Zwift, it's good but.....

A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.

Moderator: Moderator Team

RTW
in the industry
Posts: 3756
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:32 pm

by RTW

There are different reasons for paying for it year round. I haven't (as yet) done so, as family circumstances meant that I was unable to have it set up all summer. However, here are reasons you may want it all year:

1. Time efficient - you have 30 minutes to train, and something is better than nothing. In this time you can have a quality structured session on Zwift (or other service). On the road I wouldn't bother.
2. Location limitations - related to 1. Say you have the plumber coming to the house and have to wait in all day, you can still get your session in, without being 'out'.
3. Childcare - if you have small children, you may have to be in the house in the evening while your partner is out. They don't need your attention, but you are there just in case. You can still get your ride in (or a bonus one).
4. Measured recovery - somewhat tenuous, but it is great for active recovery without going too hard (this applies to a smart trainer / ergo) - you can spin up your legs gently.
5. Following a training plan - while intervals etc on the road really are very possible, max effort intervals can really be a little unwise to do on the road. Many athletes I know have always done the bulk of their training inside.
6. Because you enjoy it as a different discipline!

User avatar
FIJIGabe
Posts: 2241
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:07 pm
Location: The Lone Star State

by FIJIGabe

Lewn777 wrote:
Sun Mar 10, 2019 2:51 am
Zwift, I love you but…. I don’t understand why?
• The graphics are so cartoonish. I really think something like Rouvy with real video or photo-real graphics option would be great. Imagine the Giro doing a climb and you are MMOing the same one at the same time.
• There aren’t more simulation type courses like Alpe Du Zwift, the made up tracks seem a bit unrealistic.
• You get power-ups like Mario Cart, this is stupid, especially in important races.
• You need to exit the game after a race or workout.
• You can’t just choose a map you like and ride on it you have to wait for your favorite map to come around again.
• The menu music is so friggin awful and you need to remember to turn it off after every major update.
• There aren’t more ways to counter weight/height dopers and other cheats built in. Zwift Power is amazingly well coded, shouldn't this be built into the game by default?
• It’s so damn expensive compared with computer games. UKPounds 12.99 per month, that's UKPounds 155 per year! I can get a game like GTA5 for until they turn the servers off for 30-40 quid. Maybe make it cheaper? Because I only use it a month or two a year when the weather is super unbearable. If the game was maybe 20 pounds a year I'd maybe have an indoor bike set-up all year waiting for use.
• Why my heart-rate, power and internet connection occasionally drop out ruining the fun.
• The game often crashes.
• I sometimes can’t log in.
I would hardly consider the graphics cartoonish. Yes, they aren't sophisticated, but they work on a multitude of platform, using everything from integrated graphics on cell phones to discrete graphics cards on PC's.

Yes, they only have one "simulation" type climb on Watopia, it doesn't mean they don't have simulation rides. Actually, if you think about it, a large percentage of the ride is based on simulation rides (Richmond, Innsbruck, London (and the expansion) and the Alpe on Watopia). In the 3+ years I've been "Zwifting", I've seen so many different expansions and worlds created (Epic KOM, Mayan Ruins, Volcano, Innsbruck, NYC, London, London expansion) that it seems as though they're always implementing new changes.

The power-ups are hardly "Mario Cart" esque. All that happens is you get a slight additional benefit, and hardly a decided in any event I've participated in. If it were Mario Cart, I'd be able to take out competitors with banana peels, or maybe have a car hit them, or something stupid. These are slight performance benefits (or points).

Having to exit the game after concluding a ride? What are you going to do? I can't resume the ride (since I've already finished it). Really, the only thing I can do is change my avatar a bit, but it's not too onerous to reopen the program to do that. It may take an extra 15 seconds, but it's hardly a game-changing issue for me.

Cheating has the potential to be a major issue, granted, but isn't that one of the problems with cycling, IRL? As long as you treat the program like a game, and concentrate more on your performance than others, who cares (just my opinion). There's cheating on Strava, there's cheating everywhere, but there isn't much you can do about it.

If you think the cost is expensive, use it for the winter and cancel the service when you're out. Look at it this way: it's a monthly service, much like a gym (where it's cheaper to buy weights in the long-run).

Heartrate and power issues sound like ANT+ drop outs. That's not a problem with Zwift, but a problem with the sensor, and interference with the wireless signals in your house/apartment. If you're also having problems with your internet dropping out, it sounds to me like those signals are interfereing with each other, which is a known issue. Do some research on how to change your wifi router's channel, which may cause the dropouts to stop. Also, check out Zwiftalizer for details on how to do that. Alternatively, you can use Bluetooth for both of those services.

Crashing and log-in issues may be related to the aforementioned interference, or other system issues. I haven't had an issue with crashing and logging in, in years (mind you, I use the program at least 4 hours/week).

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Post Reply