My first visit to Watopia
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FTP is useful for structured interval training, like in Trainerroad or Sufferfest, because the intensity of the workouts will be based on that number.
The actual process of doing FTP tests is also useful for time-trailling, as it helps you learn to pace yourself over long durations.
The actual process of doing FTP tests is also useful for time-trailling, as it helps you learn to pace yourself over long durations.
#27
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I want to get a trainer but my budget is limited can I get a cheaper fluid trainer and still play on Zwift and the like?
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I really like Zwift. There were more than 6,000 people online last weekend together.
And like folks already mentioned, you are seriously dropping the hammer when you get on there. My friends used to tell me that and I didn't think it could be real until I go on and started hammering in attempts to get good segment times.
And like folks already mentioned, you are seriously dropping the hammer when you get on there. My friends used to tell me that and I didn't think it could be real until I go on and started hammering in attempts to get good segment times.
I'm hooked.
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Yes, but you'll need to use a speed sensor to monitor speeds and won't be able to change resistance automatically. I'd look for a used smart trainer first if the budget is tight.
#30
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I have not seen many smart trainers reasonably priced. They are almost as much as my bike!
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tacx-Vortex...MAAOSwB3BaBeU4
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I"m a creature of habit and normally ride the same routes outside, so the Zwift course thing doesn't bother me at all.
Get a USB cord extension for your dongle (plastic baggie is a good idea.) Get on with some friends, or make some new ones, and ride like you do IRL.
Not much opportunity to coast, so you get a pretty good workout. They have some excellent group workouts as well as ones you can do on your own.
The climbing is pretty realistic (as is the entire experience with a good trainer and riding mates) and the races are fierce. Start full gas and hope to hang on until things settle down.
Get a USB cord extension for your dongle (plastic baggie is a good idea.) Get on with some friends, or make some new ones, and ride like you do IRL.
Not much opportunity to coast, so you get a pretty good workout. They have some excellent group workouts as well as ones you can do on your own.
The climbing is pretty realistic (as is the entire experience with a good trainer and riding mates) and the races are fierce. Start full gas and hope to hang on until things settle down.
#34
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Well, the low temps and ice-covered roads finally drove me inside to the trainer. I made my first Zwift ride and it's a decent way to ride a trainer. For those of you with Zwift experience, can you offer some tips? Favorite routes? Best features?
Love how it "talks" to the trainer to change resistance. Really enhances indoor riding.
Love how it "talks" to the trainer to change resistance. Really enhances indoor riding.
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#37
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The guess as to why Zwift defaults to 50% difficulty is that many smart trainers aren't capable of reproducing eg. 18% gradients. What I'm wondering, is then whether it makes sense mostly to set trainer difficulty to percentage that maps the highest gradients you'll see in Watopia to what your trainer can really emulate. Eg. if your trainer can emulate only up to 12% gradient, and Zwift has 18% gradients, then setting trainer to 67% would make sense? This would ensure that at least an 18% Zwift gradient would feel different than a 12% gradient, albeit both would be easier than real life.. Setting to 100% would mean a 12% Zwift gradient would feel identical to an 18% gradient... I think(?)
https://zwiftinsider.com/using-the-t...ting-in-zwift/
#38
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The program allows you to use dumb trainers, you just need a rear wheel speed/cadence sensor. If the game knows your wheel speed, it has pre-mapped power curves for a number of dumb trainer models so it can approximate your power, you just have to pick your trainer model when pairing sensors.
That said, I found the default power curve for my trainer to be wayyyy off. Like 150+ watts too high for a given effort. I ended up borrowing my friend's powertap wheel and testing different trainer presets in the game until I found one that was pretty close to my real power numbers (within 15 watts), and I've continued to use that preset ever since.
Zwift has changed trainer rides for me, big time. I don't do group rides or races in the game, but I have been swept up by them before and it is a good workout. Chasing down people, going for PRs on long segments, trying to get jerseys... it's a lot more engrossing than just watching a movie and spinning away.
I recently (finally) got a bluetooth HR monitor so I can watch my HR while in the game. I push myself way harder in Zwift than I ever did on the trainer before, and probably harder than I do outside unless I'm actually racing or on a hard training ride.
#39
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The guess as to why Zwift defaults to 50% difficulty is that many smart trainers aren't capable of reproducing eg. 18% gradients. What I'm wondering, is then whether it makes sense mostly to set trainer difficulty to percentage that maps the highest gradients you'll see in Watopia to what your trainer can really emulate. Eg. if your trainer can emulate only up to 12% gradient, and Zwift has 18% gradients, then setting trainer to 67% would make sense? This would ensure that at least an 18% Zwift gradient would feel different than a 12% gradient, albeit both would be easier than real life.. Setting to 100% would mean a 12% Zwift gradient would feel identical to an 18% gradient... I think(?)
I don't have climbing gears on my bike - just a regular road cassette. In theory one can swap the cassette, but I don't think the derailleur can handle it, so I would need a different derailleur as well. It is easier to just leave the difficulty setting alone and keep riding.
#40
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This is my second winter season on Zwift, using a Wahoo KICKR SNAP wheel-on trainer. In March of last year when I could start riding outdoors again, I was in the best shape ever - on my usual rides, it felt more like May or June (from a uphill agony/total ride time perspective) than what I usually felt like in March.
On Zwift I rotate through a bunch of different activities, keeps the boredom away:
Since any of those can occur in one of the three "lands" in Zwift and Zwift is regularly added more roads to many of the lands, boredom hasn't been an issue. Probably the biggest negative for me is doing long rides in a trainer is way tougher on my rear end than real road rides - no out of saddle time, the bike is rigidly upright, not getting off to wait out the occasional traffic light, etc.
This week, by mistake, I did my longest ride ever on Zwift - the hilly 30 mile 3 Sisters Loop, took me 2 hours. That was marginally OK - I think to do a three hour ride (the Watopia Pretzel!) at the two hour mark I will pretend I am pulling into a convenience store, get off the bike on the trainer, eat a fig bar, refill my water bottle, stretch and get back on - just like I do at about that mark when I'm biking IRL.
On Zwift I rotate through a bunch of different activities, keeps the boredom away:
- Just riding - pick one of the many pre-canned loops and keep riding on it until bored or run out of time
- Group rides - many include audio on Discord or Facebook live
- Workouts - huge choice in the Zwift dropdown menu
- Group workouts - these are new this year and I really enjoy them. Some are just automated, some include actual leaders sending instructions and replying to questions, some also have audio feeds.
- Custom workouts - I created a set of workouts from the "Time Crunched Cyclist" book by Chris Carmichael and mix those in.
- Races - I'm not a racer in the real world but on Zwift I've been doing about 1 a week. I suck, but great high intensity just pedal as hard as you can for 45 - 60 minutes workouts, with the incentive of seeing your placement at the end, matched against others that are similar in weight/power via the race categories.
Since any of those can occur in one of the three "lands" in Zwift and Zwift is regularly added more roads to many of the lands, boredom hasn't been an issue. Probably the biggest negative for me is doing long rides in a trainer is way tougher on my rear end than real road rides - no out of saddle time, the bike is rigidly upright, not getting off to wait out the occasional traffic light, etc.
This week, by mistake, I did my longest ride ever on Zwift - the hilly 30 mile 3 Sisters Loop, took me 2 hours. That was marginally OK - I think to do a three hour ride (the Watopia Pretzel!) at the two hour mark I will pretend I am pulling into a convenience store, get off the bike on the trainer, eat a fig bar, refill my water bottle, stretch and get back on - just like I do at about that mark when I'm biking IRL.
#41
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Zwift really works well with a smart trainer. Try some group rides and races on Zwift. Some of the group rides will have breakaway flyers off the front you can draft or "race" with.. Look over the events list and you can find all sorts of stuff. You can also meet up with friends (from anywhere on the planet) and do a group ride or pace line.
One event I found particularly amusing was a cat and mouse event on Volcano Flat. Staggered start with D class riders getting a 6 minute head start over C class riders who got a 6 minute head start over the B class riders. Catch me if you can! Theoretically everyone would cross the line together.
You can also run the app Discord on your phone and converse with group leaders, sweeps and other riders.
One event I found particularly amusing was a cat and mouse event on Volcano Flat. Staggered start with D class riders getting a 6 minute head start over C class riders who got a 6 minute head start over the B class riders. Catch me if you can! Theoretically everyone would cross the line together.
You can also run the app Discord on your phone and converse with group leaders, sweeps and other riders.
The Chop???
It's based on Handicap racing which we do a lot of in Australia & New Zealand - great, fun races IRL that have you on the rivet for the entire race - either trying to catch the bunch in front and/or elude the bunch trying to catch yours!
cheers
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Not many people have the fitness AND grearing to do it. A 34x28 and 3.5 w/kg is about the minimum. Less w/kg and you better have a 34x32. More w/kg and maybe you can do it with a 39x28.
If they set difficulty to 100% by default, they would get many many people failing on Watopia mountain and just never trying zwift again.
Last edited by nycphotography; 01-10-18 at 04:53 PM.
#43
Chases Dogs for Sport
I'm not believing this. Are people REALLY emotionally involved in running down Zwift because Zwift isn't the real world? Really? (Is anyone really confused about that? I think not.)
It's a long winter. Try to hold it together, folks.
It's a long winter. Try to hold it together, folks.
#44
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As far as trainer simulation goes, it never made sense to me until I tried it up the radio tower. I mean how can it not effect your speed or watts of you're reducing it to half the grade?
So, I did the radio tower climb back to back, and after climbing up the mountain first. Set at 100 percent my cadence will drop down to 55 ish, 250-300 watts. It's a *****, but it should be with a 36/26. Dialed the setting back to 50 percent and I was able to hold my cadence 75-80 (sometimes a bit better) and even shift up on lesser grades. Same wattage 250-300 but I was over a minute slower. Now, was this because it was my second time up the tower, or was it because I could drop watts closer to the 250 without worrying about getting "stuck" and having to stop?
So, I did the radio tower climb back to back, and after climbing up the mountain first. Set at 100 percent my cadence will drop down to 55 ish, 250-300 watts. It's a *****, but it should be with a 36/26. Dialed the setting back to 50 percent and I was able to hold my cadence 75-80 (sometimes a bit better) and even shift up on lesser grades. Same wattage 250-300 but I was over a minute slower. Now, was this because it was my second time up the tower, or was it because I could drop watts closer to the 250 without worrying about getting "stuck" and having to stop?
#46
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Yep! It would be like probably having a 32 tooth on your cassette.
I was amazed the watts were the same and time was similar. The experience on the other hand.... not even close! Hard to dial a mountain back to 50% IRL
I was amazed the watts were the same and time was similar. The experience on the other hand.... not even close! Hard to dial a mountain back to 50% IRL
#47
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Honestly, it's better than I expected for an indoor training solution. Greatly cuts down on boredom. No, it's not real, but I don't care.
#48
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As far as trainer simulation goes, it never made sense to me until I tried it up the radio tower. I mean how can it not effect your speed or watts of you're reducing it to half the grade?
So, I did the radio tower climb back to back, and after climbing up the mountain first. Set at 100 percent my cadence will drop down to 55 ish, 250-300 watts. It's a *****, but it should be with a 36/26. Dialed the setting back to 50 percent and I was able to hold my cadence 75-80 (sometimes a bit better) and even shift up on lesser grades. Same wattage 250-300 but I was over a minute slower. Now, was this because it was my second time up the tower, or was it because I could drop watts closer to the 250 without worrying about getting "stuck" and having to stop?
So, I did the radio tower climb back to back, and after climbing up the mountain first. Set at 100 percent my cadence will drop down to 55 ish, 250-300 watts. It's a *****, but it should be with a 36/26. Dialed the setting back to 50 percent and I was able to hold my cadence 75-80 (sometimes a bit better) and even shift up on lesser grades. Same wattage 250-300 but I was over a minute slower. Now, was this because it was my second time up the tower, or was it because I could drop watts closer to the 250 without worrying about getting "stuck" and having to stop?
#50
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I think its because it takes a certain amount of fitness and gearing to make it up a 16% grade with minimum cadence.
Not many people have the fitness AND grearing to do it. A 34x28 and 3.5 w/kg is about the minimum. Less w/kg and you better have a 34x32. More w/kg and maybe you can do it with a 39x28.
If they set difficulty to 100% by default, they would get many many people failing on Watopia mountain and just never trying zwift again.
Not many people have the fitness AND grearing to do it. A 34x28 and 3.5 w/kg is about the minimum. Less w/kg and you better have a 34x32. More w/kg and maybe you can do it with a 39x28.
If they set difficulty to 100% by default, they would get many many people failing on Watopia mountain and just never trying zwift again.
Sounds like maybe Zwift could add a new screen function! Maybe a little hot button that pops up on tough gradients labelled "Bailout Gear" that drops resistance in half, so as to avoid a fail.. kinda a virtual extended cassette range or imagining I have a Triple.