Reviewed: Elite Justo Smart Trainer

The Elite Justo is a trainer to watch. It has every metric a triathlete could dream of built right into the trainer’s firmware: power accuracy within +/- 1%, automatic calibration, pedaling analysis in the Elite app, cadence, and speed data. The folks at Elite clearly put a lot of thought into making this a very technology-focused piece of equipment.

The Justo is also semi-foldable, with the legs able to close together to make the Justo as compact as possible, a trend we’ve also recently seen with the new version of the Wahoo KICKR. Likewise, the Justo is able to pack all those metrics into a wheel-on smart trainer and have it weigh only 37 pounds. While “only” might seem like the wrong word, many industry-leading trainers weigh nearly 50 pounds. This is “light” as far as direct drive smart trainers go.

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Elite Justo Review: The Good

The Justo connects to nearly any training platform: Zwift, Rouvy, Ful Gaz – you name it. Elite also has its own training app, but it’s not as fleshed-out as others on the market. Once connected, the Justo collects and shares a bevy of metrics: power via its integrated power meter, cadence and speed through internal sensors, and pedaling efficiency, which can be viewed in the Elite app.

Smart trainer manufacturers are finally figuring out how to make their products quiet. While it’s not the quietest one we’ve tested, the Elite Justo clocks in at about 70 db at 250 watts, which is quiet enough to hold a conversation, watch TV, or just not bother your housemate in the other room.

The Justo is able to be used without electricity, too, which is probably not why you’ll buy the trainer, but is a cool feature nonetheless. “Standalone Mode,” allows riders to use the Elite training app to set resistance for the trainer when it is either not connected to another training source (like Zwift) or when it is not connected to electricity at all. From there, you can leverage the trainer as usual and continue to adjust resistance in the app.

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Elite Justo Review: The Ok

The Justo makes it hard to have too many critiques. The biggest one is that the Justo does not come with a cassette and there is no option to purchase it with the trainer; you’ll have to source it on your own. Additionally, installing a cassette requires a couple of extra tools. It’s not the most difficult thing to overcome, but isn’t ideal – especially considering that most trainer companies now offer pre-installed cassettes.

The only other minor “just ok” piece of the Justo is its stability. The support legs sit at 180 degrees instead of at a smaller angle (like the KICKR), which makes the trainer and bike feel slightly tippy, especially during a high-torque interval. It never felt like the whole thing was going to fall over, but the stability was nothing to write home about.

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Elite Justo Review: Conclusions

The Elite Justo should be on triathletes’ watch lists for new tech when the Justo becomes available in the U.S. It is a trainer that has left nothing out when it comes to metrics and connectivity – even allowing an unconnected “Standalone” mode.

One of the Justo’s only detractors is it does not come with a cassette and no option to purchase a cassette with the Justo. It can be a pain to source and install a cassette on your own, but isn’t a hard task to learn and shouldn’t hold you back from considering this top-of-the-line trainer in 2023.

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