Garmin Tacx has released a new gradient simulator, 4 years after Elite released theirs and it is called the “Tacx® Alpine.”
This gradient simulator, at the moment, only works with Tacx® NEO 3M and 2T smart bike trainers. Tacx noted that it is designed “to give you a more realistic, engaging ride.”
It replicates grades from up to 25% and down to −10% and is priced at £929.99.
Specifications
| Dimension | 475 x 316 mm (18.7″ x 12.4″) |
| Height | 753 mm (29.6″) |
| Weight | 10.9 kg (24 lbs) |
| Accuracy (+/-) | 0.1% incline |
Frame clearance
Having seen this up close and personal several weeks before it was initially announced, my first observation was around clearance of the frame, where it connects to the smart trainer.
I reached out to Tacx, who noted the following:
“There are indeed clearance instructions to check when it calibrates. Indeed, when going down on some bicycles there might be some clearance issues. The special TT bicycles are very famous for that.”
Fortunately, Tax have you covered, and they have a detailed article about it here.
They have also noted that it is also well represented in the on-boarding videos.
However, there are a number of bikes that are not compatible, which are documented here.
Tacx explained that you can limit the amount of descent using the app. “In our app you can set the limitations for your bicycles so if yours can only go to -1 then you can create a setpoint that does not go lower than -1%.”
Initial thoughts
It looks like an innovative bit of kit, but at a high price point and currently only with with two Tacx products. The limitations on what bikes it is compatible with may prevent some from even buying it. That being said, it’s nice to see Tacx finally introduce a device like this, albeit a few years after their competitors.
I look forward to getting the opportunity to try one out to be able to write a detailed review, focusing on how it performs.
