Zwift’s virtual shifting is arguably the most popular innovation they’ve brought to the indoor hardware space. Ever since the Zwift Hub went on sale in October 2022, riders have been looking forward to virtual shifting capabilities being rolled out for other trainers.
Supporting Zwift’s virtual shifting is no small project. It requires adding support for Zwift Protocol, a Bluetooth protocol Zwift created to deliver a consistent virtual shifting experience for any combination of supported hardware.
I see questions every week from riders wondering when virtual shifting will be available on their trainer, so I’ve created this page to share what info I know about the current status of Zwift virtual shifting support for all the major trainer brands.
This page will be updated as new information is made available.
Wahoo
These Wahoo trainers support virtual shifting:
Fusion Media, Wahoo’s media agency, tells me, “Wahoo has analyzed the hardware and software capabilities of both KICKR v4 and KICKR v5. Unfortunately, these older models are unable to support the required protocols for Zwift Virtual Shifting and will not be receiving a future update for this functionality.”
Garmin/Tacx
Thanks to a firmware update in June of 2025, these Garmin/Tacx trainers support virtual shifting:
Elite
The following Elite trainers currently support Zwift virtual shifting:
- Elite Direto (via firmware update)
- Elite Direto X (via firmware update)
- Elite Direto XR with Zwift Cog and Click
- Elite Direto XR (via firmware update)
- Elite Direto XR-T (via firmware update)
- Elite Suito (via firmware update)
- Elite Suito T (via firmware update)
- Elite Avanti (via firmware update)
- Elite Justo (via firmware update)
- Elite Justo 2 (via firmware update)
Elite announced their first Zwift Ready trainer, the Direto-XR with Zwift Cog and Click, in mid-September 2024. They rolled out the firmware update to current Direto XR users in early December 2024. And in May 2025, they announced a firmware update bringing virtual shifting to their entire range of interactive direct-drive trainers.
JetBlack
The following JetBlack trainers support virtual shifting currently:
- JetBlack Victory
- JetBlack Volt V2 (via firmware update – see instructions here)
JetBlack says, “WARNING: The firmware upgrade is NOT COMPATIBLE with VOLT 1.0 or JetBlack Whisper Drive. If installed on non-compatible units, it could overload the unit and cause sensor or other damage.”
Saris
On a Reddit thread in September 2024, Saris_Karen, apparently a Saris employee, said, “Saris is actively working on updating smart trainer firmware for virtual shifting and Zwift hardware compatibility. It’s going to be a couple of months before it is released.”
But in early October 2025, after over a year of no news from Saris, a commenter below said Saris had just confirmed to them that “they will not be releasing any new firmware and will not support virtual shifting.”
Zwift
The Zwift Hub trainer was the first to support Zwift’s virtual shifting. Two different versions were sold:
- Zwift Hub Classic (shipped with a standard cassette and no virtual shifting device)
- Zwift Hub One (shipped with the single-sprocket Zwift Cog and Zwift Click for virtual shifting)
Both versions used the same trainer body and internals. The only difference was the included cassette and virtual shifting device.
If you have a Zwift Hub Classic, you can convert it to a Zwift Hub One using the Zwift Cog + Click Upgrade Kit. You can also simply purchase the Zwift Click or Zwift Play controllers and immediately have access to virtual shifting on a standard cassette.
VAN RYSEL
A budget direct drive from Decathlon is now on the market, and it’s the lowest-priced trainer to support virtual shifting.
This is particularly interesting because it’s the lowest-spec trainer to get the Zwift Ready label to date.
Others?
There are other trainers on the market, of course. I will add them to the list above as I hear news.
Questions or Comments?
Heard any news I haven’t mentioned above? Spill the beans. Got other questions or comments? Share below!
That is an interesting “shift” in Wahoo’s plan. On their site, Wahoo states they working to enable it for the Kickr v4/v5 because they have the same chipsets, but v3 and earlier are off the table.
“Will virtual shifting be available on other KICKR models?
We are working to enable virtual shifting for KICKR v5 (2020) and KICKR v4 (2018) in the future. KICKR v3 (2017) and earlier models use a different chipset and will not receive virtual shifting.”
https://support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us/articles/16865097915666-Zwift-virtual-shifting-with-Wahoo-smart-trainers
I asked Wahoo about virtual shifting for the Kickr V5 on 8 July, they replied “At this time we do not have a timeline for integrating Zwift virtual shifting into the KICKR V5. However, we do hope to make this a priority in the future”
I didn’t believe them to be honest, and this article confirms it for me.
I’ve asked wahoo a few times and got the same response everytime. I questioned why they made the core (an older model) virtual shift but not the v5 – at present i’m really disappointed with Wahoo, especially if they don’t now release virtual shifting for v5. I’ve spent a lot on their kit but think its time to look elsewhere…
“I questioned why they made the core (an older model) virtual shift but not the v5”
It’s pretty obvious in retrospect the reason the core got virtual shifting was because it’s the trainer bundled with the zwift ride, which needs virtual shifting to work.
Yeah, figured that too but surely if this is possible v4/v5 should be?
Well it could have been the case zwift told them they had to add it else they would look elsewhere for the bundled trainer. While there was no pressure for them to add it to the v4/v5 that they don’t sell anymore.
That’s possible.
No it 100% reeks of “you already bought it so we have your money and dont care” No wonder this company has had issues.
Have you saved that page with a screenshot, or with the Wayback Machine or something? They have changed their text to: “We have reviewed the hardware and firmware capabilities of KICKR v5 (2020) and preceding KICKR versions. Unfortunately, these older models are unable to support the required protocols for Zwift Virtual Shifting and will not be receiving a future update for this functionality.”
See below, I pasted this initial announcement for v4/v5 by Wahoo into another reply some days ago. Still extremely disappointed.
My feeling is far beyond disappointment. I feel scammed as hell by Wahoo. If they don’t fix it in one way or another, I’ll talk sh*t about them whenever their name comes up. Having bought a v5, based on Wahoo’s promisses is insanely frustrating… I’m confident their move is outright illegal, at least in Europe.
Pretty sure if Saris can get their trainer to support it that it would also be feasible for Kickr V4/V5. It appears to be a marketing ploy to get folk who could previously afford V4/V5 to upgrade. Well, it’ll be Jet Black Victory for me when they’re more readily available. If other longer standing Wahoo customers move elsewhere they’ll maybe start to regret their decision.
Would it to be possible to add smart bikes to this list please?
All smart bikes have virtual shifting built in…the shifting is electronic, by increasing/decreasing resistance. Only difference is that you must use the manufacturer app , instead of zwift. smart bikes are the best of both worlds, except for price and maintenance.
Not sure what you mean by “must use the manufacturer app”? I have a Stages SB20 and I use it directly with Zwift, no other apps involved.
You need the manufacturer app to change the modify the gears, costumize it
“Wahoo has analyzed the hardware and software capabilities of both KICKR v4 and KICKR v5. Unfortunately, these older models are unable to support the required protocols for Zwift Virtual Shifting and will not be receiving a future update for this functionality.”
This is the biggest piece of BS I’ve heard in a while. The KICKR V4 is esentially the same HW as the CORE. They got launched within a few months of each other.
agreed, this is really poor, sounds like wahoo just want to shift more v6’s and core’s to new zwifters rather than offer this to v5/v4 riders who have already purchased their kit
There is a (small) possibility that what they are saying is true.
But the far more likely reason is they simply don’t want to spend the money to support older owners. Like I mean those kickr 5’s are like what at least 24 months old.
As I sit here with my Apple Watch 4, and my iPhone 12. Wife has iPhone 10, all of which are running current OS’s from Apple.
If the kicker 5 was as old as those (6-7 years) I wouldn’t expect much. But 2 years means the paint is not even scuffed yet. When you spend $1500US on something you kind of expect support for 4-5 years. Not less than 2.
The v5 came out 4 years ago, FYI.
Yep it did, The core firmware releases goes back to 2018… disappointing if they’re going to leave us v5 owners out, these things aren’t cheap
V5 is still in stores
Yeah Wahoo is a victim of its own success on this one. I’ve got a v5 which is still perfectly good after hundreds of hours. Not like a phone, no reason to get a new one every year. Makes sense to limit the new features to new devices (bc otherwise it’s only new zwifters (not many these days) buying trainers) but should have never announced virtual shifting coming to v4/5
“Zwift’s virtual shifting is arguably the most popular innovation”… I’d argue that Coffee Breaks and Teleporting are clearly the winner’s there!! 😉
If they actually bring in a useful ‘garage’ to store unused bikes, quick changes etc I think that will blow peoples minds even more.
I am greatly disappointed with this news. I purchased the play controllers thinking V5 was imminent. I’ve been considering the Jetblack that’s cheap and D.C. likes.
I too bought the play controllers in readiness for the v5 update based on the wahoo support release and shame millers video which said it was coming to older models.
Well, if Kickr v5 won’t get virtual shifting then I am done with Zwift, won’t reactivate my subscription this fall, and will not purchase any further Wahoo kit. This is the most disappointing news of the year, I must say. I never would have expected to be fooled by Wahoo that badly after they said for many months virtual shifting would come to Kickr v5.
Very well written! If this materializes to be true, I won’t renew my annual subscription to Zwift later this year. I have also bought Play controllers which are useless for me now. This is very poor handling of the situation also from the Zwift side – they should press on Wahoo, so some people can use virtual shifting on THEIR platform. Don’t forget that thay could have opted for virtual shifting calculations on the Zwift app’s side instead.
I prefer ERG workouts anyway and racing without virtual shifting would mean huge disadvantage going forward, since all new routes are designed with VS in mind.
My v5 is still very solid, using direct connect to 5ghz wifi, no need to upgrade. I’m saying this as (until now) loyal Wahoo fan. That being said, I understand they need to sell new trainers, but in that case they should never confirmed VS for v5/v4 and fail to deliver that. Also they should have introduced at least somehow modified Core 2, because now nobody will believe their poor excuses that HW is not capable. Really sad…
I certainly don’t believe their poor excuse that the hardware is not capable
To further explain my great disappointment – I got my Kickr v5 when Zwift Hub was already there (Kickr Core as well, of course) but deliberatly chose to spend more to get the better Wahoo unit. Kickr v6 followed shortly after but I was not afraid to be left behind, believing people who said Wahoo will support their gear with updates for a long time. Virtual shifting was announced for v5 and I felt confirmed and happy. After that I purchased more Wahoo stuff, a Roam v2, speed and cadence sensors, and also Headwind – assuming Wahoo was a great company in all aspects. Well, Wahoo should never have announced virtual shifting for v5 and even v4, even if from an economic point of view it would have made sense from the beginning to reserve new featurs for new models only. I really believe that many people will feel as cheated as I do now. I am still hoping they (or Zwift) will change their mind before fall comes.
Same here. Bought the v5 Kickr before the next model was sold and because they wrote the v5 model will be supported for virtual shifting in the future, I also bought all the Zwift virtual shifting stuff and waited eagerly for the update…. that’s so disappointing.
Cool !!!
My tacx this week stopped being compatible with it’s own power supply. Because of a potential forever hazard.. cant wait to see this one resolved by Garmin.
It makes you wonder why zwift went down the trainer firmware path to enable virtual shifting when their competitors have done it directly in the software which lets it work with all trainers.
Is it limited by their proprietary game engine? Are their developers bad at maths? Or did they want to tie it to hardware sales?
After years of making Zwift inclusive and ensuring Zwift can run on a computer the size of a potato, they’ve decided to alienate all of us who refuse to invest in any hardware Zwift have any involvement in.
After nearly a decade I’m almost done with Zwift. It’s only the community rides that keep me on there. Most riding now done on other more advanced virtual platforms who have more positive engagement with their users.
Pretty clearly Zwift want it to be a thing to lock people into zwift.
When can you get zwift play in Australia
No future virtual shifting capabilities for the many owners of not-so-old KICKRs means no sales of the “coming this fall!” (wink, wink) separate Zwift Ride bike to them.
Im in the market for a new trainer and I’ll definitely be looking at the new JetBlack victory.
Wont be wasting my time on wahoo anymore.
why didnt they just implement the virtual shift in the easy way like Indievelo? dont need special hardware just need 2 keyboard keys…actually it is just the manual control the resisitant of the smart trainer..
Zwift lock in is your answer.
so that means zwift just want to sell their virtual shifting controller…😫
They want you to buy a trainer/bike that can’t shift unless it is hooked up to zwift. ie the zwift ride.
Wow, terrible move Wahoo. You made a trainer that lasts for years but stop updating it, was the hope they’d break faster?
No different to any other product. I’ve still got a PlayStation 1. Sony have gone through many iterations since and don’t create new games that are supported by PlayStation 1.
If you want the most advanced bits of kit, sell your current one and dust the wallet off and upgrade.
I have the v6 and I don’t expect that in 6 years time I should still be able to access the newest add ons.
The difference in that special case is that Wahoo did announce virtual shifting coming as an update for Kickr v5 and v4. People trusted that announcement and some invested in additional equipment for the Wahoo/Zwift platform based on that announcement. Here‘s a screenshot of what they had on their website FAQ on that topic until very recently.
Ah OK, fair point
So can I retro buy and install a virtual cig and shifting to my Zwift Hub?
*cog
Yes, right here: https://us.zwift.com/collections/all/products/zwift-cog-click-upgrade-kit?variant=43845806260480
Hi Eric, is there any news on the power issues being experienced with virtual shifting. There are several threads, images, screenshots, and recordings with oscillation going on in the power/resistance. We’ve heard through racing groups that it is being looked at and some teams have been asked to turn it off. But no response or firmware update.
I recently bought PLAY controllers. To be ready for the new virtual runs update on Core V5. Now I feel cheated into buying the controllers. I’m as angry at zwift as I am at wahoo.
I’m surprised because V5 is still in stores.
Don’t think Garmin/Tacx gives a hoot about the trainer market. The Neo trainers/bike have the infamous self-imolating tendency, uncorrected, obviously related to a design flaw. Their slowness to adopt compatibility with virtual shifting is typical of their could-care-less attitude.
Yeah mines been terrible it’s done about 125,000 miles… Surely it’ll fail soon eh… I couldn’t give a monkeys bottom for virtual shifting and certainly wouldn’t buy ANY hardware Zwift had any interest in.
People leaving Zwift in droves in Australia and yet they still don’t release the Zwift hub/ click to us to buy for our existing wahoo trainers. So disappointing
What is the new platform they are going to? Mywoosh?
IndieVelo supports virtual shifting without any need for hardware.
Really disappointed that Wahoo won’t support virtual shifting on what was their flagship Kickr less than 2 years ago. My old Core works fine but my partner’s newer Kickr is now obsolescent.
@Eric Schlange
TrueKinetix have their own virtual shifting system called “TrueShifters” which is a similar small attachable button item, and they advertise it as compatible with Zwift (and a load of other platforms), so they may not bother adding Zwift’s specs in but they have a solution in place already:
https://truekinetix.com/trueshifters/
It’s a bit pricier than the Zwift one, but isn’t platform specific so potentially worth more depending on the user
I was also looking into the TrueKinetix TrueShifters.
Aside from that they are very pricey at $200 plus “Now available for a limited time only.” … not sure if that’s for the $200 price tag of if they only do a limited run of shifters.
Anyway, the main problem of them is, that they also seem work only with TrueKinetix-Trainers. Which is going from closed software (Zwift) to closed Hardware.
Lots of other training plattforms offer virtual shifting as well … without any special hardware. That’s what Zwift could have been done as well. And the may should have made something like a good “bluetooth hub” so that one of the most popular hardware device, the AppleTV, could connect to multiple BT (or even ANT+) devices.
Yeah would be better if both of them had done it as open on both ends as an open-source type of thing. But people generally change their (still very) expensive hardware less often than they ride on different software platforms (particularly since the Zwift price rise, lol)
Wahoo and zwift should have let people know beforehand which kickr will be supported or not.
A lot of people bought zwift play specifically for virtuall shift.
I bought a Click when it was announced as a standalone product for my v5 back in April. I contacted Zwift and they agreed to take it back for a refund. At least one of these companies is trying to do some damage control.
Ouch. Kickr V5 not getting virtual shifting is bad news for me. I don’t intend to do any free riding without virtual shifting and, this spring, I talked both my wife and my brother into getting Kickrs of their own with the promise that I would join them on group rides when I got virtual shifting on my V5.
Regardless, I’m grateful to Eric for this article. Knowing and dealing with the disappointment is better than fruitlessly checking on this every week. Like others, I very nearly bought the Zwift Play controllers in advance of the update. Phew…
What I find odd is that IndieVelo has virtual shifting built into the software. It just changes the resistance and associated speed. When I say ‘odd’, what I mean is, they aren’t going to implement it so that those of us with those older Kickrs are forced to buy a new one – rest assured when my kickr dies I won’t be buying another one.
I’m all ears for someone from Zwift and Wahoo to tell us why this isn’t possible. But like Depeche mode once sang I’ll enjoy the silence. .
[…]
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
[…]
It’s basically nothing else then ERG-Mode … just with some calculations
Totally agreed, it could all be calculated in Zwift, independent of the trainer. Basically Zwift is just looking at the ANT/Bluetooth tag of the attached trainer and if it’s a ‘supported’ device they allow the virtual gearing. It’s the way they [Zwift and Wahoo] are making there new friendship work. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, Zwift only allow for the very newest trainers… Wahoo make new sales… Perfect partnership.
Must have many V5’s sold as this came out during COVID lockdown. I have one.
Very disappointed that Wahoo won’t support virtual shifting.
Is the “Zwift Protocol” open or is is closed? If it’s a closed protocol that requires a special agreement to access it, I’m not sure if it will ever be available on trainers aside from wahoo and jet black.
And if it’s closed it’s a stupid move from Zwift. Zwift is no longer in the position to build a walled garden. myWoosh is closing the gap with a pace that even Tadej would be jealous of and on the more real world simulation side, bkool and rouvy also get their peaks.
Closed.
Then it’s the same sick move that Shitmano did with di2 … only difference is, that Shimano can afford it to do moves like this.
I echo all of the anger and frustration with Wahoo. I felt this was going to happen. It smelled from the very beginning and is why I did not buy the Zwift play controllers. I have a Kickr v5 and in terms of using it for virtual shifting on Zwift, I own a $1000.00 boat anchor. The least Wahoo could do is offer us some trade-in money to trade up. Even Apple does that. But, they won’t. And, I agree that Zwift bears some blame in this debacle for not addressing virtual shifting through their own software, like Indie Velo did. The v5 works fine on that platform.
Here’s my current plan. If I stay with Zwift, I’m going to buy the Jet Black Victory for $399.00 when it becomes available. I don’t care if Wahoo drops the price on the Core to match. They hit us in the wallet folks. Hit ’em back, hard! Don’t do business with them!
Don’t be a Wafoolagin!
Top marks for Wafoolagin! I feel like one at the moment.
A great article would be a clear explanation of why it is not possible to implement virtual shifting on the client software side instead of the trainer firmware side. IndieVelo does it. What is lost? And if it is just the “feel” of the shift (because perhaps the trainer can add a split second of resistance bump), why not have a backup strategy anyway and allow either option to work?
@Eric Schlange It would be super popular with your subscribers if you’d review the QZ app, as it claims to enable virtual shifting with Zwift with any smart trainer. Supposedly even works with Click and Play controllers. I’ve haven’t tried it, but looking at docs it appears you run this app on your phone and pair your Bluetooth FTMS trainer and Play controllers to it. Then the app broadcasts a “virtual wahoo trainer” over wifi, and you pair Zwift with dircon to this virtual trainer. Would love your opinion on this, and also how well it compares to “real” virtual shifting in terms of snappiness and road feel. Thank you!!! See
https://youtu.be/X3Q2WjbqMJo
The application looks interesting. The list of supported hardware is large. however, it mainly contains fitness equipment. I don’t see any popular bike trainers. There is no trial test option. I don’t want to spend another $ blindly.
I’m talking to the author of the program. He wrote that it works with wahoo :). I will test on PC. It’s surprising that such a program can be created by outsiders and not Wahoo or Zwift.
Keep us posted on how your testing goes! Thanks.
wahoo kickr finds it, connects to it. However, I have been trying to connect to Zwift Play for some time and I can’t.
QZ works with my Kickr v5 and an Android or iPhone.
Note: You need to have the QZ app open on the foreground on your phone at all times.
You can shift with a Bluetooth dongle like this :
https://amzn.eu/d/07tRs6bu
QZ works as a bridge between trainer and Zwift, first setup is challenging.
Agree with everyone else here on the v5. I had bought the play controllers preparing for, and excited to get virtual shifting. My KICKR v5 is in great shape. Was excited about the simplicity it would bring on swapping bikes out on the trainer – no longer needing to fiddle with derailleur tuning or swapping cassettes. Up to this moment, has been very pleased with the zwift/wahoo experience. Time to explore alternate platforms if they have abandoned me as a user.
Bought the cog & click ready for my V5 when it gets upgraded. Now we hear it’s not getting the upgrade. Left people hanging for months waiting for the upgrade. Wasted all that money for nothing. Don’t think I’ll be using zwift again.
If you lower the Trainer Difficulty on Zwift in the settings – you will find a sweet spot probably around 5-20% where the range of each gear is extended. I can do most races in 3 gears – middle gear for 90% of the race, one gear up for sprinting, one gear down for climbing but even then going down a gear is rare. Middle gear for the vast majority of racing ensures I have the straightest line (efficiency) and the clunk of physically changing gear cant be bettered by a virtual change – tell me different but is it Virtual Gearing the Emperor’s New Clothes?
I would like to see Zwift invest time in to making the companion app more stable so virtual shifting can be used with AppleTv without it dropping out every few minutes. So frustrating!
You know… if it really is true that the hardware is the limiting factor – Wahoo could definitely look at an ‘upgrade offer’ or trade up program for V4/5 owners that make it reasonable to move to the V6. I mean, wouldn’t that seem reasonable?
I don’t believe Wahoo when they claim the v5 has a hardware limitation preventing it from supporting VS. But, let’s say that’s true. It would be nice to see an upgrade program where you can order a service kit to replace an electronics board on the trainer, or ship your trainer back to Wahoo so they can upgrade the necessary hardware for you. They could even charge $200-300 for this upgrade and I’d probably pay it. Still way cheaper than getting a v6.
With the Introduction of the JetBlack Trainer, I think it may have Wahoo rethinking things? And “YES” I don’t understand the difference between the Core, and the V Series?🤔
You guys are like children who are eager to acquire every new toy that comes out. What is the sudden obsession with virtual shifting? What significant improvement does it bring to your quality of life/cycling? Perhaps if you are a professional racer and need to swiftly change gears during a sprint, virtual shifting may offer some advantage. However, aside from that, there is no real benefit. There are no cost savings on maintenance either.
I had the idea for a long time and was surprised that it had not been implemented. Why does he want it like that? Because I have designed my own bike so that it can stay in my room all year round without being unfastened. There is no need for very easy construction. The 1s chain lasted forever.
Do you put multiple bikes on the trainer? With different speed cassettes? The changing cassettes and tuning the shifting is a pain in the neck. My wife and oldest won’t go through the hassle. We don’t have room for multiple trainers and setups. Results in fewer people indoor riding in the house. It is not a new ‘toy’, it is how the stuff should really have worked in the 1st place if you think about a ‘smart’ trainer and an enabler to making use viable and friendly to mixed bike households.
Why do you need to change the cassette? Simply adjust the trainer difficulty in Zwift settings by one click. The effect is the same, man.
You’re wrong.
TrainerDifficulty is not the same as VirtualShifting.
They are completely different functions.
Trainer Difficulty lowers the speed and flattens your way. This is completely different from shifting gears. By setting it to 50%, your contributions become 2x smaller. I see the same thing on Wahoo Climb it floats 2x lower. By setting the TD to 0% you will not change gears because the road will be completely flat, even if there is an uphill.
That is not how it works. Please see some videos of GP Lama (Shane Miller) who did some tests about that. Changing the trainer difficulty from 100% to 50% does not make your climbing or power demands lower. It just make you use different cogs. You still have to push the same watts to get the same time, spend the same energy, and your speed is the same.
Yes, I know, watts are the same. Power is power. However, riding with a downsized TD is a different ride than riding on a hard-pack gear. I can’t get out of the saddle all of a sudden. You are making a grinder on the crank all the time. The most important thing is that the WAHOO CLIMB is flattened. At 0%, it won’t even move uphill. I like free ride on zwift it gives me joy. However, at 100% TD, the gears have to be changed too often. Which is noisy and consumes the drive. My left shifter has already broken down.
Guess I’m missing something. How does trainer difficulty make my KICKR v5 work across Campy 11 speed, Shimano 10 speed and Shimano 12 speed bikes? Happy to learn! So will the fam!
Exactly. TD can help with the range but not the indexing and chain width.
Indeed, why do you have to change cassettes on your trainer? Perhaps you need more cogs for climbing and you just have 11-28 cassette there. In that case simply adjust trainer difficulty to be easier. Your cogs will virtually change: instead of 11-28 they will become 14-34.
If you read the comment he clearly states that he is putting multiple bikes for multiple different people and the bikes have different speeds, ie 12 speed or 11 speed cassette. You can’t turn a 12 speed bike for your wife into your 11 speed bike using trainer difficulty.
Happy to learn more on this setting! My understanding was with the KICKR v5 as it stands, I need to match the cassette to the speed of the bike. How do I set trainer difficulty to setup a Campy 11 speed and Shimano 10 and 12 speed setups all on the same trainer without changing cassettes? Eager to learn! Thanks!
Nah, your setup is a mess and will never work without hassle unless you buy a stationery bike (even then you have to adjust and change saddles). Even with virtual shifting you would have to change cassettes because your 10-speed chain is not compatible with 11/12 cassettes and your 12-speed chain is too thin to be used on 10-speed cassettes. So even you stay on the same cog while using virtual shifting, as I assume is your idea, it will not work.
Halucinogen – agree, having multiple family members with non-identical bikes makes for a mess. But hey, it’s the world we live in. We are also significantly different in height, so having a stationary bike that works for all is… unlikely as I’m over 6’7″ myself.
On the comment about still having to change cassettes, that would be incorrect. 10, 11 and 12 speed systems differ in the width of the chain, not so much in the spacing of the rollers. Staying in a single cog in the rear and changing gears virtually would minimize rubbing of the chain and the need to precisely tune indexing for shifting, as long as it’s a cog with a good, straight path to the front.
This would mean bikes with differing speed systems could be used interchangeably – and bikes with the same speed but different vendors (i.e. Shimano/Campy) would be interchangeable without tuning to the derailleur cables. i.e. vastly simpler to swap various bikes on the trainer.
If you are a single user with a single bike then yeah… who cares, right? not that big of a deal.
But back to the point – it’s kinda lame of Wahoo to still sell the device, but not offer *some* path for their user base to gain the feature (through firmware update or discounted exchange program).
Virtual shifting will allow me to use the Zwift bike rather having to drag my own bike out of the shed and take the wheel off.
It would be a dedicated trainer.
You could have just bought a cheap bike years ago that sits on your trainer all the time, and bonus, you get an extra bike to use if your main one is in the shop or you need to lend it to a friend or something in a pinch.
A cheap bike has a larger footprint – the Zwift bike is much smaller and sits on my rocker plate.
I don’t understand, can you explain this? The zwift ride looks like it’s the same size as a bike, why doesn’t a bike fit on your rocker plate? I’m very confused.
[wpd-tenor full=’7JhCpDbT00YAAAAM/crycat-crying-cat.gif’ preview=’7JhCpDbT00YAAAAe/crycat-crying-cat.png’ width=’498′ height=’472′]
Behold! The dumbest comment in the discussion.
TACX lost most of its integrity when they were bought by Garmin (who is very close to being the Donald Trump org. of cycling paraphernalia)…
I’m wondering whether to replace my v5 with v6. However, he doesn’t want to repeat the mistake. V6 is already old, 2022. I’m afraid to buy it again as it will become obsolete in a year due to the software.
Buy the jet black victory trainer, you can replace it a few times and still come out ahead because it is much cheaper.
I’d question the company’s integrity more than the durability of the trainer. If you can’t rely on them to support hardware they’ve sold to many under the auspices of that continuing support then they’re hardware isn’t worth buying. They’re trying to manipulate sales via a false bottleneck.
I was real excited to be able to use both my bikes with the cog, then was very skeptical of their answers early on when the cog came out about compatibility. Now I’m done with wahoo completely if they don’t update the v5. There is very little chance that it isn’t possible to do shifting like this, considering it has ERG mode. Thus, it has the ability to change resistances to a certain set point, they just don’t want to invest the time to have code updated. Next trainer will be with a different company.
What I don’t understand is what is so difficult. Why don’t they allow us to program the Zwift controllers (or a key on the keyboard) that simply changes the trainer difficulty. Right now, if you need an easier gear that you don’t have, you can reduce that value via the “My Settings” option. Ideally, they would also allow change the setting to go to 200% instead of the 100% they have now – for folks that don’t have enough big gears.
The beginning of Wahoo’s end. What a disappointing and protracted bait and switch they’ve done on long time customers. I’ll be transitioning away from Zwahoo hardware/software
I am afraid I don’t believe what I am being told concerning the kickr 5 given the sequence of wahoo trainer releases are their compatibility to the cog and virtual shifting. When my 5 fails Wahoo won’t be getting my custom again ever.
It is a shame, I also have a v5 but found a way how it works: https://youtu.be/Ulc9M8OmvxE
My kickr v4 still running well made me consider buying other wahoo equipment. But not anymore. Lying about this upgrade means no elemnt bolt or speedplay for me. And I will search every alternative to Zwift this winter. Great job guys!
It is a shame, I also have a v5 but found a way how it works: https://youtu.be/Ulc9M8OmvxE
I bought a Kickr in 2022. Brand new. In the box. Then I made the huge mistake of ordering a zwift frame. The first frame arrived damaged after taking literally weeks of delivery time (the UPS delivery update info is hilarious). So, I had to send the first, damaged frame back. Zwift’s custmer service is literally the worst I have ever encountered anywhere. They do not have a phone bank. They have email (if you hunt around on the website long enough to find it) and your email will be ignored for a loooooong time. They finally respond to email and after I threaten a consumer complaint over the damaged goods, they send a new frame, and…. it does not work. it is incompatible with the kickr (as you have corrected stated above). No firmware update fix available. Un.Real. There is no warning anywhere i the zwift frame sale/promo/marketing materials that says: does not work with kickr v.5 Again… I just bought this kickr in 2022. I have now wasted many many many hours on this experience. I wish I had not bought the kickr to begin with. And I sure wish I had read this article and the comments before ordering the zwift frame. I am returning the second zwift frame. I am looking for an alternative to zwift that works with the kickr 5 so that I can cancel zwift and never use it again.
Sorry your experience has sucked thus far.
I do note that on the frame page (https://us.zwift.com/collections/all/products/zwift-ride-smart-frame?variant=45155438035200) there’s a link to click to see if your smart trainer is compatible. And that link makes it pretty clear that only the KICKR v6 is compatible.
My advice? Get a bike frame to go on the KICKR 5, hook up to Zwift, and enjoy the ride.
Any information if Magene T300 smart trainers are compatible with Zwift Cog & Click?
I use this Trainer with Zwift all the time and am considering getting Zwift Cig & Click.
They are not.
Hello, has anyone know if Van Rysel D500 will get virtual shifting any soon? Thank you.
Any update on the Volt V2 firmware?
We have got an update for elite justo. Firmware v20 but still no virtual shifting
Does anybody know if Van Rysel D500 can get an update and will also support virtual shifting? Thinking about getting a new one, just because of virtual shifting..
Thanks.
can I use the cog & click on my Elite Avanti ?
Unless Elite has released support without telling us, the Avanti doesn’t yet support virtual shifting. Elite told us a few months back “Firmware updates for Justo, Justo 2, and Avanti are expected in early 2025, with updates for Suito(-T), Direto, Direto X, and Direto XR Team coming this spring.”