Test of the Elite Justo 2 home trainer

The Elite Justo 2 home trainer is the latest high-end device from the Italian brand, and it competes with the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo, benchmarks for those who train very seriously indoors. Heir to the Direct XR, it offers improved power accuracy, automatic calibration, quieter operation and even more realistic sensations. Is this the ideal home trainer?

About Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The Elite Justo 2 is presented as an improvement of the Justo, launched a little over two years ago.. It brings two essential new features compared to the previous version, namely the presence of an integrated Wi-Fi connection and the provision of a 12-speed cassette, in 11-34. For the rest, everything is identical, and these two advances above all make it possible to further improve the handling of the device, ready to use in a few minutes once out of the box.

Weighing 17 kg packed in a box that is awkward to handle with only two arms, carrying the device up the stairs on two levelstages as I had to do is the most painful part of the installation. For the rest, you just have to slide the Justo 2 out of its box and grab its faux leather handle placed on the top to position it where you want it in the room, unfold the two side feet to give it the necessary stability, choose the right bike fixing tips (for quick release axle or for through axle), remove the rear wheel of the bike and replace it with the home trainer, not forgetting to place the small raising support under the front wheel. Only the flywheel cover needs to be attached to the side of the trainer, with two small screws tightened with a Phillips screwdriver..

Next, you need to plug the device into the mains and then launch the application you want to connect it to, whether on a computer, tablet, smartphone, or Apple TV. For this last connection, the Justo 2 can act as a bridge to send data from a heart rate sensor, incorporating it into its own data stream. In a few seconds, the device is reconnaked, whether as a source of measurement of power, speed, and cadence. This supports ANT+, ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth and Wifi communications., which allows you to multiply the number of connected devices and ensure good transmission quality during training sessions.

By the way, the Justo 2 is of course compatible with the steering plate Elite Sterzo Smart and with the Elite Rizer slope simulator. Thanks to its multiple communication sources, it can thus support the connection of these devices, and centralize everything to an Apple TV.

Upmarket

Related to Direct XR, and thus taking on the characteristics of Justo that we did not have test, the Justo 2 shows a more qualitative manufacturing quality and finish, without however being at the level of a wahoo kickr for example. Some parts remain plastic, but the whole thing nevertheless inspires confidence. Its footprint is about a third smaller and once folded up for storage, it takes up relatively little space. Be careful when folding, however. : when pressing the release button on the two side feet, it can get stuck and be difficult to operate, before suddenly opening. Which resulted in my thumb being violently pinched against the storage location.

The Justo 2 stands out above all for its the presence of soft pads under the two side feet, which provide a little lateral and longitudinal flexibility to the home trainer when you pedal. This feature helps reduce fatigue during long indoor training sessions by producing a more natural movement that accompanies pedaling, and also reduces stress on the frame when you stand up straight, or during very intense sequences. The device comes with two types of pads: red (the most flexible), and black, which we imagine are more dedicated to heavier cyclists or those who simply do not like this flexibility.

Furthermore, the Justo 2 (like the Justo), benefits froma 6,2 kg flywheel, compared to 5,1 kg for the Direto XR. This is to improve the pedaling sensations on the courses simulated in various applications during virtual slope changes, even if the device still does not have a motor that simulates descents, as only the Tacx Neo offers to date.

The other improvement concerns the accuracy of power measurement, here reduced to +/- 1% against 1,5% for the Direto XR. The Justo 2 therefore claims to be at the level of the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo, with in addition an automatic calibration process, which theoretically makes frequent calibration of the device unnecessary as is the case with entry-level and mid-range home trainers. In concrete terms, this means that for an actual power output of 300 watts, the device will display a power of 297 to 303 watts, which is equivalent to the measurement of the best power sensors on the bike on the market. But be careful, the power delivered on a home trainer will always be different from that which you can provide on the route. For the same feeling of effort, you will almost always produce less power indoors, because the friction is not the same. Your FTP (functional threshold power) or your PMA (maximum aerobic power) will almost always be lower on a home trainer, and it would be a mistake to try to use the same data to adapt your training program.

Finally, note that in addition to making life easier for users, the automatic calibration of the Justo 2 limits the possibilities of cheating for virtual competitions, a phenomenon that was especially observed during the rise of applications like Zwift in 2020.

=> All our tests of home trainers

2300 watts and 24% 

Like all home trainers of this level, the Elite Justo 2 is a device intelligent, that is,It can automatically change the resistance it provides to pedaling based on data sent by the app you are using.. It mainly comes down to the mode -, which consists of simulating a slope that requires you to change gears. Here, the Justo 2 can simulate a slope of up to 24%, knowing however that on Zwift the maximum slope encountered is 17% over a few dozen meters. By default, on Zwift the resistance of the home trainer is set to 50%: it's a bit like extending your gear range. By moving the cursor to 100% in the application's settings menus, you reduce the available gears, but this does not change your speed of movement according to your power. This feature of the Justo 2 is therefore not essential.

Then you have the mode ERG. This is a resistance level setting that corresponds to a target power that you can determine to follow a specific training. Whether you pedal hard or at a high cadence, the device will always return a resistance that corresponds to the chosen power. Elite announces a resistance that can go up to 2300 watts, but to tell the truth, few cyclists in the world are capable of reaching such a power, even for a few seconds. The fact remains that with this mode ERG, The Justo 2 integrates the functionality Easy Start, which is triggered when the flywheel stops spinning and automatically removes the resistance temporarily. When you start pedaling again, you have about 3 to 4 seconds before the previously set resistance is reapplied. Ideal when, for example, you are interrupted for whatever reason during a fraction of sustained effort, so that you can resume the exercise.

The sensations while pedaling

The increase in flywheel compared to the Direto XR is very favorable here in terms of improved pedaling sensations.. The Justo 2 is very close to the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo here, with excellent responsiveness to each change of virtual slope. When the course rears up in front of you, you have a few dozen meters to change gear (as in real life, taking advantage of the momentum), and when the slope becomes easier or tilts in the other direction, you really feel the resistance lessen, while the effort felt with the previous models was more linear. This characteristic influences the pleasure that can be had by chaining sessions on a home trainer, even ending up making you appreciate certain easy outings, by grinding on the flat.

I also found the Justo 2 to be quite quiet.. I never needed to turn up the TV volume excessively while doing my training sessions, nor was I afraid of disturbing the neighbors. Overall, only the bike's transmission is audible, at low speeds such as when climbing a virtual pass for example. When accelerating the pace, the flywheel becomes a little noisier, but it is still much lower than the sound emitted by a fan if you use one. Here too, The Justo 2 shows considerable progress compared to previous generation Elite home trainers.

Power Accuracy

I was able to compare the power data with pedals Garmin Rally, also with a measurement accuracy of +/- 1%, as I usually do during the tests of home trainers. Generally speaking, Elite's promises are kept, with very close data every time, whether during low-intensity exercises or during strong accelerations. I therefore consider the Justo 2 to be one of the best references on the market, all measuring devices combined. And its automatic calibration process can even allow you to validate with a high degree of confidence the performance of another sensor used on the bike for example.

The fact remains that I have noticed some inconsistencies in displaying pedaling cadence while riding fairly long virtual slopes, with figures that sometimes drop for one or two seconds between 50 and 60 rpm while I am stabilized on a cadence of 75 to 80 rpm. I don't know if it's a problem with the data transmission between the home trainer and the computer, or if it's the sensor itself that lacks precision according to certain requests, nor to what extent this phenomenon influences the virtual performance with the power data. It's still a small point to review for Elite.

However, On the ERG mode side, the performance is quite solid. Following a training session with predetermined sequences is easy, and the device proves to be perfectly responsive during large variations in power, before demonstrating very good stability when it comes to maintaining this same power.

A home trainer of choice

The Justo 2 is a clear improvement over the Direto XR we had previously. testé, as a high-end home trainer at Elite. It is easy to install, with good build quality, while offering excellent power measurement accuracy and good feel when using it.. Its automatic calibration and perfect compatibility with all available devices and applications are also great assets. Only bugs remain to be fixed concerning the precision of the cadence and small finishing details such as the side foot folding system. Essentially, however, it is on par with the Wahoo Kickr and Tacx Neo, with a slightly lower retail price of €1099.

=> Buy the Elite Justo 2 for €959 instead of €1099

=> Our posts Tests