What the Elite lacks in robustness compared to price rivals like the Blackburn Tech Fluid it more than makes up for in styling and finesse.
If the Blackburn was a Hummer, the Elite is definitely a Ferrari. Okay, a turbo doesn’t have to look good, but it can’t hurt if it does.
Coming pre-assembled and folded, setup is a breeze and since there’s no resistance adjustment or wires to worry about, you can just get on and ride.
Stability is good and it’s remarkably quiet and vibration-free. Like the Blackburn, it uses a fluid resistance system that gets tougher the faster you go and you can add variety by using your gears.
However, the power curve seemed less steep and more progressive than the Blackburn, which is much more suited to the average rider. Spinning your legs off is far easier and there was more than enough top-end resistance for our tester.
Another plus point over the Blackburn is that you won’t risk a hernia moving it, so it should prove popular as a portable ‘back of the car’ warm-up trainer for testers and ’crossers.
As with the Blackburn, if you have some power measurement technology on your bike then just add this to create a complete training package.