Wanted to start a thread for Elite Direto owners to discuss their experiences.
I received my Direto a few days ago (coming from a Kickr). Overall, I like it, especially for the price, but I have noticed a few “quirks†as compared to the Kickr.
(1) Whereas in erg mode the Kickr used to keep actual power precisely at the target power (or at least the actual power reading), the Direto bounces around +/- 20 watts throughout the ride (example of a Direto ride from earlier today). I imagine this is actually more accurate than the Kickr’s way of displaying power, since I find it hard to believe the Kickr actually kept actual power precisely aligned to target (example of a Kickr ride from a few days ago).
(2) Bigger issue is that it seems that you really have to select the right gear even in erg mode, i.e., there seems to be a minimum power for each gear selection and cadence. If I’m on the big chainring, it’s just not possible for me to spin at lower than 130 watts such as during warm-up / recovery. Some combos are impossible to achieve, namely high wattage but low cadence. For example, during a Sufferfest ride earlier today, one of the drills called for 120% FTP @ 50 rpm. Even after shifting into the most difficult gear combination, there was no way I could get above 200 watts @ 50 rpm.
(3) My bike seems to flex a lot on the Direto, whereas on the Kickr it would be more or less rigid. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing - I’ve read conflicting viewpoints on Slowtwitch.
Are fellow Direto owners experiencing the same quirks? How are you liking your trainer overall?
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.