Adjust / increase gearing or gear ratio with Zwift Hub One (I'm running out of gears)

Bugs and Support
1

Is there a way to adjust or increase the gear ratio of a given setup?

I have a Zwift Hub One (virtual shifting) and 95% of the time, I ride with with Trainer Difficulty turned down all the way (off?), so I don’t have the course/terrain affecting my power output when I’m just focusing on hitting numbers in a workout. I do turn the Trainer Difficulty up when I’m doing a free ride or racing though. I should also mention that I typically use the Sequential mode of virtual shifting (1-24), as it just seems like the simplest setup.

The problem is that I run out of gears. When I start and am still just warming up (zone 1, HR < 100), I usually have to already be in gear 14 or 15 (of 24). And when I get to Z3 or Z4, I’m in gear 18 or 19. If I happen to do any out of the saddle hard efforts or am really hammering - I max out on gear 24 and still need more shifting room.

So is there a way to adjust that so I’m basically starting (Z1) around gear 5 or 6?

2

The only things you can configure are the shift style and gear range, which it sounds like you already know about. Trainer Difficulty only scales the resistance from gradients so it won’t do anything in a flat sprint. Base resistance of the trainer can be adjusted if you use the QZ app to pair the trainer, but that is a third party thing not supported by Zwift.

3

Interesting. So is this a function (limitation) of this specific trainer? i.e. is the power “start point” different among trainers? I mean, I am by no means that strong of a cyclist - so it’s not like my FTP is off the charts and the hardware/software was just not designed to include me in the target range.

4

What options do you have for the front chainring and which are you currently using?

5

Good question and I don’t claim to have an answer. This ZI article seems to suggest that you should be able to achieve an equivalent high gear of real bike to having a 50-tooth front chainring and running in a 9-tooth rear cog.
ht tps://zwiftinsider.com/virtual-shifting/

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image1093×807 32.8 KB

6

Ant+ increases gearing over bluetooth, theres an article somewhere on internet about it.

7

Using ANT+ would mean giving up virtual shifting since that feature only works with Bluetooth.

1 Like
8

I have the Kickr V5 so never used virtual shifting,can the OP not just put on a slightly bigger cog then?

9

I’m not sure if it would help or not. It would increase the flywheel speed so it would probably feel different but I haven’t tried it personally. I also don’t know what kind of power is involved. I don’t run out of virtual gears but my top power is only around 900W and I’m not using a Zwift Hub.

10

I don’t run out of gears sprinting but I sprint at 120 rpm at about 900 watts also but i see some sprinters on youtube sprinting at 70-80 rpm which would be impossible for me with my gearing, theres no way 70-80 rpm would get me to 900 watts in my smallest cog, I always wonder how thats even possible.

11

I don’t think this is possible with the Zwift Hub One - it comes with it’s own single
cog. I don’t recall the size. I might be able to switch to using the larger chainring in the front (I’m currently on the smaller of a 2x), but IIRC from the installation instructions it said to use whichever of the front chainrings gives the straighter line for the chain front to back (less bent chain).

I don’t know - I’m not sure why this isn’t built into the program. I mean, it’s all just software at this point. I’d love to have a slider or drop down option that just let’s me say “I want +25% resistance” on all gears or something like that.

And to reiterate my point above, I’m not a super strong rider. In gear 24, out of the saddle at ~60 rpm, I’m probably topping out at 350-375 watts.

12

The Zwift Cog, on any trainer, is just an 11 speed Hyperglide cassette with a single sprocket. You can take it off and install anything you want, such as a normal multi-gear cassette or a single-speed conversion kit from anywhere.

Your description of what’s happening makes me think you might need a better trainer. I don’t disagree at all with your proposal that Zwift add a way to change the base resistance of the trainer.

13

Yes you would need a bigger chainring or smaller cog anyway not bigger, I looked into this before as I wanted a straighter chainring on the flat and my only solution was ANT+ but with the virtual gears you need bluetooth, am sure on other apps like Mywhoosh you can do exactly what you are saying and increase gearing but not on Zwift.

14

In this article, just below that gearing table, there is a section called ‘Customize your shifting’. This indicates that there are options in the GUI to chenge the vrtual gear setup. Maybe you’re not set for a 39/53 front equivalent?

15

Hi All,

I just bought an Avanti in addition to my kickr core.

So yes, Elite don’t have same behavior than most of other Trainer with virtual gearing.. It’s due to the technical choice of lighter flywheell, but with greater ratio between the “false" rear wheel and the flywheel wich give more spinning.. Giving more spinning result giving more momentum to a lighter flywheel to give feeling near like trainer which have heavier feeling… It could work pretty good with real gear, but not with virtual gear.. Cause this flywheel ratio broke your leg when trainer sent you higher power.. and using 18t cog is a false good idea, because even if it could appear easier and brake less your leg, you loose all the flywheel momemtum, and then everything is not smooth: gradient transition, gearing transition ( which make you very hard for 1/2 sec and then come back to normal ) etc etc… So it make virtual gearing on elite very bad..

The real solution which work perfectly, is to use Qz Fitness ( wich also give virtual gearing to all trainer ).. with QZ fitness, you can put and need your chain on your 11t or 12t cog, wich will give you similar feeling than a trainer with higher weighted flywheel trainer ( my avanti on 11/12t have pretty the same feeling than my kickr with 14t ). Then on QZ you need to configure Wahoo traîner option for what your prefer ( you have choice between different gearing chart : Zwift charts, mountain, explorer, TT ), and you need to set your ChainRing and cog you really use… And QZ will to the Magic !! It will send you the good and smooth power.. No more “brake legs”, smooth transition for gradient and gearing… it feel perfect.

Personnally, with 34/11 set on my bike and QZ with zwift charts, i ride with around 3 more gear than my kickr with directy zwift click. If i set 34/12 on QZ with 34/11 on my bike, it’s closer between my Avanti and my kickr+Zwift Click.

The big advantage of QZ, is you can make your own gear chart, it give virtual gearing to all trainer and sofware, and work with all bluetooth command, or just change your Gear by a tap on your smartphone/tablet screen.

Last thing, on Avanti/kickr, QZ work directly like zwift click with bluetooth, cause those trainer are able to use multiple bluetooth connection.. For trainer that can’t candle handle this feature, QZ is used like a “bridged trainer”.

In conclusion, i was so disapointed of my new avanti in virtual gearing, but now, combinated to QZ, i prefer my Avanti to my kickr Core

Greetings.