Welcome BETA testers FOR PELOTON BIKE ONLY (NOT BIKE+)
Welcome to the BETA tester community page. We will use this page as a space for our BETA community (and all interested parties) to be kept up to date on all progress of the rapid prototype manufacturing. We will update our FAQ section as we get closer to delivering the prototypes!
For those of you who are yet to hear about our BETA Programme; it consists of several hundred awesome SHIFT community members, who have agreed to purchase a prototype at cost, giving them first access to our SHIFT device to provide us with their thoughts and feedback, which will be used in designing our final manufactured device.
BETA Prototype updates
February update
All prototypes and have now shipped to the BETA community who have successfully tested over the past several months. BETA testers will continue testing through out the month with the SHIFT team waiting in the wings to provide support in the event that there are any issues.
Thereafter, the next steps are to begin collating feedback from the BETA community to continue to enhance our SHIFT device.
FAQs
How do I setup my SHIFT device?
The first time you setup your device, it will take you slightly less than 5minutes. Thereafter it will take you less than 60 seconds to connect SHIFT to Zwift. See brief setup video below .
The steps included are:
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Connect the cable splitter (provided). In order to send data directly from your Peloton bike to the SHIFT device (which then broadcasts this data over Bluetooth to Zwift) you will need to attach a simple cable splitter. You will only need to do this once, as the splitter can remain plugged in even when you're not using your SHIFT device.
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Attach SHIFT to your bike. SHIFT has a memory foam layer that will 'hug' your bike ensuring the device does not fall off even on the most energetic rides.
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Connect the data cable (provided). Connect one end of the cable to the splitter in Step1 and the other end to the back of your SHIFT device. This cable is merely an 'AUX' cord and can either be left connected to the bike, or can be removed - this is entirely up to you. We've found it best to keep the AUX cable on the bike, thus we only ever need to plug the one end in when using SHIFT.
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On your Peloton bike, open a 'Just ride' class. Your Peloton bike will only send data via the cable when in a class, thus to run auto calibration (see Step5 below) and to send data to Zwift (see Step6 below), you will need to first open a 'just ride class'.
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Run auto-calibration. This process takes less than 60 seconds and is merely the SHIFT device identifying the positions of the different resistances - from 20% to 100%. Your device needs these positions to ensure the gradient & gearing changes give you that real ride feel.
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Turn on Bluetooth and connect to Zwift.
How much will the prototype cost?
£190 / $270* / EUR220*. This price includes ALL shipping, customs (where applicable) & taxes.
*Actual price may fluctuate due to foreign exchange movements on the day of purchase. Price is set in pounds sterling (GBP / £)
Rapid prototype manufacturing is naturally more expensive then a full-scale production line, and thus even though this price may seem high, we are purely passing across the cost price to you - we are covering all shipping, customs, taxes & labour.
When will I receive my prototype?
Q3 of 2021
UPDATE: Shipping completed in December 2021
How & when can I make my payment to secure my spot as a BETA tester?
Unfortunately we have closed the BETA programme to new participants.
What are the core components of the prototype?
Nema stepper motor & driver, LCD touch-screen, Samsung LI-On batteries, micro-processors and 3D printed casings.
![IMG_9685[1].JPEG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d5821_308048815b444abea281b5cb7bdf7502~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_157,h_118,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/IMG_9685%5B1%5D_JPEG.jpeg)
How will I receive my prototype?
We have partnered with Royal Mail who will provide overnight shipping to mainland UK and 3-day shipping to the rest of Europe & USA. You will be kept up to date with live shipping notifications.
Will I need a Zwift subscription to be a BETA tester ?
Yes - once the devices are shipped, you will need to set up your own Zwift account to connect to SHIFT.
How will I know; how to use SHIFT, what feedback you want, how to raise feedback etc?
Before the devices are shipped, you will receive a digital 'How to guide' that will include all the insights needed to make our BETA tester programme a success.
How similar will the prototype be to the final manufactured device?
The functionality of the prototype will be near identical to the final device - aside from any recommendations / feedback received from our BETA testers resulting in functional updates.
The largest difference will be the look of the prototype given this production run will be done through rapid prototyping which will result in the finishing of the prototypes being different to the final devices - but this is naturally expected given these are prototypes.
Do I need to purchase a separate cadence sensor?
No - we have now added a NEW way of receiving data directly from the underlying Peloton bike, thus removing the need to purchase a separate cadence sensor (for both cadence AND output data). We have done this by accessing the data directly from the data cable on the Peloton bike.
However, please note - there is always a risk that we can no longer rely on accessing the data directly from the data cable, in this instance - you WILL need to purchase a separate cadence sensor (e.g. wahoo cadence sensor) and we will then turn on the digital power curve functionality. This ensures that SHIFT will ALWAYS be a fully functioning device.
Given the above, what happens if Peloton update their software?
SHIFT's software can be updated remotely, thus any updates in software required will be done by our engineers and you will receive a step-by-step guide on how to easily update the software on SHIFT.
Can I use the Peloton screen for Zwift?
It is possible, but we will no longer be including this as part of our solution. In our experience, the Peloton screen's Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) has a negative impact on how well Zwift’s graphics render. Since Zwift’s detailed graphics are a huge part of the experience, you will need to use a smartphone, tablet, laptop or AppleTV.