Elite Direto XR home trainer review

Third generation of Elite’s Direto line of smart trainers, the Direto XR is now the Italian brand’s top-of-the-range model. Stable, quiet and responsive, it now simulates gradients of up to 24%, features a highly accurate power meter and comes with an 11-speed cassette already fitted. On Zwift, it delivers a very realistic experience.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: @3Bikes.fr

Unveiled this summer, the Direto XR succeeds the Direto and Direto X and brings several improvements, such as a maximum simulated gradient that rises from 18 to 24%, a flywheel that goes from 4.2 to 5.1 kg and a new algorithm for ERG mode. It now comes with an 11-speed cassette already fitted, and requires no assembly when you take it out of the box. Priced at €849, it also replaces the Drivo II, which until now was Elite’s flagship model, but sold for almost €500 more when it was launched. Elite is also taking the opportunity to simplify its range of interactive home trainers, which now comprises the Direto XR, the Suito at around €670 and the Tuo at around €450.

=> SEE ALSO : Buy the Elite Direto

Power data accuracy is ensured by the OTS (Optical Torque Sensor), which measures power output to within +/- 1.5%, half a point better than the Direto, and comparable to the accuracy of most power meters used on the road.

Compared with its predecessors, the Direto XR is ready to use in under five minutes straight out of the box, sparing you the tedious job of fitting the legs and the cassette. All you have to do is unfold the legs, adjust their level if your floor isn’t perfectly even by turning a small knob by hand, and mount the bike after removing the rear wheel. The home trainer is compatible with different axle types thanks to sets of adapters: traditional quick release 130 x 5 mm or 135 x 5 mm, or thru-axle 135 x 12 mm, 142 x 12 mm and 148 x 12 mm. You then need to plug the power cable into a wall socket, and an LED on the front of the unit shows it is switched on. Curiously, the cable also plugs in at the front rather than being routed out towards the back. It’s a detail, but in our view the opposite would have been more practical. Finally, the Direto XR comes with a front wheel block, which keeps the bike level with the floor. Note that after training, storage is made easier by the two folding side legs, an easy-to-reach handle and a reasonable weight of 16 kg.

=> SEE ALSO : Buy a home trainer

Compatible with all training software

The Direto XR communicates with other connected devices (computer, smartphone or tablet) via ANT+FE-C and Bluetooth and works with IOS, Android and Windows. It is of course compatible with Elite’s My E-Training software (and comes with a free 12-month subscription) as well as other apps such as Zwift, TrainerRoad, The Sufferfest, Bkool, Kinomap etc.

On Zwift, the most popular platform of the moment, pairing with a Mac over Bluetooth is dead simple. On the app’s pairing screen, the Direto XR and its serial number show up in the slots for power source, cadence and speed. A small wrench icon appears next to the power source, allowing you to run a quick calibration of the unit. The trainer must first have been ridden for around ten minutes as a warm-up, then the app asks you to speed up to 37 km/h and stop pedalling so it can measure the spin-down time. Zwift recommends doing this about once a week with heavy use, but logically, if the home trainer isn’t subjected to frequent temperature changes (for instance if it’s stored in the garage and used in an apartment, or vice versa), there’s no reason for the calibration to drift that often.

The Direto XR can be used in two modes : SIM by default (Simulation, meaning the app varies the resistance according to the difficulty of the virtual course, with simulated gradients of up to 24%) or ERG (a specific power target sent by the app, for following structured workouts). In the latter mode, the home trainer can deliver a resistance of 2300 watts at 40 km/h, which in practice remains out of reach for most of us anyway.

As for the maximum simulated gradient of 24% (whereas the original Direto topped out at “only” 14%), you should know that you’ll never find that kind of climb on Zwift (15% at most). Above all, you need to go into the menu to set the trainer difficulty in the app, which is set to 50% by default. This means that a 10% virtual gradient will only be transmitted as 5% in that case. Note that this isn’t a way of cheating your performances on Zwift, as these depend on the power you actually produce. Adjusting the trainer difficulty is in a way like changing the range of gears on the bike. For our part, we found the best compromise between realism and using the whole of the 11-28 cassette supplied with the Direto XR with the difficulty set to 75%. So what’s the point of such an increase in maximum power? It is mainly justified in terms of accuracy for heavier riders, and for simulating more precisely a high resistance at a lower virtual speed.

An almost realistic ride feel

Before starting, you should never forget that the feel on a home trainer is never quite the same as outdoors, and that any comparison must be made under the same conditions of use. On Zwift, average speed is generally more optimistic than on the road, mainly because of the absence of wind and of course the corners that can be taken without braking, not to mention the lack of traffic or road signs. On a home trainer, you also generally produce less power than on the road (in the order of 10%) for the same perceived effort. Because there is less friction. For our part, this gap has been confirmed several times over various tests, whether measuring the famous FTP or MAP.

However, improving or maintaining your fitness depends on several combined factors, and it is now accepted that a good home trainer workout programme can make up, at least in part, for not being able to ride on the road. The advantage of a comprehensive app such as Zwift is that it offers routes of varied difficulty and solid training plans that keep boredom at bay.

Unlike rival models selling for between €350 and €450 more, such as the Tacx Neo 2T or the Wahoo Kickr, the Direto XR has a lighter flywheel and lacks a motor to simulate descents like the Tacx. These two elements affect how realistic gradient changes feel. Nevertheless, in this respect the XR is already superior to the original Direto, giving a finer feel on false flats and other “rollers”. It responds faster to the commands sent by the app, and the pedal stroke feels “rounder”, especially when riding at low to medium intensities. Overall, the Direto XR feels very high-quality and perfectly smooth in operation, without the sense of constantly pushing against resistance that you get with entry-level units. 

Its plastic frame resting on metal legs is perfectly stable, while allowing a very slight lateral flex (in the order of 2 or 3°) that avoids putting too much stress on the bike during hard efforts. This very slight give also limits the risk of tendon injuries that could arise from a position that is necessarily more fixed than on the road.

The lack of a motor to simulate descents means you can’t shift up to a bigger gear while spinning your legs on the downhill sections of the app, and that you have to work hard to keep up with other Zwifters equipped with a Tacx. It makes no difference to virtual speed in the game, but let’s say it limits the chances to let your muscles recover during group rides (Meetups or Social Rides) or races.

Otherwise, we appreciated how relatively quiet the unit is, even at high intensity. You can hear little more than the drivetrain, and the fan (essential for good indoor training) is far noisier. The Direto XR produces little or no vibration, and with a mat it is perfectly feasible to train late in the evening in an apartment without disturbing the neighbours. Here again, the difference with entry-level units is significant.

And what about power accuracy?

To judge the accuracy of the power readings, we had to fit the bike with a power meter crankset, in order to compare the file delivered by Zwift (connected to the home trainer) with the one recorded by the Garmin head unit (connected to the Quarq crankset) over several more or less demanding training sessions. Overall, whether for the average power of the session or for more specific intervals, we noted a constant difference of five watts between the two devices, in favour of the Direto XR. Nevertheless, this gap falls within the accuracy range of both power meters, each claimed at +/- 1.5%. On a short sprint with a power peak, it was the crankset that read higher, by around forty watts, but this may be a consequence of where the sensor is located: it is more responsive because it does not take into account the efficiency losses linked to the drivetrain.

While the cadence shown on the head unit is very steady and easy to hold, the same cannot be said on Zwift with the Direto XR. There it often fluctuates and seems to struggle to settle. Yet when analysing the files, we found that the average and maximum cadences in each file were strictly identical. However, while this erratic display causes no problem in SIM mode, it seems to cause stability issues in ERG mode, where it is relatively difficult to hold a steady power output throughout an interval. The workaround was suggested to us on a discussion forum, where we were advised to use the small chainring and a large sprocket for these intervals, so as to better control the flywheel speed.

In terms of responsiveness in ERG mode, it takes around three seconds to switch from one resistance to another, which is very good overall and lets you spend optimal time in the ideal training zone.

Coming of age

Compared with all the home trainers from rival companies and the market in general, Elite’s offering has always been positioned in the mid/high-end segment, with features and prices to match that product category. This was the case with the Direto and Direto X compared with the more advanced, but also more expensive, Tacx and Wahoo units.

With the XR update, the Direto gains in power and accuracy (even if ERG mode isn’t quite perfect yet in our view), but also in quietness and smoothness. It is a rock-solid unit, ready to use straight out of the box with its supplied cassette, while still being offered at a relatively reasonable price compared with the competition.

The Direto XR provides everything you need for serious, regular use on Zwift or other apps. It is a more than worthwhile addition to training and to maintaining fitness during lockdown or when outdoor conditions are too harsh, while remaining fun and enjoyable to use. It is a mature unit, fairly priced, which we recommend without hesitation.

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