Garmin sensors and watchesin FORGE Ride.
A basic trainer with a Garmin speed or cadence sensor, a heart-rate strap, or your watch: how to ride FORGE Ride without a smart trainer.
What it speaks,what the game controls.
On a basic trainer, the speed sensor gives your wheel speed, turned into watts with a typical fluid trainer’s curve (about 200 W at 30 km/h); the cadence sensor gives a power from your cadence (about 150 W at 85 rpm). These sensors fall asleep when the wheel stops: the game reconnects them as soon as you pedal again. A Garmin watch can also broadcast your heart rate over Bluetooth (“Broadcast Heart Rate” on the watch).
| Model | Type | Protocol | In the game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Sensor 2 (« SPD-BLE… ») | On the wheel hub | Speed (CSC) | Estimated power |
| Cadence Sensor 2 | On the crank arm | Cadence (CSC) | Estimated power |
| HRM-Dual · HRM-Pro · HRM 200 | Heart-rate strap | Heart rate | Heart rate on screen |
| Rally · Vector (pédales) | Power meter | Cycling Power | Measured watts |
Four steps.
- 1
Install the sensor
The speed sensor on the hub of the rear wheel, the cadence sensor on the crank arm (not on the wheel). Turn the wheel or the pedals: it wakes up.
- 2
Unpair it elsewhere
A Bluetooth sensor talks to one app at a time: close Garmin Connect, Zwift or any other app that uses it.
- 3
Connect in FORGE Ride
On Windows, FORGE Ride finds it by itself (it shows as “SPD-BLE…” for a speed sensor). In the browser, CONNECT, then the sensor in the list.
- 4
Ride
Pick a road and pedal: your rider moves with an estimated power. Add a heart-rate strap or your watch with the same button if you like.
It doesn’t show up
Pedal to wake it, check that no other app holds it, and that your computer has Bluetooth (a USB Bluetooth adapter does the job). Keep the computer within 2–3 m of the trainer.
The resistance doesn’t change
Check the label: with FTMS, Tacx FE-C or Wahoo, the slope controls the resistance. “Power only” means the trainer sends watts but takes no orders: update its firmware. The trainer difficulty in SETTINGS scales how much of the slope you feel.
It drops in the middle of a ride
FORGE Ride reconnects it by itself and takes back control of the resistance. If it happens often, move the computer closer, or plug a USB Bluetooth adapter on an extension cable near the bike.
The power seems off
If the brand’s app offers a calibration (spin-down), do it once the trainer is warm (10 minutes of riding). In the browser game, the sensors panel also has a power adjustment (±10%).
