The Elite my ETraining app can be used to adjust some things on the trainer like power smoothing. And atop that, there’s little reason most of this matters if you use the defaults in Zwift, because it automatically halves the values anyway. Oh, and here’s the power adapter side going into the wall: On the non-sexy side of the trainer there’s the status lights. The first is their Elite My E-Training app, which you can do calibrations from within: As with most trainers, they recommend you warm-up first: And then there’s the Elite Upgrado app – which actually launched in the fall of 2019 for updating Elite trainers (finally!). I have never really used the myETraining app except to occasionally check the calibration. Ciao Does someone as a solution to this issue? The main one is that the shifting is messed up. Regardly, Andrea. So for that, we need to actually look at the overlay from TrainerRoad showing when it sent the command followed by when the Direto XR achieved that level. I’ve calibrated it multiple times and it just won’t keep consistent power. Additionally, you should calibrate if you’ve had a major temp swing (such as if it lives in your garage and now the sweat puddle on the floor is frozen). The noise you hear is from the resistance unit moving in and out. But as a result, the power overshoots the target by over 100W before stabilizing to the desired watts – making the training session much harder to complete. Elite's customer services is very good. And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. PRO: So, looking at the Direto XR, the simple answer to all of those is: Pretty darn good in most cases. In ERG mode I see you always recommend using the smaller ring in front. Any ideas why the displayed velocity is not increasing? This is only suggestions, and what I should have tried, dont know if any of them works for u. Some short rides and riders can get away with no motion. You’ll see the trainer enumerated in a fairly similar manner on TrainerRoad as well: Also, TrainerRoad’s tips page on using smart trainers in ERG mode (which interestingly thinks this trainer is the Elite Real E-Motion B+): I’d *strongly* recommend you either read that page, or just simply do two things: A) Calibrate the Direto XR: I did it once upon initial setup, but never calibrated again. No cost to you, easy as pie! See — link to zwiftinsider.com. I too have found this best on my trainer (Kickr Core fwiw), can anyone explain to me why this is the case? As for the rest, for my level of cycling, it’s more than enough. I’ll try power smoothing at 10 this evening. link to zwiftinsider.com. There’s a million types/brands/etc. Actually, changing from Level to ERG is what I use as a workaround to get the trainer going. Zwift and my Direto are still going strong today. Same happens when the cadence slows down, they have to increase the resistance. Also, looking at cadence briefly – I do see a handful of calculation dropouts here. Being connected on the far-end of all the spinning stuff, how can it possibly know the actual pedalling frequency without knowing which gears you are using? I think upgrading a V1 to this might be a push unless you spend a lot of time in ERG mode. Mind you, you'll learn how the trainer works and get kind of 'used to it' and anticipate. But Elite support helped me out and with a little bit of tensioning the belt the problem was gone. Is there a proper way of starting a workout? Create a workout with 1 minute@50W, 1m@100W, 1m@50W, 1m@200W, 1m@50W and 1m@300W and you can see how slow the ramp up/down is and how much does it overshoot. So overall the trainer just works well. I am not bothered with accuracy since I train only on this trainer. But most of this all boils down to two core methods: ERG Mode: Setting a specific power level – i.e., 220w. You should check out my videos. Thank you. You can click here to Subscribe without commenting. Thank for your reviews there always so complete. A change from 1 to 2% grade seems a lot higher than it should be but the trainer is usable now. It's very sturdy. And it feels good, but I’m not sure it’s appreciably different enough that most people be able to notice unless the two were side by side. That is one of the nice things about having an elite setup I can swap out the cassette hubs while the trainers that do not have this capability, which kind of is a drawback for those die-hard Campagnola riders!! I’m still thinking of getting a direct drive trainer as I’ve had a Kickr2 before and tried a few others & they must have improved since 2016. Hi Konstantinos, Hmm, it’s louder for certain, but ERG mode is so darn good. I've been happy with mine. I ended up buying the Elite Suito. I sell the device. This is a super basic trainer mat, which is exactly what you'll see me use. Easy setup Accurate power Well-built Portable/storable Budget-friendly. Elite has adapter for it which work fine, however once installed they are very hard to get off without destroying the aluminum adapters so a bike with traditional quick release can be used. That is one of the nice things about having an elite setup I can swap out the cassette hubs while the trainers that do not have this capability, which kind of is a drawback for those die-hard Campagnola riders!! I use the Direto combined with Zwift, very realistic and accurate power. I recently updated the Direto XR firmware from version 067 to version 073. Elite's customer services is very good. This isn’t right. You’ll have to forgive me, as I’m currently laughing. Easy setup Accurate power Well-built Helpful support. 2) The legs bolt on, but secure into a nut mounted in a cast metal base. Contrary to popular belief, we are not perfectly stable or vertical when riding a bike outside. Easy set-up (provided you have the right cassette), but the calibration using Elite's myETraining app was a bit confusing (make sure you check out the instructional videos on their YouTube channel). I used the small chainring in front and the new 073 firmware. My standard thing would be once I get the trainer paired up, just pedal a bit then, and that should reset things. No response whatsoever. No app. So they decrease the resistance in order to keep the requested power. Immediately, with the benefit of some included promo codes, I was able to experience a far more realistic sensation using it. It is ‘normal’, same with Trainer Road. I used both Zwift and My E-training. Of course, if you go to 0%, then you potentially swing too far the other way. I was a bit skeptical about the noise level but no worries here, I can definitely ride in my apartment day and night, just avoid those crazy sprints at 3 am and it should be absolutely fine. Some very straight forward set up and all calibrated for my new found passion for zone based training. The Direto (probably all Elite trainers) show you power as you put it down so it looks a little spikey, whereas other brands artificially smooth the power readings, I've grown to like the 'actual power' readings which show a true representation of your ride (just like a real power meter outdoors). That said, the one thing that max gradient tends to underpin though is lower/slower speed ascents of heavier riders with steeper gradients. Where it can matter though is at low-speed high wattage climbs up those 12% or beyond ascents. But longer rides, especially ones at lower power levels can lead to saddle pains that are often addressed with rocker plates and the like. Eric Schlange, Webmaster I suppose you did not open the unit up to compare but just in case… Any chance this XR may be less prone to belt breakage problems? Jut to be sure that i’ve not got it wrong: is the Drivo lineup dead? I see the wrench only on W10 desktop, not on the Android app. Alors si vous ne disposez pas d’énormément de place vous pouvez opter pou… Tacx Flux S Smart Trainer. Seems wrong. Links from the accessoires list link need to be fixed, they link the review itself, not the item on Amazon. Do we know that for sure? At the price I paid this was a very good purchase. Alright. Really? I needed to get the adapter kit and I could not find a supplier in the US that had them. You’re right Certainly noticeable in short, higher efforts Power difference between Direto and Favero Assioma Duo power pedals less than half a percent. It was over 2 years before any fix was available. A noter que ces deux home trainers ne simulent pas de descente ; à l’inverse du Tacx Neo 2 Smart, seul appareil à reproduire cette sensation. Compared to the premium units, the Direto is a great entry budget, reliable smart trainer. And technically, there are two apps here. Only downside i see is the delay in jumps, let's say 10s intervalls and shorter... it's just not quick enough. Next, let’s look at a longer TrainerRoad workout with longer sets. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. But really, the front chainring thing is the biggie, and it’s true of virtually every trainer out there. Elite has taken the Suito ‘pull it out of the box and done’ concept from last year, and applied it to the XR. (Did try with bluetooth but didn't work well with Zwift in this set up). But using the 3-rd and 4-th smallest rings on the cassette aren ot an option. Sturdy, accurate and good value. It is clear though that there’s improvements around the firmware, beyond just hardware. Elite service is brilliant In Zwift you get variability by having the road incline change and by being able to instantly sprint. Then, with the money that I would save with respect to the Direto XR or the Saris H3, I could also buy a good quality front light just in case I wanted to ride outside during autumn/winter. What am I gaining by getting the Direto XR over Suito in terms of functionality (beyond dry stats which are available everywhere). And I do not mean here the size to be specified on garmin devices (which I think has to be the nominal value / 12.1 for Direto XR). I’m just a bit worried that the H3 and it feeling not much better than the Tuo after splashing out twice as much money. “nobody actually wants to go up a 24% hill”, Well, I live in Seattle and I am training so I can make it to the corner from my house without walking. Elite says this makes a 26% larger inertia amount: This really is an awesome trainer, there is very little to fault, except one thing - it's slow to respond. They know about these trainers and preemptively increase/decrease the power even before the interval starts, to provide consistent experience for their customers. In Settings, you will find “Power smoothing”. - No raiser block, included in the Direto 2 Have owned one of these since Nov. 2019 and use it very regularly. That’s where I got in trouble installing a new saddle. Even more, if you use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with coupon code DCRAINMAKER, first time users save 15% on applicable products! So if they can’t improve ERG mode then perhaps a new trainer is in order. Was expecting around 5Watts difference max, as Direto should be really accuratte. The one complaint I have is the lenght of the cord. Most gears are completely off, or won’t shift at all. the 2070mm is just the proposed dimension. Zwift Course Calendar – Current Guest World Sched... Wahoo Launches KICKR Direct Connect for Hardwired Conne... Zwift To Release Important Performance Bug Patch, How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More), Shop for a trainer using our Smart Trainer Index, Year Released: 2017  (No longer in production), Axle Compatibility: Quick-Release and Thru-Axle. Problem occurs with zwift workouts and drops and ups with wattage. In some cases I might prefer 2-3 seconds, but I’m not going to quibble too much there. These are all crazy close together, especially considering how quickly and dramatically the power is shifting. Out of nowhere, the trainer decides to kill my legs, ramping up the resistance to MAX. Very satisfied with the first gen Direto! Easy access smart trainer from Hugues September 8, 2020 This smart trainer is quite easy to install and configure, I'm using it for 2 years now without noticing any decrease of performance. Dual power analysis suggests < 2% difference (trainer reads higher, should actually read a fraction lower) vs my Assiomo's but close enough. I have one which seems to work really well for me, has kept me sane through lockdown and done 4000k on Zwift in that time, but too much overlap with Suito? However, you get a very good trainer for a great price. Having send my Saris H3 back due to a faulty power adapter, I managed to find and Elite Direto XR at Rutland Cycles and am loving riding with it! Whereas in TrainerRoad I’m looking at its ability to hold a specific wattage very precisely, and to then change wattages instantly in a repeatable way. Let’s get this puppy unboxed. He’s riding bigger hills. cobblestones), Support rolldown procedure (for wheel based), Supports ANT+ FE-C (Trainer Control Standard), Supports Bluetooth Smart FTMS (Trainer Control Standard), Supports Multiple Concurrent Bluetooth connections, Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated February 4th, 2021 @ 8:35 am. I’d love to know where you can get them for that price. I’m from out of the country and will be visiting the US, what’s the best triathlon shop in city XYZ? Very easy to setup and connect. Just curious, but can’t get my head around why this may be. That kinda makes sense because the Suito was new-new, whereas the Direto X was basically just a slightly revamped Direto. I don’t even mean in ERG mode either. Yup, 1″ [25mm] is about 1.5* up and 2″ [50mm] is about 3.0* up. Still, I think most people will be good with it. Has always been 50% by default. Simple plug and play. Easy setup Well-built Portable/storable Budget-friendly, Easy to set up out of the box, pretty much ready to go straight away. No regrets, Happy boy with 1st gen Elite Direto from Faven September 29, 2020 I got my Elite Directo in January 2019 and after more than a 1 year it's been a reliable and durable direct drive smart trainer. Easy setup Accurate power Well-built Quiet Budget-friendly. A. Road-feel: the heavier flywheels that direct-drive trainers have offer more inertia effect replicating better outdoor riding. Brilliant, thanks for the prompt response. The in-game Zwift simulation lacks nothing, except when it comes to higher gradients. Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? Pairs easily with Zwift on my MacBook Pro every time, but Elite's own myETraining software is pretty yawn-worthy (not as interactive as Zwift). The logical place to start, turbo trainers can be set up in your own home. It’s as simple as that. Any ideas why with a similar setup (power smoothing to 2 and Zwift) the unit failed? There’s very few cases I’d recommend a wheel on trainer, except to save significantly on budget. Until I ran out of juice, my cadence was stable. Plan Your Full Season. I lost my first belt at 7,000 km and have since ridden about a similar amount with the second belt. Then I have a couple of questions: It takes up to 45s for the Direto XR to settle into target power. Mostly I change to level mode for a few seconds before going into ERG mode again when I’m around the desired wattage. I also hear some weird sounds but at this point I don’t know if they’re from the shifting, from some other problem, or if it’s to be expected…. First is how quickly it responds to the commands of the application. Good. Plus I went looking for a new saddle because long intervals on the trainer were getting uncomfortable. I ‘m running a white industries crank at 42×26 ( I would have gone with a 24 if it was not the limit of shimano 16 tooth gap) so should I run on the 26 or the 42 ? It was half the price of a Tacx Neo or Wahoo Kickr. Now It can be used only in “sim mode” due a hidden damage caused by the courier. Very good build quality although the bolts to replace the belt were a night mare to remove. If you want to calibrate it, we suggest that you do it through My E-Training. Spin down calibration test with elite"s app is not very intuitive, but a bit of google searching and some forum reads will give good direction. Efficient & silent trainer from GordonKhor September 8, 2020 smooth usage, no drop signal or any issue since mar2020 i bought At the lower recovery intervals they were slightly further apart, whereas at the upper work intervals the gap was closer (about 5w on 265w). – Requires power cable/be plugged in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Okay. Firstly, ERG mode can fluctuate more than I would like, and it is slow to recognise that I have stopped pedaling particularly on the downhill (low resistance) sections. the improved resistance is of zero relevance to me. As you probably know, apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, SufferFest, Rouvy, Kinomap, and many more all support most of these industry standards, making it easy to use whatever app you’d like. If I’m going to spend that kind of money I’d rather do it on a quieter trainer that has bang-on snap-to ERG mode changes. And when the cadence goes close to 0, the resistance goes up to infinity (or at least to the trainer’s maximum). Direto XR Moment of Inertia = 19930 kgxmm2 - Easy installation and calibration. Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Profile: This broadcasts your speed and cadence as a standard BLE combo Speed/Cadence sensor I start the video and want to start pedalling, but the trainer doesn’t move with a super high resistance. Think my written reviews are deep? Based on my testing, even a small amount can lead to improved comfort while seated. Any thoughts on how they compare for noise – both while pedaling and when coasting (admittedly not common during most Zwift sessions, but still a consideration for me)? In that case, those were pretty darn smooth. All it does is effectively change the gears you have available. Definitely a good buy at 2/3 the cost of other high end DD trainers. After years using a Tacx wheel-on trainer, we switched to the Elite Direto. I had also connection problems with Zwift but they stopped immediately when I realized I had to pair the FE-C trainer via Ant+. great “budget” wheel off smart trainer from Tall_Tri_Guy September 8, 2020 This is a great little trainer for the price. my weekly podcast - with GPLAMA, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness! Easy setup Accurate power Realistic inertiaWell-built Portable/storable. The Direto (probably all Elite trainers) show you power as you put it down so it looks a little spikey, whereas other brands artificially smooth the power readings, I've grown to like the 'actual power' readings which show a true representation of your ride (just like a real power meter outdoors). No cassette to install, no legs to assemble, and hopefully no foam to clean-up. Can struggle in erg mode as it is not that consistent, but otherwise a good trainer. Solid and stable trainer (I am a big guy) Peter. I dont know if its the connection type (I use ant+) or just the trainer itself. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. Kinda like Google Translate. Wahoo Kickr Core or XR? So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! Packs away well & easy to calibrate whenever it does show a discrepancy on power/output which happens occasionally. I had some issues though, initially the trainer felt like the belt was sliding especially on steeper climbs which was annoying. In addition to that, you can also activate via My E-Training (the first time is enough) the Power Meter Link feature, which allows you to connect the trainer to a separate power meter and use that information as the source of power data. Unlimited ANT+ connections, but only a single Bluetooth Smart connection. So what are the unknowns? Before we dive into all the usual review stuff, let’s just do a super quick recap of what’s changed between the Elite Direto X, and the newer Direto XR. Interesting but aren’t you essentially riding long hours with your saddle nose up if you use a tall riser? Easy setup Accurate power Realistic inertiaWell-built Helpful support Portable/storable Quiet Budget-friendly. Last but not least there’s a few configuration options within the Elite My E-Training app. Note some trainers do come with them. There support is also poor. There’s a handful of minor cadence quirks in occasional spots, but as you can see from the chart above – it’s only in certain ride situations and is limited to a second or two. IE: DIA200001 is a DIRETO code, DRA200001 is a DRIVO II code, etc. Happy with my purchase 6 months on. And as for sound? I’ve had no issues in the three years I’ve owned it, primarily using Ant+ connections. One last thing to note is that it can lean to the side when in a sprint so some additional weights on the legs is recommended. Can you please open a ticket at the link below? Hi any, advise woukd be great. For example, here it is doing the spin-down within TrainerRoad on an iPad: It’s super easy to do, you just pedal a bit fast for a moment until it reaches a given threshold speed, and then you stop pedaling. By applying resistance control, apps can simulate climbs as well as set specific wattage targets. Increase Moment of Inertia 26%. But what if you have really low gear ? In theory this keeps it from breaking the trainer power port if you trip over it and rip it out. I’d rather the darn trainer be accurate to begin with. The amazon link works fine though. Ride experience: Direct-drive trainers offer a better all-around indoor experience compared to wheel-on models. Great Pretty quiet in use - with bike drive train and fan noise probably more noisy - no concerns about using later at night / early morning and disturbing the neighbours though. Here’s the high level overview: Here’s a closer look at a few different surges as well. (Did try with bluetooth but didn't work well with Zwift in this set up). The belt wears by the usage and that causes small deviations in power measurements along the time. Good enough from cowboy September 27, 2020 Easy setup Accurate power Realistic inertiaWell-built, Elite Direto- Overall very good and worth it from Jan September 25, 2020 Great overall as it is cheaper than the Kickr. I bought it and the Smart Steering device. It's very sturdy. I run a 34 x 28 and after two switchbacks at 250+ watts @ 50 rpm up 10-13% inclines…I dialed it back to 70%. Level 46 on zwift and a veverest testament to a solid piece of kit. how long to go from 150w to 450w?) Swapping a cassette is extremely easy. Solid turbo from alexharris222_2 September 23, 2020 Has always just worked. As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well. It’s a bug in the current speed indication. Never mind, I just found the relevant section in the article. As Chris noted, easily go direct-drive rather than wheel on. 1400w max power is plenty for most cyclists, good slope simulation, had to turn down trainer intensity setting a bit because hills were too hard with it at 100%! Not sure if that's the trainer or the laptop (Surface Pro 7) that's causing the connection drop. Mind you, you'll learn how the trainer works and get kind of 'used to it' and anticipate. Coming from a Tacx Vortex it resembles a big upgrade in both accuracy and noise - that said it's not dead silent, especially compared to newer models. The key is to partially ignore that and simply measure the axle height from the ground to the rear axle. In the above, you’ll note there’s cadence data baked into the various streams. It was easy to set up and calibrate. I wouldn’t mind slightly less noise and faster ERG but e.g. If however, it can live up to the road-feel that I saw last year at Eurobike, as well as the accuracy claims they have, it’ll be a solid budget option for those that don’t want to deal with taking off their rear wheel. This is the first turbo trainer I've ever used. (The trainer was connected only to my ipad thrugh bluetooth, dont know if that matter but maybe.). Reliable and easy to maintain from joaojos3 September 30, 2020 It uses an internal belt to transfer the spinning well movement to the internal load (as other trainners). CONS: Elite says that the increase of flywheel weight from 4.2kg to 5.1kg was specifically done to increase the road feel realism. I’ve read pretty much every review of yours for direct drive smart trainers including the comments. Once I switched to the H3 I had wished I had gotten the Kickr way back when…. Yeah, there’s a bug in the table whereby if there isn’t a review (such as that cheaper trainer desk), then it loops back to the current review. In the case of the above workout, it was after doing 90 mins of relatively hard riding. And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. From my W10 desktop, using ANT+, no wrench. It is generally very quiet but does sometimes make a decent amount of noise at high speeds. In the case of simulation (aka slope) mode, the Direto XR can simulate from 0% to 24% incline – way above the original Direto X at 18%, and well beyond anyone else at this price range. However, for something like Zwift where you need to shift a bunch, then you’ll pretty much want to throw the bike out the window after a few mins, cause your shifts won’t work, or make a lot of noise (or both).