CycleOps Magnus aims to make smart training more affordable

Another day, another new turbo trainer is unveiled. Yesterday we had the new Elite Drivo, today it’s the turn of CycleOps with its brand new Magnus smart trainer. 

- Buyer's guide to smart trainers + seven of the best

The US company boasts some 15 years of experience in making turbo trainers and it has put all its expertise into developing a new smart trainer that offers a whole bunch of features at a more affordable price. 

How affordable? We don't have a UK price yet, but at $599 it's likely to square up against the Wahoo Snap smart trainer. 

So what do you get for your money? CycleOps has used the same Classic Series hand-built steel frame that it’s been using across its range for many years, and is compatible with 120, 130 and 135mm quick release dropouts - no thru-axle compatibility though. The trainer can be easily adjusted for uneven floors and the legs can be folded away for storage. Noise level at 20mph is claimed to be 69-70 decibels.

The heart of the new trainer is a ‘faster-than-ever’ electromagnetic resistance unit which is rated up to 1,500 watts and is claimed to be highly responsive to even the smallest changes in power output. It uses the company’s tried-and-tested PowerTap power meter technology for monitoring power output.

The smart element comes from the ANT+ and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless protocols, which allows the trainer to communicate with any compatible smartphone, tablet, computer or cycling computer. It can be used with the company’s own VirtualTraining software or, of course, Zwift, the hugely popular online training game.

“After the success of the PowerBeam and PowerSync, we knew we couldn’t stop there,” said CycleOps President, Jeff Frehner. “From optimizing the radio frequencies to the guts that make these trainers do what they do, we evaluated our traditional smart trainers from the ground-up to create a machine that both delivers a good workout and is a heck of a lot of fun to ride.“