Tacx adds fore-aft movement with Neo Motion Plates — details and ride impressions

The new Tacx Neo Motion Plates add 49mm of fore/aft movement to any Tacx Neo smart trainer without any significant addition to the trainer’s footprint.

The $299 Neo Motion Plates snap on to the bottom of each leg of the Neo, Neo 2, and Neo 2T trainers. A concave wheel block allows the front wheel to also move slightly forward and backward as the trainer moves fore and aft.

The Tacx Neo trainers also have a bit of side to side flex built in, which Tacx quantifies at 3 degrees to each side.

Rocket plates are a solution some indoor riders use underneath their smart trainers to replicate a bit of the outdoor ergonomics where the bike can move instead of being completely static. Some riders find they can generate more power, but comfort is also a primary driver.

The Tacx Neo Motion Plates are a mini version of a rocker plate, which are the length of a bike and wider than a trainer.

Ride impressions

When riding steady, I like how the Neo Motion Plates allow a Neo 2T smart trainer to move slightly. But when standing up, the short travel of the device causes it to rebound quickly, before I’ve completed half a pedal revolution, making it feel like it’s fighting me.

The Neo Motion Plates don’t add any instability to the trainer. They are easy to pop on and off, so you could use them for easy rides and then take them off for hard efforts or virtual race sessions, which is what I would do.

I appreciate the tiny footprint. I’ve tried the Saris MP1 Infinity rocker plate, which has more fore/aft movement at 9.5 inches and therefore a slower rebound. I like the feel of the Saris product, but it is enormous at 6 feet by 3 feet and 62 pounds. It is also $1,200.

So, yes, $299 isn’t cheap for trainer feet and a wheel block. But in the realm of rocket plates, the price, the footprint, and the overall movement are relatively small.