#drivo

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Elite Drivo II – Turbo Trainer Review | ZWIFT GEAR TEST

Since the Elite Drivo first landed in 2015 there have been considerable changes in the world of indoor trainers and the big beast of the Zwift jungle have all had a lick of paint for 2018, and I mean that literally, as the iconic white Elite Drivo has decided to copy the paint scheme from it’s Elite Direto little brother, now sporting a slimming black.

The external case changes are going to be the most noticeable to the majority of users, but it is likely that the new footprint is actually going to be the most useful. Again taking the lead from the Direto, the new foot design means that the Drivo II is SERIOUSLY stable.

For the last few years the current top trainer manufactures have broadly pitched their products in the following way:

Elite – A precision/accuracy platform

Tacx – High tech and near silence

Wahoo – industrial design and realistic rider feel

Kinetic – Rider comfort

However, up until this year, all of the flagship trainers were around two years old. That is a long time for engineers to tinker with their charges, as a result, there has been a lot of refinement of features, narrowing the gap between many of the trainers. Elite has now gone after Wahoo’s realism crown improving the response of the Drivo II so that the Zwift Hills and undulations get transmitted to the resistance unit three times faster than on the original unit. The is not a software modification, but the speed at which the Drivo II can move the magnet within side the turbo.

The accuracy on the Elite Drivo II has also been refined in order to give power figures which now have error limits down to an impressive 0.5% -/+ – HOWEVER this is a really good example of the interplay between software and hardware. The Optical Torque Sensor (OTS) forms the core of the Elite Drivo II has always been theoretically capable of reaching this level of accuracy from a hardware perspective, but was limited by the unit software.

The OTS measures torque based on minute amounts of axle twist, indicated by the positions of the 24 fins, which is then read by a laser. The key advantage being, that unlike a foil strain gauge based system the OTS it doesn’t need continued physical recalibration. Now some of you engineering types might raise an eyebrow there – Elite have clarified that when used with the relatively low power output and intensities a human can generate the OTS will not need recalibration

Part if this is due to the fact we are looking a hardware OPTICAL torque sensor. As there is no strain gauge, there is no significant source of heat, and so in addition to not needing recalibration, the OTS has no need for temperature compensation – which is another area that can cause issues for power meters. But rather than merely making claims and leaving things at that, Elite had had the OTS independently verified by German test labs, and certified which Elite is understandably keen to proclaim!

Before each Drivo is allowed to leave the factory, the unit has to undergo a 15minute physical calibration to ensure the long-term accuracy for the end user. Suggesting nothing is left to chance.

Testing, design, and accuracy are great, but the real question is, how does the Elite feel on Zwift, where the units are realistically going to do most of their miles…??

Right I think that is a reasonable place to pause the background, and look at the Elite Drivo II hardware – If you are interested in more about Elite and the company, I’ve visited the factory in Italy a couple of times around product launches, here are two posts from those adventures you may enjoy

Elite Factory Visit – Building the Fly bottle

Elite Factory Visit – Furoipista preview 

Elite Drivo II – Device Design

So the Elite Drivo II – comes in a box, I know shocking! But what is inside that big-ass box??

Well it’s normally autumn/winter when people start looking at trainers, and since it is early autumn and leaves are blowing around the TG office, I thought it seemed reasonable to take things outside to capture a themed version of the obligatory unboxing

Inside we have the two turbo legs, bolts and Allen keys to attach them to the trainer. Power supply, training skewer, cadence sensor and paperwork including manual. It’s worthwhile noting that there is no cassette in the box with the Elite Drivo II, so you’ll have to factor that into your purchase price

As well as the turbo we’ve got a slew of other bits of paperwork. Be careful not to bin the paperwork this time, as it contains codes for 36-month access to the Elite MyTraining app, which lets you get to the advanced features such as pedal analysis. After the first year, it’s a rolling £10 annual fee.

Although it does seem a little strange that there is now no longer a 30 day trial of Zwift in the box, to sit next to the Rouvy and Sufferfest trials. Something which doesn’t quell the conspiracy theories of Zwift looking to produce more hardware than just the MileStone Pod

In the little bag box, we had all most of the gubbins needed to get your Elite Drivo II up and running. An Allen key, three different axel adapters to actually connect your bike, and two washers for the cassettes – one thing which has been dropped from the previous Elite Drivo is the inclusion of an ANT+ key, likely due to the strength of the Bluetooth FTMS development which has been baked into the Elite Drivo II

The inclusion of two spacers allows the Elite Drivo Turbo to be fitted with a selection of 9/10/11 speed cassettes on the included Shimano freehub, so most peoples bikes should be able to fit

Elite also threw in a very antiquated looking cadence sensor to plug directly into the trainer. It’s a nice inclusion if you don’t already have one, but the nature of the Elite Drivo Turbo, and it’s price tag, it does look a little out of place.

Even stranger is the fact that the cadence sensor isn’t really needed; the Elite Drivo II can read the pulses in your pedal stroke, and calculate a cadence from here, so why on earth put it in the box??

The Elite My E-Training software contains pedal/stroke analysis software, which needs to know worthwhile the location of the pedal – which needs a dedicated sensor such as this – wanting to ensure that this software works correctly with the Elite Drivo II, hence a hardwired, rather than the wireless sensor is in the box. It’ makes sense when you know!

Once unboxed, the first steps are to attach the trainer’s arms

Be under no doubt, the new dual leg system is far superior to that of the original Elite Drivo

The central arm is fixed with two bolts and can be folded back against the body by use of a red retaining clip on the back of the arm

The arms look like they have been pulled straight from the Elite Direto parts bin. However, it is worth while noting that the Direto arms have a rough sandblasted texture, whereas the arms which arrived with this Elite Drivo II are smooth and a touch more prone to scratches

The arms .at attached by a single fixed bolt at the base of each arm, and have a screw bolt which allows the arms to lock into place when in use. Although I was a touch surprised to find the adjuster knob on the underside, not the best position, although at least it is keeping sweat of the threads!

If you are wanting to keep the trainer set up, but give yourself a little extra space around the bike, the legs can be folded back

The two outer arms have a single bolt, and then two feet. One that can be loosened to allow the arm to be deployed, and the other, at the far end of the leg, to adjust the stability of the trainer.

For storage the whole front arm can be folded up as well, but honestly, it doesn’t, create a hugely more compact shape as a result. The Elite Drivo II is still a touch bulky when it comes to throwing it into cars etc

The fully deployed the Elite Drivo II and the Elite Direto are now the two widest trainers on the market, such that Elite had to release a new training mat for them!

The slight movement of the weight towards the center if gravity has made the Elite Drivo II somewhat easier to carry around. Now falling between the Wahoo KICKR, which the easiest to pick up, and the Tacx Neo which is just an irritation when it comes to moving it from place to place

Further around to the back, we’ve the power socket, and just above that the hardware socket for the wired cadence sensor

There is a very well thought out cable management system, below the sockets, because we’ve all tripped over a cable and yanked a device hard. This approach should protect the internals well

Elite have taken a trick from Tacx, and the Elite Drivo II can be run without a power supply, however there are two cavets here. Peak resistance is down, but not so that anyone would honestly mind – as you are in an uncontrolled mode here. Yup, no Zwift, no variable resistance, essentially just a slushbox. So reasonable, but not really moving towards Tacx Neo levels of power cord cutting!

On the top side of the unit, we’ve got the status lights, for Power, Bluetooth, and ANT+.

I’m actually a little torn, I did like the white colour of the Elite Drivo, looking different and bright… however I,’m also happy that the new darker colour means I wont be forever having to clean dirt and oil marks off the case!

Elite Drivo II Review – Specifications

Communication: Bluetooth, ANT+™, ANT+™ FE-C, BlueTooth Smart Trainer Protocol – both ANT and BLE can be used simultaneously

Slope Simulation: 24%

Built-in sensors: Power, Speed/Cadence (Advance pedal analytics from this including pedal roundness)

Max Wattage: Get ready to have your socks blown off the DrivoII ships with 3600Watts @60kph… but for real humans that are going to be 2296w @40kph

I actually feel that putting numbers like this is a touch disingenuous. I consider myself to have had a VERY good day if I break 800 watts in a sprint, no one is going to break 3600 watts. Whilst these figures may technically possible it just feels like spec sheet fluffing – sorry!

Freehub: Shimano, 9/10/11 speed compatible – no cassette in the box

Compatibility notes: bikes with 130-135mm hubs and QR skewers, or 12mm x 142 thru-axle hubs,

Max weight of user: 113kg

Power Accuracy: 0.5% with Optical Torque Sensor

Flywheel: 6kg

Weight: 21kkg

Elite Drivo II user manual can be found HERE

Elite Drivo II Review – Using the device

So once you’ve attached your preferred cassette, it’s off to the races!!

Plug the turbo in, and there is a whirring sound. I’ve come to think of it as an initialisation sound, as the unit prepares itself for use

The sound covers an internal calibration, but it’s common for people to still stress about the need to calibrate power meters before a ride, especially on the Event Start line on Zwift. As mentioned above with the Elite Drivo II this isn’t something you need to worry excessively about. However there is still a manual calibration is you are finding there is an issue, which can be done from a smartphone app. Speaking of which…

Once you have built the Elite Drivo II, it is the time to install the Elite app. But don’t search for an “Elite app”, as you’ll not find it. You need to look for `’MyETraining” confusingly! Which you can then download from either iTunes or the Google Play store

The Elite app allows you to configure your trainer, perform power smoothing and Trainer Sensor Calibration, which you should only need to do if something does appear to be behaving as it should

There are more advanced features within the app, you can use the MyETraining as a whole standalone app, but the benefit is really seen in one of the premium features – remember I said now to throw away the paperwork that came with the unit, well that allows you to unlock the training features.

However to get to the really juicy bit, the pedal analysis, you need a separate purchase, which doesn’t come in the box!

On the iPad, the My ETraining app takes on a very different feel, as it allows you the larger screen real estate to perform an analysis of your pedalling technique.

So with the Elite Drivo II up and running, let’s move on the first part of the Zwift Gear Test proper – the sound test

Elite Drivo II Review – Sound Test

As I have discussed before, the sound test here is carried out with the iPhone, in the same room, at a similar distance from the trainer on all the turbos I have reviewed, so at least this is giving some degree of consistency within the tests

Remember that decibels are only part of the story, the nature of the sound is a massive factor in perception, not just volume.

The sound test may be Achilles heel for the Elite Drivo II. The pursuit of accuracy has meant that there have been some areas where sacrifices have had to be made. Previously Elite have been very proud of their Elite Turbo Muin II as the quietest trainer on the market. Achieved was through an almost silent grooved belt – although this approach had a tendency to slip against some of the smooth pulleys, affecting accuracy, if not the rider experience. Elite have a grooved belt on the Elite Drivo II… well have a listen for yourselves

So just. to reconfirm those numbers – the Elite Drivo II has a peak volume of 98.7 dB via my testing. Whilst Elite may have refined the Drivo II in terms of response, and power accuracy, there is still plenty of overhead to try and make this turbo less of a beast in the sound department!

Elite Drivo II Review – Power Meter Accuracy testing

Moving on to the power meter test, which is what many people are interested in on for a turbo trainer. As ever, power meter testing is done using the latest Zwift build, so we have a consistent benchmark between all the different turbos on TitaniumGeek

Here the power tests have been performed against the PowerTap C1 chain ring, which we know correlates well with all other power meters which have been through the TG testing. In addition, I’m also running another powermeter from Magene – review due shortly – but as you can see the accuracy levels correlate well

NB I’ve applied a 4-second smoothing to the data, which can be effective in highlighting subtle issues

On the simple overview, the Elite Drivo II is aligning very well with old timer power meter test – the PowerTap C1, and the new Magene crank powermeter. I did notice a single dropouts to note from the Elite Drivo II (here testing with ANT+ FEC – I’ll be adding a test with Bluetooth shortly, as the data I have so far looks a little interesting, and want to confirm what I have first)

Let’s zoom in somewhat to a few of the climbs, as we can see, that almost perfect alignment between the three sensors

Normally you are going to see a small amount of lag or lost wattage to due to drivetrain losses on a turbo power meter compared with a hub ward power meter, but even on sudden ramps in order to overtake other riders, we’re looking at very clear correlation between the spider based PowerTap, crank arm Magene and the Elite Drivo II

Elite Drivo II Review – Race Feel

Knowing how a turbo reacts during a race can have a major effect on a riders performance.

This is the Elite Direto’s Achilles heel if anything, I found that going through the Watopia Esses, which always prove to be a challenge for a trainer. Needing to apply the resistance quickly on the uphill, and then ease off on the downhill. The Direto falls a little off the pace here but about 1-1.5 seconds.

You’d see the same in other areas of the Zwift experience as well, but less marked. For example, on preparing to attack on a hill, your avatar winds up, but there is the briefest of pauses before the resistance bites on the turbo.

In spite of the lag, one area that the Direto has sorted is when you come to stand up out of the saddle. Given the wide stance, the unit feels VERY planted, and didn’t really object to me giving the handlebars a good tug, which was a pleasant experience!

The Elite Drivo II can also be used in Ergo mode, where the trainer is controlling the resistance to allow you to hit certain power levels – most people will only come across this as part of Zwift Workouts

What with Alp due Zwift being in the wild for many months now, riders have gotten time to experience the horror of a 17% gradient indoors. But if Zwift should decide to produce an event steeper course – which is unlikely – or some lunatic like Tim Fulford produce an even steeper workout, then the Elite Drivo II is able to keep cranking up the pain for a 24% steep of pain

As mentioned earlier the speed with which the Elite Drivo II is now able to respond to those computer generated inclines is three times faster than on its white predecessor, so you able to get a much more realistic feeling.

Elite Drivo II Review – Conclusion

Looking at the accuracy of the readings of the Elite Drivo Turbo compared to other power meters. I think it’s fair to say that Elite has managed to nail their accuracy claims – well certainly for ANT+ FEC, Bluetooth FTMS… let me come back and update shortly

The Elite Drivo II is not a quiet machine, in fact I’d say that the note is a rather harsh which might influence purchasing decisions. Particularly if you are riding in side, or in the earshot others.

Elite have certainly made big improvements to the Drivo II, some from hardware and some from software – ultimately when I first started with Elite Drivo II, it felt more of a re-warming. After having used it for a couple of months, and blasting around Zwift – I’m more than happy to say it has earned it’s Second Generation moniker – especially given the change in resistance speeds

Elite now probaly have the best simulation of Watopia’s hills and that’s what I’m looking for – but with the Neo 2 in the wings, Kinetic shipping their new direct mount unit, and Wahoo pushing out ever more KICKRS, will that opinion remain at the end of trainer testing season?? Let’s see – but for now an easy TG 4/5 for the Elite Drivo II !

Elite Drivo II Preview and Factory Visit 2018

Autumn is upon us, and that means turbo trainers reviews. The Elite Drivo II is the first up in the TG cave, and this preview gives my first impressions of the Italians lastest indoor bike trainer, along with a report of my 2018 Elite Factory visit and the Elite Fuoripista. So let’s get into things! (more…)

Elite Direto Preview – Elite Factory Tour

Elite recently invited me to see their setup in Europe, starting off with a day in Croatia to see how the Elite Fly bottle is produced, and the technological advances which meant it took THREE YEARS to design and create a water bottle. 

While seeing the Elite Fly bottles being produced was very interesting, it wasn’t the main reason for my trip, that was to see the Elite Direto, a new direct turbo trainer that Elite is launching this year into the sub £800 bracket this year.

Elite is currently comprised of 50 employees, nestled in the Veneto region, on near to the banks of the River Brenta. The company has been building cycling accessories since 1979, and in 1989 moved into their current headquarters, which really does deserve a paragraph in its own right… as Elite is based in a limestone furnace!

Whilst parts of the factory look exactly as you would expect of any modern technology company:

Other parts of the factory, frankly look like an Italian stately home! There is even a small museum inside!

The overall appearance of the factory is all the more impressive when you see the photographs of how the old furnace was a derelict husk when it was purchased by the company

But what of the new Elite Direto? The reason I’ve come to the Elite Factory. In the pantheon on smart trainers, there have been thousands of words and discussions about which is “the best” smart trainer. The Elite Drivo, the Tacx Neo and Wahoo KICKR, can all probably lay claim to that title in some way, largely due to the fact they are all direct mount turbos.

Last year, Tacx released the Tacx Flux and caused a bit of a ruckus, by dropping a direct drive turbo trainer on the market for under £600 bringing that feature away from the big three! Now a year down the line, it is time for Elite to bring their baby direct drive unit to market.

Pitched a touch higher than the Flux price, with an RRP for £749, there are a few bits which have been added to the spec sheet to justify that £150, and may make for some interesting discussions in the Zwift Communities.

So this is merely a preview article based on my short time testing the Direto in Italy, I’ll be releasing a more in-depth Zwift Gear Test when I have had more chance to play with the unit back into the UK. With that in mind, let’s kick off with the specs for the new turbo trainer

Elite Direto Specifications

Communication: Bluetooth, ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, BlueTooth Smart Trainer Protocol – both ANT and BLE can be used simulatenously

Slope Simulation: 14%

Built in sensors: Power, Speed/Cadence (Advance pedal analytics from this)

Max Wattage: 1400watts

Freehub: Shimano, 9/10/11 speed compatible – no cassette in the box

Compatibility notes: bikes with 130-135mm hubs and QR skewers, or 12mm x 142 thru-axle hubs,

Max weight of user: 113kg

Power Accuracy: 2.5%

Flywheel: 4.2Kg (Drivo 6kg)

Weight: 15kg (Drivo 21kg)

What is the benefit to ANT+ and BLE used contemporaneously? A typical example could be: training with Zwift on iPad and getting training data on your Garmin device, which you’ll be able to do at the same time now. But this isn’t something that is just for the Direto, but will be rolled out other Elite turbos in the 2016-2017 model year via a firmware upgrade later in 2017 (I am looking for clarification if that means there is a cut off on Drivo models to get the update)

Elite Direto 

Elite has been very aware of how Zwift has changed the turbo trainer market, as responsiveness and rider feel is now a much more prominent point when it comes to buying, and thus designing a turbo. As such, if you look around the testing halls at Elite HQ, you can see other manufacturers turbo trainers sulking in their holding silos which have been used for reference and comparison during the Direto development

As well as feel, it’s now recognised that turbo trainers are moving far beyond the concept of purely being for “training” and warming up. Just take a look at the ferocity with which results are contested on Zwift, and how the community has set up Zwift Power in order to get get an oversight on the races that happen on Watopia.

As such the Drivo has the widest footprint stance of a trainer to date, a title which was previously held by the Cycleops Hammer, which is something you really notice when you get out of the saddle and sprint for finish line on a more narrow trainer

As you can see, the width of the Elite Direto is such that Elite is now having to produce a new turbo matt… something I’m actually quite pleased about, as I like the brightness of the mat in my small pain cave, but also find their current mat, simply too narrow to catch the huge amounts of sweat I regrettably produce!

The legs on the Elite Direto, will be one of the points to which people won’t pay much attention to, until they swap to another trainer. This unit is very planted, and might just be one of the more stable turbos on the market.

When it comes to folding the Elite Direto up, the legs are narrower than the body, so you are not paying a premium for that foldability in terms of space.

Although the thumb screws to move the legs, are underneath the legs, which is a minor irritation for me personally. I still find the KICKR legs the easier to move and get into place, just push and swing

Visually I think a lot of people are going to focus on the exposed disc at the top of the trainer, which does actually look very neat to my mind. The grey colour comes from the nylon 40% fibreglass composite used, to give three characteristics of temperature resistance, light weight and resistance to deformity under load.

Although when it comes to talking purely about visuals there is always going to be a caveat isnt there… I think the exposed disc is also needed visually to balance the Direto appearance, as when viewed from the other side the unit does look a little top heavy

Whereas you lose that heavy feeling when viewed with the cassette side on

The belt on the Elite Direto has also been changed in comparison to the Drivo and Kura, now using a non-toothed version, for a better sound profile, and increased in width for better power transfer and reduced chance of slipping

Elite Direto Factory Quality Control

Every Elite Drivo trainer goes through the same quality control proceedure at the factory…naked. It is only after QC has been confirmed by a spin on the Lorenzo testing machine for 20 mina, that the Direto is allowed to put on it’s outer clothes.

The focus on accuracy is one of the things which has developed over the last five years in the world of turbo trainers. Previously 5-10% accuracy was considered reasonable, but now manufacturers are chasing that 1%, and under target, in their top of the range devices.

As such the Lorzeno machine was built specifically for testing at Elite during the design of the Drivo, and must be taken apart and shipped back to Germany once a test for servicing and recalibration. The same system is now used for Diretto testing too

Staying with the concept of accuracy, testing the power accuracy on turbo trainers is one thing, but it is even harder on rollers, and until this year has actually required a human rider to test out the calibration…on each set of roller produced… poor him!

However the Lorenzo system has also been adapted at Elite in order to be able to test out rollers with same degree of reassurance in quality. Hence the lead in QC, looks very happy showing off the new wheels, as he is no longer having to ride ALL the rollers that come through QC!

Coming back to the Direto though, once the testing is complete the trainers are put back onto pallets to await their casings.

With regard to the power meter inside the Elite Direto, the Optical Torque System (OTS), has the same origin to that of the Elite Drivo, in fact, visually to me looked pretty much identical. However, there have been a few changes, to differentiate the two trainers

Now it is the Direto that houses the standard OTS, whilst the Drivo is considered to have the OTS “Plus”. The Direto OTS power meter has an accuracy of +/- 2.5% and whilst the Drivo/Kura with the original, or now OTS “Plus” power meters have a +/- 1% accuracy.

The thermal effect of the magnetic brake has been one of the considerations when designing the layout of the Direto, as heat has a tendency to affect power meters. As such the OTS has been mounted as far away from the brake as possible and has two temperature separation points built in, first a fibreglass and then aluminium shield.

This position meaning that the OTS will experience a max of 45 deg Celcius temperature generated by the brake. Even under intense work outs. That 45 deg C then allows a 15 deg temperature buffer before the 60 deg C limit of the OTS reached, where upon the power meter would start to be affected by temperature changes

As mentioned the pursuit of accuracy has been carefully balanced on the Direto as one of the main differentiators between the new turbo and it’s larger Drivo relative

The three main differentiators between the Drivo and Direto actually look quite small for most of the Zwift riders below Cat A, as most riders are not going to be able to hit 1400watts as much as they might wish. The 2.5% accuracy, and the 14% gradient on that Elite Direto, whilst less than the Drivo, are new entrants at this price point, with the Tacx Flux being 5% and simulating a 10% slope, so from a purely Zwifters perspective, you’ve going to be getting closer to that 16% gradient heading up to the mast now, without breaking into the next trainer price point.

As the Drivo and Direto, both use the OTS system, providers can access to the advanced pedal analytics feature launched on the Drivo last year in the My E Training app.

The analysis is slightly cruder on the Direto as opposed to the on Drivo, with the Direto having power analysis measured at 12 points in the stroke, vs the Drivo’s 24, but it’s still another selling factor for people who might not have separate power meter pedals to consider

The advanced pedal analytics comes as part of the My E-Training app, Premium Package optional download, for which Elite includes a one-year access code in the box. If you want to continue using the advanced pedal analytics after then, you’ll need to pay a £10 annual fee. But you’ll always have access to the simple cadence data.

What about power testing? What about ride quality?  Noise?? I had about 10km riding on the Direto in Italy, which apart from allowing me to confirm that you REALLY need a fan indoors in the Italian heat when on Zwift, I couldn’t honestly give you much more information today… why??

Why? Well I was supposed to have a preproduction model to test before this post went live, however, DHL has decided that they wanted to keep hold of the parcel that Elite sent me! Even though the warehouse is only a 45mins drive for me, they have not been able to allow me to collect over the last four days, as apparently, the trainer is in a shipping container. So whilst the unit has still been delayed by four days, in spite of my best attempts to plead and beg, I’ve not had time enough to answer those questions honestly. But rest assured, I’ll be updating with information on the responsiveness on the Watopia Esses as fast as I can!

Having been using the Cycleops Hammer for a couple of months now after ZwiftCon, I’m in a much better place to give an idea as to how the latest Cycleops unit feels, and more importantly, how it responds to race conditions, in order to be able to class this review as a proper Zwift Gear Test! So if you are interested in the new trainer on the block, read on in the Cycleops Hammer review and Zwift…