The bottom of this page (http://baronbiosys.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-training-with-xert-and-zwift/) mentions a “Just Ride with Overlay” option, but only describes how to do such a thing on either Garmin IQ or an Android device (nothing about how to do it via iOS). I’m soon to be acquiring a Kickr Climb, and already fairly invested in Zwift, but it seems that the Climb only dynamically changes with terrain when out of workout mode (from Zwift’s perspective). I’m therefore very keen to be able to run my workout from Xert, but without trainer control, so that I’m forced to pace myself as the terrain changes in Zwift. Is there any way I can do this without needing to go out and buy an Android device? (I have a horrible history with Garmins, so won’t even consider that as an option.)
The only way to do this with an iOS device is to use something like the Viiiiva to convert an ANT power sensor to BTLE can connect that to the iOS app. Setup the Viiiiva to use your power data ANT ID and then connect the iOS app to that. You may find an Android phone with OTG USB adapter cheaper than the Viiiiva HRM however.
Just want to be sure I understand: this would mean the Xert iOS app can read the power data passively over BTLE, without trying to “control” my Wahoo Kickr? If so, I’m not sure I understand why it can’t just do that directly from the Wahoo Kickr’s BTLE connection, while I leave Zwift to control it via ANT+ (?) Then the Kickr itself is effectively the “bridge”, since it supplies both BTLE and ANT+… (I just was under the impression the Xert iOS app can only act in controlling mode, not passive mode like the Android app?)
I don’t believe the KICKR has a BT power profile that that app can connect to. If it connects to the trainer profile, it will control the trainer.
(Or maybe what you’re suggesting is that with the Viiiiva the iOS app will still attempt to control the Kickr, but simply won’t be able to as the bridge is presumably uni-directional?)
The bridge will use the KICKR’s ANT+ power interface, not the FE-C.
The issue you’ll run into with trying to use Bluetooth is that you can only connect to one device with it. I run Zwift on iPad linked to Apple TV using Bluetooth on my KICKR and my Tickr HRM along with the cadence sensor from my 4iiii PM. Doing this means no other device can connect to these sensors via bluetooth. If you’re running Zwift on a device that uses ANT+ to connect your sensors then you should be able to use the iOS app and Bluetooth to connect to the Kickr’s power profile.
Frankly I run everything I can through ANT+ (I have an ANT+ dongle on the computer and run Zwift on the computer). The Bluetooth connectivity is strictly for Xert’s mobile app on iOS as I have no Android devices, and there’s basically no other option (no computer-based application). The Viiiiva sounds like quite a nice solution, but reading into it in more detail it sounds like apps should ideally support its multi-sensor-over-single-bluetooth-channel mode of operation, otherwise it goes into a round-robin mode on the sensors (I’m not clear what the latency is in the switching between them, but if it’s 1 second each and I have HRM, cadence, and power it could be I only see a power reading once every 2-3 seconds – doesn’t sound very workable)… Does the Xert iOS app support the Viiiiva’s “multiple profile connection mode”, or rely on the Viiiiva’s “Plan B” round robin functionality?
(I guess if the latter, the suggestion is to only forward the power data so there is effectively no round-robin to any other sensor, and just leave the actual recording of all the data to another app like Zwift itself? =)