Zwift, is that all there is?
02-08-16, 05:36 PM
#76
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Still need more courses. And the ability to import your own. It gets boring to ride the same loop over an over. I forget that Zwift is a video game and not a simulator.
02-08-16, 06:28 PM
#77
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Give BKool a try. You should be able to get a free month when you sign up and you can upload your own routes. If you sync it with Strava, it will upload your rides as courses (not retro active tho). I got really into this for about a week but it got a bit old after that.
02-08-16, 06:42 PM
#78
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IMHO.
dave
02-09-16, 01:28 PM
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If just riding around gets boring, try doing the workouts. Having something to focus on makes the time go by way faster than just sitting and spinning. Never thought I'd be able to put over 1000 miles on my trainer in a lifetime because I hated it so much, but I've done it in about 4 months now which used to be unfathomable. Zwift is my training savior and I can't wait for snow to melt and get outside to see how much more in shape I am this spring as compared to years past.
02-09-16, 01:48 PM
#80
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Zwift still thinks I'm way faster than I actually am. Did 22 "miles" in 58 minutes this morning with 1,000 ft of climbing. I'd guess the zpower number is still off by 15-20% but I've tried a bunch of different trainer presets in the program and this one still seems to be the closest, the others are either way under or way over what my expected power should be.
Oh well. I've got a bluetooth HR strap on order so at least I'll be able to correlate my trainer efforts with my real-world riding experience based on HR and start doing some HR-based workouts in the game. Improving my virtual FTP will end up improving my real FTP, even if I have no idea what the actual number is.
Oh well. I've got a bluetooth HR strap on order so at least I'll be able to correlate my trainer efforts with my real-world riding experience based on HR and start doing some HR-based workouts in the game. Improving my virtual FTP will end up improving my real FTP, even if I have no idea what the actual number is.
02-09-16, 01:53 PM
#81
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I have needed a trainer for the longest. I just never felt like spending the money and then hours of mindless suffering. Zwift pushed me over the edge and I expect to see a improvement in my cycling this year. The idea of being able to get on at any time of day or weather with 1000's of people from all over the world is pretty appealing to me.
So I finally got to do about 100 miles on it and I really like it. The sky is the limit if the developers do this right. No doubt they need to keep adding maps but I expect that to happen, especially if they want people to keep their $10.00 subscription going. I like that the gear and kit upgrades are merit based and not monetarily based.
As long as EA Sports doesn't buy Zwift everything should be fine.
So I finally got to do about 100 miles on it and I really like it. The sky is the limit if the developers do this right. No doubt they need to keep adding maps but I expect that to happen, especially if they want people to keep their $10.00 subscription going. I like that the gear and kit upgrades are merit based and not monetarily based.
As long as EA Sports doesn't buy Zwift everything should be fine.
02-10-16, 07:35 AM
#83
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THE SMART TRAINER IS WHAT MAKES ZWIFT really enjoyable. If you guys are doing it on a dumb trainer it would be extremely boring. By allowing the trainer to vary the resistance while you go up and down hills, drafting other riders, to gain an aero advantage. Its all very enjoyable and if you have crappy weather in winter its a great change of pace to keep you in shape in the winter. I've put about 200 miles on it in 2 weeks and it is great. The races are the bomb, in getting to compete with various people of all different skill levels. You guys need to immerse yourselves in the culture. Read about the different kits and bikes, and wheels you can earn. Its all quite enjoyable and I'm an old Guy that never played many video games.
Don't criticize the game when you really haven't used it like it suppose to be used. I would al;so be very disinterested if I was using it on a dumb trainer for 30 minutes. As far as computer is concerned I run it on a desktop in my Exercise room and it works great. If you run it on the laptop you got to plug it in. With the amount of graphics it uses, it does use a little computing power, but that's also what makes it great to use.
Don't criticize the game when you really haven't used it like it suppose to be used. I would al;so be very disinterested if I was using it on a dumb trainer for 30 minutes. As far as computer is concerned I run it on a desktop in my Exercise room and it works great. If you run it on the laptop you got to plug it in. With the amount of graphics it uses, it does use a little computing power, but that's also what makes it great to use.
02-10-16, 08:48 AM
#84
Senior Member
If just riding around gets boring, try doing the workouts. Having something to focus on makes the time go by way faster than just sitting and spinning. Never thought I'd be able to put over 1000 miles on my trainer in a lifetime because I hated it so much, but I've done it in about 4 months now which used to be unfathomable. Zwift is my training savior and I can't wait for snow to melt and get outside to see how much more in shape I am this spring as compared to years past.
If you don't have TrainerRoad though, the workouts are a great way to mix things up. Last night I did 30 mins of free riding and 30 mins of a workout, and it kept my interest.
02-10-16, 09:18 AM
#85
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I did my first workout in Zwift this morning, "Jon's Mix" because I only had about an hour, and it kicked my butt. The 10 second sprints are hard to pace with "zpower" on my dumb trainer because there's lag before it accurately reflects your effort, but the 1 minute and longer stuff is fine. Definitely ignored all the other riders and stayed on the flat course, so it does eliminate some of the fun of Zwift, but seeing the timer and the gates and the little graph of your effort is a lot better than doing timed intervals based on HR using my iPhone stopwatch like I used to.
02-10-16, 09:23 AM
#86
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I did my first workout in Zwift this morning, "Jon's Mix" because I only had about an hour, and it kicked my butt. The 10 second sprints are hard to pace with "zpower" on my dumb trainer because there's lag before it accurately reflects your effort, but the 1 minute and longer stuff is fine.
02-10-16, 12:52 PM
#87
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Jon's short mix was a disaster when they first implemented it. It would just say "max" instead of an actual wattage and the smart trainer would just stop completely. They quickly fixed it, but those first couple of times trying it was brutal.
02-10-16, 12:57 PM
#88
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"Luckily" I have a dumb trainer.
02-10-16, 05:01 PM
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02-10-16, 09:39 PM
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I have really tried to like it (riding on the smart trainer), but I find it highly annoying. The resistance changes SO FAST that I feel like I'm wearing out my shifter cables cranking five gears this way, five the other way, trying to maintain a steady power. I'm sorry, but a change in incline from -2% to +2% does not necessitate an instant bogging down of the bicycle that has me scrambling to crank on my STI to get the chain up the cassette. It's dumb. And it happens constantly. I just quit.
Jon
02-10-16, 11:17 PM
#92
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I would enjoy Zwift more if the app would link for me so I could use those features.
02-11-16, 09:07 AM
#93
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02-11-16, 09:25 AM
#94
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What's in the short mix? I did the hour long version yesterday, I think it was something like 10 10 second all-out sprints with decreasing amounts of rest in between, maybe a couple smaller blocks, and then 2 20 minute blocks a little above FTP with 10 minutes rest in between. It shattered my legs.
02-11-16, 09:35 AM
#95
Senior Member
What's in the short mix? I did the hour long version yesterday, I think it was something like 10 10 second all-out sprints with decreasing amounts of rest in between, maybe a couple smaller blocks, and then 2 20 minute blocks a little above FTP with 10 minutes rest in between. It shattered my legs.
02-11-16, 09:44 AM
#96
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Got it, basically the same except the hour long version stretches the 260W into 2 20 minute blocks. For me, it was "320W" but my zpower is pretty high and the game thinks my FTP is a little over 300, which would be cool but isn't accurate.
02-11-16, 09:53 AM
#97
Senior Member
I figured out that apparently Zwift thinks my FTP is 283W. I'm using a power meter FYI, rather than zpower.
02-14-16, 10:26 PM
#98
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It was a Wahoo Kickr. At a bike shop. I've gone back three times trying to get it to be enjoyable but so far no luck. I can go ride it whenever.
02-15-16, 12:15 AM
#99
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The Zwift design point is really about group riding and realtime individual results. A whole bunch of courses to choose from would be a major departure from what Zwift is. I tend to be a solo rider so that would probably be better for me. But it wouldn't be Zwift.
IMHO.
dave
IMHO.
dave
I've enjoyed Zwift quite a bit....definitely makes passing the winter months on the trainer much more enjoyable. You really do need a smart trainer though to get the full benefit. I use the Cycleops Powerbeam Pro and love it.
02-15-16, 06:15 AM
#100
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Zwift still thinks I'm way faster than I actually am. Did 22 "miles" in 58 minutes this morning with 1,000 ft of climbing. I'd guess the zpower number is still off by 15-20% but I've tried a bunch of different trainer presets in the program and this one still seems to be the closest, the others are either way under or way over what my expected power should be.
Oh well. I've got a bluetooth HR strap on order so at least I'll be able to correlate my trainer efforts with my real-world riding experience based on HR and start doing some HR-based workouts in the game. Improving my virtual FTP will end up improving my real FTP, even if I have no idea what the actual number is.
Oh well. I've got a bluetooth HR strap on order so at least I'll be able to correlate my trainer efforts with my real-world riding experience based on HR and start doing some HR-based workouts in the game. Improving my virtual FTP will end up improving my real FTP, even if I have no idea what the actual number is.
this reminds me of the guys that complain that the calories burned being reported on Strava might not be accurate... really?