a slightly poorer margin for measurement accuracy—within 2.5 percent. Again, this trainer is designed to give riders a realistic replication of outdoor riding, with dynamic inertia compensating against factors such as weight, incline, or speed.
The motor is also designed to give riders a maximum sprint resistance of 2,000 watts, while up to a 16 percent incline can be simulated as well.
Tacx Flux S Smart
Garmin says that the Flux S Smart is an “easy to use”, with their entry-level drive trainer using a weighted flywheel to—you guessed it—offer a “realistic” ride. Data is measured within a 3 percent margin of accuracy, while sprint resistance is set at 1,500 watts and inclines up to 10 percent.
Tacx Antares and Galaxia Roller Trainers
If you’re looking for something a little more simple (and affordable), the Antares and Galaxia Roller Trainers might hit the spot. Compatibility with bikes shouldn’t be an issue provided your wheel diameters are between 26–29 inches, and minimal setup is required.
A swing system helps to absorb bike acceleration for the Galaxia model, which helps to keep your bike (and yourself) on the trainer. And if you’re done with your ride, and you want to store it? You can shorten it to 80cm.
Pricing and availability
The Neo 2T Smart, Flux 2 Smart, and Flux S Smart are available at all Garmin stores and authorised dealers, with RRP for the range as follows:
Tacx Neo 2T Smart – RM6,699
Tacx Flux 2 Smart – RM4,199
Tacx Flux S Smart – RM3,499
Tacx Galaxia Rollers bike trainer – RM1,299
Antares Galaxia Rollers bike trainer – RM999
For supported Smart models, you can also pair your trainer to the Tacx Training App that’s available on the App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices. The app also supports cross-linking data with a Strava account so riders can export and share their data within the cycling community. For the Neo 2T Smart, ANT+ support means that compatible third party software and devices will work.
To find out more, click here for Tacx’s official website.
