Cyclist
The Elite Ecosystem: the smarter way to train indoors
Elite has made a name for itself as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking brands in the indoor training market, and it’s not difficult to see why. From bare-bones classic trainers and rollers to interactive smart trainers, it offers something for everyone.
To truly take your training to the next level, however, it also offers a range of smart accessories and cycling technologies that work hand in hand to deliver a rich and immersive experience and make sure you get the most out of every training session. Welcome to the Elite Ecosystem.
Training smart
From avoiding the worst of the weather over the winter months to fine-tuning your fitness ahead of a big race or sportive, there are many reasons to train indoors. Until relatively recently, however, getting on the turbo was as much a mental exercise as a physical one – yes, you were turning the pedals and getting in a workout, but it just wasn’t the same as riding outdoors.
Happily, indoor trainers have come a long way since those days. Modern smart trainers offer an array of features that realistically replicate the feel of riding outdoors to provide a truly immersive cycling experience from the comfort of your own home. Elite offers a range of innovative smart trainers to suit every need and budget, but the trainer itself is just the start.
The Elite Ecosystem is a collection of indoor cycling products designed to work together to provide the best possible training experience to help you reach your fitness goals and stay motivated.
Elite’s range of indoor trainers
At the heart of the Elite Ecosystem is of course the trainer itself. Over the past four decades, Elite has consistently been at the forefront of innovation with its groundbreaking products, and its latest generation of trainers are no different.
Heading up the range is the new Elite Justo 2, which builds on its predecessor’s already impressive standard with a host of improvements and new features. The integrated power meter is accurate to within +/- 1%, it can simulate gradients up to a leg-shredding 24%, while the addition of Wi-Fi capability to its connectivity options guarantees maximum stability during online races and ensures it integrates seamlessly with the rest of your indoor training ecosystem.
With automatic calibration and electronic compatibility with Shimano Di2, it’s no wonder the Justo 2 is the trainer of choice for WorldTour teams.
A new addition to the company’s lineup is the Elite Avanti, which offers most of the power and connectivity options of the Justo 2 but in a more compact and affordable package. The built-in OTS power meter ensures class-leading data accuracy of +/-1%, while built-in Wi-Fi ensures instant connectivity and immediate synchronisation with apps.
Convenience is the name of the game here: Plug & Play configuration gets you up and running straight out of the box, the Easy Start function allows you to resume workouts after pedal breaks for more effective workouts while automatic calibration ensures data accuracy without user intervention. With black Flex Feet that offer 4.5˚ micro-oscillation to simulate pedal stroke authenticity, the Avanti is the smarter way to train whether you’re an indoor training novice or an ambitious amateur looking to level up your workouts.
The Justo 2 and Avanti are just the latest additions to a diverse range of interactive home trainers that offers something for everyone, from the compact and affordable Suito-T, which delivers the accuracy of direct drive in a quiet and affordable package, to the iconic Direto, which offers top-level performance and power measurement without breaking the bank.
• Click here for more on the interactive trainers that form part of the Elite Ecosystem
The right app for the job
The second part of the Elite Ecosystem is the software you use to bring your indoor training to life and make the most of the interactive capabilities of Elite’s home trainers. The Elite My E-Training app is compatible with all Elite trainers and helps you create your own structured training programs and workouts that are totally customisable to help your reach your training goals.
Pairing with companion software on your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, My E-Training gives you detailed access to data such as FTP, power, cadence and heart rate alongside traditional speed, time and distance metrics to give you full control over every workout.
The Elite Ecosystem also integrates seamlessly with popular third-party training apps such as Zwift, Rouvy, Fulgaz, TrainerRoad and BKool, allowing you to take part in group rides and virtual events regardless of your preferred platform.
Completing the ecosystem
Completing the loop in the Elite Ecosystem is a range of smart accessories designed to complete your home cycling setup and ensure every session is not only fun and immersive, but quiet and comfortable too.
A good place to start is the Elite Aria smart fan, which ticks every one of those boxes. If you’ve spent any amount of time on an indoor trainer, particularly during the warmer months, you’ll know how important a fan is for keeping yourself relatively cool and comfortable. The Aria isn’t just any fan, however. It integrates with your Elite indoor training ecosystem to automatically manage air flow based on speed, power, heart rate and body temperature, adding a layer of realism to your training sessions and responding to the intensity of your riding.
And speaking of realism, one of the criticisms often levelled at virtual rides on home trainers is that they only simulate the difficulty of climbing, not the actual feel on the bike. Enter the Elite Rizer, a sturdy gradient simulator that attaches to your bike’s forks and raises and lowers your bike to give you the feel of climbing or descending. It supports gradients from 20% to -10%, and features a steering functionality that not only replicates the actions of wrenching the handlebars left and right while climbing on a ride outdoors, but more importantly ensures you use the same muscle groups.
Other accessories in the Elite range are more practical in their purpose: the Training Mat, an attractive red mat that not only boosts the aesthetic appeal of your training area, but absorbs vibrations and protects against sweat, scratches and abrasions; the anti-slip Folding Mat, which provides similar protection but folds up into a small footprint for easy storage; the Su-Sta front wheel riser with anti-sleep rubber feet that adjusts through five levels to simulate gradients of up to 6%; and a special mention for the Zugaman sweat towel, to keep you comfortable and sweat-free both during and after your training sessions.
• Click here to view the full range of Elite accessories
The Elite Ecosystem difference
Leaving aside the obvious practical benefits of training indoors during the winter months, the fact remains that many cyclists – even some pros – simply don’t enjoy using indoor trainers. The very reason some give as the biggest positive – access to valuable numbers and data to get the most out of each session – is cited by others as the biggest negative. Cycling isn’t about numbers and data, they say, it’s about the feel of the wind in your hair, the rise and fall of the road and the community of sharing a ride with others.
It’s precisely that divide between the real and the virtual that the Elite Ecosystem helps to bridge through a range of products designed to work together to make each riding session indoors as rewarding, immersive and realistic as possible.
Nothing can truly replace the experience of riding outdoors, but the Elite Ecosystem offers everything you need to be a better cyclist when you get there.
• Click here to find out more about how the Elite Ecosystem can transform the way you train indoors
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