QZ now supports the Gymstick Racer Bike, commercial SKU SB-RCR, through its FTMS bike path. The Racer’s Bluetooth identity is FS-SB-RCR; the current QZ implementation keeps its native resistance levels and sends the FTMS resistance command in the format expected by this bike.
Table of Contents
Gymstick Racer Bike and QZ compatibility
The Gymstick Racer Bike is an indoor cycle with a Bluetooth FTMS console, 24 manually adjustable magnetic-resistance levels, and console metrics including time, speed, distance, calories, RPM and watts. The manufacturer lists compatibility with Kinomap and Zwift and support for Bluetooth heart-rate transmitters.
Commit af1f152 updates QZ’s existing FTMS-bike implementation for the FS-SB-RCR identity. It is a focused native-resistance fix: the bike remains on the shared FTMS path, while QZ avoids treating its resistance as a calculated Peloton fallback.
What QZ can provide for this bike
| Capability | QZ result | Evidence boundary |
|---|---|---|
| FTMS connection | Connect QZ to the Racer Bike’s Bluetooth FTMS console through the existing FTMS bike driver. | The commit changes the concrete FTMS-bike handling for the FS-SB-RCR identity; no separate Gymstick driver is needed. |
| Live speed and cadence | Use the bike’s FTMS speed and cadence/RPM values in QZ and in compatible virtual-bike outputs. | The console and manual document speed and RPM; the exact fields exposed to an external app depend on its FTMS pairing. |
| Power | Use the FTMS power value when reported, display it in QZ and forward it to compatible training apps. | The Racer console documents watts; QZ can also calculate bike wattage from heart rate and cadence for bike paths without a usable power sensor. |
| Distance and calories | Track distance and calories in the QZ workout and use them for reports and exports. | These are standard console/FTMS workout metrics; export details depend on the selected integration. |
| Native resistance | QZ sends the FTMS target-resistance-level command using the Gymstick path’s 0.1-level encoding and reads native resistance feedback without replacing it with a calculated fallback. | This is the behavior added by commit af1f152. The Gymstick product page documents 24 manual levels; the article does not claim a separate proprietary ERG protocol. |
| Zwift auto-resistance | QZ can translate compatible Zwift resistance targets into the Racer’s native FTMS resistance levels. | Zwift must be paired through QZ’s virtual bike/resistance workflow; the app’s own pairing and workout rules still apply. |
| Virtual bike output | Present the Racer as a QZ virtual bike/FTMS source to Zwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy, Wahoo RGT, Kinomap-compatible apps and other compatible services. | QZ is the bridge; the bike is not being claimed as natively compatible with every listed platform. |
| Heart rate | Combine the bike session with Bluetooth, ANT+ or Apple Watch heart rate and configurable HR zones. | The bike supports Bluetooth HR transmitters; QZ can also use a separately paired source. |
Setup
- Install a QZ build containing commit
af1f152or a later release that includes it. - Power on the Gymstick Racer Bike and keep other fitness apps disconnected during the first QZ connection.
- In QZ, use the FTMS bike connection and select the Racer’s
FS-SB-RCRdevice when it appears. If automatic discovery does not select it, choose the exact Bluetooth device under the FTMS bike setting. - Confirm that speed, cadence/RPM, power and resistance update in QZ while pedaling and changing the bike’s level.
- Enable QZ’s virtual bike output and pair the external training app with QZ rather than competing for the physical bike connection.
- For Zwift resistance control, pair the QZ virtual bike for power/cadence and the QZ resistance path as instructed by the QZ setup screen.
The main QZ feature set for indoor bikes
QZ adds a bridge, workout layer and integration hub around the equipment connection. The general capabilities below are separate from the Gymstick-specific FTMS path, so app-dependent features are not presented as native console functions.
| Area | What QZ can offer | How it applies to the Racer Bike |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles and profiles | Custom tile order and visibility, multiple user/device profiles, UI zoom, live values, charts and workout recording. | Use QZ as the dashboard for the Racer Bike session and choose a layout for cycling metrics. |
| Bike metrics | Speed, cadence/RPM, power, resistance, distance, calories and heart rate when reported by the device or supplied by a configured sensor. | The Racer Bike console advertises speed, distance, calories, RPM, watts and Bluetooth FTMS; QZ receives the standard FTMS data path. |
| Resistance and ERG | Native resistance commands, Zwift auto-resistance, power-zone workflows and ERG/target-power conversion where the profile and app support them. | PR commit af1f152 adds the FS-SB-RCR native-resistance path and keeps the Gymstick’s resistance level native instead of using a Peloton-calculated fallback. |
| Heart rate | Bluetooth and ANT+ heart-rate sensors, Apple Watch heart rate and customizable HR zones. | Pair a compatible HR source in QZ; the bike’s console also supports Bluetooth HR transmitters. |
| Peloton workflows | Bike metrics on Peloton, power zones with auto-resistance, real-time resistance conversion and real-time auto-resistance with configurable settings. | QZ maps the bike session into the Peloton workflow; Peloton membership and content remain separate. |
| Training apps | Zwift, MyWhoosh, Wahoo RGT, Rouvy, Kinomap-compatible workflows, VzFit, iFIT, Echelon, BitGym and other compatible bike apps, depending on their pairing method. | QZ can expose the bike as a virtual bike/FTMS source and route its metrics and supported resistance targets. |
| Workout formats | Video workouts, GPX route following with 2D/3D maps, ZWO, XML, heart-rate-following and random workouts. | Use these as QZ-driven workouts; resistance behavior depends on the selected program and control path. |
| Health and exports | Email reports, Strava, Apple Health/HealthKit, Google Health Connect and Garmin activity/FIT workflows. | These record or export the QZ session and are independent of the Gymstick console’s own app list. |
| Advanced integrations | Wahoo DirCon, ANT+ bike output to a Garmin watch, Bluetooth resistance remote, Zwift Play & Click, MQTT, OSC and text-to-speech. | Enable the integrations that match the phone, watch, computer or home-automation setup. |
Standalone QZ workouts
QZ can run the Racer Bike session without requiring a single training platform. Use its live tiles and charts, record the workout, follow a video or GPX route with 2D/3D maps, load ZWO or XML workouts, use random workouts, or follow heart-rate targets. The resulting session can be reported or exported through the integrations enabled on the QZ device.
The 24 resistance levels and QZ
The Gymstick console provides 24 manual resistance levels. QZ preserves that native level model for FS-SB-RCR. When a compatible app requests a resistance target, QZ sends the FTMS target-resistance command using the bike’s native scale; it does not present a generic calculated resistance value as though it were a separate Gymstick protocol.
Subscription boundary
QZ is a separate bridge and workout layer. Any Zwift, MyWhoosh, Rouvy, Kinomap, Peloton, Garmin, Strava or other third-party membership, paid class or premium-content requirement remains controlled by that provider; QZ does not remove another service’s billing requirements.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Confirm that the Bluetooth name is
FS-SB-RCRor that the exact Racer device is selected under the FTMS bike setting. - Close Kinomap, Zwift and other Bluetooth fitness apps before starting QZ.
- Check Bluetooth permissions and ensure the Racer console is powered and advertising.
- Verify the resistance level in QZ changes when the bike’s manual lever or external target changes it.
- Pair the external app with QZ’s virtual bike/resistance output instead of connecting it directly to the physical bike at the same time.
- If resistance does not move, confirm that the external app is sending a supported target and that QZ is using a build containing commit
af1f152.
If something does not work as expected, send an email to Roberto.viola83@gmail.com and Roberto will help you check the setup.
