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review
2021 Tacx Galaxia Advanced Roller Trainer.jpg£219.99
VERDICT:
Smooth-running rollers with a natural feel, though not cheap
Smooth riding experience
Packs up for storage
Pricey
Weight:
8,200g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Tacx Galaxia Advanced Roller Trainer is designed to allow a bit of movement when you're on the rollers, to give more of a real road feel, and it works really well. It runs quietly too, although it ain't cheap.
While many people will go for a turbo trainer, smart or otherwise, for their indoor training, I've always been more of a fan of the concentration that's needed to keep upright on a set of rollers. I've used a fair few over the years, but I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that these are my favourites.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The large diameter rollers give a smooth ride, their conical shape also helping to keep your wheels subtly central thanks to them increasing very slightly in diameter as you move towards the edge.
The whole operation is quiet too.
The best thing, though, is the swing system that sit below the frame at the rear. It allows the two rear rollers to move ever so slightly backwards and forwards, absorbing your inputs when you are changing speed or, should you have the skill level, when swapping from seated to standing. It gives a more natural feel to the whole session.
The frame itself is sturdy which also helps you get the most out of the way the swing system absorbs your movement.
Like most rollers there are no actual resistance modes, you just have to use your gears, but that is the only really downside to rollers for some sessions.
> 14 of the best home trainers for 2021 — get fit indoors
If you are tight on space or just want to keep things uncluttered, the Galaxia frame retracts by sliding the front half of the frame into the rear. This also allows for it to be adjusted for different wheelbase lengths, anything between 980mm and 1,100mm.
At £219.99 the trainer isn't cheap, especially when you consider that you can get one of its Boost turbo trainers for just a tenner more, including the magnetic brake and flywheel giving you 10 resistance settings and all that entails.
Saying that, though, Elite's Parabolic Rollers have an RRP of £220 and you aren't getting the absorbing system on the rollers themselves. Elite also makes a version with a three-speed magnetic resistance unit, although it'll cost you around £100 more.
If all of this is a bit rich for your budget, more basic systems are available for less – some a lot less at the moment.
Conclusion
If indoor training is your thing but you don't want a turbo, the Galaxia Advanced Roller Trainer is a great choice. The rollers are some of the most realistic I've ridden thanks to that swing system giving a natural feel even when you are out of the saddle. The price isn't cheap, but it's worth it.
Verdict
Smooth-running rollers with a natural feel, though not cheap
road.cc test report
Make and model: Tacx Galaxia Advanced Roller Trainer
Size tested: All bikes with a wheel diameter of 26 to 29in
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?
Tacx says, "Take your training indoors with the Tacx® Galaxia roller. Featuring a patented swing system, this advanced roller can absorb your forward and backward accelerations, so you can ride hard while staying firmly in place."
The system works well and does give a realistic ride feel.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Tacx lists:
Roller diameter 100-110 mm
Suitable bikes All bikes with a wheel diameter of 26" to 29"
Max footprint 1350 x 500 mm
Height 135 mm
Dimensions when folded 800 x 500 x 135 mm
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
Rate the product for value:
4/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Easy-to-ride rollers with a realistic feel.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The movement allows a realistic feel.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Not cheap.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
You can get roller systems for a lot less than this, but many more, such as the Elite Parabolic, are around the same sort of price as the Tacx. You can go even more expensive with systems using magnetic resistance.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's very good: well made and well executed. The swing system used by Tacx does gives these rollers a great ride feel.
About the tester
Age: 42
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
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: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
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4 comments
Really give a thought to what you are using the rollers for - a less boring/more engaging indoor ride then have a solid look at kreitler or trutrainer where you can actually add in some resistance (and likely are the same price as this in the eternally well supplied second-hand roller market), granted if the cost of those set-ups is too much then this is a solid choice.
If you want to hit legspeed work for track then DON'T BUY THIS! maximum rpm efforts on a floating roller are another sort of interesting...
tldr: good rollers just make sure you get the 'non' float version if you want to use for leg speed work.
I just picked up some (new) Elite Arion Mags, three levels of resistance, apparently up to 520W so ideal for FTP work at least, £250 new from Sigmasports.
I was curious about the floating roller thing, I actually wondered if it would make using the rollers TOO easy, e.g. we all go on about how rollers help develop a smoother pedalling style but if floating/rocking rollers help smooth out the pedalling then... do you miss out on this benefit?
I wouldn't say so because you need to keep a smooth pedalling motion to keep the bike balanced on the rollers, speaking from experience I found it a steep learning curve last year when I bought a set of the Nero Interfactive rollers. The floating mechanism does help smooth out some rougher motion but without a smooth controlled pedal motion the bike balance is hard to maintain and I came off the rollers quite easily plus I couldn't stand on the pedals at all without causing the bike to jump out the rollers. Now with a good amount of time spent on the rollers I can keep the balance easily as my pedalling is much better so gear changes, drinking, eating etc. I can do easily while pedalling (which I couldn't before) and I can stand on the pedals and apply a good amount of power while staying in the rollers.
Thanks John, that's interesting.
I was at a stage with my old Antares rollers (non-floating) that I could stand up and pedal but it took a while to master and I was still prone to getting bucked out of the rollers. If you found it similarly difficult at the start then it suggets that the floating rollers DON'T make it too much easier.
I'll just console myself by hoping that my rigid Arion rollers will require that little bit of extra concentration, useful as I'm restricted to easy workouts at the moment so anything to help the time pass quicker!