Originally Posted by
CasualBikerJay
Contemplating getting a trainer here, newish casual rider in the cold Northeast...
I was thinking good quality dumb fluid trainer (new or used) plus some YouTube videos for scenery stimulation.
IF I were to go with a smart trainer, what is the minimum of smarts I should be looking for, keeping in mind I will never use Zwift or similar social riding themes?
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There are a couple of things that "smart" does for you. The main one is that the level of effort can be controlled by the computer, but some models also have a power meter included (which of course drives up the price a good bit). And there is something called "Erg mode" where you can configure the thing so that you have to put in a specific level of effort (say 150 watts) no matter how hard you pedal - this mode is useful for some workouts.
The resistance can be controlled directly from an app (such as a phone app). Or it can be controlled by a PC app such as Zwift or some other more training focused application.
If you are not going to use something social like Zwift, and you aren't going to use another training type of app (watching youtube videos for scenery) then I am not seeing a whole lot of benefit to having a smart trainer.