Zwift is more acceptable than strava
mbrig11
Posts: 22
Zwift is fun, a good training aid and convenient, especially in this post apocalyptic weather.
Strava is a saturated mess of noobs and peacocks.
Thoughts?
Strava is a saturated mess of noobs and peacocks.
Thoughts?
-1
Posts
I've never used Zwift but I'd rather spend an hour riding in rain than an hour riding in the garage.
I have been sneered at for using both at one time or another.
Strava used to be great, with meaningful challenges but now it's more of an advertising board for cycling brands. Also, they shut down my friends brilliant website which he spent hours making because they saw it as being in direct competition with Strava and it used their api. It was a segment competition, so I don't see how it was in competition.
Personally I would rather ride in my spare room than in the rain, but I live in an area with malicious drivers and awful road surfaces. And I have ridden my routes so much that none appeal in the wet muddy conditions of early winter.
But I think zwift should be looked on more favourably than it is. I am using it to build my fitness for our traditional NYE (outdoors) century ride. And it is cycling, just not outdoor cycling.
I was only joking about the post apocalyptic weather, although the constant dreary greyness does remind me of the film 'the Road'.
A friend has Zwift and it has transformed his riding. He has the mental traits to have made these improvements outdoors on real bikes anyway, but he has got where he has in less time by using Zwift.
What really gets my goat is the data from Zwift appearing on Strava like proper rides. I know that you can go as hard as you like on Zwift, as you can outside, but just getting on a bike outdoors in winter is harder, takes more mental effort. Someone riding 10k in doors will probably be fitter than me riding 5k outdoors, but it is not the same.
I just wanted to see what people thought.
If I can't sell my brand new venge that I acquired through insurance then I will probably be back on Strava next year anyway.
Zwift is ok for keeping a base level fitness when the weather is to pants to be outside.
It is biased to small light people, which means a lot of people put their stats in wrong.
In the real world I can average 21/22mph on Zwift I get my censored handed to me on plate by everyone of my friends who in real can can't even avg 19/20mph in real life.
Why?
Because I'm 2 meters tall and 100kgs and all of my friends are at least 10-20cm smaller and about 20+kgs lighter.
Maybe some are near professionals but I think its more likely some of their power readings are too high.
At the end of the day though - it doesn't matter - out on the roads is a much more accurate test.
At least in RGT it shows you the total weight of you and the bike, so I used to increase it to take account of the weight of my Cube and 1.5Kg of water, to make climbing a bit more realistic for when the outdoors season begins.
2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo
I have a super bike for outdoor riding, I suppose some people would take umbrage at too.
At the end of the day you are sitting on a bike and turning the pedals. How about track cycling, should that not count either?
Oh hang on, maybe you just did.
You forgot to tell us how big your willy is.
Oh hang on, maybe you just did.
To whom are you referring, Jolly Giant or myself?
What I dont understand is all the other virtual training programs i've tried seem to represent virtual speed very close to actual, Zwift on the other hand is totally BS as described above, known riders putting out speeds and power they can no way match on the road and going up climbs like its flat when those that know them know full well they can not do that, so is it the companies 'Game' element to keep people engaged and paying subs or is it because Zwift default settings are 50% of the real world combined with inaccurate riders settings and no wind drag factor?
Perhaps there are literately tens of thousands of undiscovered could-be-pro +6W/kg riders out there?
All that being said, i'm not putting it down, any riding is good riding in my book and if it encourages people to exercise it has to be good.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
The models Zwift implements to represent speed on climbs are pretty accurate - if you are going up significantly faster than you would do on an equivalent real climb then it's because you're cheating, not because there is anything wrong with Zwift. Yes, the default resistance settings are at 50% but that doesn't affect speed, only gearing and feel. This may have a slight effect on speed compared to a very inappropriately geared bike on an equivalent climb in the real world, but not otherwise, and not if you set the resistance to 100%.
Anyone on Zwift who is putting out +6w/kg for prolonged periods and isn't extraordinarily talented is not using an accurate power meter or has not entered their weight correctly.
<<edit - are you saying that Zwift is displaying power figures that are different from those that your power meter is indicating on your Garmin? If so, there is something wrong with the power meter you have connected to Zwift or the way that you have connected it>>
The main difference from real life though is that you can ride in a little impromptu group and draft each other at 25mph plus.
Im going to have to get Strava again for the festive 500 though.