The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread
- Thread starter randomshenans
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VO2 max stuff should effectively feel like you are suffocating, which it usually does...eventually
yeah - it was pretty horrendous. I knew it was a "good" session when I was seriously considering stopping after 40 mins......
Ok well I'm signed up for another trial, will get on it tonight and give it a go.
Kudos for keeping up that power output whilst in the sea.
So you just did two climbs of the same mountain? Thats a specific workout plan is it?
Kudos for keeping up that power output whilst in the sea
.Ok well I'm signed up for another trial, will get on it tonight and give it a go.
So you just did two climbs of the same mountain? Thats a specific workout plan is it?
Kudos for keeping up that power output whilst in the sea
assuming your turbo is a "smart" one - if your doing any of the pre made sessions like that, it will go into ERG mode - effectively it ignores hills/descents for the purposes of your session in terms of harder or easier etc. You basically riding round the island in any pattern but focusing on your specific session of power output etc.
Yeah I have a Vortex smart.
So in essence if I do a workout, I could be on the "flat" in Zwiftlonia, but the workout could be simulating a climb therefore increasing resistance, but if I'm out and about just cycling in game, it will follow the terrain?
So in essence if I do a workout, I could be on the "flat" in Zwiftlonia, but the workout could be simulating a climb therefore increasing resistance, but if I'm out and about just cycling in game, it will follow the terrain?
Yes exactly.
Yeah. What didn't you like about Zwift before? The interface or the graphics/landscape? I'll admit the graphics are not great, but considering they'll run on quite a low spec PC and on ipads it's actually not that bad! The interface can take a little 'patience', it can be awkward at times. I'm waiting for the day they do addon's and people are able to change the look of it. There's just too much wasted space - yet other times it can feel cluttered.
In a workout specifically the resistance of the trainer will use ERG mode for you to hit the wattage targets, irrespective of the 'road' or landscape around you. It'll increase/decrease the resistance for you to hit the power target of the workout in your current gear & cadence (you don't have to change gear). The power you're outputting will then be translated to the 'speed' of your ingame avatar. When riding outside of a workout the terrain will dictate the trainers resistance, if you increase power (cadence or gears) the power output will increase. In workout ERG mode when increasing power the trainer will reduce the resistance in an attempt to maintain the wattage target.
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The menu/interface. It looks like something I could knock up in half an hour at work, after having turned up late, hungover, still drunk, without my glasses, and unable to turn my monitors on. Seriously, its bloody awful.
Other than that, first time round I did a quick ride and just didn't like the look or feel of it. I'll freely admit that this is all subjective and my opinion but; Trainer Road for example presents the information I care about in a format that is easy to read out of the corner of my eye and when knackered, rather than having to look for it. Granted I haven't used Zwift much but the little box in the middle at the top just isn't there, I have to go searching for it. This will no doubt improve over time as I get used to where to look, but it's still something I have to look at, rather than being able to read it from my peripheral vision as I can with TR.
No overall course profile (that I can see).
No way to hide the other riders column - I get this is supposed to be a social game as well, I'd still like that option.
I did an FTP test this morning - not the wisest choice at 5am after a poor nights sleep and fasted: I felt pretty ill afterwards
- in the last 20 minutes push I'm obviously sweating buckets, and on screen its some pretty cack render of London. One of the things I loved about Sufferfest for example were the Mike Cotty videos of him just climbing in beautiful places.I felt that I get a better workout either just stem watching TR out of the corner of my eye or really hurting to a video of beautiful scenery (I'm not fond of all the Peleton stuff in SF).
I guess I train differently and all the gamification stuff just ****** me off. Levels to unlock new jerseys? Neon wheels? Come on. I'm on a sodding bike in the garage because I want to be, less shiny shiny and more effort on writing a decent program would have me more inclined to stick with it.
I'll do more rides and see though.
Btw I don't know if Zwift do it but if anyone wants to refer me I'm happy to sign up for a month and give it a proper test.
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Man of Honour
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I ignore all the gamification stuff personally. I really don't care about unlocking things and despite having ridden a fair bit I'm still on whatever the default bike + skin is.
Where Zwift shines is that it feels a bit less lonely than TR or other SF stuff and you can ride with people you know if you like. Really, that's it. Anything else you can get just as good or better from TR, SF or whatever other setup you want to use. If you don't find those two things to be a benefit then tbh I'd just got back to TR
Where Zwift shines is that it feels a bit less lonely than TR or other SF stuff and you can ride with people you know if you like. Really, that's it. Anything else you can get just as good or better from TR, SF or whatever other setup you want to use. If you don't find those two things to be a benefit then tbh I'd just got back to TR
Power on the top left, that's all you need! If the numbers are low it's not Zwifts fault! 
I'll agree, the UI of Zwift isn't the best. It's cartoony & hasn't changed much. FT is right, the platform is very 'gamey' and seems to encourage 'game' type competition amongst riders with leaderboards etc. I'd love some options to personalise it (for me w/kg as it's such an important metric on the platform should be more prominent).
The social aspect of Zwift is a distraction, hardly anything else, but as with most turbo trainer riding distractions are what we need! I personally find there's more distractions with Zwift than any of the other platforms, so I get 'more for my money' as there's also more I can do with it. Sessions, plans, 'just ride', racing, riding with others, some scenery. Before I struggled with TR as I found it incredibly boring very quickly. Literally riding to numbers with no distraction (unless you provided your own).
I found the early SF videos better than TR & more immersive than early Zwift (which only had 'just ride'). But when more was added to Zwift I found myself using it more so switched over, once I'd got a FE-C/Smart trainer that was it. I tried the new SF app during the last Tour of Sufferlandria and although it was promising (just as immersive as before as well as being semi-interactive) I found it very clunky so went back to Zwift. The 4-5 SF videos and workouts I tried the plan/screen and instructions just didn't 'line up' or feel very well designed/integrated. That'll no doubt change with time as all new videos will be designed for the app first, rather than a non-interactive continuous recording.
I'll agree, the UI of Zwift isn't the best. It's cartoony & hasn't changed much. FT is right, the platform is very 'gamey' and seems to encourage 'game' type competition amongst riders with leaderboards etc. I'd love some options to personalise it (for me w/kg as it's such an important metric on the platform should be more prominent).
The social aspect of Zwift is a distraction, hardly anything else, but as with most turbo trainer riding distractions are what we need! I personally find there's more distractions with Zwift than any of the other platforms, so I get 'more for my money' as there's also more I can do with it. Sessions, plans, 'just ride', racing, riding with others, some scenery. Before I struggled with TR as I found it incredibly boring very quickly. Literally riding to numbers with no distraction (unless you provided your own).
I found the early SF videos better than TR & more immersive than early Zwift (which only had 'just ride'). But when more was added to Zwift I found myself using it more so switched over, once I'd got a FE-C/Smart trainer that was it. I tried the new SF app during the last Tour of Sufferlandria and although it was promising (just as immersive as before as well as being semi-interactive) I found it very clunky so went back to Zwift. The 4-5 SF videos and workouts I tried the plan/screen and instructions just didn't 'line up' or feel very well designed/integrated. That'll no doubt change with time as all new videos will be designed for the app first, rather than a non-interactive continuous recording.
They weren't on my FTP test, nor the other workout I explored.Power on the top left, that's all you need! If the numbers are low it's not Zwifts fault!
Yeah I like that
.Yep, I guess long term I'm waiting for SF to mature to the level of TR, and then I'll be set.
Zwift is designed to make riding indoors more appealing. It's not a soley focused rider improvement platform like TrainerRoad is. The two are very different. UI aside once Zwift's training programs are as extensive as TR's and the control of a smart trainer via PM is refined it will come out on top in my eyes.
So I tried a workout plan tonight, GCNs tractor pulls. It was 12x30s at 540W@50rpm, and I could not for the life of me get the turbo to go anywhere near the 540W required for the 'pulls' (and I don't mean because I'm a weakling ), I dropped my cadence but the turbo just didn't seem to react anywhere near quickly enough. Any suggestions?
On another note, Watopia(??) was a welcome change, I really dislike the London course, and find it very odd you can't choose location.
), I dropped my cadence but the turbo just didn't seem to react anywhere near quickly enough. Any suggestions?On another note, Watopia(??) was a welcome change, I really dislike the London course, and find it very odd you can't choose location.
Man of Honour
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You can. Just Google how to specify a map in Zwift.
You can fix 'worlds' in the prefs file. Least that was how it was done in the past. I expect with updates to come this will be an easily selectable option.
For short intervals like than just plonk your turbo on a linear/manual resistance and use your gears. By the time ERG responds the interval is over.
For short intervals like than just plonk your turbo on a linear/manual resistance and use your gears. By the time ERG responds the interval is over.
Oh yeah I spoke to the missus about Zwift and reckon this is the closest I've come to getting her on a turbo. So I'm setting her up to have a ride tonight (ooer missus). Assuming she likes it enough to do once a week or so I'll probably try and find her a second hand smart turbo (or maybe I'll get a direct drive and she can have mine - yeah right !!!). Is the zwift riding with a friend mode the best bet we've got of doing a workout together? Think spinning. She likes spinning (but hates turbos and bikes, don't ask).
!!!). Is the zwift riding with a friend mode the best bet we've got of doing a workout together? Think spinning. She likes spinning (but hates turbos and bikes, don't ask).
Man of Honour
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I believe you can also do some kind of shared mode in TR but it has been a while since I looked at it.