General Info
People often ask why their bike readouts don't match Kadnce's calories, power, speed, distance, etc. The main reason is that Kadnce was originally designed for fun and exercise, not strict realism. The second reason is that measurements have to be estimated from bikes and devices that don't provide them directly to Kadnce. Sometimes those devices will have the data but cannot provide it to Kadnce because of the Bluetooth protocol they use, and sometimes those devices show stats they internally estimate in a different way than Kadnce does.
Kadnce makes use of cadence, speed, and power measurements. Cadence is shown in your pedaling animation and the HUD RPMs. Speed determines how fast you move and your HUD distance. Power determines your calorie estimate and HUD watts.
All the fitness devices we have seen report measurements once per second, or once per revolution. Kadnce may therefore react slower than expected. Cadence and speed sensors are additionally delayed because they report "revolutions" of the pedal or rear wheel, and so require two reports to determine cadence (RPM) or speed (MPH). Braking can feel even slower, because many fitness devices don't report cadence or speed near zero — in these cases, Kadnce must wait a few seconds before assuming you have stopped, but allows manual braking override using the Y/B button.
Your in-game speed can also be affected by road slope and HUD difficulty setting. On devices without resistance control, virtual speed is reduced going uphill and increased going downhill. The default difficulty of 5 provides a nominal "touring" experience, while higher or lower difficulty moves you slower or faster — 1 is the fastest for the least effort and 10 is the hardest.
Cadence, Speed & Power Sensors
Cadence sensors only provide cadence, so speed and power are estimated, and road slope and difficulty affect your virtual speed. Speed sensors provide speed, so cadence and power are estimated, and road slope and difficulty affect your virtual speed. Both cadence and speed sensors talk to Kadnce using the Cycling Speed & Cadence Bluetooth protocol.
Power sensors, which use the Cycling Power Bluetooth protocol, provide power and optionally cadence or speed, which are estimated if not provided. Road slope and difficulty affect your virtual speed.
FTMS Devices
FTMS devices, which use the FTMS Bluetooth protocol, typically provide all three of cadence, speed, and power, though sometimes not all three are available. FTMS devices may also provide heart rate, which Kadnce will then show in the HUD.
Dynamic Resistance
FTMS devices may also optionally support resistance control, in which case road slope and difficulty affect resistance rather than virtual speed. When used with resistance control, your virtual speed always matches the reported speed, and your pedaling resistance will match the road slope at the default difficulty of 5. Different difficulty settings affect that slope by 1% in either direction.
Authentic Mode
Authentic mode is available for speed and FTMS devices and is typically slower and harder than Kadnce's default mode. When used without resistance control, you will move at the reported speed on flat road at default difficulty, but different slopes and difficulty settings will still affect your virtual speed. Authentic mode is recommended for riders coming from other cycling platforms who prefer a more realistic feel.
Renpho Bike
The Renpho stationary bike is a recommended device for Kadnce because it provides FTMS measurements with resistance control at a good value and build quality. It has its own gear controls, which affect the pedaling resistance and speed reported at a given cadence. It also supports coasting, making hills even more realistic, though you will need to use Y/B to manually brake more often to stop moving.
Connecting Non-Standard Devices
Some devices use non-standard Bluetooth protocols, especially for resistance control. The QZ phone application can connect to these devices and separate heart rate sensors, and in turn present them to Kadnce as an FTMS device. Users can further offset measurements and resistance in the QZ app to their liking.
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