TRAINER SETUP & COMPATIBILITY

To set your FTP, max heart rate and coach settings in the app, head to rider setup. This page is the hardware guide.

LuftQuest uses Web Bluetooth, which means nothing to install — but it does mean you need Chrome or Edge on desktop or Android. Safari and iOS do not currently support Web Bluetooth.

1. Wake the sensors: spin the pedals for a few seconds and put the heart rate strap on — dry straps do not transmit.
2. Close every other app that might grab the trainer, including ones running in the background on your phone.
3. Open the ride page and press SENSORS.
4. Pair power first, then cadence, then heart rate. Each one appears as its own device.
5. Check the numbers move when you pedal. If power reads zero while cadence works, the trainer is connected but not calibrated or not sending power — reconnect it.
6. Start your ride. Data recording begins straight away so the timeline fills in from the start.

The device does not appear at all

• Another app still holds the connection. Force-close everything, including background apps.
• The sensor battery is flat. Heart rate straps are the usual culprit — a CR2032 costs pennies.
• You are using Safari or iOS. Web Bluetooth is unavailable there; use Chrome or Edge.
• The trainer is asleep. Pedal for five seconds and scan again.

It connects then freezes

• Interference from a crowded 2.4GHz environment. Move the device closer to the trainer.
• Two apps fighting over the same sensor. Pick one controller.
• A dying battery often causes intermittent dropouts before it fails completely.

Heart rate strap shows nothing

• Wet the electrodes. A dry strap genuinely will not read.
• Position it just below the chest muscles, snug enough not to slide.
• Some straps only allow a single connection — disconnect your watch first.

ERG mode

In ERG mode the trainer holds the target wattage regardless of your gear, adjusting resistance as your cadence changes. Keep your cadence steady: letting rpm fall makes resistance spiral upwards until you stall. Switch ERG off for sprints, because it fights acceleration.

Calibration

Wheel-on trainers need a spindown calibration after ten minutes of riding, and again whenever you change tyre pressure or move the trainer. Most direct drive trainers self-calibrate, but a monthly check keeps your numbers honest — and comparable to your previous FTP tests.

• A large fan at chest height. This is worth more watts than any component upgrade.
• A mat under the trainer for sweat, noise and your floor.
• A towel over the bars, and wipe the frame down afterwards — sweat corrodes bolts and bearings fast.
• A fixed place for bottles, food and your phone, so you are not reaching mid-interval.
• A block under the front wheel to level the bike if your trainer sits high.