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Where is the Virtual Cycle or Virtual Ride for Zwift Users?

Hi Garmin Developers, indoor cyclists, quarantined riders and software enhancement enthusiasts,

Are there plans for an activity like 'Virtual Run' but used for cycling?  I use an indoor basic trainer and use the Garmin Speed and Cadence sensors to connect to my Fenix 6x Sapphire.  This had worked really well for riding using the 'Bike Indoor' activity, but I've recently discovered that the Garmin Speed and Cadence sensors can connect to the Zwift App.  So, the problem is now that my wrist heart rate (OHR) monitor doesn't connect to the APP (due to it's ANT+ only connection when broadcasting) unless I select the 'virtual run' activity on my Fenix 6x. 

Ok so, the 'virtual run' activity will broadcast OHR via BT to the Zwift App, but the virtual run app doesn't sync with the Garmin Speed and Cadence sensors (audible exhale).  Which means that when I'm done my Zwift ride, I have to discard the 'virtual run' activity because the only metrics it captured is my HR and time.

The best solution to fix this problem is to create a virtual cycle or virtual bike app, that connects to all the existing bike sensors, and will broadcast them via BT to the zwift app.

Please Garmin, hear our request and create this activity Slight smile

  • This is absolutely necessary asap !

  • Like I said in a different post, it is possible to get your watch to broad cast your HR to Zwift. In fact, with Zwift it is much easier than others. First go to the run mode and get your watch in Virtual Run app to connect and hit start on the watch (you do not need to start the run), head out of the run mode and switch to cycling on Zwift and look for your watch in HR sensors.

    With other virtual riding apps, like Rouvy or if you want to dual record (with Head unti, etc. for correct calculation of training effect as an example) you would need to do a BT and Ant+ recording. That is possible by turning on broadcast while in activity.

    It is definitely not ideal and I will take the native solution any day, but this is you best bet so far.

    Having said all of that, Garmin's HR sensor has been much more inaccurate than my HRM Tri recently and hence please be aware a dedicated chest strap might work much better in the long run than jumping through the hoops to get this working.

  • I would have thought they would have included it after the initial virtual run in beta. Surely can't be that hard once the run activity was developed. 

    Or even simpler just enable hr broadcast over Bluetooth as an option. 

  • Surely this cannot be so hard. Come on Garmin! 

  • Yes please use Zwift everyday. Would love some integration with our fenix 6x pro. 

  • We need Virtual Bike or Cycle for sure to rebroadcast HR via Bluetooth while recording a cycling activity and getting FTP and other cycling centric metrics calculated by the watch. 

  • We need Virtual Bike or Cycle for sure

  • Also, I was having a problem with the OHR from Virtual Run on Sufferfest where it wouldn’t ever get above 95 bpm. The Garmin Rep said the problem is the HR algorithms are unique to running and don’t work for cycling. He has escalated this to the developers. I can’t believe with everyone into indoor cycling they haven’t created this app yet. 

  • We need a solution like this! I just learned and used the virtual run on my new Nordictrack machine, but would love to have a solution to use for virtual cycling instead to have to use a dongle and therefore to have to use a Computer and be bale to use an Ipad for instance. If you have already done this for runners, do it also for riders!

  • 1) Virtual Ride profile

    2) Broadcast heart rate via Bluetooth. 

    Garmin must do it.