DEVICE SUPPORT
Heart rate monitor plus smart trainer.
Zone Pedal runs locally on your iPhone. You need one Bluetooth heart rate monitor and one compatible smart trainer for HR-adaptive resistance control.
What You Need
Zone Pedal reads heart rate over Bluetooth, controls compatible trainers directly from your phone, and keeps all workout data local unless you choose to export a summary to Apple Health.
Bluetooth HR Monitor
Any Bluetooth heart rate monitor works. A chest strap is recommended for lower latency and steadier readings. The Polar H10 is recommended and enables ZonePedal's optional overnight cardiac baseline capture for next-day readiness assessment.
FTMS Smart Trainer
FTMS is the primary control path for real-time trainer resistance changes during Zone 2 and HR-adaptive interval work.
Tacx FE-C and CPS
Some Tacx trainers expose FE-C over BLE instead of FTMS, and Cycling Power Service telemetry is used when available for tighter ride feedback.
Older ANT+ only trainers are not the target configuration for the App Store release.
Known Trainer Compatibility
Zone Pedal auto-detects FTMS, Tacx FE-C over BLE, and CPS at connection time. The table below shows the trainer models currently documented and whether Zone Pedal can fully control them.
| Trainer | Protocol | ZonePedal Control | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wahoo KICKR (2018+) | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. Includes KICKR Core, KICKR v5/v6. |
| Wahoo KICKR Snap | FTMS | ✅ Full | Wheel-on; FTMS certified. |
| Wahoo KICKR Move | FTMS | ✅ Full | Same protocol as KICKR. |
| Tacx NEO 2T | FE-C + FTMS | ✅ Full | Supports both; Zone Pedal uses FTMS if available, FE-C fallback. |
| Tacx Flux S / Flux 2 | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Tacx Vortex Smart | FE-C | ✅ Full | Older Tacx; FE-C only (no FTMS). Zone Pedal handles this. |
| Garmin Tacx NEO Smart T2800 | FTMS | ✅ Full | Current generation, FTMS certified. |
| Elite Suito-T | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Elite Direto XR | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Elite Zumo | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Saris H3 | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Saris MP1 | FTMS | ✅ Full | Motion platform; trainer component is FTMS. |
| Kinetic R1 | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Kinetic Smart Control | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Zwift Hub | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified; designed for Zwift but standard FTMS. |
| Zwift Hub One | FTMS | ✅ Full | Same as Zwift Hub. |
| Stages SB20 | FTMS | ✅ Full | FTMS certified. |
| Saris H2 | FTMS | ✅ Full | Previous generation; FTMS certified. |
| JetBlack VOLT | FTMS | ✅ Likely | FTMS advertised; not developer-tested. |
| Kinetic Road Machine Smart | CPS | ⚠️ Read-only | Wheel-on with CPS only. Zone Pedal reads power but cannot set targets. Resistance-mode only. |
Indicators: ✅ Full = FTMS or FE-C control confirmed. ✅ Likely = FTMS advertised by the manufacturer but not developer-tested. ⚠️ Read-only = power data only, no automated resistance targets.
CPS Limitation
Trainers that only support Cycling Power Service (CPS) — such as some older Kinetic Smart models — can connect to ZonePedal and transmit power data, but cannot receive automated resistance targets. ZonePedal's HR-adaptive control requires a trainer that supports FTMS or FE-C.
How to check your trainer
Open your trainer's app (Wahoo, Tacx, Elite, Saris) or search your model on DC Rainmaker's reviews. Trainers advertised as "FTMS compatible" or "works with third-party apps" via Bluetooth will work with Zone Pedal. If your trainer only says "ANT+ compatible" without Bluetooth, it won't work wirelessly with an iPhone.
Not sure about your trainer?
If your trainer isn't listed above, check whether it advertises FTMS compatibility — or reach out and we'll confirm.
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