Table of Contents
The Zwift Cog made its first appearance when the Zwift Hub One trainer was announced in October 2023. It’s a single-sprocket replacement for a standard bike cassette, designed to be used on trainers that support Zwift’s virtual shifting.
Read all about virtual shifting on Zwift >
Zwift’s big goal with the Cog and virtual shifting overall is to simplify indoor bike setups, making it easier for Zwifters to set up their station and swap between bikes if needed. As hardware continues to evolve, Zwift has been evolving the Cog, releasing three versions we know of.
Before we get into the differences between the versions, let’s talk about what they have in common:
- There are sloped spacers on either side of the sprocket that act as chain guides, keeping your chain on the sprocket even if it isn’t perfectly lined up.
- Compatible with Shimano HG (Hyperglide) compatible freehubs.
- No electronics are included in the Zwift Cog. It’s a simple piece of plastic and metal.
- Compatible with most 8-12 speed drivetrains.
- Product life tested to >25,000 miles.
Zwift Cog Versions
Version 1
- Sprocket: 14-tooth
- Color: Black
- Tooth Profile: more pointed (~2mm across), thinner
- Noise Level: 5/10
- No longer sold
Version 1.05
- Sprocket: 14-tooth
- Color: Black
- Tooth Profile: less pointed (~3mm across), thicker
- Noise Level: 4/10
Version 2
- Sprocket: 14-tooth (for all trainers except Elite, which uses an 18-tooth)
- Color: Orange, with Zwift logo
- Tooth Profile: same as v1.05
- Noise Level: 2/10
- Adjustable across 10 different positions left to right
- Includes rubber rings and other housing changes for noise reduction
- Available as a standalone product from Zwift with new Click v2
- Ships with the Zwift Ride smart frame
Zwift Cog Installation
If you buy the Zwift Cog as a standalone product, you’ll need to install it onto your smart trainer. There are two installation methods depending on your situation, and Zwift explains both on this support page (including tutorial videos).
Method 1: Keep Your Current Freehub
If you purchase the Zwift Cog without a freehub, you’ll need a chain whip and lockring tool to remove your current cassette and install the Zwift Cog. (Here’s an affordable set of these two tools on Amazon, or Zwift sells a set as well.)
Zwift walks you through the process:
Method 2: Replace Your Current Freehub
If you buy the Zwift Cog with the freehub attached, you’ll need to remove your trainer’s existing freehub, then install the Zwift Cog and freehub in its place. Once again, Zwift shows the way:
Zwift Cog FAQ
Do I need the Zwift Cog in order to use virtual shifting?
No. In fact, I’ve ridden thousands of miles on Zwift using my road bike with a standard cassette and virtual shifting via Play and Click controllers. In fact, many riders (including myself) have found their chain is quieter and smoother on a standard cassette than on a Zwift Cog!
Zwift Cog v2 offers easy adjustability and compatibility with various bikes, so it’s nice to have if you’re swapping bikes on and off the trainer. But if you’re only using one bike, and especially if it stays on the trainer (so no need to ever tweak your shifting to be smooth on your trainer and outdoors), there’s no need to get a Zwift Cog. If you have Click virtual shifters or Play Controllers you’re ready to go, provided your trainer supports Zwift virtual shifting (see list below).
Should I upgrade my Zwift Cog version 1 to version 2?
Entirely up to you. The version 1 Zwift Cog is functional, it’s just louder than the v2 and doesn’t have that easy left-right adjustability. If either of those features are worth the investment for you then by all means, purchase a v2 Zwift Cog.
If I install the Zwift Cog on my trainer will that let me use Zwift virtual shifting?
Only if your trainer supports Zwift virtual shifting and you have a virtual shifter. Remember, the Zwift Cog doesn’t have any electronics in it – all the magic happens between the shift controllers (Zwift Click or Play), the Zwift game software, and your trainer.
What trainers are compatible with the Zwift Cog?
That depends on what you mean by “compatible.”
The Zwift Cog will install on any Shimano HG-compatible freehub, which means it can be installed on basically every direct drive smart trainer in the world. But – and this is a big but – you don’t want to install the Zwift Cog on your trainer unless it supports Zwift’s virtual shifting. Because without virtual shifting, your trainer with a Zwift Cog just makes your bike into a single speed! (Or two speeds, I suppose, if you’ve got two front chainrings.)
Here’s a current list of trainers that support virtual shifting.
- Elite Avanti
- Elite Avanti with Zwift Cog and Click
- Elite Direto
- Elite Direto X
- Elite Direto XR
- Elite Direto XR with Zwift Cog and Click
- Elite Direto XR-T
- Elite Justo
- Elite Justo 2
- Elite Rivo
- Elite Rivo with Zwift Cog and Click
- Elite Suito
- Elite Suito T
- JetBlack Victory
- JetBlack Volt V2
- Tacx NEO 2
- Tacx NEO 2T
- Tacx NEO 3M
- VAN RYSEL D100
- Wahoo KICKR CORE
- Wahoo KICKR CORE 2
- Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One
- Wahoo KICKR Gen 6 (2022)
- Wahoo KICKR Move
- Zwift Hub Classic
- Zwift Hub One
And here’s a post discussing which trainers will be supporting virtual shifting in the future.
Questions or Comments?
Got more questions I can answer about Zwift Cog? Got an experience to share? Comment below!
I bought the Zwift hub one can i put a cassette in this trainer as well?
Yup! Just like any other trainer.
I got the original version with the original cog. The plastic mechanism on either side of the chain broke apart three separate times. I don’t know if it is a type of plastic that gets weakened due to chain oil, but the same thing happened every time. I sent the trainer back. It was perfectly aligned and I even sent pictures showing the alignment. They had no idea why it did that. Then I got the Kickr Core with the Hub and it happened again. At that point I gave up and just put a cassette on. The difference in sound is amazing. It is much, much quieter with a cassette. I have zero desire to try platforms other than Zwift. But because those platforms do not support Zwift virtual gearing, with the setup I have, if anyone wanted to, they could try those sites. I’m sticking with Zwift.
That’s wild, I’ve never heard of anyone breaking those plastic parts. Were you kicking it regularly to try to get it to be quieter? 😜
But yeah, a cassette is much quieter.
Right? I have never read of anyone else’s breaking. They all broke in the same place and on two different trainers. Problem solved with the cassette anyway!
I got the kicker core in November and after a month the inner plastic cover broke on the click wahoo have since replaced it and all good so far and very quiet I find centre the chain and away I go
This happened to me with the Kickr Core Zwift One. The inner plastic piecr just broke right off mid-ride. Sprocket still works so I just kept riding 🤷♀️
I have always found it loud – maybe will explore getting a cassette instead.
How do these do with SRAM flat top chains? Does the roller size cause any skipping or extra noise?
What I’ve heard, from some Zwifters, is that it’s pretty noisy with the flat top chains. Zwift doesn’t seem to be saying anything official about that, though.
I received my Wahoo Core with the Zwift hub 2 weeks ago and was surprised it didn’t come with the 2.0 cog. I was under the impression all the new orders from Zwift would have this fitted. I have 10sp campagnolo and the cog doesn’t quite mesh right so it looks like I will be another 80£ deep for the new adjustment on the new model.
Good article, good knowledge about current versions for us, but… No info on the upcoming version 3 🥺 the one that you can rotate to index match the bike derailleur
Huh? Isn’t that the version 2 discussed above? Haven’t seen a version 3…
I bought an early zwift hub one, and yes the zwift cog is noisy. Can I buy a v1.05 which is much quieter and I don’t need the adjustability of the v2, or is it better just swapping the cog for a cassette.
I’m surprised about your feelings about how noisy it is. Did you try 2.0 version as well? I have wahoo kickr core and frankly speaking it’s a bit too noisy for me ( actually cassette not the wahoo itself), so I thought zwift cog 2.0 can be a good idea but now I don’t know… 90% of my rides I use erg mode with training uploaded. Do you think it make no sense to buy it?
Cog won’t be quieter/smoother than your cassette, so if you’re getting it for that reason I’d skip it.
Thank you very much! I’ve just saved 80 EUR and frustration:). For me the only reason would be the noise reduction so makes no sense. Thanks again!
Hi,
Is it possible to connect any bike to the Zwift Cog? I’m thinking to use it with a MTB (https://www.decathlon.es/es/p/bicicleta-mtb-travesia-expl-50-gris-oscuro/_/R-p-342673?mc=8754796&LGWCODE=2&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADkAje9oeLhq42vy2bG7-nlwpTrDS&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoae5BhCNARIsADVLzZfDqiFsTY8MkkY2_ZYhYgA2qRGXcMH8IOq45GL2vuWRiPEXrPWvCTAaAhglEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&utm_campaign=es_t-perf_ct-pmax_n-top-ciclismo_ts-pro_f-cv_o-roas_xx-otm-pi-ga-per-prio&utm_id=21018416300&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google)
thanks a lot,
Pablo
Yes, Zwift Cog and virtual shifting work great with MTB!
Even if it is only 7 speed? Thanks.
Should still work fine.
It would be great if Zwift would sell the Cog separately. I got Version 1 with the Click and have Zwift Play … but Version 1 does not suit my 12 Speed Campy and also not the 8 spd shimano of my sons bike. But I don’t want to buy another click/cog-set.
Oh, and I would really appreciate if Zwift make the protocol open so that all trainers could support it.
Open protocols is what allowed zwift to exist in the first place! But now they gotta bite the hand that fed it and try to make a monopoly power play. Shameful.
Hello, I bought the Van Rysel d100 and Zwift cog and click, however I can not connect the Zwift click in the Zwift game. Do you have any hint?
Extra question: is it really that loud, or the reason for the noise is my Campagnolo super record chain?
If you have the orange Zwift Cog, it shouldn’t be all that loud. Might try a different chain/bike and see what happens…
I cannot connect Zwift click and Van Rysel d100 in the Zwift. what can be the reason?
What device are you running Zwift on? The Click can only connect via Bluetooth…
The setup is as following:
Van Rysel D100 Indoor trainer
+
Zwift on PC
+
Zwift Cog&Click
Zwift connects my indoor trainer without problem, but Zwift Click does not pop up
Bonjour, j’ai le même problème (avec la même configuration) Zwift reconnait tt de suite le Van Rysel D100 mais impossible de connecter le Zwift Click !!
Just bought zwift cog+click v1.05, and noticed it was pretty noisy, even has adjusted the RD, and then trying to change with my previous shimano cassete (using 15 tooth single sprocket), seems noisy was reduced so much
If I bought my Zwift ride with the KICK core a few months ago and it’s loud as hell. 5/10 feels about right. So loud that I sent a video to Zwift and they sent me an entirely new KICK core. The new one sounds just like the last one, maybe even louder. Are you telling me that a Version 2 will cut that noise by more than half?
I am! That’s my experience at least. And you can hear that in Shane’s video here: https://youtu.be/43wYwkeqrRA?si=nkERJPvEIyoMznMm (although for my own setup, I noticed more of a difference).
Zwift and Wahoo are now selling the Core with the Cog v2… Zwift just told me yesterday. With Play controllers, for $499! See it at https://bit.ly/kickrcore-play
I purchased the Zwift Hub about 3 months after it came out and have loved it. When the cog came into play I instantly bought it and ran into an issue with the cog breaking. There was a small metal piece that messed up and my chain would spin and no power/resistance would come from it. I sent it back and got a new one and the same issue happened. While I’m happy with my current setup, I might have to try the new upgraded version to see if the cog works. It’s definitely a really cool aspect, but obviously worried with the multiple issues I’ve had. Still love Zwift and their customer service team is A+++
I received kicker core with cog last week and was noisy at first as if catching on my derailler but was going to adjust it to move it centrally but moved my gear leaver witch centered it and was ready to ride holding the leaver but it was ok when I decided to ride and it’s been ok since and so quiet it’s the black cog also cannot believe the issues riders having
Thank you for the article. I have a kickr core with a 11 speed cassette. I recently bought the zwift frame that came with the cogv2. I tried to replace the cassette with the orange cog but it’s not fitting. The thin spacer and the wide spacer are also missing. Any help is appreciated.
You’ll need a spacer for it to fit. I don’t remember which goes with the Core, but I’m sure Zwift’s videos explain it.
Thank you. The spacers (thin and wide) are not included with the cog. Also there is no freehub. I have reached out to their support.
I figured it out. The cog doesn’t have a freehub, and I have to use the freehub that comes with the cassette. I need to remove the cassette, keep the freehub intact, and then fit the cog.
Do you need two chainrings if you use Zwift hub?
Thanks for your article, very interesting.
It is a shame they are still selling the Zwift Ride+Wahoo Kickr core package with Cog v1 !
I know we can buy separately the v2 but that’s 80 € more to aligned…
Hello. Would this compensate for the lack of top end speed on a mtb with 34 front ring since it has gears?
Yes, virtual shifting will give you more resistance so you don’t spin out in MTB gearing.
Love to know if the cog has a track (1, 1/8”) compatible verson (fixed gear is my current bike I use on rollers)
Hi, I have the COG V2 and am satisfied. However, I would adjust the gears more finely. The transition between gears is usually associated with a considerable jump in resistance. Is there any way of adjusting this? Thank you
Hi I just got the Zwift COG v2 two days ago. I have the Zwift HUB with a cassette to start with but since I got a new bike I needed a new cassette and chose the Zwift cog. I dont see this mentioned anywhere when it comes to noise but is it correct that it has a freehub click when free-wheeling? My old cassette had no noise when I didnt pedal so it was quite a surprise that the cog which everyone mentions is very quiet has a free-wheel clicking.
Do you guys’ Cog also have this?
Yes, the Cog’s freehub has standard pawls that click when free-wheeling. That clicking noise is pretty standard.
If you don’t like the clicking, you could remove your Zwift Cog from its freehub, and put your old quiet freehub on your trainer and install the Zwift Cog on that.
Hi Eric,
Thank you for all of this great info. I just installed it yesterday and set it up in the front small chainring of my bike as recommended. Could I put it in the large chainring, do you know?
I usually ride with my Wahoo paired, so the distance was off and this was a little annoying, but the power was still consistent if that makes sense. Is this avoidable or just something not to worry about?
Thank you so much,
Matthew
Yes, you can always ride in the big ring. That’s what I do, because I like the feel of the higher flywheel speed.
Don’t worry about Wahoo distance. It’s calculated completely differently from Zwift’s, so the two can’t really be compared.
😃Hey, ich habe mir das Zwift Ride gekauft. Wurde mit Cog2 geliefert. Den Kickr Core hatte ich bereits. Kann mir jemand, der einen Cog2 hat, sagen, ob der im Video abgebildete silberne Ring (ich meine nicht den Verschlussring) im Lieferumfang dabei war und zwingend notwendig ist? Vielen Dank 😁
Hi
I have to the elite direto xr-t and want to buy the cog. Do I have to buy the no freehub version? Or will it work with the Multi trainer version. Availabilty in Norway is a problem
Should work with either. You can always remove the Cog from the freehub if you buy them together, but don’t want to use the freehub it came with…
Thank you for article. Would Zwift cog and click work on pinnacle hc trainer do you know? Thank you
I ride with workouts or training plan and find that the Zwift does not calculate speeds well when it doesnt know what gear I am in. As in the terrain could be inching along when Im flying on a big gear or opposite. Does the Zwift Cog/Click change this disparity?
Your speed in Zwift is based almost entirely on your power. Zwift doesn’t care about what mechanical gear you’re in, or how fast your cadence is… the game just takes your power as an input and simulates speed based on that.
All that to say, if your avatar is moving slow, it’s because your power is low.
Hello, I want to purchase V2 cog for Elite XR-T as upgrade kit without Freehub.
How do Zwift v2 cog with 18T do with SRAM eagle chains (NOT FLATTOP) ? Does the roller/teeth profile size cause any skipping / extra noise / chain wear?
can i use zwift cog on thinkrider pro7?
As far as I know, Thinkrider doesn’t support Zwift virtual shifting at this time. So the Cog, while you could install it on your trainer, would just turn it into a single speed trainer.
I have a Zwift Hub (the OG one). It feels like the internal spacer is fixed (I can’t pull it off) and I dont need to use the small spacer on the outside. Am I understanding the video correctly?
The Zwift app says that my Tacx Neo 3M is not compatible with virtual shifting. Is that usual ?
That’s odd. But check two things:
1) Make sure your Neo’s firmware is up to date.
2) Make sure you’ve paired it via Bluetooth (ANT+ doesn’t support virtual shifting).
So if I understood this correctly, it is not compatible with the Gen 4 Wahoo Kickr? That’s the one I have.
Gen 4 KICKR does not support Zwift Virtual Shifting, no.
Zwift cog is compatible with 10 speed campagnolo and sram ttype chain?
Is the Zwift Cog and Click Upgrade Kit compatible with the Saris H3 direct smart trainer?
Nope. Unfortunately, no Saris trainers support Zwift’s virtual shifting.