HELP: Getting started with Zwift ?!
 

Hi,

I have an old CycloCross Trainer Pro. I understand I can use this trainer to get started with Zwift.

Please advise me what I will need to get going with Zwift! I watched the Zwift videos, but I am still confused.

With respect, has anyone suggested creating a stationary bike subforum here at BikeForums.net? It seems Zwift and Tacx are really taking off in the cycling community :)

Thank you,

C

Agreed. I too would like to read what others have done with this. I'm thinking of getting this too, perhaps with a Kinetic Rock and Roll Smart Trainer because I like to get off the saddle when I hit a hill ;)

P.S. This is a timely thread with the loss of daylight savings time for 9-5'ers and with winter coming on.

I used Zwift with a Kinetic trainer last year. It doesn't have a power meter, so I used a Garmin speed sensor on the bike with an Ant stick on my laptop. I connected the laptop to a wall mounted TV in front of the trainer with an HDMI cable. It worked well and was way better than just listening to music, but I am sure a smart trainer connect to Zwift would be a whole different experience.

Yep, this. ^^^^^^^ Zwift can figure your virtual power and there is enough going on to keep you entertained for a while even without an interactive trainer.

I have question about getting started with Zwift. I have a Cyclop Fluid 2 trainer and a Speed Sensor and using a Garmin Edge. Do I need anything else?

If the Speed Sensor is ANT+ and you have the USB ANT+ plug-in for your computer you're good to go. Zwift can configure your virtual power from there. A power meter make the experience a lot better IMO.

What is the USB ANT+ plug-in for? Do I really need one? Thanks in advance.

The USB ANT+ dongle allows your computer to receive the wireless signal from the speed sensor on your bicycle so that the Zwift app knows how fast you are going. That combined with the known resistance curve for the non-smart trainers that Zwift supports allows the app to estimate your power output.

MTA: They are available on Amazon for under $20. It doesn't have to be the Garmin brand. I have used the Suunto Movestick with a Garmin speed sensor.

My Zwift setup has slowly evolved over the past year. I started out with only a Cycleops Fluid 2 trainer, a riser block, and Garmin speed/cadence sensors. Having the speed sensor with a compatible trainer lets the software give you a Zpower estimate. I was fortunate enough to have an Ant+ dongle that came with a Garmin fitness watch and heart rate monitor strap. I invested about $10 getting a USB extension cable on Amazon so that I can use my desktop for better graphics and not have to move it.

One thing I would look into Cancuck is if your trainer is compatible with Zwift's Zpower mode. Some older models do not work with it because Zwift does not have the power curve specs to calculate an estimate. If your model isn't supported I've read that it may be able to sort of work in the software, but it won't have accurate numbers and probably will be all over the place when the terrain changes.

I have really enjoyed the Zwift experience, although I tried a race and got smoked so hard I haven't tried one again. One of my new favorite features are group workouts where you can join other people and do the same workout as a pack, but the software uses your FTP to structure the workout rather than everyone needing to do the same workload. I decided a few months ago to upgrade to a power meter and invest in a much stronger fan. These two upgrades have made such a big difference in my enjoyment of the app because my power feels so much more accurate and I'm not cooking after 30 mins of riding.

I will probably at some point upgrade to a smart trainer but my budget won't allow it for now. My best advice for the newbie trying it is to start low budget and get a feel if you enjoy the experience, the workouts, and can see yourself using it frequently. If so, then start making upgrades to make the experience more enjoyable for your situation.

Unrelated: I have recently discovered some other software that does a similar thing as Zwift where you can do digital workouts and I can see some people liking it better. The only one I have personally tried is Sufferfest where you have power targets that match along with cycling race and ride footage. I am a gamer and like the achievements of Zwift better, but just letting new people know there are options.

As already discussed, you need a way to gauge your speed/power/cadence. You need a speed sensor for this which can relay its data via ANT+ or BlueTooth (if you have power/cadence, then great! Otherwise Zwift can estimate your power and cadence, well, that's icing).

Next, you need a way to receive the sensor data on the device Zwift is running on.
- If it's a laptop: if you have ANT+ sensors you need an ANT+ stick - and you can run on MacOS/Windows. If your sensors are BT (like Wahoo), you can send BT directly to the Mac. For Windows it's much trickier (you can do this for MacOS too but why would you) - you HAVE to have a smartphone with ZwiftLink installed. The app will connect to your sensors and then relay data to the laptop. I tried it, it works, but I'm going to splurge on an ANT+ stick.
- If it's an iPad: I believe you can use BT directly. Don't see why you wouldn't be able to do the same on Android

Once your data is getting sent to the Zwift app, you're done - just ride.

One caveat is that Zwift needs to support your trainer to estimate power readings. I'm not sure what happens in the case where you have a non-supported trainer but select one of the supported trainers in the app.

If you go over to slowtwitch.com they have just posted a tutorial on their home page that takes you through a basic setup for Zwift. Pictures and information are great.

That's a good article. One minor correction:

They list three possible modes to hook up:
I added the part in bold. It may also be true of more recent PCs, so worth checking.

Yes, I didn't consider the older PCs, but I do know my older model Dell laptop wouldn't support the game it wasn't a bluetooth issue. I'm using a MacBook but with the ANT+ dongle now but my trainer does broadcast bluetooth. I'll give it a try.

Yes, my 2014 IPad is not usable with Zwift. Galaxy Android phones can have issues also.


Zwift-Rider-s-Guide

This link helped me learn what was going on when in Zwift.

My question with getting started is..

How do I stream Zwift from my gaming pc to a tv in another room 15 ft away through a wall?

Wireless HDMI?
Either that, or get a longer cable. And/or drill a hole in the wall.

But that would probably be the least of your problems. You also have to worry about getting the ANT+ (or Bluetooth) receiver on your gaming PC to properly communicate with the sensors/trainers on your bike (which presumably is also in the other room with the TV).

Thank you for mentioning wireless hdmi.

The smart trainer that I have ordered is the Tacx Neo with it all built in. Would those sensors be out of range?

Main issue with ANT+ and Bluetooth is that they are relatively short range sensors. If you search for general advice and FAQs regarding ANT+ pairing, you will find that a lot of advice starts with moving the dongle closer to the transmitter... heck, even Tacx sells an (overpriced) USB ANT+ antenna that features a long cable to get as close to the trainer as possible.
I don't know if you will have reception problems at 15 feet and through a solid wall, but I wouldn't be surprised if you did.

Wife got new iphone, so, for kicks we downloaded the zwift OS, i jumped on the bike, BT speed/cadence sensors paired instantly, and i was zwifting in less 5 mins total including the download. Amazing.

My normal setup is zwift mobile android tablet and laptop, but this iphone experience got me thinkin.. all i need is lightning/hdmi adapter to use my widescreen. Simpler setup and bigger viewing experience. IOS seems to be the simplist & easiest setup.

Thanks for pointing this out. Luckily it seems like some people are using virtual
here to get around this problem.
https://www.virtualhere.com/

And can buy it through steam if using a steam link to stream game to tv, rather than a Miracast Microsoft wireless adapter which is reported to have lag.