Your watch will not connect to Zwift, but your sensor can connect to your watch and Zwift at the same time using ANT+.
Yes, at a minimum you need a trainer and a speed sensor. I would make sure that the trainer is listed under Classic trainers on this link: What You Need To Ride
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the quick response.
OK, so it makes sense for me to buy a garmin speed/cadence sensor as this will be a benefit for outdoor training too. I have an old Garmin USB Ant Stick,which i assume will still be ok?
Image: https://www.google.com/search?q=garmin+ant%2B+dongle&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwip7t7qktfoAhWSZxUIHWaCDL8Q_AUoAnoECA0QBA&biw=1280&bih=720#imgrc=KcjGQg-YeDaZJM
Great, I will review the Classic trainers list too.
Thanks for the advice.
It should work if itās ANT+
Nice one Paul, thanks.
@shooj The problem with this specifically is that I have a Fenix6x Sapphire that has a Lactate, Oxygen and Respiratory sensors in that I would like to see during my workouts. This data does not flow back into Strava or Zwift in effect making the Garmin watch a dud if you donāt use it as the recording device. In all honesty, I would at this point just save my Garmin activity syncing to Strava and have Zwift just save to Zwift as Zwift does not have any other metrics that will be useful.
If Zwift can find a mechanism to sync the activity with the Garmin Connect app it would be ideal as both data sets need to be merged with relevance on both sides. I know companion can sync to Garmin Connect but its just a extra activity. Having a Virtual Ride can make that happen so please donāt disregard it purely cause you get HR from it. HR stats are one in 10 I use
Hi @Heini_Falk
The problem is Garmin is very closed with how they use their data, they want you to use their device. There is many parameters that Garmin calculate on the garmin app from power, but they want that power data to come from a Garmin device.
True. I hope that there can be some feature where Zwift reads all that data and merge it into their data. At this point to justify the purchase of a F6x you need to use Garmin connect and everything else needs to be deleted.
Hello Shuji, in my case, my speed/cadences Sensor is an ANT+ one, not BT, how can i get the data to Swift?
Thanx a lot
Hi @Daniel_Rochon
What devices and operating systems do you have that can run the Zwift game app? Some devices have the ANT+ enabled out of the box. Others (thinking Android here) have the ANT+ hardware, but you need to install three bits of ANT+ software to make it work.
AppleTV is not capable of running ANT+ at all.
MacOS, and Windows devices can run ANT+ by connecting a dongle that plugs into the USB port
iOS devices have a couple of options: North Point Engineeringās CABLE, or the Viiiiva heart rate monitor can connect ANT+ sensors.
Please see this support article on ANT+ and Bluetooth for more details.
I have a Fenix too and it never broadcast hr data reliably to zwift so I got a wahoo tikr chest strap. Now, my zwift virtual cycling activities donāt count towards my Garmin connect stats like training load and weekly activity totals
Garmin seems to only allow the data from Garmin devices as said above. I guess one workaround is to start a non gps cardio activity with the Fenix while you zwift. That would give you both the virtual ride and the hr data. The annoying thing would be two devices and the extra activity in Garmin connect
I havenāt done this yet myself but I assume it should work
Thank you very much
Instruct the Fenix to read cardio from the strap, via ANT+, ie add sensor to the Fenix eco system. I hown a Fenix 5 and the above works for me. Paolo.
Not true @Twoshihtzu. My Fenix broadcasts HR fine. You need to have a Ant+ dongle in your pc to be able to read it. Works flawlessly on my side.
You need to get a extension cable to bring the Ant+ dongle closer to your bike/wrist. Usually the PC and Wifi Signal also interferes and if your Wifi is set to broadcast on channel 7-12 it will interfere with all Ant+ divices in your home. Set your Wifi channel to 1 or 3 and your HR will pickup and respond correctly over Ant+
Hi @Gerrie_Delport
Garmin allows you to sync your Zwift back into it so on Garmin connect you can have the full ride with elevation back in Garmin Connect. Now what I found was that Stages (Have a Stages PowerMeter) on a regular basis goes and retrieves all your information as well as ride information including Lactate, Ox, ect and stores it into their own Stages-Link portal and does a full analysis on the data that has been recorded by the Fenix.
I am sure if Stages can do it Zwift can the same. Pull all that information, Collate together with more of their information and then post that either back to Garmin. You can then decide to keep both or the one with more information and just delete the one you dont want/need.
Well thats how it could work in theory
I do have an ant dongle and the Fenix 5 doesnāt broadcast in anything near a reliable way
Itāll read fine but frequently drop out leaving me with hr data for 1/3 to 1/2 of the ride. The dongle is about 5-6 feet from my wrist and the trainer I use has no dropouts over ant, my wahoo tikr chest strap also never drops out.
The Fenix works plenty well in the real world, running or riding. But it doesnāt work for crap with zwift.
Iām glad yours works for you though.
I have just bought a Garmin Vivoactive 4s. can this connect to Zwift cycling?
I assume this connection would be to send the HR measured by the Vivoactive to Zwift, via Bluetooth? As far as I know (from this article), the VA 4s was not included in those Garmin devices that can broadcast HR over Bluetooth .
Ok - so Iāve had problems here too. Iām running a MacBook Pro for zwift and have the neo 2t, headwind and steering. These all work perfect via Bluetooth but I cannot get the Farmington remix 5 plus to work. Reading the above - would I be correct in saying this watch wonāt work via blue tooth and that I have to get this ant + dongle?
Sorry for the newbie but literally got everything set up today but want to ride with heart rate.
Any advice would be great as canāt find the virtual run on my watch
Farmington remix haha!
Garmin fenix is ant+ no bluetooth on that watch, so you need a dongle
Iād consider just buying a hr strap instead though, my fenix doesnāt work well at all for hr on zwift
Just to add my two cents - I have a Fenix 5 and the HR measurements during exercise are not terribly accurate. For about C$40 you can get a pretty good chest strap online that pairs easily with Zwift (and your watch) that is much more accurate.