Which is good, can you imagine sprinting up a 15% when you're training? Would be easier to hit the power mind, and more "life like" but I like the ERG mode for pure intervals and training purposes.
The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread
- Thread starter randomshenans
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Which is good, can you imagine sprinting up a 15% when you're training? Would be easier to hit the power mind, and more "life like" but I like the ERG mode for pure intervals and training purposes.
https://www.strava.com/activities/821192100/
Jumped on last night, only had time until dinner was ready so just rode on Zwift with no plan/aim. Unlocked a couple of the jerseys from codes and now riding around in the GCN kit which I quite like (was never a huge fan of it out on the road)!
Did a couple of 300W intervals, base work and then racing around with some guys at 3-3.5 w/kg smashing anyone & sprinting. Got a load of PR's I'm chuffed with including these 300W for 1 mile, a Ocean Road lap in under 15 minutes & 300W Island Climb.
Was starting cooldown (~2 w/kg) doing a bit of a climb at the end and passed a 'group D race'. Seemed very slow?! Is these guys 'racing' up a hill at only 200W, getting passed by everyone a 'thing'?!
I seem to be able to hold 3-3.5 w/kg with 4-5 w/kg efforts/sprints while riding at tempo without struggling or needing much recovery. Might just be some of the additional rest days I've had over the xmas break (lower fatigue levels).
Weird your TR issues, I always assumed they were one of the most proactive support & programming teams. Even see the guys from there posting on DCR's blog comments in response to peoples questions over trainers he's testing!
My lappy (Asus X550) has a Nvidia GT 740M and copes well with it fine.
Jumped on last night, only had time until dinner was ready so just rode on Zwift with no plan/aim. Unlocked a couple of the jerseys from codes and now riding around in the GCN kit which I quite like (was never a huge fan of it out on the road)!
Did a couple of 300W intervals, base work and then racing around with some guys at 3-3.5 w/kg smashing anyone & sprinting. Got a load of PR's I'm chuffed with including these 300W for 1 mile, a Ocean Road lap in under 15 minutes & 300W Island Climb.
Was starting cooldown (~2 w/kg) doing a bit of a climb at the end and passed a 'group D race'. Seemed very slow?! Is these guys 'racing' up a hill at only 200W, getting passed by everyone a 'thing'?!
I seem to be able to hold 3-3.5 w/kg with 4-5 w/kg efforts/sprints while riding at tempo without struggling or needing much recovery. Might just be some of the additional rest days I've had over the xmas break (lower fatigue levels).
+1 for arm screens & base layers. I'll generally have a 'spare' base with me over any long rides where I'm intending on doing intervals as well as base work. Nothing worse than trying to do an efficient long spinny cooldown, extending it slightly and realising your back is freezing cold from the sweat generated earlier. A cooldown shouldn't leave you feeling cold! Even this time of year.
Weird your TR issues, I always assumed they were one of the most proactive support & programming teams. Even see the guys from there posting on DCR's blog comments in response to peoples questions over trainers he's testing!
I've not used the SF app, but liked the videos I'd previously downloaded. I did some work on TR but quickly got bored of looking at numbers on a screen. Distraction is key for me! YMMV
It's not the most realistic but it is still quite immersive.
My lappy (Asus X550) has a Nvidia GT 740M and copes well with it fine.
I'm a big music listener too, if I'm not watching something on TV I have to have music on. I did try the Zwift sounds for all of 10 minutes when I first installed it. I found them even more annoying than turbo noise!
Man of Honour
Thank you xdcx, very helpful 
Yep, all as answered During workouts the hills/downhills are for viewing really, don't take effect. Imagine if you finished a 20min effort and your recovery started at the bottom of the climb and it ramped up the resistance.... If I wanted that **** I'd be doing it outside in the real world! 
Once you are in a workout you need to finish it, you cannot bail out without having to create a new Zwift ride and therefore splitting your rides.... I've not had to do it yet, and thought it was pretty naff you had to do that if you need to bail on a session, but then I think it is also incentive to get the session done maybe rather than bailing
During workouts the hills/downhills are for viewing really, don't take effect. Imagine if you finished a 20min effort and your recovery started at the bottom of the climb and it ramped up the resistance.... If I wanted that **** I'd be doing it outside in the real world! Once you are in a workout you need to finish it, you cannot bail out without having to create a new Zwift ride and therefore splitting your rides.... I've not had to do it yet, and thought it was pretty naff you had to do that if you need to bail on a session, but then I think it is also incentive to get the session done maybe rather than bailing
Was starting cooldown (~2 w/kg) doing a bit of a climb at the end and passed a 'group D race'. Seemed very slow?! Is these guys 'racing' up a hill at only 200W, getting passed by everyone a 'thing'?!
a lot of Zwift still baffles me, like I just jump on and pedal wherever it sends me, but you can change where you are going and your course etc.... I passed a heap of massive pelotons like the ones you mention last night but I guess these are organised race/training events? I was sitting steady at 5w/kg for a spell and bombing passed everyone I just worry they can report you or something as they think you are dodgy but then you see some Korean rider at 21w/kg and his character is super skinny 45kg dude.
I have to listen to music. Smashing it to Slayer last night, lovely
Once you are in a workout you need to finish it, you cannot bail out without having to create a new Zwift ride and therefore splitting your rides.... I've not had to do it yet, and thought it was pretty naff you had to do that if you need to bail on a session, but then I think it is also incentive to get the session done maybe rather than bailing
My logic wasn't for 'bails'
it was for instance, if you wanted to free-ride either side of a workout or structure part of a free ride slightly differently.Any idea about the cadence target metric in the workout builder?
A question for those more experienced than me:
I've been using Trainerroad with a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for a few years. The output figures were always consistent and I averaged around 300W for my FTP. A friend I ride with has a Computrainer and he averages close to 300W so I've always deemed the value to be fairly accurate.
I'm now getting into Zwift and to enhance the experience, I've upgraded to a Wahoo Kickr. The power output from the Kickr is very different to the KK. I haven't done an FTP test yet but on the Kickr, I struggle to hold over 200 Watts for any length of time and 300W is a serious effort (that I couldn't hold). I find it much more difficult to hold pace with group rides on Zwift now and regularly get dropped.
I've done numerous Spindowns with the Kickr and every time it takes 30-40 seconds and always gives me a 0 click offset. I don't have any other Power Meter to compare against.
Do my spindowns sound normal? Is there likely to be an issue somewhere? Is my Kickr under-reading my power output?
I know I'm comparing estimated power vs a strain gauge however my understanding is that the KK was supposed to be fairly accurate in it's power curve so I wouldn't expect that much of a gap.
Thanks.
I've been using Trainerroad with a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine for a few years. The output figures were always consistent and I averaged around 300W for my FTP. A friend I ride with has a Computrainer and he averages close to 300W so I've always deemed the value to be fairly accurate.
I'm now getting into Zwift and to enhance the experience, I've upgraded to a Wahoo Kickr. The power output from the Kickr is very different to the KK. I haven't done an FTP test yet but on the Kickr, I struggle to hold over 200 Watts for any length of time and 300W is a serious effort (that I couldn't hold). I find it much more difficult to hold pace with group rides on Zwift now and regularly get dropped.
I've done numerous Spindowns with the Kickr and every time it takes 30-40 seconds and always gives me a 0 click offset. I don't have any other Power Meter to compare against.
Do my spindowns sound normal? Is there likely to be an issue somewhere? Is my Kickr under-reading my power output?
I know I'm comparing estimated power vs a strain gauge however my understanding is that the KK was supposed to be fairly accurate in it's power curve so I wouldn't expect that much of a gap.
Thanks.
Soldato
My logic wasn't for 'bails'
Any idea about the cadence target metric in the workout builder?
You can free ride after a workout but not before.
I don't know about the workout builder but I've done one of the set workouts on there and there are cadence targets in the workout like hold 250w at a cadence of 60rpm for 2 mins then speed up to 90rpm etc.
Soldato
There's no real way of knowing without a real power meter. I have a kinetic inride and a Wahoo kickr and compared to my Quarq power meter the inride over read by 20w at 250w and the kickr over reads by 7w at 250w.
Obviously it isn't directly translatable to your setup but an illustration of a very similar setup.
My logic wasn't for 'bails'
Any idea about the cadence target metric in the workout builder?
If you set a watt upper limit and a cadence specified on that effort, it will come up on screen to "spin faster" or "spin slower". I think it is when you go +/- 4RPM to your specified RPM.
If you set your watts as 250w @ 60RPM on an effort, the smart trainer will ramp up the resistance and punish you if you were to try and sit at 90RPM for example. It would tell you on screen to spin slower and it would really smack you with resistance on the trainer to try and get your cadence down and level you out at the 250w you specified. Same idea as with power, if you are way over or way under, the resistance will alter automatically in accordance to get you within your specified values. Plus you get the on screen messages.
Nifty in the workout builder I only found yesterday was you can insert a text message to pop up at any point. So I put in text messages 20 seconds before an effort saying what the effort is and it's pretty cool. I know the session I am doing but it's a nice thing to be able to do.... Now, if we could share our custom workouts or a coach could create and share workouts that could be imported to Zwift and used, that would be nice!!
300watts for 60mins (FTP) is high, do you mean for 20mins on a test? What do you weigh and what level are you cycling at? Straight away I would be more inclined to believe the KK was over reading.
Your spindowns sound exactly like mines, always gives the 0 offset and I have done 5 now.
If you go back some posts you will see me stating I think my Kickr is over reading power. I still think it is slightly.... DC Rainmaker review showed it over reads but not drastically and from lots of stuff I read it seems the Kickr is over reading by 6-8 watts over the likes of Vector/Quark power meters.
You using the InRIDE watt meter thing for the KK or was this based on Zwift estimated zPower?
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I'd be pretty happy if it was as close as that! My concern is that 200w is now a real effort to hit and maintain and 300w I can hold for no more than a few seconds whereas before, 200w was 'steady state' pace and 300w was a hard, but sustainable effort.
That's a big difference and removes some of the enjoyment from Zwift because it has a huge impact on my w/kg for the same level of effort. Holding 2 w/kg now requires considerable effort.
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Soldato
Have you tried adjusting the trainer difficulty setting? You still ride to watts correctly but on the hills the gradient will feel less. Info here http://zwiftblog.com/using-the-trainer-difficulty-setting-in-zwift/
I've thought about doing that but then surely that's masking the issue? What I need to understand is whether the output I'm seeing is normal or whether there is an underlying problem.
I've raised a support ticket with Wahoo and sent them a screenshot of my latest spindown to see whether they can provide any comfort that the numbers I'm now seeing are right. One of my trainers has been giving false numbers, I just don't know which one yet!
Soldato
Not really, if you read the whole article, it's there to level the playing field between smart and dumb trainer differences.
As said before, there isn't any way of knowing without a real power meter as you need a control measurement to base it from, at the moment you have two unknowns.
Edit: Do you have any hour rides on relatively flat routes that have been recorded on Strava? Some of the guys on here should be able to estimate the time it would take to do say 20miles based on an ftp of 300w, obviously aero would be a major factor but it should be a reasonable estimate.
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Whoops...missed this one.....
75kg, experienced triathlete (is that a dirty word here?!) racing at a relatively high level and finishing in the top 10% of most races. I've been racing since 2005 and train 10-12hrs per week so I would say my fitness is pretty good!
How hard should 200w feel? I always thought it was a reasonable, but sustainable, effort level.
The 300w is what the KK with Trainerroad got my FTP at (actually 306w at one point). No InRide, this was purely Virtual Power. To do this meant averaging 330-340w for the FTP test. It could have been wildly wrong, the only other comparison I've got is a friend with a Computrainer who is of similar ability to me and has an FTP of 290-300w.
I did (or tried to do) the WBR Igniter at 05:30 yesterday morning and couldn't hang on to the group for more than 5 mins. It's also suddenly become a decent effort to hold 2 w/kg.
I think I'll try an FTP test tonight (haven't done one for a while) and see where that gets me.
With regards to the trainer difficulty setting, I think this only affects the climbs and as it happens, I can generally keep up on the climbs. It's the flat where I struggle to keep up!
Soldato
I do with the iPad connected to a tv. Works faultlessly.