After making the decision to upgrade from my reliable Jet Black Z1 Pro Fluid trainer to direct drive interactive technology I did plenty of research to determine which of the many brand options would best fit my particular need. I am a performance-based cyclist, not a competitor so my goals are different with the focus on cardiovascular fitness and high-quality low impact exercise. Simplicity comes at a cost, about $800 for Suito and though comparatively less than most of the competition it's not inexpensive. I found several relevant YouTube reviews so the setup and advance knowledge of some of the Suito's quirks was helpful. EXCITE is an Italian company and support at the website particularly if you want to communicate directly with customer service will be a challenge so be prepared to utilize other information resources. There is a knowledge base and forum associated with the EXCITE web site but with the Suito being a new product in their portfolio there's not much that's helpful. I'll start by saying it's imperative that prior to first use or attempting to pair the device with interactive software programs or other hardware components (Garmin Edge in my case) that you download the UPGRADO app available for both Android and Apple mobile devices, then install the firmware update (version 191) since apparently most of the initial problems owners have had with the Suito are connectivity issues and how power, speed, and cadence stats are converted to accurate and useful data. Setup out of the box with provided accessories is pretty much as claimed..simple and straightforward. With two sessions about 90 minutes each I'm feeling pretty good about my choice particularly with how Suito talks to my Garmin Edge 1000 which recognized it immediately via the ANT interface. The cadence and speed numbers (from highest to lowest and averages) are surprisingly close to what I get directly from the Garmin sensors but having never trained with a power meter can't speak to accuracy of that output data. I particularly like how the EDGE will let me tell Suito at what level to set resistance so I can work up to more demanding loads.
I prefer using a pc with the various training applications allowing me to project to a 55 HDTV via an HDMI cable making the indoor experience immersive in a way a Tablet view can't. Windows PC's, however, will require you buy an ANT USB dongle (about $15 on Amazon) allowing SUITO to transmit and receive the full range of performance data from Zwift, MyETraining, and a host of other companion apps.
All my previous experience has been with rollers and traditional wheel attached turbo trainers so how the Elite Suito measures up against the Wahoo, Tacx, Cycleops, Kinetic, etc., brands I'm not the one to say but compared to the older platforms Suito's ride feel is vastly superior both in and out of the saddle while being much quieter and stable when utilizing a spirit level and the height adjusters on each arm to fine-tune. The provided Shimano 11sp 105 cassette and skewer are perfectly suited to their purpose and while the riser block works, (just barely), I'll be looking for something more suitable, the Elite SU-STA Elevator block for example. Up to this point, I'm quite satisfied and will follow up with additional comments as I explore the Suito's full capabilities. Yes, I would recommend to a friend.
Tech support is not accessible.
I use the bike trainer for indoor workouts when it is too cold to ride outside.
Trainer works very good with the Zwift app. The App it comes with is worthless so you will have to pay a monthly fee to use it.
