Review: the Elite Quick Motion roller

But there is a contender on the market that is trying to break the stereotype: the Elite Quick Motion. When compared to the plethora of new direct drive trainers, decked out with ANT+ FEC, Bluetooth and other interfaces, the Quick Motion has a classic feel. Of course, this has its advantages.

Rollers do a few things really well, and the things it can’t do are mostly addressed by the Quick Motion.

A huge plus, is the ease of assembly and disassembly that rollers offer. All you need to do is set the wheel base, put your bike on it and ride (though the first few times might take some practice). The Quick Motion really shines here when you are not using or transporting it.

Due to the clever folding design, it takes up about as much space as 2 wheels laid on top of each other.

Another great advantage of the Quick Motion, is that you are really riding. Your bike is in no way mounted to the rollers and your front and rear wheel are moving on all three axes. This means that there is no way to completely tune out, you need to stay concentrated to keep the bike on the roller. You are no longer just conditioning, but you are also working on your coordination and training other muscle groups that would normally be neglected on classic or direct drive trainers.

What makes riding on the Quick Motion so great is the roller’s bearings. The rollers literally move with you, adjusting depending on your movements. When you stand to pump out more power, the front and rear rollers move laterally to ensure that your front wheel doesn’t fall off. At first it takes some getting used to, but after a few minutes the feeling becomes natural.

Theoretically, you can ride the Quick Motion while using apps like Zwift or Bkool. If you have a power meter on your bicycle, than that is technically possible with every type of trainer. However, the “full” experience only comes with more advanced trainers. Optionally, Elite offers the Misuor B+ sensor to update the Quick Motion so that the My E-Training or third party apps can record your training session.

Interactive resistance training, which means the trainer adjusts to virtual terrain among other features, is not possible with the Quick Motion. Personally, a pair of headphones and some light TV keep me occupied to fight off the monotone pedalling. (Billiards works best for me because anything faster makes me antsy.)

One of the disadvantage of rollers is that the resistance is not enough to actually do intervals. Most of the time, they are only used for warming up, especially at the velodrome. However, the Elite Quick Motion is different. With a magnetic brake, the roller can be set to 3 different resistance levels.

For interval training in the endurance zone, level 1 is perfect. When it needs to get more intense, the other levels offer plenty of increased resistance. I was able to max out at 869 watts, which is enough for winter interval training.

One huge disadvantage to rollers is how loud they are. I, however, didn’t really notice the Quick Motion at all. I had to turn the TV up one or two clicks, but the majority of the noise was absorbed by the frame. It definitely won’t cause problems with the neighbours. Of course, the lack of noise cannot be compared to a direct drive trainer. Maybe riding a slick tyre like the Michelin Competition, instead of the Continental GP4000 S II which has some tread, would quiet it down even further. I felt that the vibrations that occurred were much less than with a basic trainer.

The Elite Quick Motion roller is more than just a warm-up exercise before a race. It allows you to do interval training as well as improve your balance. The practical folding mechanism makes the Quick Motion perfect for packing up and bring to races or storing at home.