Pinnacle HC turbo trainer

An entry level turbo trainer that will get you hooked up to online platforms for a competitive price

Pinnacle HC side on shot
(Image credit: Myles Warwood for Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Pinnacle HC doesn’t beat all competition, hands down, in all areas - which is why it gets 4 out of 5, instead of a full house. The ‘best’ of these models, for you, will depend upon your preferences. However, the trainer does a lot well and with its self calibration, there’s not a lot of babysitting to be done to make sure it’s running correctly. Just remember you will have to have a cassette installed on the turbo trainer and you’ll need tools to do this with.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Reduced price - £500 - is extremely competitive

  • +

    Replicates steeper climbs than competition

  • +

    Easy to set up and nice ride feel

  • +

    Stable enough for our efforts

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    +/-2.5% accuracy falls outside high level Zwift racing requirements

  • -

    Campagnolo freehubs not available, SRAM XDR an extra purchase

  • -

    No cassette included

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Pinnacle is the in-house brand of UK cycling retailer Evans Cycles.  The long-established manufacturer of Pinnacle bikes has now moved into producing kit and accessories, with the HC smart turbo trainer one of the newer additions, poised to take on the likes of Wahoo, Tacx and others in the forever expanding indoor cycling market. 

Currently, down from £700 to £499.99 ($749 from $1,050) the HC Turbo bears a striking resemblance to the LifeLine Xplova Noza S Smart Trainer (£699.99, down to £399.99/ $879.99 down to $502.85). It also places itself right alongside the Wahoo Kickr Core (£699.99/$899.99).

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