Did you ever notice that more pros warm up and get fit on Elite trainers than any other brand? According to Elite, 13 WorldTour teams use their indoor trainers to dial in their fitness, as do “more than half of the pro teams worldwide“. There must be something to that, right?
I’ve ridden an Elite Suito smart trainer off and on for more than six years, whenever I couldn’t muster up the courage to ride outside in freezing rain. So when I saw they had an updated version, now called the Rivo, that was even better and almost 20% cheaper than the Suito, I figured it was time ride some more indoors.
More pro cyclists train on Elite than any other smart trainer
Elite just announced their 2026 pro cycling team partnership lineup, and it’s more expansive than ever. Sure, Tadej Pogačar and his UAE team stay fit and warm up for racing with the Elite Justo2 trainer. But they aren’t the only ones who benefit from the reliability of consistent, controlled efforts for more targeted warm-ups, training, and post-race recovery rides thanks to the <1% power variance of Elite’s top interactive trainers.
Another dozen WorldTour teams, including both men’s and women’s teams, use Elite’s smart trainers to prep for racing, then often use Elite bottles & cages to stay hydrated during their races. That includes Mathieu van der Poel and his Alpecin–Premier Tech team, Elisa Longo Borghini and her UAE Team ADQ squad, Puck Pieterse and Fenix–Premier Tech, plus Zoe Bäckstedt and Canyon//SRAM, among many others.
Elite Rivo entry-level premium interactive smart indoor trainer
The new Rivo is Elite’s most affordable of their fully interactive direct-drive indoor trainers. It features much of the same quiet and compact smart tech as their top-tier Justo 2 & Avanti, just simplified to using calculated power instead of a direct power meter to still ensure +/-2.5% power accuracy, while at the same time, making it much more affordable. In fact, it’s less than half the price of the Justo 2 that most of the pros use.
But still plenty accurate for most cyclists looking to train in a more repeatable environment indoors.
What’s new in Rivo vs. the Suito?
The biggest difference you can see is that the Rivo design is more compact. And while it uses the same 3.5kg flywheel as before, it is more than 30% lighter than the Suito, now down to just 10kg, making it even more portable. Overall, the new form factor is very similar to the old Suito, with two fold-out legs that provide stability and a single carry handle to move it around. But folded in, it’s a little bit smaller, now just 52x16cm x 49cm tall, even easier to keep out of the way when it’s not indoor training season.
But the important upgrades are hidden inside…
The new Rivo is now able to simulate up to an 18% climb, a twenty percent improvement over the Suito. It’s also now rated for 920W max power at 20kph, or 2000W max at 40kph – a 25% boost at the lower speeds most of us ride on the trainer.
The Rivo also now adds 2.4GHz WiFi connectivity, which allows for automatic firmware updates. Plus Zwift’s own Bluetooth protocol in addition to the standard ones, to allow for smooth virtual shifting with their Cog & Clicks.
Plus, the Rivo adds a new Zwift-ready version for riding, straight out of the box with virtual shifting. You can now buy it prefitted with the latest Zwift Cog and their new Click v2 game controllers for quieter running, easier setup, and less maintenance, that’s especially useful if you train in Zwift on more than one bike.
Tech details
- compact, direct-drive transmission smart indoor trainer
- ±2.5% accuracy with calculated power
- 18% max simulated slope
- max power: 920 Watt (20km/h) – 2000 Watt (40km/h)
- 3.5kg belt-driven flywheel
- dual channel Bluetooth bridge function (Zwift Protocol, FTMS, Power, Speed & Cadence)
- 2.4GHz WiFi Direct Connect, with automatic firmware updates over WiFi
- can be used at 1-16 resistance levels even without being plugged-in for outdoor warm-up or cool-down sessions
- Shimano HG freehub, QR axle & 12x142mm thru-axle standard. Other freehubs & axle adapters available separately
- 523.5 x 164 x 493mm when folded. 10kg weight
- made in Italy
- includes 12-month free subscription to Elite’s own My E-Training software & app
Elite Rivo – Pricing, options & availability
The new Elite Rivo interactive trainer comes in two versions. The basic model sells for 499€ with a Shimano HG freehub body, but without a cassette so you can add whichever works with your bike’s drivetrain. Or for just a few bucks more, you can get the Zwift-ready Rivo for 519€, pre-fitted with the single-speed Zwift Cog and a pair of new Zwift Click v2 controllers to get 24 virtual gears inside the Zwift ecosystem with perfectly straight chainline, quieter shifting, and reduced wear on your bike’s drivetrain. Plus, the Zwift version is also fitted to a HG freehub, so you could always mount a standard cassette if you decide to train in other online platforms.
The new, improved, and more affordable Rivo trainer is available now through Elite’s global retailer network.
