Tacx NEO 2T in Chrome or Edge: what works and what doesn't
A Tacx NEO 2T should work in Chrome or Edge with nothing to install. Tour du Pain connects to it over Bluetooth, uses FTMS when the trainer offers it and Tacx's own FE-C over Bluetooth when it doesn't, and drives it in ERG or on 33 resistance levels. Nobody has ridden a real NEO 2T with the game yet: it's tested on an emulator. Tour du Pain is free for everyone through 2027, everything included.
Updated · Written for version 1.36.3
Tour du Pain is free for everyone through 2027, everything included. Donations are optional.
The NEO 2T in short
The NEO 2T is the 2019 update of the NEO 2 with stronger magnets, so it no longer slips in hard sprints at low speed. In DC Rainmaker's NEO 2T review Tacx rates it at up to 2,200 W and 25 % grade, within 1 % on power. It has no calibration at all, its motor spins the flywheel on descents when it's plugged in, and its road feel shakes the bike over cobbles in apps that send it.
Some of that matters in a browser and some doesn't. For every other Tacx, see the Tacx NEO and FLUX guide.
FTMS or Tacx FE-C: why the sources disagree
The NEO 2T can take commands over FTMS, the open Bluetooth standard, or over Tacx FE-C: the messages Tacx sends over ANT+, packed into a Bluetooth service of its own.
The sources don't agree on which one a NEO 2T offers. DC Rainmaker's 2019 review says the NEO series took commands over Tacx's own Bluetooth variant and that FTMS wasn't there yet. Garmin's Tacx protocol overview gives the NEO 2T a row of its own today, and the game's list marks it "FTMS, else Tacx FE-C". What your trainer answers to probably depends on its firmware.
You don't have to find out. The game looks for FTMS first and uses Tacx FE-C only when there's no FTMS. Both give ERG, the 33 levels and simulation.
On the FE-C route the game caps ERG at 2,200 W, the NEO's maximum, since FE-C reports no power range. It also sends your weight, bike weight and wheel size, so the NEO's resistance matches what the levels assume, and sends them again if the trainer loses them.
How to connect a NEO 2T
- Update the firmware in Tacx's own app, as in Garmin's steps for updating Tacx trainer software. A current firmware is the best chance of FTMS.
- Close the Tacx app, Zwift on any other device, and Bluetooth on a Garmin head unit paired with the NEO. A trainer takes commands from one app at a time.
- Turn the pedals to wake the NEO. It runs without mains power too; that only costs the downhill drive, which the game doesn't use.
- Open tourdupain.app in Chrome or Edge on a computer, a Chromebook or an Android tablet. Go to Settings, Devices and press Connect next to Smart trainer.
- Pick your NEO in the browser's chooser. If it isn't there, turn on Show all devices, which lists everything nearby.
There's no step 6. The NEO can't be calibrated, and the game only shows its Calibrate button for trainers that offer a spin-down.
If another app still holds the trainer, you can ride on its power, and ERG takes over once that app lets go. The smart trainer guide has the other fixes.
What works on a NEO 2T in Tour du Pain
| Feature | In Tour du Pain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Power and cadence | Yes | From the trainer; no separate power meter needed |
| ERG | Yes | Holds each workout block's watts; from a standstill it starts light and builds up over 6 seconds |
| 33 resistance levels | Yes | Based on your FTP; minus and plus step them |
| Simulation | Partly | The game uses it to set the level's resistance; a climb never makes the trainer heavier |
| The game's virtual gears | Not needed | They're for trainers that can't hold a target power; on a NEO you ride the levels and your own gears |
| Road feel | No | The game doesn't send it |
| Downhill drive | No | The trainer feels flat on every slope, so it never coasts you down |
| Zwift virtual shifting | No | That's Zwift's own |
| ANT+ | No | Browsers have no ANT+ radio; the game uses Bluetooth |
The flat feel is a choice: many riders watch a film while they ride, and nobody should suddenly have to push harder. On the Col du Pain your speed drops, but the NEO stays at your level, so its 25 % sits unused.
ERG suits the NEO best: 105 workouts, plus your own .zwo, .erg, .mrc and .fit files; see ERG workouts in your browser.
Tour du Pain or Zwift on a NEO 2T
We make Tour du Pain. Zwift is the big one: many worlds, races, structured training plans and a big community, for a subscription. Tour du Pain is a browser tab with no install, voice and chat built in, clubs, a ride-along that keeps you with friends whatever your watts, and a demo you can ride without a trainer. It's free for everyone through 2027, everything included.
For a NEO 2T specifically:
- ERG works the same in both. Your Zwift .zwo workouts load straight into Tour du Pain.
- Virtual shifting: in June 2025 Tacx brought Zwift's virtual shifting to the NEO 2, 2T and 3M by firmware, according to Zwift Insider on Tacx virtual shifting. Zwift's virtual shifting is Zwift's. Tour du Pain sets the effort with ERG or 33 levels instead, and a controller's + and − step them.
- Road feel and downhill drive need an app that sends them. Tour du Pain doesn't.
- ANT+: Zwift can connect over ANT+ on some platforms. A browser has Bluetooth only.
- Where and how you ride: Zwift has many worlds and races. Tour du Pain has one 8.3 km loop, one climb and no races yet, and group rides with voice chat built in.
Rides go out as .fit files to Strava, Garmin Connect and intervals.icu. Every supported trainer is on one page.
Questions
Does the Tacx NEO 2T work in a browser?
It should, in Chrome or Edge on a computer, Chromebook or Android. Tour du Pain uses FTMS or Tacx FE-C over Bluetooth. It's tested on an emulator, not yet on a real NEO 2T.
Does the Tacx NEO 2T support FTMS?
Sources disagree, and it probably depends on the firmware. Tour du Pain uses FTMS when the NEO offers it and Tacx FE-C over Bluetooth when it doesn't, so it works either way.
Do I need to calibrate a NEO 2T?
No. The NEO has no calibration, and the game doesn't ask for one.
Does road feel work outside Zwift?
Only in apps that send it. Tour du Pain doesn't, and it doesn't use the downhill drive either.
Can I use Zwift's virtual shifting on my NEO 2T in Tour du Pain?
No, that's Zwift's own. You shift your bike's gears on one of 33 levels, or ride ERG.
Does the NEO 2T work on an iPad?
Not in Tour du Pain. Browsers on iPhone and iPad can't reach Bluetooth trainers.
