I gave up on the Garmin Dual strap. It worked for a while then quit. I have had the CooSpo for a couple of weeks, and it connects better. Cost is $33. I am using an Ipad. I have had no issues so far. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/...6a-b325-4be35d7258cc

I’m not Dan, but since I use this same setup, I thought I’d chime in. Here’s what I do:

1. Connect the HR strap to the 945
2. Choose Virtual Run for the activity in the 945. It’ll pop up a pairing screen.
3. Start Zwift and pair the 945 with Zwift
4. Press the Start button on the 945, otherwise the Virtual Run activity will go to sleep after 5-10 minutes.

Even though the activity mode is called Virtual Run, it works fine with Zwift. Won’t record any of your data on the watch, but it’ll broadcast over Bluetooth to Zwift just fine.

Thank you. I do this as well I would just like it to show the data as a bike event and not a run on my Garmin connect/ Garmin connect

Thank you. Does this then show as a bike event and not a virtual run?

All it shows on the 945 is a virtual run with only HR data. It doesn’t record power, cadence, or any other cycling metrics. You’ll need to get that from Zwift.

I am excited for a download/update this afternoon. It's hot outside, so will do this to explore.........France!!! We already had the Alpe replica, but Paris now.

That's exciting.

Event only I believe. Not the update I've been waiting for...

I highly doubt they'd release a world with route badges for it to not eventually be part of the "main" game. Just give it a little time.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Yeah, I’m pretty confident it won’t be event only for long. They probably have to wait until their deal with AOS is announced, and/or after the virtual tour is over

Hopefully you're right. I didn't notice there wee course badges. That and it's size does suggest they'll make it a general use world, unlike the very small Bologna TT and Crit City worlds, which have stayed Event Only.

I think it will be a lot like Richmond's original release -- where it was Event only for a bit, and then it became a Guest World.

Admittedly, I am more interested in when the "manage your own events" feature will be rolling out than anything else. But I also understand that there's an awful lot that goes into building this correctly. I'd rather them get it right first than to issue a new feature that is buggy as hell.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Is there anyway to get average speed or average power to be displayed during a Zwift race? I find those metrics to be particularly motivating during a race. But it seems they are only displayed at the end of the race in Zwift.

I always use a Garmin so I can get my average power and take some splits to help me pace. I am always doing calculations of speed based on the distance and time. It keeps me busy during the rides but I don't really do that during races

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Tiago
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Sponsors: : Blueseventy :

there is no way it will stay event only. maybe for July, they will keep it event only to promote the virtual TdF, but after that i can't imagine they would keep a world (bigger than london i think?) as event only. zwiftinsider has put in their 2 cents and it seems very reasonable.

I have a hatchet to bury.

Help me get this straight. To prove a point I ran a gear speed calc on a recent "tower climb" in Zwift. My cadence and speed matched almost perfect for a 700c wheel with 23mm tire going up the 14% grade. My power plugged into some online calculators at that % grade and assuming a bike weight but with my real body weight.........speed came pretty damn close also.

This was at 100% trainer difficulty.

Does Zwift transmit trainer resistance including weight, or is it a raw % grade?

I keep having folks claim to make Zwift more real they ride at 50% resistance. Which sounds bollocks to me. It might help with training by pedaling downhill and not getting dropped since you'd freewheel at 100%...........but uphill it just doesn't sound right.

Uphill, no draft.........I thought 100% (if your trainer is strong enough for your body weight) is the most realistic setting.

I have used Zwift off and on for the past few years with a dumb trainer.

I blew up the dumb trainer last Friday during a race.

I just settled on a Wahoo Kickr (over the Tacx Neo 2).

What am I in for? Does a smart trainer *really* make it that much more fun?

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Unequivocally yes! 1000%
It is literally night and day

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http://www.instagram.com/cyclewise

Zwift takes the power from your trainer, uses the weight from your settings, adds in some magic resistance sauce, and calculates how fast your avatar can go on the terrain on which it’s riding. The trainer difficulty setting is really more of a virtual gearing setting than anything else. 100% approximates the gearing on your bike at the incline in the game. 50% virtually adds more gearing to make your 25t feel like a 28t, for example. The power required to climb at the same speed doesn’t change any, only how hard it feels to generate that power.

Or at least that’s my understanding. After vEveresting this past weekend, I can say with certainty that 100% sure feels the hardest and most realistic.

Gary - I'm not sure if you got this figured out yet or not but wanted to reply. You mentioned you are using an iPad. The iPad can't connect with ANT+ sensors. However, I believe there was an update to the Garmin 945 watches back earlier this year that should allow the watch to broadcast heartrate via bluetooth.

To solve your issue - make sure your 945 has the broadcast via bluetooth update (see link below for DC Rainmaker article on it) OR alternatively you can get yourself an adaptor - CABLE (connect ANT+ to bluetooth) at the 2nd link below.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...for-fr245-fr945.html

https://www.clevertraining.com/...mMIz2kxoCY6kQAvD_BwE

No matter what - you have to use your watch to broadcast the heart rate. For riding - you should record a ride using "indoor ride". I use a PC - so I have an ANT+ dongle - so my heart rate from my Garmin transmits directly to Zwift and my data files have everything I need.

you will kick yourself for not doing this a long time ago. and in 3 or 4 years you'll kick yourself for not getting a smart bike now. if you can swing it, go all the way to a smart bike. Kickr Bike or NEO Bike. if that's out of your range, no worries. it'll be there when you're ready. but the BIG difference is going from dumb to smart.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Agreed then.

The article I found claimed that 50% resistance gave some pretty tremendous gearing differences. Like the difference from 34/28 at 100% all the way to a 34/46 at 50%!!!! Yeah, those aren't backwards......a 46 rear cog.

I feel it is an amazing feature to allow riders of all levels to have fun in the game. And perhaps even to guess at the % to make it match your gearing without spending coin on more hardware like cassettes.

I just take some stuff I see with a grain of salt knowing that.

As others have said, 100% yes. Though I think you are more of a trainer road guy? You might like erg mode, but other than that, there won’t be much difference. But on Zwift, it makes the experience so much better. Especially if you do a lot of climbing. I like doing hill repeats on Zwift and a smart trainer makes that work.

What's the advantage of the full bike? It's in my range, but at around $3500 it has to compete against a new bike. And that's always a savage competition.

I could see some advantage as a fit tinkerer, because these bikes look like they double as fit bikes.

But on the other hand, while doing race prep it's nice to do that on the bike you're racing. E.g.
same pads, same grip, etc. And if I'm training for a stage race, I can swap in my TT or road bike probably more easily than I could reconfigure a smart bike.

that's it. the fit tinkering. that's #1. but there are more advantages. you can program the gearing. if you're riding some of that 16% grade stuff, you can program that gear. 10-33 and 46x33, SRAM AXS if you want. or shimano. program it back down for a flatter club ride/race. you don't have to worry about putting a different bike on the trainer, and the shifting's munged up. if you have a kickr bike then you also get incline.

right now i have a NEO Bike in my garage and it's the bike i ride more often than any other, so, it's well worth getting that as your "new bike." plus, that's a pretty cheap bike for the highest end stationary bike you can buy.

these days, i can pretty much get by with 3 bikes: a smart bike, a tri bike, and a combo road/gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels (see yesterday's article). i'm writing another one up tomorrow, my OPEN WI.DE with its 2 sets of wheels. when i go on a road trip, some gravel, some road riding, i just take the 1 bike and 2 sets of wheels and i'm gold. i'm writing now about the 5 bikes in just sent into pro's closet. i'm going thru the process, so that folks know how to do this the slick way. point being, if you divest of what you really don't need, you might find that the smart bike money appears.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I used to use TR religiously, but I've since gotten a coach. I do his workouts within Zwift. So I'm guessing I'll still be using ERG mode for those rides (and not simulation mode).

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri