I am so old school with these trainer things that it makes my head spin 
First off, it is very hard for me to justify spending close to one monthās mortgage on a new smart trainer. Though I donāt know all my data numbers and canāt get them; I donāt even own basic power meter pedals, etc., I got a pretty good idea of my abilities and improvements made on a basic level. Nonetheless, I donāt think getting a smart trainer will do that much for me. Iāll still be a FOBS (Fat, Old, Bald, and Slow) no matter what. It is just how I am built.
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Short Answer - I think it is better save for a direct drive; I think ERG mode is worthwhile.
Slightly different angle hereā¦ does noise or training tire swap matter to you?
I rode a borrowed M2 for several months before deciding to purchase a direct drive H2.
Generally, I really appreciate ERG mode for most workouts because it keeps me on task.
With respect to the noise and tire swap thoughtā¦
Running a tire against the M2, it helps to use a proper training tire for noise and preservation of your outdoor tires, but then I found myself swapping a tire between riding indoors and outdoorsā¦ regular swapping is a bit inefficient (other ways to manage this - a wheel fitted with a training tire - but I did not have one of those).
Nonetheless, I really appreciate how swift it is to pop off the rear tire, mount on the direct drive and go (or pop of the trainer, mount the tire and go outdoors).
Also, I have found the direct drive to be much quieter. Even with a training tire, I found the M2 to screech at me on occasion (I ride early in the morning and donāt want to wake family).
Lastly, I have run my H2 quite hard for the 1 and a half years - I see/hear no evidence of wear and tear in the slightest. I just keep suffering with it. Even in the short run with the M2, I was trying to manage the rubber buildup on the roller.
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Having one myself, I would not recommend the kickr snap.
You have to 10 min warmup and calibrate it every single time you use it. And the calibration result may be consistent in itself, but has nothing to do with your real power output, which is annoying if you want to participate in virtual racing.
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I donāt do this. I calibrate every few days, and I do so immediately after a ride, so I never āwasteā 10 mins.
However, if Iāve brought my bike indoors after an outdoor ride, Iāll do a ācoldā calibration, followed by āOpen 15ā as a warm up before a ride. The power value wonāt be so far off and the low power target makes it no big deal. Then, Iāll calibrate again.
No biggy, and for the price difference between a direct drive trainer option, the Snap is an excellent trainer in terms of bang for the buck, not to mention one of the best and widely-supported wheel-on trainers available.
Wheel-on trainers require calibration which can be an annoyance, but compared to direct-drive options, I find it super-convenient when I want to quickly grab my bike and go outdoors for a ride ā¦ my bike is always 99% ready to go.
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