Zwift Play Controllers, and the Cog and Click

I noticed the other day, via the GP Lama YouTube channel that the latest firmware update for the Garmin/Tacx Neo 3M trainer (and, I think, the version 2 and 2T Neo trainers) enables virtual shifting on the Zwift platform.

I run Zwift on an AppleTV in my garage using a Tacx Neo 3M trainer, and I experience some issues. Firstly, the AppleTV bluetooth remote buttons are gradually breaking, presumably an accretion of sweat damage. Replacements aren’t cheap (and might just go the same way). Secondly, I often have a bit of trouble with jumping gears while training, particularly in intense intervals.

I decided to have a go with two devices that would now work with Zwift on my Tacx Neo 3M.

The first of these was a purchase of the Zwift Play controllers. These offer a multitude of buttons and functionality that effectively replace the AppleTV remote. The Play controllers strap to the drop handlebars and offer four buttons on each side along wth analogue paddles. Some of the controller functions vary depending on whether your are in workout mode or not, and in fact it’s taking me quite a while to get used to the button functions, especially those I don’t use often enough. But once paired and in use it pretty much removes the need to use the Apple TV remote which, for the reasons above, is a good thing.

The orange paddles control braking in one direction and steering in the other. There are also narrower grey buttons beside the orange paddles that allow you to increase and decrease the virtual gear (or intensity if you're riding a workout in Erg mode).

Two things concerned me. 

Mounting the controllers: Zwift point out that the Play controllers only mount properly if you are using brake/gear controllers without thumb shifters. Now, I recently added some L-TWOO shifters, which do have thumb shifters. I find the Play controllers do mount OK, but that they need to be at a somewhat jaunty downward angle. That seems to work fine for me, though of course physically shifting gears is impossible as the levers contact the Play controllers. No problem because in using Play controllers you’re probably moving to virtual gear shifting anyway. The controllers mount to the handlebars using stretchy rubber straps - very firm when in place.

Bluetooth Pairing: AppleTV has a limitation of two Bluetooth connections - while it can use up to three BT devices, one of these has to be the remote control. Normally, I have the Tacx Neo 3M connected and delivering Power, Cadence and controllability on one connection and my Polar H10 HR sensor on the second. The Play controllers require two more connections. This is solved by connecting via the Zwift Companion app on my Android phone - the phone has to be WiFi connected on the same network as the AppleTV. I was a bit worried this might present an issue, but so far it has been faultless in terms of Zwift (I have had problems with linking my BT earbuds up as well, but actually if you pair the earbuds after connecting all the devices via the Zwift Companion app, they work OK).

In use, all of the functions appear to be there - as noted above I’m still learning them all. There is a useful summary at the Zwift website.  Maybe if I were a computer gamer this would all be second nature to me - note that button functionality changes if you're riding in Workout mode. The Play controllers have worked flawlessly, and the only thing against them is my own fault as I have levers with thumbshifters. The Play controllers are charged via USB-C and come with a dual charging cable. From full charge you're supposed to get 20h of use before having to recharge.

About a week or so later, and after some more gear jumping, I decided that trying the Zwift Cog might be a good idea. Essentially the Zwift Cog is a single sprocket held in a plastic frame and it replaces the cassette on a direct drive trainer. I noted there are two models of Zwift cog and the one listed as for Elite and Garmin trainers was the one I ordered. The most recent version of Zwift Cog includes a neat spring action click wheel that allows easy alignment of the cog with the chain.

Installation of the Cog is straightforward, though you do need to pay attention to alignment since several components are made of plastic. I mounted the Click buttons on my handlebars as if they were a Garmin computer. The Click offers virtual gear shifting (or intensity adjustment if you're in Erg workout mode).

In use, the Zwift Cog is really quiet, especialy if you've taken care to align the chain with the cog. Time will tell if phantom chain jumps are now a thing of the past! The Click is powered by a CR2032 cell that you replace in the usual sort of way, by unscrewing the back of the unit. I've been connecting the Click along with the two Play controllers because the simplicity of the big colorful +/- buttons is so easy compared to finding the grey textured gear button on the Play controllers.

If you want to minimise trainer and drive chain noise (or, like me, try to make the transmission a bit more stable), the Cog is an excellent purchase. The virtual gear shifting works like a charm. I'm routinely pairing the trainer, HR sensor, both Play controllers and the Click to Zwift running on AppleTV via the Zwift Companion running on an Android phone.

I haven't seen the Play controllers bundled with a Zwift Cog, which i would have thought might be an attractive purchase.

Pricing - in the UK at the moment, I paid £59.99 fro the Click and Cog, with free postage. They arrived the next day by FedEx. The Play controllers cost me £49.99 with £7.50 shipping (these also arrived the following day by FedEx).