I recently started riding with Zwift and love it! I followed all the guidelines I could find for proper trainer setup to ensure accuracy but still not clear if I have everything right. I really don’t want to be posting better performance than what I am actually doing but also don’t want to be short changed on my efforts either.
Using the BLE beta support, I have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine with the InRide sensor which shows up in the paring menu under the “Power Source” options as well as the “Cadence” options. My bike also has a Bluetooth speed/cadence sensor that I can select under “Speed Sensor + Classic Trainer” and “Cadence” options. Knowing that either way I will have my power outputs calculated I am not certain which setup is best?
For the InRide sensor I’ve read tips that suggest that I first perform a warmup and Calibration using the Kinetic InRide app, then disconnect the app from the Bluetooth connection. Is this needed before each ride?
As for other guidelines, I am ensuring that my bike tire is fully inflated to 100 psi but my tires are 700c x 25mm instead of 700c x 23mm. Will this make a big difference? Thanks for any tips!
I’m not familiar with that particular trainer but does it report power as you ride? In which case you don’t need the speed sensor pairing, just leave that blank.
The only inputs Zwift requires is power, then optionally cadence and heart rate (they are just for your own information).
Zwift outputs resistance changes through “Controllable Trainer” but not sure if that applies here.
According to this “official” comment posted a year ago, Zwift is using their own virtual power calculation (zPower) to generate power data from the Kinetic InRide sensor: https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/201890095-Kurt-Kinetic-Virtual-Power
The InRide sensor is not a standard power meter and I am wondering if others with the same setup as mine have found it best to use the InRide sensor or separate speed/cadence sensors to get accurate power input?
Inride better because calibration
example tension you put in between the trainer drum and the wheel
2.5 full turn
30kph = inride 233 watts / Zpower 203 Watts
3 full turn
30kph = inride 240 watts / Zpower 203 Watts
Thanks for the feedback! Interesting that the exact same zPower watt outputs are generated for two different power efforts coming from the InRide sensor. It sounds like getting the tension adjusted correctly is key to getting accurate results. I am not getting any tire slippage errors but any tips to ensure that I am not over tightening the trainer drum against the tire?
retest today
Inride
1.5 turn / spindown time 7.385 / 26kph=158 watts
2.0 turn / spindown time 6.762 / 26kph=162 watts
2.5 turn / spindown time 6.474 / 26kph=165 watts
3.0 turn / spindown time 6.181 / 26kph=170 watts
4.0 turn / spindown time 5.559 / 26kph=180 watts
5.0 turn / spindown time 5.269 / 26kph=185 watts
zpower 26kph=142 watts
How do I get the best calibration?
https://support.kurtkinetic.com/hc/en-us/articles/206955736-How-do-I-get- the-best-calibration-
I have a related question on synching the InRide app and Zwift. I’m brand new to Zwift. I downloaded the Zwift app to my Iphone 5 and got a Zwift account on my laptop. I have a Kinetic Road Machine with the pod and the InRide app on my Iphone 5. I also have a Bluetooth HRM. On the laptop, when I went to pair InRide and the HRM to Zwift, the HRM paired easily, but Zwift could not find my InRide under any of the options such as speed sensor + classic trainer. It just kept searching. And I was pedaling and getting a signal from the Kinetic pod to the Kinetic Iphone app. Any advice on successfully pairing? Thanks!
William, I think that you need to disconnect your Bluetooth sensors from the Kinetic InRide app before you try pairing with Zwift. This is what has worked for me.