Smart bike trainers are quickly growing in popularity — and for good reason. Trainer manufacturers and riders alike are catching on to the numerous benefits that smart trainers have to offer.
Perhaps the coolest benefit of a smart trainer is its ability to communicate with cycling applications and control resistance automatically as you workout (ERG mode). With the arrival of smart trainers using the new ANT+ FE-C protocol, you can now use more smart trainers to their full capacity with our software.
TrainerRoad should be compatible with all ANT+ FE-C trainers. If your trainer isn't detected, contact support@trainerroad.com.
Pairing Your ANT+ FE-C Trainer on Mobile
View your devices and make sure your ANT+ key is plugged in/enabled and that ANT+ shows as On. Tap on the ANT+ Trainer to begin pairing.
Note: Your trainer will show up as 'ANT+ Trainer', rather than ANT+ FE-C.
2. Once your device has paired it will be bordered in green. Tapping it again will open the Device Settings menu.
3. Here you can adjust mode, resistance level, PowerMatch and calibrate.
4. After completing a spindown calibration you will now be ready to ride!
If you receive an error message following the spindown calibration, try adjusting the tension on the tire. An error message may indicate too much or too little tension on your rear tire.
Pairing your ANT+ FE-C Trainer on Desktop
1. Select the Devices tab and make sure you have an ANT+ USB 2 stick plugged in, then click on the name of the trainer that you wish to pair with.
Note: Your trainer will show up as 'ANT+ Trainer', rather than ANT+ FE-C.
2. Your trainer is now paired. Hover your cursor over the device to get it to appear green, as shown below. Click on the trainer's tile to open the settings.
3. Click the white “Calibrate” button to begin your spin down calibration.
4. Follow the directions on your screen to accelerate your bike to the proper speed and maintain that speed for as long as the screen instructs you to.
5. Let your bike spin down freely. Do not use the brakes.
6. When the spindown is complete click “Finish” to accept the calibration value. Now you’re ready to start your workout!
Pairing your ANT+ FE-C Trainer to Legacy AIR Apps
1. Select the Devices tab and make sure you have an ANT+ USB 2 stick plugged in, then select "Pair".
2. Your trainer is now paired. (Be sure that the "Enable VirtualPower" is not checked.)
3. Calibrate your device by clicking the "Spindown" button and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you receive an error message following the spindown calibration, try adjusting the tension on the tire. An error message may indicate too much or too little tension on your rear tire.
4. Once complete, you're ready to start riding!
Updating Your Trainer's Firmware
If you're experiencing issues pairing your Tacx ANT+ FE-C trainer, you may need to update your Tacx trainer's firmware with the Tacx Utility App (available in the iOS App Store).
To get started, enable Bluetooth on your device. When you open the utility app, you should see your trainer appear on screen — select your trainer. The app will determine which version of firmware you're currently running on your trainer, then give you the option to update your trainer to the latest version. To do so, tap "Upload firmware..." and wait for the firmware to upload and install. Once your firmware has been updated, a completion message will appear. Follow the directions to unplug your trainer and complete the update process.
Your firmware should be updated and your Tacx smart trainer ready to pair. You can verify that your firmware update is complete by selecting your trainer from the main screen. If updated correctly, you'll now see the newest version of firmware for your trainer.