Saris Mag+ Review

To get the low-down on the Mag+, we spent hours in the saddle and just as long behind the computer researching materials, design, and claims to validate or debunk. We tested both individually and alongside other top trainers to bring you the details that matter.

Performance Comparison

The Mag+ is a dependable trainer to get you spinning.

Photo: Ryan Baham

Connectivity and Power Accuracy

The Saris isn't going to get a lot of points under this measure because it's not a smart trainer. Where it does get credit is that you can find good power curve charts on the Saris site. We were able to validate that against our power meter. We also easily found it on Zwift and were able to sync for a slightly more accurate ride, but it's still not true connectivity because the training programs were running off of our speed sensor (not included with this trainer), not the trainer. If you purchase and install a speed sensor separately, you can connect to popular third-party apps, but you'll still have to control the resistance.

Road Feel

Magnetic trainers don't do an excellent job of simulating the road (until you get to the high-end of direct-drive trainers). The Mag+ is no exception. The drum is way too smooth and the inertia you get from the small flywheel just isn't there. This is why we suggest that this trainer is ideal for getting the legs spinning, but maybe less suited to serious workouts. You get a small degree of flexibility or workout versatility with the five levels of resistance adjustment, which helps, but you're going to struggle with workouts requiring lots of standing, sprinting, or quick changes in output.

Design

For what it is (a low-cost magnetic trainer), we think the design is pretty good. It's durable, made with tough materials, and gets the job done. We've heard complaints about the drum on the resistance unit wearing out over time, but we couldn't validate that or find good evidence for it after a few months of use. We notice that it is actually quite loud, which is something Saris explicitly says is not the case. Perhaps they can work on that.

As simple as it seems, you can't overestimate the importance of a good locking bolt.

Photo: Ryan Baham

The only other areas that really stood out were the shifter cable and the small flywheel. The flywheel is so important for these trainers to deliver adequate road feel. The Saris' flywheel is probably only 5 or 6 pounds. Future iterations might up that a bit. The shifter cable is also an area that could see improvement. Getting the cable set into the resistance unit was kind of a pain, but getting it attached to the handlebars and using it was…silly. It's not the most stable mount, and there were a few times where we were in the middle of a workout segment, and we lost the shifter mid-shift. We think this is an obvious area for easy improvement by Saris.

The shifter isn't the most sturdy design. It can probably stand to go through a little more workshopping.

Photo: Ryan Baham

Setup

This is an area we wish Saris would put just a little more effort into. That's not to say that they don't make an effort, only that they could improve the setup process. The thing that was most annoying to us was the assembly of the resistance unit. Affixing it to the stand was easy enough, but getting the resistance cable aligned with the internal components and keep the tension on while stretching it out was a pain. Not impossible, but a few minutes of unexpected tweaking and tedium.

Sure, it looks simple now that it's here in the picture, but it takes a little too much screwing around with cables and holes to figure it out. Hopefully this is...how it's supposed to be assembled...

Photo: Ryan Baham

Portability

This Saris is a fairly lean model that breaks down neatly, so stowing it is pretty easy. You can even remove the resistance unit and stuff it all back into the compact box Saris ships to keep everything together and bound up. The only annoying thing is the resistance cable, which you'll have fun folding and keeping stowed up. It's excellent for any OCD or Type A people.

The Mag+ packs up in a lightweight and tidy package.

Photo: Ryan Baham

Value

If you have the room in your budget and you're after an entry-level trainer to get yourself spinning, it's worth the difference between the other competing mag trainers.

Conclusion