School me on Zwift

Something made me think you had a Wahoo HRM? They are ANT+ and BT (BLE)

I might have a asked about something like that for HRV testing, but I have an old (ish) garmin run strap that isn’t BT unfortunately.

I just moved back to TR. I thought it was great for visuals and something to concentrate on but the TR plans are far better, the courses are too short so you end up doing multiple loops which for me is boring, also I struggle to keep to a specific plan when there is someone to chase.

Each to their own.

I was meant to do a long run today but TBH, I’m at a bit of a low ebb. Decided to jump on Zwift and did 30mins on the Yorkshire course. I liked it. (didn’t’ like my power!)

I was on Zwift for a while but just found myself meandering around not really doing a great deal, so moved to trainerroad and much prefer the structure of it which makes for my time on the turbo actually being of some use!

Resurrecting an old thread as I think about getting back on the bike over winter and it’s been 18 months since I went on the turbo / zwift -

For any one with experience - what’s the benefits of Apple TV versus just connecting to my laptop via ANT and casting that to the TV.

Is there anything else I would need to buy other than apple TV (I already have a bluetooth HR monitor, and have a Tacx Vortex). I just connect that to the TV, connect my Tacx and my HR monitor to Apple TV via bluetooth, and that’s it?

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I see that they now have an android game app - does anybody have any experience with that? Could I also just use my phone and cast to the TV?

The app could come in handy when I’m kicked out of the lounge and dont have the TV i guess as well

Last time I looked Zwift Android was still in beta. I had a quick go on my Huwawei P30, it seemed to cope fine with the graphics although the in app buttons are small and fiddly to use on the phone. Didn’t try casting to TV but see no reason why that wouldn’t work.

Given the variety of Android hardware YMMV.

I haven’t tried it with ANT or a laptop, but with Apple TV 4K it’s just turn on and go.

Sounds like you have everything else you need. Give it a go on the laptop before buying the Apple TV?

It’s black Friday next week which made me think about apple TV as hopefully get a bit if a deal, so think I may bite the bullet and go for it. I’ve heard good things about it

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Shaun, one other interesting thing you can do with Zwift is create your own race simulation workouts using power profiles from BestBikeSplit… works a treat!

‪https://projectk23.blogspot.com/2019/11/bbs-and-zwift.html‬

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I have tended to keep my Zwift races short, never more than 90 minutes. However yesterday I decided to take on a longer 105km race

One of the annoying traits of a Zwift race is the start, it is almost impossible to bridge the gap between one group and the next, as a result the first 5km are basically a flat out 350+W sprint, even in a long distance race. I settled down in a pack, roughly mid way through the 309 starters. The first hour was tough, with a very high pace, our group got smaller as people fell off the back, however, we were picking up riders who fell off the lead groups. There were roughly 100 riders ahead now. A momentary laps of concentration and I fell off the back of the group, with 3 other riders. One aspect of Zwift that really lacks reality is that even a 1 second gap is almost terminal, and it is so dispiriting seeing the pack creep inexorably away. For the next 40km our group of 4 worked together, we lost one of the original group, gained a few who had fallen off the back, lost a few etc. Now 2 hours in and my energy disappeared. I was doing race fasted and only drinking water. We were finally caught by a big group, which helped as immediately I required 20% less power to maintain the same speed. The final climb up the Volcano, I was on my last legs, and finishing race was my only aim. I lost touch the the pack, but had 2 minutes lead over the next one, so no risk of being caught. Finished in 2h50m in 80th place, utterly shattered.

Zwift is not like real life riding, there are no breaks, downhill is just as intense as the climbs
To do well required concentration all the time
Experienced Zwifters will try to split the groups near the top of the climbs, there is a whole set of Zwift tactics that have no relevance to any other riding
Zwift is full of really good riders
Other than riding a TT I don’t think that any other type of riding prepares you as well for racing

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I’d agree, however, a couple of observations…with a Tacx Neo, the downhill’s are more realistic given its motor drive, so you can freewheel, and get a rest… secondly, i’m not trying to simulate a road race, but the bike leg of an IM, which is more like a TT, so it works well for that.

I find the races on Zwift ‘fun’, but as you say, not like the real world… they do make you work seriously hard though!

Yes, that is very annoying! Someone leaves a gap and you’ve had it :frowning_face: Certainly in the opening mad rush. Later on in a race, <5 secs can normally be bridged pretty easily, but in the opening 5 min or so, forget it once a couple of bikes lengths develops.

On the flat, that is true, however, the experienced Zwifters know that on a descent, a single rider or small group will be dropped by a big pack. on the Volcano descent, I was 2 seconds off at the top, and despite pushing 250W (and not having a Tron Bike), I was over 50s behind at the bottom. I did wonder why the peloton went absolutely mad (400+W) with 500m before the summit

Conversely, they have at least got the draft effect right on climbs; that’s where it is easiest to catch a group ahead. They just don’t seemed to have got the mathematics quite right though for various gradients, packs etc to reflect ‘reality’

I don’t think this is true, if you don’t put out the required power then you loose contact with the group. The Neo is more realistic in that it is more difficult to make power on the downhill just like in real life but this is not a help in a Zwift race.

If you’re on a ‘dumb’ trainer in a Zwift race, it’s simple; you just ride flat out or close to it all the way :sweat_smile:

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I might try a road bike in Zwift, just to see what the drafting effect is like. I do everything on a TT bike, even the races. It makes you work ‘kinda hard’ :laughing:

You have to do that on the Neo too, only it’s harder of course 'cos flat out downhill is pretty much impossible, and you’re up against loads of others who can as Doka said.

The zwift model is certainly weird, way too unrealistic, in a real road race pack you can comfortably spend loads of time freewheeling, but of course you also have braking and accelerating which just aren’t there in zwift so you never need to ride very hard - which is important too of course for trainers where you can’t put out high watts.

It’s certainly a lot more like a TT than a race, that’s not necessarily a bad thing of course.

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