Hi, I’m after a real solution for a problem I’ve had for several months now. When I enter Zwift and start riding the resistance on my Wahoo Kickr 5, and now also Kickr 6 is wrong, fluctuating and this also creates incorrect power spikes and dips. Furthermore, I’ve dual recorded to check this, and noting this doesn’t occur in MyWhoosh or TrainingPeaks: Virtual, or in Zwift with my Elite Justo.
I found a workaround months ago, where I open the Wahoo app > Start an activity > add some resistance (often fluctuates and isn’t correct) > ride for about 15 seconds > stop/discard the activity and then fully close the Wahoo app. Within about 15 seconds the trainer is completely back to normal. Resistance and power is then perfect, and I have no issues until the next time I ride on Zwift.
I’ve uninstalled the Wahoo app and forgot the devices before and I think at one point I deleted and reinstalled Zwift as well. Does someone have any idea why this is happening? I unboxed the V6 last week, updated to the new firmware immediately and it happened on the first ride, until I did my fix.
It’s not a major concern because I always start my rides with an easy warm up, and I can resolve it within a minute… But it’s a little annoying. Thanks!
Are you talking about the resistance you feel in the pairing screen > home screen vs what you feel once your avatar spawns into a world?
I looked at your server logs and noticed you’re using Play controllers and I’m assuming that means you’ve got Virtual Shifting enabled in game settings, please confirm?
When Virtual Shifting is enabled in your game settings - there’s thing called Real Gear Detection that kicks in the first ~15 seconds or so after your avatar spawns in the world. You’ll feel the resistance stutter a bit during this time while the system compares your pedal RPM to the flywheel velocity. It determines what physical chainring x rear cog combination you’re using on your bike, then sets you in an easy-to-start virtual gear 8.
Does that sound like what’s happening? That doesn’t occur on MyWhoosh / Training Peaks / Wahoo app because those apps don’t use virtual shifting.
Side note: your Left Play controller is on firrmare v 1.3.0 while your Right controller is on firmware v1.3.1. Please take a minute to bring both up to the same firmware version using the Zwift Companion app. Here’s how.
I’ll update that ZP controller. When my avatar spawns in game, however this resistance fluctuation isn’t just temporary. It lasts permanently until I apply a fix. The other day I saw up to 120w when coasting. Yes, I am using VS… but only for the past week since I opened the V6, have primarily been using the Kickr 5 for most of the year, which obviously doesnt have VS… But the play controllers have almost always been on and paired.
I’ll update firmware when home, and I might test a ride without Zwift Plays too!
Update from my ride today. Hopefully it isn’t too detailed.
Updated play firmware. Started a 1 min ride with no plays and felt fine. Exited Zwift.
Paired plays and started a ride. Felt what you meant how it searches for the gear to start with. This is a different feel to what I’m experiencing. Thought things felt good, so I was optimistic and went back to the home page.
Started my actual ride with plays on, optimistic. The ride felt ‘fairly good’. Very rideable on this route, but still felt like something was not quite right. Occasional power spikes and dips when gradient changed suddenly (far less than previous). I was also getting some super tuck ghost watts to back this up (have never got these after applying my fix on this new trainer)
Rode up Libby Hill (frequently changing gradient) and the trainer really showed signs of problems. Sloppy/lost resistance and cadence was 100+ while climbing a fairly steep gradient. Displayed in game cadence briefly said 40, when it was 100+. On the descent I had some more ghost watts
Applied my fix by going into Wahoo app 75-76 mins into the ride and went to do another loop of the climbs to compare
Resistance on Libby Hill was fine. Cadence was where it should be in the same gear as the previous lap. I had no ghost watts descending on any of the 3 descents.
I dual recorded the ride (ZwiftPower - Login). The kickr power & cadence trace definitely looks more inconsistent during the first loop of the climbs (1:06 - 1:13) vs the post fix lap (1:22-1:29) and the incorrect cadences are visible (1:07-1:08).
I think tomorrow I will ride without Zwift Play and see how it feels.
@shooj I had this weird resistance happen between ending my ride Saturday and starting Sunday. I noticed as soon as I started my warm up in Makuri that something was off. The uphill gradients felt momentarily doubled and then suddenly resistance would vanish. It’s like riding uphill on wet leaves - the flywheel keeps slipping. It almost runs away with itself then brakes on repeat. Power is spiking up and down all over.
I tried freewheeling to get autocal to kick in. Then I did an advanced spin down. Power cycled the kickr. Neither worked. I just tried Josh’s fix as detailed above and I have normal resistance back again.
I’ve had the zwift plays in a box for weeks. I was getting this on my old trainer and we couldn’t fix it. Spent 6 weeks back and forth with wahoo and they eventually sent a replacement which worked fine until Sunday. I thought it was the plays but it isn’t as they’ve never been connected to this trainer.
@Alice_KWCC
We looked at the game log from the Makuri session, and there’s no blatant errors that would give away what’s happening.
One of the things that would cause resistance to go flaky is if something else is controlling the trainer that would not show up in your Zwift logs. It’s interesting that for both you and Josh that the workaround by connecting to the Wahoo app makes a noticeable improvement.
Besides the Wahoo app - are there any other training-related apps running on your Zwifting computer or on any other devices that might be interfering?
The only thing I can think of along those lines is the MyWhoosh link app, which is known to interfere with things even when not active. I currently have that uninstalled, I also haven’t had this issue lately on my V6 (unsure if coincidental or not). I’m waiting on a new frame for the bike i’ll use on my V5 soon (I prefer my V5 to the V6), that’ll be my real test as it was the device I had this start-up issue on for many months
Hi Shuji, I don’t have any other apps installed on the computer and nothing open on my phone that should be able to link to the Kickr. I don’t use any other training apps. The only other device I’m running that can link is the Wahoo headwind but I have that on manual control. On opening the wahoo app, connecting it, and toggling the resistance for a few seconds, gradients in zwift immediately returned to normal feel. It was like the trainer was reset.
Doing intervals this morning, I noticed ERG was far more stable than it has been the last few sessions too. I had very smooth tops to the bars whereas normally the power is really fluctuating. So I now suspect this bug kicked in again a few weeks ago but I didn’t notice it really badly until Sunday.
I wonder if this is happening with more people but they just don’t realise. I’m a bit like the princess and the pea with my bike - I will notice very slight changes!
With the old trainer I think it started happening after the Zwift academy sessions where you get the switch from ERG mode to free ride. This means you end up shifting your gears whilst the trainer is in ERG. Just a hunch but I wonder if this is somehow confusing the resistance settings in the Kickr.
I have was away for a few weeks at Christmas and came back last week to find that I am having serious difficulties with the resistance as it is insane when I try and peddle. This only really seems to happen when you load a workout, doing a normal route seems ok (though this is not really what I use Zwift for) but any workouts just seems to have the heaviest resistance and zero Candace.
Would be great if there was any support to get this fixed as I cannot use my Zwift for my planned workout so having to use alternative options which is not ideal when I am paying for Zwift.
Hi, My KickR v5 has been spot on this past year but recently (last 6 zwift rides) there has been an issue with the resistance? Everything connects as normal. I use Stages crank arm power meter & cadence and KickR manages the resistance. When riding it seems ok around 0.5 - 1.5wkg but as soon as you try to power up and accelerate, it just spins faster cadence without putting more power down, even when going thru all the gears.
First noticed this 3 days ago when in ERG mode doing a workout. Also had it twice when just free riding. Also at the start of a race, just unable to power up, stuck at low watts spinning like a top!!? had to abandon
I saw info about a “Factory Spindown” in the wahoo app, so attempted this. The 3min warm up was very resistant and I had to drop to granny ring to complete. When it was ready to “ride to 23mph” the resistance dropped right off and I had to go through all the gears and was still spinning 130rpm. I was unable to reach 23mph?
I did notice on the zwift pairing screen whilst pedalling softly that the wahoo was not showing any power W’s whilst the Stages was displaying 90w?
I do not have zwift play or virtual gears, just a bike mounted on KickR with cassette.
I connect to laptop via Ant+ for KickR and Stages. Been fine all year.
It is a bit colder than normal, but I thought the KickR v5 auto compensated for this and does an auto calibrate?
