Kurt Kinetic reports incorrect cadence

Hi all, we’ve replicated an issue in our labs that our community reported.

Symptoms: The Kurt Kinetic trainer is reporting incorrect cadence. It is much lower than the actual cadence. While pedaling 90+ rpms, it states that your at around 60 rpms.

Game build: 1.0.40555
Affected OS: AppleTV, MacOS

Thank you to those who’ve taken the time to report this issue, send logs, etc. We’re working on it!

Ride On!

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Are you any closer to solving this problem

Is it just cadence that’s inaccurate or are other parameters - power / speed etc affected too

Hi @Ronan_McKeown
Welcome to the Zwift forums.

This bug specifically seems to show incorrect cadence. Are you seeing blatantly inaccurate power / speed as well, or can you confirm cadence errors only?

When I see a resolution from the QA team, I’ll follow up here. Please bookmark this thread for your convenience.

This may be an issue with the Kinetic unit itself. A couple of months back I purchased a Kinetic Road Machine Control head (via Amazon) as an upgrade to my Road Machine’s fluid head. The install instructions told me to update the device’s firmware (FW) via the Kinetic Fit app. On the list of updates to the FW was disabling the unit’s cadence because of accuracy issues. The update did not go through because, iOS 13 broke their app’s ability to update the trainer.
Could not find a fix posted about the iOS problem. Called Kurt support (CS), left a message, sent an eMail, etc. Got fed up and packed the unit up the next night to send back. A few days later, Kurt CS contacted me about the iOS problem. “We posted it on our FB page”. It was buried on Kurt’s FB page. Should have been pinned to the top and on their support site. Too late, trainer was already picked up…
I got another brand smart trainer also added a cheap external cadence sensor to the crank arm.

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Seems like this is taking a while to fix so I spent the $30 and picked up a Wahoo Cadence sensor. Attaches easily in seconds, it connected before I could even read the instructions. Cadence is absolutely accurate now, 90rpm = 90rpm. Speed/power now more realistic.

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Is there an update on this yet?
Are you waiting for Kurt Kinetic to fix the issue?
Have they given you a timeline or is there another open issue with them I can follow?

@Michael_Nebus
Just checked status and it is still not resolved.

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Same problem here. I think problem exists since one year. Nobody can help. Also there gives no new Firmware update. I am not amused. Don’t wanna buy an external cadence connector.

I’m not sure which Kinetic power unit you are referring to.
I have a Road Machine with an InRide 3 sensor and my comments are based upon my experience with this unit.
The Kinetic InRoad 3 cadence inaccuracy is well known.
It is just an estimated cadence. Mine tends to be 5 rpm below my actual rpm.
I think it tries to calculate the cadence based upon power surges.
The reported watts, of a calibrated trainer, is very good.
The unit is sensitive to temp changes so it’s a good idea to calibrate freq after warming up or when the ambient temp changes in your pain cave.

If you care about cadence, buy a real cadence sensor.
It will be more accurate and can go outside.

I have contact Kinetic and they response was: As for cadence in Zwift, there is an error in their code that is cutting the cadence number down. If you pair at try a workout with the Fit app, the cadence data will be spot on, which rules out a hardware issue. We have sent them a note as well asking if we can help at all, they do have all the hardware required for testing.
So hope zwift resolve this error :smiley:

Exactly, cadence fit App is correct, the issue is with Zwift.

Same issue :cry:

#somebodyhelpus

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I have a Kinetic Fluid Trainer with an InRide 3 sensor. When Zwifting, my cadence is 10-15 BPM lower than what I am actually doing. Zwift says I am putting out 70 BPM. I know I am putting out 80-85 BPM. How is this affecting my Zwift metrics (calories, speed, etc.)? Everyone passes me b/c I am a pathetic rider, but is this making my riding ability appear even worse than it really is? Also, can I purchase a separate cadence sensor and have it still work with Zwift on the Apple TV? I seem to recall that the Apple TV only only handle TWO bluetooth inputs at a time. Right now, I am using my Apple Watch for heart rate and the InRide 3 sensor for all other metrics. That’s two right there. So, even if I had a cadence sensor, would Zwift on the Apple TV not accept that third metric? Thanks for any help and insight on this.

I’m having a similar problem. I’m using Kinetic Rock & Roll with a Wahoo Blue SC. The both the speed and cadence connect to Zwift. But the cadence that is registering is considerably lower than actuality. Sure would be nice if this got resolved sooner than later. I agree with others, it seems as the displayed cadence is directly proportional to wattage.

anyone else suddenly find they can’t pair the Kinetic trainer with their Mac in the last day or so? Pairs with the iPhone app, can’t get my Mac to find HRM or inRide sensor.

Also have this issue, also not only the cadence is wrong but also speed.
I also suspect that power isn’t accurate eather.
Any way for now I canceled my membership because of this issue.
Using other apps for now.

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Hi, ive just bought a kinetic rock and roll 2 but the speeds way out…4mph up a 6% climb! 162watts 77-80rpm the kinetic app says 21kph=15mph wattage and rpm tallys with zwift…got leathered on the flat! Could not keep up. Very disapointed in it! Yours paul

The kinetic app doesn’t know you are going up a hill. Same power up a hill is a lot slower than on the flat.

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It’s zwift its way out! the speed, On the kinetic app on phone the speed its ok. Point less on zwift what’s the pont of having a trainer if its out on zwift, just not going to keep up.

Zwift is a cycling simulator. When you go up a hill in the real world you go slower or you need to push a lot harder (and even then you’d probably would be going as fast as the flat). That’s what you should expect with zwift and that sounds like it is happening.

If your trainer’s app said the same thing zwift did then you wouldn’t need zwift.

Speed is not important for training anyway, power is important, focus on the watts, not the speed.

There’s a bunch of information here which might explain it better

https://forums.zwift.com/t/how-does-zwift-determine-my-speed/427729/5

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Yes i know all about zwift been useing it for months on a Wahoo kicker it was accurate on speed and terrain, it developed a fault had to go back, bought the kinetic…i was just saying I was putting out the wattage 162 on the climb 7% and doing 4, 5mph… the kinetic phone app was accurate the rpm and wattage was same just the speed on zwift was out. It was terrible on a mass start 25mph going backwards! No matter how hard I went.