Zwift, TR, Sufferfest etc

[satori]

I'm on week 3 of Zwift. Love it! First objective is to lose weight with some long, steady group rides (group C). Target is 20 lbs (from 180 to 160). That'll make me much much faster come spring.

Awesome. I've lost weight riding with Zwift, but have packed on more muscle with my weight training that I'm back to a similar weight, although with less of a belly.

I totally get it, and I have Zwift and do use it and like it for many of the reasons you just mentioned but if time permits I really try to sack up and go outside and ride my bike as much as I can.

Because there is nothing like the feeling of actually riding a bike, even just out on a local bike path or a cruise through the city. The fact that it is fun is part of what makes it so great of a "workout".

Yeah, I know what you mean. I love the scenery, wind flying past you, seeing the local wildlife, banter with mates, etc. Nothing is more fun that outdoors. No argument. We're almost finally to winter mode so streets are finally starting to get covered in snow!!

Have you guys raced any? Have you joined any teams on Zwift?

[sethschmautz]

Thinking about pulling the trigger on a smart trainer for the winter. I have about $400 to spend, so thinking that a wheel on is probably my only option at this point.

Any suggestions? Anything to avoid? If anybody is looking to upgrade, feel free to hit me up.

Seth

[buttahflake]

Thinking about pulling the trigger on a smart trainer for the winter. I have about $400 to spend, so thinking that a wheel on is probably my only option at this point.

Any suggestions? Anything to avoid? If anybody is looking to upgrade, feel free to hit me up.

Seth

Just went for it yesterday. Got the Wahoo Kicker Snap bundle for $569. Non Bundle price was $445. Gonna join the zwift party. I can’t not ride. I get grouchy and whatnot. Plus it will make getting out in the spring a whole lot easier. I suffered with my fitness all the way into June this year. Not good.

[LightRanger]

Thinking about pulling the trigger on a smart trainer for the winter. I have about $400 to spend, so thinking that a wheel on is probably my only option at this point.

Any suggestions? Anything to avoid? If anybody is looking to upgrade, feel free to hit me up.

Seth

I just bought the sensor to make my OG Kurt Kinetic Road Machine into a wheel-on smart trainer. Works reasonably well. I'd love a Kickr Core, but just not a major priority.

Sensor is sold separately for ~$50. So might be worth searching the local classifieds for a Road Machine (dime a dozen, last I looked) and then buying the sensor a la carte. Could save some cash. I remember seeing them in good shape for $100-150. So you'd be in for like $200 and then could spend whatever else on nice peripherals.

My Road Machine was purchased circa 2009, and compatible with the sensor. So they go at least that far back. To determine compatibility, look for the little hole on the tire mating surface. It's the little black and silver circle in the photo here: https://www.amazon.com/Kinetic-Road-.../dp/B00XLKVC44 Silver part is the sensor, black is the rubber grommet it comes with to insert into the hole.

The sensor is the InRide 3. Amazon has it for $40 right now.

[rideit]

I get grouchy and whatnot. .

You?
Grouchy?
Unpossible.

[rideit]

So, Zwift/Smart Trainer Question...I might need to join the 21st century if I need surgery, as rollers would be out for a while. Has anyone used Zwift while recovering from an ACL or other serious injury?
Are there ‘courses’ suitable for that?
This would all be new to me.

[huckbucket]

So, Zwift/Smart Trainer Question...I might need to join the 21st century if I need surgery, as rollers would be out for a while. Has anyone used Zwift while recovering from an ACL or other serious injury?
Are there ‘courses’ suitable for that?
This would all be new to me.

Absolutely. Zwift has "worlds" online where you ride. In those worlds you can select flat, hilly rolling, whatever. You can do solo at specified watts. You can do group rides that have w/kg restrictions. It's really all about distracting you from the fact that you're sitting on a trainer indoors.

Oh and I wouldn't recommend doing zwift without a smart trainer. Defeats the whole purpose. Smart trainers react to terrain and you can draft off of others. Check out some vids on youtube for hands on.

[rideit]

Oh, yeah, I am shopping for a Kickr. *might* even be able to get some insurance skratch to buy it...,

[LightRanger]

Oh, yeah, I am shopping for a Kickr. *might* even be able to get some insurance skratch to buy it...,

I wonder if anybody has ever used their HSA to pay for one and gotten away with it? Never thought about it until you mentioned it, but have a bunch of HSA cash I need to use by the end of the year.

[Dantheman]

The zeal with which she attacks the Peloton clearly speaks to some deep, unfulfilled need somewhere in her life. Here she is — young, beautiful, successful, with a child and financial security– and yet, something inside her is still so obviously and utterly broken that only an unhealthy fixation on indoor cycling can help mend it.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/12/pel...lease-help-her

[sethschmautz]

"Reluctantly crouched on the starting line... Engines pumping and thumping in time... The green light flashes, the flag goes up, churning and burning, they yearn for the cup..."

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

[ACH]

"Reluctantly crouched on the starting line... Engines pumping and thumping in time... The green light flashes, the flag goes up, churning and burning, they yearn for the cup..."

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

Lulz, "she's going the distance...."

[t.odd]

"Reluctantly crouched on the starting line... Engines pumping and thumping in time... The green light flashes, the flag goes up, churning and burning, they yearn for the cup..."

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

I chuckled

[carpathian]

Just went for it yesterday. Got the Wahoo Kicker Snap bundle for $569. Non Bundle price was $445. Gonna join the zwift party. I can’t not ride. I get grouchy and whatnot. Plus it will make getting out in the spring a whole lot easier. I suffered with my fitness all the way into June this year. Not good.

Just watch out you might be over trained and burned out by April now, lol

Tour du Zwift coming up in January I think. You have a month to get ready !

[buttahflake]

Just watch out you might be over trained and burned out by April now, lol

Tour du Zwift coming up in January I think. You have a month to get ready !

Just mounted a ‘trainer tire’ onto my old road bike this morning. My order shipped yesterday. Let’s do this!

[Touring_Sedan]

So, Zwift/Smart Trainer Question...I might need to join the 21st century if I need surgery, as rollers would be out for a while. Has anyone used Zwift while recovering from an ACL or other serious injury?
Are there ‘courses’ suitable for that?
This would all be new to me.

Here's my 2¢ FWIW. I did a bit of research and picked up a Tacx Flux 2 to sit on during my rotator cuff repair recovery. I was wavering between that and the Wahoo Kickr Core. The Flux had a couple of extra features I liked, seemed like the more up to date unit, and I could get a better deal on it. I threw my old cross bike, which was mostly regulated to kid hauling duty, on it and have cranked out about 500 miles in the last few weeks.

Things I'd wish I done...
Found a cheap or used road bike with a true road 2x11 gruppo. I find myself needing some more speed. The 1x10 with a 39x11 ratio is shit.
Gotten the model with "Road Feel." Supposedly it'll use the trainers magnetic resistance to simulate different road conditions, cobblestones, wooden bridges, etc. I've got a bad case of ADD and need all the virtual stimulation I can get to keep me interested. (But it's also twice the price.)

Things I'm glad I did...
Put it in front of a decent TV with streaming capability. See ADD.
Used my desktop PC as the Zwift host. I tried a tablet, but the bluetooth connection would drop all the time.
Invested in a cheap USB - ANT+ dongle. Fuck bluetooth.
Found a desk fan with a remote. I always start out cold, but 10 minutes later my ball sweat has ball sweat.

All in all, I've found Zwift to be interesting enough. There's a few routes that I seem to default to, they usually have some decent climbs, but there's routes for every type of rider. Good Luck.

[buttahflake]

Can not get over how much I like this shit! The Kickr is super easy to setup and it works perfectly with Zwift. Mindbender, the resistance on the hills, the benefit of the draft, very real. Blows my rollers out of the water. I look forward to getting on it for an hour or more everyday.

[carpathian]

About 10:30 last night I decided to jump into my first Zwift race since last January. It didn't go good. I didn't know how long the race was until we started ; 42 miles yikes maybe we will start slow...

Stuck with the front pack for first 5 min until we hit climb up Fox Hill on the Surrey Hills course in London. All these fuckers start punching 4.5 to 5.5 w/kg and pulling away like nothing. I held 4-4.5 wish for a few minutes then realized the legs were just not there. I held on steady 3.8 -4 and made it through first climb.

I was now solo on the DH and I knew to conserve energy and also knew that the pack of 5 behind me would catch sooner than later because they were going way faster in a group. I rested and when they came rocketing by I had to jump on the gas to catch their draft. We cruised for 4-5 minute at 300 watts or so until the next climb. I was feeling alright like maybe I had some in the tank and maybe I could hang on through this 'fun' activity .

I made the next climb and coasted the DH and did not feel good. That beer and ice cream sandwich was not sitting well in my stomach. Ugh , sweaty and bloated and tired on the 3rd climb it was now 11pm and I was technically tired on all fronts.

Abort mission. Sit on chair and contemplate lack of bike fitness...

[huckbucket]

About 10:30 last night I decided to jump into my first Zwift race since last January. It didn't go good. I didn't know how long the race was until we started ; 42 miles yikes maybe we will start slow...

Stuck with the front pack for first 5 min until we hit climb up Fox Hill on the Surrey Hills course in London. All these fuckers start punching 4.5 to 5.5 w/kg and pulling away like nothing. I held 4-4.5 wish for a few minutes then realized the legs were just not there. I held on steady 3.8 -4 and made it through first climb.

I was now solo on the DH and I knew to conserve energy and also knew that the pack of 5 behind me would catch sooner than later because they were going way faster in a group. I rested and when they came rocketing by I had to jump on the gas to catch their draft. We cruised for 4-5 minute at 300 watts or so until the next climb. I was feeling alright like maybe I had some in the tank and maybe I could hang on through this 'fun' activity .

I made the next climb and coasted the DH and did not feel good. That beer and ice cream sandwich was not sitting well in my stomach. Ugh , sweaty and bloated and tired on the 3rd climb it was now 11pm and I was technically tired on all fronts.

Abort mission. Sit on chair and contemplate lack of bike fitness...

Awesome! The real point being .... who would have thought you could accomplish all of that on a stationary trainer? Zwift kills it.

[carpathian]

Here we go!! Jan 15

https://zwiftinsider.com/tour-de-zwift-2020/

[scharny]

Here we go!! Jan 15

https://zwiftinsider.com/tour-de-zwift-2020/

Signed up. Great way to keep thing interesting on the basement trainer, and also a good reason to ride in some of the not-so-stimulating worlds (Richmond, etc)


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[sethschmautz]

Looking to add a smart trainer or spin bike to the basement soon. From what I can gather, serious riders are more likely to get a smart trainer (Tacx, Wahoo, etc.) and use an app like Zwift, TR, or Sufferfest. Those who are interested in a hard workout but care less about specific riding translation are more likely to get a Peloton, Eschelon, iFit bike and subscription.

I haven't seen any Spin bike studio type (Peleton) apps for a smart trainer that takes advantage of what a smart trainer does, and there doesn't appear to be any Zwift style classes for the spin studio bikes.

My wife's interested in getting the Peleton style bike and I'm more interested in getting the Smart trainer. Ideally, I could provide her with the ability to join a spin class on my smart trainer.

iFit seems like a better alternative to Peloton due to the variety of workouts, but I've only tried Peloton.

Any thoughts?

Seth

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[scharny]

Looking to add a smart trainer or spin bike to the basement soon. From what I can gather, serious riders are more likely to get a smart trainer (Tacx, Wahoo, etc.) and use an app like Zwift, TR, or Sufferfest. Those who are interested in a hard workout but care less about specific riding translation are more likely to get a Peloton, Eschelon, iFit bike and subscription.

I haven't seen any Spin bike studio type (Peleton) apps for a smart trainer that takes advantage of what a smart trainer does, and there doesn't appear to be any Zwift style classes for the spin studio bikes.

My wife's interested in getting the Peleton style bike and I'm more interested in getting the Smart trainer. Ideally, I could provide her with the ability to join a spin class on my smart trainer.

iFit seems like a better alternative to Peloton due to the variety of workouts, but I've only tried Peloton.

Any thoughts?

Seth

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My wife is very interested in the Peloton as well, but I can't speak for it as we've never had one. However, I've used Kreitler rollers, then a rear wheel contact smart trainer (Kinetic Inride), and finally upgraded to a Wahoo Kickr Core, which uses a flywheel. I am extremely glad I switched to a flywheel trainer - on the Kinetic it got where i had to stop and clean the rear tire every 45 minutes or so, or it would start slipping, regardless of how I set the tension. Having a smart trainer with variable resistance is pretty cool as well for training apps that simulate hills.

[gravitylover]

I made the next climb and coasted the DH and did not feel good. That beer and ice cream sandwich was not sitting well in my stomach. Ugh , sweaty and bloated and tired on the 3rd climb it was now 11pm and I was technically tired on all fronts.

Abort mission. Sit on chair and contemplate lack of bike fitness...

...and have another beer.

[Iowagriz]

Looking to add a smart trainer or spin bike to the basement soon. From what I can gather, serious riders are more likely to get a smart trainer (Tacx, Wahoo, etc.) and use an app like Zwift, TR, or Sufferfest. Those who are interested in a hard workout but care less about specific riding translation are more likely to get a Peloton, Eschelon, iFit bike and subscription.

I'd go with a flywheel trainer if she already has a bike that she likes and is comfortable riding outside. You two can easily share the trainer with your own bikes (assuming both have the same rear gearing now - 10spd, 11spd, 12spd). I'm a big fan of Zwift, with a little practice, she will find group rides or fun routes that interest her. I usually just ride around (does she have a decent route finding sense?), and find routes that interest me for that day and particular workout. I get the feeling that the female group rides are very welcoming and inclusive.