Zwift Cog and Zwift Click v2 Controllers with Tacx Neo 2T

On the 9th September 2025 Zwift released a new Zwift Cog and Click Upgrade Kit. The kit includes the single speed Zwift Cog and two new Zwift Click controllers which mount on your handlebars to control Zwift and use virtual shifting on compatible smart trainers via Bluetooth.

Below are my first impressions of using the new kit and trying to resolve problems with using the new Zwift Click buttons.

I have been using a Tacx Neo 2T smart trainer on my bike for several years after my previous Wahoo Kickr failed. In 2024 I purchased a dedicated frame from eBay and built an indoor training bike so I didn’t need to keep adjusting the gears when swapping the wheel on and off my road bike to use it on the trainer.

The Tacx Neo 2T supports both Bluetooth and ANT+ communication protocols.

The indoor bike has a Shimano 2 x 11 groupset with a mix of components from my spares boxes. I installed a new 11-34 cassette and new chain when I built the bike.

I use the indoor trainer during the winter to try to keep active when it’s too wet or cold to cycle outdoors.

What is Zwift?

Zwift is a virtual training and racing platform for cyclists, runners, and triathletes. It combines exercise with video game-style graphics to make indoor workouts more engaging.

I have used Zwift for over 10 years in the winter months and it is one of the original multiplayer training apps and has expanded to include both cycling and running using a smart treadmill.

The graphics on Zwift are fairly basic compared to other platforms, but it can run on multiple devices including tablets and Apple TV’s. To get the best from Zwift I have found that it should be run on a windows based computer to allow multiple devices to connect via Bluetooth or ANT+.

Zwift are now partnered with Wahoo who make smart bike trainers and accessories and now sell many Zwift branded products online.

Virtual Shifting Controllers

Zwift added virtual shifting in October 2023 for the Zwift Hub smart trainer and now supports other trainers through firmware updates from their manufacturers.

Virtual shifting is only available via the buttons on a Zwift Click or Zwift Play controllers and cannot be mapped to keyboard buttons.

The Zwift Click is a two button controller which fixes to your bike using rubber bands and costs £79.99, this includes the Zwift Cog which replaces the cassette on your trainer.

The Zwift Play controllers fit under your brake / shifters and give you access to nearly all the game controls and cost £99.99

The new Zwift Cog and Click Upgrade Kit released on the 9th September 2025, costs £49.99 and includes the Zwift Cog V2 and two handlebar mounted controllers with five buttons on each.

They communicate using the Zwift button protocol which is Zwift's proprietary Bluetooth communication protocols used by devices like Zwift Play and the Zwift Click to send commands (like gear shifts, menu navigation, or steering) to the Zwift app, which then interacts with smart trainers or other in-game features. While Zwift initially intended these protocols to be open to third-party accessory makers, the details have not been fully shared, though some developers have reverse-engineered aspects for their own platforms.

The new buttons allow you to Shift gears, steer, navigate menus, and give Ride Ons.

Installation

The controllers fit to your handlebars using one or two rubber straps. I initially tried fitting them to the rear of the shifter hoods but this did not work well when using the buttons. The Zwift website also shows them fitted to the outside of the drops but in this position it was difficult to reach the gear change buttons and made the drops unusable.

I then removed my custom Zwift keyboard and phone mount and installed the new controllers next to the stem on top of the bars. I was able to mount the Zwift keyboard using an out-front Garmin bike computer mount.

The rubber straps have a series of holes allowing you to mount the buttons onto different diameter bars. One small annoyance I found after installing the buttons was an excess of rubber strap on one side, it would be nice to have a way to tuck or clip this out of sight so it's not in front of the upper or lower buttons. This was more of an issue when the buttons are fitted to the side of the handlebar drops.

Configuration and Bluetooth Problems in Zwift

With the trainer setup and the new Zwift Click controllers installed, I was ready to pair them with the Zwift software and try a ride with the new virtual gear shifting.

My PC has a Bluetooth dongle which is connected to my earbuds and custom Zwift keyboard and I always use the Garmin ANT+ dongle to connect the trainer as this has always been more reliable than using Bluetooth for the trainer and other devices.

In the pairing screen in Zwift, you need to first pair your trainer then the controllers, once they are all paired you need to open the Settings, go to the Hardware tab and select your Shift Style and Gear Range.

The Controls tab shows your connected controller but in the current version of Zwift this still shows the old two button controller.

I then tried to load a route and started riding but I had an error message saying that Virtual Shifting was not available. After some research I found the Virtual Shifting FAQ which states that Zwift does not support virtual shifting when using an ANT+ connection to your trainer and can only use Bluetooth.

It would be good if Zwift linked to this on their product page and also had an alert when pairing a trainer via ANT+ when you are using a virtual controller.

I removed the ANT+ dongle from the computer and tried to connect to the Tacx trainer via Bluetooth and it was detected but would randomly disconnect as soon as I started to pedal.

Fixing Bluetooth Issues

As there were connectivity issues with Bluetooth, I first updated the drivers for my usb adapter but after a reboot the issue was still there.

I then tried a TP Link bluetooth adapter but this also had the same disconnection problems.

My motherboard has Wifi and Bluetooth using a Mediatek RZ608 chipset which was disabled as I did not use Wifi on the computer. I enabled the Wifi chipset in the bios and after installing drivers the Bluetooth module appeared in the Windows device manager.

To stop Windows from shutting down the Bluetooth device, I went to the Power Management tab in the device properties and unticked the box for "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

After another reboot, I was able to load Zwift, pair the smart trainer, the new Zwift Click buttons and my heart rate monitor via the motherboard's Bluetooth controller.

Using in Zwift with Tacx Neo 2T

In the Zwift settings there are options to change the default gear setup and shifting style, I left everything on the default settings.

When riding in Zwift there is a new option on the HUD (top-left of the screen) showing your currently selected gear with 1 being the lowest (easiest) gear and 24 the highest (hardest). The gear range is from 0.75 to 5.49

I found that starting on gear 8 or 9 was easiest on flat routes and on hills I only went down to gear 6 on a 13% gradient. On downhills I was using up to gear 18 at around 250 watts.

Other Virtual Training Software

There are many different options available to use with smart bike trainers.

Below are the applications which I have used in the past year.

Rouvy

Download from rouvy.com

The Rouvy app uses real video recorded for each route and overlays virtual bikes for everyone using the software. I have ridden several hundred miles on different routes on Rouvy and would rarely see another live rider.

Rouvy is a nice alternative to computer generated graphics and you can explore hundreds of different locations around the world.

Rouvy claims to support the Zwift Click but when trying to select the controllers in Rouvy they are not detected as shifting controllers.

MyWhoosh

Download from mywhoosh.com

myWhoosh is a more recent addition to multiplayer online training and has cycling routes from different countries. The software is currently free to use but this might change in the future. There is a mobile app which is supposed to give you controls when using MyWhoosh on your computer but I have never been able to get this to work.

MyWhoosh do not support the Zwift Click controllers but there are third party apps which map the button presses to key commands to change gear in the game.