I rode with Zwift last winter and enjoyed it just fine. I’ve heard that Trainerroad tends to be better for helping cyclists get stronger. My current FTP is around 3.2 w/kg and I will be training for an Ironman next year. I’m a mediocre cyclist. I don’t mind boring, monotonous rides as I can pull something else up to watch on my laptop.
Thoughts or pros/cons for the two platforms?
I rode with Zwift last winter and enjoyed it just fine. I’ve heard that Trainerroad tends to be better for helping cyclists get stronger. My current FTP is around 3.2 w/kg and I will be training for an Ironman next year. I’m a mediocre cyclist. I don’t mind boring, monotonous rides as I can pull something else up to watch on my laptop.
Thoughts or pros/cons for the two platforms?
I just switched to TrainerRoad. I don’t do online races, and don’t have a coach nor the time to actually coach myself, so TrainerRoad is a better fit.
I’m not starting an actual plan until November, instead just training with the TrainNow feature, and it’s awesome.
I never found the avatar on Zwift to be all that entertaining after the first week I was in it. I’d rather listen to Spotify for hard workouts, or watch Netflix on endurance rides.
I’ve actually ridden Zwift several times & found it to be uninspiring even with others out on the track–Watopia I think is the one I did. Boring, cartoon–ish. I was less than impressed with Zwift aside from the fact I found myself sweating buckets by the end. My preferred winter riding is a $99 Performance track stand dumb trainer watching IBU (International Biathlon Union) races/World Cup nordic races. But that’s ONLY the few times it is cold enough to bike indoors. Other than that–I’m bundled up with full winter battle gear & outside as long as the roads are dry.
I tend to be one of the few riding in really crappy outside weather in the winter. Once in a while I’ll see some “stay puff marshmallow dressed biker” who can barely move they have so many clothes on…but Trainer Road–it is one I have been meaning to try. Seems like I’d like that better for realism of scenery…
I’ve actually ridden Zwift several times & found it to be uninspiring even with others out on the track–Watopia I think is the one I did. Boring, cartoon–ish. I was less than impressed with Zwift aside from the fact I found myself sweating buckets by the end. My preferred winter riding is a $99 Performance track stand dumb trainer watching IBU (International Biathlon Union) races/World Cup nordic races. But that’s ONLY the few times it is cold enough to bike indoors. Other than that–I’m bundled up with full winter battle gear & outside as long as the roads are dry.
I tend to be one of the few riding in really crappy outside weather in the winter. Once in a while I’ll see some “stay puff marshmallow dressed biker” who can barely move they have so many clothes on…but Trainer Road–it is one I have been meaning to try. Seems like I’d like that better for realism of scenery…
with 2 young kids, most of my traiming time is late at night or early in the morning, so indoor training is the most practical, time efficient option for me. I’d rather be outside, but it doesn’t work all the time.
Whatever brings consistent, challenging workouts to you is the service that makes you stronger.
If you enjoy regular racing or the social aspects of Zwift, then that’s for you.
If you prefer solo workouts while watching movies, etc, then TR is the one.
I like having them both, Zwift-or-similar for racing, then TR for well-defined interval work at less than race effort.
My issue with Zwift as the complete solution - and it’s largely a personal problem - is my inability to go “easy” while using Zwift. Even some theoretically easy social rides seem to turn into passive-aggressive racing. And going solo in Zwift holds no interest for me whatsoever. I’d rather watch something on YouTube than watch my avatar move alone through some world.
Here are some threads to read which, iirc, link to some other threads.
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=6894043#p6894043
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/?post=7628309#p7628309
hope that helps
If all you need is a bar chart, try TrainerDay. Way cheaper than Trainerroad.
Other than that, read this:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/03/cycling-indoor-trainer-app-guide.html
im a big fan of trainerroad over zwift. coincidentally i decided to give zwift a try again last week after not using it for over a year. ya i didnt even get into a ride for 10 min and i was closing the app and deleting it.
zwifts interface is utter garbage, even after they FINALLY updated it. it pushes you to use all of their crap training plans and all their social type events.
their workout builder is horrible.
for some reason their imported structured workouts will always ramp up and ramp down the warmup and cooldown. i dont want it to do that.
zwift will kill the battery on a ios device fairly quickly, and thats understandable as its driving all the graphics.
trainerroad… nothing but good info in your face. and you can somewhat customize what you’re looking at.
still does sorta push you to use their workouts and such but the interface for all that mess isnt nearly as cluttered as zwift.
its more expensive than zwift, but ill happily pay 5 bucks more a month for something that works well and isnt cluttered garbage.
I just want to work out, I dont need a fancy screen distracting me, I need to keep my head down and eyes up. I don’t need the social interaction, its just another distraction. One of the reasons my training partner quit Zwift was she was kept getting messages from random dudes and most of them were not about her riding skills.
Each workout on Trainerroad has a descption of what the workout is, why you are doing it, and what are the benefits of the workout. Additionally, a good portion of the workouts have coaching subtitles along with drill sets.
I rode with Zwift last winter and enjoyed it just fine. I’ve heard that Trainerroad tends to be better for helping cyclists get stronger. My current FTP is around 3.2 w/kg and I will be training for an Ironman next year. I’m a mediocre cyclist. I don’t mind boring, monotonous rides as I can pull something else up to watch on my laptop.
Thoughts or pros/cons for the two platforms?
I just switched to TrainerRoad. I don’t do online races, and don’t have a coach nor the time to actually coach myself, so TrainerRoad is a better fit.
I’m not starting an actual plan until November, instead just training with the TrainNow feature, and it’s awesome.
I never found the avatar on Zwift to be all that entertaining after the first week I was in it. I’d rather listen to Spotify for hard workouts, or watch Netflix on endurance rides.
x2
If all you need is a bar chart, try TrainerDay. Way cheaper than Trainerroad.
Other than that, read this:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/03/cycling-indoor-trainer-app-guide.html
so i signed up for trainer day. if it works like i would like it’s a MUCH cheaper option than trainer road, keeping the functionality i want, and culling out the BS.
i’ll report back here after a few workouts.
still does sorta push you to use their workouts and such but the interface for all that mess isnt nearly as cluttered as zwift.
It does, but that’s not really an issue in my mind. They have so many options in there, if you can’t find a pre-existing TR workout to cover the workout goal you want, it probably isn’t worth doing.
I’ve done both Zwift and TrainerRoad, and prefer TrainerRoad. Zwift and the cartoon universe are amusing, many parts look like Santa Monica, and the hill climbing parts can give an authentic sense of climbing. But generally, if I’m doing indoor training, I’m also watching a movie, cooking show or replay of an Ironman race somewhere, so I don’t need the visuals of Zwift.
TrainerRoad has a workout suggestion algorithm that I don’t use, but if you’re looking to do an FTP test and then let TrainerRoad suggest an entire season’s worth of workouts to help you gradually improve, it appears to be a good function.
so i signed up for trainer day. if it works like i would like it’s a MUCH cheaper option than trainer road, keeping the functionality i want, and culling out the BS.
Nice! One issue I had was that Trainerday was an app confined to mobile devices. Still is, but now you can “broadcast†the app screen to a browser window on your laptop. Solves it for me.
so i signed up for trainer day. if it works like i would like it’s a MUCH cheaper option than trainer road, keeping the functionality i want, and culling out the BS.
Nice! One issue I had was that Trainerday was an app confined to mobile devices. Still is, but now you can “broadcast†the app screen to a browser window on your laptop. Solves it for me.
for my use case the app thing is just fine. i have on older ipad i use at my remote work location then my normal “big†ipad at home. ðŸ‘ðŸ»
I’ve done both Zwift and TrainerRoad, and prefer TrainerRoad. Zwift and the cartoon universe are amusing, many parts look like Santa Monica, and the hill climbing parts can give an authentic sense of climbing. But generally, if I’m doing indoor training, I’m also watching a movie, cooking show or replay of an Ironman race somewhere, so I don’t need the visuals of Zwift.
TrainerRoad has a workout suggestion algorithm that I don’t use, but if you’re looking to do an FTP test and then let TrainerRoad suggest an entire season’s worth of workouts to help you gradually improve, it appears to be a good function.
problem with TR workouts are that their plans will absolutely bury you. the intensity is a lot higher than it should be. when i was using their plans initially i was always wiped out and was not seeing proportionate gains. there just wasn’t enough recovery built in at all.
That seems so be far less of an issue now with their adaptive training approach. When I started up initially with them a couple of months back, I started on a plan for about 3 weeks or so, and aside from one day that I wasn’t feeling great, everything was achievable. If something is too hard then you just tell it in the post ride feedback that it was harder than it should be.
This was on a low volume plan, but putting in additional suggested rides where I could. I’d venture that most people should really be on low volume and then just supplement with low intensity endurance rides.
I cancelled the plan since then, because I really didn’t want to be on a plan just yet. the timing is too early to start for the 2023 season…
Edit, I have a Low Volume Olympic triathlon plan starting in November for a mid July A race. According to intervals.icu, the fatigue peaks at about 49, and the form score doesn’t really dip below -12 or so. That seems pretty doable.
I’ve been on TR for 10 years, Zwift for 4 months. Zwift has won me over. TR has a much better workout library, but I find I want to ride more with Zwift. For me group workouts help me push to the end, and pace partner rides are much better than endurance stuff on TR. TR might get a look in again when they can incorporate third party data for swimming and running. The adaptive training might work as a single sport cyclist, but I’ve found it pretty useless for multisport. The plans also have far too much intensity for the majority of people.
If you can afford both, they complement each other well. Zwift better for off season, TR for a focussed build block towards an A race.
That seems so be far less of an issue now with their adaptive training approach.
The problem is, and I know I’ve said it already in another thread, adaptive training will turn two hard vo2max workouts a week into two half-assed vo2max workouts a week; which makes zero sense to me as you don’t complete a single proper vo2max session but do get the fatigue. Coaches say “make your easy workouts easy and hard workouts hardâ€.
So the plans become more manageable, but far from optimal IMO.
I prefer Trainerroad, although it seems this Trainer day would fit even better, so I’ll probably switch to that (thanks for pointing it out, whoever it was).
My only, little silly, complaint about the Trainer road is that it calculates your speed from the wheel actual speed and since the ergmode works better on small chainring the mileage ridden is less than impressive. I know, doesnt really matter, but I like to see my total mileage and times spend training on a yearly basis and this kind of screws the comparison up.