Saris H3 Direct Drive Smart Indoor Bike Trainer

There was a time when consumer products were created by artisans using lead pencils, slide rules, and elbow grease on clean sheets of paper. People rolled up their sleeves and created products that were long-lasting, dependable, and efficient. Consider the Beechcraft Bonanza, a beautiful, iconic plane that will never go out of style. Alternatively, there are the old Hoover vacuum cleaners, which are both visually appealing and extremely effective. In the same way, the Saris is made. Please hear me out. br>br>A few months ago, I paid about the same price ($900) for a pair of European brand trainers that were made in Asia somewhere. It came in a shabby-looking package. Styrofoam (not Earth-friendly) was used to line the box. friendly, by the way) that had disintegrated and powdered in transit. Although the item had been scuffed, it was still usable. It didn't look very appealing, and it reminded me of Megatron and Bumblebee if they had children. I didn't think it was very attractive (I usually ride a Litespeed, though a carbon Ridley gets a lot of miles), but I figured I could live with it. I did, too, for about ten rides until my Bluetooth connection died and I couldn't find any help on the internet. br>br>I NEED to train; Without my wheels, I get depressed, so I took out my credit card and went on the hunt, eventually finding the Saris H3. I knew it'd be better than what I had after spending about ten minutes researching it, and if I wasn't satisfied, well, Amazon has a great return policy. br>br>Delivery was scheduled for January 11, two weeks after my order was placed, but it arrived in just three days. That was a great start, and the box it came in was - I'm not joking. It was better designed than the trainer it was supposed to replace. To begin with, the box was entirely made of cardboard, expertly cut and positioned to protect the unit without the need for a second external shipping box. Second, compared to the previous unit, the box was smaller and the package was lighter. Most importantly, the H3 was in excellent condition. br>br>Unboxing revealed a design I had assumed had been retired for good; The thing is centered on a large, incredibly light aluminum casting with a classically elegant form; I wouldn't have been surprised if the Iron Giant's junkyard mentor was in charge of the design. Who makes things like this these days? Aluminum is an excellent design choice for almost any tool or machine, but because plastic is less expensive, everyone uses it. Not here. This thing is not only beautiful to look at, but it also serves as a great base and possibly the final resting place for my vintage Bianchi from the 1990s. On the first trainer, it looked all wrong, but on the H3, it looks just right, kind of like the Hughes Hercules H2 at the Evergreen Aviation Museum (hey, maybe they're related). Dig it. br>br> Saris includes three pairs of axle spacers, allowing it to fit any rear frame width, from old-school to modern. 130 mm rims with disk brakes, adapted to modern sizes. The spacers themselves are engineering marvels, made of lightweight, precisely machined aluminum that thread on and off with ease. They'd go perfectly with your high-end furniture. pieces by Ritchey or Thomson at the end The cassette hub appears to be taken from a modern turbofan jet engine, possibly a 787 or an F-35. Who knows what age 35 will be. Surprisingly, relief channels have been machined into it to SAVE WEIGHT! On a stationary trainer, can you shed some pounds? Saris had taken the initiative. br>br>Me and my Sram 10- No spacers were required for the speed cassette to mount; Only a minor adjustment to the derailleur was required to get the shifting to work properly. An O-ring made of thin rubber A snug, vibration-free fit is provided by the ring. The cassette fits snugly against the hub, resulting in a smooth, quiet ride. The fit was almost perfect, much better than if it had been installed on the actual wheel, which increased efficiency and kept things quiet. br>br>I liked that the Bluetooth instantly connected to my Edge 520 and began displaying all of the data without any issues, and that Saris uses an external, "wall wart" style power supply to greatly reduce the voltage going into the unit. This is, first and foremost, a major safety feature, because we don't want 120 volts sitting under our buttocks, let alone bolted to our steel, aluminum, or titanium bike. Watts are good, but Volts are not. additionally, the low-cost Surge protection is provided by the voltage supply. If you don't have a surge protector or UPS system, a voltage spike could fry the wall wart but leave the expensive H3 unharmed. br>br>After two hours of work, it was clear that the design was more than just a pretty face. The resistance is very realistic, and your Garmin will remember the resistance setting from a previous ride (though you must confirm it for each session). My previous trainer had a lot of slop in the cranks coming over the top when downshifting, and the unit models deceleration much better. The Saris decelerates as expected, keeping your spin smooth and your focus on the workout rather than wondering if you've forgotten how to spin. It feels a lot more like riding a bike, so I'll probably be doing more of my training indoors on hot days and when it's just too cold outside. br>br>Overall, a fantastic design that is made in the United States and of the highest quality and appearance.

Meilani Contreras

| Oct 08, 2021

My motivation for purchasing this is likely diametrically opposed to that of most other bikers: I want to get in shape, not stay in shape. It will give you a good workout, so get the fans, towels, and water bottles ready. br>br>You'll need the sprocket set from your rear wheel, or you can buy one specifically for the trainer to quickly get back on the road with your bike. I was under the impression that I would require a unique through-out. The handle sticking out of my Trek's rear axle is actually a removable tool that pulls out of the way when I need to mount my new Trek Domane, but it turns out that the handle sticking out of my Trek's rear axle is actually a removable tool that pulls out of the way when I need to mount my new Trek Domane. I'm not sure if this is a new thing, but no one on the Bike Forum (or in some YouTube videos) seemed to know about it, so I ended up ordering a rear axle that I didn't need. (After a few decades away from cycling, I'm just getting back into it. ) )br>br>Using it without any software programs gives you some resistance, which is good for a warm-up, but you'll need the programs to get a good workout. br>br>Installation: br>br>Installation: br>br> br>Forget about the Bluegiga bluetooth dongle that you may have seen advertised right away. It never worked for me. "Avantree DG40S USB Bluetooth 4. I discovered the "Avantree DG40S USB Bluetooth 4. For me, "0" is the best option. They appear to have all of the necessary software to make it compatible with any version of Windows 10. It was a cinch to put everything together. To get it close to the trainer (as I've seen others do), you don't even need a long cord. br>br>I used the trainer with Zwift on my Win10 gaming desktop and an iphone companion app that acts as a "middle man," connecting the trainer to the desktop to my 55" TV (because they're both connected to the same WiFi network). It made setup a breeze, and you can operate the software from your handlebar-mounted iPhone. Everything works fine, but the somewhat expensive subscription rate put me off after the free trial. br>br>Then I tried Rouvy, but it was plagued by connection issues, and I was never able to get it to work with my television. When I emailed support, they told me that the only way to fix it was to use a long cord adaptor to connect my iPad to my TV. I decided to get rid of them because the small image of my iPad on my big screen TV didn't fill the screen. br>br>I'm now using the FREE, yes, FREE (free is good) RGT cycling app, which connected to my iphone and desktop in seconds. To use my TV, I need to connect it to my computer via HDMI cable, but it works great and is completely free. It may lack Zwift's scenery and social interaction, but what it does have so far appears to be quite enjoyable. Did I mention it's completely free and effective? Besides, I find that instead of watching the virtual world while working out, I prefer to stream movies, but to each his own. br>br>I'm curious if virtual races are rigged. It would be so simple to hook up a drill to the H3 or any other trainer and win every prize available. I say this because I've seen people fly by like crotch rockets. I can't imagine anyone pedaling that fast in real life, and my software doesn't seem to detect it. Perhaps someone is keeping track of everything, looking for someone who is breaking records on a regular basis.

Vincenzo Bennet

| Jun 10, 2021