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Elite Drivo II Smart Trainer In-Depth Review

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Being the first company to kickoff Eurobike 2018’s new trainer parade, Elite has dropped the Drivo II upon us.  This is their high-end direct drive trainer that’s meant to compete with the best options on the market in the indoor trainer realm.  The last Drivo unit was about two years old and was due for a refresh, which this new unit accomplishes in a mostly evolutionary way.

As is the trend these days for new trainers, we’re not seeing significant jumps between model years. Instead, it’s more minor things, and Elite is the same here.  In the case of the Drivo II they increase the accuracy levels even further, to a market-leading +/- 0.5%, while also increasing the resistance speed significantly (three times faster). Beyond that, there’s some aesthetic changes (it’s no longer beige, woot!), and they changed the feet design so that it’s no longer awkward. And that’s about it (actually, that is it).

But of course, those are actually fairly important changes for the trainer, and funny enough – I think the most important one in terms of tempting buyers might actually be the color change. It was oft-complained about, and this seems to solve that.

In any case, I dig into all the changes – including resistance speed changes and accuracy in this full in-depth review. I’ve had a media loaner for a while, which will head back to them once I’ve wrapped up with it here soon.  If you found the review useful you can hit up the links at the bottom.

With that – let’s dig into it!

What’s in the box:

When it comes to the box, Elite has never been shy about going all Texas-sized with the packaging. And the same is true of the Drivo II, it’s a fairly beastly box.

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Inside you’ll find all the parts reasonably well organized, with the legs arriving detached from the trainer, alongside a box of smaller parts to sort through (including a cadence sensor, thru-axle adapters and a pile of adverts/paper stuffs).

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Here’s what it looks like once all that packaging is removed:

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You’ll then be taking the legs and simply attaching them to the main frame.

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It only takes a minute or two per leg, and I cover it in my full video I’ll upload shortly.  In the meantime, check out Shane Miller’s video on the unboxing pieces:

I would note though that when it comes to trainers, the KICKR you simply take out of the box and are ready to ride, and the same for the Tacx Neo.  So there’s a tiny bit more legwork here to be done.

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Now like other Elite direct drive trainers, the Drivo II lacks a pre-installed cassette. With the Wahoo KICKR having such a pre-installed cassette, it’s definitely a bit of a downside that you’ve gotta go out and get your own. The cost ($50-$70 usually) isn’t so much the barrier, as it is ensuring you have the right installation tools for it (another $10-$25). The cost of a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed cassette runs about $65.  Of course, you can go SRAM if you have SRAM, Campy if you have Campy, and so on.  You will need a lockring tool though to install the cassette, and ideally a chain whip.

The actual installation of such parts is easy, and once you have the tools you’ll have them for life – so there’s something there.

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In the case of installation of cassettes, the Shimano/SRAM 9/10/11 speed cassettes don’t require additional accessories, whereas the Campagnolo cassettes do require purchase of an accessory adapter from Elite.

The Basics:

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The Drivo II follows that of other Elite trainers in having status lights on the back for a quick check of overall trainer health as well as connectivity.  You’ll see individual lights for power, ANT+, and Bluetooth Smart.  The ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart lights indicate whether or not something is actively connected/controlling the device, and the power light indicates whether or not the cable is plugged in.

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Like most other trainers, the Drivo does require that you supply power to it for any sort of significant efforts.  You can technically run it without power, and to my surprise it actually holds power fairly well.

I was able to hold sustained 350w of resistance without any problems (no power). I did that for close to a minute – but that just became a me limitation, not a device limitation. I was also able to throw down intervals up to about 750w of resistance, which again, became a me limitation and not a device one. I’m not entirely sure what the non-powered limits are, but I suspect for almost anyone out there that the wattage I just noted is more than sufficient for pre-race warm-up type scenarios.

Note though that while outside it’s all non-controllable mode (and without power broadcasting), so the basis here is for sitting in an isolated location (perhaps at a race site) for a quick warm-up.  In my case I measured the power using the power meters on my bike.

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Back inside, the power cable is a two-part design that attaches to the back and has a small ‘maze’ arrangement to help protect it a bit as seen below, in case you trip on it.  While at first I liked this idea, I think ultimately I just prefer what Wahoo has done with the flexible and quick-detaching system for trips.  In the case of the Elite, I suspect all you’d really end up doing is snapping the cable in the event of a strong trip, versus with the Wahoo design it’ll pop-out harmlessly.

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The resistance control on the Drivo II works in a few different ways, as well as by different applications/methods.  But most of this all boils down to two core methods:

ERG Mode: Setting a specific power level – I.e. 225w.  In this mode, no matter what gearing you use, the trainer will simply stay at 225w (or whatever you set it to).
Simulation Mode: Simulating a specific outdoor grade – I.e. 5% incline.  In this mode, it’s just like outdoors in that you can change your gearing to make it easier or harder.  Wattage is not hard-set, only incline levels.

In the case of simulation (aka slope) mode, the Drivo II can simulate from 0% to 24% incline – which is as high as you get in the indoor training realm.  And realistically, if you’ve ever tried riding up 24% inclines on a road bike, you’d probably fall over.  The key notable change on the Drivo II compared to the original Drivo is that it now does this change 3x faster.  So it can go from 0% to 24% in 3 seconds, realistically faster than any road/path/route I know of.

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The reason the speed here matters is because technically Elite is moving a magnet electronically within the unit. So it has to physically move to adapt to changes in resistance.  Thus there’s been hardware changes to allow them to move significantly faster than before.

The second piece that Elite simulates is ERG mode.  In that case the company claims up to 2,300w of resistance at 40KPH and 3,600w of resistance at 60KPH.  Realistically though, you don’t care about that. I can only barely break 1,000w for a second or two, and even the strongest of cyclists out there can’t come anywhere near these numbers, let alone at these speeds.  Said differently: The peak resistance numbers on trainers like the Elite Drivo 1/2, Wahoo KICKR, CycleOps Hammer, and Tacx Neo are really all for show. Nobody’s touching them, and it just doesn’t matter practically.

What does matter though is whether there’s a delay or not in changes to resistance, and with the Drivo II trainer, I test that in my 30×30 test down below in the power accuracy section. So check that out.

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When it comes to road-like feel, I put the Drivo in roughly the same category as the other high-end trainers I mentioned.  Much of that is driven by the flywheel, and be it physical or virtual, flywheel sizes tend to be measured in weight.  This impacts inertia and how it feels – primarily when you accelerate or otherwise change acceleration (such as briefly coasting). It’s got a 13.2lb/6kg flywheel, which is identical to that of the original Drivo.  The exact flywheel weight isn’t everything though, because companies can use differing methods to significantly enhance the effective flywheel weight (or simulated weight in other lingo).  Elite’s Drivo has two listed sizes, one is the actual flywheel size (6KG/13.2LBS), while the second is the replicated flywheel size.  This is because with its two-belt system, it actually doubles-down on that replicated feeling in the same way pulleys or levers make it easier to move a heavier load.  Other companies use similar methods, and it’s not about smoke and mirrors, but rather very simple physics here.

Either way, for me personally, it’s hard to separate the fact that I’m riding indoors from outdoors. It’s still a trainer, and I’m still looking at a wall in front of me.  My brain can only turn that off so much.  Overall I think the unit’s got a pretty good road-like feel.  I’m not sure if it’s the absolute best out there (trying to compare them all over time is near impossible), but it’s pretty solid.

Finally, the Drivo is ready to ride as soon as you power it on. In theory there’s no calibration.  However in my case I did a single calibration using the app the very first time I rode it and that seemed to address an oddity I was having.  The calibration process, if you do it, is very quick though:

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After that point I saw no further need to calibrate it again – just like the Tacx Neo does.  I wouldn’t say the same for many other trainers, but as with the Drivo I, I’d put the Drivo II in a unique class unlike others.  Fear not though, I talk all about accuracy in a few sections.

App Compatibility:

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The Drivo II follows the same app compatibility standards as previous Elite products, and essentially follows the industry norms as you’d expect from a high-end trainer.  As you probably know, apps like Zwift, TrainerRoad, SufferFest, Rouvy, Kinomap and many more all support most of these industry standards, making it easy to use whatever app you’d like.  If trainers or apps don’t support these standards, then it makes it far more difficult for you as the end user.

Thankfully, that’s not the case here.  The Drivo II transmits data on both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, as well allowing interactive resistance control across both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart.  By applying resistance control apps can simulate climbs as well as set specific wattage targets.

The Drivo II supports the following protocol and transmission standards:

ANT+ FE-C Control: This is for controlling the trainer via ANT+ from apps and head units. Read tons about it here.
ANT+ Power Meter Profile: This broadcasts as a standard ANT+ power meter
ANT+ Speed/Cadence Profile: This broadcasts your speed and cadence as a standard ANT+ Speed/Cadence combo sensor
Bluetooth Smart Control: This transmits both the Elite variant of BLE control, as well as the Bluetooth Smart FTMS variant. In the case of TrainerRoad, they’ll use proper FTMS, and in the case of Zwift (for the next few days anyway), they’ll use the Elite variant.
Bluetooth Smart Power Meter Profile: This broadcasts as a standard BLE power meter
Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Profile: This broadcasts your speed and cadence as a standard BLE combo Speed/Cadence sensor

It’s these same standards that also allow you to connect via head units too. For example the Wahoo ELEMNT/BOLT as well as Garmin Edge series support ANT+ FE-C for trainer control, so you can re-ride outdoor rides straight from your bike head unit to your trainer.  In the case of the Drivo II these easily pair up that way.  You can also use it for recording data as well too.  For example, for my accuracy testing section, I recorded the data on a Garmin Edge 520 directly from the Drivo II.  From there I’m able to save the file and upload it to whatever platform I like.

For me, in my testing, I used Zwift and TrainerRoad as my two main apps (which are the two main apps I use personally).  In the case of Zwift, I used it in regular riding mode (non-workout mode), whereas in the case of TrainerRoad I used it in a structured workout mode.  I dig into the nuances of these both within the power accuracy section.

In any case – all good there, and it’s nice that with Elite having really pushed a lot of the Bluetooth Smart FTMS control work two years ago, everything is nice and stable this go-around in terms of apps.

Sound Levels:

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Everyone wants to know how loud trainers are. Unfortunately, with the move of the DCR Cave still well in the unboxing stage, I haven’t unearthed my handy-dandy sound level traffic light.  Fear not, my ears mostly still work.

The Elite Drivo II essentially follows the same sound levels as the original Elite Drivo.  It’s a tiny bit less loud than the Direto, only because the Drivo II has less of a fan/flywheel wind noise. But that’s really just an incredible nuance. Either way, your fan is still going to be louder.

Nonetheless, to give you a feel for things, I’ve put together a section within my upcoming overview video showing the new sound levels.  As with any sound level tests, there’s a lot of variables.  I outlined all these in my KICKR 2017 post in the past, but I figure it’s worthwhile noting here again.  There are a massive number of environmental factors that truly do have a huge impact:

– The room materials (which can make trainers quieter or louder due to echo, noise dampening, etc…)
– The size of the room
– The exact distance of the camera and/or decibel meter
– The mode of the decibel meter
– The type of mics used
– The sound levels of the mics used
– The exact position of the mics relative to different sides of the trainer
– How the mics capture different tones
– How I edited the audio (normalized levels)
– The speed of the trainer
– The cleanliness of the drivetrain on your bike
– The shifting accuracy (tuning) of your bike’s drivetrain
– Whether or not I remembered to turn on the @#$@# mics
– And other items I’m likely forgetting

Any one of these items can make the entire trainer sound dramatically different.  I included a look at the audio as part of my full video shortly, or currently within Shane’s video at the start of this post.

Ultimately, as you can see, it’s basically ‘ok’, but not fantastic. It’s quieter than the KICKR 2017, but not nearly as quiet as the Tacx Neo of course – which is still as of this writing the undisputed king of high-end smart trainers (the king of all trainers though is the STAC Zero).

Finally, once we get past Eurobike and I find my darn traffic light and get the cave build-out finished…I’m going to make the mother of all trainer noise level videos. Sound good?

Power Accuracy Analysis:

As usual, I put the trainer up against a number of power meters to see how well it handled everything from resistance control accuracy, to speed of change, to any other weird quirks along the way.

In my case I used two different bike setups that I have in my stable:

Giant Bike Power Meters: Garmin Vector 3, Stages R, Avio Gen 2
Canyon Bike Power Meters: PowerTap P1, WatTeam G3

This is all in addition to the trainer itself.  I did a number of rides working through some initial items on power meters actually, but I’m going to focus on my last 3-4 rides which have been rock solid.

In my case, I was looking to see how it reacted in two core apps: Zwift and TrainerRoad.  The actual apps don’t much matter (at all), but rather the use cases are different.  In Zwift you get variability by having the road incline change and you being able to instantly sprint.  This reaction time and accuracy are both tested here.  Whereas in TrainerRoad I’m looking at its ability to hold a specific wattage very precisely, and to then change wattages instantly in a repeatable way.  There’s no better test of that than 30×30 repeats (30-seconds at a high resistance, followed by 30-seconds at an easy resistance).

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So we’ll start there. I did a first test using TrainerRoad and controlling things via ANT+ FE-C.  As you can see, it was so-so, but not actually that great in terms of how fast it made the change.  The accuracy itself was solid though comparing to the power meters I was specifically focused on (namely the Vector 3 in this case) since it was capturing full left/right power:

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That got me pondering a bit, because I’ve always had fantastic accuracy and speed with the original Drivo, and this was less ideal than that.  So for fun, I then re-did the workout using Bluetooth Smart control instead, via FTMS:

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As you may be able to see, that looks better.  But I also made one more change there, which was a gearing change to the small ring in the front for the first 6 intervals, and the big ring for the last two. TrainerRoad had popped up a message in the app suggesting this would improve responsiveness, and sure enough it did (though, not nearly as much as you can see the overall trend was far better with FTMS than ANT+ FE-C.

Which isn’t to say that FE-C is worse (or better) than FTMS. It can often be a slew of reasons why one is better than another in a given combination. Without spending all morning monitoring the packets with the TrainerRoad team, there isn’t a way for me to know why that one morning one did better than the other.  The reason I showed both though was merely to illustrate that sometimes changing the protocol helps.

In any event, to actually analyze the darn data there, you’ll notice that the accuracy side of the house is spot-on, with the units agreeing quite nicely:

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Further, the reaction time was good, with it generally going from about 150w to over 400w in usually 3 seconds or so. Which is what I’d consider ‘good’, not spectacular, but good/solid. In general you don’t actually want it to change instantly (0.1 seconds) from 150w to 400w+, as it’s like hitting a brick wall.  So this was nice and functional.

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Ultimately at the end of the day what I see in TrainerRoad mirrors what I saw with the original Drivo – it’s very solid for accuracy, and perhaps more importantly in some ways: The two companies play well together from a device integration standpoint.

Next, let’s take a look at things in Zwift.  For this workout I went more freestyle mode and just rode a bit.  Here’s the results of that:

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Woah – what the heck? That’s massively off.

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In this case I was mostly just paying attention to the Drivo numbers on Zwift, and not the other power meters, so I didn’t catch it right away.  That’s weird though, I wondered what was up?

But it brought me back to the very first ride I had on the Drivo II after unpacking it, which showed the exact same sort of high overages from the Drivo – substantially high.  In the case of the first ride, I let it sit overnight and then tried again the next morning. Worked perfectly then. Hmm, that’s odd.

In that case I had only had two done things: A) Unplugged it, and B) Powered it back on with the bike on during power up.

Pre both times I had done calibrations and it showed the same value each time (every time I’ve ever calibrated the Drivo II, it’s showed these same values).  Calibration/spindown is also significantly shorter than most trainers – lasts only 3-5 seconds. That’s it (compared to 20-30 seconds for most trainers).

So that brings me back to this and Zwift.  Next, after another warm-up and more calibrations I loaded up ERG mode on Zwift via workouts for a super quick validation test, and that worked out beautifully, it was spot on during this step test in 50w increments:

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But here’s where it gets odd: After the quick ERG mode step test it brought me into slope mode (regular freestyle Zwift), and virtually immediately things went askew. While the Zwift recording continued non-stop I actually reset the head units merely to have them easy to slice and dice. I almost never stopped pedaling, and yet it immediately went all wonky (that purple line is the Drivo II, well above the others):

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So at this point I was effectively fine in ERG mode (workout mode), but showing high in simulation mode.  Hmm.

Ok, then I tried for fun switching it from Bluetooth Smart to ANT+. After all, in TrainerRoad it had changed the behavior a bit.  And sure enough, as soon as I did that, it was perfect.  Well then, that’s weird.  So, it was working just fine in ERG mode for both ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart, but regular slope mode was incorrect for Bluetooth Smart.

So what about if I did a ride starting in ANT+ and then changing mid-ride to Bluetooth Smart?  Would that make things happy?

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Well then, this is where it gets really interesting. Above I’ve started the ride in ANT+ for a few minutes, then stopped pedaling and without exiting switched to Bluetooth Smart.  While in ANT+, it was spot-on perfect.  Then, while in Bluetooth Smart it was wrong.  So continuing that I then switched it back to ANT+ mid-ride, instantly perfect again.

Huh.  So, I did what most people do, I e-mailed Elite.  And then about 12 minutes later a car pulled up, and five Elite employees (actually, the owner plus four employees) arrived at the DCR Eurobike RV and began troubleshooting:

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No, I’m not kidding. This actually happened.  To top it off, I was actually eating pasta when they arrived (Elite’s, an Italian brand).

With a car full of engineers standing around they began troubleshooting and I kept riding.  We eventually narrowed it down to a very specific issue:

Power broadcast is incorrect when connected via Bluetooth Smart to Zwift in simulation (slope) mode

Meanwhile:

It is perfectly fine in Zwift via ANT+ in both simulation and ERG mode.
It is perfectly fine in TrainerRoad via ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart for all modes.
It is perfectly fine in the Elite app via Bluetooth Smart slope and ERG modes (we didn’t try ANT+ because that wasn’t the issue)

They even tested with specific Bluetooth Smart FTMS test suite tools – that too was perfectly fine. In short, it’s one very specific use case (albeit a really important one for Apple iOS and Apple TV users) that something is amiss.

With that established, Elite left for the night to try and figure out what was going on.

At this point you may wonder why neither I nor Shane Miller (GP Lama) caught this on earlier sessions.  And the answer is simple: We just happened to randomly connect via ANT+ in those sessions.  Essentially, it was just a game of luck that we selected the ANT+ side versus the Bluetooth Smart side.  With so many possible combinations and apps to test, the matrix gets surprisingly big surprisingly quick.

If we look at Shane’s data on his unit via ANT+, it’s spot-on (just as mine is). There’s actually two devices in there – it’s just so close you can’t tell:

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So how does this story end? Well, we’ll find out.  But I’m actually not super concerned about it yet.  Mostly because I can fully understand the scope and limitation of the issue. If I had done everything in ANT+, I’d never have seen it. Even if I had done all workout mode in BLE, I’d never have seen it.

Elite for their part is digging into it and they’re confident they’ll figure out the bug in short order, likely in conjunction with Zwift’s engineers – since that’s the only application that seems impacted at this time. It doesn’t impact any other apps I’ve tried, nor any other devices/scenarios I’ve tried.

To sum it up – the underlying accuracy of the Drivo II is solid as it has been before, it’s just that there’s a bug preventing the broadcasting of that data from being right on one protocol type in one trainer mode [Update: Elite says that Zwift has found and fixed the issue I saw, I haven’t had a moment to re-test all this yet.]

(Note: All of the charts in these accuracy portions were created using the DCR Analyzer tool.  It allows you to compare power meters/trainers, heart rate, cadence, speed/pace, GPS tracks and plenty more. You can use it as well for your own gadget comparisons, more details here.)

Trainer Comparisons:

I’ve added the Elite Drivo II into the product comparison database.  This allows you to compare it against other trainers I’ve reviewed.  For today and tomorrow I’ve compared it against the Wahoo KICKR (2017) as well as the Tacx Neo and CycleOps Hammer.  But given this weekend is Eurobike and plenty of announcements are expected, look for me to revamp this default listing in the coming days with better comparisons as new models come out.

Function/FeatureElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated September 11th, 2023 @ 4:51 pm New Window
Price for trainer$1,199$1,199USD$1,369$1,199
Trainer TypeDirect Drive (no wheel)Direct Drive (no wheel)Direct Drive (no wheel)Direct Drive (No Wheel)
Available today (for sale)YesYesYesYes
Availability regionsGlobalGlobalGlobalGlobal
Wired or Wireless data transmission/controlWirelessWirelessWirelessWireless
Power cord requiredYes for broadcast, no for general useYesNoYes
Flywheel weight13.2lbs/6kg20lb/9kgSIMULATED/VIRTUAL 125KG12.5lbs/5.7kgs
Includes cassetteNoNoNoYes (11 Speed SRAM/Shimano)
ResistanceElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Can electronically control resistance (i.e. 200w)YesYesYesYes
Includes motor to drive speed (simulate downhill)NoNoYesNo
Maximum wattage capability2,296w @ 40KPH / 3,600w @ 60KPH2,000w2,200w @ 40KPH2500w @ 30MPH
Maximum simulated hill incline24%20%25%20%
FeaturesElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Ability to update unit firmwareYesYesYesYes
Measures/Estimates Left/Right Power9EUR one-time feeNoNoNo
Can directionally steer trainer (left/right)NoNoWith accessoryNo
Can simulate road patterns/shaking (i.e. cobblestones)NoNoYesNo
MotionElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Whole-bike physical gradient simulationNoNoWith KICKR CLIMB accessory
Can slide forward/back with movementWith Tacx NEO Motion Plate (Accessory)
Can rock/tilt side to side (significantly)NoNoNo
AccuracyElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Includes temperature compensationN/AYesN/AYes
Support rolldown procedure (for wheel based)YesYesN/AYes
Supported accuracy level+/- 0.5%+/- 3%+/- 1%+/- 2%
Trainer ControlElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Allows 3rd party trainer controlYesYesYesYes
Supports ANT+ FE-C (Trainer Control Standard)YesYesYesYEs
Supports Bluetooth Smart FTMS (Trainer Control Standard)YesYesYesYEs
WiFi or EthernetNo
Data BroadcastElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Transmits power via ANT+YesYesYesYes
Transmits power via Bluetooth SmartYesYesYesYes
Supports Multiple Concurrent Bluetooth connectionsNo, just oneNo, just oneNo, just oneNo, just one
Transmits cadence dataYesYesNo
Bridging or re-transmissionNo
PurchaseElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
AmazonLinkLinkLinkLink
DCRainmakerElite Drivo IICycleOps HammerTacx NEO SmartWahoo KICKR V3/2017
Review LinkLinkLinkLinkLink

Don’t forget you can mix and match your own trainer product comparison tables using the database here.

Summary:

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Overall, Elite has done a nice job in making the modest hardware updates to the original Drivo that people have wanted – faster reaction time and for many – just a different color.  While I don’t think anyone actually asked for even higher accuracy than the Drivo already, they got it anyway – at +/- 0.5%, making it the highest accuracy claim of any consumer trainer I’m aware of.  And I think based on the testing I’ve seen, they’ve got the numbers to back that up.  Oh, and did I mention it’s finally black?

There are some downsides though. First is that setup isn’t quite as clean as other trainers in this price bracket. It’s not something you’ll remember more than a few hours later, but it’s no doubt an aspect nonetheless.  What your pocket-book won’t forget though is that you had to go out and buy a cassette for it, as well as potentially tools to change such a cassette.  Especially since you’re paying $100 more for this trainer than the competitors which include a cassette.  Still, the higher accuracy claims may counter those downsides for some – assuming they can sort out what I suspect is a minor communication bug with Zwift in Bluetooth Smart.

The Elite Drivo II is set to start shipping next week in limited quantities, with the company expecting to catch-up globally by the August timeframe.  This puts them in a really good spot in terms of trainer availability for 2018.  As I suspect we’ll see with various trainer announcements over the coming days, there will be a bit of a divide between the companies. Some models will be available immediately, while others won’t land till mid-fall or so. I don’t expect a lot of middle-ground there actually.  The haves and the have-nots if you will.  I think this year more than ever, companies that wait on announcements till later in the summer, or availability till later in fall will definitely fall into the losing side of the equation.

As always, if you’ve got any questions – feel free to drop them in the comments down below, and I’d be happy to try and get them answered. 

Found This Post Useful? Support The Site!

Hopefully you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m an athlete just like you looking for the most detail possible on a new purchase – so my review is written from the standpoint of how I used the device. The reviews generally take a lot of hours to put together, so it’s a fair bit of work (and labor of love). As you probably noticed by looking below, I also take time to answer all the questions posted in the comments – and there’s quite a bit of detail in there as well.

If you're shopping for the Elite Drivo II or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Even more, if you shop with TPC (The Pro's Closet), you'll save $40 on purchases over $200 with coupon code DCRAIN40! The Pro's Closet has been a long-time partner of the site here - including sponsoring videos like my cargo bike race, as well as just being an awesome Colorado-based company full of good humans. Check them out with the links below and the DCRAIN40 coupon!

Since the Elite Drivo II is no longer sold, I recommend looking at Elite Direto XR:

And finally, here’s a handy list of trainer accessories that most folks getting a smart trainer for the first time might not have already:

There's no better bang for your buck in getting Zwift (or FulGaz/etc) on your big screen TV than Apple TV - it's the primary way I Zwift.

Basic Trainer Mat

This is a super basic trainer mat, which is exactly what you'll see me use. All it does is stop sweat for getting places it shouldn't (it also helps with vibrations too).

I use Apple TV for Zwift the vast majority of the time, but also just for watching YouTube/Netflix/etc on the trainer. The Apple TV remote sucks though. This $8 case fixes that, it's a silicone strap that makes it easy to grab, but also has a strap to easily place on the edge of your handlebars. Boom! Note: Not compatible with 2021 Apple TV Edition.

Front Wheel Riser Block

Here's the thing, some people like front wheel blocks, some don't. I'm one of the ones that do. I like my front wheel to stay put and not aimlessly wiggle around. For $8, this solves that problem. Note some trainers do come with them. Also note, I use a riser block with *every* trainer.

Honeywell HT-900 Fan

I've got three of these $12 fans floating around the DCR Cave, and I frequently use them on rides. They work just fine. Sure, they're not as powerful as a Wahoo Headwind, but I could literally buy 20 of them for the same price.

This desk is both a knock-off of the original KICKR Desk, but yet also better than it. First, it's got wheel locks (so the darn thing stays put), and second, it has two water bottle holders (also useful for putting other things like remotes). I've been using it as my main trainer desk for a long time now and love it. Cheaper is better apparently. Note: Branding varies by country, exact same desk.

This is by far the best value in trainer desks, at only $59, but with most of the features of the higher end features. It's got multi-tier tablet slots, water bottle holders, non-stick surface, adjustable height and more. I'm loving it!

Lasko High Velocity Pro-Performance Fan (U15617)

One of the most popular trainer fans out there, rivaling the Wahoo Headwind fan in strength but at a fraction of the price. It doesn't have smartphone/ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but it does have secondary outlets. I've been using it, and a similiar European version lately with great success (exact EU variant I use is automatically linked at left).

I've had this for years, and use it in places where I don't have a big screen or desk, but just an iPad or tablet on my road bike bars.

And of course – you can always sign-up to be a DCR Supporter! That gets you an ad-free DCR, access to the DCR Quarantine Corner video series packed with behind the scenes tidbits...and it also makes you awesome. And being awesome is what it’s all about!

Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to post comments or questions in the comments section below, I’ll be happy to try and answer them as quickly as possible. And lastly, if you felt this review was useful – I always appreciate feedback in the comments below. Thanks!

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99 Comments

  1. Ralph

    I might have missed it, but since Wahoo has came out with the Kickr Climb, I guess most of us here would like to know if new trainers are “climb compatible” even without communication between trainer and Climb (just like Kickr does to Climb).

  2. “…The peak resistance numbers on trainers like the Elite Drivo 1/2, Wahoo KICKR, CycleOps Hammer, and Tacx Neo are really all for show. Nobody’s touching them, and it just doesn’t matter practically…”

    Actually there is a bit more to it. Trainers like Elite Drivo/KICKR, etc sink excess power in a form of eddy currents heating up chunk of metal so it can swallow huge peaks without any problem. In this case, as you said, claimed Max power is “all for show”. Trainers like Neo actually work as motor/generator combo and the excess power leads to so called overvoltage that is is being routed by power switching circuitry to ballast resistors, heating them up and keeping voltage in check. And instant power generated by cyclist can be very high and resulting overvoltage can actually fry the trainer. So in case of motor driven trainers the Max power does make sense. I would wager that big sprinters can pose a problem for trainers that have motors if those are not properly designed.

  3. Cranks

    I wonder when garmin will be coming with a (probably buggy for the first year or so) trainer!

  4. Jimmy

    As always, I wonder what sort of max grade simulation or power resistance you get at a more human-like 20kph.

    • JimL

      If you are only going 20kph, max power/grade doesn’t really matter since you’re only doing like 150w anyway.

    • Daniel W Sekera

      you can shove your comment since my fat ass when climbing hills at 20kph or less is definitely putting out more than 150w. I weigh 375 and anytime you want to add the necessary weight to yourself and bike to match me we can go for a little climb ace. I’m happy you’re a flyweight but others ride also.

    • Daniel W Sekera

      and oh yea my climbing is more like 10kph….

    • Speeds matter considerably on climbs. I can do 400w and still be only doing 8KPH on a steep climb.

    • MSirbu

      If you weigh 375lbs, then a 10% gradient must feel like %5 in real file for you. I think Elite simulates the gradients based on a rider weight or around 80kg or so in Zwift. You’d probably need a 150-200% trainer difficulty setting in zwift.

  5. Michael

    I have the original Drivo and I did not notice that there is a calibration feature when using this. Are the Drivo I and Drivo II different with respect to that or did I miss something?

    I just switched from a Garmin Edge 800 to a Wahoo ELMNT computer but have noticed that the speed shown using the Wahoo is totally wrong and way too high. I suspect this is due to the fact that you normally have to set at wheel circumsphere at a lower value (normal value / 3.43) on the computer when connecting it to the Drivo. I could set a value when using the Garmin, but so far the Wahoo only “see” the Drivo as a Fitness device and does not allow for setting a wheel circumsphere. Have you any experience with this?

    • Correct, the Drivo II re-adds the calibration feature that the Drivo I lacks. I haven’t seen it make any appreciable difference.

      I haven’t tried doing a spin-down with the a Wahoo device with it. Sorry!

    • Ty

      The calibration is within the Elite app that you download off their site. I only did it once so far.

  6. Torgeir

    If you take a look at the Elite and Zwift forums, youll see that there is some quirks with the original Drivo and Zwift as well when using Bluetooth. Elite blames Zwift, and claim they havent implemented Bluetooth control correctly and reccomends all users to use ANT+. So for us Drivo users, no Zwifting via Apple products. (If you want a realistic ride anyway)

    Also, Elite promised dual ANT+ and Bluetooth broadcast firmware by June 2018. Havent been released yet, could you ask them when it is to be expected?

    • Gustavo Gomez

      It has to be an Apple or Zwift Issue. I use ZWIFT’s Bluetooth through my android phone without issues.

    • Fede

      Its an Elite problem.
      All other trainers (e.g Wahoo) work perfectly well with Zwift on BLE.

      Last time I spoke with product support, they said any power difference with other powermeters come from where they read (i.e pedals or cranks), chain dispersion and other excuses which makes me believe they don’t have a solution soon.

      Luckily I spoted the problem right from the box
      and returning the drivo 2.

  7. IkSi

    “12 minutes later” wise.
    I have an Elite trainer for few years now, and they have top level support team.
    Any question, problem, they answer and help.
    Ok, maybe not in 12 minutes (-:, but worth to give them thumbs up.

    • Torgeir

      From the Elite Admin over at http://forum.elite-it.com regarding ANT+ and BT at the same time:
      1. August 2017: “I can confirm you that we will release an update in fall that will enable this functionality”
      23. November 2017: “The app will be released at the beginning of 2018”
      1. feb 2018: “No official release date yet, sorry…”

      And nothing new since then. Top level support when you are a well known blogger testing their latest and greatest, not so much for the average Joe who actually spent a boatload of cash on their top of the line trainer.

    • IkSi

      That was my experience, and I’m the “average Joe”, not a well known blogger.
      Sorry to hear about yours,but I was really happy with mine, enough to put my previous comment (which I don’t do usually).
      BTW, all my help was via email with Italy support, not forum.

  8. PrA

    The old Elite Drivo (and I’ve read that also Direto) has the same problem with Zwift Bluetooth connection as this new Drivo II has. I’ve a Elite Drivo already for over a year and all this time without exception – when connecting with Zwift on Mac OS X computer via Bluetooth Smart and doing freeride (or race, groupride etc.) I have very low resistance. Because of that sprinting is basically impossible. As stated in the article above – at the same time my Drivo works perfectly fine in Zwift via ANT+FE-C in both simulation and ERG mode. Also my Drivo works perfectly fine in the Elite app via Bluetooth Smart slope and ERG modes and in Trainerroad via Bluetooth Smart.

  9. Ty

    My Drivo has worked well with Xert and Sufferfest. The only issue was with short intervals of 15sec on, 15sec rest. Towards the end of the set the Drivo seemed to not keep up and let go of the resistance and then reset itself. Took a few seconds for it to do this.

  10. Torgeir

    More people are reporting problems with the Drivo to Zwift link via Bluetooth:
    link to forum.elite-it.com

    • Fede

      Correct. Drivo 2 does not work with Zwift on BLE.
      All other brands do.
      This is a specific elite problem that they cannot solve and looks they have given up.
      Shame as otherwise would have a great trainer.

    • Axel

      I’ve been using my Drivo 2 with Zwift on Apple TV (which is Bluetooth only) extensively and have had no issues at all. Connectivity has been rock solid so far.

  11. Sebastien Riopel

    Which of the following trainers would you say is the fastest to respond to large power changes (like doing intervals from 150W to 500W for 15 sec then back to 150W for 15 sec – like Spanish Needle in TrainerRoad)? Tacx Neo, Wahoo Kickr or Elite Drivo II? I have an Elite Direto and I hate doing such intervals because by the time the trainer has adjusted to the higher power, the interval is almost over. I’m looking for a trainer that will respond the fastest. Which one do I need?

    Thanks.

    • Dan G

      Two years on reply: don’t use Erg mode for <30s interval workouts; the trainers can’t react quickly enough. Use resistance mode and change your cadence too. I must say this is where Wattbikes excel: just slap the damper handle and you’re burning.

  12. Martin

    Hmmm… to buy drivo 1 on sale for 950€ or is it worth investing in new one. Are the differences that much. Doesnt seem so.

  13. David Pacheco

    One thing I still haven’t figured out about Elite is their “business” with the My E-Training app and it’s paid subscription. First off all do you need the app to calibrate the trainer or is it another app for calibration and maintenance purposes? And if you do need it to calibrate, are we supposed to pay for the app just to calibrate the trainer even if we don’t use the remaining features?!

    • ELITE

      Hi David,

      if you needed to calibrate your trainer, you should use our app, that’s true. However you don’t need to pay any subscription to perform a calibration. You only need to download the app. No active subscription is needed.

  14. Matt S

    Does anyone know if the erg response issues in the original drivo are fixed in the drivo 2? Just looking at Ray’s 30 second intervals, the response looks to oscillate a lot less, and with lower amplitude than the same test with the original drivo, but I’m not sure if that’s a sample of one type thing or whether they have actually addressed the erg response in this unit.

    • Patrick M.

      I just bought a Drivo II and can confirm that this has not been fixed, at least when using ERG mode in Zwift workouts using ANT+ with PC.
      The resistance when doing intervals hit way later than it should, sometimes it continuous for over 10 secs after he interval is over.
      The other issue is that if your power output is set to a specific number (eg 200W), keeping a steady cadence as possible, the average power output is always 15W short. Freaking annoyed after spending so much money in what’s supposed to be one of the “best” trainers.
      Loads of people complaining about the same thing over Elite forums.

    • That actually sounds like a different issue than what I saw. A 10s delay sounds a lot more like an ANT+ signal issue where it’s repeating the command until the trainer sees it. This could be caused by WiFi or the like in your house. Or that the ANT+ adapter on your PC is too far from the trainer.

      All of which impact all trainers.

      The 15w short is a trickier one to troubleshot. It could happen if you have another power meter set in Zwift so it controls one and shows the other. Alternatively, Zwift itself is known to be a bit wonky in terms of how it does ERG mode, which can cause actual interval levels to be lower than reality (for averages).

    • Patrick M.

      Hi Ray, that’s the first think I’ve checked but even with a USB cable extension right next to the trainer, the delay is always there. When using Zwift companion and Bluetooth it’s even worse.
      It seems to takes around 10sec to go from 145W to 300W which is just crazy. If you have sprint intervals by the time the resistance kicks in, the interval time is already over.

      Regarding the lower wattage output, playing with the Elite power smoothing values seems to help in this case.

      If Elite claims about taking 3 seconds to go from flat to 25% incline is true, then I just can’t justify taking 10seconds to adjust the resistance in ERG mode when doing a workout. It’s just unacceptable when a Kickr Core does this much quicker and is half the price.

  15. Curtis

    Hi Ray

    Thank you for the fantastic site and content.

    For the more budget-minded folks reading this thread, I’ve just discovered that the original Drivo is currently on sale at Halfords in the UK for £600, which is cheaper than you can buy the Direto from most places at the moment, and £240 cheaper than any other seller that I can find. Presumably, this is to clear stock ahead of the new model, but that seems like a genuine bargain to me for those not requiring the latest updates (to the extent that I’ve just ordered one, so I now have a trainer that’s worth more than the bike I’ll be using on it).

    Link here for info (NB: direct from the site, no affiliate links). Please remove if it contravenes any site rules: link to halfords.com

  16. Jad

    Hi,
    I currently have a Drivo (1st gen) and although I like the way the device works, there is something fundamentally wrong with the reading I get when my TrainerRoad workouts are posted on Strava. After completing a 1hour training ride, my stats show that I have ridden anywhere between 75-90km (depending on the workout I completed). I had gone back several times to Elite and to the retailer and no one was able to help. .TrainerRoad recommended that I adjust the wheel circumference from the default value (2096) by dividing by 3.43.
    I have downloaded the Elite app and calibrated and my trainer is connected via Bluetooth but I still get the same issue when connected through ANT+.
    Anyone have the same problem? Any help is appreciated

    • João

      you must divide the wheel circumference by 3.43.

      I had the same problem with my wahoo bolt, only when I have put in the wahoo app 627 for the wheel circumference I got true reading from the wahoo bolt!

      read this: link to elitesrl.zendesk.com

      So you must in trainer road adjust wheel circunference.

  17. Enrico Licini

    Hi Dc, is it possibile to fix a mountain bike with 12 speed, as example sram long cage (50/10)? With Drivo 1, the cage touched the body of the roller…unbelievable!

  18. Erik

    Hi Ray,

    About to sell my Drivo to upgrade to Drivo II. Now rethinking my initial choice, Tacx vs. Elite, and this raises a question. Any insight in when Tacx might present a new high end model or upgraded Neo Smart?

  19. João

    Hello,

    Have you tested the Wahoo Climb with the Drivo? Does it work? Thank you.

    • There’s no integration between the Wahoo CLIMB and any 3rd party companies currently (or yet). So with the Elite Drivo or Drivo II, you can attach a climb and manually press the buttons to go up and down, but it won’t automatically do so according to the software terrain.

      Physically speaking, my specific bike on the Drivo II will actually go up and down without any blockers, but that doesn’t mean every bike will, nor does it mean it’s good for the bike or trainer long term. That’d be something that Elite would have to test.

    • João

      Thank you Ray for such a quick answer.

      I was asking because I have a Drivo and I have just read this article from velonews: link to velonews.com

      It’s seam it work, but was unable to know if manually or automatically…

    • Yeah, that specific article’s photo and text is somewhat misleading. It’s not automatic, purely manual.

    • Eric Perrier

      Hi DC, sorry silly question!

      When you say your bike is physically going up/down, [apart from the extra resistance!] do you mean the Drivo 2 will lower the back of one’s bike from the rear axle giving the physical impression of a climb?
      Not obvious.
      Whereas the raising/lowering device which is the Kikr Climb seems more obvious.
      You seem to use the Kikr in addition, don’t you? Many thanks for your input.
      Kind regards,
      Eric

    • Martin

      I have drivo II. I think if wahoo would let other trainers apps control the climb you could use it on drivo. My front wheel can go up down freely without interference from the rear side. And I have no problems with responsivnes. Works like a charm.

  20. Steph

    Hello,

    When you run all the tests do you leave the power smoothing setting at default (2, I believe)?

  21. Michael Sullivan

    Hi,

    I have the original Drivo, using Apple TV and I only use Zwift for races and simulation mode. I’ve got the exact same issues others have experienced using Bluetooth, I spin out on flats during sprints and the power won’t increase. Elite keep saying on multiple forums that a firmware update will be released, been saying this for years it seems but still no update!

    DC, could you use your leverage on this to get them to sort it? I don’t care whether it’s Zwift or Elite who’s at fault, all I care about is it’s ruining my Zwift experience. Had I known I’d never have bought an Apple TV and I’ll never buy an elite trainer again if they don’t sort this.

    Cheers

    • Axel

      So, is the bluetooth-Zwift issue fixed now? The edit in the review says that Elite claim it is, but these recent comments suggest it isn’t.

    • Michael Sullivan

      No it’s not been fixed yet. I’m still having the same issue.

    • Steph

      How do you do a firmware update on the Drivo II anyway?

    • Michael Sullivan

      You can’t do a firmware update yet. I’ve read Elite will soon be releasing a feature on there app maybe to allow you to do this, they’ve been saying this for years now though.

    • Michael Sullivan

      See link about firmware updates on Drivo…

      link to forum.elite-it.com

    • Steph

      Thanks for the info. I’m generally happy with how mine’s working right now anyway but that’s a little disappointing from a ‘future proofing’ point of view.

      Also, I was just about to get an Apple TV because I thought the bluetooth control was better for erg mode response time, guess that has it’s own issues.

    • Pato

      I’ve had issues with the responsiveness (lag) of the Drivo II in ERG mode, no matter with which app and connection type, as many other users who wrote in the Elite forums to complain have gone through as well.
      I’ve contacted the assistance and they made me do some tests. When analyzing the results, it was quite obvious that there was a lag issue, not related to connection/interference.
      They changed some parameters and asked me to perform further testing, which seemed to work as it now takes 2 seconds to change resistance in ERG, while before it was 10/15 sec.
      Apparently they said these new parameter values would be available in a firmware update, which makes me believe that depending on the Drivo II production batch, there might be some with different firmware versions out there, as there’s people who don’t have this problem.
      Guess they should release a firmware soon cause there are many Drivo II owners who had my same problem and it’s hard to believe that they wouldn’t do anything about it being this their top of the line home trainer.

    • Steph

      Are these settings that you were able to change yourself within the elite app? If so would you mine posting? In sufferfest it takes about 10 s to adjust which is only really an issue with the 15s intervals, I was expecting a bit better though.

      I did notice that in the few instances that I’m very accurate and stable with my cadance change it can respond better so I was wondering a little if it was my lack of skills. I just spoke with somebody who mentioned that it tends to work better with the supplied cadence sensor connected so I’m going to try that too.

    • Pato

      You’re probably going through the same issues a lot of Drivo II owners like me did.
      Unfortunately you can’t do parameter changes from the Elite app, but you’ll need to go through the assistance.
      They’ll ask you to provide them a test done in the Elite app, which consists in creating a custom workout of 1min blocks of: 100w, 200w, 100w, 300w, 100w, 350w. Try to keep the same cadence for every single interval. You’ll then have to extract that workout in CSV and send it back to the assistance. Just to be clear, the resistance delay happens in every app you try, Zwift, Sufferfest, Elite, etc in ERG. Gradient simulation mode instead doesn’t seem to suffer this defect.
      Also, using the Elite own cadence sensor doesn’t make any difference in the lag, their cable cadence sensor is necessary to get accurate pedaling smoothness values through their app, if you decide to buy that feature the app (€ 1).

    • Axel

      Just thought I’d add this for anyone else having this issue, or just trying to find a way to update the firmware on their Drivo 2. I have the exact same experience with ERG mode. Elite have been promising a firmware update since 2016!!!
      Ray has it in his table of specs above, yet as of this date (6 October 2019!) there still is no way to update the firmware of the Drivo II and the Elite forum is dead and buried. The only thing I’ve read were rumors of an Android only beta, that someone claimed to have gotten through personal contact with Elite.
      Technically, the unit is sound. The software support is absolutely appalling. It would be great if Ray dropped them a line about this. I would hope he agrees that essentially, a product is only as good as the support given by those making it.

  22. Eric Perrier

    Dear DC,
    I have just bought the drivo 2 and an adapter hub for a Campagnolo cassette. The problem is the axle is too big for the replacement hub. Getting worried. Can you help?
    Thanks, Eric

  23. Steph

    If I understand correctly the idea with erg mode is that you should never change gears, is that correct? Is that really possible in all erg workouts?

    With the Sufferfest there are some workouts that switch from 50 RPM Standing / Climbing to 110+ RPM sprints. Do you not have to change gears to do that?

    I just find that the gear ratio that I can spin 110 at is nowhere near the same one that I need to be able to stand on the pedals at 50RPM, If I try, it slips and the revolutions seem awkwardly small anyway so I move up to the big chainring. Should I be able to stand on the pedals at any gear setting and have the Drivo II handle my weight? Seems like a lot to ask from the machine. I’m about 175lbs.

    If I stay seated its not an issue in any gear ratio that I’ve tried.

    • scoob

      In my experience ERG (on older slower trainers itndides) should handle all of that for you. As the Drivo II is advertised as being 3x faster than before it should be able to switch up and down really fast. As it happens I’m not sure Elite have that nailed. My example is the slowest reacting trainer I’ve seen, using same pc or iPad and dongles as I’ve used on other trainers. Which means I’m forced to make multiple gear changes. Will see what Elite say but they’ve published nothing in this on their website or any firmware updates that I can find. And it’s a common enough problem so I’d have expected an faq or something on the subject.

    • scoobmw

      Typo in there. Should say (on older trainers it does). Apols.

    • Steph

      So I can stand on the pedals no problem during climbs in Rouvy and Zwift, so that issue must be with Sufferfest. I change gears to speed up resistance changes which does sound like firmware from what everybody indicates. Somebody on this forum let me know that I can probably get Elite to fix it if I send ride data from the Elite app and assuming they agree there’s an issue I guess they would have to take control of my laptop and do some settings changes. I haven’t jumped through those hoops yet, hoping for a formal firmware upgrade soon. In simulation mode it runs beautifully, the 10 s changes in erg mode are a bit of a let down but it still runs well. I do get worried that if it’s too fast it’ll be the brick wall effect so I’m sticking with the devil I know for now.

    • scoob

      Hi. No issue with standing on pedals on Sufferfest or any other software. “ stand on the pedals no problem during climbs in Rouvy and Zwift, so that issue must be with Sufferfest “
      I can categorically say that it’s not Sufferfest as the same behaviour exhibits using Elites own control software (Elite myetraining)
      Sorry was trying to answer your first question – should erg handle changes .. yes it should in my opinion.
      I also agree nothing can compensate instantaneously for 110rpm to 50rpm, including the human body
      The vast majority of workouts don’t require that extreme change though and the trainer should handle changes (advertised as “in the blink of an eye” and “3x faster than before”) which would lead me to believe erg would handle the vast majority of use cases inside a couple seconds if it an change resistance that fast people (subject to our pedalling capability of course too)
      Hope that clears up – was looking to reply to the primary question.

      I agree – the 10s ramps (7s-17s) tested on Elites own software for me are a let down.
      For me it’s a material letdown and fails the advertising standards authority concept. But hey Elite May yet have a fix.

  24. Tom

    How can i adjust the Trainer to different wheele sizes like 26″ or others?

  25. PaoloS

    Ray,
    good morning and thank you very much for keeping us so very well informed.

    I have a question on the data that was sent over to your Edge 520 from the Drivo II.
    Suppose that I ride a route loaded from strava or some other route providers, so the Drivo II is in Simulation mode and not in Erg mode, are the slope and altitude data sent to the Garmin as well as the speed/cadence/power etc.?

    Hope, my question is clear.

    I would like to reride a course and get all the data, including slope, altitude, meters climbed as if I were out in the real course. Can you do it with the Drivo II?

    Thanks again.
    Paolo

    • No, in that mode only speed/power/cadence, but not slope back to the Garmin unfortunately. I do wish companies would find a way to do that – would be great!

      However, if you have a course on the Garmin, it will transmit that slope/etc to the Drivo (so the other way around).

    • PaoloS

      Ray,
      good afternoon.

      Thank you very much for your quick reply.
      I will have write a small piece of code to integrate in the fit file containing data coming from the Drivo II with the slope data from the original ride.
      Should not be that difficult. Already done something similar in the past.

      Instead of using the Garmin as a transmit device I plan to transmit the slope data to the smart trainer using Golden Cheetah in training mode and on using the Garmin as the receiving device to get actual data from the Drivo II. Do you have any experience on this setup?

      Thanks again.
      Paolo.

  26. Scoob

    Hi there. One of the things that I’ve found since getting one of these last month is it’s super slow to react to power changes. For example in workouts where you jump from 100 to 250 for a few minutes at a time.
    It’ll hold on ERG fine once it’s there.
    But it takes 12-20 seconds to get there. Which I think is pretty unacceptable for a trainer of this price.
    DCR – wondered if you’d heard similar since. Seems to be a lot of reports across all platforms.
    Anyone else?
    It looks like the 3x faster claim is actually the opposite right now unless there’s a firmware update that fixes this.

    • Unlucky Direto owner

      Welcome to the pain and frustration of many Drivo and Direto owners regarding delayed rezponsiveness in both Erg and Sim (game) modes (but much more delayed in Erg modes).

      Yes, 15-20 seconds lag in response is not that uncommon for Drivo and Direto in Erg modes.

      Some reviewers may say np, because what time you lose on the way in (i.e. Erg interval), you’ll get back on the way out, hence keeping your average power more or less unaffected.
      However your app may flag those intervals as “failed” (e.g. Zwift workouts).

      No firmware fix (to-date) has been released by Elite.

    • Phil

      Are you still experiencing a lag in response time in ERG mode?

  27. Jd

    Unfortunately I need to say that as I’m quite frustrated. I replaced my Drivo I with Drivo II last year as my previous was was broken (started generating some strange noise). In that context I didn’t have any problem, I contacted Elite send video and they qualified my Drive for replacement. Kudos for that. My thinking was that Drivo II will be much better in case of ERG mode as they are claiming faster servo and also company had time to improve software. Till last moth I was using my Drivo II mainly in slope mode with Zwift and response time to slop change is really better then version I. Last month I started using ERG mode and I do not see any improvement comparing to Drivo I, it’s rather other way around. Other thing is that with Drivo I there was issue that if you stop pedalling it was almost not possible to go back to ERG mode as when you start moving crank unit was increasing resistance to maximum. I was contacting Elite in that case, they ask me to upgrade firmware (procedure like installation of third-party software on wireless router) but this didn’t help to much, they were pretending that there is not problem and I gave up on that. 1 year later new model and this is still not working properly, this time when you stop peddling unit is probably disabling ERG mode, because when you go back and pedal with the same cadence and gearing power output is completely different, if you stop pealing in recovery interval that is 150W and then start again, power is 250W and you are not able to go lower, it will start working again when interval change. Other stupid thing is power smoothing, it change way how ERG mode react and also smooth power, why there is no separate settings for that ? If I want to change way how trainer react there should setting for that, but I still should be able to have real power data, not smoothed one. Last year I need to play with that setting all the time, because what I was doing races in Zwift and have this setting high I realise that zwift react with delay to my efforts, from other point of view when I had it low ERG mode was not working properly. As a consumer you are buying high end trainer that costs a lot of money so you are expecting that basic things works, especially when vendor claim that it should work.I have work, family I struggle to find time for my training, I do not have time to contact support doing some tests, spending hours to resolve thing that should work from the beginning. What the hell is that. Why still is not possible to upgrade firmware? I have felling that someone started with good product and then it was done by monkeys. I can do a bet for few thousands that if I get development tools for platform that this trainer use, I can write better ERG mode in one month then provided by Elite.This is not a rocket science.

  28. Phil

    To all Drivo II owners:
    Are you still experiencing a lag in response time in ERG mode?

    • Tomas

      Hi, yes, i still have problem with lag in the ERG mode (aprox. 10 sec.) and i have big in-accuracy in comparing with my Quarq (aprox. 5%) 🙁

      Tomas

    • Pato

      You have to contact Elite to solve the lag issue. It’s unbelievable that there still isn’t a way to update the firmware with an app, they’ve been promising this since years (check Elite forums) but still no news, needless to say, in my case it was solved after contacting the support team but I would have imagined a firmware update available in that shit app would come anytime soon. Needless to say I will never again buy another Elite trainer. They are good at manufacturing bottles and bottle cages but will never buy anything else from them, shittiest trainer ever paid like gold.

    • Axel

      Anything on the hardware side of things seems solid (bottles, cages, rollers and smart-trainers), but the software support is unacceptably bad.
      It’s infuriating that what really is a technically well made smart trainer becomes a bad product due to simple negglect.
      (So to theop ; nothing was updated, so nothing changed; ERG is still useless)

    • Pato

      I’d like to add another note. The lag in ERG has been solved using a 3rd party Android app which allow you to change the parameters in the Drivo, now why the hell is Elite not releasing any firmware update or allow users to do so directly from the app.
      The biggest problem, which has always been there is that even while pedaling super smooth in ERG, the resistance can some times rocket up or completely disappear, very randomly, this doesn’t happen with any other smart trainer I’ve used. For example you are at a 100w interval and then jump to a 300w, for the first 5 to 8 seconds it stay consistently at 400+W, which if that interval was at 150% FTP it really F’s you up.
      Also, when doping longer intervals, for example steady at 200w, the resistance some times can rocket to 230w and then suddenly drop to 80w and then settle to 230w again, which is really annoying since it takes quite some time to re-adjust. I though it was just with Zwift, then this summer when I didn’t renew Zwift and used myEtraining app, the same thing happened. Elite Drivo II is a very poor trainer, that money is better spent somewhere else where at least things get solved in a relatively short amount of time (Wahoo/ Tacx). Elite ERG issues have been pending since years (check their forum).

    • Carina

      I had a Drivo for almost 18 month. I have sell it and made enough money to buy a Wahoo Kickr Core. This was the better move I could have done!! This is like night and day! How can a much cheaper trainer be so much better than a top level trainer?!?!

    • Axel

      I can confirm this issue: with both ERG and also in a constant resistance scenario (like Zwift with a low ‘trainer difficulty’ setting), the resistance will occasionally drop significantly. A few good kicks on the pedals seems to wake it up and resistance returns to what it should be, after a small spike. And like Pato; using Elite’s own myEtraining app gives the same issues.

    • Nicolas

      Hi Pato,

      Thank you for your comments. Is the 3rd party Android app called “Upgrado” by Elite srl?

      If this is not the app, could you please give us the name of the app?

      I just bought a new Elite Drivo ii and have encountered the same problems in ERG mode. Mainly that the unit takes around 10 seconds to change resistance which is unacceptable at this price point. I am really regretting buying this product before reading the comments here.

  29. Edd

    Hello, I have a Question PLEASE! Does someone knows the ELITE is MADE in ITALY?? As European Guy, I prefer Products Made in EU and not Made in CHINA! thanX a lot!

  30. Moritz B Haager

    Any recent comments on whether people have seen their issues with the Driving II fixed? Seeing good deals on this day the moment and wondering if I should buy this vs another trainer.

  31. evangelos voulgarakis

    hi i have read all your comments for turbotrainers and so on . For me to connect Drivo II with my P.c is imposibble since and maybe i am not good in technology ( i am not so sure but things change every day ) so can you please advice my step by step how to make the connection ;;; to my P.C ;;;;
    thanks in advance and sent me your bank account IBAN

    • Axel

      Hi,
      Drivo2 can connect via ANT+ or Bluetooth. In the rather extensive review that this comment section is under, Ray lists it all quite clearly. So you need to have one of these connections avalable.
      If your PC has neither, a cheap and simple solution is to get a dongle.
      Explained here for Bluetooth:
      link to techwalla.com
      Explained here For ANT+:
      link to cyclingweekly.com

      This is a free answer, so you won’t be needing my IBAN. Or credit card. Or social security number. I only give those to Nigerian princes.

  32. Fede

    A year has gone by and they have not fixed the BLE for zwift. No wonder they stopped providing a free month for zwift.

    My drivo 2 reads 10-20 watts above any other powermeter.

    They said the difference lies on that other powermeters reading on the pedals or cranks, chain dispersion, etc.
    The reality is wahoo provides same reading as pedal and cranks powermeters while drivo does not with any connection type and all apps.

    The problem in the drivo 2 lies in their BLE connection. Either they dont want to say they know this or acknowledge it at all, but it does not works on Zwift on BLE.

    Returning my drivo this Saturday and getting a Wahoo.
    End of story

    • Axel

      Sorry to hear about your experiences with the Drivo 2. While the software/firmware support is abysmal and the ERG mode (in any program I’ve used) is unusable for me, I’ve had no problem connecting my Drivo 2 to Zwift over Bluetooth (see my other reply.) Also, mine reads very close to two different SRM powermeters.

      At any rate, I believe ultimately a product is only as good as the support you get with it, and in this case, that is not very good. Enjoy your Kickr.

  33. Nicolas

    Initially I bought this unit for the power accuracy of +- 0.5% but after using the Elite Drivo ii for two weeks I am forced to return it.

    1. Whenever I pause in ERG mode and then resume the workout, for some unknown reason the unit applies maximum resistance and I am unable to continue. At this point, the only solution is to get off the bike, unplug the machine, and restart the entire workout which costs precious training time.
    2. Despite being advertised as 3 times faster than its predecessor, the unit takes 15-20 seconds to change resistance in ERG mode. Even for slight changes, say 150 watts to 250 watts, this lag is present essentially rendering ERG mode unusable. This is simply not acceptable for a trainer that costs $1,200.
    3. In addition to the lag mentioned in (2), the unit overshoots and undershoots power in ERG mode and is not steady. For example, if I am going from 150 watts at 90 RPM to 250 watts at 100 RPM, when I increase my cadence, the unit initially drops power well below 150 watts (I assume it thinks that I am overshooting the current set power) and only after 5 seconds or so it will get used to the new cadence and slowly ramp up to 250 watts, thus compounding the lag and making ERG mode worthless.
    4. Finally, even while keeping steady cadence in ERG mode, the resistance can sometimes drastically increase or decrease at random. For example if I am at 150watts for an interval and then jump to 300watts, for the first 5 to 8 seconds it will stay consistently at 400+watts, which ruins the interval and makes it difficult to continue. Furthermore, as explained in (3), when doing longer intervals, say at 200watts, the resistance sometimes can rocket to 230watts and then suddenly drop to below 200 watts and then settle to 230w again, which ruins the interval since it adds even more time to the lag.
    5. I cannot connect to Zwift properly using Bluetooth Smart FTMS.
    6. Using the “Upgrado” app by Elite srl does not fix anything.

    This is a high end and expensive trainer and unfortunately basic things don’t work. It seems that I have experienced every single problem that other users in these comments have complained about. Elite advertises this unit as 3x faster than before but this is not the case. I do not want to deal with Elite to get them to fix the ERG mode issues as I believe that at a price of $1,200, a trainer should simply work as advertised and there is no indication that they will be able to fix the max resistance issue (1) when pausing ERG mode. I will be returning it and buying the Saris H3 or Wahoo Kickr.

    Thanks for reading.

  34. Maeve

    Can anyone tell me if the resistance on the Drivo II can be adjusted by % using the wahoo fitness app? I’m trying to do workouts that require adjusting cadence and resistance separately and have the wahoo cadence meter and heart monitor. The wahoo fitness app picks up the drivo but doesn’t seem to adjusting the resistance when I increase it by percentage. Any help is much appreciated.

  35. Simon Rickard

    I appear to have misplaced the Power Supply that came with the Drivio 2, I was hoping that someone might share a photo of the Power Supply that they have – so that I can purchase a replacement Power Supply

  36. gustavo gomez

    I have made changes to the drivo configuration files to improve the ride feeling. Anybody interested in testing?
    It is my personal thinking ERG and SIM mode feels so much better almost like riding outside.