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dante2568 · 5 years

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We’ve been waiting a while… Reportedly held up by legal regulatory issues, but the Tacx Neo Bike Smart is now in the wild! These are my initial thoughts after a week

Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On

As we move into the 2019 trainer season Tacx has finally been able to ship their halo product. The Tacx NEO Bike Smart. Although you’d have thought in 2 years it has taken to ship they would have managed to get the name right! When the design study (non-functional) was first revealed at Eurobike in 2017 we had the Tacx Neo Smart Bike.

In 2018 Tacx had a soft launch at Eurobike, after which I popped over to the factory to have a play on the pre-production model – still called the NEO Smart Bike. Having a go on the prototype was a bit of a mindset change for me about the concept of smart bikes. In 2017-2018 there was a lot a talk about how we “needed” smart bikes. I really didn’t really see it. But the riding the Tacx Neo Bike for the first time convinced me that a smart bike could be a good idea

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A sentiment which was confirmed with the eye wateringly expensive ($14K) Elite Furoipista. I’m more than happy to accept when I make the wrong call!

Then for Tacx at least, the clock seemed to stop, with it taking until 2019 for the Tacx smart bike to be sat on shelves (well, stacked on the floor is more accurate) and currently winging it’s way to people who had placed orders over a year ago! Whilst the trainer has moved forwards, from a naming perspective things have come out slightly backwards – with the smart bike now called the Tacx Neo Bike Smart

Talking with Tacx, I think I can see why the name change as occurred, and why it may be related to the delay. A delay that seemed absolutely bonkers as the prototype was pretty much finished!!

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As I’m sure you recall, in 2019 Garmin purchased Tacx – with only a minimal brand change to “Tacx a Garmin Company”. As an apparent indication that Tacx would remain as Tacx, rather than being consumed in it’s entirety and then the trainers sold under the Garmin banner, as “Big G” has done in the past

The acquisition, from a red-tape perspective, is apparently where the delay came in. Tacx, by comparison to Garmin, had a much smaller number of distribution channels. Garmin naturally wanted to increase the availability, and thus sales, of their newly acquired smart trainers and insisted on the Tacx and by extension, the smart bike was pushed through all available Garmin distribution channels. The problem here being that Tacx had never before supplied these channels and in requesting regulatory approval for their new smart bike – ran into a snag. It’s classification.

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To cut a regulatory, and red tape story short, Tacx basically had to prove that the Tacx Neo Smart Bike was not actually a spin bike. Sounds strange, but due to the lack user-controlled brake on a spin bike, the Neo Smart Bike, (which the regulators considered a spin bike) couldn’t be sold on a trainer license. So Tacx spent the best part of a year fighting to get approval for the Tacx NEOBike smart to be sold, as is, and the recognition it is not in fact a spin bike. Thus meaning it didn’t have to comply with spin bike regulations.

My belief is that somewhere along that road, a name came about to ease some of those issues. Just so that we are all clear, for the rest of this post, I’m going to refer to the artist formally known as the Tacx Neo Smart Bike, as the Tacx NEO Bike. ‘kay?

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Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On – Specification

Normally I like to delve into the product design side of things first, as that is more my bag. But given the tail of changes we’ve just been talking about, let’s get the spec straight, so we all know what the Tacx NEO bike is packing.

Communication:

Bluetooth, ANT+™, ANT+™ FE-C,

Bluetooth Smart Trainer Protocol

Both ANT and BLE can be used simultaneously

Max Slope Simulation:

25%

Built-in sensors:

Power,

Speed/Cadence,

Advanced pedal analytics,

Left/Right balance

Max Wattage:

2200w @40kph

Max Torque:

88Nm

Max brake force

260Nm

Power Accuracy:

+/- 1%#

Flywheel:

125kg

Max User Weight:

125kg

Weight:

50kg

Other Bits:

Brake levers

Button shifts – sealed

“Shimano style” shifting currently

Custom gearing ratios

Road Feel, Descent Sim

Front and “cassette” LED power indicator lights

2x USB charging ports – WHICH YOU CAN SELF POWER!!!

Price: £2500

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Anyone recognise those vital statistics? You should do – ok maybe it’s more that I should recognise them as they are basically the stats from the Tacx NEO 2T. Previously it was the Tacx NEO Bike which was derived from the Tacx NEO, but the inverse happened here. For the final releases, it was the NEO BIKE which gave rise to the NEO 2T

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Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On – Setup

Let’s be clear, before my next comment. The Tacx box did its job and protected the Tacx NEO Bike whilst in transit. You can see there are several areas where the courier has given the packaging somewhat less than special attention.

Now I reiterate that the box and packaging DID protect the Tacx NEO Bike, but I ended up with a quite a bit of broken and fractured polystyrene. Note how the packaging is on it’s side. Due to the weight of things, this is how the box needs to be opened

Tacx have managed to get the box to match the dimensions of a bike box, which does help with moving the unit around when it arrives. That, however, doesn’t reduce the weight of the packaging. Be warned if you are going to be moving this box around. Get two people involved.

On which note, I’m not really one for unboxing videos. I often find the packaging some of the least interesting parts of doing a review. HOWEVER, given the size of the box, and well, events with this particular unboxing. I thought it would be worth while sharing

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I need to make this next point, I need to be crystal clear. My injury was an accident, and certainly not due to the Tacx boxing or anything such as that. I was picking the bike up, from flat, as you should. Slipped slightly when moving and lost grip on the bike. Sometimes an accident is just that!

Update: Of the initial x-rays of my big toe – two showed no fractures, however one did have a line, which we considered to be an artefact, so we’ve put the injury down to bad bruise. HOWEVER, I’ve been contacted by the hospital again about the artefact x-ray and will be having repeat films this week.

That might all seem a little OTT after all, lots of people break toes. HOWEVER, the great toe is actually an important fracture and needs more care than just neighbour strapping – which would be the treatment if it was another toe, and frankly, I’d have just done with my doctors kit. However, I’m not allowed a home x-ray kit, something to do with nuclear material, a lack of license and risk to public safety – seems a bit unfair to me, so back to the hospital I’ll be going!!

Just in case, I would ensure that you have a vacuum handy and some long thin allen keys. Whilst the polystyrene over the house really isn’t an issue, having polystyrene within the Tacx NEO Bike isn’t a good thing. You make sure you are able to give it a very thorough clean. THEN give it a short spin <1min, as that will move and blow out more of the white balls that may have dropped inside the shell.

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Ok the tribulations of dropping a 42kg of an unassembled trainer on your foot notwithstanding, here is what you get in the box:

We’ve got the core of the Tacx Neo Bike. Acutely angled front legs, shallow back legs with wheels. Front fans. Saddle. Handle bars and shifters. Plus two Tacx boxes.

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Box number 1 has all the of gubbins that you need to bolt the Tacx Neo Bike together. Literally, there are four large bolts in the box. We’ve got the two, manuals, both manuals contain different languages, which makes sense. What seems a little odd, is that both have an English language section at the front! The tablet holder if you don’t for some reason want the fans. All the needed tools. Power pack. Quick setup if the manual looks like too much og a read. Crank length adapters, and finally the Tacx TDA trial.

OK, Engineering geek out. The Tacx smart bike comes with two options for the set up when it comes to bar and stem height, reach, and saddle position. You can either use the installed Hex headed bolts if you confident of your position, and don’t expect anyone to use the smart bike other than you. The other option is the adjustable handles. To be honest, given the benefits associated with being able to make on the fly micro adjustments to get the perfect fit, I’d suggest swapping these hands in right away

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Box Number 2 is more of a goodies box. You’ve a Tacx towel, bottle cage, bike sweat band, and Tacx NEO bike branded bottle. Nice little add on for a £2500 bike. Although, I’m a little surprised not to see included pedals as you get with the Wahoo KICKR Bike. The cynic in me does wonder how long the goodie box will last, as Tacx, under Garmin, is divesting from making the broad range of products that they used to, and will concentrate on trainers and bottles. So no more bottle cages, jockey wheels and tools

Inclusion of the sweat protector is great. Until you realise that it robs you of one of the best parts of the Tacx smart bike. The design means that there isn’t a typic cross bar. Now on the face of it, who cares…

Now think back to the last insane 60-90 min race you did on Zwift. Last time I did an event like that, I lifted my leg over the crossbar and had some of the worlds worst cramp. Perhaps this is a personal problem which the physio needs to look at, but getting off a bike IRL post-race is much easier than dismounting your same bike when on a trainer.

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By having the crossbar too low on the Tacx NEO getting on and off is much easier. It’s very easy to dismiss this as a small design that doesn’t really matter much. But if you think beyond the normal fit cyclists, having the smart bike easier to get on and off means that the market opens up to other people in the household, who might have never even considered jumping on a bike. My mother is in her late 60’s. The chance of getting her to sit on any bike on the trainer is an emphatic zero. After showing how easy it is to get onto the NEO smart bike, I think she’s actually considering giving it a go. If nothing else, that’s a huge change from “Get lost!! I’ve not been on a bike in years!”

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Which is probably an effective time to shift over to looking putting the bike together. In some ways, I think the Tacx instructions miss a vital step – putting the front legs on.

These are the most difficult part of the construction. Not terribly so, but once they are on, everything else is plan sailing.

Personally, I found having the bike upside down the easiest way to do this. But I would strongly suggest it is done on a trainer mat. No so much because you’ll damage the NEO bike, but that the metal runners onto which you’ll be putting the seat and the handlebars are more likely to scratch the floor

You can then steady the bike and install the back legs. Which are much wider and have the small wheels on the back

Just before you flip the trainer over, it is worth while making sure that the front wheels are loosened slightly so you can easily adjust them if needed. You DONT want to have to flip this thing up again!

With the bike standing on its own, you can slide the saddle rail (saddle comes installed) on the the bike rail. At the rear of the rail is a metal puck which when tightened from underneath presses up on the saddle rail to keep it in place

Under the bike rail section, you can see the screw which you’ll turn in order release the saddle rail

If you are confident in your bike fit measurements, or don’t want to have anyone else using the bike, you can leave the bolts in. If however there will be someone else using the bike you can swap out to the screw handles for easier adjustments.

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Whilst the Tacx Neo Smart Bike looks smoother and I’ve suggest better without the handles in place. Even if you are confident with your bike fit I’d still run them for a month or so, as you may find that there are aspects you could improve on. When once happy, swap back to the simple bolts.

An identical setup is used for the front handlebar rails, and their height.

The finishing kit is Fizik bar tap, and Sella Royal saddle which is a nice touch

I think the Sella Royal Saddle is okay. Certainly for rides of an hour, it’s adequate, but personally, I’ve swapped back to my Specialized Body Form saddle. As I’ve mentioned in the past you really shouldn’t listen to other peoples opinions on saddles, as all our butts are wildly different

The handlebars come without the fans or the on board computer plugged in. You need to put the back plate on first, before the screen is plugged in.

Now that might seem a little odd. But Tacx also include a tablet mound which doesn’t include the fans. Now the fans are the loudest piece of the whole Tacx NEO bike, but even so, I’d be very surprised if many people didn’t install them

The fans are attached with four screws leaving the head unit and the fan cable ports exposed

The fans plug in with 35mm cables and as with the whole of the Tacx Neo bike setup is exceptionally simple

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The fans themselves can be adjusted closer and further away from you on their arms. The slider on the back also allows for pitch to be adjusted

Personally I’ve found that I’ve left the fans slightly unscrewed so that I can move then around when riding. Whilst I like the fans, both when connected the heart rate or the internal speed sensor. They are really nice to have directed to the face, BUT I feel I’d be straining the word to breaking point to describe them as barely adequate for cooling purposes.

I wouldn’t describe them as noisy. Not be a long stretch, but I may have been more accepting of their airflow if they were silent to match the bike. As it is some people will probably want an additional fan too

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The next piece of cockpit setup is attaching the rubber strap for the tablet holder. I was really surprised to see such a flimsy bit of rubber as the tablet hold on a £2500 smart bike

However perceptions can be misleading, and the strap seems to work very well. It is easy to get the tablet into and out of the strap, and as the bike has so little movement to is, there is no risk of loosing it

What I do find bizarre and rather an oversight is that the channel for the tablet isn’t wide enough to accommodate the tablet and a relatively thin case. The channel is only 10mm wide.

Although I don’t tend to ride with a tablet, whilst my iPhone X in the standard Apple case does fit. It is rather snug

The whole of the cockpit here has several little “huh?” parts to it. Yes I appreciate that there is slack needed in the cables to allow for the handlebars to move forwards and back. Would it not have been possible to have this wiring internal. Or a hooked channel into which is could be tidied up? Similarly a back plate to hide the wires from the fans when installed. This might sound like needless nit picking, but let’s not forget this is a £2500 device, and is marketed to be one of the most complete cycle training devices available.

Which brings me to another nit whilst we are doing the install. The handles. WHY ON EARTH ship with handles that are not able to clear the bike frame?? I’m sure there is going to be a sensible answer about lever strength and appropriate tightness of the seat height adjustor. But I’d have much preferred just to have to turn with a little more force.

I’m going to reiterate, that I prefer and like the handles. But this is again £2500 it should look slick. The handles have a spring within them, so you can turn them independly of the bolt in order to have them align. In order to have everything aligned, it means that the bottom handle has to point up. Maybe it’s my OCD playing here, but this shouldn’t be something I’d discussing!

The final part of the cockpit is adding the rubber insert into the tray. Now here is the thinking which is missing on other parts of the cockpit. Getting gels, sweat and stuff all over the bike is quite normal in a race. So having an insert you can pull out and easily clean. Very sensible move

The final bit of the setup is the pedals. Stages and Wahoo have opted for “hammerhead” designs on their cranks. Now those bikes have an edge in utility, allowing you to opt for five different crank lengths

With the Tacx NEO Bike we have two inserts which go into the normal crank arm giving three different crank lengths 170, 172.5 and 175

Tacx understands that people don’t read instructions, so the crucial parts about installing the pedal inserts are also written on tags, attached to BOTH sides of the crank

Whilst I prefer the Tacx approach visually, I would have liked to have seen a bigger range here.

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For the install the pedal insert goes in the inside of the crank – don’t forget to oil this part first – I don’t mean the thread, I mean the outer part. Just after doing the photos, I had a mild struggle removing the insert in order to flip it over

There a washing, which goes on the outside between the pedal and the crank

Then stick the crank on as normal. Now I normally use SpeedPlay anyway, but given that the GF is also interesting in having a go, they have the added advantage of selling a simple slide-on cover. I can see these potentially being quite useful for smart bike household

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Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On – Design

Having set up the Tacx Neo Bike, let’s take a look at some of the features. Starting off with the cockpit, we have an excellent little display. I think it deserves to be highlighted than the display can be powered, and illuminated by the rider, without plugging into the mains, using the same tech as the Tacx NEO

The display basically shows everything you need when riding: Heart rate, speed, 3s power, cadence, gradient and gearing when you are riding just on the bike in ERG mode

Until you connect the bike to any form of an external app – whether BLE or ANT – you get a reduced display, as the external app then takes the data. I understand why this is, in order to prevent the “My Garmin is displaying different speed to Zwift” issues. So then all the data from the Tacx NEO bike is displayed on the app.

There is still a benefit to running an additional cycling computer however so then you can get access to the Cycling Dynamics which Tacx enabled with the NEO 2T

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If you look UNDER the screen you’ll see one of my favourite parts of the Tacx NEO Bike. TWO USB ports. OK great, but why are you getting so wound up about two USB ports? You can charge your phone and tablet… so ??

Firstly both ports will give 2.4 Amps of charge, meaning that your tablet will actually charge. But more importantly that you can charge whilst riding you bike and NOT plugged into the mains!! Oh yes!! Now that’s what I call a great features. Sure I might not really be having a great ecological benefit as I spin the NEO Bike, certainly not enough to off set running Zwift on a flat screen TV. But still, it’s something, and great to see my watts actually going somewhere!

Moving down from the screen to the handlebars and shifters, the electronic shifters allow you to control both the gearing, and ALSO act as brakes.

Currently braking isn’t supported in Zwift, but it will be interesting to see if it, or other apps develop a protocol which is widely used. It’s certainly good that the Tacx Neo Bike feels like it has an element of future proofing built in. As these are “fly by wire” I’ll do wonder if the brakes will be open to remapping?

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On the inside of the shifters are two blue buttons which control the incline/resistance. Again remapping here for when in Zwift, would be very cool. I mention remapping, as whilst it is not available in the Tacx App yet, with a future firmware update you will be able to reconfigure the shifters to mimic SRAM and Campag. Current setup out of the box is Shimano style

Staying with the shifters for the moment, I’m not actually the worlds biggest fan of the Tacx shifters. I have found myself missing the down shift button several times. Whether this is a problem with me, or the sensitivity of the buttons, I haven’t had enough saddle time yet to find out. But by comparison the Wahoo KICKR Bike shifters will feel immediately familiar to most cyclists, which potentially going to be a major decision driver for many

As there is no cassette or front gear setup now. Just an enclosed casing mimicking a classic bike cover guarding

Along with the removal of the cassette, the classic bike chain has also been jettisoned, instead replaced by an enclosed belt drive. The Tacx NEO has always been the quietest direct drive unit on the market, to the degree that actually the bike drive chain was a greater source of noise, and hence with their smart bike Tacx have swapped to a drive belt. The belt will also reduce the need to service the unit, as a standard chain needs maintenance after 5000km or approx 200 hours. Tacx is estimating that the Tacx NEO Smart Bike will need the drive train servicing every 50,000km or 2000 hours… although giving the size of the unit, what that will mean I don’t know. This is going to be a universal issue in the future. What is needed when it comes to smart bike servicing and how and who will do it?

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As with all previous generations of Tacx Neo, the Tacx Smart Bike has a from LED which shines out on the floor giving a visual idea of your power. Previously I’d always considered it a nicety, but never really bothered about it

Whilst Tacx has increased the side of the light output due to the lens changes, it is nice. But still not going to get in a tizzy over it. HOWEVERTacx have now illuminated the rest of the drive train too and it looks sooooo cool. Yes, I admit, as the rider, I never see it, but if you see someone else riding a Tacx NEO bike, and they drop hammer, turning the LED, the rear of the unit red, it looks really cool. As esports are now being championed by the UCI with Zwift leading that charge, I think this external visual flare is going to play very well for Tacx when it comes to live streams etc

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Staying at the rear, where you would normally find the gear casette, there is nothing. Tacx has intentionally simulated the feeling of gear changes coming through the drive train with a slight… I don’t have the words.. a slight change in resistance as you press the shift buttons. You know it has changed, there is no doubt, and the change is as swift as I’ve seen on my Di2 setup. When riding the KICKR bike the changes there are… sharper, as in the mechanically simulated feedback. This is not to say either is better, just that they differ slightly.

When you do change the gear, the screen highlights the changes moving down the cogs, whilst also telling you the gear and having an arrow telling you which way you are going.

I’m set up running an 11 speed, 28 – 11 cassette set up to mimic my Di2 – those choices are made within the Tacx App But if you look closely on the screen, there is an unused cog at the bottom. That’s because the NEO bike is able to run a 12 cassette sim on the rear. After all the hardware doesn’t have the change on the bike for that!

When you do drop to either the bottom or top of your gear range, and try to change further up or down. The bike gives a brief rumble of vibration to say you’ve run out of gears. Feeling very much like the Tacx Road Feel Simulation – which is obviously active within the bike as well. Similarly, the existing power curve on the NEO 2T of 20% slope and max of 2200 watts will also carry over unchained.

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Tacx did originally have a smooth change, but swapped the system we have here, as they found that simply having imperceptible changes in gearing didn’t sit right with test riders. Although I’ll be honest I would have like to have seen what that felt like.

Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On – First Rides and Conclusions

What with the “Great Toe Incident”, I have been able to ride the Tacx NEO bike, but at the moment I’m keeping at relatively gentle wattage. As a result, I’m doing this hands-on and will update later with a sound test, and power meter testing. In both of those, I try (and occasionally succeed) in breaking 800watts. I’ve certainly not going to risk doing that, not at least until my repeat Xray. So here is a collection of my first thoughts riding the Tacx NEO Bike Smart

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Even with the wheels in place, moving the thing, well at least turning it 180 in order to photograph the other side is a challenge! But in moving the bike around you get a feeling of exactly how solid the construction is.

Previously we’ve talked about the stability of trainers in terms of whether they move, or how you feel standing out of the saddle. Due to the weight of the Tacx NEO bike it is stable unlike anything else I’ve ridden. Which caused me to pause. How can I SHOW the stability of something doesn’t move?? Then I had an idea… I’ll let the video do the rest for me:

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What about the ride on something that stiff? I think it will benefit all rides to ensure there fit is absolutely perfect, as we’ve lost the small amount of flex we had with the NEO trainers. But in terms of spinning around on Zwift etc, if you like how smoothly everything is simulated with the Tacx NEO 2T you are going to love the Tacx NEO bike. As that’s because they are essentially the same core units, but that the Tacx Smart Bike has a lot more bike shaped plastic around it.

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We’ve still got the road feel and descent control. Frankly, if you were in the market for a Tacx NEO 2 and felt that some of the reviews suggested it was more of a mild update than anything significant, if you have got the pockets to afford one, I’d certainly look a the NEO Bike. Especially if noise is an issue where you Zwift

If you ever thought the Tacx NEO was quiet… this thing is something else. Genuinely the Tacx Neo Bike is whisper-quiet, and that ISN’T hyperbole! I’m looking forward to winter when I’ll be able to cycle with the window open, and the fan off and be certain that I won’t disturb my housemate!

That’s all I can say on the Tacx NEO Smart bike from a week of riding, but suffice to say this appears to be a very good machine, but we’ll have to wait for a power meter test before I give my final verdict. But for now, I see no reason this shouldn’t be considered a great piece of kit!

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Tacx NEO Bike Smart Hands-On – Worth the Wait? We've been waiting a while... Reportedly held up by legal regulatory issues, but the Tacx Neo Bike Smart is now in the wild!

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bestmountaninbikes · 5 years

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The majority of these outcomes in an exceptionally great full suspension bicycle that performs path over its compensation grade. We truly aren't sure how you get this for under $330.

What Can Be Improved

A full-suspension bicycle this modest won't get everything right, so there are a couple of things that could be better. Gravity FSX 1.0 Mountain Bike Review

The tires are deficient in the track division, so in the event that you need a moment approach to overhaul the bicycle's trial execution, you'll have to swap them out rather rapidly. This bicycle isn't generally made for cross country or quick riding, so the footing should be satisfactory for the single track.

The back suspension could be somewhat better also. You can in any case modify it, however, don't anticipate that a lot in respect should travel sum.

Final Decision about Gravity FSX 1.0

Generally speaking, the Full Suspension Mountain Bike Gravity FSX 1.0 gives you pretty much everything it can at the cost. On the off chance that you need this bicycle to be taking care of business when you initially get it, you'll have to arrange some new tires with it. You ought to likewise be set up to take it to a nearby bicycle search for complete get together and tune-up in the wake of getting it via the post office too.

For under $330, you will prepare a real trail full suspension bicycle that performs far superior to anybody could anticipate that it should. It is anything but a curiosity by any means, only a very much made full suspension bicycle that serves are an incredible section level choice for those new to full suspension biking by and large.

So on the off chance that you are in two personalities concerning which bicycle to go for inside your constrained spending plan, we recommend you give this one a shot.

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#Gravity FSX 1.0 Dual Full Suspension Mountain Bike 2020 (Black 21in)#Gravity FSX 1.0 Bike #Gravity FSX 1.0 Mountain Bike #Bike #BicyclesOrbit #Bicycle

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brownhillsbob · 7 years

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September 3rd - It’s been a while since I bored you with disc brake pads, so it’s your lucky day - or maybe not.

I favour a hydraulic disc brake on all my bikes, road or off-road. On road bikes, I think the Shimano 785 based callipers are the bees knees; combined with a decent disc and pads, they control my resplendent girth down the steepest of inclines and without snatching.

The only issue I have - and I’ve covered this before - is the mystery of what exactly happens to rear pads in particular when they overheat. Sometimes, despite the best care, pads will develop a sheen, lose the nice grip and squeal horridly. I’ve been trialling aftermarket alternatives all summer to see if other manufacturer’s inserts are better.

I tried Kool Stop, an expensive brand. They were nothing special, and glazed out. Clarks performance was tepid, but lasted well. My best results have been with Uberbike sintered and semi-metallic. These are an interesting design - 785 road pads normally have a backplate with cooling heatsink fins. Uberbike have separated the two, so you can re-use the cooling fins on a slightly thinner pad, which are only £6 a set instead of the £20 for a set from Shimano. And they work a dream.I had one set glaze out near the end of life, but other than that, great.

I thought the front set had taken the same dive while winding down from the Roaches the day before, becoming squeaky and losing friction, so swapped them in the workshop the next day, to find the pads had worn to the spring, and that was the wail.

I really do recommend Uberbike pads.

#365daysofbiking #tech #cycling #brakes #shimano #disc #pads #785 #road #hydraulic #glaze #uberbike #kool-stop #clarks #tips

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ican-cycling-blog · 6 years

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50mm DT Wheelset

If there is one upgrade that can help transform your road bike and radically improve the riding experience, it is a new pair of road bike wheels.

Perhaps you have been lagging behind the trend for some time now, waiting for the carbon road bike wheel technology to step up it’s game, perhaps now is the time to consider swapping from the heavy aluminum wheels of yesteryear to an ICAN carbon wheelset. With an incredible built quality, an eye-watering spec sheet and an eye-catching price tag these carbon road bike wheels may be just the item you’ve been waiting for.

If you have been sitting on the fence and pondering the pros and cons of the change then the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset may just be the addition your set up needs.

Give yourself the added technological edge to push your cycling performance to the next level thereby enabling you to reach your full competitive potential. The ICAN carbon wheelset delivers an aero wheel with impressive competition level specifications at attractive entry level prices. It’s been a long time since the Tour de France was won on aluminium road bike wheels, for good reason, the weight and primitive aerodynamics have all but rendered aluminium wheelsets obsolete it 21st century racing combined with improved construction in the field of carbon technology.

If you’re looking for an all-round wheel to assist your aero profile without surrendering too much control then look no further, the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset is sure to assist your ride revealing why carbon road bike wheels are the choice of professionals the world over. The ICAN carbon wheelset is constructed from premium grade Toray T700 carbon fiber providing the greatest strength to weight ratio money can buy in road bike wheels to ensure those long hill climbs feel more like a sprint than a drag.

Sapim CX-Ray spokes

The ICAN carbon road bike wheels come with ultra high-end Sapim CX-Ray spokes, as lightweight as titanium whilst still receiving the best fatigue test results of any spoke in the industry, used by top racing professionals and triathletes around the world. There’s a good reason they are renowned throughout the industry thanks to a special alloy coating and sophisticated production.

DT Swiss Hubs

The Sapim CX-Ray spokes fitted to each ICAN 50mm DT wheelset ensure the wheelset weighs a meagre 1504g for the 240S and 1552g for the 350S ensuring that regardless the distance you need to climb your road bike wheels shalln’t be holding you back.

Shedding weight on the wheels translates to that extra effort required being transferred to your performance times allowing you to beat those Personal Bests and show your true abilities. Along with spokes, the main consideration when looking at any road bike wheel, any long time rider will be aware the hub is arguably the most important component of any wheelset making that crucial difference when the pressure is on.

This ICAN carbon wheelset comes complete with industry-leading DT Swiss Hubs. With a pedigree in grand tour racing for years these ultra smooth hubs, built with dt’s legendary ratchet system, promise to supply the ultimate engagement for the rider. With 50mm depth these road bike wheels are a blend of functionality and aerodynamic efficiency. Whether you are training solo at speed or drafting in a group you are certain to notice the increased performance making the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset the ideal candidate in your quest to create a winning formula for your road bike needs.

The 3k braking track will keep you safe in all weather conditions, it’s textured weave providing all the friction you require, offering unparalleled control during those long descents. Indeed ICAN even provides a free set of carbon brake pads with each wheelset to get you started. If that wasn’t enough incentive to seriously consider the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset as your next purchase each set comes with a guarantee for 2 years ensuring you can rest easy knowing your upgrade is not a temporary boost to your riding experience but a long term addition to your way of life. Compatible with Shimano cassettes, both 10 and 11, the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset offers versatility at an attractive price allowing choice in your desired set up. Whether you favour the 10 or the 11 one thing is sure, you’ll favour the feel of these carbon fiber road wheels as you push faster and further than before.

With conventional 2 cross spoke design on the drive side, radial non drive, supported by the highly respected DT Swiss hubs and radial pattern for the front wheel mean with the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset you’ll be riding comfortably feeling the constant benefit of industry leading design over the course of your long distance rides, race days or events. To feel the flex and structural support afforded by the Sapim CX-Ray spokes fitted to each ICAN carbon wheelset is to really understand why even downhill enthusiasts have been won over throughout the years. With a mid section strength of 1600 N/mm2 you need not fear those rogue, potentially ride ending, potholes but ride with the peace of mind only superior build quality can provide.

In summary, the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset delivers a solid all-round package supported by some of the most respected, industry leading, names in the world of cycling with their use of DT Swiss hubs and Sapim spokes. These carbon road bike wheels will be an asset to not only to the professional rider looking to improve their times but also the amateur hobbyist seeking to unwind from the stresses of life on those long country rides.

With the ICAN 50mm DT wheelset those looking to engage with the ride, to feel the glide during those long descents, will appreciate the moment these carbon road wheels come into their own. The moment your hobby becomes your passion, invest in yourself, invest in your performance with this ICAN carbon wheelset with ultra smooth DT Swiss hubs and propel yourself into the future.

#roadbike #wheelset #50mm #dt swiss #icancycling

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cycletechreview · 8 years

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Aprire Inverno AR Review

Paul Horta-Hopkins

A review of the Aprire Inverno AR, an aluminium framed, do-it-all kind of bike.

I took delivery of the Aprire Inverno AR just in time for some proper wet and grimy weather, just the kind of conditions that I imagine the Iverno AR will see a lot of. At £745 with a full Shimano Sora groupset, it fits into the first ‘proper’ bike or winter hack that will also tackle some gravel and even the odd ‘cross race category. You can also buy the frame only for £295 and kit it out exactly as you want.

The Aprire Inverno AR ready to tackle anything

Aprire are the in-house brand of Cycles Perfecta, who are carbon specialists. We spoke to Aprire’s designer, Phil Dempsey a few months ago when we visited the Cycles Perfecta workshops. Although all their carbon manufacturing is done in the UK, their aluminium frames are designed here and built-in China – for now. Phil has applied his years of experience designing bikes in China, to his own designs and it shows in the way the Inverno AR rides.

First inspection of the Inverno AR and I really like the paint job. Unfortunately it’s not the standard livery but a one-off. However, as they have their own paint booth, you can ask for custom colours (for a little extra of course). Quality of the paint job was very good and it stood up to a lot of abuse, both from the elements and being thrown in the back of my car with other bikes.

The Inverno AR’s signature wishbone seat stay

A Shimano Sora groupset is fitted to the Inverno AR. This was the first time I’ve used Sora and I came away pleasantly surprised. I was expecting clunky and heavy controls, but nothing could be further from the truth. Shifting was slick and true, with the front mech having a nice bit of trim available to stop any chain rub. The Sora shifters have a really nice shape and were easy for me to access, even with my little hands! The overall look and feel belies the fact that this is one of Shimano’s cheapest groupsets. Cheap it may be, but it performed perfectly during the whole test period.

The Sora groupset was a mini revelation with one exception: braking. Sora uses cable operated disc brakes and this was my second time using mechanical discs. I wasn’t impressed the first time and second time round was no better. The feel and power isn’t any better than my TRP CX8.4 mini Vs. Although they were OK, they don’t live up to the rest of the groupset’s performance. Despite this they do work, just not as well as I know discs can. I would recommend upgrading. Shimano Tiagra now comes with hydraulic brakes!

Seen an interesting path on your normal road route? You can head down it on the Inverno AR

Wheels are Mavic Aksium ONEs. These aluminium rimmed wheels, while not the lightest out there, were up for all kinds of riding. I tried to run them tubeless but didn’t have much luck, which was a shame, especially when heading off-road. With twenty-four straight pull spokes, they stayed straight and true over some pretty shocking surfaces. The Inverno AR came shod with Schwalbe’s CX Comp tyres, but I swapped them for a set of their 38mm G-Ones. The G-Ones livened up the ride and made it easy to dive off-road when the opportunity arose. Swapping to Clement Strada LGG tyres for road rides kept them feeling fast.

Stem, seatpost and handlebars were from the Ritchey Comp range and performed flawlessly, as always. Understated in matt black, they blend in well with any colour scheme. You can find lighter, but for items that are going to get some hard use, is it worth it?

The Prologo Kappa saddle was a comfortable perch on and off-road, but then saddle choice is such a personal thing. One rider’s favourite is another’s hell on a bike!

Another item that I really liked was Aprire’s own brand bar tape. This is a made with a PU gel and has a wonderful tacky feel to it. It is apparently long-lasting as well as comfortable and I think I will be buying a couple of rolls for my summer CX sportive rides.

Ritchey Comp components do their job with no fuss

So that’s the details, but what was the Inverno AR like to ride? When I took delivery Aprire only had an XS available. I was a little worried about the fit – I’m 172cm tall – but it actually turned out alright. With plenty of extension on the Ritchey Comp seat post and the saddle pushed back I had enough room in the ‘cockpit’. A longer stem would have been nice, but my spare parts box came up empty! Being a smaller frame than I would normally ride, I did manage to catch my heels on the chain stays, but it really only happened a couple of times. Long or short rides, I never felt uncomfortable on the Inverno AR.

Starting off on a few Sunday club runs, the Inverno AR proved very capable. With 28mm road tyres I had no problems keeping up on a typical Sunday route. The 50/34 compact chainset will get you up anything on-road, while the shifting was smooth and faultless; not bad considering this is a review bike with a ‘cheap’ groupset. While it feels heavy to pick up, you don’t feel this when riding at all. Stomping up hill, there’s no feeling of sluggishness or flex.

Heading out on some long and wet solo rides it behaved perfectly. Cruising along was a pleasure and it tackled climbs happily, despite it’s weight.

The Shimano Tiagra groupset performed faultlessly

The Inverno AR has a wonderful, lively feel, which considering its cost is a real surprise. Made from 6061 aluminium the frame features an unusual Aprire designed seat stay arrangement to give stiffness but with low vibration”. This takes the form of a split wishbone seat stay. Considering everyone thinks of aluminium as giving a harsh ride, Aprire have got it right; the ride is smooth. Long distance rides were tackled without feeling you had taking a battering from the poor road surfaces. Upfront a tapered head tube and carbon fork combine to keep the steering light and direct, allowing the Inverno AR to follow twisty lines through the woods without any unexpected surprises.

Ride quality was nice and stable, the kind of bike you could ride no-handed without any unexpected wobbles. I imagine it would also make for a good touring bike, there’s plenty of scope to add mudguards and racks.

You would have no problem handling the daily commute on the Inverno AR. It’s nimble enough for weaving between traffic, but not so twitchy that it becomes a chore. And while I’m no longer commuting every day, I’d be happy riding the Inverno AR back and forth across London again and again and again…

Mechanical disc brakes need a lot of attention to work properly; upgrade to hydraulic if you can

The Inverno AR was more than happy diving off-tarmac and onto some bridleways. With 38mm tyres fitted it was happy cruising along the gravel and mud tracks. It would make for some great summer weekend adventures, as it has the speed to get you out of town and then onto some good old fashioned rough stuff.

And while not a full-blown ‘cross racer it was happy to tear around the local trails. Riding my own cyclo-cross training circuit around the local recreation ground, the handling was good; not up to my own carbon race bike, but it would do for the occasional ‘cross race. If you were looking to tackle a CX sportive, then the Inverno would be more than happy.

For me the Inverno AR sits happily in the ‘do-it-all’ bike category, with a bias to road and easy off-road. I can imagine it being ridden all week as a commuter and then happily tackling a club run, a weekend tour or an off-road sportive. It’s a lot of fun, for not a lot of cash. You can upgrade and go for Shimano Tiagra, 105 or Ultegra, which will improve those brakes! But the quality of the frame will remain the same and Aprire have got that dialed.

Read the Preview article here.

Aprire Inverno AR

Mechanical disc brakes need a lot of attention to work properly; upgrade to hydraulic if you can

Aprire Inverno AR

Aprire

[rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=30120]

Aprire Inverno AR Aprire Inverno AR Review Paul Horta-Hopkins A review of the Aprire Inverno AR, an aluminium framed, do-it-all kind of bike.

#Aprire Inverno AR #bikes #CX #Frames #Gravel Bikes #road bikes

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exhaleallregrets-blog1 · 6 years

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I Don't Want To Spend This Much Time On mountain bikes. How About You?

Nice biking expertise with a mountain bike. Some mountain bike models of comparable pricing would not have close to the quality that this Schwinn mountain bike's Shimano derailleur can supply riders. With this MTB, you should have a minimum of one great companion to take pleasure in your rides on unfriendly trails all of the year spherical.

The entry degree tier goes up to about $600, bikes that you find under this price point are geared towards individuals which might be shopping for their first bike and are smart enough to keep away from the division retailer bikes. The last advisable and greatest mountain bike beneath one thousand for you is Diamondback Bicycles Recoil 29er Full Suspension MTB, you can try to find good deals on http://get10best.com/best-mountain-bikes-under-1000/.

Whereas there are particular bikes for various mountain biking disciplines equivalent to Enduro, Cross-nation, Freeride, Downhill and so on., had been primarily going to cover the two classes of bikes, namely Hardtail and Dual-suspension. Riders who weigh 200 lbs discover that the bike performs well and the suspension doesn't bottom out.

The excellent news is that if you'll be able to up your budget to between $800 and $1,000 you may get your self a top quality mountain bike that can get you began on primary to intermediate trails. Its lack of bounce additionally frees up plenty of money for parts, and the 1x10 Shimano Deore drivetrain and hydraulic brakes are each a wonderful alternative.

With 24 speeds, you may experience the bike primarily based in your want and interest. There are offered rear and entrance disc brakes. How about a mountain bike that will probably be an ideal companion on fascinating trails and around mysterious woods? Due to 27.5 wheels, It is clear that this bike primarily appropriate for these riders who don't feel good on 26-inch bicycles or 29 bicycles.

Its gear shift effectively and its front suspension fork is easy to use in rides. The pace of this mountain bike can attain as much as 14 mph and journey round sixteen to 18 miles relying on the terrain, utilization, and weight of the rider. No, we're speaking about bikes with quality frames, adjustable suspension and hydraulic disc brakes.

Like all different sports, mountain biking requires talent improvement to discharge flawlessly. A few of the objects here embody hybrid mountain bikes that are meant for both novice and skilled riders. This Diamondback mountain bike is constructed with an environment friendly braking system.

It is best to avoid suspension bikes at this worth range as a result of they will be significantly heavier than hardtail bikes or rigid bikes, and a budget suspension units may actually do you extra hurt than good. The Overdrive models are a number of the quickest bikes accessible, featuring Shimano disc brakes, 160mm rotors, and a 2x10 drivetrain.

Moreover, most of them are more lightweight than full-suspension bikes. The hardtail suspension does its job well and the seating submit is simply beneath the handlebars where it needs to be. The aluminum alloy frame is simply the correct weight and the Tektro disc brakes provde the fast stops you want.

If you need a full-suspension bike and are not prepared to leap for one thing within the $2,500 range, Marin's 120-millimeter-travel, 27.5-wheeled Hawk Hill might be the best way to go. It doesn't come stock with a dropper publish, however does function nearly every different indicator of a contemporary trail bike.

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The parts are all high notch and you won't have to make any replacements before you hit the paths. So after months of market analysis, studying the frame designs, a wide range of performance assessments we have now selected 5 greatest mountain bikes for you you can afford within 1000 US$.

With similar geometries as Scott's carbon bikes, but with the inexpensive aluminum, it's built for world-class pace at a extra budget friendly value. This is because a mountain bike is built to withstand every little thing that you simply throw at it by riding off the beaten path.

Some bikes are fabricated from metallic alloys which are heavier than aluminum alloy bikes. And unlike the El Oso Grande that made our below $2,000 checklist, the Acero swaps out the aluminum frame and fork for metal (acero means metal in Spanish). The record of the most effective mountain bikes has been created based mostly on the dependable data.

The best type of mountain bike for you relies on your driving location. One of many major pros of the Overdrive 29er is the lengthy body construction which allows the rider to achieve optimal traction on the path and keep control of one's monitoring with relative ease.

Dual disc brakes have been applied on this bike. In most cases, MTBs at this value are available in aluminum frames. It eliminates the heavy weight of the rider and ensures easier maneuvering on bumpy trails. The Diamondback and GT above price the same, yet the one mid-range Shimano Deore element on the Trail 4 is its rear derailleur (the Overdrive Comp, for one, has the entire groupset).

With the basic efficiency expected of a hard tail frame, this Diamondback mountain bike is equipped with a Shimano drivetrain and Tektro disc brakes. Nonetheless, it is a finest full suspension mountain bike underneath one thousand dollars. As with dual suspension lock out methods, the entrance suspension mechanism on hardtail bikes can be locked, successfully creating a completely inflexible bike.

This Schwinn aluminum frame is a wonderful, light-weight frame that is perfectly constructed for absorbing the impact of rough terrain, bumps, huge cracks within the street or sidewalk, and will present for a smooth experience, nearly wherever you wish to take it.

Entrance Suspension Mountain bikes characteristic only one shock; their frames are easier as in contrast with the twin-suspension bike, meaning they're simple to maintain and clear and lighter. Because the name suggests, this mountain bike is particularly meant to be used for downhill rides.

Built with the identical sturdy elements as the full-dimension mountain bikes, the Diamondback Line 24 youth mountain bike is an exceptionally robust and sturdy mountain bikes. It is a hardtail mountain bike which is going to be excellent for any rider who prefers to not have suspension in the rear of the bicycle.

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bicyclestoreonline-blog · 7 years

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FROG ROAD 70

The Frog Road 70 is a lighter weight, better equipped, 26-inch-wheel road bike for youngsters from around 11-14 years old from a brilliant British bicycle company.

'70' means this bike fits youngsters with a 70cm / 27.5-inch (or longer) inside leg measurement.

It even comes supplied with a second set of slightly wider cross tyres so you can quickly convert the Frog Road 70 into a cyclocross bike.

Frog Video Frog's passion for making better bikes for kids shines through in this video.

Why this bike is great

Alloy frame Like most better-quality adult bikes, Frog bikes are built with aluminium frames and (mostly) aluminium parts to keep the weight to a minimum to help ensure your child enjoys the best possible introduction to biking.

Alloy components Sure, more and more companies are making kids' bikes with alloy (rather than heavier steel) frames and wheel rims. This Frog bike stands out for coming equipped with aluminium alloy forks, hubs, crankset, cantilever brakes, brake levers, handlebars and seatpost to keep the bike's weight to a minimum.

High quality Microshift brake/gear shifters To make the bike suitable for gradients it comes with 2x9-speed gears via its Microshift gear shifter, Microshift derailleur and Shimano 9-speed cassette. To make it simpler for youngsters, it comes with just one shifter, one chainring and one derailleur. The Microshift shifter is integrated with the right-hand brake lever in a Shimano dual control STI style. Simply nudge the silver brake lever inwards to shift into a lower gear, or click the black return lever inwards to shift to a higher gear.

It's worth pointing out that opting for Microshift over Shimano shifters was not a cheap option. Frog spec'd these shifters (which retail for over £100) because they're at least as good as Shimano Claris in quality, and because they have the shortest-reach brake levers (measured from lever blade to handlebar) and the shortest gear change 'sweep', making them the best dual control shifters on the market for riders with smaller hands.

Frog drop handlebars Frog designed their own unique bar, which is the correct width, appropriate to a small rider's shoulder width, and with minimum drop to make it easier for the young rider to switch hand position.

Two pairs of brake levers The Tektro Oryx cantilever brakes (which we have seen gracing £1,000 adult cross bikes and touring bikes) can be applied from the Microshift child-friendly drop bar levers. Alternatively, the Frog Road 70 comes with a set of Tektro auxiliary levers that enable the rider to pull the brakes when riding with their hands comfortably perched on the bar tops.

Quick-release wheels Another original detail rarely seen on kids' bikes is that the Frog Road 70 comes with lightweight alloy quick release wheels fitted with good quality Kenda 26 x 1- inch road tyres, making this bike capable of sprinting and accelerating - just like an adult road bike.

Two sets of tyres for cyclocross conversion To make the bike even more versatile, the Frog Road 70 comes supplied with a second set of 26 x 1 3/8th Kenda cyclocross tyres. Swapping over to these slightly wider, more knobbly tyres doesn't just give the young rider an early opportunity to take up cyclocross racing. They make the bike more fit for exploring unpaved cycle paths - just like an adult cyclocross bike. You might consider these options as the bike's summer and winter tyres.

Also, with cyclocross conversion in mind, Frog have internally routed the rear brake cable inside the frame so the cable is out of the way when the rider shoulders the bike.

Sizing Another example of Frog's original approach: rather than naming their kids' bikes by wheel size, Frog size their bikes by inside leg measurement. Hence the Frog Road 70 is recommended for children with a minimum inside leg measurement of 70cm (27.5 inches). This corresponds with other manufacturers' 26 inch wheel kids' road bikes, so the Frog 70 would make a great present for children from around 11/14 year olds. It comes with a long aluminium seatpost with a quick release seat binder to make it easy to adjust the saddle as the child grows.

Lightweight aluminium alloy frame (17 inch seat tube) and fork.

Quick release (no need to carry a spanner to change a tube) aluminium wheels.

The Prowheel alloy cranks are a child-friendly short (140mm) length and come with child-friendly 34/42 chainrings.

Child friendly 36cm-wide short-drop alloy handlebars.

'Short drop' means a child-friendly shorter distance between the bar tops and the drops than you'd find with adult drop bars.

Minimum recommended inside leg measurement to the floor: 70cm.

Approximate age range: from 11/14 year old.

Manufacturer's published weight: 9.3kg.

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americanfishingassociation · 7 years

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Shimano Calcutta D Reels Rating: 5/5 Gear Ratio Weight Price PROS - The X-drag system is a strong one that gives anglers with an eye for large fish, the advantage of -reigning in the fish fighters - The reel is tenacious and rewards every effort an angler makes CONS - The settings are rather rigid - The brakes are also a little misplaced - The adjustment knob is also a bit too small for some anglers’ preferences >> CLICK HERE FOR BEST PRICE

http://reelchase.blogspot.com/2017/05/shimano-calcutta-d-reels-review.html

#https://www.reelchase.com #www.reelchase.com #https://reelchase.com #reelchase.com #Fishing Reels #F

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reelscollectorsassociation · 7 years

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http://reelchase.blogspot.com/2017/05/shimano-calcutta-d-reels-review.html

#https://www.reelchase.com #www.reelchase.com #https://reelchase.com #reelchase.com #Fishing Reels #F

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dante2568 · 7 years

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Making turbo trainers is one thing, but building accurate and robust trainers is an entirely different matter. Elite recently opened their factory doors to me to see what goes into building an Elite trainer, and to take a look at their newest smart trainer the Elite Drivo

Elite Direto Preview – Elite Factory Tour

Elite recently invited me to see their setup in Europe, starting off with a day in Croatia to see how the Elite Fly bottle is produced, and the technological advances which meant it took THREE YEARS to design and create a water bottle.

While seeing the Elite Fly bottles being produced was very interesting, it wasn’t the main reason for my trip, that was to see the Elite Direto, a new direct turbo trainer that Elite is launching this year into the sub £800 bracket this year.

Elite is currently comprised of 50 employees, nestled in the Veneto region, on near to the banks of the River Brenta. The company has been building cycling accessories since 1979, and in 1989 moved into their current headquarters, which really does deserve a paragraph in its own right… as Elite is based in a limestone furnace!

Whilst parts of the factory look exactly as you would expect of any modern technology company:

Other parts of the factory, frankly look like an Italian stately home! There is even a small museum inside!

The overall appearance of the factory is all the more impressive when you see the photographs of how the old furnace was a derelict husk when it was purchased by the company

But what of the new Elite Direto? The reason I’ve come to the Elite Factory. In the pantheon on smart trainers, there have been thousands of words and discussions about which is “the best” smart trainer. The Elite Drivo, the Tacx Neo and Wahoo KICKR, can all probably lay claim to that title in some way, largely due to the fact they are all direct mount turbos.

Last year, Tacx released the Tacx Flux and caused a bit of a ruckus, by dropping a direct drive turbo trainer on the market for under £600 bringing that feature away from the big three! Now a year down the line, it is time for Elite to bring their baby direct drive unit to market.

Pitched a touch higher than the Flux price, with an RRP for £749, there are a few bits which have been added to the spec sheet to justify that £150, and may make for some interesting discussions in the Zwift Communities.

So this is merely a preview article based on my short time testing the Direto in Italy, I’ll be releasing a more in-depth Zwift Gear Test when I have had more chance to play with the unit back into the UK. With that in mind, let’s kick off with the specs for the new turbo trainer

Elite Direto Specifications

Communication: Bluetooth, ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, BlueTooth Smart Trainer Protocol – both ANT and BLE can be used simulatenously

Slope Simulation: 14%

Built in sensors: Power, Speed/Cadence (Advance pedal analytics from this)

Max Wattage: 1400watts

Freehub: Shimano, 9/10/11 speed compatible – no cassette in the box

Compatibility notes: bikes with 130-135mm hubs and QR skewers, or 12mm x 142 thru-axle hubs,

Max weight of user: 113kg

Power Accuracy: 2.5%

Flywheel: 4.2Kg (Drivo 6kg)

Weight: 15kg (Drivo 21kg)

What is the benefit to ANT+ and BLE used contemporaneously? A typical example could be: training with Zwift on iPad and getting training data on your Garmin device, which you’ll be able to do at the same time now. But this isn’t something that is just for the Direto, but will be rolled out other Elite turbos in the 2016-2017 model year via a firmware upgrade later in 2017 (I am looking for clarification if that means there is a cut off on Drivo models to get the update)

Elite Direto

Elite has been very aware of how Zwift has changed the turbo trainer market, as responsiveness and rider feel is now a much more prominent point when it comes to buying, and thus designing a turbo. As such, if you look around the testing halls at Elite HQ, you can see other manufacturers turbo trainers sulking in their holding silos which have been used for reference and comparison during the Direto development

As well as feel, it’s now recognised that turbo trainers are moving far beyond the concept of purely being for “training” and warming up. Just take a look at the ferocity with which results are contested on Zwift, and how the community has set up Zwift Power in order to get get an oversight on the races that happen on Watopia.

As such the Drivo has the widest footprint stance of a trainer to date, a title which was previously held by the Cycleops Hammer, which is something you really notice when you get out of the saddle and sprint for finish line on a more narrow trainer

As you can see, the width of the Elite Direto is such that Elite is now having to produce a new turbo matt… something I’m actually quite pleased about, as I like the brightness of the mat in my small pain cave, but also find their current mat, simply too narrow to catch the huge amounts of sweat I regrettably produce!

The legs on the Elite Direto, will be one of the points to which people won’t pay much attention to, until they swap to another trainer. This unit is very planted, and might just be one of the more stable turbos on the market.

When it comes to folding the Elite Direto up, the legs are narrower than the body, so you are not paying a premium for that foldability in terms of space.

Although the thumb screws to move the legs, are underneath the legs, which is a minor irritation for me personally. I still find the KICKR legs the easier to move and get into place, just push and swing

Visually I think a lot of people are going to focus on the exposed disc at the top of the trainer, which does actually look very neat to my mind. The grey colour comes from the nylon 40% fibreglass composite used, to give three characteristics of temperature resistance, light weight and resistance to deformity under load.

Although when it comes to talking purely about visuals there is always going to be a caveat isnt there… I think the exposed disc is also needed visually to balance the Direto appearance, as when viewed from the other side the unit does look a little top heavy

Whereas you lose that heavy feeling when viewed with the cassette side on

The belt on the Elite Direto has also been changed in comparison to the Drivo and Kura, now using a non-toothed version, for a better sound profile, and increased in width for better power transfer and reduced chance of slipping

Elite Direto Factory Quality Control

Every Elite Drivo trainer goes through the same quality control proceedure at the factory…naked. It is only after QC has been confirmed by a spin on the Lorenzo testing machine for 20 mina, that the Direto is allowed to put on it’s outer clothes.

The focus on accuracy is one of the things which has developed over the last five years in the world of turbo trainers. Previously 5-10% accuracy was considered reasonable, but now manufacturers are chasing that 1%, and under target, in their top of the range devices.

As such the Lorzeno machine was built specifically for testing at Elite during the design of the Drivo, and must be taken apart and shipped back to Germany once a test for servicing and recalibration. The same system is now used for Diretto testing too

Staying with the concept of accuracy, testing the power accuracy on turbo trainers is one thing, but it is even harder on rollers, and until this year has actually required a human rider to test out the calibration…on each set of roller produced… poor him!

However the Lorenzo system has also been adapted at Elite in order to be able to test out rollers with same degree of reassurance in quality. Hence the lead in QC, looks very happy showing off the new wheels, as he is no longer having to ride ALL the rollers that come through QC!

Coming back to the Direto though, once the testing is complete the trainers are put back onto pallets to await their casings.

With regard to the power meter inside the Elite Direto, the Optical Torque System (OTS), has the same origin to that of the Elite Drivo, in fact, visually to me looked pretty much identical. However, there have been a few changes, to differentiate the two trainers

Now it is the Direto that houses the standard OTS, whilst the Drivo is considered to have the OTS “Plus”. The Direto OTS power meter has an accuracy of +/- 2.5% and whilst the Drivo/Kura with the original, or now OTS “Plus” power meters have a +/- 1% accuracy.

The thermal effect of the magnetic brake has been one of the considerations when designing the layout of the Direto, as heat has a tendency to affect power meters. As such the OTS has been mounted as far away from the brake as possible and has two temperature separation points built in, first a fibreglass and then aluminium shield.

This position meaning that the OTS will experience a max of 45 deg Celcius temperature generated by the brake. Even under intense work outs. That 45 deg C then allows a 15 deg temperature buffer before the 60 deg C limit of the OTS reached, where upon the power meter would start to be affected by temperature changes

As mentioned the pursuit of accuracy has been carefully balanced on the Direto as one of the main differentiators between the new turbo and it’s larger Drivo relative

The three main differentiators between the Drivo and Direto actually look quite small for most of the Zwift riders below Cat A, as most riders are not going to be able to hit 1400watts as much as they might wish. The 2.5% accuracy, and the 14% gradient on that Elite Direto, whilst less than the Drivo, are new entrants at this price point, with the Tacx Flux being 5% and simulating a 10% slope, so from a purely Zwifters perspective, you’ve going to be getting closer to that 16% gradient heading up to the mast now, without breaking into the next trainer price point.

As the Drivo and Direto, both use the OTS system, providers can access to the advanced pedal analytics feature launched on the Drivo last year in the My E Training app.

The analysis is slightly cruder on the Direto as opposed to the on Drivo, with the Direto having power analysis measured at 12 points in the stroke, vs the Drivo’s 24, but it’s still another selling factor for people who might not have separate power meter pedals to consider

The advanced pedal analytics comes as part of the My E-Training app, Premium Package optional download, for which Elite includes a one-year access code in the box. If you want to continue using the advanced pedal analytics after then, you’ll need to pay a £10 annual fee. But you’ll always have access to the simple cadence data.

What about power testing? What about ride quality? Noise?? I had about 10km riding on the Direto in Italy, which apart from allowing me to confirm that you REALLY need a fan indoors in the Italian heat when on Zwift, I couldn’t honestly give you much more information today… why??

Why? Well I was supposed to have a preproduction model to test before this post went live, however, DHL has decided that they wanted to keep hold of the parcel that Elite sent me! Even though the warehouse is only a 45mins drive for me, they have not been able to allow me to collect over the last four days, as apparently, the trainer is in a shipping container. So whilst the unit has still been delayed by four days, in spite of my best attempts to plead and beg, I’ve not had time enough to answer those questions honestly. But rest assured, I’ll be updating with information on the responsiveness on the Watopia Esses as fast as I can!

The @Elite_Cycling #Direto Smart Trainer Preview & Elite Factory tour is now up on #TitaniumGeek #EliteDireto Making turbo trainers is one thing, but building accurate and robust trainers is an entirely different matter.

#direct mount #direto #Drivo #elite #indoor training #Italy #Smart trainer #Turbo Trainer #Zwift

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