Support
Stuck? Email [email protected] and tell us what happened, plus your trainer or controller make and model if hardware is involved.
Find Your Question
Getting started
- What do I need to ride?
- How does the free trial work?
- Where do I get routes?
- What will my route look like?
- Why did my GPX import fail?
Hardware and connections
- Why won't my trainer connect?
- Does Contour work with my trainer?
- Why won't my shifter connect?
- Can I use a heart-rate monitor?
Riding
- What is virtual shifting?
- Why does virtual shifting feel wrong?
- Why does Contour ask for my weight?
- What is ERG mode?
- How does the FTP test work?
- Can I ride on my TV?
- Why did my ride fail to save to Apple Health?
Workouts and music
- How do I create a workout?
- How do music-matched workouts work?
- Can I import workouts from other apps?
Subscription and billing
- How much does Contour Pro cost?
- What happens when my trial ends?
- How do I cancel my subscription?
- How do I restore my purchase on a new device?
- How do I get a refund?
Privacy and data
Getting Started
What do I need to ride?
- An iPhone or iPad with Bluetooth on.
- An FTMS-compatible smart trainer. FTMS is the standard Bluetooth control protocol used by most modern smart trainers.
- Optionally: a shift controller, a heart-rate monitor, and an Apple Music subscription for music-matched workouts.
No account, no login. Open the app, connect your trainer, and ride.
How does the free trial work?
The full app is free for 5 days from your first launch. No card, no sign-up, nothing to cancel. When the trial ends, riding requires Contour Pro; your imported routes and workouts stay right where they are.
Where do I get routes?
Contour ships with a built-in route library, and you can import any GPX file: from Strava, RideWithGPS, Komoot, a bike computer, or anywhere else that exports GPX. Open the file with Contour from Files, Mail, or AirDrop, or import it from the route library.
What will my route look like?
Contour flies a 3D camera along your route using Apple Maps imagery, following the road as you ride. The imagery depends on where the route is: cities and well-photographed regions get detailed, photorealistic 3D scenery with buildings and terrain, while more remote and rural areas show a simpler satellite view from above. Either way the ride itself is identical; grades, distance, and resistance all come from your GPX, not the imagery. If you want the showcase experience, routes through or near cities look best.
Why did my GPX import fail?
Contour needs a GPX file with a real GPS track and at least 100 meters of distance. Some apps export "routes" without track points; if an import fails, re-export the file as a standard GPX track and try again. If a file you believe is valid still fails, email it to [email protected] and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of it.
Hardware and Connections
Why won't my trainer connect?
Most smart trainers allow only one Bluetooth control connection at a time, so another app holding the trainer is the most common cause. In order:
- Force-quit Zwift, Rouvy, and any other cycling apps on every nearby device, including a TV or laptop.
- Power-cycle the trainer.
- Check that Bluetooth is on and Contour has Bluetooth permission in iOS Settings.
- Reopen Contour and wait a few seconds for it to reconnect.
If Contour shows the trainer as connected but resistance never changes, another app most likely still holds control; step 1 usually fixes it.
Does Contour work with my trainer?
Any trainer that speaks FTMS should work; that covers most smart trainers from the last several years. We validate on the hardware we ride ourselves, currently the Wahoo KICKR CORE. If your trainer misbehaves, email us at [email protected] with the make, model, and what happened, and we will do our best to get it working for you.
Why won't my shifter connect?
The most likely reason is that we simply don't support your shifter yet; sorry. Shift controllers use proprietary protocols rather than an open standard, so each one has to be added individually. We have validated with the Zwift Ride and are working to expand support as fast as we can. Tell us what you ride at [email protected] and we will prioritize it.
In the meantime, you can shift from the screen instead: in Contour's Settings, set Virtual shifting to On, and on-screen shift buttons appear during your ride.
If you have a Zwift Ride and it still won't connect:
- Press a shift button to wake it; it sleeps aggressively.
- Keep it near your iPhone or iPad while pairing.
- Open Settings in Contour and pick it in the device picker.
Can I use a heart-rate monitor?
Yes. Contour connects to standard Bluetooth heart-rate monitors from the picker in Settings. If yours does not appear, make sure it is awake and broadcasting; some bands (WHOOP, some watches) only broadcast heart rate for a limited time after you enable it, so re-enable broadcasting and open the picker again.
Riding
What is virtual shifting?
With virtual shifting, Contour changes the trainer's resistance to simulate gears, so you leave your bike in one physical gear (for example on a Zwift Cog) and shift from a connected controller or the on-screen buttons. You can set it to Auto, On, or Off in Settings. Auto uses virtual shifting when a shift controller is connected and your physical gears otherwise; On always shows the on-screen shift buttons.
Why does virtual shifting feel wrong?
Contour computes resistance from your actual drivetrain, so the first thing to check is that it knows what your chain is on. In Contour's Settings, under Virtual shifting, set the Front chainring and Rear cog to the gear your chain is physically in (a Zwift Cog is 14 teeth). If those numbers are off, every virtual gear is off by the same factor.
Also check your rider weight (why it matters). If it still feels wrong after both, email [email protected] and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of it.
Virtual shifting also has limits even when everything is set right. It can be capped by your trainer's hardware (how much resistance it can produce), and some of it is inherent to simulating gears with resistance rather than changing real gear ratios; it can't simulate spinning out on a descent, for example.
Why does Contour ask for my weight?
Climbing resistance is real physics: the force a grade demands depends on the mass being hauled up it. Contour reads your weight from Apple Health or a manual entry in Settings so a 6% climb feels like a 6% climb for you, not for an average rider. If climbs feel too easy or too hard, check that your weight is set correctly first.
What is ERG mode?
In ERG mode the trainer holds a target power for you: pedal at any cadence and the trainer adjusts resistance so you stay at the target watts. Contour uses it for structured workouts and free ERG rides. Route rides instead simulate the road's actual grade, so your effort follows the terrain.
How does the FTP test work?
Contour's FTP test is a ramp test in ERG mode: the target power steps up steadily until you cannot hold it, and your FTP (Functional Threshold Power, the basis for workout intensities) is estimated from where you stopped. Before your first test, a fitness slider sets the starting ramp; it is only a rough starting point and the test self-corrects.
Can I ride on my TV?
Yes, over AirPlay. Start Screen Mirroring to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible TV and Contour puts a dedicated full-screen ride view on the big screen while your iPhone or iPad stays your controller. On a few older, lower-memory devices, route rides stay on the device screen instead; workouts and ERG rides still get the TV view.
Why did my ride fail to save to Apple Health?
- Open iOS Settings and find Contour.
- Under Health, allow write access for workouts and the ride metrics.
- Return to Contour and save again from the ride summary.
Contour only writes to Health when you choose Save to Health after finishing a ride or workout. If you allowed workouts but denied individual metrics like power or distance, the save can still fail; allow all the requested types.
Workouts and Music
How do I create a workout?
Two ways, from the Workouts tab:
- Describe it. Type or dictate what you want, like "45 minutes sweet spot with three 8-minute efforts" or "an easy hour with a few short sprints at the end", and Contour builds the structured workout. This needs an internet connection: your description is sent through Contour's own server for processing, Contour stores nothing, and there is no account to link it to. See the privacy policy for the full data-handling details, including dictation.
- Build it by hand. Switch to the Build tab in the same sheet to lay out warmups, steady blocks, intervals, and ramps yourself.
How do music-matched workouts work?
Contour can build a workout around a curated Apple Music soundtrack, matching efforts to the music. This requires an active Apple Music subscription and permission to access Apple Music. Without one, regular workouts are unaffected; the music option simply stays unavailable.
Can I import workouts from other apps?
Yes. Contour imports .zwo, .erg, and .mrc workout files. Open the file with Contour from Files, Mail, or AirDrop, or import it from the Workouts tab. There is also a built-in library of ready-made workouts across endurance, sweet spot, threshold, and more.
Subscription and Billing
How much does Contour Pro cost?
After the 5-day free trial, Contour Pro is $6.99/month or $39.99/year as an auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time $179.99 lifetime purchase. Prices may vary by region; the exact price for your storefront is shown in the app before you buy.
What happens when my trial ends?
Riding pauses until you subscribe or buy lifetime. Nothing is deleted: your imported routes, workouts, and settings remain, and rides you already saved to Apple Health stay in Health permanently.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Subscriptions are handled by Apple. Open iOS Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then Contour. Cancelling stops the next renewal; you keep access until the current period ends.
How do I restore my purchase on a new device?
Sign in with the same Apple Account you purchased with, then tap Restore Purchases on the Contour Pro screen.
How do I get a refund?
Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple, not by us. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com. If something in Contour drove the refund, we would still like to hear about it.
Privacy and Data
Where is my ride data stored?
On your device. Rides and workouts you choose to save go to Apple Health under Apple's protections. Contour has no accounts and no cloud copy of your rides.
What leaves my device?
Workout descriptions you type or dictate are processed through Contour's server, which stores no prompts, transcripts, or audio; dictated audio may be held briefly by the transcription provider for abuse prevention, never for AI training. The app also sends anonymous usage analytics. The full details are in the privacy policy.
Still Stuck?
Email: [email protected]
Privacy policy: https://pathofleastsoftware.com/contour/privacy/