Mark Adams The Bkool Smart Pro 2 Trainer features a bespoke design alongside reduced noise, greater range of smart resistance, and is ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart compatible.
Advanced Smart Trainer
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 Trainer offers a realistic riding experience as well as some of the most advanced simulator controls on the market. When you decide to tackle a hilly virtual route, the trainer will automatically adjust when changing terrain so you can feel your legs and lungs burn, just like you would on the road.
1200W Resistance and 20% Gradients
With a resistance up to 1,200W and the ability to simulate gradients of 20%, the Smart Pro 2 allows you to test your limits during the off-season as well as summer days when rain cancels play. This smart trainer is wireless, ANT+, and Bluetooth Smart, allowing it to be set up quickly. It’s also compatible with a number of devices and third party apps.
Features:
- Smart Resistance Control: Adjusts resistance automatically according to the route, providing extreme terrain simulation including inertia.
- Power Output: Up to 1,200W (20% slope maximum)
- Wireless: ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart
- Versatile: Adjustable to any wheel size (20″-29″)
- Plug and Play: No set-up needed
- Compact and Light: Easy storage, foldable
- Stable: Comes with extendable feet
Bkool Smart Pro 2 Trainer Review:
Monitor/Controls
The Smart Pro 2 comes with a large console-type monitor that allows you to view all of your relevant information easily. It doesn’t feel as awkward and unbalanced as other training computers, rather it’s much more familiar and allows you to read everything easily. The Smart Pro 2 offers features that are easy to use and change.
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 comes with an easy to read console, a more familiar design than others on the market that make it easy to see and read.
The Smart Pro 2 also comes with an 8-way remotes with a red button that works the resistance. The interface is logical (press and hold the red button to decrease resistance and a single press to increase resistance) and the remote is comfortable as well as design to be easy to reach.
Technology
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 is Bluetooth Smart compatible and works with a number of different devices. It doesn’t require any special hardware or software on your phone or tablet, simply pair it (this was a quick process) and you’re set.
The Smart Pro 2 paired quickly via bluetooth to my iOS device.
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 features a rider-specific approach and offers different workout options for different goals. There are also third party apps supported by the Smart Pro 2 that you can add on to the trainer.
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 offers many third party options.
Bkool offers free third party apps for the Smart Pro 2 that you can add on (these are free but some cost money to download). There are apps that can offer a reconfigurable dashboard, via GPS, session recorders, graphs, routes and workouts, mixed in with others.
With the trainer you get the Bkool Smart Pro 2 Basic Software but by connecting the trainer to your computer and logging into the Bkool Dashboard, you are granted access to the additional third party apps.
The Smart Pro 2 lets you create an account online and log into your dashboard where you can select your third-party apps as well as upload and save your workout data, add and edit routes, add your own workouts, etc. The online account is a great feature and allows you to keep track of your progress as well as your monthly training results.
Bkool lets you connect to the online dashboard where you can track your workouts and progress.
Quality/Performance:
I tested the Bkool Smart Pro 2 on numerous different rides over a period of two months. These rides included off-road cycletouring as well as climbing hill sessions. I used the same bike throughout all the testing and ensured the tire pressure was the same for all rides.
The Bkool Smart Pro 2 was easy to set up. Once I opened the box, all that was required was to turn the knobs to the correct measurements and secure the bike. I set up the trainer wheel first and then ensured that the frame was as level as possible (there are wheel extendable feet and end caps.
Setting the Smart Pro 2 up was quick and straightforward. The trainer fits wheels of 20-29″ (tire width doesn’t matter).
The Smart Pro 2 was quiet, I could only hear the noise from my bike tyres spinning on the wheel. All the resistance was coming from the trainer itself and not my bike. I could only hear some noise from the rear brake but this wasn’t usually noticeable when riding. I didn’t have to make any adjustments for the noise.
I found that the Smart Pro 2 was easy to set up (it took me 8 minutes to set up the trainer and I made sure the tire pressure was the same as on my bike) and easy to use.
I used a number of third party apps along with the Bkool Smart Pro 2. The third-party apps were easy to use and work seamlessly with the Smart Pro 2.
The control was easy to use and set up. I used the Bkool Basic Software but added a number of third-party apps. The Bkool Basic Software has a number of options that are easy to use, from the gradient to the rider weight.
After using the Smart Pro 2 for 2 months, I’d discovered there were a few drawbacks.
I found that using a third party app and using the Smart Pro 2 resulted in a few issues at times, most of the issues were easy to work around but it did require a bit of patience.
