Having used the Tacx non-smart i-Genius turbo trainer for a while, I have also been using my Tacx smart Flow trainer a lot recently.
The Tacx Flow is great value, the lowest price Tacx trainer that is fully smart, i.e. ANT FE-C and Bluetooth bidirectional. Thus the trainer software (Tacx films or 3rd party like Zwift, on laptop or handheld device where applicable) will control the Flow brake, and the Flow sends all speed, power and cadence data to the training software.
You can also control a smart trainer like the Tacx Flow with the Garmin x20 series, i.e. such as the 520 or 820 that have the right data protocols.
At this low end of the Tacx range, you are limited to 6% uphill simulation and 750W power, but I don’t find this too much of an issue. Because it doesn’t have a motor to help simulate downhill freewheeling (like the I-Genius I also have) you work harder downhill to make up for it being easier at 7% uphill and above because the resistance is limited to simulating 6% max.
The Tacx Vortex does 7% and 950W but not worth quite a bit extra price in my opinion. I have published quite a bit on all this on Facebook to my cycling Club I have also described how Zwift offers the option of increasing what they call “difficulty” from the default standard 50% to something higher. This increases resistance on hills, lowering cadence and speed and leaving power the same.
Tacx have something called “virtual speed” which decreases reported speed uphill and increases it downhill to compensate for the maximum simulated uphill and downhills on trainers like the Flow and Vortex.
The much more expensive Tacx Neo, Genius and Bushido don’t need that.
DCRainmaker always offers good information, especially his “all you wanted to know…” page which is at www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/07/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-ant-fe-c-and-bike-trainers.html
32 minutes ago