i'm following. I just did my first trainer road session today

I like trainerroad.

For me, I see zwift as being a video game and trying to provide for people's social needs.

I see trainerroad as a tool to be leveraged to help you execute your planned workout and training plan.

Trainer Road. Easy to input custom workouts and just get it done. Put your head down and hammer.

I tried both and just subscribed to TrainerRoad. Personally, I didn't get into the group ride/gamification aspects of Zwift. I think I would have liked the course simulation if I had a Kickr or Computrainer, but with just a Kurt Kinetic & quarq, it didn't do much for me. I'm more interested in getting a focused workout on during the week, and then enjoying riding outside on the weekend.

The Zwift workout mode seemed pretty buggy and incomplete still. Some plans seemed way low on volume/intensity, and some workouts had odd power levels. Some workouts had me instantly "warming up" and recovering at 73% FTP, others seemingly impossible power fluctuations. The workout mode just didn't seem ironed out for me me to pay for it right now. I may revisit later, but for now it still seems early beta.

Long time TrainerRoad user and I have dabbled with Zwift a bit. They have some similarities but are also kind of different products. No right or wrong answer here. It's really personal preference.

So far I have not gone for the paid Zwift subscription. For me, I'm very happy with the TrainerRoad training plans. I ride specific prescribed workouts on the assigned days and the "entertainment" factor is not the primary thing I am after from my indoor training/riding software product. I look at it more as a poor mans coaching product than on the bike entertainment. (I have a decent collection of TV race footage that I play on a TV for entertainment/distraction during workouts and that works for me as well as being part of a virtual group ride on Zwift).

Zwift is cool though and I can totally see why many people would prefer it. The times I have used it, it was for "free" rides without structure and it was definitely fun and easy to push hard.. I did, however, find it hard to hook up with a group and do much beyond just tool around the island course or Richmond mostly by myself (there are only 2 courses at this point). And, frankly, its more fun to watch TV if you are just noodling around than it is to be stuck on a virtual road by yourself. It was kind of like going for a solo ride outside and hoping you'd run into a friend to ride with but never quite running into anyone. Inevitably, the vast majority of riders are either too fast or too slow for what I wanted to do and the one's I did hook up with mostly did not seem to care for group riding (funny how you can tell that even from a virtual representation . . . .) For me, Zwift was OK but not great.

Several people in the group I ride with (real riding, not virtual ;-) have talked about organizing a group ride on Zwift. If that happens, I will pony up the $10 and join. The random rides just was not doing it for me $10 a month worth and TrainerRoad, for me, is already hitting 100% A++ on the workout front so I saw no reason to even try the Zwift workout mode.

I also am a bit "computer limited" currently and while Zwift works on my older laptop, it is definitely straining. It worked but always seemed on the edge of crashing and froze up now and then. TrainerRoad on the other hand will run well on almost anything.

I am using both Zwift and Trainer Road at the moment. Both are good, but Zwift is just better for me. My training is harder with Zwift (I just hate to get passed) and I seem to be on the trainer longer because it's down right fun and I'm not bored. Yes, on Trainer Road I have trained to Sufferfest videos and yes, I can watch Netflix but Zwift gets my adrenaline going and I am definitely going to be a stronger cyclist because of it. Harder and longer workouts. What';s not to like with Zwift.

I was a long time TrainerRoad customer and I did the whole Zwift beta.


If you have a PC and are using ANT+ components, there is no reason to pay monthly or yearly fees. Perfpro is much more complete than either Zwift or TrainerRoad and a one time purchase. It's really a no-brainer if you are using a Windows based PC. Just put it in movie mode (transparent) and run Youtube / movies in the background.

Otherwise, I'd say TrainerRoad, but my opinion of Zwift is pre-workout mode. However, I can't see how it can be superior to what TR offers (equal, maybe) and I'd rather be watching videos than Nintendo 64 era graphics.

I have used both but I will continue to pay for Trainerroad. The option to create workouts easily and watch video on my computer makes it a win win for me. Zwift is really cool but I can't treat it like a video game. When I am on the trainer I have a specific objective so the scenery and others on the road don't mean anything to me at that point. So I guess it really depends on what you do on the trainer and all of that.

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I'm enjoying trainerroad. I just think that every work out is designed to get the maximum benefit, so much so I now feel as though I am wasting my time riding outside, and then I remember why I like cycling and soak up the scenery.

With trainerroad you just follow the workout, and can the watch tv to keep the boredom at bay.

As with nearly every other question on these boards, the answer is "it depends".

TR is better for serious training if you are sufficiently motivated and committed to a structured training plan.

Zwift is better if you are likely to get bored, tempted to skip or cut short your workout structured workout or simply want to hop on and ride.

There is no right answer because people are very different. Some are simply content to suffer and build mental toughness. Others don't care about as much on-screen distraction because they want to watch movies or Netflix. Others want more engagement and social spects that Zwift is better suited for.

They're both great Apps, but for different reasons. I'm using both at the moment. I'm still on my 2 months of zwift free since I'm apparently a Strava premium member.

I like Zwift, but usually only use it for long endurance rides, or recovery rides. (For full disclosure I have only done one work out in Zwift - I usually take my coach's prescribed work outs on put them into TrainerRoad).

As others have said, if you're on the trainer to train, TrainerRoad seems more useful for that specific function. A smoothed out work out function, and more importantly, the ability to make your own work outs will make Zwift a more complete product. I find Zwift a bit more fun, but even when I'm using it there is a still a TV on with netflix or a movie.

I'll probably end up paying for both because I do like them both.

I've been on TR for 3 years and zwift since they opened the beta.

For me, TR is the clear training winner, I actually think the subscription is great value if you use the plans (which are good). Zwift is entertaining but I only use it for a group race once a week. Not sure I'm going to pay for it once my Strava premium 2 months ends.

Funny. I see it as the opposite. Zwift gets me on the trainer so I get in my workout, but Trainer Road is like a video game where I focus on trying to make my line match the game's line as closely as possible, like the old Tron motorcycle game.

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Zen and the Art of Triathlon. Strava Workout Log
Interviews with Chris McCormack, Helle Frederikson, Angela Naeth, and many more.
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I've used them both, but I've spent a lot more time using Zwift. TR is definitely more flushed out in terms of giving you a structured workout and the workout mode in Zwift is a good start but not nearly as mature. Social group riding and racing, along with the emersive graphics, are what really sets Zwift apart and in that regard the two systems are just plain so different it seems odd to compare them. I personally don't find the library of workouts in TR to be a strong factor for me because I've done enough structured training to know what I need to do and when to do it. Over time I expect that the workout mode in Zwift will be close to the level of quality that you get with TR, but TR will have the advantage of working on lower end hardware including mobile devices -- the computer resources for Zwift can be a challenge.

I'm not going to say that Zwift is the only path here or anything, but before Zwift the idea of someone riding a serious endurance ride on the turbo was kind of an apocryphal legend. You knew a person who knew someone who heard about a dude who rode 5 hours on a trainer. I *regularly* see people banging out imperial century rides on Zwift which is pretty mind boggling when you think about it. Clearly they are doing something right there and it is pretty engaging for a lot (although not all) people. The organized races are a great way to get in an hour of intense riding that doesn't feel like you were riding for an hour. That itself is some voodoo awesome in my book.

I've been on Zwift for almost a year and also a TR customer of 3 or 4 years. TR is great for all the reasons everyone states here. Zwift is just more pleasing and interactive for me right now. I'm on their FTP build plan and it seems pretty sedate compared to similar TR plans, but I'm using it as a 12wk base plan with still getting out one day a week for some hill climbing.

I have a Kickr coming the next week or so so I'll play with both in ERG mode and most likely go back to TR programs but run Zwift at the same time (2 ant sticks) to get the feel of racing and give my eyes something to watch.

I didn't know you could use two Ant+ sticks and workout to Zwift and Train Road at the same time? Thanks for that bit of knowledge.

I was a diehard TrainerRoad person. I got an invite to Zwift maybe 10 months ago or so. This is how many times I have used TR since... zero.

Zwift is so much more engaging. I see very little value in TR now that Zwift has a workout mode, and with with a WKO creator coming very soon the ball really is in Zwift's court. What possible advantage does TR have over Zwift at that point?

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Zwift is the first app I've used where I can actually be on the trainer for extended periods of time and not hate life. Not really sure exactly what element does it, maybe it's a combination of other riders, KOM and sprints, scenery, different views... But somehow I find time going by (relatively) quickly. And I also find myself pushing with a little extra effort, just due to my own internal competitiveness. Not like I'm winning any sprint/KOM jerseys, but it forces me to push a little harder to get a PR or just not suck worse than last time :) Or I decide to try and stay with another rider/bot that's going a little faster. There are still some improvements to be had, especially getting a couple more course options and the ability to choose which course to ride - but overall it's working great.

Something to consider, while Zwift is just out of beta, the workout mode is new for them. It definitely doesn't compare to TR at this point, but once it gets some backing and improvements it may get there.

Zwift has a lot of potential. The struggle they will have is not technical but more with their chosen path. The company is pretty up front about the fact that at is core Zwift wants to be a "massively multiplayer on line game" for cyclists. To meet that goal, they want to encourage folks to all ride together and interact (I assume deep down in the business plan there is some way to make lots and lots of money off that, at least in theory). They need lots of users for their program to work they way they want it to. (Hence the fact they feel the need to populate the course with fake virtual riders). That means one course at a time (maybe with multiple choices in rotation but everyone on any given day is on the same course with no choice). This goal of lots of riders interacting is also counter to what a lot of rider's actually want which is to "do their own thing" i.e. structured workouts, pick their course, have private closed group rides with their buddies, etc.

Zwift is cool and could be even cooler but it is entirely possible the company could screw up what they have. Zwift's ultimate success is really going to come down to whether they insist on being what they want to be or, do they cater to their users and how they do that without dividing them. Zwift will not be the same place if everyone is riding "alone" doing their own little ride but on the other hand, it will have long term trouble if its just going after the people who want to do online group rides. It is fun, but after you hit your 10,000th lap of Zwiftopia, Netflix while riding TR might seem like a good alternative ;-)

Today, TrainerRoad is probably the best all around app for structured training. Zwift provides greater entertainment, but less so in structured training. Ask me again in January 2016 and you may see a different answer as Zwift moves forward.

I agree with everything else you wrote in your post, and this is really trivial, but I would bet a lot of those people you see cranking out long rides on zwift would be doing it without Zwift. One of the cool parts with Zwift is that now you're exposed to / connecting with those people.

For me when I'm doing one of those long rides I still have Netflix (or something similar) going in addition to Zwift.

It certainly does make the achievement more visible, but then I also hear so many people give mini testimonials about how they never rode that far (either distance or duration) on the trainer before. The Zwift community is littered with people who claim they are riding the trainer 50% more or higher year over year. I'm not going to claim that more volume is always a good thing but pre-Zwift it seems to me a rare bird that can ride over 90 minutes in a trainer session but I see it all the time now. Again it could just be that people are chatting it up but I'm certain that many people who did 100 mile rides on Zwift wouldn't have done it with the traditional options. For my part the furthest I'm willing to go on the trainer so far is around 100km or ~3 hours. I would do longer but I rarely have blocks of time that long for riding. Just wanted to share this in case someone knows my riding from Strava and calls my a hypocrite over it. ;)

I would absolutely agree it's driving up trainer use. I really like Zwift, even if it's not quite the do-all App yet.