The Elite Tuo shows us that it is still possible to fall in love with a wheel-on trainer, especially after how much direct-drive trainers have dominated the market. The Tuo is an interactive wheel-on home trainer with automatic resistance adjustment.
Direct drive turbo trainers are the undisputed last word in indoor bike training, but the one area that they do lose out to classic or wheel-on trainers such as the Elite Tuo is portability.
The Elite Tuo is also a work of art, literally, designed by Italian design company Adriano Design. It is one of the most striking and elegant looking trainers on the market. The trainer is made of high-quality materials such as an aluminium unit, steel frame and beechwood legs.
ELITE TUO INDOOR TRAINER SETUP
Today’s trainers often come with little to no setting up whatsoever. You just take it out of the box, and you’re more or less ready to go, except for maybe a cassette or legs that need attaching.
The Tuo is slightly more complicated. Due to its highly aesthetic design, there are many parts that need to be put together but it will take you about 5 minutes if you follow the instructions correctly.
When stored, the trainer is really compact so you can place it anywhere in your house or office, enhancing the tidiness and refinement of any environment.
TOP 3 FEATURES OF THE ELITE TUO
The wheel-on roller where the bicycle wheel rests is made in Elastogel material, an exclusive polyurethane molecule developed and tested by Elite to limit friction noise by 50%, and decrease tires wear while training a further 20%.
All trainers 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.
Supports a whopping maximum of 1300 Watts, when most wheel-on trainers on the market usually don’t break past 800 Watts!
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
In this review, we will be focusing on 7 factors about the Elite Tuo
- Type of Resistance Unit
- Wheel-on vs Direct Drive
- Power Accuracy
- Connectivity
- Compatibility
- Portability
- Budget
1. RESISTANCE UNIT
The Tuo generated its resistance from a magnetic roller. These types of machines use opposing magnets to provide resistance. The flywheel is filled with magnets – due to centrifugal forces, these magnets get closer together and begin to attract. This ends up creating greater resistance for the rider.
The Tuo sports automatic resistance adjustment, so you can enjoy simulated gradient shifts while using the trainer with apps such as Zwift.
2. WHEEL-ON vs DIRECT-DRIVE
Wheel-on smart trainers are an affordable option for indoor training and although they are often seen as the budget choice there are reasons this style of trainer could suit you better. As the name suggests, with this trainer the rear wheel of your bike stays on and this is set up against a roller.
Turbo trainers have adjustable resistance to make it easier or harder to push around the pedals. With wheel-on trainers, this is achieved through friction between the rear wheel and the roller. In most cases, such as with the Tuo, magnetic resistance adjusts this and can be controlled with a handlebar mount on standard models.
But the amount of resistance that can be created is not as much as you will find on a more premium direct-drive trainer.
3. POWER ACCURACY AND WATTAGE
The Tuo has a maximum gradient of 10 percent, and accuracy of ± 5%, which is okay, but nowhere close to as accurate as Elite’s direct-drive counterparts. But it is enough to cater to most riders out there.
As for the maximum power, the Tuo offers up to 1,300 Watts, which should also be more than enough for most people.
4. CONNECTIVITY
Tuo is a smart interactive home trainer that interacts with any kind of apps, software, computers, and devices (smartphones and tablets) with iOS, Android, OSX, and Windows.
Data transfer between the trainer and other areas of the system is wireless. By doing so, you can manage resistance levels and display all the different parameters to have great personalization and interactivity in your indoor training session.
Tuo sends Power, Speed, and Cadence data, and can be managed via the My E-Training software (12-month free subscription) or other indoor cycling services (which usually require a paid subscription) such as Zwift, TrainerRoad, The Sufferfest, Bikevo, Kinomap, and many more.
5. COMPATIBILITY
The Elite Tuo can accommodate bigger chainstays than most. It simplifies the installation of your bicycle on the trainer thanks to the practical side micro-adjustment mechanism and repositioning of the trainer’s stand to house bicycles with wheels 26’’ up to 29’’.
The Tuo is the most compatible wheel-on trainer as it includes all the necessary adapters to install bicycles with 130x5mm hubs with quick release, up to bicycles with Boost 148x12mm thru-axle.
6. PORTABILITY
The Elite Tuo is for people who want the automatic resistance features, the ease of portability and simple setup with a heavy dosing of Italian design.
The Elite TUO has been made just about as slim as possible at 430 x 315x 560 mm when closed, with the frame going over the waffle maker resistance unit. All packed up the setup is tipping the scales at only 10.3kg.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 10.3KG
Accuracy: +/- 3%
Connectivity: ANT+ FE-C, Smart Bluetooth, and FTMS
Max Resistance: 1250 Watts (40kms), 2050 Watts (60kms)
Max gradient simulation: 10%
Flywheel: 3.5kg
Thru-axle compatible: Yes
The Elite Tuo is the perfect trainer for individuals looking to have a sleek, highly fashionable, while extremely functional wheel-on trainer. The Tuo offers more than most conventional trainers and given its unique design allows for greater compatibility with different types of bikes.
So if you want a trainer that doesn’t take up too much room, but can still do most of what we have come to expect from modern trainers. The Tuo is the right, and stylish choice!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CYCLING:
I love the freedom which comes with riding a bike. On my Hardtail MTB , nothing is an obstacle, I seamlessly flow down trails and through traffic like water in a river. And that flow gives me immense satisfaction and the continued drive to get back on my bike the next day.
DISCIPLINE: Mountain Biking & Commuting
CURRENT BIKE: Marin Bolinas Ridge Disc
DREAM BIKE: Cannondale TOPSTONE Carbon Lefty 3
