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.
Try it for 5 days (7 on Windows) to check it works with your setup. Then Base, a one-time purchase per platform, or Pro.
- Buttons
- 18nine 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
The Zwift Ride in each trainer app
One answer per app: whether it works, how BikeControl gets there, and the setup guide.
- ZwiftYesNatively, and through BikeControlZwift also reads it without BikeControl.Setup guide
- MyWhooshOfficial partner, OpenBikeControl built inYesThrough BikeControl, over OpenBikeControlSetup guide
- RouvyOfficial partnerYesNatively, and through BikeControlRouvy also reads it without BikeControl.Setup guide
- BiketerraYesThrough BikeControl, with the inputs Biketerra already acceptsSetup guide
- TrainingPeaks VirtualOfficial partner, OpenBikeControl built inYesThrough BikeControl, over OpenBikeControlSetup guide
- Other trainer appYesThrough BikeControl, with the keys you mapSetup guide
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, and nothing to unlock
Because the buttons come with the frame, the usual controller questions do not arise: no straps, no clamp position to compromise on, and no coin cell to keep spares of. The Zwift Ride has no handshake to refresh either: it keeps sending button presses for as long as it is paired, the same as the original Zwift Click. The Zwift Ride V2 is a separate device, sold and marketed as such, and ships locked to Zwift the same way the Click v2 does, so this site lists and guides it separately.
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.
What to know about the Zwift Ride
- Native support
- Zwift and Rouvy read the Ride natively. MyWhoosh, Biketerra, and TrainingPeaks Virtual need BikeControl in between — and so does any other trainer app.
- Designed for Zwift
- The Zwift Ride was designed for Zwift, so it works best there. In other apps, what its buttons can do depends on what that app supports — BikeControl brings it as far as each app allows.
- 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 Local, 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.
- Trial, Base and Pro
- You can check that BikeControl works with your setup before you buy: the trial lasts 5 days with up to 80 controller actions a day (7 days on Windows, without a daily cap). After that you get 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, which you can try for 20 minutes a day, a daily trial of Pro.
How to use the Zwift Ride in any trainer app
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.
Pair the Zwift Ride
Wake the Zwift Ride’s shifters and pair them with BikeControl over Bluetooth. There is no unlock step: this Zwift Ride, on firmware below 1.3, has no handshake to refresh.
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 Local depending on what that app accepts.
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.
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?
How many buttons does the Zwift Ride have, and can I remap them?
Does the Zwift Ride need any kind of unlock or daily refresh?
Which platforms does this work on?
Do I need to pay to use the Zwift Ride with another app?
What riders wrote in the stores
Seven reviews from the App Store and Google Play, quoted word for word.
“The high quality of both the app and customer service really makes it value for money.”
NicoGoogle Play review “it works, many possibilities, like the screenshot ability to simulate finger touch.”
CedricGoogle Play review “Works perfectly with my Zwift Cog and Click on my Xiaomi tablet.”
MaximeGoogle Play review “Because of this app I bought zwift ride. It unlocks zwift ride to be used with Mywhoosh. You can see the amount of work done by the developer through the huge amount of features.”
VladGoogle Play review “Great job by the developer! Using Cycplus BC2 on the iPhone and on the Mac. Now I can virtually shift MyWhoosh and TrainingPeaksVirtual on the Mac.”
WaltApp Store review “Works great in general, and now with SRAM. No Zwift click needed anymore which is especially helpful for ROUVY.”
RedirApp Store review “Works much better with click v2 on iPhone and MacOs myWhoosh app after the latest update. All in all, very useful app.”
r4deApp Store review
Ride with your Zwift Ride.
Pair the Zwift Ride once and use it in the app you ride today, and the next one. A 5-day trial on every platform (7 on Windows) shows it works with your setup. Base is bought once per platform; Pro is a subscription.