Anonymous1502
Well-Known Member
And how does zwift work?
How do people transform road bikes into indoor trainers?
- Thread starter Anonymous1502
- Start date
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DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
We've a smart trainer (an Elite Zumo). The bike fits into this minus the rear wheel.
That's connected via an ant+ dongle to the PC (via a long cable). You could use the PC/laptop's monitor but we Chromecast from the PC to the TV. Zwift in our case runs from the PC. The Zwift Companion app allows more interaction as well.
Zwift needs something to read from; bluetooth / ant+.
This can be done with a compatible GPS device as long as it's got wheel and cadence sensors / a power meter. The bike in this case would be connected to either rollers or a 'dumb' turbo trainer.
That's connected via an ant+ dongle to the PC (via a long cable). You could use the PC/laptop's monitor but we Chromecast from the PC to the TV. Zwift in our case runs from the PC. The Zwift Companion app allows more interaction as well.
Zwift needs something to read from; bluetooth / ant+.
This can be done with a compatible GPS device as long as it's got wheel and cadence sensors / a power meter. The bike in this case would be connected to either rollers or a 'dumb' turbo trainer.
the_mikey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
I use a Wahoo Kickr Core and I wear a Wahoo Tickr heart rate monitor, both of which can talk to Zwift on my laptop using the Bluetooth built into my laptop, not all laptops have adequate Bluetooth however so you might need either a Bluetooth or ANT+ dongle, I'd probably choose ANT+ if I was in that situation as ANT+ is flexible and more forgiving than Bluetooth and ANT+ works with a greater range of devices (such as heart rate monitors).
Consider a basic turbo trainer. New, you can get one for about £80, so with lots moving to smart trainers, you can probably get one for about £25 second hand and out of you student loan.
A couple of 30 minute sessions per week is all you need to keep you ticking over through the winter.
There might be people on here with one to sell if you post something in the wanted section.
Edit: probably a bit more than £25, but a lot cheaper than a smart one.
A couple of 30 minute sessions per week is all you need to keep you ticking over through the winter.
There might be people on here with one to sell if you post something in the wanted section.
Edit: probably a bit more than £25, but a lot cheaper than a smart one.
Last edited:
marzjennings
Guru
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
I use a Kinetic Road Machine linked by bluetooth to my ipad. The zwift app controls trainer resistance based on the course or training program I'm riding and uses power numbers from the trainer to estimate speed on the course.
If you're not planning on using zwift and the smart trainer at least twice a week I would say it's not worth the monthly fees and set up costs.
If you're not planning on using zwift and the smart trainer at least twice a week I would say it's not worth the monthly fees and set up costs.
Trull
Über Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
I use a Cyclops Fluid 2 trainer (dumb but with a calibrated power curve) with a BKool Cad+Speed sensor and Wahoo tickr HRM both bluetooth to my iPhone. iPhone has a VGA adaptor to a monitor, for Zwift. Above that I project KISS or similar via a Sky box hooked to a venerable InFocus projector which in turn makes sounds via my old Hitachi boom box from student days in the early 90s.
Most importantly, I built a rocker plate and it has transformed the riding experience so that I can do longer rides... including the 25 laps of the Volcano Circuit badge :-)
Most importantly, I built a rocker plate and it has transformed the riding experience so that I can do longer rides... including the 25 laps of the Volcano Circuit badge :-)
