Indoor Bike Improvement #5 - Better Fitting Zwift Play Controller

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5 OF 10 - ZWIFT PLAY CONTROLLER UPGRADE



I like the Zwift Play Controllers. Steering buttons are a nice diversion on a long ride. The dedicated power-up button is always appreciated in sprints. Braking is surprisingly useful when trying to avoid a zapping fence on downhills.




The Fit

I found the controller's fit to be uninspiring. The sharp curve on my indoor bike handlebars allows for quite a bit of up/down and side-to-side movement.

This is basically a Zwift design issue. The controllers appear to be optimized for deep drop bars rather than the SB20's tightly curved and flared gravel bike-style handlebars.


EXPERIMENTS

I experimented with various DIY foam inserts - including the shims provided by Zwift. None did much to reduce movement. “Mushy” is how I would describe most button presses.

EPOXY SHIM

I created a rigid epoxy shim to get better contact between the Zwift controller and my bike's handlebars.




Here's what I did:

1. A shim is moulded using epoxy putty. You knead the putty for a few minutes to activate it. The result is a pliable compound that is workable for about 30 minutes.

2. Masking tape is used to keep the putty from sticking. Place some putty under the controller. Press and lock into position under the brake hoods. Wait about 2 hours.

3. The masking tape can now be easily removed. You are left with a rigid shim that precisely fits the handlebar contours.

4. The controllers can then be attached as usual. Up/down teetering and left/right twisting is eliminated by the rigid shim.

You also need to reposition the under-tape "blip buttons".  Here's how: Improved Shifting. 


--------- UPDATE 📣  January 2024 ---------

I noticed that the Stages brake lever presses the orange Zwift play button to trigger the Zwift brake function without affecting steering. Very convenient if you ask me.


I had to disable the SB20 braking function using the Stages Cycling app. 





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