Cheap Zwift setup

Pedro872
Pedro872 Posts: 67
edited September 2016 in Indoor training and turbo forum
Basically I've got the monitor but not much else, so can anyone suggest a reasonably cheap setup.

Thanks,

Pedro.

Comments

  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Hi!
    I guess we need to establish a few things. Have you got a computer? What spec? Have you got an iPad?
    Have you got a bike you can use on a trainer?
    Have you got somewhere you can set all this up?
    Have you already got a trainer?

    Have you taken a look at Zwift.com? I'll give you some idea what options are available. Much of which depends on what kit you already have.

    What sort of final figure were you hoping for?
  • Pedro872
    Pedro872 Posts: 67
    Hi,

    Sorry I should have given a little more information:

    I've not got a computer.
    I do have an iPad.
    I do have a bike for winter/turbo trainer use.
    I've got plenty of room to set up in.
    I've got a very cheap elite turbo trainer that I'm wanting to upgrade.

    As for final figure like I said I don't want to spend a fortune, if I can get set up for £400-500 I'd be happy.

    Thanks.
  • murf1480
    murf1480 Posts: 117
    Pedro872 wrote:
    Hi,

    Sorry I should have given a little more information:

    I've not got a computer.
    I do have an iPad.
    I do have a bike for winter/turbo trainer use.
    I've got plenty of room to set up in.
    I've got a very cheap elite turbo trainer that I'm wanting to upgrade.

    As for final figure like I said I don't want to spend a fortune, if I can get set up for £400-500 I'd be happy.

    Thanks.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg0IDDmSStw

    Don't know if this helps.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Pedro872 wrote:
    I've not got a computer.
    I do have an iPad.
    I do have a bike for winter/turbo trainer use.
    I've got plenty of room to set up in.
    I've got a very cheap elite turbo trainer that I'm wanting to upgrade.

    As for final figure like I said I don't want to spend a fortune, if I can get set up for £400-500 I'd be happy.

    Thanks.

    No worries. The reason I ask about the iPad is that Zwift are almost certainly releasing an iPad version in a few days time, so I would hang fire and see if that works with your iPad first of all. Because if you haven't got a computer then getting a PC with a reasonable graphics card and monitor etc is going to set you back £400-500 on it's own. Of course having a PC is good for way more things than just Zwifting, but still. The computer specs on the zwift.com site will give you some ideas.

    You can use your elite turbo trainer with your current bike - it's a good way to test if you like the platform before comitting to buying a smart trainer. The only thing you need at minimum is an ANT+ dongle ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suunto-Movesti ... move+stick ) and an ANT+ speed sensor ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-010-121 ... eed+sensor ) *

    You're also going to need a fan, of some sort as indoor training requires it.

    * If you're going straight to smart trainer then you don't need the speed sensor. The current cheapest smart trainer is the £200 Tacx Flow Smart http://www.halfords.com/cycling/turbo-t ... bo-trainer
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    murf1480 wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg0IDDmSStw

    Don't know if this helps.

    There's some very good videos on indoor training in general on his channel. In addition the official Zwift youtube channel has some good explanation videos on the options available https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeOCqL ... iENWfuFzUQ

    The whole idea of Zwift has been to support as many different configurations as possible, but that does mean it can be a bit bewildering going in.
  • Pedro872
    Pedro872 Posts: 67
    Thanks Mark I'll definitely explore the iPad route to zwift training.
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    If going iPad, note that the suunto move stick isn't compatible, you'll need a lightning connector dongle. (Assuming it's not an early iPad, in which case Zwift won't work anyway)
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  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    The list of compatible devices for iOS is here : http://zwift.com/ios

    Note that connection to iPad/iPhone is via Bluetooth only, there's no ANT+ even by means of a dongle* So any equipment you get would need to be BTLE (Bluetooth Low Engergy) compatible. Fortunately most kit is these days with the notable exception of Garmin stuff.

    *(You can use one of these to convert http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/07/viii ... ridge.html )
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    Im in a similar boat, looking to get involved in Zwift this winter.

    My Laptop and iPad are both too old and incompatible with Zwift.

    Ideally I want to get a cheap desktop PC unit I can plug into the TV via HDMI and use that for it (wont use it for anything else other than Zwift).

    Looking at building custom PCs online seems to come in around £500 which feels a bit weighty, any advice where to look for one with the recommended specs for Zwift? Seems to be 4gb ram and a decent graphics card and i need literally NOTHING else in the machine.
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    cgfw201 wrote:
    Im in a similar boat, looking to get involved in Zwift this winter.

    My Laptop and iPad are both too old and incompatible with Zwift.

    Ideally I want to get a cheap desktop PC unit I can plug into the TV via HDMI and use that for it (wont use it for anything else other than Zwift).

    Looking at building custom PCs online seems to come in around £500 which feels a bit weighty, any advice where to look for one with the recommended specs for Zwift? Seems to be 4gb ram and a decent graphics card and i need literally NOTHING else in the machine.

    Why not sell your iPad and upgrade? You can get a refurbished 32GB Air from Apple for £279, less if you don't mind buying one second hand. Then you don't have a desktop taking up space either.
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    NorvernRob wrote:
    cgfw201 wrote:
    Im in a similar boat, looking to get involved in Zwift this winter.

    My Laptop and iPad are both too old and incompatible with Zwift.

    Ideally I want to get a cheap desktop PC unit I can plug into the TV via HDMI and use that for it (wont use it for anything else other than Zwift).

    Looking at building custom PCs online seems to come in around £500 which feels a bit weighty, any advice where to look for one with the recommended specs for Zwift? Seems to be 4gb ram and a decent graphics card and i need literally NOTHING else in the machine.

    Why not sell your iPad and upgrade? You can get a refurbished 32GB Air from Apple for £279, less if you don't mind buying one second hand. Then you don't have a desktop taking up space either.

    That is an option. Need to do some more reading on it, but assume by ANT+ Garmin sensors won't work with it?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    It's yet to be seen how various different iPads run with Zwift. But it's quite possible new ones will be announced soon and we'll see the prices come down. I guess you need to weigh the price of a new iPad, which since you've already got one you'll likely also make use of when you aren't using Zwift? And the cost of a dedicated PC, which as you say won't be used for anything else.

    You're right, Garmin ANT+ sensors won't worth with it. But you can get the equivalent sensors from Wahoo which work fine using Bluetooth.
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    It's yet to be seen how various different iPads run with Zwift. But it's quite possible new ones will be announced soon and we'll see the prices come down. I guess you need to weigh the price of a new iPad, which since you've already got one you'll likely also make use of when you aren't using Zwift? And the cost of a dedicated PC, which as you say won't be used for anything else.

    You're right, Garmin ANT+ sensors won't worth with it. But you can get the equivalent sensors from Wahoo which work fine using Bluetooth.

    Other consideration is it's easy to hook a computer up to my large TV, but without Apple airplay it's not really possible via iOS and reckon the big screen will be helpful. Got a few weeks to worry about this so will wait for some more details on the iOS stuff.
  • dyrlac
    dyrlac Posts: 751
    I run my zwift set up with an ageing lenovo ideacentre (Intel Celeron B887 1.5GHz Processor, 4GB RAM), which was <£250 back in 2013 plus a 24" acer monitor (<£100). That plus a keyboard and mouse from the spares drawer and a £20 suunto movestick ant+ dongle and it works fine; although I'm not a gamer, so I have to admit that I don't know if the graphics are "good" per se. If you're at all handy with computers, you could almost certainly go much cheaper.
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  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    If you drag a zwift log file into this http://zwiftalizer.com/ (find them at Documents/Zwift/Logs/Log.txt ) then that'll tell you what sort of framerate you're getting.
  • mpatts
    mpatts Posts: 1,010
    I am a massive cheapskate, I'll share what I have.

    I have a non HD TV that I bought for £10 at a car boot
    A £55 PC at the minimum spec that I bought recon from Ebay
    My bike has a power meter (as I race, although thats my excuse), but if I didn't I'd get he £200 Tacx Flow Smart from Halfords (using my BC discount, of course)
    Existing turbo (which is an elite mag)

    Zwift works reasonably well at this setup - crucially I've never seen it in full HD glory, so I'm fine with it at the lowest quality setting.

    I can't say how much I am an advocate of zwift, I never thought I'd actually look forward to rather than tolerate turbo sessions. (I've done 1 day and 18 hours, 817km in the last 30 days).
    Insert bike here:

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