Tacx Training App Review: Is It Worth Using?

Tacx Training App review: Screenshot of a ride in Tacx Training App in a MacBook Pro mockup.

Tacx Training is an indoor cycling app developed by Garmin suitable for Tacx bike trainer owners.

The question is: Is it worth your time and paying for a subscription once the trial period ends? Shouldn’t you use another 3rd party app?

In this Tacx Training App review, you find out! I tested it and compared it with other popular indoor cycling apps to learn how it works, its pros & cons, and much more.

Let’s dive in.

Tacx Training Summary

Pros

  • A comprehensive library of high-quality, real-world routes
  • Includes structured workouts and training plans
  • Clean and intuitive user interface
  • Responsive and stable

Cons

  • Only compatible with Tacx trainers
  • No sophisticated motivational system
  • No avatars (can be an advantage for some people)
  • No drafting, power-ups, etc.
  • Not socially-oriented
  • Wrong type of information displayed during structured workout

What is Tacx Training?
Tacx Training App is Garmin’s indoor cycling app that plays videos of routes worldwide while you ride on a trainer. It also includes structured workouts and training plans.

Who is it for?
Tacx Training is perfect for people who want to explore places worldwide and improve their fitness. You will like it if you don’t mind riding solo.

Who is it not for?
Tacx Training is not for non-Tacx trainers users and people who want to meet others in-app.

You probably won’t like it if you prefer game-like graphics and sophisticated motivational elements.


My Experience with Tacx Training

Here is my experience with the initial setup, routes, user experience, and more you can find in Tacx Training.

Initial Setup

You won’t be able to connect it to the app if you have a smart trainer from another manufacturer. So, you have to have a Tacx bike trainer.

I paired it successfully with the Tacx NEO 2T and Wahoo TICKR heart rate monitor.

Screenshot of a pairing process in the Tacx Training App.
The pairing process went smooth

The app didn’t show my power meters, so I couldn’t even pair them. It’s strictly tied to Tacx trainers.


INDOOR CYCLING TIP: Improve your comfort and engagement with a cycling rocker plate and its swinging motion. I also recommend buying an indoor cycling fan that will keep you cooled down.


In-App Experience

Tacx Training offers three main riding functionalities:

  1. Real-world footage ride
  2. GPS ride
  3. Structured workouts and training plans

The real-world footage is like in FulGaz or Kinomap. Tacx Training doesn’t augment it with virtual objects like ROUVY.

Screenshot of a free ride in the Tacx Training App.
Tacx Training App graphics

GPS rides are similar to Magic Roads of Wahoo RGT. You upload your GPX file from Garmin Connect and based on its profile, Tacx Training creates the route and shows it on a map. Pretty boring, in my opinion, but you can train the exact profile of your next race.

You can also do structured workouts. I write more about them below.

Engagement

Tacx Training doesn’t include a sophisticated motivation system like Zwift, for example.

This means you have to be internally motivated to continue using it, similar to TrainerRoad or Wahoo SYSTM.

You can collect badges, but for me, this reason alone is not strong enough to use the app.

Screenshot from the Tacx Training App challenges.
Accomplish challenges and collect badges

Chasing other people can be a good incentive, but in Tacx Training, you only see their icon in the route profile. It doesn’t show any avatars like ROUVY or Zwift.

You can try to beat your previous times if there are no other people on a given route.

That’s where the external motivators of Tacx Training end. You have to be internally motivated (to maintain/improve your fitness, explore places worldwide, etc.) to use it.

Routes

Tacx Training offers lower hundreds of routes you can choose from. However, the free version is limited to two routes only.

You can ride famous climbs, such as Mt. Ventoux, Passo Stelvio, etc., or other famous places worldwide.

Screenshot from the Tacx Training App routes library.
Tacx Training App routes library

The routes library also includes many gravel routes, so you can take full advantage of the Tacx NEO 2T and Tacx NEO Bike gravel simulation.

The library has helpful filters so you will quickly find the route you want (or have time) to ride.

Screenshot of the Tacx Training app movies filter.
Movies filter

Training

Tacx Training has a workout library and a few structured training plans. The structured training plans are for premium users only. I couldn’t figure out how to enroll them in the free trial period.

So, you can use Tacx Training as a training tool if you are dedicated to improving your performance.

It includes two types of workout activities: power and slope.

  1. Power workouts have a structure where you maintain a specific power target based on your FTP.
  2. In Slope workouts, you have to set a specific road gradient that the app will simulate.

The workout user interface shows you only the information you need, such as your power, cadence, workout time, interval time, etc. It’s like TrainerRoad, but worse.

Screenshot of a structured workout in the Tacx Training App.
Structured workouts have nice graphic

It’s visually pleasant but shows the wrong data. I don’t care about my speed indoors. I care about sustaining the target power and the duration of the interval. Ironically, this information is written in tiny font, so it’s hard to read.

User Friendliness

Tacx Training has a nice clean user interface, making it easy to use.

I admit that the fonts could be larger for better readability from a distance, but otherwise, it’s pretty ok.

It’s responsive, easy to navigate, loads relatively quickly, shows you demos of the routes, and more.

I didn’t experience any signal dropouts or app crashes. It also has high reviews on Google Play and the App store.

Platforms Availability

Tacx Training is available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, except Apple TV.

Tacx Training App platforms availability (iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android).
Tacx Training App platforms availability

Tacx Training Alternatives

There are plenty of indoor cycling apps out there. The closest alternatives to Tacx Training are:

  • TrainerRoad – is a fully performance-oriented cycling app with a comprehensive workout library. It only shows you your ride data, no virtual world or video footage.
  • Zwift – utilizes a virtual world built from scratch. It doesn’t have as wide a route library as ROUVY. It is much closer to being a game.
  • ROUVY – is the closest alternative to Tacx Training. It also uses real-world footage, but ROUVY augments it with avatars and other objects. It has a huge route library and allows you to explore beautiful places from the comfort of your home.
  • Wahoo SYSTM – includes traditional cycling training, yoga for cyclists, strength and mental training to make you a better, faster, and more resilient cyclist.
  • Wahoo RGT (formerly known as RGT Cycling) – features a virtual world inspired by real-world roads. Its graphics are more realistic than Zwift, but it doesn’t offer as sophisticated motivation mechanisms.
AppPriceFree TrialWorldMultiplayerConnectivityPlatform Availability
Zwift14.99 USD / month7 daysVirtualYesANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV
ROUVY15 USD / month
144 USD / year
14 daysRealYesANT+ FE-C, BluetoothAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV
TrainerRoad19.95 USD / month
189 USD / year
n/a²n/aNoANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS
Wahoo SYSTM (formerly The Sufferfest)¹14.99 USD / month
149 USD / year
14 daysRealNoANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS
Wahoo RGT (formerly RGT Cycling)¹Free or
14.99 USD / month
149 USD / year
14 daysVirtualYesANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV
Android, iOS (remote)
Kinomap11.99 EUR / month
89.99 EUR / year
429 EUR / lifetime
14 daysRealNoANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS (screen mirroring available)
FulGaz12.99 USD / month
108.99 USD / year
14 daysRealYesANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMSAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV
List of the best indoor cycling apps with the info about their price, free trial period, type of the world, multiplayer option, connectivity, and platform availability.
Updated on the 12th of September, 2023.
¹You can only subscribe to the Wahoo X subscription and get access to Wahoo SYSTM and Wahoo RGT.
²30-day money-back guarantee

I created a rating system for evaluating the following features. It helps to keep the comparison between training apps consistent.

  • Price – how expensive is the app relative to other indoor cycling apps?
  • Ease of setup – is the app easy to set up with a smart trainer? Can it be used without it?
  • Engagement – does the app keep you engaged and motivated?
  • Routes – does the app offer a wide route library?
  • Training – does the app include prebuilt workout plans? Do they help you get faster?
  • User-friendliness and intuitiveness (UX) – is the app easy to navigate, easy to use, clear, and intuitive?
  • Platform availability – is the app available for multiple platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, AppleTV, etc.?

The following table shows my ratings of specific areas on a scale of 1–5 (5 is the best).

AppPriceEase of SetupEngage-
ment
RoutesTrainingUXPlatforms AvailabilityTotal
Zwift355343528
ROUVY354533528
TrainerRoad253n/a¹55424
Wahoo SYSTM²454355430
Wahoo RGT (RGT Cycling)²552242323
Kinomap442545226
FulGaz452532526
BKOOL452532425
Tacx Training App352435426
My indoor cycling apps rating on a scale of 1–5 (5 is the best)
¹TrainerRoad is different from other apps and doesn't offer any routes.
²You can only subscribe to the Wahoo X subscription and get access to Wahoo SYSTM and Wahoo RGT.

Tacx Training FAQ


My Verdict

Do I recommend Tacx Training?
Yes. Tacx Training offers most features you expect from an indoor cycling app. So, it should satisfy your needs if you don’t mind riding solo and are internally motivated.

Do I recommend it to everybody?
No. Tacx Training App is not for people who lack motivation because it doesn’t include sophisticated motivational features.

It is also unsuitable for socially-oriented people because you won’t be able to chat with others, and its community is not as big as Zwift’s community, for example.

And most importantly, you have to have a Tacx trainer.

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