Elite has announced the Justo, a new smart trainer that takes the place of the Direto XR-T at the top of the brand’s range.
The Justo shares many features with the Direto XR-T. However, Elite says it incorporates several improvements, including better power-reading accuracy and ‘Flex Fleet’, said to simulate the side-to-side motion of riding a bike.
Elite says the Justo packs these features into a compact design that follows its Suito-T trainer.
Reflective of its place at the top of Elite’s range, the Justo costs £170 more than the Direto XR-T at £999.99.
Same but different
Elite says the new Justo shares features with the Direto XR-T.
Elite has retained the same 24 points of pedal analysis and standard transmission protocols.
The new smart trainer retains compatibility with Elite’s Rizer gradient simulator and has the same 24 per cent max slope simulation as the Direto XR-T.
Like the Direto XR-T, the Justo also has a die-cast body with folding legs and an integrated handle.
However, beyond including a front-wheel riser and omitting a cassette, this is where the two smart trainers diverge, with Elite saying the Justo has several improvements over the Direto XR-T.
Power-reading accuracy
Elite says the Direo XR-T and Justo share the same optical torque sensor (OTS), but stresses it has been tweaked for greater accuracy.
Elite claims the updated OTS improves overall accuracy by 33 per cent. This might be a large percentage, but it translates to an increase in accuracy from +/-1.5 per cent to +/-1.0 per cent. This brings the Justo in line with other smart trainers around this price point, including the Wahoo Kickr V5 and Tacx Neo 2T.
Elite says the Justo’s accuracy allows it to simulate lower slope gradients at high speed.
Flex Feet
Elite has introduced ‘Flex Feet’ to the Justo. These sit underneath the trainer’s two legs and replicate the side-to-side movement experienced when riding outdoors, according to Elite.
The Flex Feet offer two stiffness options. Elite says this enables users to tune their ride experience to “body structure, riding style and indoor training setup”.
Elite says it has undertaken biomechanical testing on a variety of cyclists, which reveals the Flex Feet help “reduce fatigue and tension in the shoulder and back muscles”. Elite claims this helps improve the effectiveness of indoor workouts.
Greater simplicity?
The Elite Justo has two features that appear to simplify use.
Elite says the smart trainer has new auto-calibration technology. The Justo “continuously offers accurate and precise power data” without the need for manual intervention from the user.
The Justo can be used without a connection to an app or power in a new ‘stand-alone mode’.
Justo says in non-powered mode, riders can set a value between 1 and 6 via the Elite My E-Training app and it will maintain that level once disconnected. The resistance generated by the trainer will increase with speed.
Even when connected to power, Elite says the Justo will continue to simulate the selected slope gradient between 0 per cent and 24 per cent when disconnected from the app.
This feature might not be obviously beneficial unless you have particularly bad Bluetooth.
But Elite says the Justo will be used prior to the 2022 Tour de France opening time trial by UAE Team Emirates and Groupama-FDJ, who might possibly be without a power supply or indeed their mobile phones.
With this in mind, it’s possible Elite imagines riders might use their Justos prior to their own time trials.
Connectivity
Elite says it has made a number of updates to connectivity with the Justo.
The brand says you can connect the Justo to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, enabling you to use an app while tracking performance on a bike computer at the same time.
To enable even greater device integration, Elite says the Justo has new bridge functionality. You can pair heart rate monitors and cadence sensors to the trainer. The trainer will then broadcast the related data to apps.
Elite says this is useful with platforms such as Apple TV that can only support two concurrent Bluetooth devices at one time.
The Justo also includes a port, which Elite says enables direct connections to a WiFi router or computer using an Ethernet cable. Elite says this is useful for racing on platforms such as Zwift because it will avoid wireless internet dropouts.
Smaller, quieter and more realistic
Elite has worked on Justo’s physical properties to improve user experience.
The brand says the Justo is 33 per cent narrower than the Direto XR-T, making it easier to store and transport.
The Justo is said to be quieter than Elite’s other smart trainers. An improved flywheel, new body structure and reduced transmission ratio help to keep noise to a minimum even at high speeds, according to Elite.
The new flywheel isn't just about reducing noise. Elite says the new flywheel weighs 6.2kg, 22 per cent heavier than the Direto XR-T’s flywheel. The brand claims this creates a smoother, more realistic ride feel.
The new design of the Justo is also said to use 40 per cent less plastic than the Direto XR-T.
Compatibility
The Elite Justo is compatible with 9- to 12-speed Shimano and SRAM freehubs. Shimano Micro Spline, SRAM XD and XDR and Campagnolo 9- to 12-speed freehubs are available separately.
The Justo can be used with 12x142mm thru-axles as well as 130mm or 135mm quick-release skewers. Other thru-axle standards are available for purchase, according to Elite.
