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Elite Suito Turbo Trainer

9
£649.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent performance from a good value direct-drive trainer
Easy to set up
Comes with a cassette
Good power and excellent cadence
Some power variation between seated and standing
Noisier than some
Weight: 
14,500g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Elite's Suito sits at the cheaper end of the direct drive trainer market but it's well made and performance is great. As the basis for a lower-budget smart setup it's an excellent starting point.

Setup: the easiest yet

The Suito comes with a Shimano 11-speed cassette already installed – it's not that hard, is it everyone? – so all you need to do is hoick it out of the box, unfold the legs, fit your bike using the correct end caps and plug it in. It takes less than five minutes to be up and running on your favourite training app.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The power cable is a pretty generous 2.5m, so you don't need to be right next to the socket. There's a carry handle on the top, and the legs are easy to fold back in and lock into place, so it's a good option if you don't have dedicated space for a training setup in your house.

Elite Suito trainer - footprint.jpg

The Suito transmits on both Bluetooth Smart FTMS and ANT+ FE-C, as well as non-controllable Bluetooth and ANT+ profiles. The cadence data from the trainer is transmitted as part of the power profile on both protocols, so that means if you're using a device with a low number of available concurrent connections (an Apple TV box, for example) it only takes up one. I ran the Suito on both protocols on Zwift and The Sufferfest with no issues or dropouts.

Power accuracy: not class-leading, but pretty good

Let's dive into some graphs. This is the Elite Suito plotted against my Garmin Vector 2 pedals, both newly calibrated, at the end of an interval session on Zwift. You can see the last three intervals, the warm-down, then some free riding with a biggish sprint and a ramp up to about 650W and then back down again.

Elite Suito graphs - power main 2.jpg

Overall, you can see that the Suito is doing a pretty good job of matching the pedals, which I've had for years and am entirely confident are accurate.

Here's one of the intervals. As you can see from the averages below, the Suito and the Vector 2s are within 1% of each other overall. That's not quite the whole story: about a third of the way into the interval you can see that there's a spike and a trough, slightly offset on the two lines, and the red pedal line moves above the trainer line. Towards the end it drops below again, although not quite as obviously.

Elite Suito graphs - power interval.jpg

What's happening there is that I've split the three-minute interval into one-minute sections, and I've done the middle one standing up at a much lower cadence. The Suito appears to report power differently in those two circumstances: I'm in ERG mode, so the trainer is attempting to keep me at the 280W interval level, but sat down it's reporting high and stood up it's reporting low, which the pedals are picking up.

Here's the sprint (standing): the shape of the two graphs is very similar, and the peak – although the two report peak power at slightly different points – is almost exactly the same in both instances.

Elite Suito graphs - power sprint.jpg

Here's the ramp up and back down (seated): the Suito reports above the pedals at low power, and at the top of the ramp it's about 5% down. On the way back down the Suito overtakes the Vector 2s again.

Elite Suito graphs - power ramp.jpg

At recovery intensities – between 100W and 150W here – the Suito is reporting significantly above the pedals. The average is about 12% higher here. That's not really an issue for me, as I'm not working very hard at 150W, but if you're a smaller or less powerful rider and 150W is your sweet spot, you'd probably need to up your session intensity to get the correct workout.

Elite Suito graphs - power low intensity.jpg

Overall, the mean maximum power graph shows that in spite of some discrepancies the Suito is pretty good across the power band I'd use for workouts. It's not quite as accurate as higher-end direct-drive trainers in my experience, but it's plenty good enough for meaningful training. If you use a power meter on your bike anyway, you can use the Power Meter Link function to use that power reading instead of the internal one.

Elite Suito graphs - power mean.jpg

In ERG mode the Suito responds well to changes in intensity, and it also does a good job of adjusting the resistance to keep you at the level you want. It's a bit choppier than most top-end trainers, but again: it's plenty good enough most of the time. The ERG mode isn't quite as quick to respond as more expensive units; if you're doing workouts with 5 or 10-second intervals then you may find you're better in classic mode using gears and cadence to get more instant power changes.

> Turbo training tips — get the most from your home trainer

When you're riding around in Zwift the resistance changes are quick enough to keep up with the quick and short dips and drops in the esses and along Titan's Grove. Elite claims a maximum slope simulation of 15%, and certainly it's capable of making the last slog to the radio mast more comfortable in the little ring. Elite claims a maximum resistance of 1,900W; I found the Suito easier to wind up in a sprint than some, but in a big gear there's still plenty enough resistance to cope with the 1,300W that I can manage.

Here's a graph of the cadence reporting from the Suito, showing the end of a set of low-cadence intervals and then a bit of free riding where I was spinning my legs up and then backing off to try to confuse the Suito. It never skipped a beat: this is as good a cadence line as I've ever seen from a smart trainer. Nice work.

Elite Suito graphs - cadence.jpg

Noise: noisier than top-end trainers, and not quite as well balanced

I measured the noise level from the Suito at 63dB, at the handlebar, putting out 200W. That's more than, say, the Saris H3 (57dB for the same test) but it's not especially loud. Certainly, at lower intensities it's still quieter than my big gym fan.

When you wind the Suito up you start to notice a bit of a thrum from the flywheel, suggesting that it's not quite perfectly balanced. It's not a lot of extra noise in a carpeted room on a trainer mat, but it'll certainly be something that's amplified by a hollow wooden floor, for example. The flywheel isn't unbalanced enough to affect the feel of the trainer, though.

Overall: perfect for day-to-day training on a smaller budget

The Suito retails for £649.99 but realistically you can pick one up from any number of outlets for at least £100 less than that. It's not much more than half the price of a Wahoo KICKR or a Tacx Neo 2, and it's a lot cheaper than a Saris H3. Is it as good as any of those trainers? Well, no: not quite. But it's plenty good enough that I'd have no qualms about using it as my everyday indoor trainer.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best turbo trainers and rollers

It's quiet and responsive, and it's relatively cheap and easy to set up. Okay it's a little bit noisier than top-end trainers but if, like me, you train with headphones blaring and a big fan in your face it'll make precisely no difference – to you, at least. And the power numbers might not be quite as nailed down as the more expensive units but they're easily good enough – and repeatable enough – to form the basis of your training schedule.

There's plenty to like about the Suito. It's great to see the price of high-quality connected trainers coming down, and this particular unit is easy to recommend.

Verdict

Excellent performance from a good value direct-drive trainer

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Elite Suito Turbo Trainer

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Elite says, "Powerful, solid and quiet, Suito is an interactive hometrainer designed to offer you an easy, realistic and accurate indoor bike training experience. This is Elite's first direct-drive hometrainer that comes totally pre-assembled out of the box, as it features a pre-installed Shimano 11-speed cassette. Through a quick and easy Plug&Play setup and a thin and compact outline, Suito ensures max compatibility with most bicycles, setting itself as one of the most performing and easy to use hometrainers that a cyclist could hope for. Powerful, stable, accurate. Ready for use. Are you ready?"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Elite lists:

Plug & Play

Among Elite's interactive hometrainers range, Suito is innovative as it features a practical Plug&Play configuration, designed to let you experience right away a quick and easy indoor bike training session.

Suito comes with a pre-installed Shimano® 11-speed cassette and is characterised by its fully assembled structure, ideal for you to start your indoor cycling sessions right away. As you don't need to assemble the sprocket cassette or the legs of the hometrainer, you just have to place your bike on the hometrainer and connect to a power source. Total setup time: less than five minutes.

 

Exclusive design

The sturdy steel structure is another distinctive feature of this hometrainer - it's ideal to ensure stability and durability even during the most intense sprints. Elegant and aggressive, solid and powerful - Suito features a wider support base with pre-assembled legs, designed to automatically lock in place when unfolded. It's everything you need to start your indoor cycling training workouts as quickly as possible.

Moreover, the streamlined design ensures compatibility with various bicycle models and sprocket sets on the market. Suito is also designed to ensure reduced clutter wherever you are: its slim profile, integrated handle and reduced size make it easy to transport and store it, no need to worry about how much space it'll take up.

 

Precise and powerful

How many advantages could we offer you to further your goals at each workout? The answer is: power, accuracy, interactivity.

Suito simulates slopes up to 15% with +/- 2,5% accuracy. These numbers put it squarely among our most performing interactive hometrainers. With more than 1900 watts resistance at 40 km/h speed, Suito is definitely one of the most powerful hometrainers available, the ideal tool to release all your strength even the most demanding sprints.

It also features many functions designed to supply a complete power measurement system, to give you an accurate workout experience:

 

Power Meter Link (PML)

It's a function that lets the hometrainer employ an ergometer that's already installed on your bike as a power source.

Spindown

A calibration procedure for the hometrainer that takes into account all friction values that change over time and during use that influence brake's accuracy and compensates its effects on the resistance generated by the hometrainer.

Temperature compensation algorithm

A function that lets the hometrainer compensate the variations due to brake overheating and take the resulting data into account when calculating power.

Train on Zwift and My E-Training!

Through the cooperation between Elite and Zwift, everyone purchasing the Suito will enjoy a free 1-month subscription to Zwift and a free 12-month subscription to My E-Training, available on desktop and mobile.

This is another hometrainer that's in the range of ANT+™ FE-C & Bluetooth interactive hometrainers that interact with every app, software, computer and device (smartphones and tablets) via iOS, Android, MacOS and Windows. Just choose the software, select the course or training program and start pedalling on your bike. Suito will automatically adjust resistance.

Discover all the software you can use with Suito: other than Zwift and My E-Training, you can also manage it with all other indoor cycling platforms such as TrainerRoad, Kinomap, Rouvy, The Sufferfest, Bikevo and many more.

 

Sensorless cadence

All hometrainers by Elite immediately send power, speed and cadence data, thus setting themselves as effective instruments to build an accurate training program and replicated outdoor workouts as much as possible. Cadence is measured via a practical sensorless technology (that is, no sensors to apply to your bicycle) and is calculated on the Suito as a function of speed variations.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Really good: not far off trainers that'll cost you nearly twice as much.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

No real issues with the construction, and everything seems soundly built.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

Heavy enough to feel solid in use.

Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Good ride feel and a stable plaftorm.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Good value considering the £1k trainers are only slightly better.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Easy to set up, comes with a cassette, good power and excellent cadence measurement.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Some power variation between seated and standing, noisier than some.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Its £649.99 RRP puts it £200 below the Saris H3 – it's not quite as good as that trainer in most respects (cadence reporting excepted) but it's pretty close.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's an exceptional package of performance and value.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 47  Height: 189cm  Weight: 94kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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12 comments

Avatar
roubaixcobbles | 4 years ago
0 likes

What's the point in supplying it with a cassette? Surely that's only useful if you run the same gear ratios (or in my case, with 2014 Ultegra Di2, same number of cogs)? I'd sooner have £40 off and buy and fit my own cassette.

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to roubaixcobbles | 4 years ago
0 likes

i'd counter that by saying that:

a) a vast majority of potential users will be on 11spd shimano/sram and if you're not there are plenty of other trainers out there. or you could flog the cassette to a mate, i suppose, and get a 10spd one for (probably) less than you'll get for the 11spd one.

b) it really doesn't make much odds if the ratios are exactly the same as your outdoor wheel because the two things aren't directly comparable

Avatar
reippuert replied to dave atkinson | 4 years ago
0 likes

its not "11spd shimano/sram" its "11spd campagnolo/shimano/sram".

 

Shimano and SRAM adopeted Campagnolos 11-speed spacing when they finaly caught up.

Avatar
ChrisB200SX | 4 years ago
1 like

I'd favour a rear-axle based power reading over a measurement at the pedals, it just makes more sense.

Avatar
Jackson | 4 years ago
1 like

Do we know how the Suito is generating a power figure? Without knowing anything about it, I would have thought a direct-drive trainer is less likely to be affected by seating vs standing than a pedal-based power meter is. Maybe the Suito is "right" (at the hub) and the pedals are out?

I'm on my second Suito after the first one developed a knocking sound after about four rides (and was reading 20-50W higher than my LHS only Stages power meter). The new unit is pretty good and matches with my Stages +/- 10 W though I have no way of saying which figure is "right". The noise to me is a non-issue and the Suito is quieter than the fan I need in order to train with it - though it is my first direct-drive trainer so I have no experience of any other.

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to Jackson | 4 years ago
2 likes

Jackson wrote:

Do we know how the Suito is generating a power figure? Without knowing anything about it, I would have thought a direct-drive trainer is less likely to be affected by seating vs standing than a pedal-based power meter is. Maybe the Suito is "right" (at the hub) and the pedals are out?

I might have thought that too if i hadn't benchmarked the pedals against about 10 other trainers and smart bikes in the past and never seen that happen before.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

I wonder how this compares to its little brother - the Elite Zumo which seems to be the cheapest "fully smart" direct drive trainer on the market.

Would be good to get a review chaps (Hint Hint).

Avatar
gonedownhill replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

I've got one (Zumo in case I have done the reply incorrectly). Don't have any means of comparing the accuracy, but having used Wattbikes before it certainly seems about right. The GP Lama blogger found it to be pretty bang on for accuracy in his test. 

It's pretty quiet, certainly have no issues using it in my kitchen below my sleeping 1 year old. "Road feel" is decent, it certainly offers enough resistance for me (FTP=265W). 

Only really used it in ERG mode so far. Does take 3-4s to change resistance, but if you're doing a 30 second interval then it takes as long to back off at the end as it does to kick up the resistance at the start of the interval. 

Fairly quick to fold the legs in, I keep mine under my bed, it is <12" wide folded. For this the Suito is better but obvs more expensive.

Only worry is that the plastic around the back where the vent holes are is quite flexy, and as I am hauling it up and downstairs a lot and flipping it onto it's side a lot I'm a bit worried about breaking it.

Bundled elite training software is OK - need to make your own workouts fairly soon though. I haven't used with Zwift etc yet, as they are quite expensive. The elite software is free for a year. 

Avatar
Fluffed replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

look up 'dcr Zumo review' if you want something more in depth, not having a go at road.cc, they arent really the place for that sort of review. TLDR it's a slightly cut down version of this at a slightly cut down price.

Avatar
Sniffer replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes
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ljm_ofarrell replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

Looks like there was a review planned but it's nowhere to be seen.....

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/269023-five-cool-things-coming-soon-pi...

Avatar
dave atkinson replied to ljm_ofarrell | 4 years ago
2 likes

yeah we had some issues with our review unit which has delayed the review. it is coming though

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