The cycling season may just be just beginning, but that hasn’t stopped Garmin from looking forward when all Roadies need to ride a bike indoors. On Tuesday, the company announced TACX Alpine, an indoor gradient simulator for its Neo Smart Trainer family. Accessories can copy up to 25% tilt and drop up to -10% and adjust manually via the built-in control panel or automatically when using the device with applications from Zwift and Garmin’s own TACX training software, such as Zwift.
In the same application, TACX Alpine also allows for real-time virtual steering adjustments. Naturally, Garmin Connect support also includes for statistical tracking and more. In short, TACX Alpine is designed for those who want to spice training since they are on the road bike on an indoor trainer, and it is the most boring thing ever.
It’s easy to install the front of the bike, Garmin said. Inside the box you will find adapters for the quick release string (9 x 100) and through the axle (12 x 100, 15 x 100 and 15 x 110), so the TACX Alpine will work with most modern road bikes. However, coaching compatibility is limited to Garmin’s NEO 2T and NEO 3M models. These are priced at $1,400 and $2,000, respectively, while the attachment itself will get you back $1,100, and Garmin does not intend to offer a bundle at launch.
This seems easy to pay for accessories designed to make your indoor rides less monotonous, but it’s roughly the same as the rest of the industry. For example, Wahoo sells its Kickr Climb Simulator for $750, but it doesn’t come with steering. Meanwhile, the Elite Rizer, which offers steering and gradient simulations, costs $1,000. Either way, if you’re looking at one of these, there’s a good chance you’ve already spent a penny on a beautiful carbon road bike and the idea of throwing another $1,000 on your hobby won’t make you stand out.
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