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The Elite Avanti: The future of interactive indoor trainers
The Avanti is the latest indoor trainer from Italian brand Elite, and joins a product lineup that is well regarded for balancing top-end features, simplicity of use and value for money. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the Avanti lines up against Elite’s Suito-T trainer, a popular model at the budget end of the company’s product lineup, and see just where the Avanti’s advantages lie.
Introducing the Suito
Turn the clock back a few years and while there weren’t too many positives to take out of the pandemic, there’s no question that it saw a dramatic boom in the indoor trainer market. Practically overnight a huge new market emerged of first-time buyers looking for something compact and easy to set up, and didn’t want to pay over the odds for the privilege.
In many ways, then, the Elite Suito-T, launched the previous year in 2019, was perfectly placed to take advantage. The Suito ticked all of those checkboxes, but most importantly it didn’t compromise on features you’d typically pay a lot more for. It weighed just 14.5kg, while its compact dimensions and handy carrying handle made it easy to move around and store at home.
Now comes the Elite Avanti, which doubles down on the Suito-T’s lightweight and compact footprint but greatly expands on its ‘smart’ credentials through the inclusion of an optical torque sensor (OTS) and Wi-Fi connectivity while maintaining its keen focus on value for money.
The power of data
Data is the life blood of any turbo trainer ecosystem, which means accurate and correctly calibrated power measurement is key. While all modern indoor trainers are able to measure power to some extent, at the budget end of the market this is typically done using an algorithm based on your input through the pedals and the degree of magnetic resistance, a system known as ‘calculated power’. This is the system used by the Suito-T, and it’s effective enough for Elite to claim a +/-2.5% accuracy from its power readings.
The Avanti, however, features an optical torque sensor (OTS) that measures power directly using a laser, allowing Elite to claim a class-leading +/-1% accuracy. You also have the option of four power smoothing options for even more stable and accurate data visualisation when using the My E-Training app that comes with the system.
Best of all, you don’t have to worry about having to get the system recalibrated every few months. The Avanti truly is Plug & Play – not only in how simple it is to get up and running out of the box, but also in its ability to perform periodic self-calibrations as time goes on without you needing to get involved, ensuring every workout is as easy to get started as the first one.
Seamless connectivity
As a modern smart trainer, the Elite Suito-T comes with ANT+, FE-C and Bluetooth connectivity to seamlessly connect to smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other gadgets and sync with your favourite training platform, such as Zwift or TrainerRoad.
The Avanti takes this one step further with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. This integrates with the other connectivity standards to ensure faster, more robust data transmission, and means you can connect the Avanti to your home network and immediately synchronise with apps and external hardware such as Elite’s Rizer slope simulator or Aria smart fan. With the inclusion of Wi-Fi, the Avanti can also check for and perform firmware updates automatically, and once configured to a specific network will automatically reconnect without you needing to get involved. It’s all part of making your indoor training experience smart and seamless, and allowing you to focus on getting the most out of each workout.
A smart trainer for the future
As mentioned earlier, the needs of the typical indoor trainer buyer have changed over the past few years. Where once trainers were aimed purely at serious athletes, and were powerful, bulky and expensive as a result, the latest generation of machines are smaller, quieter and more convenient, to suit the requirements of more everyday users.
Straight out of the box, the Elite Avanti impresses with its neat design and compact dimensions. Measuring 650 x 830 x 560mm, it’s only slightly larger than the Suito-T despite being a far more capable machine, and weighing just 13kg it’s actually 1.5kg lighter.
Having said that, the Avanti is still a more than capable partner for a serious workout. It can simulate gradients of up to 18% and supports a maximum power of up to 2,100W. This is an improvement on the Suito-T’s figures of 15% and 1,900W respectively, and speaks to the Avanti’s more robust physical capabilities and its ability to simulate a wider range of riding conditions and workout intensities.
The way forward
Even five years after its launch, the Elite Suito-T remains a compelling budget trainer that showcases everything entry-level cyclists are looking for from a modern indoor trainer – convenience, ease of use and advanced features at an attractive price. The Avanti simply continues that journey, delivering smart and seamless performance, advanced connectivity and excellent value for money right out of the box, taking care of the details for you so that you can focus on what really matters: your training.
• The Elite Avanti is available now for £749.99. Click here to find out more
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