Hi all, new TR user here. I’m having issues of regular BT drop outs between TrainerRoad and my Zwift Hub. The trainer maintains connections fine with Zwift and Systm - just not with TrainerRoad. I’ve tried the usual options - reset, unpair/pair and so no, but to no avail. TR doesn’t even see the ANT+ connection for the Hub. Has anyone experienced similar?
Welcome to the forums.
Ant+ and BTE are device level connections, has nothing to do with the app really, TR or otherwise, except that only one device/app can hold a BTE channel at a time.
What devices have you got in the room?
It’s a bit difficult to troubleshoot with the lack of information you provided. What device are you running TR on? Even though ANT+ is a broadcast that can have multiple listeners, your PC needs a separate device for each application trying to listen. Bluetooth can only have a 1:1 connection so if you have connected bluetooth to an app or device, no other app or device can connect. Bluetooth dropouts can be caused by various things, like interference, distance, etc, but as JoeX says, not likely to be specific to TR.
Fair point. I have a MBP running TR. The Hub is connected via BT and I have a Garmin HRM connected via an ANT+ dongle. I don’t have any other apps running in the background. Just seems odd I get no dropouts when connected via other apps and yet my HRM is constantly dropping out and the Hub lost connection at least 10 times during a workout.
@JoeX - Hi! Um. In the room I have a TV and a treadmill and Google Home (which I’ve tested just now with both turned off)
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It does seem odd
And when you say dropping out, you see the number of paired devices go down during the workout?
I’d reach out to support@trainerroad.com
In the mean time I’d do a short recovery ride without the HRM in the building, as it were.
Download Pettit or something. Disable all other electrical equipment nearby, phones, wifi, the lot. Just the MBP and Trainer.
Reboot the MacBook, only launch TR. power on the trainer and go from there for thirty minutes.
Good luck.
Thanks @JoeX. Turns out it was the ANT+ and the BT not playing nicely when both used art the same time. Wasn’t an issue with Zwift as my HRM was connected to the Hub via ANT+, which passed the signal via BT to Zwift. As the Hub doesn’t pass connected sensor data over to other apps I had to connect the HRM to the laptop, causing the issue. Zwift Hub via ANT+ was also flaky so BT HRM on order. Thanks again!
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Glad you sorted it - I got a Garmin Dual HRM partly for these reasons. Two BT connections simultaneously.
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Hey there! Glad your issue got sorted.
For anyone else coming across this thread, the Zwift Hub has the ability to have other devices (such as an ANT+ HRM) connect to it, package all that data up, and then send that data to Zwift.
At this time, this feature does not work with TrainerRoad, which is why there may be connectivity issues if one tries to connect their devices to TR using this method.
Bluetooth is also our recommended method of connectivity, so it sounds like a Bluetooth-capable HRM is the move!
Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
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Exactly this!
Zwift Hub and a HRM both connected via bluetooth - now working perfectly with TrainerRoad.
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Been using Trainerroad for years successfully with Kinetic Roadmachine trainer and virtual power. I’ve made the leap and just got the Zwift Hub and cant hold a bluetooth connection with Trainerroad on my windows laptop. Just continually dropping out. No problems connecting with any other devices so layman’s conclusion is that the Issue is with the Trainerroad programme or Hub rather than my lap top. I have disconnected all other bluetooth devices in the vicinity as advised. Anyone else had this issue?
Also, I wasnt intending on subscribing to Zwift as Trainerroad meets all my needs but it seems i have to subscribe to be able to calibrate it, as when i do manage the brief conection the resistance is all over the place and flits between spinning to not being able to turn the pedals. Anyone know if this is correct?
Hi @AY341F . I can’t speak much to the connection issues. I’m on a Mac and BT connection works fine with the Hub. Are you connecting any sensors to the Hub directly? (see earlier posts about throughput).
WRT calibration. You don’t need a Zwift subscription to calibrate the Hub - you can do that for free. Just select the spanner icon against the device in Zwift for a spin down calibration (you can also do it in the Zwift companion app under devices).
However, you can also calibrate the Hub in the TR app (see screenshot).
It’s worth noting though that Zwift have announced an auto-calibration feature that’s being rolled out (compatible with apps other than Zwift), so soon there’ll be no need for standalone calibration, apparently.
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Hey there!
I think it could be worth checking to see if your Zwift Hub is running on the latest firmware. You can find instructions from Zwift on that in the following article:
It may also be worth seeing if you can get your bike/trainer setup any closer to your laptop running the TR app – even a couple of feet can make a big difference!
It also sounds like you’ve done so already, but double-checking that your trainer isn’t connecting to another laptop/tablet/phone never hurts. Sometimes, trainers and training devices can connect to a phone (or similar) nearby just through its main “Settings” page, not just through an app. It could be worth disabling (rather than just disconnecting) Bluetooth on nearby devices to see what happens just to totally rule this one out.
We also have a full Help Center article on Bluetooth troubleshooting you can check out for additional tips.
And @RidingYourBrainwaves nailed it with the calibration advice! This TR Support article has all the steps listed, which might help you out in addition to the screenshot already posted in this thread.
Hope this helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any more trouble.
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Thanks for the response. BT connection issue resolved. Had to buy a new laptop with better BT though. No issues with Zwift or TR. However, it feels nothing like my fluid trainer. Its impossible to keep steady power. The resistance snatches and grips all the time. Seems ths same whether in ERG or Resistance mode. Wish i had never bothered with dam thing. Im starting to wonder if its how they are meant to work. Any ideas?
What mode do you use? The advice on TR is to use Standard mode as it replicates a fluid power curve, but this isn’t an option with Zwift Hub, only ERG or Resistance.
I use my Zwift Hub in ERG mode only. I’ve only had a roller-type trainer to compare it to, but my Hub is great - I don’t experience the issue you’ve reported with TR at all. Do the issues happen when you ride with the Zwift app too? I’d get on to Zwift support about it.