8 guides
Setup & Installation
Pairing, calibration, power accuracy, cassette fit and room layout for smart trainers and indoor bikes.
Most setup problems are one of four things: the cassette or axle does not fit, the connection drops, the power reads wrong, or the bike fit is off. Each guide below covers one, using the manufacturers' own support pages. Start with the cassette and freehub matrix before you buy, and the disconnection checklist if a trainer that worked yesterday stops pairing.
| Symptom | Check first | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Cassette will not fit the trainer | Your freehub standard: Shimano HG works on every trainer we list; XD/XDR, Micro Spline and Campagnolo need a different body or are unsupported | Cassette and freehub matrix |
| Trainer drops out mid-ride | Close every other app that can connect to it, then power-cycle the trainer and the device | Keeps disconnecting |
| Virtual shifting does nothing | Connect over Bluetooth: Zwift says virtual shifting is not supported over ANT+ | Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi |
| Power reads lower than your power meter | A gap of a few percent is normal; consistent beats identical | Power accuracy |
Each row summarises the opening of the linked guide, which carries the sources and dates.
All 8 setup & installation guides
- Smart Trainer Cassette and Freehub Compatibility Matrix
Which cassette, freehub bodies and axles each smart trainer takes, from manufacturer pages: KICKR, CORE 2, Elite Justo 2, Avanti, Rivo and Saris H3 Plus.
- How to Set Up a Direct-Drive Smart Trainer: The Complete Guide
Set up a direct-drive smart trainer correctly: cassette or Zwift Cog, thru-axle adapters, bike mounting, Bluetooth/ANT+/Wi-Fi pairing, calibration, and.
- Smart Bike Fit Guide: Match Your Outdoor Position Indoors
Set up a smart bike to match your outdoor bike. Measure saddle height, setback, reach, bar drop, crank length, and solve common indoor fit problems.
- Bluetooth vs ANT+ vs Wi-Fi: Trainer Connections by Model
Which connections each smart trainer offers, which support Zwift virtual shifting, and how to get around Apple TV's three-connection Bluetooth limit.
- How to Calibrate a Smart Trainer: Spindown, Auto-Calibration, and Model Rules
Learn when a smart trainer needs a spindown, auto-calibrates, or requires no calibration. Includes Wahoo KICKR, CORE, Tacx NEO, FLUX, and fault checks.
- Smart Trainer Keeps Disconnecting from Zwift: Fix Order
Fix a smart trainer that drops out of Zwift: Zwift's own causes and fixes in the order to try them, split by symptom, with Bluetooth and ANT+ limits.
- Smart Trainer Power Accuracy: What Reviewers Measured
What independent reviewers measured for smart trainers against power meters, why gaps appear, and a repeatable dual-recording test.
- Zwift Cog Compatible Trainers: The Full List and Limits
Every trainer on Zwift's Ready and Cog-compatible lists with notes, what Cog cannot fit, and why virtual shifting needs Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, not ANT+.