New Zealand's RevBox is taking a different approach to rear-wheelless indoor trainers.
Existing options on the market from brands like Wahoo and LeMond use massive flywheels or flywheel fans to help riders smooth their pedal stroke as they log miles and tackle intervals indoors. RevBox does it differently by instead using a massive fan. The fan creates resistance in such a way as to force each leg to do its own work. As a result, when the RevBox trainer is paired with a power meter that measures each leg's power, riders can analyze the effectiveness of left and right pedal strokes separately. The side benefit of the fan is that it provides some cooling.
RevBox brings its rear-wheelless indoor trainer to the US through Ridley Bikes. Press Camp 2016. © Cyclocross Magazine
The RevBox is not as loud as the Kreitler Killer Headwind, but it's not whisper quiet either. Riders have some ability to customize the unit's resistance by changing the unit's main chainring's size, but the primary adjustment is done by simply changing gears on your bike. The RevBox has a speed/cadence sensor and there's an available mobile app which currently only allows for downloading to TainingPeaks, with additional software platforms planned for the future.
The RevBox is rather large, and sports a low center of gravity making it stable. Claimed weight for the unit is 8.6 kilos, or some 18.95 pounds. So, while it can be dismantled easily, it may not make it to the weekly race for warm-up purposes.
Still, the unit's overall simplicity and concept, to have riders training at low inertia and high resistance to focus on pedal efficiencies, seems well thought out.
The RevBox retails for $1,000 USD and the units are distributed by Ridley Bikes in the US.
More info: revbox.co.nz
The nearly 19 pound RevBox trainer sports a low center of gravity and a stable feel during a quick demonstration. Press Camp 2016. © Cyclocross Magazine
