[Closed] Zwift - Its all a bit complicated

I joined a few weeks ago.

Laptop (already had it)

Smart trainer

Ant+ heart rate monitor (already had it, it's actually ant+/ble)

Ant+ Dongle for the laptop (already had it)

Zwift subscription (got in 2 days before the price increase)

Works perfectly.

Only thing i can think of is that you might need a phone to update/calibrate the smart trainer. Or to act as a bridge if you don't have the right dongle/HRM/laptop compatibility.

Have a look on the zwift homepage, they actually tell you what you *need* as opposed to what everyone else thinks you should have.

Not complicated really: - difference between need and extras

You need -

Laptop, zwift account and smart trainer (assume you have a bike!)

For the laptop and trainer to talk to each other you may need some bits.

My trainer has bluetooth and so does my laptop so that is all I need

If your laptop does not have bluetooth then you can connect via phone for bluetooth or an ANT+ sensor for your laptop.

If your trainer is TACX then the app helps with calibration, thats all you need it for.

I don't use an HR monitor but yes you'll need a way of connecting it if you want to use one.

Zwiftpower is for racing I think - I do not use it or myZwift.com (never heard of that!), likewise zwiftrankings.

Strava - only if you want to use it.

So the only bits you need are a bike, trainer, zwift account, laptop....oh and most importantly a fan...you will get very very hot!

See how you get on using Bluetooth connections, I found the BT bridge on the Zwift Mobile Link app to drop most rides, so I bought a £24 dual ANT+/BT heart rate monitor (Coospo H6); £10 Antself ANT+ dongle; £5 USB 3.0 extension cable from Amazon.

Not all turbos have ANT+ as an option, mine does, signals have been rock solid since the swap to ANT+

Didn't know about Zwiftrankings.com myself!

If you have a wheel-on turbo, as opposed to direct-drive (wheel-off), you ideally want to calibrate the turbo using turbo manufacturer app each time before a session.

You might also want Zwiftinsider.com too, there's a "hack" there to a handy util that allows you to override the calendar world, but beware it will screw things up if you plan to use events eg. I went straight from climbing Watopia mountain to a race at London, I had to complete the longer Watopia equivalent without seeing other riders. You must reset the util to calendar world option to do events.

oh, i tried myzwift.com.

The malware detection thingie on my work PC went mental

it's my.zwift.com  which is just zwift.

So I don't own a HR monitor or care much using Strava.

New turbo is a Tacx one so will use the app to calibrate.

I will connect trainer to Macbook using bluetooth and ride on Zwift app and take it form there.

The Websites don''t log you out every few days, so once you're done, it's all good.

You only need to log into Zwift.com to change weight etc.

Zwiftpower and Zwiftrankings I only open after racing to check results etc. But they remain logged in, so it's just opening the page.

Are they all seperate log ins or do they all link to your main Zwift account?

Simplify it? Get an iPad. All you [i]need[/i] then is a smart trainer and the Zwift app. Oh and a bike (strangely not mentioned on your comprehensive list, hopefully you have one though?)

Out of the things on your list, the last 4 are completely optional (and 2 of them I’ve never heard of!)

Don't worry too much if its a TACX turbo, it'll stop working after a couple of uses anyway.

Don’t worry too much if its a TACX turbo, it’ll stop working after a couple of uses anyway

Is this a thing? Someone else mentioned this as well but everyone I know who has one says they are fine.

Said mostly in jest.

My TACX broke, as have a lot of other peoples, but I don't think they're any worse than any other brand TBH.

I replaced mine with an Elite, you know, an italian one, they're renowned for build quality!

Do I need a paid for Zwift account, I've not been asked for money yet?

I have:

1 x smart trainer

1 x bluetooth HRM

1 x iPad with Zwift app (and the subscription)

1 x iPhone with Zwift Mobile Link app (optional, but free and quite useful)

Took about 5 mins to get them talking to each other and all work perfectly. Easy.

Lunge, how do you connect four different devices up, that must be too many for bluetooth?

Does Zwiftpower.com use same login credentials as Zwift app and, if not, how does it link the two together?

Zwift Power is an independent website not (publicly) affiliated with Zwift.

I’ve warmed up on an old Tacx Turbo whilst at Thruxton and Hillingdon on Zwift 🤣

All it took was an iPhone and power meter...... But likewise an iPhone and Bluetooth speed sensor would have done it.

Bluetooth Wahoo HR monitor, speed sensor and cadence sensors, connected to iPAD Mini 4 and running Zwift App.

The laptop system using a phone as a bridge look half-baked. Obviously Zwift are Apple fanbois because Bluetooth does not connect via Windows yet (it's an OS issue, will work for 10/8 but not 7). If you have a macbook it will work as seamlessly as the iPAD.

My turbo is not smart (Tacx Sartori set on level 4 as a Blue Matic), but I've ordered a Kickr, also for Bluetooth connection.

Lunge, how do you connect four different devices up, that must be too many for bluetooth?

I'm not sure I am. The HRM and the trainer talk to the iPad via Bluetooth, then iPhone for Zwift Mobile Link is through WiFi I suspect. You do need to pair the devises via the Zwift app rather than the iPad settings, not sure if that makes any difference. Either way, it all works flawlessly and I've had no issues at all.

It must be complicated. There's a fella at work who has been emailing me all day about Zwift set up. Come to think of it he's from the Borders as well. There's just no telling some folk!

What a coincidence.....