I'm in this boat as well. I ride everyday and sometimes I start Zwift and run it in the background just to get the level credit and meters for the Tron Bike and just watch TV. My house is on a hill so just getting up it is 10 tss alone, which makes recovery rides a bit difficult at times.

Zwift uses the classic carrot and the egg approach where you get stuff the more you do it. Almost all video games do that now because it works. I don't mind it really, in some ways that mimics real life. For example, I had to do 15 group rides before snob x rider would actually talk to me.

Anyone who understands computers and video game requirements in terms of computing power knows that it is not "buy another widget" just because. A good gaming rig can last for a long time before the games minimum requirements catch up. I love PC gaming and I build my own computers.

---

Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Inside is inferior in every way?

I have 70 minutes w kids sleeping. Either I stay indoors (and ride) or I don’t ride. +1 for indoor when you can’t leave the house

It takes me 15 mins to ride to decent roads (still have stop signs, stoplights and cars to deal with). So there is not much possibility for a very hard 1 hour ride for me. +1 for indoor when you need a quick hard effort

It rained most of winter here. Yes I could go outside, but I don’t hammer in rain as I do when it’s dry. All winter zwift let me get stronger and not maintain +1 for indoor when weather isn’t good

When i can’t work a weekend race into my life schedule, there’s a race almost hourly on zwift. Not exCtly the same, but better than nothing. +1 zwift racing

Indoor might not be “better” than outdoor overall. But there are many instances (at least for me) when indoor is WAY better

I agree. I have been using the TR structured programs for my weekday bike workouts since they were launched, and plan to continue doing so, though I can't generally handle more than about 90 minutes on TR (even with a tv show or movie also playing) so on weekends I do my long ride outside when the weather/scheduling allow but otherwise do group rides on Zwift on the weekends. Also, at the start of my offseason I see a benefit to taking a break from the structure of TR and just doing Zwift group rides for all my riding for 2-3 months. Though for me, when just doing a solo workout, and not a group event, I'm not sure that I'd see any real advantage to Zwift over TR as the graphics don't matter that much to me personally. However, if Zwift had structured training plans comparable to TR then there wouldn't be a need for me to pay two monthly subscription fees.

There are a few structured training plans in the workout library. Not as many as Trainer Road but more will be coming.

---

Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

Dan is summing up my cycling life perfectly. I live in MIchigan, big part of the year its too damn cold (for me) to ride outside. That and the ice keep me inside. I started riding Zwift in 2015 and its taken up more and more of my endurance athletics.

There are great teams available to join to build out the social aspect. The group workouts are great in my mind because your are (1) building accountability and (2) suffering with a bunch of other people. I lead a group workout every Tuesday morning at 0530 ET for The Endurance Lab and TeamODZ. I think getting the group to develop some banter and to support one another makes it more enjoyable. I’d love it if I was able to see stats fed to me about who in our group may be pushing too hard or struggling to keep up. It would allow me to provide feedback. Beyond the group workouts the races and rides are also fun. And, as mentioned, just freeriding can be fun.

I agree Zwift could come out with more training plans, ala TR. Groups are filling that void though and offering coaching/training plans all built around zwift.

Regarding gravel, I bought a combination road/gravel bike from Seven last year (Red Sky). 4 miles from my house I can access a rail trail that then leads to 100s of miles of gravel and dirt roads throughout SE Michigan. Lot safer in my book and seeing as its michigan the gravel/dirt roads are probably in better shape then the paved ones.

---

http://www.teamodz.com
http://www.endurancelab.fit

Dan, I was a bit surprised to see your responses. We are about the same age, been in the sport for about the same time, and live in So Cal. We can ride outdoor just about everyday. No shortage of people to ride with.
I have never tried Zwift, but do own a Computrainer. While I get a great workout on it, I would almost always rather be on the road.
The group rides I do are fun, but not just because of the competitive push, but the socialization. Since I know nothing of Zwift, how does that really compare?
Thanks for your insights.

---

Team Zoot So Cal

No shortage of people to ride with. //

You are mostly right except for this part. Unless I'm up at the ranch Dan has 0 people to ride with, and even if I'm there it is 0 at the moment(not really riding). I hear you, I used to live in places where I could pitch up to any number of weekend rides, even a few during the week. Absolutely no substitute, unless of course you don't have that choice to begin with.


I just ordered my first power meter so that I can join this parade of online pelotons and group rides. Been awhile for me, but this is actually getting me interested in riding again. Of course as soon as I get some legs back, I will be outdoors as much as possible, and maybe even driving to the old Wednesday ride. So in that respect, this Swift thing is rekindling an old fire, not building one in a newbie...

yes, i live on socal. but... this is where i live.





so. yeah. actual, physical, on the road group rides are nice! and i grab them when i can. but they're not always available or practical for me.

---

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Also Zwift will probably get lots more courses soon now that Google is opening its maps to engines like Unity

---

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

I am glad there are virtual people to ride with then 😜 Safer that way.
Virtual triathlons are not part of my future, but I can see the new generation buying into it. One could just put a contraption over their eyes and They’ll be racing Kona and beating Lange, Sanders and Frodeno!

---

Team Zoot So Cal

Lucky you! Man, I would be a complete mountain bike junkie if I lived there! Looks awesome and real all terrain riding. Sit in front of a TV? no thanks.

Yet an iPhone is less powerful than my laptop... So there is a lite version, why not have one as beta mode for weaker laptops?

And yet the newest iPhones are the 4th fastest "computers" that Apple makes - iMac Pro, iMac, Macbook Pro 15" are the only ones more powerful. The A10 chip is pretty insane actually... And for gaming, because the phones are actually tailored to that - because people game a lot on their phone - they may actually be way better than a lot of the computers that are using embedded Intel graphics. It's pretty crazy but you can definitely not assume that phone << laptop anymore.

---

"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

I appreciate you sharing the bases for your opinions, it provides helpful context.