[Closed] Elite Direto xr or Wahoo kickr or .....

I went through the same decision, ended up with a wahoo kickr core, read a few reviews and forum posts about the elite and connection issues kept cropping up when I searched and a few failures of the circuit board, may well not be an issue with the latest models, the after sales support seemed good and issues were quickly rectified from what I could see.

If using with zwift I'd recommend getting a cheap road bike, I had my 1 x 11 xt mtb on there (46t rear , 32t front) too low geared to be of any use on the flats, was spinning 100rpm plus for around 170 watts, the 40t will be on the edge of usable.

Put a cheap scott road bike on it, 7 speed cassette 11/28 I think and a 50/34t front crank and its night and day compared to the mtb.

You will need to buy a cassette if going for the kickr core, a decent fan and obviously a decent laptop to run it at its best.

I run zwift through my galaxy s20+ on max setting but then screen mirror using hdmi through my LG oled TV, works great but does eat battery so I am looking to invest in a decent laptop so I can use my phone with the zwift companion app.

If buying the kickr direct from wahoo you will get a free month of zwift.

Really glad I bought a smart trainer now, absolutely killer workout due to non stop pedalling and with zwift really enjoyable, almost glad to say I broke my wrist which spurred me to buy a trainer!

i can thoroughly recommend a kickr core too, i have my tcr on mine so can't comment on how it works with a mtb. got 2000km's on mine now and im pleased with it. zwift is mint, really social, a great work out and weirdly addictive.

By it locally if you can op, whatever you buy there a decent chance you'll need to take it back as faulty at some point...

Both good trainers though,I'm more inclined to go with wahoo as the CS is good and they seem to have sorted reliability out now.

I have the Core, virtually as good as the Kickr but cheaper.

This is STW, so I'll recommend what I've got, which is a Saris H3. Cheaper than the Kicker, but well reviewed and I've been very happy with it. I use it on Zwift with a Huawei M5 tablet, Garmin Dual HR strap, and the cadence signal from my Defy. It doesn't take a lot of space when you aren't using it and it's easy to carry. It's also pretty quiet.

In true recommend what you ride, Kickr Core.

Elite Direto for me, has been solid except for when I broke the tension band but they couriered need a full kit from Italy in 3 days !

Is this a short-term thing, or do you think it's something you'll likely use in the future?

If it's just for use while you are recuperating, I'd consider a cheaper trainer.
I've got a Tacx flow and while I'm sure it's not as good as a Kickr, it's perfectly usable.
You'd probably be able to get a cheap trainer and a road bike (Carrera or Btwin or second hand) for the same money as a Kickr.

If you are gonna be using a trainer long term then it's probably worth spending a bit more.

Kickr core here too. Very happy with it, unlike the Tacx I had before - that had several reliability problems. When the (second) Tacx stopped being able to do more than 400W after the warranty ran out, I swapped to Kickr rather than fork out to repair it and have it break again.
Talking to the chap at Rutland when I picked it up, he said he didn't think he'd ever processed a return on a wahoo which I took to be a good sign.

Another +1 for the Kickr.

A Core is good enough for most people, if I was buying again that's what I would go for. However Wahoo often have reconditioned stuff available so keep your eye out for a bargain and you might get a full Kickr (or a cheaper Core).

Buying local is good advice though Wahoo service is very good and quick if buying direct, I have had one replacement trainer and was dealt with fast with a new one shipped before they received the old one in order to minimise my time without.

I have the Elite drivo - works very well with Zwift - seems solid - had no problems

Only issue I have using the MTB is that the rear mech can foul on the trainer itself (12speed SRAM)

Get round this by having it on the lowest footing position

I bought an Acer noza s.

Remember there's a weird cult around the kickr on the American part (i.e. the majority) of the internet. But I really doubt there's much difference between the high end trainers (in terms of reliability, accuracy, experience etc). They all basically do the same job well. Most owners love their choice. Some people have issues. On all of them.

There are differences in the detail though. So whilst they might all be much of a muchness overall, the little things can make certain models much better than others for different individuals. For example, I was influenced by the fact that some fold up to store whilst others don't.

In your case, for example, I'd be aware that some trainers don't play nicely with longer (i.e. medium, MTB etc) cage rear mechs. See @yoshimi's post for example. Make sure your choice matches your bike...

Buying local is good advice too. If you do need support, that'll probably get you riding again quicker. Although having said that I bought mine (Elite) online from Germany, I did need support, and Elite's email help was responsive and faster than taking the trainer anywhere for someone else to fix. Kickr have a similar reputation though (see @tenacious_doug above!).

I'd choose (first) on practical detail and (next) cost if I were you.

I have a core and used to (technically still have - leant to a mate) a Direto (older version than the XR). The core is much better both in terms of build quality and also (more importantly) in noise - I originally bought a direct drive to reduce the noise but the Direto was really noisey. In comparison the Core is basically silent - the noise of my drive chain is much louder. The other noticable difference between the two is that the core reacts much more quickly on Zwift, which makes doing workouts etc easier.

I use mine with a gravel bike, but you'll probably want to check that disc mount isn't going to hit anything.

Thanks for the replies, edging to wahoo currently.

Off to look locally,

Cheers

retrorick
Full Member
I bought an Acer noza s.

These Core "copies" indeed look good value, 2 year warranty too. Only thing is they apparently over report watts pretty badly during sprints etc. This might not bother some as you are getting "free watts" but it would bug me. Could be sorted with firmware update im sure BUT that's the thing... It's a bit of a niche brand (though owned by Acer) and you are at their mercy for bothering to support it with updates etc. Where's with Wahoo, tacx etc, they are pretty fast with firmware updates. The over reporting of watts on the Noza has been known for many months but still not rectified to my knowledge.

On another note, yes, the Saris H3 seems like a solid purchase if you see one at a good price.👍

I’ve got the original Direto which I’m happy with, but the new version is way better in terms of quietness, responsiveness, steepness of gradient it can simulate etc etc. Also looks much better built.

FWIW, I’ve had two Tacx Flux’s and thought they were rubbish. Both ended up failing with the belt coming off the flywheel and burning its way into the casing. In erg mode you’d often need to change gears to keep in the correct power range - defeating the point of erg.

Halfords were good about swapping the first one, and allowed me to switch to a Direto after the second failure. Direto is a much better experience when training, but also had issues. New parts arrived from Italy very quickly to fix it though.

My impression is that problems with smart trainers are pretty common, so a friendly local retailer is a must. I was surprised that my local Halfords was just that.

Useful chat here.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/07/elite-direto-xr-smart-trainer-review.html