It is now almost 3 years that Zwift announced that they will be working on the integration of the CycleOps Phantom 5 integration into the platform that allows to shift gears with the bike and allows to control resistance accordingly.
With the recent price increase and the promised addition of development staff I hope issue finally resolved so that CycleOps Phantom 5 users can fully use the platform.
i hesitated to sign-up with Zwift for almost 2 years due to the issue but gave it a try this week since most of the cycling buddies are on Zwift and I want to join group rides or races with them. The “game” is fun but riding the courses just in ERG mode is not optimal and really is a big minus for me in using Zwift vs Rouvy Virtual Training that provides full integration of the CycleOps Phantom 5 bike (shifting via report or buttons on iPad/iPhone.
Zwift team, is there an update on this topic or do you basically not care winning Phantom 5 users as customers? I don’t know how many Phantom 5 riders there are but you definitely will miss out having me as a user since I will switch back to Rouvy if there is no full integration of the Phantom 5 into the platforms.
i re seems to be a workaround with using a PC and the Joule unit but I want to use my iPad or iPhone or ideally the CycleOps remote to shift gears.
Zwift team please respond and provide feedback (yes or no if you still consider an integration and if yes what is the expected timeline).
Hi Knut, Phantom 5 virtual shifting was somewhat killed off as an idea to pursue because in practice it all just seems a bit off. We’d be making the bike feel harder to pedal (when going up an incline), only to make you have to tap the screen or click on something to make it easier again. On a hilly section terrain goes up and down every once in a while users would have to keep taking their hands off the bar to tap up or down icons on the screen to essentially cancel out the changes Zwift is making. Add on buttons are ok, but there’s no guarantee users have those - we’d need to do a bit of research to see how many people use those with their Phantom bike.
Can you explain in more detail the experience you’re hoping for? I think that could be pretty helpful given how experienced you seem to be with that particular bike.
Thanks for your feedback. I basically would expect the same functionality that I have on the Rouvy Virtual training platform. Here I can shift gears via the O-Synce Multiremote and don’t need to take my hands of the handle bar (the remote is attached to the handle bar). This well in the Rouvy platform. You “hit” an incline, feel the resistance increases and you shift into a virtual lower gear.
The CycleOps Phantom 5 is really a great Indoor bike and I love it. Definitely pricy but I have that bike set up in my basement and whenever the weather does not allow me to ride outdoors I just hope on my CycleOps and are ready to go. I have 5 outdoor bikes (road, tri, cyclocross, MTB, fat bike) but love the fact that I also have a dedicated indoor bike. I also really like your platform from a concept point of view and want to use it above all considering that a lot of my cycling group buddies are on it. But riding just in ERG mode is just not optimal (partial dump or defeats the purpose) and therefore wish you can implement the same functionality as the Rouvy VT platform provides for shifting gears. Thereby note that they also have the shifting buttons on the iPad or iPhone view but again CycleOps also offers the remote and as said the remote works great for me.
Let me know if you need more feedback but from my “naive” customer view the ask is quite simple :-).
Finally I understand developing something for CycleOps Phantom 5 users is a business decision (if you want us as subscribers or not). But since the CycleOps Phantom 5 is an high end stationary bike I belief you miss a business opportunity since CycleOps Phantom 5 users most likely want to spend and have the means to join your platform, are avid cyclist since they are prepared to spend the money on the bike (as I do, I have a 15 old car since I rather “invest” in my hobby or addiction) and as such will be loyal customers for many years to come.
Thanks for your support in maybe getting this topic finally resolved.
John, I have not heard back from you. Was my input useful and will you be able to make us CycleOps Phantom 5 riders happy (or get more of us on your platform due to finally providing the shifting virtual gears option via the O-Synce multi remote). Since Rouvy VT is able to offer that feature Zwift should be easily be able to offer that feature as well). I even remember seeing feedback from CycleOps that says they provided all the necessary coding information to Zwift. I am using Zwift now for a while and not having the switching gear option gets a bit annoying and also is an issue for races. So please, please implement this feature in your platform.