If you’ve been inspired by the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships to give virtual cycling and maybe racing a try but don’t want to commit to the expense of a full smart set-up, you can get a feel for Zwift with the most basic kit.
Dumb/Classic Trainer
Almost any turbo trainer or even rollers can be used with Zwift so, if you’ve already got one gathering dust, you should be able to use it on the platform.
With Zwift offering a free 7-day trial, it’s worth trying to see if it enhances your indoor cycling experience.
A “dumb trainer” is so called because it doesn’t transmit power and receive information regarding the virtual world you’re riding in. However by adjusting resistance manually and using your gears, you can still adjust intensity and speed.
Zwift takes information from a speed sensor (see below) on your rear wheel, compares it to a known power curve from your trainer and then calculates the speed of your avatar in-game.
Zwift has a list of Supported Classic Trainers and, although for the most accurate power estimation these trainers are optimal, unsupported trainers will still work.
A bike
This sort of goes without saying but just ensure that the rear skewer/thru-bolt on your bike is compatible with your trainer and securely holds your bike in place. Many trainers require a special skewer/thru-bolt rather than the standard one on your bike. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer.
A wheel speed sensor
A speed sensor measures the speed of your rear wheel. Some simply attach onto the hub whereas others require a magnet on the spokes and a chainstay mounted sensor. The sensor will transmit to your device using ANT+, Bluetooth or both. Check that the signal is supported by the device you’re planning to run Zwift on.
You can also use a cadence sensor and, although this isn’t necessary for Zwifting, it’s a useful metric.
If you’ve got a power meter on your bike, use this to talk to Zwift and you won’t need a speed sensor.
A device to run Zwift
You can run Zwift on the following devices:
Smartphones/Tablets: Bluetooth only
iPhone
iPad/iPod
AppleTV
Android
Computers/laptops
Windows 7 64bit or higher: ANT+ supported if you plug in an ANT+ dongle, Bluetooth supported on Windows 10 with Bluetooth 4. Zwift recommend using ANT+ on Windows.
MacOS 10.9 or higher: ANT+ supported if you plug in an ANT+ dongle, Bluetooth also supported.
If you’re using an ANT+ dongle, you might also need an extension cable as, unless the dongle is close to the speed sensor, you might experience drop-outs.
Limitations of a budget set-up
The biggest limitation is that, because the trainer isn’t interacting with Zwift, there will be no automatic changes in resistance based on the virtual world you’re riding in.
Because Zwift is having to calculate your virtual power or zpower, there tends to be a slight delay. This isn’t an issue for longer steadier efforts but can be annoying for shorter sprints or in races.
Even with supported trainers, zpower is still an estimate and so, you do need to take the figures it gives with a pinch of salt.
Because of this, a lot of races, although allowing zpower riders to take part, will filter them out of the final results.
