Due to a shoulder injury and an upcoming operation in April my only means of riding for the next 12 months will be a recumbent indoor bike and as such i’m trying to find one that i can make work with Zwift.
After checking the compatible hardware section i couldn’t find any compatibilty with indoor recumbents, actually no recumbents at all, and am wondering now if it is even possible?
I am aware that a real recumbent with a smart trainer would work but this will be my indoor only solution for the time of recovery.
In my area Brands like Kettler (Giro R3) , Schwinn 570R and Nautilus are readily available and all support Smart Bluetooth as far as i could tell but i’m having a hard time understanding how i could connect them to Zwift.
Any help would be appreciated, i still have a few weeks but in case i need to order from abroad this few weeks could pass very fast.
If they transmit in Smart Bluetooth you could use the Zwift Companion App to bridge the connection to your PC or if you have a Mac or PC with Bluetooth 4.0 or above you could connect it directly. For iOS, Android and AppleTV you would just connect it directly.
Is there any chance that Zwift could host a curated list of indoor recumbent bikes that work with it? This seems like a no-brainer, as there are hundreds of different indoor recumbent bike models, with thousands of potential new customers. They host a list of indoor bikes that work with Zwift, but no indoor recumbent trainers.
@Kevin_Murphy-Ferguso, I agree. It would be very helpful if Zwift could post a list of compatible indoor recumbent bikes that have been tested to work with the app?
I note also that the list of indoor bikes does not indicate whether any of them are recumbent and does not include a link to further information about each of the bikes.
If you use power meter pedals, the bike will not matter. But note that there are no recumbents in Zwift, so any power generated will equate to the “standard” bicycle.
I understand but if indoor recumbents are anything like spin bikes…just because they claim Zwift compatibility does not make it so…at least without a bunch of tweaking and/or hacking. To ensure Zwift compatibility requires a wheel speed sensor or a power meter. Power meter pedals are the easiest (assuming standardized threads) but, admittedly, add to the cost.
I know you are looking for a Zwift list for recumbents…I have yet to hear of a recumbent being compatible out of the box or on a Zwift list.
Thanks Chris, it is quite remarkable that none of the manufacturers have got fully on board yet. I am speaking with a few shops which claim to have workable solutions, and will see what we can find.
DCRainmaker.com had a short piece on Zwift validating equipment. They have stopped. Zwift claims Covid and no one going to the office. Cynical me thinks it is because Zwift is developing their own equipment and want to stop validating outside suppliers…even though they are “Partners”.
The equipment just needs to broadcast to standards for BT-Smart and Ant+. Up til recently they only broadcast a proprietary wireless protocol that only works within their own ecosystem. A couple, (Schwinn/Nordic/etc IC series and a couple others) are trying with some success. Still much easier with a smart trainer or bike. For other devices the easiest is a power meter…and the easiest of those is power pedals.
A agree with your comment about a smart trainer and am using a Neo myself. The inquiry is for a relative with back issues (who is not a hard core cyclist).
I note that Matrix is claiming that its recumbent cycles are both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled and can “Connect to popular training apps via Bluetooth FTMS.”
See: (As I can’t post links you will have to search for treadmillfactory and the matrix-r50-xer-recumbent-bike to see details, including a screen showing Zwift running)
First one I looked at connected to something called ViaFit…a second one mentioned BT-FTMS and outside apps but no specifics. I would test in person or get return privileges.
And they are pricy. If they already have a recumbent…rollers and power pedals. If not, I can see the allure.
Thanks for the pointers and suggestions. I am pressing the distributor and manufacturer for details about their Zwift integration.
My relative doesn’t have a recumbent and is looking at moving from an indoor upright exercise bike setup to a recumbent setup, and I want to get them onto Zwift for the social element.
So did anyone ever find a recumbent stationary bike that is fully functional on zwift? I can see where some of them might function as a dumb trainer meaning zwift doesn’t control the resistance. Anyone have any luck? Thanks
Ran across this thread. I had the same need for my wife and also elderly parents. I ended up hacking a Wahoo Core onto some Schwinn 270’s which, sadly, appear to be quite abundant and cheap. If you like to tinker, I put some pics at frankentrainer.com.
Any chance this Schwinn actually “works with Zwift” as advertised?
[Schwinn 590R Recumbent Bike]
The 590R Recumbent Bike is our top-of-the-line recumbent bike. Choose from 13 built-in workout programs or connect to JRNY™ & Zwift® apps to add more workout options to your rides.
Try before you buy. Don’t know about the 590 but I have modded a few Schwinn 270’s and the resistance unit is pretty minimal. Basically a small eddy brake with a servo motor that moves some magnets towards the flywheel to create resistance. Nothin to measure actual resistance that I could see so probably dead-reckoning.
Yes it does though it is odd. I got one a month or so ago and could make it connect but it kept saying no signal. I finally worked out if you ignore this and the connection failed message just pedal it does work though you need to do 5w or more for the avatar to actually move. I’m not sure the resistance is working properly yet.
