Very new Zwift user here!
I’ve been given a Bcool Go Smart trainer.
I can connect using the USB dongle and this also shows as connected when I access the Control menu.
I can also connect on Bluetooth, however I leave this off as I’ve heard there are issues with Bluetooth and controllability with Bkool Go.
I can ride around fine, but the resistance on the bike never changes.
Should it not get harder to pedal on hills etc?
What would be a good way to test if it’s working correctly?
Thanks very much in advance for any help!
David
the resistance should change with the terrain e.g. getting higher on uphills, easier going downhill so it’s not working correctly. somebody more knowlegeable than me will likely come along with some suggestions to fix the problem.
Hi @David_Jones13
Welcome to the forum.
Can you post a picture of your pairing screen.
Did you connect as Power source and controllable?
Hi there, thanks very much for your help with this.
Here’s my log in picture:
Can you have a look in the settings menu and tell us what the trainer difficulty is set at? If it’s set to low then you’ll barely have any resistance.
Hi, thanks, it’s set at the default 50%
then something is not working.
Did you try another application to rule out hardware failure.
Perhaps there’s a reason why whoever’s given you the trainer no longer wanted it.
A quick update, for anyone in the future who’s searching for the same problem and who’s bought a Bkool trainer:
To try and identify the issue I borrowed a friend’s Bkool Smart Pro 2. Exact same issue.
I’d pretty much given up, but then I read somewhere that the radius of the ANT+ signal is very small, a lot smaller than Bluetooth. I gave it one last attempt, with the ANT+ now actually resting on the rear of the Bkool Go Smart, and it worked.
Sort of.
The turbo is connected in both Power Source and Controllable solidly, however I’m not getting any change in resistance when going up or downhill, or drafting other riders. (Plus, as the laptop is now effectively behind me, I can’t see the screen, so pretty useless. Luckily I could mirror to Apple TV).
This is backed up by using the Bkool software. And if they can’t even get their own trainer to talk to their own software we’re surely doomed.
Back to Zwift, I’m a reasonable Cat 2 racer in the UK and would expect my FTP around 300w on a typical day, but with ANT+ connection my absolute limit is around 50% of this, and more usually 100w. Switch to Bluetooth, and all of a sudden I’m back to around 250-300.
Conclusion: I’ve wasted far too much time and energy mucking about on this piece of junk. Save your money, and buy something that works as advertised.
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if money isn’t a problem and given your level as a Cat 2 racer I would suggest checking out smart diect drive trainers (maybe start with a look at the Zwift hub)
Conclusion
That trainer is broken. Hope it wasn’t a good friend that gave you it.
No. As I’ve written, I borrowed a Bkool Smart Pro 2 and it was precisely the same.
It’s clear from reading the Forum that there are many issues with Bkool and Zwift. I’m obviously not suggesting they never work, but a quick search reveals multiple connection problems, and I don’t have the time to play around upgrading firmware on unsupported kit.
