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What you need to set up the Saris H2

Quick answer

To ride the Saris H2 you need the following parts. Add a 12-speed cassette on a Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) body (matching your bike’s drivetrain). The thru-axle adapters are included in the box.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links below go to the matching part category — pick the exact size/speed for your bike. Affiliate disclosure

Your parts checklist

Cassette

Buy a 12-speed cassette for a Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) body, matching your bike’s rear-derailleur speed.

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Freehub body

Ships with a Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) body fitted.

Other freehub bodies you can fit (sold separately) if your bike uses a different drivetrain:

Thru-axle adapter

Included in the box — no separate purchase.

Freehub body compatibility — Saris H2

Every freehub standard, including the ones this trainer has no body for. The cassette mounts on the body, so the body decides which cassettes fit — not the trainer.

Freehub standardOn this trainerCassette speeds
Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide)Included8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t
Shimano HG 11-speed roadNo body for this trainer8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t
SRAM XD Driver BodySold separately11/12-speed · smallest cog 10t
SRAM XDR Driver BodySold separately11/12/13-speed · smallest cog 10t
Shimano Micro SplineNo body for this trainer12-speed · smallest cog 10t
CampagnoloNo body for this trainer9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 11t
Campagnolo N3WNo body for this trainer12/13-speed · smallest cog 9t
Zwift Cog (virtual shifting)No body for this trainer8/9/10/11/12-speed · smallest cog 14t

No body for this trainer means exactly that: no part exists to mount that cassette here. Use the compatibility checker to find trainers that take yours. Smart-trainer compatibility checker

Mounting your bike

What the Saris H2 actually asks of you, in order — resolved from its own spec, not a generic manual.

  1. Take the rear wheel off the bike. A direct-drive trainer replaces it entirely.
  2. Fit the end caps or thru-axle adapter for your frame. This trainer covers 130 mm quick-release, 135 mm quick-release, 12 × 142 mm thru-axle and 12 × 148 mm Boost thru-axle and ships the adapters in the box, so nothing extra to buy.
  3. Fit a 12-speed cassette on the Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) freehub body, torque the lockring, then lower the bike on and engage the axle. The cassette must match your bike’s drivetrain, not the trainer.
  4. Spacer rule for the Shimano/SRAM HG (HyperGlide) body: an 11-speed cassette needs none, a 10-speed one needs the 1.85 mm spacer behind it. Getting this wrong is the usual cause of a cassette that will not seat or a lockring that bottoms out early.
  5. On 12-speed: Shimano road 12-speed fits this HG body, but Shimano 12-speed MTB needs a Micro Spline body and SRAM 12-speed road needs XDR — check which your bike uses before buying a cassette.
  6. Spin the cranks by hand before you clip in: the chain should run quiet and straight. Noise here almost always means chainline or cassette spacing, not a faulty trainer.

Before you buy

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the trainer: typically a cassette matching your bike’s speed on the right freehub body, and a thru-axle adapter if your frame is thru-axle. The checklist above resolves exactly which of these the Saris H2 needs.