A few weeks ago I posted a review on the Elite Sterzo Smart steering block – the device which allows Zwifters to steer in-game. While the actual steering experience has been quite good, the review noted some issues with the Sterzo hardware – namely, the possibility of battery corrosion and bearing rust due to sweat.
As noted in that review, Elite’s crack tech team were on the case before I published my post! And they’ve just sent me a list of improvements implemented to alleviate these issues.
#1: Sweat-Proofing/Rust-Proofing
Elite has taken several measures to better isolate the Sterzo Smart from sweat:
- Raising it off the ground: they’ve raised the bottom feet by 5 mm, so “regardless the floor type or mat, the bottom part of the Sterzo Smart remains above the ground avoiding the risk of it coming into contact with eventual sweat scattered on the floor/mat.”
- Isolating the battery compartment: A strip of closed-cell insulating material is now being applied under the battery cover. This creates a barrier that prevents sweat from rising from the lid (by capillarity) and reaching the batteries and/or battery contacts.
- Different material for the bearings: Elite has changed the materials used in the bearings under the moving wheel cradle support (presumably to a rust-proof material).
According to Elite, “the above measures have all been implemented two weeks ago and there is a very limited number of units on the market that are pre-modified.”
#2: Battery Insertion
This was the most minor of niggles, but the Sterzo’s battery cover is fastened with a screw (due to EU regulations, I believe). This made it just a bit of a pain to get set up, because you had to track down a screwdriver.
Batteries are now pre-installed, with a sticker added stating “3 AAA batteries pre-installed”. For the units already shipped, here is a “how-to” video that shows the insertion of the batteries with the help of the compartment cover.
Nicely Done
While some may question the extent of Elite’s initial field testing of these units, their response to “Sterzogate” has been quite rapid and thorough.
When “first-version” products hit the real world, it’s almost inevitable that unforeseen issues will arise. How a business responds to those issues (both in terms of support existing customers and updating the hardware for future users) says a lot about the company. I’d say Elite handled this one well – bravissimo!
Need Support?
If you should encounter rust issues with your Sterzo Smart, you can request a replacement unit by reaching out to their support team at support.elite-it.com.
An Italian product with problems stemming from corrosion. How surprising! Fiats used to rust before one’s very eyes
Thanks Eric. Good update. Mine is on order and I’m glad it has not arrived yet. These will help and appreciate the thorough description of the updates. At some point, it would be good to implement that idea of front feet being adjustable length so you can align with the fork angle.
Now I’m even more confident to buy one, but I still have one concern. I’m using a Wahoo Kickr without a front wheel support (since it’s not needed). But if I will use the Elite Sterzo my front wheel will be lifted up for a bit, will this not give any trouble to my sitting position?
In my understanding you can lift the rear via changing the wheel size at the bottom of the Kickr to MTB 29″ for example if you are currently at 700C.
Any idea when the updated version is / became available? I bought one yesterday and am wondering if it’s the old or new version …
As written above, “According to Elite, ‘the above measures have all been implemented two weeks ago and there is a very limited number of units on the market that are pre-modified.’”
That’s all I know!
There is a sticker on the back side, with mfg date. I bought mine yesterday with mfg date July 30th. 🤔
Thanks. I reached out to support to replace my early release version of smart sterzo.
I decided to take my Sterzo apart because I wanted to see how it worked (out of curiosity) and when I was putting it back together I realised there were more parts than in the photos of it I have seen. There are extra washers that stop the three rubberised support pads fitting flush into the matching space/slots. Then there are a couple of extra pads midway on each side. This is to raise the whole thing off the floor by 0.5 cm but it’s really a bodge job to overcome a design flaw. This is because the pieces don’t mesh together as they should because the washers get in the way. It works but the whole thing with its the moulded plastic parts needs to be redesigned. In the attached photo you can see the extra parts and the before and after result.
i have a sterzo smart but when I turn with it on Zwift the front edge of my cleats where my toes are rubs agains the back of me tyre ,ruining my shoes preventing me from turning or making me stop pedalling all together round the turn, anyone got solutions? Thank you