Zwift ignoring Android Wattbike users

Feature Requests
1

For years, Wattbike users on Android have been asking for gear display just like Zwift have enabled this on Apple without luck.

How can I raise this more directly as the forum gets you nowhere on this topic.

2

Hey Tom.

I’d suggest editing your post, moving the location to “Feature Requests”. People can upvote there which gives a bit more exposure.

1 Like
3

Cheers Otto, feels like it’s getting nowhere though. I find it strange how Zwift haven’t adopted it to android when they have with Apple

4

I don’t have a solution to your problem, but I Zwift using a Wattbike Atom on PC using Ant+ (so the gears don’t show up for that either).

I always gear on feel rather than what the actual gear number is (and do the same outside). I know roughly what sort of power I’ll put down at a certain cadence on those gears without actually knowing what gear number they are.

5

I get that, sometimes I’d just like to know what I have left. This is also about how Zwift have ignored Wattbike users on Android.

I sometimes change my trainer resistance so would like the guide on the gears. The other option is to run wattbike app at the same time on another device but that’s a bit fiddly.

6

I think we’re talking about one of 4 different ways to connect on a very specific model of hardware - the demand isn’t there.

I know I work for Zwift, but I’m being practical - should we spend what is realistically hours and hours of development and QA time to add a feature (because it’s a feature request, not a bug) for a significant small proportion of users when there are feature requests that impact the whole platform.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see what gear I’m using on my setup, but I don’t think it’s because Zwift is alienating Wattbike users, on a PC that connect via Ant+.

1 Like
7

Don’t feel to bad those of us with bikes on smart trainers can’t see the gears we use either. :rofl:

2 Likes
8

Those of us on regular bikes can just look down. Mind you, on a wattbike, I have no idea what ‘gearing’ really means or what it means to run out of them:

wattbike
wattbike825×892 56.4 KB

9

Helpful, thanks.

1 Like
10

But you do it for apple users on iPads. What’s the difference? The same demand.

11

So you have 22 ‘gears’ but you don’t know when you have truly run out as you can’t look down and see like you say.

So when you change trainer difficulty I think of it as having a bigger cog on the block the easier the difficulty but you sacrifice a smaller cog. Still have 22 increments but as the gear changes don’t clunk or you have 2 chain rings it’s hard to know where you are in the gears.

12

I did read that it has electromagnetic resistance of some sort, so imagined there was some sort of infinitely variable means of shifting. I guess it’s meant to simulate a real bike by arbitrarily limiting to 22 steps, and there’s no built in analog indicator to tell you what gear you’re in?

13

The wattbike app does it. ZWIFT have enabled it on Apple. They just choose to ignore android users.

14

I saw this article. I guess you’re sure it’s not an Ant vs BT thing?
ttps://support.wattbike.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360005618400-Getting-the-most-out-of-your-Atom-when-using-Zwift

15

I use BT. Deffo a Android thing. Just Android bias

16

After the heavy promotion and push by Zwift of these next-gen ‘smart bikes’ (Eurobike 2019, iirc), there was an expectation that Zwift would not only spend “hours and hours” but DAYS AND MONTHS of development and QA to integrate them into fully the platform.

That expectation drove people to spend a LOT of money on a Tacx NEO Bike, WattBike, Stages Bike, Kickr BIKE, etc. I’m seeing a lot people feeling let down by the lack of integration to date. Now you’re telling everyone it’s not practical to support their requests?

Providing an excellent user experience for “a significant small proportion of users” has a very positive impact on how the “whole platform” is perceived.

11 Likes
17

I know the feeling.

18

Absolutely. Articles in Zwift saying ‘Wattbike made in Zwift heaven’ but should have an asterisk
Only if on Apple.
It’s actually a pretty simple feature or is it a bug if offered to one platform but not others?

19

Have you reached out to Wattbike? The article I referenced doesn’t mention platform exclusions in the section on gear display. Aside from Android, if it’s also not displaying on any PC, that’s a pretty large omission. At the very least, try and get Wattbike themselves to followup with Zwift.

20

Done that too over the last few YEARS!

Hence why I’m really frustrated and disappointed in Zwift now.