The JetBlack Victory is an awful lot of indoor trainer for the money. For 99% of folks who train indoors – on any platform – it’s hard to see what you’ll gain by spending more. JetBlack says you’re ‘getting more for less with the lowest cost, fully featured trainer on the market’ and to be honest it’s difficult to argue with that.
> Order the JetBlack Victory for £399 from JetBlack
The first trainer we reviewed with Zwift’s singlespeed Cog was the Zwift Hub One, which was based on the predecessor to this trainer, the JetBlack Volt. The Victory is a similar-looking beast, with a belt-driven flywheel, a steel chassis and removable legs. Oh, and this time a handle, which if you’re constantly having to put your training setup away will be a much bigger deal than you think.
There have been plenty of improvements over the outgoing trainer. It has a higher maximum resistance – 1,800W, up from 1,600W – and can simulate a maximum gradient of 16%. Accuracy has been improved too, from 2.5% to a claimed 2%. Those are good numbers for a smart trainer at this end of the market, and the Victory has an auto-spindown function which keeps the trainer calibration up to date automatically.
JetBlack Victory: Setup
The Victory comes in three bits and it’s trivially easy to assemble. Once you’ve got it bolted together and plugged in, it’s just a case of connecting it to Zwift. If you’re planning to use another platform there may be a bit more to do than that, but we’ll cover that a bit further down.
One aspect where the JetBlack Victory really shines is connectivity. Of course, you can connect via Bluetooth FTMS, and helpfully the Victory can function as a Bluetooth bridge for other sensors if, say, you’re running Zwift on Apple TV and you can only have two concurrent connections. It’ll also connect via ANT+ FE-C. So far, so normal.
However, the Victory is also Wi-Fi enabled, which is excellent spec at this price. Not only that, but there’s even a USB-C port which will – when the apps support it – allow you to hardwire your trainer for zero dropouts when it really matters. The Victory will also transmit power data 10 times a second in race mode, to give you the edge in those sprints. These are unheard-of spec levels for what’s a low-end trainer in terms of price.
The Victory comes fitted with a Zwift Cog. We’re all au fait with Zwift Cog now, right? Essentially it’s a singlespeed cog that removes the need for mechanical shifting; instead, you use the bar-mounted Zwift Click shifter (supplied with the trainer) in the game to change gear virtually. This has benefits: you don’t need to find another cassette, or swap the one from your bike onto the trainer, and there are no indexing issues – just shift so the chainline is right, and off you go. The new Zwift Cog has a micro-adjust dial, too, to get everything lined up just so.
Because you don’t use the bike’s shifters, any bike will do. You can Zwift on an old down-tube-shifter bike and the experience is basically the same as your posh race bike.
The Victory is compatible with most quick release and thru-axle bikes. The singlespeed setup will also work perfectly well for any app that’s all interval sessions where the app controls the trainer resistance in ERG mode. TrainerRoad is the obvious example.
But what if you’re an old luddite like me, and you like the feel of mechanical gears while riding indoors, and you’re happy getting your hands dirty? Or you’re using another platform and the virtual shifting won’t work?
Well, the Zwift Cog on the Victory is built on a standard HG Spline freehub, so you can just pull it off and fit your cassette, assuming you’re not on a gear system that requires a different freehub body. And even if you are on, say, a SRAM AXS 12-speed bike with an XDR freehub, you can just get a 12-speed Shimano cassette instead. Essentially, you’re no worse off than if you bought a trainer without a cassette.
I’ve used the Victory in both singlespeed Zwift Cog mode and 11-speed cassette mode, and swapped between them with no problems. I prefer mechanical gears myself, but there are benefits to both.
JetBlack Victory: Ride feel and accuracy
JetBlack claims a +/-2% accuracy for the Victory. I benchmarked it against my Rotor 2InPower power meter on my turbo bike, and the two agreed almost unanimously during testing. There’s barely a watt between them most of the time. I’d say that my experience with the Rotor cranks over the years is that they’re just on the high side of average for all the things I’ve compared them with, which is a fair few now, but they give very believable and repeatable numbers and the numbers from the Victory are essentially the same.
At the higher end, the Victory over-reports a little bit compared with the cranks, and the mean power graphs diverge just a bit, but the sample there is much smaller, so noise is amplified. In the normal range of riding power, from 50% of FTP up to, say, 125%, the response of the two power meters is basically the same.
Cadence-wise, the Victory again maps the Rotor cranks very closely, although interestingly it does it at almost exactly 1rpm lower, all the time. It’s not really an issue, but I wonder if the algorithm just needs a tweak.
So the numbers are good, and the feel of the trainer is good, too. It’s a solid unit, and the 4.7kg flywheel has enough heft to generate a bit of inertia, so the pedalling action isn’t choppy even when you’re struggling up a steep climb or doing a hard ERG interval. On my slightly uneven shed floor I found the lack of adjustability in the feet a bit of a pain, and ended up with a couple of shims under one side to keep it from rocking about, but you can’t have everything for this kind of money, and if you have a flatter surface or a forgiving trainer mat then it won’t be an issue. The base is wide enough to cope with out-of-the-saddle climbing and sprints, and generally it feels like a good quality unit.
If you’re using the Zwift Cog and shifting with the Zwift Click then the shift response is kind of what you’d expect. The Victory doesn’t have the kind of complicated motor-brake internals that allow trainers like the Tacx Smart Bike to so accurately reproduce the feel of a mechanical gear change; here we’re just ramping up resistance, or ramping it down, and the Victory achieves that as well as any other electromagnetic resistance trainer I’ve tried, which is to say it’s okay. You get a spike in resistance feel which settles down to a higher steady resistance over a number of seconds.
In terms of the actual profile of effort for a gear shift it’s not dissimilar to a mechanical shift, but you don’t get the same feedback from the system so it’s a different kind of feel. You get used to it, and some people like it. I don’t, really, and I’m happier with a multi-gear setup, but we’ve covered that: if you want a cassette, there’s no reason why you can’t fit one.
Not sure where to start? Read our guide to indoor cycling and everything you need to get started.
JetBlack Victory: Value and overall
No two ways about it: there’s stuff going on with this £399 trainer that you couldn’t get for more than twice that five years ago. Accurate power, multiple connection options including wired, 10Hz race mode, virtual and actual cassette support… the JetBlack Victory has a whole lot of boxes ticked. If you’re looking to update your setup, or just get into smart training for the first time, then really this trainer goes to the top of the list. Unless you make it a really, really long way up the indoor racing ladder, it’s going to be all the trainer you need.
It’ll work with almost any modern bike (and some not-modern ones) and you can run it with virtual or real gears. In terms of functionality it’s objectively more advanced than its direct competitors such as the Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One, and cheaper too.
Your only problem might be getting hold of one: at the time of writing the Victory is pre-order only, and that seems to be the default. If you’re in a hurry to get going with a new or upgraded indoor setup that might be an issue for you, but if you’re looking at the long game, fitness-wise, I’d suggest you get your name on the list. The JetBlack Victory is currently unbeatable in terms of what it offers at the price it hits. Unless you’re an elite athlete there’s really no reason to pay more.
> Order now: JetBlack Victory for £399 from JetBlack
Verdict
Pro-level specs from an entry-level unit: this is the best value smart trainer right now
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road.cc test report
Make and model: JetBlack Victory Smart Trainer with Zwift Cog and Click
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
From JetBlack:
More Integrated
Zwift Ready and more integrated with Zwift
Among the first Zwift Ready trainers certified to deliver an excellent experience on Zwift.
Zwift Cog pre-installed will work with almost any 8-12 speed bike out of the box.
VICTORY optimised for virtual shifting on Zwift
MORE ACCURATE
Wi-Fi enabled – less Bluetooth drop outs NEW FEATURE
Auto-spin down calibration –- maintains power accuracy during each ride – NEW
2% power accuracy (more accurate than VOLT) NEW
MORE RESPONSIVE
10Hz Race Response Mode – responsive, real-time resistance – great for racing
MORE POWER
1800W (more powerful – Volt was 1600W)
16% Gradient
MORE REAL
IN REAL LIFE RIDE DYNAMIC (IRLRD) – responsive momentum to simulate riding outdoors.
Quiet Operation – especially with Zwift Click – no gear change noise
MORE CONVENIENT
Bluetooth Bridge – multiple device connectivity (Best in class)
Odometer – track how many KM’s your trainer has done via the JetBlack App NEW
USB-C Ready – connectivity for hardwired connection to PC or Mac (once supported by training apps)
Handle for portability
Disc brake block – insert device provided to prevent brake caliper jamming (Best in class)
FTMS / ANT+FE-C / Zwift Protocol connectivity
MORE INNOVATION
Proprietary Electromagnetic Motor System
MORE AFFORDABLE
Getting more for less with the lowest cost, fully featured trainer on the market
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From JetBlack:
JetBlack Proprietary Electromagnetic System
Zwift Protocol
Bluetooth FTMS
ANT+ FE-C
Wi-Fi
USB Connection
Odometer
Auto Calibration
Bluetooth Device Bridge
Handle
Quick Release and Thru Axle Adaptors
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well: a great trainer with loads of functionality at a low price.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Solid power numbers, easy to use with Zwift Cog or cassette, good ride feel.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The feet aren’t adjustable.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
£399 for this kind of functionality and performance is class leading.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Absolutely
Use this box to explain your overall score
Not often I give a product a 10 (my second in 17 years?) but this really is a great trainer full stop, let alone for the bargain price. It’s an exceptional buy. If you can get your hands on one.
About the tester
Age: 52 Height: 189cm Weight: 99kg
I usually ride: whatever I’m testing… My best bike is: Lauf Úthald, Kinesis Tripster ATR, Dward Design fixed
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track
1 thought on “JetBlack Victory Smart Trainer with Zwift Cog and Click”
I’ve had mine for a few
I’ve had mine for a few months and honestly it’s been great. Using an Apple TV with a kickr core and I have to use the Zwift companion app to get everything connected.
The victory having WiFi and pass through means everything connects instantly including my HRM.