Which indoor bike trainer is right for me

Choosing your own ideal cycle trainer

From an Elite range of world-class indoor bike trainers

It’s quite an open question, and one that is becoming increasingly difficult to answer. With the continual advancement of AI and cycling industry tech, including training apps; how can an ordinary novice cyclist, or indeed and experienced club cyclist choose the indoor interactive cycling trainer, or the right SMART trainer for themselves. I guess that the first step is to recognise that all cyclists are different, and they both want and need something that fits their own specific criteria. Now, even with so many choose from, that may not easy, because these days there are so many similarities between brands – except with Elite, from Italy, as we’ve found over the years.

This industry-leading, high-tech and high-quality, indoor cycle trainer brand are continually innovating and looking to achieve industry-leading excellence. Their range of trainers is second to none, and, they’re always looking to make improvements on what is offered, using their unrivalled partnerships with some of the world’s top cycle teams and with local clubs alike. Add to this, the importance of price to the consumer in the current climate and Elite have some really sophisticated indoor cycle trainers, with a wealth of technical features, now coming in at a very affordable price. For 2024 and beyond, they’ve upgraded the popular Direto XR and XRT, boosted the Justo, releasing the popular Justo 2, and brought ought even more new models, to wet the appetite of all cyclists, and to fit every price point with excellent tech and innovation.

Elite Avanti: High-tech at a great price point

Take their new Avanti Direct Drive FE-C Trainer for example, which currently retails within the £749.99 price range. When you examine the level of data it collects and uses, and the innovations that allow you to ride indoors like outdoors, it’s one heck of a cycle trainer – also have a 16% slope simulation.

For the novice, all the way through to club riders, the Elite Avanti is a great SMART interactive trainer that is also portable and will link in with any number of apps. The benefit here is that, unlike other indoor trainer brands and their own proprietary software, the Avanti works with just about every leading cycle training app out there. Best of all, not only does it work with Zwift, Trainer Road etc, it also allows you to ride the interactive videos on the Elite ‘Real Video’ app, meaning that you can practice that challenge of climbing the famed Stelvio Pass, before you head to Bormio next summer! Add to this that you are also able to boost your pedalling efficiency, with the ne Flex Feet. Yes, the Elite Avanti is equipped with black Flex Feet, designed to optimize the authenticity and efficiency of your pedal stroke with a lateral micro-oscillation capacity of 4.5°, and it has auto calibration, making it as simple as plugging in and switching things on.

The N+1 issue – the Elite Square

Okay, so we all know that the number of bikes to own is worked out by using the N+1 formula – N being the current number in your garage! That being the case, and with such a range of bikes these days, it can be tiring and confusing to be constantly changing the bike trainer setup indoors. Thankfully, the team at Elite over in Venice, Italy have thought about this – the new Elite Square.
Square Smart Frame makes its debut in the Elite ecosystem of SMART cycling accessories to transform your training routine, making it more agile, comfortable, and technologically advanced. Square is a smart frame with high-end virtual shifting that allows you to customize the controls and precisely adapt them to the gear systems of major manufacturers (Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo) to replicate the components of your bike down to the exact gear configuration. You can customize the number of gears and teeth on the cassette, the number of teeth on each chainring, or select from pre-set profiles or the convenient sequential shifting via the dedicated Square app.

The shifting sensation is realistic: just operate the handlebar levers and buttons as you would on your outdoor bike, and the belt drive offers a smooth, even pedal stroke without noise or vibrations: with Square, training sessions reach unbeatable levels of quietness.

It’s an indoor interactive bike trainer that looks somewhat similar to a bikefitting unit – and in some ways it is, because it has a wealth of adjustments, including the ability (electronically) to choose which gearing and groupset you want: from SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo. Yes, you can set up for a 11-24 SRAM one day, and a 12-34 Campagnolo the next. It also works with the Elite Rizer unit, giving you that smooth slope transition. It’s an indoor bike trainer par excellence, as it suits those with numerous bikes, and those with only the one very special bike. Yes, your pride and joy can stay fully wheeled, whilst you replicate it on the new Elite Square and train in pedalling heaven.

Indoor bike trainers for everyone

We’ve worked closely with Elite for over 5 years now, and what we truly love about the relationship is that they share our philosophy of inspiring cycling for everyone. From Tadej himself, to the club rider, the novice, or the person trying to regain their health and fitness. Yes, in recent times, a close friend of mine with terminal cancer was able to continue to pedal at home, with an Elite set-up helping his motivation and inspiring willpower. My son has used to the Elite systems after an ACL operation, and I’ll be using their latest Nero 2 trainer following my own forthcoming surgery in a few weeks’ time. Yes, Elite simply want all cyclists, whoever you are, to seek your own challenge, indoors and outdoors, and to maximise your chances of achieving it.

Over the autumn and winter, and onwards into 2025, we’ll be bringing you a series of regular lifestyle and training blogs, to guide you through the minefield of indoor interactive cycle trainers and SMART bike trainers. We’ll be helping you to work through and to see which one suits your needs best, and how you can get the most from the cycle trainer that you choose. Indoor cycling isn’t just for experts. Nor is it a place to hide away.

With Elite on your side, it’s open to everyone, and the best route to achieving your own outdoor cycling goals.

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