Elite’s new Volano makes direct-drive training a lot more affordable as long as you’re OK with a slog not an easy spin, and are prepared to be patient with the proprietary app and bolt-on smart sensor upgrading.
Direct-drive trainers are becoming increasingly popular for good reason. Because you remove the rear wheel of your bike and power the axle of the trainer directly, it removes any worries about tyre wear or slip. As there’s no issue with potential tyre slip, you can also use a more powerful braking effect for higher resistance – and that’s certainly the case with the Volano.
Heavy roller
Compared with Elite’s ‘developed with and for pro riders’ Turbo Muin trainer (max resistance 2300W) the Volano’s 1200W max is reasonably benign. At an indicated 24kph to give 200W, compared to the 30kmh average of the other 11 turbos we were putting through their paces at the same time, it’s definitely still got a permanent uphill character not an easy cruising nature.
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A relatively light flywheel and lower operating speeds (plus the fact there’s no wheel interia) means it slows down quickly too. Add the high resistance and it’s definitely more choppy in feel than most of its peers, particularly for less powerful riders who’ll struggle to get the flywheel spinning fast enough to build up momentum. The fluid-filled brake unit can’t be adjusted in resistance either; you just pedal harder to increase the workload.
To keep basic purchase price as low as possible the Volano is supplied ‘dumb’, but you can unscrew the casing and mount Elite’s Misuro ANT+ and Bluetooth transmitter (£59.99 / $120 / AU$110) to turn it smart. The dual communication protocol makes it fully compatible with most devices from phones and tablets to PC/Mac and Elite have their own data display app.
Not the most intuitive
- Wattage deviation: -5W
- Roll down from 200W: 7secs
- Noise level at 200W: 85db
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