Virtual Shifting, Garmin please engage.

Hello! We are here and listening to user feedback.
I have seen very cool 3rd party or DIY "workarounds" to support Zwift's new hardware controls and virtual shifting features. We see the value in this type of function and are continuing to investigate ways to bring more features to Tacx users.

All,

https://forums.zwift.com/t/zwift-virtual-shifting-support-for-garmin-tacx-indoor-trainers/647945

Please comment in this new Discussion that I opened in Zwift Forums - Feature Request, the more people we comment the more voices they will hear. I have requested to add this support to Garmin TACX trainers, please tell your friends to comment so we can have massive presence and Zwift Developers make this happen

"One shouldn’t overlook the fact that Garmin has held back on doing Zwift Cog/Click. My discussions indicate they are keenly aware that if they were to jump into that arena, without protocol openness, it’d pretty much kill off the rest of the indoor trainer apps within 1-2 years."  See the DCRainmaker blog post on Rouvy enabling virtual shifting posted 2/12/25 on dcrainmaker.com.  Everyone needs to understand the virtual shifting by Zwift without protocol openness is simply Zwift's attempt at complete market monopoly both in apps and trainers. To reiterate, the folks in the know, DCrainmaker, Gplama, & Garmin, all realize that Zwift virtual shifting is bad for cycling folks market wise. ***, Zwift virtually owns Wahoo and Jetblack at this point. Both have had to completely rearrange their business models around Zwift with contracts with Zwift.  Wahoo would have gone under without them.  Zwift virtual shifting is bad, extremely bad for the app market and trainer market.  Thank god Garmin is the only light at the end of the Zwift tunnel.  Think about it, of the major three just a few years ago, Saris is all but dead and Wahoo hangs on with a deal with Zwift.  Jetblack survives only with deals with Zwift.  The market has to have app and trainer competition.  Zwift will love the day when trainers are only capable of virtual shifting in Zwift's protocol.  As an aside, it's worth mentioning that MyWoosh opened virtual shifting using their app only to do the shifting.  Maybe clunky but you can shift with it apparently.  So, your Tacx can shift with MyWoosh virtually now.  Just put it in the middle cog of your cassette.  Hope this helps folks understand the major huge downside of virtual shifting.  You'll all be locked into a one trick pony if Garmin enables virtual shifting and in two years the only training app will be Zwift and the only trainer manufacturers will be those that contract with Zwift.

Garmin-Clayton, please never give in to Zwift.  I prefer my trainer to not be a one trick pony.

This is not my decision alone but I appreciate your feedback here.
We will continue to support Tacx trainers with updates as indoor cycling platforms change and evolve.

Another item I forgot to comment on is the financial viability of Zwift long term.  Remember that just a year ago Zwift laid off 150 or more people and their CEO quit.  This has come to be a yearly occurrence with Zwift since 2021.  Why would we all want our trainers locked in to Zwift virtual racing only with Zwift play controllers etc., if Zwift takes a crap and goes out of business.  They certainly wouldn't be the first app company to go out of business.  To the point, as far as I can find, to date, Zwift has still never turned a profit in any year.  Just how long will their investors tolerate this?