Shift gears in Biketerra without a Zwift Click

What do you need to shift gears from your phone?

An Android phone on Android 9 or newer, a Mac or Windows PC with Bluetooth, and the GearPad app. The phone pairs as a keyboard, so the computer needs no extra software and there is nothing to buy.

The Biketerra layout is built in and free, with no time limit. Its keys are GearPad's own preset, not a list published by Biketerra. We could not fetch Biketerra's official help page, so treat the keys below as a starting point and check them in the game.

Keep expectations straight: the phone presses keys, and that is all it does. Whether a key press changes gear is decided by Biketerra's settings and by the trainer connection you already have.

How do you pair the phone with your computer?

Pairing takes a minute and you do it once. After that the phone reconnects by itself.

1. Open GearPad and allow the "Nearby devices" Bluetooth permission when Android asks. Stay on the app's main screen.
2. On a Mac, open System Settings > Bluetooth. On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices.
3. Choose your phone in the list and confirm the code on both screens. If it is not listed, tap "Make phone visible" in GearPad.
4. Open Biketerra and click its window. Taps go to the active window, so if another app is in front, they end up there.

If the computer cannot find the phone, or a Mac pops up a window asking to identify the keyboard, the full pairing walkthrough for Mac and Windows covers both.

Which keys does GearPad's Biketerra layout send?

Four keys: S for gear down, W for gear up, B to look behind and C to change camera. These are what the preset ships with. Before you rely on them, open Biketerra's controls settings and make sure they match.

Each key fires the moment you touch the button. Look behind is the exception to a single press: it holds B down for as long as your finger stays on it, which suits a quick glance over the shoulder.

Is there a Biketerra setting you should check first?

Yes, the control mode. One search snippet reported a Biketerra mode called "Virtual Gear", used with a paired smart trainer, in which W and S move through gears 1 to 24.

In practice: if taps arrive but the gear does not change, suspect the control mode before the phone. Open Biketerra's controls screen, note the current mode, and see whether it lists gear keys at all.

What if tapping does nothing?

Two quick checks come first: Biketerra must be the window in front, and the status pill in GearPad must show your computer's name.

• Click once inside the Biketerra window so it is the active one, then tap again.
• If the status pill does not show your computer's name, the phone is not connected. Reopen GearPad on its main screen and wait a few seconds.
• Compare the keys in Biketerra's controls settings with the table above. A mismatch means the layout needs editing.

When pairing itself keeps failing, our guide to a phone keyboard that is not working in a cycling sim goes through every cause in order.

What if Biketerra uses different keys than the preset?

Edit the layout with GearPad Pro, a one-time Google Play purchase. Tap the pencil, tap a button, and pick the key that Biketerra's controls screen shows. The free version keeps the Biketerra preset exactly as shipped.

Pro also lets you add buttons, move and resize them, and build layouts for other apps. Custom keys for any cycling app walks through the editor.

How does this compare with a Zwift Click?

A Zwift Click is a small Bluetooth controller made for Zwift, and Biketerra does not officially support it, so it needs a bridge app to work there. If you already own an Android phone, the phone route adds no cost.

GearPad is our app, so take this comparison with that in mind. Zwift Click alternatives sets out every option fairly, with prices.

If you also ride MyWhoosh, the keys there are different. MyWhoosh vs Biketerra controls puts the two side by side.

What are the limits of this setup?

GearPad runs on Android only, and it needs a phone whose maker has left the Bluetooth keyboard feature switched on. The app tells you on first launch if yours has it off.

It sends keystrokes and nothing else: no power data, no ERG control, no trainer reading. If Biketerra does not take a key for gear changes in your setup, no keyboard can fix that. GearPad has no account and no ads, and it is not affiliated with Biketerra, MyWhoosh or Zwift.

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