The Indoor Cyclist's support thread

gtluke said:
Just got an e-trainer last night.
I started having a conniption about that fact that these things use ANT+ since they are plugged into the god damn wall until I read the history of trainers on DCRainmaker.
Didn't even think about it when setting it up for me since I have a samsung phone and they have ANT+ built in. But setting up my wife with her Nexus5x was impossible. It took me an hour to understand that most people use an actual computer to use these things. I've somehow managed to live my entire life without a laptop so this really isn't possible for me. In theory it should work using the ANT+ usb stick and an OTG android adapter (maybe?). I have old ones for micro USB but none for USB-C. Amazon to the rescue.
Maybe I'll try my old work laptop that hasn't been powered on in like 3 years.
Other than photography and work I probably wouldn't even own a computer. I'm shocked that it's the standard for trainers. Or to use dongles to connect them to tablets and phones. Super frustrating because the physical hardware to support ANT+ exists on basically every phone out there but other than Samsung and a handful of others it's not supported. If the OTG adapter works I'm going to shit myself. The 5X has the hardware to support ANT+ and I could do it if I root her phone, but instead I have to use an OTG adapter and a USB stick that contains the same fucking hardware that's in the phone in the first place to connect.
Or just hook up a laptop like some kind of neanderthal.
It seems if I just bought a current generation billion dollar trainer they are all now bluetooth which is obviously supported by everything. except said laptop.
Click to expand...

Wahoo Kickr has both ANT+ and Bluetooth. So do a lot of powermeters and HR monitors.
 
Delish said:
Wahoo Kickr has both ANT+ and Bluetooth. So do a lot of powermeters and HR monitors.
Click to expand...
yeah seems the norm now, I bought one that was a few years old cause damn they are pretty pricey.
ANT+ had it's place prior to low power bluetooth. It should be used in applications where it's running off a coin cell battery. I was just shocked that something plugged into an electrical outlet was using ANT+. At the time of it's construction you couldn't control trainer feedback with ANT so it seems really pointless to hook such an expensive trainer up to a garmin. the garmin being the only application where I could see ANT+ being used over bluetooth. Regular trainer with power? ANT yes, smart trainer, seems dumb.

My cyclops trainer is actually offerened in both bluetooth and ANT+ versions (which caused half my confusion googling this till I realized there are two versions) and I'd put a healthy bet that the hardware is identical. I wonder if i could force flash the bluetooth model firmware onto it and enable bluetooth.
 
jShort said:
Which model did you get?

This way we can all tell you how to use it. :)
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Cycleops Powersync ANT
I can use it fine, I have a samsung phone.
My wife on the other hand has a Nexus 5x and a chromebook. Neither of which are compatible.
I'll try it tonight on an old work laptop. F'ing thing isn't even widescreen. It's not the square one but only slightly wide, I think they made laptops like that for a year or two. But it's got a serial port!
 
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Desktop PC up fuckin stairs running zwift. THREE 16FT USB extension cords to the ant+ adapter. Wife's Chromebook remote desktop to upstairs PC. Chromebook also casting to Android TV. Bluetooth headphones to Android TV for sound too.

Had this working at first with just my galaxy s8 doing the remote desktop and casting but it was a pain not having access to my phone.
My phone can do that but zwift says it's not powerful enough to run zwift. So they really aren't developing for it.
 
oh and wife wouldn't stop complaining about uncomfortable road bike, so I put my only mountain bike with QR on.
But it has maxxis tires so...
i-fx4G9Ws-XL.jpg


I popped all the zits, guess I have to buy a new tire even though it's like brand new other than falling apart.

Then it's actually too big to fit on the trainer, it rubs. So I put my road wheel on it.
i-cXxmQcf-XL.jpg


Anyone have a spare 10spd cassette of any kind and a smallish tire that'll fit on a crest? I have a spare wheel but no smaller tires or cassette. I cross tire would work or probably any mtb tire around 2.0. The ignitor just barely was rubbing.
 
Luke, it may be easier to load a workout onto your Garmin and have it control the workout. I didn't even think that the ANT+ thing would be an issue, I forgot you're a BetaMax guy. :)

Considering the price of that trainer, the headache is probably worth it.
 
Santapez said:
Luke, it may be easier to load a workout onto your Garmin and have it control the workout. I didn't even think that the ANT+ thing would be an issue, I forgot you're a BetaMax guy. :)

Considering the price of that trainer, the headache is probably worth it.
Click to expand...

The 800 can't control it, only the 820 can. For training I'm fine, my Android works fine with ant+ if I use the cycleops app. Which is fine
It's my wife or if I want to zwift that's the hurdle.
 
Does zwift really not have audio support for shit talking to your friends?
How is this program so bad but so popular. It's like Strava's glaring missing features. Roadies must love shit that only half works that include absurd monthly payments. They must all lease Volkswagens too ;)
 
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