In short: you don't need a smart trainer for Cyclorama. A Bluetooth speed or cadence sensor on a basic trainer works, a power meter works, and with no sensor you set your speed with a slider and ride on estimated distance. Every kind of ride moves your journey through history.
| Your setup | What Cyclorama reads | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Smart trainer or smart bike | Speed and distance, measured by the trainer (Bluetooth FTMS) | Measured |
| Basic trainer with a speed sensor on the rear wheel | Wheel turns (Bluetooth CSC), with your wheel size | Measured |
| Exercise bike or trainer with a cadence sensor | Pedal turns, with your usual gearing (Easy, Middle or Hard) | Estimated from cadence |
| Bike with a power meter | Power, turned into speed as if on a flat road | Estimated from power |
| No sensor | Nothing: you set the speed you pedal at with a slider | Estimated, labelled as estimated |
More on this: exercise bike apps that work without Bluetooth, and how to turn your own bike into a stationary bike.
Sensors are recognised by the standard Bluetooth service they advertise, so any make works. The help page has the pairing steps.
Most indoor cycling apps are built around smart trainers that set your resistance. Cyclorama only reads what your bike sends and never controls it, so an older trainer with a cheap speed sensor gives the same ride through history as a smart bike. You set the effort with your gears.
Yes. Cyclorama works with a basic trainer or exercise bike plus a Bluetooth speed or cadence sensor, and with no sensor at all: set the speed you pedal at with a slider and the ride uses estimated distance.
Any standard Bluetooth Low Energy sensor: smart trainers and smart bikes (the FTMS standard), speed and cadence sensors (CSC) and power meters. You don't need a particular brand. See turbo trainer apps that work with a speed or cadence sensor.
Yes. Rides without a sensor are labelled as estimated, but they move your journey through the era like any other ride. For easier rides, see a stationary bike workout for seniors.
No. Cyclorama only reads your speed, cadence or power. It never sends control commands, so you set the effort with your gears or your trainer's own settings.
Cyclorama is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Android is coming soon: join the beta and we'll invite you.