I’m struggling to get my Bkool smart pro 1 to link to the Zwift app. I can get it to connect as a speed sensor but not as a controllable trainer.
I’ve followed the guidance from Zwift and downloaded the Bkool toolkit app, linked my smart pro - it says it doesn’t need a firmware update, and as I’ve connected it Zwift as a speed sensor then I am assuming the ant connection works. So I’m at a loss as to why it doesn’t pick it up as a controllable trainer.
Does anyone have any advice as using it as a speed sensor isn’t giving me much joy - I’m cycling like a nutter uphill to go at 3kmph
Please tell us more about your setup. It’s hard to diagnose without knowing what kind of computer, phone (if using the companion app) you are running.
What tests have you tried to see if the Bkool smart pro 1 will connect with other apps? Does it connect and can be controlled by Bkool phone app and can you ride Bkool routes through their program?
What are you using for the ANT+ to you computer? If it is a USB dongle, which one?
Have you had this device working with other ride software in the past?
Do you have a Garmin, Wahoo or other bike computer and if so can they control it through ANT+?
All these are tests and pieces of information that would help us give you suggestions on where to look and what to do.
Good morning,
Here is what I know about my set up - computer is a Dell xps15, phone is a iPhone xs, the smart pro connects to the Bkool phone app on my phone with no problems and I can ride routes on their app and website. I connect my laptop via the dongle which came with the smart pro- I think it is ant+ but not ant+Ce-1. I do have a Garmin530 but not sure if it connects to my smart pro as never tried that.
Adam
Hi @Adam_Wright1 , I think I can help you.
There are a couple of previous posts (here and here) covering this problem but they are both quite long and probably hard to follow now so I’ll summarise it for you.
Essentially you need to update your Bkool trainer so that it broadcasts using ‘Ant+ FE-C’, rather than just plain ‘Ant+’. Once you do this Zwift should be able to control the resistance of the Bkool unit and read the power output and cadence. Zwift isn’t able to control the Bkool Pro via bluetooth so I think this limits it to PCs and Macs.
Note: This only works with units that have a firmware version of 3.06 or higher, earlier versions than this cannot be updated to us Ant+ FE-C
To update the Bkool trainer to Ant+ FE-C you need an old copy of the Bkool software as for some reason the newer versions don’t allow this anymore, at least as far as I know. Here are the full instructions:
- Uninstall the Bkool Cycling software if you already have it on your computer
- Download the old version (v3.53) from here:
- Install the software, but don’t run it yet! - First we need to stop it from asking to update to the newest version when you open it, so we’ll trick it to think it is already up-to-date.
- Find and open a file called version.dat
- In windows it is here C:\Program Files (x86)\Bkool Indoor\BkoolIndoor_Data\StreamingAssets
- On a mac it is here: Find the Bkool application in “Applications”, right-click to bring up the menu and select “Show package contents”, Navigate to: Contents > Resources > Data > StreamingAssets > version.dat
- Open the file in a text editor and edit it so that the number inside is the same as or the latest version, at the moment this is 5.32 so you’ll change the “3.53” in the file to “5.32” instead.
- On the Mac I had to make a copy of the file, edit that, then delete the original and replace it with my new version - there may be a better way but I’m not used to working on Macs
- Open the Bkool simulator and hopefully it won’t prompt you to update it since we’ve tricked it in to thinking it is the latest version
- Go to the Pair Devices section and find the Bkool trainer - hopefully you should see the option to enable Ant+ FE-C mode, click this
- You might get a message to say that the update failed but this wasn’t actually true in my case - try loading up Zwift and hopefully it should appear as a controllable device
- Ride!
Good luck, and let us know how you get on or if you need any more help
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Hi @Sandy_Thomson,
I’m having a similar issue to the above, is there any chance you could send a fresh link to the old software please ?
Thank you ! Any help much appreciated,
Emma.
Hi @Emma_Heeney,
I’ve uploaded them again here:
Shout if you have any problems…
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Thanks so much @Sandy_Thomson, much appreciated
Hi all,
In the last downloads published the Mac version is 3.52 and Windows 3.53. I have paired bkool over BT but don’t see the button to enable ANT+ FC in MacOS. Could be due versión 3.52 instead of 3.53?
Anyone did the update in Mac versión sucessfully?. In my case I don’t have ant+ stick yet, I need to buy it but don’t want to do until have enable ANT+ FC in Bkool. Could be due to don’t hace a ANT+ stick connected to the host?
My firmware is 3.1 and today I use to 5.35 version number in the version.dat file.
Thanks to all for your help, have been amazing to find the installers.
Hi @Roberto_Alonso1, you’ll need an Ant+ stick to enable the Ant+ FEC. I don’t think it will work if you connect via bluetooth.
@Sandy_Thomson hi sandy, Mac link is there but the windows link is showing as file not found. Sorry if it’s me being thick
@matt_griggs I just tried uploading again but it didn’t work so I’ve put it on a different site now. The link is only good for 7 days though.
https://we.tl/t-uAT9JPMYc2
@Sandy_Thomson got it, updated to fe-c, worked! Thank you so much! Unfortunately can’t connect to Bluetooth now. Is it a fe-c or Bluetooth option.
Any recommendations for non- subscription aps?
Many thanks
I’m not sure why the bluetooth would stop working. I don’t have one anymore to test with. Zwift has 20km a month for free still but there are plenty of other options out there. I’d say just try them all and see what you like.
hi @Sandy_Thomson,
any chance you can update the links again - the windows one has expired.
Sandy, you are legend.
I got a hold of a Bkool Smart Pro yesterday and have been trying to find a way to get an old version of the Simulator as my netbook specs are too low for the current version. Your link has allowed me to change the setting and I can now connect to Zwift!
All I need to do now is find a way to get a stable connection on my Android device! Looks like I need to get hold of an OTG cable…
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Excellent, glad it’s working @Niki_Mackintosh. I don’t think you’ll get resistance changes using the Bkool with an Android device using bluetooth without some sort of Ant+ to BLE converter. This post suggests it can be done with the CABLE adapter from North Pole, so there may be other ways too.
Hi @Sandy_Thomson ,
Sorry to bother you once again, but I have the same problem as many others and I would like to try your solution to change my Bkool to ANT+ FC. I’d be really grateful if you could upload the windows installer again (all the previous links are expired).
Thanks a lot!
Hi @Sandy_Thomson
Is there any chance you could update the link again (windows version). Thank you!