Video: Unboxing the Elite Direto smart trainer

The Direto is Elite's newest trainer, and hence the name is a direct-drive device. With a retail price of £749.99 and claimed accuracy of +/-2%, Elite claim it's twice as accurate as the competition at this price point, and that figure puts it up there with trainers surpassing the £1K mark. 

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 It uses a proper integrated OTS (Optical Torque Sensor) power meter for accuracy, and the magnetic power unit has a max output of 1,900 watts. Elite say the single-belt system is even quieter than their Drivo trainer, and the flywheel is optimised to generate a smooth and realistic pedal stroke. 

There is a little bit of assembly required, being as the feet are packaged separately to the body of the device, but as you can see in the video our man Dave got it set up in 5 minutes or so with the parts provided. After affixing an 11 speed cassette, you get a skewer provided on this wheel-off device, so getting started is a 10-15 minute job out of the box.

We'll be testing the Elite Direto over the coming weeks to see if it truly is the most elite smart trainer you can get for under £1,000, and if it's as good as more expensive options. Keep an eye on our reviews section for a full test report soon...

Edit: we've just been informed that contrary to what we say in the video, the Elite Direto doesn't actually come with a cassette - our sample had one included, but production versions won't. Apologies for any confusion, and if you need to stock up on a spare cassette check out our comprehensive guides to the latest Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo groupsets!