Set up Zwift a few days ago but have only managed to connect twice after a frustrating 9 hours of trying different methods over 3 days.
My setup is using separate Wahoo RPM Speed and RPM Cadence sensors. Zwift is installed on a Windows PC and the Companion app is installed on an Android phone. Heart rate monitor, speed and cadence sensors are all BLE and Ant+ capable.
After logging in to Zwift and starting the Companion App, the HRM is almost immediately detected and paired. The crank is then turned a few times to get the cadence and speed sensors to wake up. Almost every single time, Zwift detects the cadence sensor for both speed and cadence. The only way to get Zwift to detect the speed sensor is to only spin the wheel without turning the crank so as not to wake the cadence sensor.
In either case, once Zwift has detected one sensor, it will “lock on” to that sensor and not detect the other sensor even after I unpair it from the incorrect pairing. Eg., if the speed sensor is detected by Zwift, it will put the selection in both Speed and Cadence slots. Even if I then unpair the speed sensor from the Cadence slot and then try to only activate the cadence sensor, Zwift will not detect the cadence sensor at all.
As to how I managed to get both sensors to connect properly twice, I have no idea. By some haphazard fluke or chance, it just happened.
The HRM connection is rock solid. It connects instantaneously and stays connected.
The other problem with both speed and cadence pairings is that after roughly 20-30 seconds of non activity, both will show “No Signal” and the Bluetooth connections will show a hazard sign. No amount of turning crank or/and wheel will reconnect the pairings. It seems likely that Zwift has some incompatibility issues with re-detection Wahoo sensors as well as isolating/differentiating between speed and cadence. I say this because when I check with other apps like TrainerRoad, RideWithGPS etc., they all detect and pair with HRM, cadence and speed sensors quickly and with no confusion.
My guess is that the ZCA running on the Android is a little buggy (as reported by many others). I would suggest getting an ANT+ dongle and a USB extension cable to eliminate the need for the ZCA to bridge the BLE signal to the PC. You can find on in the Zwift Shop: ANT+ Bundle - Zwift
Most definitely get away from Bluetooth and get an ANT+ dongle and extension cable for your laptop/computer. I have both the Wahoo speed and cadence sensor. While trying to connect them, I tried everything that the forums and support recommended to get them to connect via Bluetooth. Over the course of two weeks not one single time would they connect to Zwift , though they would easily connect to the Wahoo fitness app on my phone. Once I recieved my ANT+ dongle, they connect at the beginning of each session and I have had no further issues in that regard.
As mentioned, many have reported buggy behaviour with Bluetooth devices under Android (and IOS). As it is, the Companion App desperately needs to be revised and updated with properly working code.
The best UI and graphics cannot make up for sub-par connectivity and Zwift seems to be having a lot of problems with Bluetooth connectivity. In a world increasingly choosing BLE over ANT+ as a near universal standard, going back to ANT+ is a step backwards.
I urge the Zwift developers to address this as a priority issue.
I do have an ANT+ dongle but cannot bring it within working distance even with an USB extension cable whereas the Bluetooth range is perfectly usable.
I’m not as knowledgeable about all the technology but I’ve had the same problems with my wahoo speed and cadence sensors connecting to zwift. I just installed new batteries in both my sensors and I have an iPhone 8 and iPad mini 4 both running IOS 12 that I run zwift off of. Last year during the winter I never had these problems and I had the same setup other than I had the IOS 11. This year I can’t get them to connect most of the time and when they do connect a lot of the times it doesn’t read properly so I can’t get my avatar to move or it shows I’m riding at a faster speed or cadence than I know I am. So frustrating!!!
I’ve also had a lot of problems this year. Last year it was fine. I assume iOS has changed in some way. I find that powering off my phone and powering it back on always resolves the pairing issue. But it is a little inconvenient!
My laptop works fine via bluetooth with the separate wahoo speed and cadence sensors. Yet may android phone is doing exactly what Nasbur describes. Extremely frustrating
Check your version of bluetooth on whatever device you are running zwift. I am running on an older mac which uses bluetooth 1.0 so it cannot pickup bluetooth 4.0 which is what Wahoo is using. You might be able to upgrade using a usb dondle to bluetooth 4.0. I am fairly certain that most of the bluetooth issue that people are having is because their older computer cannot read bluetooth 4.0.
I use my Wahoo kickr with an apple tv 4k. I have HRM and cadence sensors that I got with my Wahoo Element Bolt. I connect the trainer and it also connects the speed conroller with Zwift. Why does this occupy two blue tooth channels? Isn’t it the same signal? Then, I try to connect my HRM and Cadence and it tells me my Apple TV can’t handle more connections and it suggests connecting via the companion app. When I do that, it will usually connect the cadence, but not HRM. I try rebooting and it is the same. On a handfull of rides they have both worked, but most of the time I get cadence, then turn on my Element bolt to gauge my heart rate. Anybody have experience with that?
I have just set myself up with zwift and the trial and i am having exactly the same issue as above with the wahoo speed sensor either not detected if i have paired cadence or the speed sensor is recognized as speed and cadence. it looks like an ant+ dongle is the way to go but disappointing that this is still an issue after all this time. It was frustrating that zwift support was telling me that my wahoo speed sensor is a dual speed\cadence sensor too and that i should ride with the speed sensor paired as both speed and cadence!
I’m going through the same tiring process of connecting over bluetooth, my setup:
Dell XPS13 PC computer (more than enough juice to run the software)
Galaxy S8 phone (also powerfull enough for the companion app)
Wahoo speed sensor - Firmware v.4 just checked as the latest
Did everything I thought it would help, restart everyone, get the sensor closer, change from synk with computer to synk with the phone… my last resource will be to get an ANT+ dongle, which really makes me angry, since it should work on bluetooth. Tomorrow I’ll look into and update if something works.
I have the same issue. Zwift will recognize both Wahoo cadence and Speed sensor but will only recognize 1 output. Either cadence or speed sensor but not both. Apparently speed sensor is most important but tbh cadence is too! Idk what to do!!
Hi, just found this thread, as want to resolve an issue with BLE dropouts and Wahoo TickR X HR, and cadence & speed. It seems I was trying to connect to many to my devices.
I had dropout issues on my Nexus 9, and something similar on my MS Surface Pro, so connected today using the ZC app, and all appeared good; apart from the bridging, as only Watts and HR was given in on my MS Surface Pro, but all connections remained stable on the ZC app.
Afterwards, I checked the number of devices able to connect to my Google Pixel 4, and through the developer options, found it could range from 1 to 5 connected devices/sensors; I am using 5 BLE connections.
So, the answer may lie in core of the device we are using to connect the BLE sensors, as that could be the main constraint.
Smart trainer, HR monitor, Speed, Cadence = 4 devices. Throw in a BLE speaker, or bridge to PC etc, then the system’s maxed out.
As Zwift only recommend the Wahoo BlueSC, which does both speed and cadence, thereby reducing the number of connections, this leads me to think that the dropouts/lack of connection is related to the number of connections allowed for each PC/Smart Phone etc.
I was having the exact we problem and I think it was because it was trying to connect to Wahoo app at same time as Zwift. I got working by opening phone settings - apps - wahoo - force stop and reopened the Zwift app to find that solved the problem . Hope this helps.
Pedro_Custodio
(Pedro CustĂłdio [Pernas de Gafanhoto])
18
Hi,
I have exactly the same issue. Using Win 10 Desktop, Companion App on Android and separate Wahoo speed and cadence sensor. Even if I got the speed sensor to connect, it end us loosing connection after 10 minutes ridding.
Very frustrating and I am not sure I will subscribe to Zwift (4 days remaining on my trial period).
. Hope this helps.