About BikeControl

BikeControl is an indoor-cycling app that makes the shifters, controllers and smart trainers riders already own work in the trainer app they want to ride — for cyclists on iOS, macOS, Android and Windows.

It is made by OpenBikeControl UG, an independent one-person company in Germany, with two goals. The first is to build apps for indoor and outdoor cycling around what riders actually ask for, rather than around what earns the most per rider. The second is an open ecosystem: every controller, shifter and trainer brand speaks its own protocol, often a closed or encrypted one, and every trainer app has to support each device separately. The open OpenBikeControl protocol is how we are working our way out of that.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

What BikeControl does

Controller support in any trainer app

BikeControl reads the shifter or controller a rider already owns — Shimano Di2, SRAM AXS, WHEELTOP EDS, Zwift Click, Play or Ride, CYCPLUS BC2, a gamepad or a Bluetooth remote — and turns each press into shifting, steering, braking, workout intensity or in-app navigation in Zwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual, Strappo, Biketerra or any other trainer app. One set of shifters works in every app, instead of one controller per app.

Virtual shifting on any smart trainer

Paired directly to BikeControl, an FTMS, FE-C over Bluetooth or Zwift Ready trainer gets a simulated drivetrain with 1 to 30 gears, custom ratios and a virtual front derailleur. BikeControl passes the trainer on to the trainer app, so the same gears follow the rider from app to app. How virtual shifting works

The OpenBikeControl protocol

OpenBikeControl is an open, MIT-licensed protocol that lets controllers talk to trainer apps over Bluetooth or the local network. MyWhoosh, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo implement it, which is why BikeControl works in those apps as a built-in connection rather than a keyboard simulation.

Bluetooth-to-WiFi bridge and Apple TV

BikeControl can re-publish a Bluetooth-only trainer on the local network, and it runs next to a trainer app on another device. That is how riders on Apple TV, or with a tablet too far from the trainer, get their controller and trainer into the app.

What makes BikeControl different

Open where the rest of the market is closed

Most controllers speak a protocol that only their maker’s app understands. Zwift Click v2 ships with encrypted firmware that has to be unlocked in Zwift once a day before it works with both controllers anywhere else. OpenBikeControl is the opposite: the specification is published on GitHub, costs nothing to implement, and three trainer apps have adopted it.

An official partner of four trainer apps

MyWhoosh (since April 2026), Rouvy (April 2026), TrainingPeaks Virtual (June 2026) and Strappo (July 2026) are official integration partners. For MyWhoosh, BikeControl is the official way to use a controller.

Virtual shifting that isn’t tied to one app or one trainer

Zwift’s own virtual shifting needs a Zwift Ready trainer. BikeControl’s works on FTMS, FE-C over Bluetooth and Zwift Ready trainers, in Zwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual, Biketerra and any other trainer app — with the rider’s gear setup carried along.

The shifters riders already own

Riders can train indoors with the Di2, AXS or WHEELTOP EDS levers on their own bike — every AXS button individually since BikeControl 6.3 — instead of buying a separate remote. Gamepads, keyboards and the hood buttons of a Wahoo KICKR Bike work too.

Priced for riders, with a free version that stays useful

BikeControl is free to try for 5 days (7 on Windows) and then still allows 15 controller actions a day. Base, about 4.99 $, is a one-time purchase with no subscription. Pro, about 2.50 $ a month, is only needed for unlimited virtual shifting, all platforms on one license, and advanced button actions. See the pricing page

Who uses BikeControl

• Indoor cyclists on MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual or Strappo who want to shift and steer with a physical controller.
• Road cyclists who ride their own bike on a smart trainer and want their Shimano Di2, SRAM AXS or WHEELTOP EDS levers to shift in the trainer app.
• Owners of a Zwift Click, Zwift Play or Zwift Ride who also ride in apps other than Zwift.
• Riders with an FTMS or FE-C smart trainer that has no virtual shifting of its own — for example a Wahoo KICKR Core.
• Riders who run Zwift or MyWhoosh on an Apple TV, a tablet or a second computer.
• Trainer-app developers and hardware makers who want controller support through an open protocol instead of one integration per device.

The team behind BikeControl

Jonas Acker, founder

Jonas Acker builds BikeControl and wrote the OpenBikeControl protocol. A long-time PC enthusiast, he has ridden a road bike and trained indoors since 2023. Strava · GitHub

How it started

Jonas had a Zwift Hub and the year of Zwift that came with it, but used only a small part of Zwift and wanted to try other trainer apps — with the Zwift Click he already had. The Click spoke an encrypted protocol only Zwift understood, so in March 2025 he decoded it. SwiftControl 1.0 was out three days after the first commit.

Riders kept asking for more controllers, more apps and virtual shifting on their own trainers, so the project grew into BikeControl, got a company behind it — OpenBikeControl UG — and turned the lessons of reverse-engineering other people’s protocols into an open one that trainer apps adopted in 2026.

The team

BikeControl is a one-person company. Jonas writes the app, answers support and works with the partner apps himself — nothing is outsourced.

How BikeControl works with riders

Getting started

Download BikeControl from the App Store, Google Play or the Microsoft Store — no account and no payment needed for the 5-day trial (7 on Windows). The app asks for the controller and the trainer app, then walks through the connection; a built-in self-test checks the setup before the first ride.

• App Store (iOS, iPadOS, macOS)
• Google Play (Android)
• Microsoft Store (Windows)

Getting help

The in-app support chat is the fastest route, because it carries the controller, app version and trainer app along with the question; support@bikecontrol.app reaches the same inbox. Jonas replies himself, in English or German, usually within a few hours. There is no phone line. All ways to get in touch

Updates

60 releases since March 2025, roughly one every ten days, each listed on the changelog. Feature requests and bug reports are public on GitHub.

For trainer apps and hardware makers

The OpenBikeControl specification is on GitHub. Partners work directly with Jonas on their integration; write to support@bikecontrol.app to start one.

Key facts

Frequently asked questions

Is BikeControl the same app as SwiftControl?

Yes. SwiftControl was renamed BikeControl in early 2026; it is the same app, the same developer and the same store listings, and every purchase carried over.

Is BikeControl made by Zwift or by a trainer-app company?

No. BikeControl is made by OpenBikeControl UG, an independent company in Germany. MyWhoosh, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual and Strappo are integration partners; BikeControl is not affiliated with Zwift, Wahoo, Shimano or SRAM.

Do I need a subscription?

No. After the free trial, Base (about 4.99 $, one-time) removes the daily limit on controller actions. Pro is a subscription for riders who want BikeControl’s own virtual shifting for more than 20 minutes a day, one license on all platforms, and advanced button actions.

Does BikeControl work with my smart trainer?

Virtual shifting works with FTMS, FE-C over Bluetooth and Zwift Ready trainers. If your trainer already pairs with Zwift or MyWhoosh, it will very likely work with BikeControl; the free trial is the quickest way to check.

Is BikeControl open source?

The app’s source code is public at github.com/OpenBikeControl/bikecontrol, and the OpenBikeControl protocol is an open specification anyone can implement. The builds in the app stores are proprietary.

Can my trainer app or controller support OpenBikeControl?

Yes, at no cost. The MIT-licensed specification and example code are on GitHub; write to support@bikecontrol.app to be listed as an implementation or to get help with an integration.