Review: The Zwift Hub Trainer

As many of us are aware, cycling – whether it’s your hobby, your job, or something in between – can be a slippery slope. Every upgrade, accessory, or device that I originally tell myself “You don’t really need that…”, is eventually purchased. It was only a matter of time before I took this sport, hobby, whatever…indoors.

Going into fall, as excited as I was for giving CX a shot and going on some awesome leaf peeping gravel rides, I couldn’t help but think about the winter training that was just around the corner. I thought back to last winter of riding outside: frozen water bottles, numb hands and toes, and the condensation from my breath turning my gaiter into a cylindrical ice cube around my neck and face. I didn’t want that to be my only option for riding again this winter, so I began looking at trainers.

I wasn’t looking to spend a ton of money, and I needed one that could be set up, broken down, and put away quickly. My partner does not partake in this “hobby”, and requests to rearrange our living room to accommodate a trainer were promptly denied. Taking all of this into consideration, I began looking at my options. 1) Wheel-on trainers: easy to set up and inexpensive, however many are not compatible with disc brake bikes, and the ones that are would likely need additional adapters (plus extra wear and tear on your tires or having to mount an indoor specific tire). 2) Rollers: I just had a feeling that would end badly. 3) Used direct drive trainer: that could work, but I may need to purchase an additional cassette. Long story short, there wasn’t a quick and easy option and winter was drawing near.

Enter Zwift Hub, hundreds less than competing direct drive trainers on the market, with basically the same specs and capabilities, the Hub comes with a SunRace cassette which you select at time of purchase (you can choose between 8-12 speeds). Adapters for quick release axles (130/135mm) and thru-axle (12x142 / 12x148) are included. It transmits via Bluetooth and Ant+, which just about covers it right? All instructions and tools for assembly are included. Don’t like reading instructions? Zwift has a full YouTube video playlist on getting setup. Within about 10 minutes, mine was assembled, plugged in, and connected seamlessly to my power meter, heart rate monitor, laptop, and head unit.

Anyone else need to use a full size shower towel?

Of course, when you buy the Hub, you are immediately signed up for a 14-day Zwift trial which then rolls you into the monthly subscription plan. For the first month or so I was experimenting with lots of different workouts and worlds in Zwift, and getting used to riding in ERG mode vs. SIM mode. More recently, however, I’ve finally got myself back on a training plan and have simply been using the Hub with my Garmin head unit. The Hub’s ERG mode is synching perfectly with my workouts and I’m honestly considering cancelling the Zwift subscription. Firmware updates for the Hub are easily managed within the Zwift Companion App.

The Hub weighs ~33lbs. It feels sturdy enough when riding and even doing a quick sprint out of the saddle, yet not too heavy that it’s impossible to maneuver around the apartment, and it’s pretty quiet! My neighbors haven’t complained yet. It’s small enough that it can be, and is, tucked against the remaining free wall space in my apt when not in use.

Although it’s been a mild winter, and consistently warm enough to get outside at least 2-3x a week, having the option to hop on the trainer for a 30-45 minutes after work, or before work (just not at the mandatory 5am wake up for a few laps in CP), has ushered in a new quality of life to winter training. I’m finding it a lot easier to stick to training plans and a regular sleep schedule. At the end of the day, there’s no substitute for riding outside. I’m looking forward to the warmer days ahead, but in the meantime, having the Hub has been a simple, no fuss, and reliable indoor solution. I’d recommend it to anyone considering a new trainer, especially those who are new to the sport, hobby, whatever...