Just updated to latest TR version. Now it doesn’t find my Computrainer. Ideas?
John
2 Likes
Maybe they stopped supporting it because the company no longer exists?
1 Like
They did say on the podcast that the Computrainer would no longer be supported. I think @Nate_Pearson mentioned that you could just continue using the previous version.
2 Likes
if you need to downgrade to the previous TR desktop release, you can find links in this thread:
for both Windows and Mac.
4 Likes
I agree, roll back to the last version you were on and you should be good to go.
Could be, but the trainers are rock solid and many are out there.
2 Likes
yeah, same happened to me this morning. Took me 30 minutes, but I went to the computrainer page; https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/201376994-Computrainer
and clicked on the legacy windows download and got the old software back.
Shame it’s not supported anymore
5 Likes
Yes, Computrainer and CycleOps PowerBeam Pro (ANT+) are not supported any longer. It was covered in a prior podcast (the initial beta launch notification in the first 15 minutes or so of episode 207 or 208?).
I thought they were going to send an email to those who ride on the PBP notifying them about this upcoming change, but I never got one… seems that they should have also sent an email to Computrainer folks.
2 Likes
John -
I fell prey to the upgrade as well, and I did not succeed in installing the “previous version” desktop app to regain Computrainer compatibility. It was very frustrating to stand there in my bibs, ready to start an important week of an 8-week plan, and be faced with borked software that I wasn’t warned would require changes and upgrades outside of itself.
What I did to resolve this was to download the free trial version of PerfPro’s CTSmart Wireless Bridge here:
This was impressively simple to configure and get working with the new TR desktop app, but then I have two CT setups side by side, each with their own desktop computer controlling them, so I’ve had the flexibility of running the CTSmart control on one machine and TR on the other. A user with no means to control and Ant+ smart trainer other than the machine that the CT is plugged into will not have it so simple.
I’m still evaluating this, and at the moment I have not been able to achieve the speedy PowerMatch to my crank-based PM that the TR previously achieved, but I’m hopeful that I can at least approximate that performance soon. I’ve purchased a license for CTSmart, well in advance of the 14-day trial period ending, and the email response with license key for activation is nearly instant, so one does really have the 14 days to evaluate the solution there. It seems that for most of us who were using TR to drive their Computrainers, either an alternate solution to run TR and control their CTSmart-enabled CTs will be required, or at the least an additional USB Ant+ stick required to dedicate to CTSmart.
Eventually, I will dedicate one machine to CT control, as the PerfPro CT Smart solution can provide control of up to 8 CTs per USB Ant+ stick. I’ll try to have it working on some old hardware with a robust and low-overhead Linux installation that is hopefully more feature-stable and resource-efficient than Windows 10. As an additional upside of purchasing the CT Smart software, Ant+ control of the CT will play nice with apps besides TR, in the event that something else could go wrong there in the future.
Nate was pretty clear on a recent podcast that CT users were no longer a significant portion of the user base, and although a bit of warning about the timing of loss of CT support would have been helpful here, a one-time purchase of some software to establish long-term CT control is probably worthwhile for we who continue to use them.
We’re so sorry to hear that you were not able to roll back to the previous version of the application. Were you issued an error message of any kind?
We definitely want to get to the bottom of this issue ASAP, let me know if you would be interested in troubleshooting this issue with us and I will have a Support Agent reach out to you via email.
2 Likes
So sad the computrainer isn’t supported but at some point you’ve got to let the old stuff go and at > 25 years old, the computrainer is definitely old.
The system was way before it’s time with the 3d environment and structured workout options…this was in the 90’s remember. It could have been TR! It could have been Zwift!
And the durability will perhaps never be matched. I’ve been beating on mine year round for over 20 years and that is nothing compared to the use that some machines in cycling studios saw.
Allowing us to go back to a previous TR version is much appreciated, thanks guys!
Joe
7 Likes
yup … just lost my Computrainer after 10 years on TR. Been Real. Zwift is waay more versatile anyways.membership cancelled … See u all in Watopia.
Sounds like you’ve made your decision, but you could have continued using the previous version of the app.
1 Like
I wanted to continue TR, so I’m using the Legacy version. Seems fine. I may just purchase a cheap used laptop with Windows for the bike room, since I also need a PC to update my Di2 firmware.
@Nate_Pearson, have any background on why you stopped supporting the Computrainer. Personally, as a dad of two kids, the quietness of the CT was better than both the first gen kicker and hammer that I had (lower frequency noise and lower db value as well) and was a lot cheaper. I’m a LONG time TR subscriber, but hard for me to swallow the old interface without understanding what insurmountable tech challenges led you guys to abandon support for improved product updates for a product that is so rock solid it literally lasts decades. Feel free to DM me.
It’s hard to code for over its usb interface and a very small percentage of users we’re on it; like dozens.
So a mix of difficulty and usage.
1 Like
Well that’s the answer I’m looking for, not the one I was hoping for, though. Just surprising that you have so few CT users. Legacy it is. Thanks for putting up with my snarky “insurmountable” jab there. It was a frustrating evening…
4 Likes
I was one of dozens…I feel like a special snowflake now 
1 Like
I have 2 Computrainers side by side, each one on its own desktop computer, so abandoning them and purchasing 2 new smart trainers was an even bigger pill to swallow. The legacy app created for me a support issue with PowerMatch, which now seems fully resolved. I purchased the PerfPRO CT Smart app in order to turn my Computrainers into BT-compatible smart trainers, which should be controllable via the non-legacy TR apps. I’m planning to set up a third desktop computer to simply control the Computrainers, but at this point I can at least report good results using the PerfPRO CT Smart app. It’s free to try for a short period, maybe 2 weeks or so, and inexpensive to purchase, particularly as compared to the cost of replacing a good quality smart trainer.
2 Likes