This was a popular topic that sparked a lot of discussion, so we’ve decided to bring it over to our new forums! Any duplicate topics created will be merged with this one. Enjoy the discussion and Ride On.
Please add ability to use native BLE on computer to connect Zwift with trainers. Real pain to need a phone bridge.
I’ll second this. Let’s make this fundamental feature a reality for the sake of a unified users experience regardless of platform.
This should have been working before Zwift left beta.
Fully support this and should be a priority. Support through Companion app is just not stable enough and leads to a frustrating experience.
How about a port on the kickr s for hard wire to computer or for external antenna for mobile to get signal closer to front of bike where everything is placed.
A USB connection on a trainer would probably be better for indoor trainer software support than Ant+ or Bluetooth. I think the fitness industry shot itself in the foot trying to excusively supporting wireless protocols. But a request for USB would be an idea for companies like Wahoo…
One approach here would be to standardize on the Blue Giga USB adapater. Cyclops currently promotes this for use with their windows based platform:
https://www.cycleops.com/product/bluegiga-usb-dongle
I believe the driver landscape is pretty complicated to support native Bluetooth on windows computers but I would like to think Zwift could step in with some leadership on this.
I have said it before, I or anyone shouldn’t have to purchase additional equipment to get “that one app” to work. It would be better to support STANDARD Bluetooth as provided by the OS for the pairing and control rather than settling on a specific dongle. I just what “that one app” to see my computer’s built-in Bluetooth module and use it.
Windows 10 has gotten better with Bluetooth, but I agree Zwift can pick up the lead and work with Microsoft to improve indoor training market.
So I need to get a dongle to work with my Windows 10 PC…what kind of nonsense is this??? Bluetooth receiver on my PC cannot see Kickr trainer. USB would be better…
You can use the Zwift Companion App on a phone or tablet to bridge the connection.
I can’t get even ant+ to work at all on the pc. I have a dongle that works with my Wahoo kicker fine but not my Garmin vector pedals. Been a real pain. I even have trainer road and nothing.
Cant get ble to work on my android device either.
Only my Garmin 520 sees it.
I haven’t tried a Bluetooth dongle yet. Blue tooth is built in to computer, but zwift or trainer road don’t recognize it either.
Sounds like a battery issue with the Vector pedals.
A Bluetooth dongle will not help in any way. To use Bluetooth with a PC you need to use the Zwift Companion App to bridge the signal.
I don’t think you get it. Windows does not yet support Bluetooth for fitness equipment. That is why Zwift had to find a workaround to make it possible for people to use Bluetooth trainers by using the companion app.
Do you really thing they would have spend all the effort to get the companion app to be a relay if they could just use the native Bluetooth?
I had thought so originally and had to remove the battery a couple of times to even get it to connect to Garmin connect app. I just bought them so the battery “issue” is supposedly fix. I will try the companion app. Thanks!
I was just trying to compare wattage from my wahoo kicker to my pedals so that when I am on the road I can gauge my efforts more efficiently. Other wise I have no need to connect them to anything else but my bike computer.
That’s how I use it right now. Yesterday during my ride app on the phone disconnected and it wouldn’t reconnect. Had to restart my phone to pair everything together. At that point my ride was over…
I would suggest using an ANT+ dongle and a USB extension for a more stable connection.
I get it. Just to put this out there, the virtual cycling app Rouvy works with native Windows 10 Bluetooth. I actually got it working over Bluetooth on my Surface Pro; plus, the Rouvy application was reading power and speed directly from my Wahoo Kicker Snap – no companion phone app required.
SO YES! WINDOWS 10 DOES SUPPORT BLUETOOTH TRAINERS!!! Rouvy has figured it out WITHOUT requiring extra hardware/specific dongle, adaptors or bridges.
I’m pretty sure Rouvy uses the native Bluetooth stack built into Windows 10 as provided my Microsoft.
Bluetooth support in windows 10 is much better in the creators edition update.
Are Garmin Vector pedals even Bluetooth capable? I don’t know, I don’t own any. Just to mention, Garmin owns the Ant+ protocol now.
Yes they are blue tooth! Love them so far.
My bluetooth bridge only seems to drop at the start of large rides, eg pack rides (100’s) or tour events (1000+).
Its fine on free rides & on the standard races/rides with 40/50/60 riders.
Does anyone else experience this & any suggestions on why?