I've had mine since October. I've never used ERG mode because I I don't get a machine to manage my power output when I'm riding outside so I don't use it inside.

As for point 2, I don't see that at all. I am often in the big ring and under 100 watts during recoveries or cooldowns. I don't ever do 50rpm on purpose, but I've often been in the 280w range at 70.

That said I have found that the trainer seems to "like" higher wattages in the little ring more than the big for some reason.

found this on GPlama's site..
https://gplama.blogspot.my/...er-guide-gplama.html and look at the direto on the "wattage floor"

so it does seem like you need to hit specific speeds(?) to get the power. I presume that it means at 10kmh, your cadence will dictate you will get 32Watt or 216 Watt









@ marklemcd - if you're never gonna use ERG mode, may I know why you chose the direto instead of the Kura for instance. The Kura is as good as (i think) and the power accuracy is +/-1% but doesn't do ERG mode.


I'm debating a new trainer (coming from a B60R) and while I would like ERG mode, I'm thinking if I'm able to "survive" on it judging on how poor my form is and not being able to hold the wattages in an interval. There's NO bail switch unlike a dumb trainer. (i'm assuming since I've never actually ridden a erg mode trainer)

Really just came down to reading dcrainmakers review and I couldn’t tell whether the kurno would adjust resistance automatically if I did zwift.

I understand the Kickr broadcasts target power, not actual power output, hence the super smooth graphs.

the Kura doesn't adjust resistance automatically. Hence, no Ergo capability.

1) the power readings are artificial because of the smoothing. If anything, the Direto numbers probably reflects a better look on reality than the kickr in erg mode.

2) i've had no issues with erg. I do almost everything on the small front chainring and keep it in the middle on the cassette. Only had to make a big gear change when doing a ftp test when TR automaticly shifts to the resistance mode

3) only had a 'wobbling' issue after moving the direto around with the bike still attached. Easily fixed by leveling the direto out using the big round knobs on the bottom side of the legs.

That's what I suspected as well. If that's the case, then I much prefer the Direto's methodology, even if it looks less smooth.

Very interesting. It's not wobbling that I'm experiencing on the Direto (the actual legs seem perfectly stable), but actual flex in the bike frame, namely the seatstays where it's connected to the Direto. Is anybody else experiencing frame flex?

Mine flexes too. I cannot figure out why. I try standing behind the trainer and wobbling the bike back and forth to see where it’s coming from, and like you I came to the conclusion that it is not the trainer that is flexing, it seems to be the bike, but I don’t know why. It seems to be securely anchored. Could it be the cheap skewer that’s flexing?

I think it depends on the bike. My old Cannondale X-Cross aluminum frame is silly solid on the Direto, but my Slice is super flexy. I think that's because the Slice is flexy on purpose, and you don't ride with the rear-wheel attached vertically outside fortunately. I'm imagining that the flexy part is directly related to the stiffness of the bike, which I can attest are not all the same.

Matt

Two questions for direto owners

Am using direto with zwift mostly. Training And online racing. Great experience and really enjoying it.

1) anyone have any experience with left right balance? I get the figures when I upload to training peaks. Direto/training peaks says I am close to 50, usually, but I am a little skeptical, using my bmc roadbike with no power meter. On my Kuota tri bike and p2max and Kurt kinetic, I am 46/54 split. Anyone have any ideas on why it seems off/ inconsistent?
2) also why does Garmin Connect software not show the power balance graph when riding the direto, but training peaks does?
3) one more mild issue, even though the trainer sits on garage floor that is flat, it tends to inch forward. After an hour it’s crawled forward by 12-16 inches. Any ideas for a fix?

Steve

On the L/R, the Direto has no way of knowing, it is just taking surges and estimating based on that where your pedal stroke is. I would take that with a grain of salt.

As far as moving forward, I notice that too, especially with a lot of climbing. I'll just sling it back once or twice during a ride. I'm on a pretty slick laminate surface though.

On concrete garage floor, it does not move at all.
Perhaps something underneath the contact points? (Cut up an old wetsuit?)
Or brace something in front of the legs?
Tie an old tube to the handle and anchor that to something behind you?

Just replying to the latest thread and not necessarily responding to what you wrote.

I just picked up a Direto and finally set it up today. What I'd like to know is how do you guys adjust the rear derailleur while it is setup on the Direto? The resistance is hard to pedal by hand at a dead stop. I noticed it is slightly off compared to the trainer wheel I was using and getting a bit of a rubbing noise on the cassette like it isn't well alignment. I do have the bike it in the big chainring currently.

Haven't had a chance to run a calibration yet as but did would like to soon to see how well it matches up with my Power2Max Type S.

Is it rubbing throughout the cassette or just on the high or low sprocket?

Did you check that the cassette matches your RD? If 10sp, is the spacer on there correctly? Are all the sprockets spaced correctly (all have the correct spacers installed)?

If all of that is good, then put it on the small ring and unplug it. Can you spin by hand now? If not, try turning it back on into resistance mode and reducing resistance to minimum. (I'm not sure whether OFF is harder/easier than minimum.)

It seems odd that it would be off enough to rub from a bike to the trainer unless there is some spacer missing, so definitely start there first.

Rubbing through the cassette a bit like it wants to shift but quite can't get there. Everything is installed correctly and I do know my way around cassette and derailleur setup. Just the tension seemed high to try and turn it by hand that is all. I tried messing with resistance mode and turning it to none in the Elite app but it didn't seem to help much. Maybe I'm just too used to adjusting the derailleur with the rear wheel free hanging like in a stand.

And no it isn't odd when switching wheels because not all hubs are built to the exactly the same spacing tolerances between all the brands. Just minor differences that require a little barrel adjuster turn to get it right.

Well, then, that is easy! It sounded like the spacing was so far off that when shifted into a gear, it was rubbing.

If it is only hesitant to shift, then yeah, like you say: spin that tension screw in a bit!

Was it easier/harder/same to spin when at zero resistance as if you unplug it?

I think it was slightly easier to spin. I mean I could do it but it wasn't a fast cadence like in work stand. But I got it adjusted now and it was about a 1/2 turn of the barrel adjuster did the trick it wasn't a horrible rub but I definitely could hear it when I did a test spin real quick.

I admittedly spent more time than I probably should messing with the leveling knobs on the side arms than I should have. Tough to elminate all wobble when the trainer is on top of a mat which in turn on top of carpet. Eventually just went with good enough.

Looking forward to my first erg workout on this thing (probably tomorrow morning unfortunately as I'm little off health wise today to be able to slug through Trainnerroad VO2 Max workout for my next one in the plan).

Not directed at anyone in particular, just a general question. Anyone coming from a Computrainer to a Direto? I've used a Computrainer since 1998 and ride quite a bit indoors. Usually 5-6 days a week when the weather sucks, which is about 8 months of the year here in Cleveland, and 3-5 days a week even in the summer. So I log about 80% of my annual mileage of 5-6K indoors. I'd really like to upgrade to a Direct Drive, though there isn't anything wrong with my Computrainer. That said, I belong to the Direto FB group, and I know the purpose of the page is to post issues and get assistance, but the number of problems seems to be endless. I often wonder if Elite has a Quality Control department. My darn Computrainer just works....every day, as it has for years. Perhaps ignorance is bliss. So if you do have a Computrainer to Direto migration experience, I'd love to hear about it. Comparable noise levels, thoughts on power meter accuracy, response to grade changes in Course mode, and response to load changes in ERG mode. I only use ERG mode occasionally, usually for shorter intervals (3-5min type stuff). For 2x20 min I manage the wattage myself, because as someone said previously, when you ride outside, nothing manages your wattage for you. Thanks in advance.

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I wanna go fast!

Any support page will be inundated with problems...even products that 'just work', like a CT. You are only seeing the problems, not the other people who get along just fine.

I've only used a CT a couple times, so all I can say is that this is quieter.

My only annoyance of the Direto is that it has a little buzzer/chime thing that goes off when it gains or loses connection. Well, it also like to start jabbering occasionally during ERG mode whenever it gets a new command. Any idea how to shut it up?

I've had mine since early October and it's just worked from day one. Done trainer road workouts, zwifted around, and done self done sessions using my Elemnt in FEC mode. Never had a problem. It matches nearly perfectly with my Assioma pedals for power and cadence. It's been fantastic for me.

I don't mind the somewhat loud computer printer noise others complain about because I always have headphones on anyway.

Do what I do, I have a tablet in front of me for watching movies/shows and have that connected via bluetooth headphones. Can't hear what is going on with the beeping noises the Direto makes (or Trainnerroad running on my phone for that matter). But I can still hear the trainer noise and the fans around me. Definitely a bit louder (not by much) so far than my Fluid2 trainer though.

To ironmantee, I chose the Direto over the Flux because of people still posting on the FB Flux group of issues with their units (a guy just had his 3rd unit fail and had to be sent into warranty again....Units 2 & 3 for him were warranty replacements - this was last week). I know they only post issues but even after 1-1.5 years of the Tacx Flux being out and still people complaining of units dying is a bit off putting for me. I thought about the more expensive ones like the Kickr, Hammer, Drivo and Neo but couldn't justify the extra costs (since I don't plan on Zwifting for now and other similar type of road feel apps). So my choice was Flux or Direto instead as I wanted a smart erg capable direct drive trainer. That reliability issues still for some along with the fact that the Direto has a real power meter in a sense with a higher grade simulation was the final factor in my purchase.

I've used a computrainer 1 time but can't recall how different it felt for controlling in erg mode. But it was definitely quieter than a Direto. I still have to get used to Erg mode though as I was putzing around with gears and it took some time to get up to the target power (was doing trainerroad Ansel Adams -1 with VO2 max intervals at 130% ftp). Need to just try and stick with a cadence in a lower gear it seemed to help a little better but harder than my Fluid2 so far to hold the target power a bit more consistently. I also discovered my phone may not have the bluetooth support to control the trainer (have to look into that more) and had to switch to the Ant+ to get erg mode to work.

Also, to others, when you did a calibration (if you did one), were you close to the factory offset? I finally did one this morning after my Trainerroad ride and was about 21 points lower for my calibration. Couldn't get the elite app to set my power smoothing either (kept failing). Might have to mess with it later when I have more time. Seems from brief testing the Direto reads higher than my power meter (Power2Max Type S currently connected for now).

Thanks. Just picked up a set of Assioma Duo's myself, though haven't installed them yet.

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I wanna go fast!

To all Direto owners, knowing what you know now after using your Direto, would you purchase it again?

Definitely yes. I have had no issues at all.

Edit: not really an issue...but I routinely unplug it when finished with a session, to keep it from entering a “bad state”. That way it will connect without difficulty at my next session.

Been riding 3.5-4 hours on it since October 1st, and it works fine.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

Yes

Anyone have an opinion on the Direto vs. the new KICKR? With the ongoing DCR/CleverTraining 20% off discount the price differential is $180. The KICKR comes with a cassette and a Wahoo cadence sensor so that gap is cut in half. At a $90 price differential is the KICKR truly better?

I’ve never used a Kickr, so no first hand experience. I don’t like the sound of the Kickr (from what I’ve heard on DC rainmaker videos online). That was the deal breaker for me, cassette included or not.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

I own a Direto and I am very happy with it since day one. While I do not have 1st-hand experience with the new kickr, being price similar my purchasing recommendation would be the kickr if you are in the US due to better after sales support. In Europe Elite's prices are more competitive and the brand has a wider presence so the direto is usually a better deal.

I have ridden my Direto for about 6 months without incident, but today, during an FTP test of all things, this loud knocking noise started. Any thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpOLTJPZRVU

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Strava

Join the Elite direto group on Facebook. Elite monitors the group and can answer questions there. They are quite quickly there and will walk you through what to check....I am so happy with mine btw.

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

The only thing that I am missing...
How can I get left/right balance from Direto to Garmin 520 or 935?
Can anyone help me ?

You can't, it's only available in their app if you pay.

He can indeed, when paired as powermeter it broadcasts L/R balance and you can setup a data field to see it.- No other pedalling metrics though. Also, if you don't have the wired cadence sensor (optional) the trainer does not know what is right and left so the value could be inverted (but you can easily figure it out unbalancing the stroke on purpose.

can anyone tell me roughly what the wattage floor is, say, for the big ring and 25 tooth? I want to buy one, and dont really want to do intervals in the small front chain ring in erg mode.
Can you get buy under 100 watts on the big ring in erg mode or are you changing gear?

I made this table some time ago so you can figure it out. Big ring is a 50 compact here. Short answer is yes if your cadence is below 85 aprox

I'm happy with my direto and would buy it again but if the price is close I might consider the kickr for two reasons:
1- proven durability. There are people online who have had their kickr since 2014 and say they're built like tanks. Direto has not been around that long.
2- Ability to add on kickr climb. Not saying I'd get one for sure but I'd consider it since I ride indoors 6 months a year and since I particularly like using zwift to train for long climbs since I do not have any where I live. I don't know what kind of reviews the kickr climb is getting.

Bought one as soon as they were available. More than happy with it. Quieter than the kickr. Flawless so far and would buy again.

Here is another version of the same data, by a user (credit to David Whelan at the facebook Direto owners group). In this case for a 52 semi-compact chainring, there will be little difference with the 53 (2-3 rmps lower for the same power ranges)

You’re a jet

Sitting on the 53-21 the minimum is about 100 watts at 80rpm it seems/
I see why the other owner said it’s borderline chaining into the front smaller ring for recovery efforts.
Thanks heaps again this is the best info I have seen

This was my first trainer, but have had a great experience with it so far. Pretty quiet when I use the small chain ring in ERG mode. Gets a little louder if I use the big chain ring (even at same power).

Need some advice please. I have been riding trainer road for over a year on a Kinetic Road Machine with the kinetic power meter. No iissues and I could always hold my power steady within a few watts.

I just set up my new Direto trainer and did my FTP test. I did the trainer road calibration first. My spindown shows 0s. I am in resistance (non ERG) mode with the resistance set to "none". I have power match disabled (no other power meter).

My power was all over the place! I'm talking instant 20-30 watt swings without any change in cadence. Is this normal?? I'm not saying my power is dead on even, but 20-30 watt changes in the same gear with no cadence change seems high. Also, when intervals would start, the resistance would change to 50% without me doing anything.

Any advice would be appreciated. Worried I shelled out a bunch of money and have a trainer with a problem. I tested a workout with ERG mode on after the FTP test and that seemed to hold power a little better. However, still some decent swings and without ERG mode on it's all over the place.

Thanks!

The power reported by the direto can be a little too spiky with default settings, sort of like an instant power reading. There is a setting in the trainer parameters (accesible through myetraining software) that you can adjust to get a more smoothed value reported to trainerroad

Since you stated you did the road calibration first, the latest Direto app recommends you warm up the trainer for at least 20 minutes before calibrating it. Not sure if that will help the spikiness, but mine seems pretty accurate after I followed those instructions.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Thanks for the help. I did not notice the advanced settings in the myETraining app. I warmed up the trainer, calibrated in myETraining, and turned the power smoothing from 2 to 5. Things are MUCH more stable in trainer road now. We'll see if the problem persists where it automatically ups the resistance to 50% for no reason.

Comparing my assioma duo with my direto, i suspect it to be reading about 8% higher. It's hard to tell if the pedals are pessimistic or the train optimistic. I made several comparison of my pedal with bestbikesplit and i would tend to think the lower reading are more correct so i tend to suspect the direto. Anyway to tweak that ? Changing belt tension maybe ?

It could be partially that the assioma is reading closer to where you generate power (i.e. the pedal) vs. the Direto (which is measuring at the hub). Many people have found this to be the case (see DCRainmakers reviews or GPLama). I am not sure if it accounts for the 8% you are experiencing but the Duo is supposed to be quite accurate so that would account for some of it. I would be interested to hear what DC and GPLama say about that. Maybe we will get lucky and they will put in their more professional two cents (vs. my paraphrasing of what I have read from their posts).

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

So i did a lot of search on forums and comments and it looks like you can contact elite with a file containing a power meter and a the direto and they can adjust coefficient to make them match. plus or minus 8-10% looks to have happen a few time. I bet most people will do with the stock reading in particular if they have no way to check (or if the make them happy, looks like stages read high good for your Zwift races XD).

No, I wouldn't. I was on my fourth ride ever and it just quit on me while using Zwift. The resistance just totally shut off. Now I'm spending my afternoon looking for a fix instead of riding.

I use an android phone with Bluetooth to connect to the trainer and my phone connects to my pc by Bluetooth. Does anyone know what may be causing the trainer to shut down?

Does the Derito have a built in cadence sensor or do you need to add your own?

Yes.

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

LOL yes it does or yes I need to add one

My apologies...yes it has a built in one. :) Sorry!!

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

No worries, thanks. That's the only thing that I have yet to be able to figure out yet Haven't been able to get Caithness to show while I am on Zwift

Are you connecting via Bluetooth or ANT+?

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

Bluetooth

If you can use Ant+...much more stable and painless.

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

I will do that on my next ride. Do I need to do anything to the direto to get cadence other than pair it with swift?

If your using an ant+ dongle, once Zwift opens to the connect screen, searching for each function, cadence, power etc.
Use the search button on each. You'll want to select the one that says Elite FEC then some numbers.
The Elite is your brand of trainer.
The FEC is the type of connection, ant+
The numbers are from your individual ant+.
I was just using bluetooth and would lose the resistance function. Hopefully this solves it for you and me.

Just pair and off you go :)

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

Wondering if anybody here has noticed some play in the free hub?

Found a video of it here.


I have noticed the same on mine. Doesn’t seem right. I’m going to check today to see if there’s something I need to do to tighten it in place.

Their manual shows this in relation to installing a campagnola free hub so maybe I just need to “pop” it in place.

Oddly enough I noticed mine was doing that a few weeks ago. I don't remember it being like that originally but maybe it was. I had a brief look at it but couldn't obviously see a way to prevent it.

Thanks for the reply. It seems weird to me. I have my 10 speed bike on there and in non-erg mode I have shifting issues. I’m suspicious that is the cause

Could well be. Have you had the unit a while? I've had mine a year pretty much with around 10hrs a weeks use.

I've had a dedicated old frame on it for most of that time so never noticed until I took it off for a bit of maintenance.

I’ve only had it a couple weeks. But I noticed some shifting issues early on when I was doing non-erg mode workouts.

okay. I figured it out and luckily it makes sense. I removed the cassette and the it's just that the locknut/bolt needs tightening. you just need to insert a hex wrench to tighten it. after that it's fine.

Much appreciated. Back to normal too.

Anybody still having problems with Zwift making their Direto's resistance constantly fluctuate 10 to 20 watts on level ground?. Did Zwift fix this or is there some other fix?

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
http://www.zentriathlon.com

I've not had any power fluctuations on level terrain. Have you utilized the power smoothing feature?

Are you using Bluetooth or ant+ to connect? I've stopped using Bluetooth and it seemed to resolve my issues so far. Hopefully Elite/Zwift will recognize this issue and find a fix for it.

I'm using ant+ and am having wild fluctuations with the cadence. Anyone know of a fix?

Tried that. Are you connecting via ant or bluetooth?

Ant+

I completely turned off bluetooth on my laptop and used only Ant and it still did the weird resistance fluctuations. Will be trying only bluetooth options tonight, no Ant. Will report back the results (so others searching for tips can see what's working and what's not.)

No resistance control today using direto with zwift. Same set-up that's worked fine for the past year, laptop with ant+. After my workout I tried connecting my trainer with my garmin edge 520, and the garmin had no difficulty detecting the trainer and controlling the resistance, so that gives me hope that the problem is not with the direto-- it's either Zwift or the ant+ dongle. I'm hoping it's just a temporary glitch related to the new Zwift upgrade (New York). Anyone else experience same?

Hi, I just rode on Zwift two days ago...now I must preface this by saying it was the free ride(recovering from a hamstring tear) but no problem controlling resistance as far as I can tell (ANT+ USB stick by Suunto).

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

It's been that way for maybe a couple of months now, after they intentionally pushed out an update that was supposed to improve trainer realism. It improved it on a lot of trainers, but screwed over those of us with Diretos.

I tried only bluetooth and only Ant yesterday and still got the same problem. Arrrrgh.

Weird. I just started riding indoors again last week, and didn't have a problem until today. I mean, I don't know if it was perfect, but at least a 10% grade felt like 10% and flat road felt like flat road. Today there was nothing, just like riding a dumb trainer (though at least it read my powe output). Is it an intermittent problem, one day it's ok and one day not? Maybe time to switch to sufferfest if not fixed soon...

Yeah, and we're at this stupid place where each company is pointing the finger at each other. Zwift says Elite should fix it, and Elite is blaming Zwift. One of them should just step up and fix it and quit putting us in the middle. It's getting really old.

 Any suggestions on front wheel riser block for elite direto?I want to make front wheel and rear wheel(where direto attached) be on the same level.

If you kept the box that the diret came in, there is a piece of styrofoam in it that's the perfect shape and size -- has a groove in it that fits the front wheel perfectly!

My experience with the Direto….if it initially pairs with the Bluetooth on the trainer control section, I get no resistance control, even if you switch it back to ANT+. As soon as the device pairing screen comes up, I immediately hit "search" and then pair with the FE-C ANT+ trainer. If you miss that, just unplug the trainer for a few seconds, and then plug back in. That will give you time to search and pair the ANT+ FEC trainer.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Yeah, I never used Bluetooth, but I think maybe something in the settings got reset incorrectly with the last upgrade. The next day I tried clicking search and re-pairing just like you said, and since then no problems, knock on wood. I do find as tri-Brett said in an earlier post that there is a lot of fluctuation in power when I'm trying to just ride steady on flat road, though I'm not sure that's different from before -- always attributed it to my uneven pedalling stroke ;)

I was thinking of switching to Zwift now that I have the Direto. So your saying it’s working normally as it should? Just make sure to use Ant+ for pairing with Zwift?

I will hold off on Zwift if the trainer isn’t going to work. I’ve only used it with my Garmin controlling it so far and no issues.

I think I have the power reading to 3 or 5 sec avg, and that helps a great deal. The power on the Zwift companion app on my phone isn't set up that way and jumps all over the place.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

As long as the pairing is the ANT+ FEC one, I've had no issues, except as stated above (don't allow it to pair the trainer control bit to BT).

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Yes, it has always worked fine for me other than that one day. I don't know if it was related to the upgrade or to something I did, but it's fine now.

Cool. Not sure how I be running it but have the ant + and extension so should be good. Thanks for the quick feedback.

Zwift has a 7day free trial.
Go for it.

All, how often do you calibrate your trainers?

Apologies if this was already discussed up-thread.

I use the myETraining app.
Hopefully there is a better method, because that app is very bad...worse than the Tacx app, certainly worse than Wahoo's.

However, depending on how you run it, it might be close enough to not need calibration very often. I only do it when the seasons change and my garage becomes noticeably hotter/cooler, since I record everything by an external power meter anyway. The Direto's power meter is only used for erg and reports close enough even when I don't calibrate it often.

AFAIK, you cannot calibrate it in Zwift. TR has the ability to calibrate trainers. If you use that, it would undoubtedly be easier than the myE Training app.

Similar to the other response, I try to remember to calibrate about once per month or so, based on DC rainmaker’s comments (copied and pasted from his review):

"Now I will say that while I calibrated my unit once at the start, I haven’t done so since and it’s remained incredibly consistent and accurate – far more than almost any other trainer I’ve seen (except the Elite Drivo, which also uses OTS…and the Tacx Neo). As such for this trainer, my gut feel is you can get away with doing calibration every few weeks, or when the temperature significantly shifts in your pain cave."


I believe gplama made a similar comment in his review as well.

As to what to calibrate with, I use my garmin edge 520, and it seems to work just fine.

Thanks guys!

All,

The last time i calibrated my Direto, I had a somewhat strange issue. The resistance afterwards was out of whack (like a good 10% off my Stages), and the offset number that was returned in calibration was a good 8 or 9 points different from the baseline number written on the sticker on the bottom of the unit. At the Elite service team's direction, i tightened a drive belt in the internals until the offset number returned during a subsequent calibration matched the baseline number on the bottom of the unit, and then things went back to normal (although note, the literature directing you how to do this is pretty limited; the manual says "ask your service team for direction," and the service team will basically tell you to read the manual).

I performed another calibration this morning after a ride (I figured it was about time for another calibration, and doing it this way would save the time it takes to warm up the machine as i would need to if i were to do it before the ride).

Again though, the offset number that was returned is a good 5 or 6 points off baseline, whereas my understanding is that it's only supposed to be 1 or 2 points away when you calibrate. I don't know for sure if I'm going to have the resistance / wattage inaccuracy issue again (we'll find out tomorrow i guess!) but it's still kinda weird.

Anyone else had this? Did i maybe just wind up with a lemon?

Thanks, any thoughts much appreciated.

Excellent info! Thanks!

I have yet to calibrate my Direto but this thread has inspired me, so thank you. I'll report back.

Has the issue with zwift been fixed yet?

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Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

New Direto owner - probably a very newbie question so apologies in advance.

On zwift I am getting no resistance changes at all when riding a course - I hit a hill, my speed slows but the resistance is the same....I dont believe this is how it should work. Am I wrong? I have followed the fixes for various issues that could cause this that Elite suggest and now I cannot even recalibrate the unit - it just shows a 'begin pedalling' screen that stays for evermore. It is hooked up with ant+ but I have tried it with bluetooth too and both together - no progress.

Im really keen to get going and would love to know what I need to do to get it working.

Many thanks

With Zwift on a PC, make sure that it connects the ANT+ FEC first. I have found that if it connects via BT first and then you switch it to ANT+ FEC, you won't get resistance. Also, there are 2 ANT+ channels; one is FEC and one is not. If it's not FEC, you won't get resistance. What I do is click on "search" under the trainer icon as soon as that screen comes up so that I can pick and connect to the ANT+ FEC channel.

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Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

Many thanks, I shall give it a try in the morning!

No, that is not normal. When you get to a hill, you should feel more resistance. Then, unless you want to spike your power, you would downshift...just like in real life.

On the device connection screen, make sure you pair to the direto as FE-C, not as power trainer. That is almost certainly the issue. If not, let us know.

Thank you all, worked a dream this morning - now to find out how horribly unfit I have become!

Same problem, and this is what I always do. Not sure if this is a peculiarity with Zwift or with the Direto, but it is a simple extra step to make sure you are all set before the pain starts.

On issue 1, not having resistance changes but only virtual speed changes related to slope, this points to a wrong pairing between zwift and direto. Make sure that you are pairing with the trainer as controllable trainer (FE-C by Ant+). Your issue can be reproduced if you pair as "power meter"

On issue 2, calibration and start pedalling prompt, make sure that you are not ALREADY pedalling when you start the calibration, only when the prompt appears and asks you to do so.

Edit: Sorry, didn't see the previous answers...

Question.....purchased an Elite Direto and plan on running Zwift thru Apple TV. Do I “need” to use a HR monitor to make everything work at its best or am I ok without the HR monitor??

You don’t need a heart rate monitor. I don’t use one. Only issue is that if you’re into racing, and care about your official ranking, heart rate might be required in order to have your rankings officially recognized in some of the “important” virtual races, or do I say “virtually important” races ;)
They do that in order to validate your performance, so they know you’re not cheating somehow by putting in a ridiculously low weight or whatever.

Has anyone had a problem with their power socket? The power plug has an adapter which clips onto it, one for each region. I have had two failures in this area, the thin plastic clip snaps and the adapter no longer holds in place

First time they replaced it. Second time they told me I had beeb improperly using it. Improperly using a plug...

I was just offered a good deal on used 1 year old Direto.
Up until now I have been a proud Luddite using only a fluid trainer.
I'm concerned about my ability to just get on and ride with a smart trainer.
Simplicity is nice.... I don't do fancy training as I ski most of the winter.

I'm assuming I can just download the Elite app and control it fine with my smartphone?
Or do I have to hook up a laptop or tablet?
Seems like Ant+ is the way to go, which I doubt I can do from a smartphone?

Is a Direto for me?

If you have a Garmin Edge 520 like I do, then you’re all set. It works great as a remote control to adjust the resistance, and also a display to see your power and cadence. You can also use it to calibrate the direto. If you want to, you can even use it to simulate any outdoor rides that you have saved on your Garmin (i.e. it will adjust resistance automatically to simulate the grades on the ride), though I have never tried that feature. I don’t know what other head units are compatible with the direto, but it may be worth looking into, instead of paying a monthly subscription fee like you would for elite or whatever app. I think you can connect with bluetooth with smartphone, but I’ve never tried it. I think it’s a bit finicky, like you can’t have other bluetooth devices (eg. speakers) connected at the same time.
By the way, you will love the direto even if you’re not interested in the smart features. The road feel is just soo nice -- maybe you could ask for a test ride before you buy it and see for yourself, then you’ll be sold!

Never had any issues with the plug (I live in Canada so I use the North American prongs). I do make a point of keeping my direto close to the wall outlet, so as not to put any tension on that ridiculously short cord, which is probably pretty obvious and useless advice. Otherwise I have nothing to offer, sorry...

Loving my Direto and would happily buy again. That said, now that it is holiday time (and I have a few hours to burn) I decided to try and figure out how to correct the goofy speeds I am seeing on my Wahoo Elemnt and Wahoo Bolt while using my trainer. I have seen numerous places where people say that the wheel circumference needs to be changed to .173 -- but I can't seem to find where to make said change. Can anyone point me to where I can make that change? On my iPhone app I see no where within the Wahoo app for that change. Same for the Wahoo units themselves. I might just be being dense, but I am thoroughly confused! Help... Thanks.

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In search of the righteous life... we all fall down

Don’t want to jinx it but I’ve had zero issues connecting Direto by BT to my iPhone and mirroring Zwift through Apple TV. Eventually I will cut the phone out of the loop.

One question for other Direto users: Do you use the Direto as the power source or power meter on the bike (I have Assioma pedals)? I read on Zwift insider comments that often times bike power meter will be more responsive to jumps in power and not have that brief lag associated with using the trainer as the power source. I have tried it both ways and believe the pedals respond quicker but that could be in my head.

I bought an Elite Direto about a year ago. I use it in ERG mode, with an iPad and Trainerroad. I really like this setup and the workouts.

My problem is that once or workout or less, the Direto automatically increases power for 10 seconds or so...I'm not sure that this is the Direto or Trainerroad? I suspect the Direto.

How can I fix this...do I have to update the firmware on the Direto?

Thanks.

No l would not buy another Direto. First one failed after 3 months with the [reasonably common] broken belt issue. The second one has just failed (after 6 months with the replacement) mid workout - unit not functioning at all when electric is switched on. Have checked that the power cable is working (it is), will check if it's a blown fuse somewhere but not holding my breath!

I have my Direto for the 2nd winter training season and I love it....I haven't had any of the broken belt issues (knock wood) that others have had..its been great so far and I would by one again. :))))

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

To my previous message - no I definitely wouldn't buy again. The direto started working again and then along came the dreaded clunking noise followed by the pedalling with out resistance i.e. the belt had broken again, that's number 2 :(

Go ahead and update the firmware...likely won't fix it, but no reason not to.

I had some similar experience when the trainer would drop connection. My guess was that it would skip a few seconds of power number, then the software would command the trainer to increase resistance to get me back on target. In any case, I fixed it by putting my ANT+ on an extender so it was right by the trainer. Perhaps something similar with you and BT? If you contact trainer road, let them know the exact time in which workout and they may be able to better troubleshoot.

I've had my Direto for 2 years now. A little over a year ago I started using it with Zwift through bluetooth and AppleTV. I don't need to use the phone but I tend to for easier thumbs-ups or direction changes. I also have Assioma pedals. Initially I would connect the power source to the Assioma pedals but this created some issues during the ride with the controllable trainer. So I just used my Garmin to connect to the pedals and I use Zwift to connect to the Directo as both the power source and controllable trainer. I just compare power data afterwards - the averages are always within 2 watts of each other. I have had no issues since I configured the Direto/AppleTV/Zwift this way. it's been a year. I love this trainer. I love Zwift. Prior to the Direto I had a Wahoo Kickr. Hated it. I sold it within 5 months of having it.

I know this is not a technical support forum but I would like see if someone had any issues like that before contacting Elite costumer service.


Last week during a big thunderstorm we had a lightning strike last than a mile from my home. I had to replace some circuit breakers, some minor things got fried but no big deal.

Next day when turning on my Trainer ( Elite Direto ) no lights....dead - I've left it plugged to the power ( something I never do ) . End up the power source got fried as well...found a similar one at home and it turned on ok, Zwift was able to recognized and connect it but there was no watts or cadence output. Looking at the power source I realized the one I was using had I different Amp spec so I figure out that was the issue, order a new one hopping everything would be ok.

Well.... it was not!

When I tried to used the new one, same issue ( picture attached ) Everything is connected but there is no output. I wondered if maybe I had an ANT sensor problem so I tried to run at Zwift and it was working fine with the cadence sensor. Also Zwift is reading HR sensor fine.

So I guess the only thing I can think of is maybe the Mother board or any electronic component at the trainer got fried as well maybe a circuit brake?

Let me know if someone had anything similar happened to you. Not really in the mood to call another customer service...so if it's something I can fix it would be great