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Can't calibrate indoor trainer sensor

Marcus Dubya
over 4 years ago

I noticed that when riding on my indoor smart trainer (Saris H3) controlled by a Zwift HIIT training session, the speed recorded on my Edge 830 would not change much regardless of cadence or watts.  The speed hovers around 10-11mph regardless of whether I'm pedaling a cadence of 90 at 120 watts or if cadence is 100 at 200 watts.  I try to recalibrate the Indoor Trainer Sensor from the menu on the 830, but it errors out immediately.  If I click "Retry", it goes to the screen that says to pedal up to the required speed, but instead of any speed data, it displays a message saying, "Temperature Too Low".

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Worth saying that speed you see on your edge 830 from the trainer bears no relation to speed on Zwift. Your trainer will send speed back based on how fast you're pedalling, what gear you're in and how many sensors there are on the trainer. If you stay at the same cadence and in the same gear your trainer speed will not vary regardless of the resistance setting, unlike on Zwift where your speed is calculated based on power, gradient, bike type etc. Not sure if your trainer calibration is supported from the 830, you might have to use an app separately. Worth checking the manufacturers info to see whats supported as I'm not familiar with that trainer.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    If you're riding and controlling the H3 with Zwift (or Trainerroad, etc.), you do not want to pair the H3 with your 830 as a trainer.  You can't have the app and the 830 both trying to control the H3.  You can pair the H3 with the 830 as separate speed, cadence and power sensors.  Doing that, the 830 will read those from the H3 and not interfere with Zwift controlling the trainer.  Doing it this way, you use app to calibrate the trainer, not the 830.

    Personally, when riding Zwift or some other app, I just use that app to record all the data and upload it to any other app (Strava, etc...).  I have no need and I don't see any need  to use the Edge concurrently when using an app for trainer workouts. 

    When not using an app to control the trainer, you can use the edge to do so by pairing the H3 as a trainer.  You can then ride and record the workouts through the Edge.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to looigi

    Looigi,

    You can have the Edge paired with the trainer while using an app like Zwift or TrainerRoad. Just don't try and control it by using a Garmin Connect Workout, or controlling the resistance via the Edge.

    Personally, I like to use the Edge to (passively) record indoor workouts, so that I have an idea of my overall Training Load through Garmin Connect.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to mcalista

    Trainerroad, Zwift and most all other training apps will automatically upload to GC, and that's what I do rather than having the Edge running during a workout where I am using one of those apps.

    I have used the Edge during an indoor workout for the purpose of recording data from a power meter (pedal based or crank based) to compare to the power recorded by the trainer in whatever app I was using.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to jgforrest

    My setup of letting Zwift control my trainer and using the 830 track data from the trainer has worked flawlessly for me up until earlier this week when the speed stopped calculating correctly.  I calibrate the H3 trainer using the Saris app, and I would periodically calibrate the sensor within the 830.  Previously, the 830 would immediately display "Calibration Successful" within seconds of choosing the calibrate menu option.  Since the speed has been off this week, when I try to calibrate, it always says the calibration failed and displays Temperature Too Low.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to looigi

    mcalista is correct.  I've been using the 830 to record the indoor workouts to track training load since the beginning of January, but it stopped working earlier this week.  I'm not controlling the H3 trainer with it.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to looigi

     Good to know.  If you have Zwift (or whatever app) upload the session to GC, will GC factor it into your Training Load?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Marcus Dubya

    No it won't.  Only data recorded by the Garmin will have the advanced metrics and count towards training load.  This is why I record my trainer rides on my 830.

    To be honest when following training plans the distance/speed is not relevant so it shouldn't matter that what the numbers you have recorded are.  I use Trainerroad and I don't bother looking at the recorded distance as it is irrelevant.  It doesn't matter if it doesn't get recorded at all really.

    As long as you have calibrated your trainer with the trainer app you don't have to calibrate with your Edge as well.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Wongataa

    That's good to know. Though I do upload my activities to GC, I don't use Garmin advanced metrics as I've been using similar in other apps since before the 830 and those metrics came out.  In those apps, any/all activities contribute, no matter how recorded, and even if manually input, so no need to restrict recording to Garmin products.