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Was Zwift worth the investment?
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Looking at going to a smart trainer and a subscription to Zwift. For those that have done so, what are your thoughts? Was it worth the investment? Did you find yourself using the trainer more?
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Yes and Yes. And with cold weather approaching, even more worth the investment.

Don't drown. Don't crash. Don't walk.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Investment is something you do to save money for retirement. Zwift is what - $10 per month? Two trips to Starbucks.

I find it's one way to make riding the trainer vastly more entertaining. The training plans and workouts may not be as extensive as some of the other training apps, but because you're riding a virtual course with whoever else happens to be logged in at the same time, you (can) get a different experience every time. Especially if you participate in their group rides or races. That stuff may not fit in with a highly structured improvement plan but if you actually ride a bike for fun, this is a way to extend your summertime fitness and your tactical skills.

Less is more.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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whpraveman wrote:
Looking at going to a smart trainer and a subscription to Zwift. For those that have done so, what are your thoughts? Was it worth the investment? Did you find yourself using the trainer more?

$10 a month is a minimal expense. I prefer the "basic" CT courses but I ride Zwift 2 -4 times a month. So for $2.50 to $5 per ride. Its worth the expense.

I ride inside the same before and after subscribing to Zwift.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Hell yes. I joined in April and sometimes on nice days I chose to do a Zwift race or structured workout instead of riding outside. This winter will be much better with it, for the last 20 years I stared at the wall riding rollers.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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If you're in my age group (40-44) worst investment you can ever make. Don't even bother. Save your money and go buy donuts.

If you're not in my age group, hell yes. I spend most if not all of my time indoors. Zwift is time efficient. I can be at the house working out when my family gets up in the morning and have plenty of time for the rest of the day to do family stuff. Before I would have had to drive somewhere, ride, and then drive back. A 5 hour ride can take 7+ hours. A 5 hour ride on Zwift takes 5 hours..maybe a few minutes more if you have to take a bathroom break. People think I'm crazy for doing 5 hour trainer rides, but I'll throw on an old Tour race, watch a triathlon, or during football season, watch football. I'm basically knocking out 9 birds with 7 stones. LOL

I mostly do workouts on the game. On Tuesday I rode almost 3 hours after work at Threshold pace. That just wouldn't be possible at this time of the year. I used to get passed on the bike in large races, for the most part that doesn't happen any more. It's all zwift's fault.

But it doesn't have to zwift. TrainerRoad can do the same thing, or even a dumb trainer. Just get on and ride. The best way to get better on the bike is to ride and a lot.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Yes it was worth the investment. In past years I commuted to work by bike at least twice a week between May and September. This year I think I commuted 3 times TOTAL. I don't know if you could blame that all on Zwift, because I didn't have a smart trainer the past summers like I do now, but it certainly helped. I actually don't let Zwift control my trainer very much. Instead I control the power with the Wahoo app. I could just build the workouts I plan to do in Zwift, which is easy to do, but I just don't. The app is easy enough for me. I have done a race before and that was actually more fun than I thought it would be. It just happens that not many races line up with either the time I am riding or the type of workout intensity I am after. It is fun having levels to try to reach and there are also achievements to go after. Sounds like Zwift is going to roll out some new feature where you can ride in a group with your buddies no matter the intensity of the workouts as long as you stay pedaling.

Long story short I wouldn't think about riding my trainer without Zwift.

Edited to make clear I basically gave up commuting for Zwift.
Last edited by: jpay: Oct 12, 17 11:11
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [jpay] [ In reply to ]
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I think atlas for me trainer road was a a better investment. The plans are designed better. I get bored with zwift world

Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Absolutely worth it. Don't use the in-program structured workouts much, but it gets me actually excited to do Z2 work, and races are really good fun.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Never went there. TrainerRoad has been my go-to all along. And it was absolutely worth it.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Yes and yes. I was getting sick of staring at the graph in TR

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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I like using it with my Tacx Neo.

A new feature that I like:
You can now create your bike workouts in TrainingPeaks. If you sync your Zwift account to TP then today's workout will show up in your list of Zwift workouts. Click-and-go. It removes me having to think about anything at 5am when I hit the trainer.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [TriathlonJoe] [ In reply to ]
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This x100.

I did two years of riding with a group on Saturday mornings. Lets say this example is for an 80 miler with 4 miles off the bike...

Up at 5 AM, out the door by 5:30, drive to meet-up spot, wait for people who forgot their watch/pump/shoes/helmet, start the ride by 6:00. Stop and wait 5 times because people have to pee, want to buy a gatorade, fix a flat, etc. Finish ride by 11 AM and start brick run by 11:10. Get back to car by 11:40. Drive home, hitting every red light, arrive at 12:15. Unpack my shit into my house. Shower. It's 12:30 and I'm done.

The same workout on Zwift/indoor trainer...

Up at 5 AM, on the bike by 5:30. Ride uninterrupted, zero coasting, favorite show, music, book at your disposal. Finish ride at 9:30. Run out the door and get back by 10:05. Shower. It's 10:15 and I'm done.

My wife (married for 2 1/2 weeks now!) probably loves Zwift more than I do.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [TriowaCPA] [ In reply to ]
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TriowaCPA wrote:
This x100.

I did two years of riding with a group on Saturday mornings. Lets say this example is for an 80 miler with 4 miles off the bike...

Up at 5 AM, out the door by 5:30, drive to meet-up spot, wait for people who forgot their watch/pump/shoes/helmet, start the ride by 6:00. Stop and wait 5 times because people have to pee, want to buy a gatorade, fix a flat, etc. Finish ride by 11 AM and start brick run by 11:10. Get back to car by 11:40. Drive home, hitting every red light, arrive at 12:15. Unpack my shit into my house. Shower. It's 12:30 and I'm done.

The same workout on Zwift/indoor trainer...

Up at 5 AM, on the bike by 5:30. Ride uninterrupted, zero coasting, favorite show, music, book at your disposal. Finish ride at 9:30. Run out the door and get back by 10:05. Shower. It's 10:15 and I'm done.

My wife (married for 2 1/2 weeks now!) probably loves Zwift more than I do.

If you don't leave the house - how is her boy friend suppose to come over.....
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Quantum] [ In reply to ]
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I'm thinking of getting zwift this winter too.... you can do it with a power meter or a smart trainer, does it make a difference what I choose? (Power meter or smart trainer)
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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I very much enjoy my Saris Hammer. Its super quiet so I can train in the AM and watch TV and not wake up my wife. Plus when I start an interval I don't get the wheel slippage of a standard trainer.

As for Zwift I used it for two years, suffer fest for half of one, and tried Rouvy this fall but used their old version like 3 years ago. I recently just paid for 6mo of Rouvy and am leaving Zwift behind. Going on virtual group rides and races didn't do it for me while Rouvy's database of prebuilt workouts including suffer fest stuff and the ability to ride virtually all over the globe is more intriguing to me. Finally, with a wife headed to Kona in 2018 Rouvy allowed me to invite her to my membership at no additional cost so one subscription vs two.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [friesen] [ In reply to ]
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friesen wrote:
I'm thinking of getting zwift this winter too.... you can do it with a power meter or a smart trainer, does it make a difference what I choose? (Power meter or smart trainer)

The races are the real deal, it's near impossible to force yourself to suffer that much using a structured plan on Trainer Road. They hurt. . . a lot. . . and that's a good thing.

I've only used a dumb trainer. On the uphills, I can notice a difference between my avatar and others who I assume are on smart trainers.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [ziggie204] [ In reply to ]
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Like Ziggie said, the races are no joke. Sure there are some aspects of gamification, but I have never buried myself on the bike in training like I have on Zwift. As for power meter vs smart trainer, I have used both. The smart trainer allows you to feel the gradient better. It helped me a lot training for St. croix and Chattanooga. There are also a number of good groups with whom you can ride, either workouts, races, or rides. If you use an app like Discord, then you can talk to each other. It works great for sharing in the misery of a workout or using tactics in a race.

PM if you have a question about it. I ride almost exclusively indoors now, with most being on Zwift.

https://www.endurancelab.fit
https://www.teamodz.com
https://discuss.endurancelab.fit
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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As for the "investment" what is the total cost of the setup . . . as in if you have nothing for indoor riding what all would you need for a decent setup. I do have reasonable space that can be dedicated.

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
Last edited by: david: Oct 13, 17 3:54
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Evil Elf] [ In reply to ]
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How does Discord work with Zwift exactly? Other than the program what do you need? I'm assuming a headset at least.

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [SiRcivic27] [ In reply to ]
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Do any of these programs such as Zwift and Trainer Road have actual IM Course simulations? Like, if I wanted to ride the Kona course or IM Lanzarote is there anything out there that simulates IM courses? I have used Trainer Road before and have used the Sufferfest videos but I am not aware of IM Course simulation being offered. Does Zwift have a race course simulation feature?

------------------
http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Callin'] [ In reply to ]
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Callin', Discord works independently from Zwift. We simply jump on to Discord and get into our chat room at the same time. It allows for voice comms and messages. You need a headset (obviously with microphone) and either the mobile app or the desktop app. That's it. You can check out http://www.teamodz.com/discord for some basic instructions on how to get on and use it effectively.

https://www.endurancelab.fit
https://www.teamodz.com
https://discuss.endurancelab.fit
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Lock_N_Load] [ In reply to ]
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LNL, no IM course simulations on Zwift as of yet or in the immediate future from what I understand. However, you can upload a Best Bike Split power profile as a workout and follow it. Plus, I have found that the different courses that are available provide me with enough options to practice any IM course. For example, the Watopia course has three different climbs, two with different routes with different profiles and lengths, a flat course, a hilly course, and a mixed course. You can also select from combinations of those courses or dictate turns on your own. CycleOps version, formerly known as Virtual Training, and BKool have IM courses, but I, personally, do not like the interface as much as Zwift's.

https://www.endurancelab.fit
https://www.teamodz.com
https://discuss.endurancelab.fit
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Evil Elf] [ In reply to ]
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awesome, thank you. I wasn't sure if it interfaced with Zwift and automatically knew what race you were in, team you were on, etc.

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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I tried it. Went back to TrainerRoad. I'm not entertained by virtual road cycling, and that's not why I use the trainer anyways. I'm not just trying to pass the time. If I'm going to be on the trainer, I want it to be structured for me. TrainerRoad is far better at doing that, and their plans and instructions for the workouts are far better.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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Absolutely yes! I ride almost exclusively indoors even during the summer due to work schedule and family responsibilities, and I had the fastest bike split in 3 of my 4 races this year. I have gotten to the point where I can't wait for my Zwift races once every week or two because of the absolute suffering and fun I get from them. It's a great way to keep your competitive juices flowing all year. In fact it's hard to find a good time for an off season because I want to do well in the winter Zwift racing season. The only time I ride outside is for the relaxing fall long group rides because I love the atmosphere.

As far as a smart trainer goes, I've never tried one but I personally enjoy just using my Powertap so I can ride a steady cadence up climbs or on descents. When I'm on the trainer I really don't want to spin at 120 or grind at 60 rpm very much. Plus with the PT my numbers transfer to the road easily. In terms of $$, for someone like me with basically no discretionary income, a smart trainer seems like a pointless luxury item that provides less benefit than a power meter you can take on the road and race with.

I would definitely recommend using direct power measurement though, I've tested the power curve from virtual power and my PT and found that virtual power has almost no correlation to the real thing. Inexplicably they don't even follow the same curve most of the time.

Powertap / Cycleops / Saris
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [Lock_N_Load] [ In reply to ]
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Lock_N_Load wrote:
Do any of these programs such as Zwift and Trainer Road have actual IM Course simulations? Like, if I wanted to ride the Kona course or IM Lanzarote is there anything out there that simulates IM courses? I have used Trainer Road before and have used the Sufferfest videos but I am not aware of IM Course simulation being offered. Does Zwift have a race course simulation feature?

I used to use CycleOps' online platform called Virtual Training and they had Ironman courses on there with GPS data for grade changes on your trainer. Some were good with real video recorded to match the course others were so-so with no video. I think the platform has been renamed Rouvy.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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I just signed up for Zwift. I also use TR. Zwift does have a learning curve. I don't give two shits about the social aspect of Zwift but doing races is an amazing way to push yourself. For more structured workouts I use TR.

_________________________________
The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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The answer seems to be yes...but what about with a dumb trainer?
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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No, and no. I don't like exercising of any kind indoors (with the exception of swimming in a natatorium). If exercising indoors doesn't bother you, I think it would be fine.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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I prefer trainerroad and their specific plans to zwift. I'd much rather take a "get in, get out" approach with my indoor training but to each their own.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [BKyle] [ In reply to ]
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Trainer road and zwift guy here. Started with tr 4 years ago and zwift 2+ years ago when it was free. Have very slowly migrated from tr to zwift. I like the programs and structure of tr. However the past 10 months I’ve joined a virtual team and am really enjoying the team workouts and races on zwift. Team workouts are brutal: sprints, climbs, and some sweet spot done on flat, hills, and rollers in zwift.

I’m pushing my max just to stay with the group, in the redline at 176 bpm when the group surges and I somehow dig in to bridge up at 181 bpm,... what an addictive sensation. I could never push and repeat like that on tr but in zwift with all the banter, testosterone, and not wanting to get dropped, it’s just a step up to the next level.

With the right group and program, combined with terrain and physics engines/drafting, zwift is the future. It only a matter of time before the structured workouts and programs are further enhanced and implemented on zwift. In the future, tr is like blockbuster video, zwift is netflix. Sorry guys.
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [lightning33] [ In reply to ]
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I've been using Zwift with a dumb trainer (KK Road Machine) for well over a year now. I don't have a power meter, I just use virtual power. There are a handful of good dumb trainers, including the Road Machine that work great with Zwift and they're the cheapest way to get up and running. I also really like the feel of a good fluid trainer. I had a go of a smart trainer with it and wasn't overly impressed but it wasn't a high end one like a Flux, Neo or Kickr so maybe they're a different experience.
Smart trainers give you two main extras: ERG mode and slope simulation. I don't particularly like the idea of ERG mode. Psychologically I don't think it's ideal. I've tried it and it works okay but I'd rather control my power for myself with my legs and gear selection. So ERG mode is not a selling point for me. Slope simulation might be nice when using Zwift so long as it's fairly realistic. I'm in the habit of dropping a gear to increase the load and reduce cadence on climbs in Zwift. Or if I'm doing a structured session I ignore the terrain from the perspective of effort and cadence/gear selection.That works fine for me for now.

So, in short - There's absolutely no need for a smart trainer if you have a decent dumb trainer supported by Zwift, or if you have a power meter. Virtual power from some trainers, especially magnetic resistance types is not as good and I wouldn't enjoy it on those.

P.S. The best dumb trainers to use are those that are supported by "zPower" including the Road Machine as I mentioned. As I understand it and if I remember correctly, this is basically a more refined version of basic power curve approach which also includes rate of change of speed rather than just a steady state power to speed relationship. That makes it more responsive and realistic when changing power/speed for sprints, intervals, etc....

P.P.S. If using a dumb trainer, use the same tyre pressure and clamping pressure each time to ensure the power curve matching is consistent from one session to the next. Doing this, mine seems very consistent.
Last edited by: Ai_1: Oct 27, 17 0:52
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Re: Was Zwift worth the investment? [whpraveman] [ In reply to ]
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whpraveman wrote:
Looking at going to a smart trainer and a subscription to Zwift. For those that have done so, what are your thoughts? Was it worth the investment? Did you find yourself using the trainer more?
If you've a half decent dumb trainer already, try it with that first. You should get a decent idea whether you'll enjoy it. There's a free trial and the subscription is monthly and modest so there's no real risk there. Try and if you don;t like it, cancel.
I started with a dumb trainer and would have been willing to upgrade to a smart trainer later if I thought it would be significantly better but I've been happy as I am. See my comments in the post above.

If you don't have a trainer at all and you're not sure if you want to invest several hundred on a good new smart trainer, why not buy a second hand dumb one to try it out. I'm pretty sure lots of people are getting rid of theirs! If you're confident you'll use it, get a good fluid trainer or a decent smart one. IMO the quality of the trainer does have an impact on enjoyment but smart or dumb is less of a factor for me.
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