Saris H3 Discussion/Issues

Got my H3 yesterday people. I will put a very short review on it today or tomm on this thread. Can’t wait!

Mike

1 Like

I don’t care too much for local but interesting that you prefer Neo 2 than H3 that much! This will help me to actually buy something :wink: Thanks again.

1 Like

There’s not really any setting options other than ON / OFF for PowerMatch. About the most important thing, just like regular ERG use, is to be as steady and consistent with your cadence as possible.

Based on comments, PM leads to more “stuff” in the flow and that can lead to more variation when compared to ERG without PM.

It is confusing because we see some people love PM while others loath it. I think it is worth a ride or two to evaluate with your exact hardware and riding habits. Go with whatever works and feels best to you. PM makes sense in general, but if it doesn’t perform well for you (for whatever reason) it is probably best to ditch it.

  1. Neo needs absolutely no calibration. Just nice to hop on and not ever have to second guess calibration.
  2. It is really, much more quiet than my H2 and Kickr17, and I sure noticed the difference when I swapped from the N2 back to the K17 and H2. maybe the H3 will be enough improvement, but the N2 is REALLY QUIET!
  3. Road Feel function in Zwift is fun for me and especially my wife, since she just does free-rides. I love it for my open and Fondo rides on Zwift too.
  4. The downhill drive is similar to Road Feel, in that it makes the immersion more realistic within Zwift.

Those are biggest things I can think of between the two.

Today I did my planned ride which was just beech (Z2).
-The H3 is quiet. I only heard my chain. Even when I did the calibration up to 24mph I never heard the trainer. (Super Stoked)
-Easy to get going out of the box. No firmware update needed and I was up and running 15 minutes later
-the erg mode was nailed. I was hovering between 2 watts over and under the entire ride. Spot on accurate.
-the gradual ramp to different wattages was perfect. Stayed right on the number each time.
-stable as anything else. Has adjustable legs if needed.

Tomm I am doing a SST workout so we will see how it goes for that. I’m stoked about this trainer. If a Kickr or Neo are quieter I just don’t see how. I only heard my chain and it’s not that bad of shape.
For the money this has got to be the one to beat this year and maybe even next.

Mike

7 Likes

Any more feedback from your ride(s) thus far?

I just picked up an H3 (was delivered today) and will have some feedback on it after this weekend. Granted I am coming from a Kurt Kinetic wheel-on trainer, so I’m sure I’ll be happy no matter what.

3 Likes

I’m also a long time Road Machine user and interested in moving to the H3 so I’ll be interested to see your thoughts on it! :grinning:

2 Likes

So my feedback is still the same. It performed within a few watts on all my intervals. No power spikes or dropouts anywhere. I am so happy with the purchase. and to top things off outdoor play has 20% off right now with code SPT2. that makes the trainer $799.99

Trainer is so quiet compared to my Road Machine. Noise level is nothing. I want to here a kickr just to compare.

2 Likes

Curious on your thoughts as you use Zwift a fair bit. I do nearly all of my training on the platform and have gotten to be a fairly strong contender in the A category races.

Is spending more for a Neo 2 going to yield any appreciable benefits in performance vs. the Saris H3?

Using the coupon at Outdoor Play the H3 is $799 at the moment and I’m considering finally jumping into the smart trainer world. Currently using a 4iiii PM and old Tacx mag trainer. I outrun my trainer’s 900w resistance regularly in sprints so I know that will be improved regardless of my choice.

Hard call. Both are fantastic trainers. I really like the feel of the real flywheel on the H2 just a bit more. I also like the Neo for the lack of calibration.

I do prefer the H2 for overall bike fit since the Neo seems to have more interference issues. I also think the H2 is best if you want native thru axle support. There can be a lever clearance issue if you have a fixed style they axle. But its.an easy fix with a lever-less or mobile lever design.

If I had to keep just one of my smart trainers, I think it would be the H2.

3 Likes

I don’t use zwift but have used rouvy some with the H3. It adjust pretty quick with the gradient changes. I cant say the Neo 2 is better or worse in this regard but if its better i don’t know how you could really tell. It seems to lag maybe 2-3 seconds in sharp resistance changes and gradual ones are on the money. Power number are incredibly accurate. All my interval workouts on trainer road are within a couple watts up and down. This has been my experience. Others may have different reports. I also went with the H3 because Saris support is second to none in my experience.

2 Likes

Thanks for posting that new code, I just emailed them to price-match me because I used the 15% code and they told me that the trainer is on backorder for 2 weeks. Just saved another $50!

1 Like

Score!!!

1 Like

Anyone know of a good deal on these in the UK? Wiggle were doing 17% off with platinum discount but then it went OOS and now they’re saying Smart Trainers aren’t included

I’d offer to buy one for you and ship it over but by the time I do that with a 50+lb box, I doubt its going to offer any savings to what you can pay there.

It’s just come back in stock, but yeah – I’d only set up the stock alert because I’d noticed I was getting that extra discount. It’s now at £849.

1 Like

Just pulled the trigger on an H3 from Competitive Cyclist. Used their 20% November code and got it for $799.

I think there’s one left if anyone’s looking…

1 Like

Was looking at that too. It wasn’t actually in stock yet and I think that’s why it wasn’t excluded from the platinum.

I’m so jealous of these prices, even the standard price at $999–standard price in Canada is $1329. :sob: At $800 it would be an instant buy! :joy:Hopefully there’s some Black Friday deals here to help a bit (note that I’m leary of ordering from somewhere in the US/overseas for warranty issues, and once exchange, shipping, taxes and duties get tacked on from just the initial purchase it’s not really worth it.)

1 Like