Bkool Smart Bike on Zwift?

The Archives Archived: General Discussion
1

Hi 

Ive recently bought the BKool smart bike, great idea as now all the family can use it, to change gear you use your mobile paired to the bike but you need Bkool simulator running which to be honest aint the best. Has anyone else tried to get it working on Zwift?

Cheers

2

yes, no problem. if you have connection problem, contact bkool support and they will do a firmaware update

3

I am also having problems connecting my BKool smart bike (not trainer)  to Zwift. I am not sure if Zwift supports Bkool Smart Bike. I doubt it’s the firmware as the updates are pushed automatically when connected - so I assume I have the latest firmware. 

4

Shame you cannot alter the resistance without having to pair the Bkool remote app to the bkool simulator, in Zwift it detects the bike but not as controllable :(. Hopefully Bkool will fix it so you can use the smart bike with other simulators but i doubt it, or someone will release a 3rd party app that controls the resistance without the need for Bkool simulator

5

I’m really sorry, but Zwift currently isn’t compatible with the Bkool Smart Bike. You should still be able to attach a speed and cadence sensor to get the bike working within Zwift using Zpower, but the built-in sensors aren’t compatible.

https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/articles/203968635–Setting-up-a-Classic-Trainer-Rollers-zPower-

6

Thanks for the information David - that is bad news indeed.

Are there plans to support Bkool Smart Bike? If so is there a time line? It would be great if Zwift supported Bkool Smart Bike - especially including the automatic resistance adjustment. 

7

Anyone wanna buy a cheap Bkool smart bike :slight_smile:

8

I wish I could provide some kind of timeline. When we work to make new trainers, sensors, or treadmills available in Zwift, a good amount of that effort includes working with the manufacturer, and some manufacturers may not want their products made compatible.

You may receive a clearer answer by asking Bkool if they plan on supporting Zwift compatibility for the Smart Bike in the future.

While Zpower may not provide spot-on accuracy, the speed and cadence sensors involved aren’t a heavy investment - the only thing you’ll likely need to worry about is ensuring the sensors can mount properly on your frame. For better accuracy, a power meter could be added to the mix as well.