Product page
Sourced specs, what independent reviewers found, and who it suits.
Compiled from manufacturer pages and named independent reviewers, checked .
| Type | Smart trainer |
|---|---|
| Claimed power accuracy | <1% (Garmin spec table) |
| Max power claim | 2,200 W (stated as sprint stability up to 2,200 w) |
| Max simulated grade | 25% |
| Min simulated grade | Not verified from a primary source |
| Flywheel | Virtual (variable inertia up to 125 kg equivalent) |
| Noise claim | Not verified from a primary source |
| Weight | 23.6 kg / 52.0 lb |
| Max rider weight | 125 kg / 275 lb (Garmin owner's manual) |
| Connectivity | ANT+, dual Bluetooth |
These numbers are the manufacturer's claims, recorded as stated, not measurements by us. Source: garmin.com, checked November 2026.
Findings are paraphrased from the reviewer's own page and credited to them. We ran no tests. Where the reviewer tested an earlier or related model, the reviewed model is named.
DC Rainmaker (Ray Maker)
December 2023
BikeRadar
February 2025
OutdoorGearLab
April 2024
The NEO 3M has some of the best-reviewed power data in our database, and it is now hard to justify on price: at $1,799.99 it costs $800 more than Garmin’s own Tacx Nera ($999.99), which also has built-in movement and adds Wi-Fi. Buy the 3M if measured accuracy and ERG are the priority and you want movement; three reviewers agree on both. Buy the Nera if you mainly want the movement and can wait for independent tests. Against Wahoo’s flagship, the gap is $750 at the KICKR’s $1,049.99 regular price; the KICKR V6 vs NEO 3M comparison weighs that choice.
The $1,799.99 is Garmin’s US price as reported in the5krunner’s Nera launch piece on 22 October 2026 (GBP 1,129.99 in the UK). We last read it on Garmin’s own page on 29 September; on 2 November that page blocked our reader and the search index showed no dated price, so treat it as a late-October figure. The 2023 launch price was $1,999.99.
| Against | Its US price | NEO 3M costs more by |
|---|---|---|
| Tacx Nera | $999.99 | $800.00 |
| Tacx NEO 2T, list / as shown | $1,099.99 / $899.99 | $700.00 / $900.00 |
| KICKR V6, regular / Wahoo US as indexed 1 Nov | $1,049.99 / $849.99 | $750.00 / $950.00 |
Our arithmetic from the prices in the database.
BikeRadar (Feb 2025) marked the 3M down for three missing features. Since then:
What separates the 3M from the Nera today is this body of evidence, plus the virtual flywheel and 25% grade; the Nera stops at 20%, uses a physical flywheel and has no published test yet.
Reviewers measured the travel at about 5 cm (BikeRadar) and about 2 inches (OutdoorGearLab), and BikeRadar found it awkward in sprints. Garmin lets you switch it off. If movement is not the point, the NEO 2T gives the same 2,200 W, 25% virtual-flywheel spec for $700 less at list; if movement is the point and the budget is tight, that is exactly what the Nera is for.
Garmin’s manual lists a 125 kg (275 lb) maximum rider weight, 142 and 148 mm thru-axles plus 130 and 135 mm quick-release with the supplied end caps, and a pre-installed 11-speed Shimano/SRAM cassette. SRAM 12-speed and mountain bike setups need extra freehub parts. At 23.6 kg it is, in OutdoorGearLab’s words, better for a fixed setup than for moving around.
Figures are manufacturer claims and store prices from the database; the last column counts independent reviewers whose findings are recorded there.
| Model | Price | Claimed accuracy | Max power | Max grade | Independent reviewers in database |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacx NEO 3M | $1,799.99 | under 1% | 2,200 W | 25% | 3 |
| Tacx NEO 2T | $1,099.99 | under 1% | 2,200 W | 25% | 3 |
| Wahoo KICKR (2022, WiFi) | $1,049.99 (sale) | ±1% | 2,200 W | 20% | 2 |
| Elite Justo 2 | €1,125 (Elite store, EUR) | under 1% | 2,300 W | 24% | 0 |
| Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT | $1,999.99 | ±1% | 2,200 W | 20% | 2 |
For every trainer from $449 to the 3M on one ladder, see the best smart trainers by budget.
Read for this page: Garmin’s NEO 3M store page (29 Sept 2026), the NEO 3M owner’s manual, Garmin’s 2023 and June 2025 press releases, Zwift Insider’s firmware report and the5krunner’s Nera launch report (through a search index, 2 Nov 2026, because direct fetches were blocked), and the three reviews above (read in full 29 Sept 2026). SmartBikeWiki runs no tests of its own; every measurement above is the named reviewer’s, paraphrased, and the price gaps are our arithmetic.