As a result, many of us (myself included) were suddenly much more interested in indoor cycling<\/a> and smart trainers<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Direto XR was launched as a high-end trainer with a price tag that handily undercut some of its major competitors. It thoroughly impressed me with its performance in almost every area.<\/p>\n Though the majority of non-consumable products go back to manufacturers after we\u2019ve reviewed them, I managed to hold onto the Direto XR so I could continue testing indoor cycling apps<\/a>, and have since logged countless virtual kilometres on it.<\/p>\n It has become a cherished training tool and a reliable benchmark for other smart trainers and power meters<\/a> to measure up against. It\u2019s a true High-Mileage Hero<\/a>.<\/p>\n High-Mileage Heroes<\/a>\u00a0showcases the products that have stood the test of time and become part of our everyday riding.<\/p>\n These aren\u2019t reviews, but rather a chance to talk about the kit we depend on and the products we choose to use when we\u2019re not reviewing fresh gear.<\/p>\n More from High-Mileage Heroes:<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> I occasionally find it interesting to look back at older reviews of mine and reassess their merits and faults.<\/p>\n With the Direto XR, though my smart trainer testing back then wasn\u2019t as sophisticated as it is now (if I do say so myself), there\u2019s little in the review I would change, even if I might want to add some more detail in a few places.<\/p>\n It performs fantastically, combining accurate data with good ride feel and reasonably quiet operation.<\/p>\n The build quality doesn\u2019t live up to that of the Wahoo Kickr<\/a> in terms of feel, but it has undeniably stood the test of time.<\/p>\n Over two years on from publishing that review, the Direto XR still performs as well as it did the day I first set it up.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a little grubby now (mainly from accumulated wax that has flaked off my chains) and some of the stickers are peeling off.<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve climbed many virtual mountains, done countless HIIT sessions<\/a> and Zwift group rides<\/a>, and performed more power meter tests than I care to remember. It hasn\u2019t skipped a beat.<\/p>\n Aside from its obvious function as a tool for exploring the virtual roads of Zwift<\/a> (other indoor cycling apps<\/a> do exist, but Zwift is my current favourite), one of the Direto XR\u2019s most valuable traits has been its accurate and reliable power measurement.<\/p>\n As someone who also reviews power meters, having a trustworthy benchmark to compare new models against has proven its worth many times over.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve compared the Direto XR\u2019s data to at least 10 different power meters in the past two years. I can confidently say that if the data from a new one doesn\u2019t match up with the Direto XR then things aren\u2019t looking good for the power meter.<\/p>\n It does lack an auto-calibration feature, but I also tend to find once I\u2019ve done a spin-down calibration, I generally won\u2019t need to do one again unless I move the trainer or there\u2019s a significant temperature swing.<\/p>\n Of course, as with most things, it\u2019s not perfect in every area.<\/p>\n One thing I\u2019ve discovered since my original review is that, like the new Elite Justo<\/a>, the Direto XR struggles with cadence accuracy under periods of sustained high resistance, such as when riding up long virtual climbs like Alpe du Zwift.<\/p>\n Once you know this, though, you can simply take it into account.<\/p>\n Though it has since been superseded by a newer model (the Justo), the Direto XR still delivers practically everything I want from a smart trainer.<\/p>\n The latest models have larger flywheels, are a bit quieter and some have even gained the ability to connect to the internet.<\/p>\n The Direto XR nevertheless remains very competitive in terms of basic performance, so if you see one at a good price it\u2019s still well worth your consideration.<\/p>\n Likewise, I\u2019ve tried accessories such as the\u00a0Elite Sterzo<\/a>\u00a0steering block, the\u00a0Elite Rizer<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Wahoo Kickr Climb<\/a>\u00a0gradient simulators, and the\u00a0Wahoo Kickr Headwind<\/a>\u00a0smart fan, but all of these things still feel pretty gimmicky to me. I couldn\u2019t see myself spending my own hard-earned cash on them as things stand.<\/p>\n The Direto XR connected to a good app makes for a simple but excellent indoor cycling setup.<\/p>\n The fact that I can keep returning, professionally, to a consistent and reliable benchmark also continues to prove its worth time and time again.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n By Simon von Bromley Published: Monday, 09 January 2023 at 12:00 am When the Elite Direto XR first arrived at BikeRadar in September 2020, the world was \u2013 as you may well remember \u2013 in a pretty rough spot. As a result, many of us (myself included) were suddenly much more interested in indoor cycling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":45491,"template":"","categories":[1,36],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-scaled.jpg",2560,1707,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/01\/high-mileage-heroes-simons-elite-direto-xr-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Simon von Bromley Published: Monday, 09 January 2023 at 12:00 am When the Elite Direto XR first arrived at BikeRadar in September 2020, the world was \u2013 as you may well remember \u2013 in a pretty rough spot. As a result, many of us (myself included) were suddenly much more interested in indoor cycling…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/45490"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2022\/12\/Elite-Direto-XR20221216SvB5DSRMG0537-15f402c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>BikeRadar\u2019s High-Mileage Heroes<\/h2>\n
As good as new<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2022\/12\/Elite-Direto-XR20221216SvB5DSRMG0546-cb37ffb.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Power meter benchmark<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2020\/10\/20201029_SB_5DSR_MG_3462-94999d1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>All you need?<\/h2>\n
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