Zwift Ride: 18 drop-bar buttons

The Zwift Ride is a smart frame rather than an add-on controller, so its shifters are not something you clamp on: they are integrated into the drop bar, nine buttons a side, and they are the most buttons of any controller on this site.

Last updated:

The hardware

Buttons
18 — nine on each side of the bar
Actions in BikeControl
54
Power
Built into the frame’s cockpit
Mounting
Integrated — it is the bar
Typical price
Around 600 USD as a frame

Eighteen buttons, fifty-four actions

Nine buttons on each side of the cockpit, and BikeControl reads a single, a double and a long press on each button as three separate actions: fifty-four assignments, the widest mapping BikeControl can build on any controller. In practice that means you never have to choose between steering, the action bar and your gears — every action a trainer app exposes can have a button of its own, and you can still keep the two shift buttons where your thumbs already expect them.

Integrated, so there is nothing to mount or unlock

Because the buttons come with the frame, the usual controller questions do not arise: no straps, no clamp position to compromise on, no coin cell to keep spares of, and no handshake to refresh before a ride. Pair the shifters with BikeControl once and they keep reporting for as long as they are connected.

You bought the cockpit — now use it everywhere

A Zwift Ride is a considered purchase at around 600 USD, and out of the box the drop-bar buttons are aimed squarely at one app. That is the gap BikeControl closes: it reads the shifters directly and hands the presses to whichever trainer app you are riding, so the cockpit you paid for works the same way in all of them. If you do not already have a bike to put on a trainer, it is a solid way to get one — with the caveat that our own time on one has been brief, so treat the hardware impressions as first-hand-but-short.

What to know about the Zwift Ride

Native support
Zwift and Biketerra read the Ride natively. MyWhoosh, Rouvy, and TrainingPeaks Virtual need BikeControl in between — and so does any other trainer app.
Unlocking
Nothing to unlock: the Zwift Ride keeps sending button presses for as long as it is paired with BikeControl.
How it connects
The Zwift Ride pairs with BikeControl over Bluetooth. BikeControl then reaches your trainer app over Network, Bluetooth, or Accessibility, depending on which app it is — so BikeControl can run on the same device as the app or on a phone beside it.
Platforms
BikeControl runs on iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS. Apple TV cannot run BikeControl itself, but an app that accepts the Network connection can be driven from an iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC.
Free and Pro
BikeControl is free to try for 5 days (7 on Windows); after that the free version allows 15 controller actions a day until you buy Base, a one-time purchase of about 4.99 $. Pro (about 2.50 $/month) adds three actions per button, use on all your platforms, and BikeControl's own virtual shifting without the 20-minute daily limit.

The Zwift Ride in each trainer app

How to use the Zwift Ride in any trainer app

  1. Install BikeControl. Install BikeControl on iOS, Android, Windows or macOS — on the device that runs your trainer app, or on a phone or tablet next to it.
  2. Pair the Zwift Ride. Wake the Zwift Ride’s shifters and pair them with BikeControl over Bluetooth. There is no unlock step and nothing to refresh.
  3. Pick your trainer app. Choose your trainer app in BikeControl. Each one arrives with a default mapping for its own actions, and BikeControl connects over Network, Bluetooth or Accessibility depending on what that app accepts.
  4. Map the buttons. Change any assignment you like in BikeControl's keymap editor. BikeControl reads a single, a double and a long press on each button as three separate actions, so the Zwift Ride's 18 buttons cover more than shifting.
  5. Ride. Start a ride. The Zwift Ride's buttons now trigger the actions you mapped, in whichever trainer app you are using.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the Zwift Ride with trainer apps other than Zwift?

Yes. Zwift and Biketerra read the Ride natively. MyWhoosh, Rouvy, and TrainingPeaks Virtual need BikeControl in between — and so does any other trainer app. BikeControl pairs with the Zwift Ride over Bluetooth and hands each button press to the app as an action it already understands, so no app has to add support for the hardware.

How many buttons does the Zwift Ride have, and can I remap them?

18 buttons, nine on each side of the bar. Every one of them is remappable in BikeControl, and a single, a double and a long press count as separate actions — 54 assignments in total. Shifting is usually two of them; the rest go to steering, the on-screen UI, emotes or whatever your app exposes.

Does the Zwift Ride need any kind of unlock or daily refresh?

No. The Zwift Ride has no encrypted handshake to refresh, so it keeps sending button presses for as long as it is paired. That is the practical difference between it and the Zwift Click v2.

Which platforms does this work on?

BikeControl runs on iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS, and reads the Zwift Ride on all of them. It can run on the same device as your trainer app or on a phone next to it, depending on how that app accepts input.

Do I need to pay to use the Zwift Ride with another app?

BikeControl is free to try for 5 days (7 on Windows); after that the free version allows 15 controller actions a day until you buy Base, a one-time purchase of about 4.99 $. Pro (about 2.50 $/month) adds three actions per button, use on all your platforms, and BikeControl's own virtual shifting without the 20-minute daily limit.

Comparing controllers, or looking for a different one? See all supported controllers and apps, the Virtual Shifting hub, or download BikeControl — free to try on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS.