Zwift-New York
sniper68
Posts: 2,910
Why Zwift..WHY?
Maybe Zwift should spend it's $$$$$Billions actually replicating more real world routes rather than pretend rubbish!
Do cyclists really want a video-game format or a training programme?
Watopia is pushing it(I get that was Zwifts thing though) but this is getting ridiculous.By all means do a New York route(s) but at least keep it closer to reality!I'll stick to London,Innsbruck and Richmond....or RGT.
Set 100 years in the future.WHY?Zwift has launched its latest world based in New York City, which the brand is calling its most ambitious world to date.
The new map, which was leaked just a few days ago, has been in development since 2017 and is set 100 years in the future and includes suspended glass roads in between the city’s famous sky scrapers. The new world is designed to deliver what Zwift calls a “futuristic vision of the city and signifies the company’s biggest move to ‘gamify’ the training experience yet”.
According to the brand, the new world was deliberately centred around Central Park, home to many of the city’s thousands of road cyclists, where Zwifter’s will be able to ride a 9.7km loop that skirts famous landmarks such as the Guggenheim, the Met, the El Dorado Hotel and the Tavern on the Green
Read more at http://forums.roadcyclinguk.com/showthr ... vTX3qoD.99
Maybe Zwift should spend it's $$$$$Billions actually replicating more real world routes rather than pretend rubbish!
Do cyclists really want a video-game format or a training programme?
Watopia is pushing it(I get that was Zwifts thing though) but this is getting ridiculous.By all means do a New York route(s) but at least keep it closer to reality!I'll stick to London,Innsbruck and Richmond....or RGT.
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100 years in the future?Glass tunnels suspended up in the air?
Someone mentioned seeing a Bigfoot on Zwifts Alpe d‘Huez !?
The money could be better spent improving the current format rather than wasting it on futuristic worlds and mythical creatures.
I ran it for nearly 2 years until recently.
The workout mode was intensely boring.
The races are bad training anyways, but they have not evolved in the sense they are predictable. It is a mass market production - hence what yu see.
GCN videos off Youtube are getting me into winter training mode .
Trainer Road , if you can stick the blue bar of death, works
Sufferfest , so so with its subscription model.
Rouvy... just a bit weird, but at least it works proper on Android and not just just pampering to the more money than sense Apple crowd.
Stop moaning. It’s on a computer. It’s not real. It’s great marketing. The volcano on Wattopia probably isn’t real either
To add: having done a session on this course today, this is destined to be the next Richmond. Meh and double meh.
Indoor training is always one step away from being deathly tedious, anything that relieves the potential boredom by adding another dimension to it is highly welcome in my book.
That said, having also done a session today I agree with barongreenback, the NYC world is highly disappoinitng given the hype. There's not much visual variety, it's either a road through the park with trees on either side or the glass roads. I've only done the Kickerbocker route so far though, maybe some of the others are more fun. Was expecting some sort of helter-skelter spiraling around the Empire State building or something but it's all set within the park. Maybe future extensions will add a lot more.
Worst thing from my PoV is there's no real climbing to speak of, the so-called KOM is a horrible four minute lumpy thing with 14% ramps alternating with flat bits, no opportunity to get into a proper climbing rythm.
I'm increasingly liking BigRingVR - they've just added Sa Colobra and the Madonna del Ghisallo, both of which are great for FTP training. The former gives you a great 35/40mins at FTP session while the latter gives you 20mins plus 7mins-ish climbs with a rest inbetween, which you can do at quite a bit over FTP.
I get what Zwift are doing but RGT seem to have the better ideas IMO.At least with Zwift hacks I don't have to be forced into riding NY 8) I tried BRVR last Winter but it was a bit glitchy.I might have to look at it again and keep Zwift for my lad.I originally had a Bkool trainer which came with their Video training but that was also glitchy.
I've always been a fan of long simulated climbs for winter FTP training. I can force myself to do 40-45mins continuously at actual FTP whereas I'd just give up after 30mins spinning on the "flat". I don't know what it is exactly, maybe a combination of the increased resistance that encourages alternating out-of-the-saddle and spinning and the simulation which makes you believe that you are actually climbing and that that out-of-the-saddle efforts are appropriate.. And the fact that the hill has a summit as a psychological goal, combined with the knowledge that if you were climbing the real thing the effort required would be almost identical. I find that the fitness gains from this translate quite well to riding on the flat in the real world too - if I can put out X watts for 20-odd minutes on a simulated climb I can do the same in a flat 10 mile TT and pace myself appropriately (although I'd find it hard to put out the same power for 20mins on simulated flat course).
I was riding up simulations of Sa Colobra and Madonna del Ghisallo more than 10 years ago on the Tacx RLVs with a Tacx Fortius trainer. I love that I can now ride these same hills again on BigRingVR. You notice when people have re-painted their front gates between the videos being filmed.. ;-)
I'm always searching for climbs that have a relatively constant gradient (some slight variation but no flat bits or downhills) and last for either around 40 mins or around 20 mins (with the latter it's good to have two hills one after the other to simulate something like a 2x20 or a 1x20 followed by a 1x10). The problem with Zwift is that there is nothing like this in any of the worlds - I do like the forward KOM in Watopia which provides a solid 20mins+ effort (although the flattish bit on the bridge is highly annoying), followed by the shorter and steeper ascent up to the radio tower, but there is nothing that lasts a continuous 40 mins. I do Alpe du Zwift every now and again but it's just a little too long to do at full FTP on a regular basis and I can't force myself to stop before the top.. ;-) The slight competitive element in Zwift is motivting however - it there's someone else who's going at around the same w/kg it's sometimes fun to chase them down / race them to the top.
Anyway with your name Mr Sniper - I thought you'd be well up for riding round gun ridden New York... ;-)
(Joke !)
Cancelled Zwift and decided to give BigRing VR another go.My son can use it too as you can now have up to three family members on one account 8) He likes the climbs on RoadGrandTours so we'll keep that too and I'm sure he'll enjoy BigRingVR 8) Cheaper than Zwift too.
I hope you get on well with BRVR, new rides and enhancements coming all the time. If you do run into any problems you should contact them as they are always most responsive and helpful.
Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
I've downloaded the 2 week trial before I hit subscribe on BRVR.
Both are similarly priced and seem to offer the same.
As a platform it is decent but not prefect. As a community it is unrivaled. If you don't get into the group ride/racing scene, then you're probably missing 90% of what Zwift is about.
All the courses have good and bad features, it's up to you what you make of them. If it's too make-believe for you, then you're probably better off with Rouvy.
I like New York. I also like the new draft algorithm that KISS races are trialing. It still isn't perfect but it's better than before.
Someone said above that the racing isn't good training. I am surprised at this, I am finding it effective.
I also can't see the appeal of the group rides on there, but they obviously provide motivation for some people, and the races are brilliant training for people like me who push themselves that bit further with that motivation. I think it's good, but obviously, if you are using it in erg mode for structured training, it won't give you anything much over and above any other platform.
I find the racing great fun, and if it wasn't for that feature I doubt I would be on Zwift.
I don't doubt for a moment that it is nothing like real racing, but as I am competitive it makes getting on the turbo a more enjoyable experience, pushing me to go harder.
Haven't managed to get on the New York course yet, but I think it is good they are trying something different.
It's obviously a great tool but the graphics just don't do anything for me at all, in fact if I had any emotion about them I would say they were terrible which is probably why I stopped looking.
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Actually, it's quite a lot like real racing. The in-game physics is not quite right, and a number of differences stem form that, plus you have the flyers and weight dopers cruising at 6w/kg all day, so that is also a bit weird, but once you have been racing there for a while you kind of know who's for real and who isn't.
Real racing is more on-off, and of course it's real so you have to actually ride the bike (obvs), and be good at positioning, but in terms of involvement and effort it's not far off the real thing. Real racing is also more expensive, time consuming and with real consequences.
For people like me who are returning from injury and can't race outside, Zwift is a life saver. Probably best to think of it as another discipline, alongside road, TT, CX, track etc.
The new draft algorithm has moved things in the right direction, the next thing that would really improve the gameplay would be enforced braking for corners. This is rumoured to be in the pipeline.
I originally subscribed just thinking it might make longer indoor workouts more tolerable but turns out Netflix is the answer to that. Fix power at 70%. Start movie or TV show. Enjoy.
For intervals, I guess I'm one of those weirdos who just performs fixed power repeats. Don't mind them at all and insist on the direct translation to time at intensity. And I know what is more and what is less and always have a reference regarding what I should be able to do so I can understand impact of fatigue, shorter recovery prior, harder workout prior, life stress, etc. Variability = Bad. Consistency = Good.
Had a moan on the Zwift Facebook group and Eric Min (CEO) got them to add a 7pm start for each one for me
I agree that there may be too much many distractions from riding. But that is better than the long, boring real rides such as RGT Ventoux which turn what is a spectacular ride in real life into a monotonous grind. Distractions are needed.
Have tried that manual course selection 3rd party app thingy but it screwed up the link to Strava & Training Peaks for me.
No complaints about making some non-real-world additions to the courses, sounds like some people would rather be stuck in a taxi traffic jam than have the chance to do a 5 minute climb from Central Park. Get over it.
Given I have got myself a much more capable Mac since then I am actually quite looking forward to residing myself into the garage or the conservatory for no more than 2 months of the year.
As for moaning about New York on Zwift... it's all pretend on Zwift anyway! If you want the real thing your just going to have to save up to go there... it's not a simulator! Alternatively wrap up warm and step outside your door.
You jinxed the weather ! Bloody freeeeezing here today !
At least the boy got some use out if it.
Just a bunch of trees in a park? What am I missing? Yeah I went up in the sky tube thing...but while it was cool to do Central Park...apart from the odd skyscraper in the background it could be anywhere. What about having people cycle the streets like with London? Go across a bridge or two? Circle the statue of liberty and so on!
Really underwhelmed at the mo, maybe it'll grow on me...