Hey Scott,
Maybe you can also have a look at the Zwift discussion
They are talking about how to calibrate the IC4 to try and get ballpark readings on power (I have that problem too at the moment).
Assioma UNO
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Thank you David, much appreciated.
Regards,
Francesco Tonin
I just wanted to back up your experience on the IC4. I just got mine and got started on Zwift. From my road bike experience, I know what my speed should be, based on my resistance level and cadence. My Zwift speed is roughly DOUBLE what it would be in the real world, and I am FLYING by everyone on Zwift courses. This is bad for Schwinn, bad for Zwift and bad for riders who are looking for a realistic experience (not to mention how Iâm discouraging the riders Iâm blowing by). Iâll give Schwinn a little time to work out a firmware update. If it doesnât come, Iâll likely quit zwift, switch over to Peloton or just train on my own.
There is an IC4 group on Facebook. A lot of people there use the Schwinn Bowflex calibration instructions.
That has helped a lot of people have a normalized experience.
I will check it out. Thank you!
Zwift doesnât list this bike as a supported indoor bike, regardless of what Schwinn has to say.
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Zwift doesnât officially support it, but works just fine. The Schwinn/Bowflex works as advertised. Zwift connects to any bluetooth power/cadence/HR and many are not supported but are great products. The main thing is to make sure your Schwinn/Bowflex is calibrated correctly. If your a serious cyclist training then I would recommend a smart trainer for more of a cycling experience. But if your a casual/semi serious rider just looking to train and enjoy the Zwift experience then I think the Schwinn/Bowflex is a great option for you.
What I like about this setup is that takes up a smaller footprint in my house than a smart trainer, I can use it with Peloton, and other apps. Sometimes I start a Zwift ride on my phone or apple TV and then play a Peloton ride on my iPad with earbuds. I like the motivation and music from Peloton to push me on my Zwift rides. This is clearly not for everyone, but I love it.
I think it just depends on how you use Zwift. I love the Schwinn/Bowflex. If I want to shift and ride a real bike, I go outside and ride my real bike.
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You just described exactly how I feel about having a spin bike (C6) and being able to do different workouts. I wish i could have the real Zwift experience, but I also love being able to some days just have a spin class. 
I am addicted to Zwift though. Maybe one day, I will have enough $pace$ to have both.
We have had our Bowflex C6 bike for about 4 months and both my wife and I ride it when it is too cold to be outside with Chicago area weather. I have been riding for 30+ years and I donât love riding inside but I do enjoy riding the C6 on Zwift.
It is possible recalibrate it as I found this when I was looking at a few other platforms. You can only recalibrate the bike 3 times, so be mindful of it. Here is a link to the recalibration procedure - a pdf file. bit.ly/38PRe2q
Youâre not going to get accurate power data off any of these manual resistance indoor bikes, unfortunately. They donât use a strain guage to measure power, itâs just an inference fro the speed of the flywheel and the âlevelâ of resistance you have applied. This varies from bike to bike (manufacturing & assembly) as well as over time. Your pedals will be accurate, so long as they are calibrated with some regularity.
I have a client Iâm coaching who uses the Bowflex Bike, and when he is on his Bowflex, his power output is about 2x what his REAL outdoor power profile looks like. This holds true to using a Speed/Cadence meter on Zwift instead of direct power (the Z-Power algorithm), while itâs great for measuring your training over time, it will not provide you anything near an accurate measure of your true aerobic capacity, unfortunately.
Note I was shown this page by said client, as they were trying to find data to support their super-human performances on Zwift, and lack-luster real-world performances.