Set the power estimate (or what its called these days) to 3 seconds - and push hard right before any short ascend. Once you enter it, you can reduce power already, at least by some amount. That way, Zwift uses the median of the last 3 seconds for calculating your power, which lets you ride up those short steep sections at much higher speed. Very useful in the Esses in Watopia, and some points in New York... It is similar to riding in the real world, “punching” up short climbs. Oh, and that cooling fan is definitely number 12. Make it a high-volume one, too.
Ride in kilometers, you gain more experience points per 100km than if you rode that same distance in miles. Also end rides on a whole km/mile so you get all those points.
In addition to riding in km rather than miles if you're looking to level up as fast as possible also ride the TT bike. The TT bike is the fastest in the game so you'll get more km for your work and you also always get XP bonuses when you go under banners and never the Aero Boost, Drafting Boost or Climbing Boost. Also...world hack...Google it. #Richmondsucks
If I ride different types of bikes (in this case, a carbon road bike and an aluminum recumbent trike), do I need to create two separate accounts to keep from commingling the two?
I have a hart condition, and need to regain some fitness. using a smart trainer coupled with swift! will it cope with my very slow workouts? or am i way to slow for swift to be of any use.
Ohhhh, it's a "holographic display". New to Zwift and I was wondering why I was seeing all these people who look like they're reading the newspaper as they ride...
Always finish at .1km further than what Zwift shows you've ridden. I've stopped right at an even number, like 30km, then only been credited for 29.99km. Makes a difference in XP.
my Top zwift hack was getting a fan (the one that blows wind at you, although now that i think of it, maybe some friends cheering you on might be pretty cool too!) In all seriousness though...i rode without a fan during workouts and the amount of sweat pouring off me was clinically dangerous. The fan makes a HUGE difference in keeping you cool allowing me to workout longer and much more enjoyable.
Nick Cup couldn’t agree more. My watts without a fan is dismal. 10mins at my true outdoor FTP max. Add a massive industrial fan and I can put out the same watts as I do during a TT for over an hour. Not sure why this isn’t mentioned more. Sod the little piddling fans, everyone should adopt a massive blower.
I use a small fan, low setting for like warm up and Z1 PLUS a remote controlled 3 speed fan on a pedestal for the efforts and depending on the temp inside.
You can also manually over ride which course you ride by editing the configuration file with a 2 tag. In case you don't like that day's default course.
Halloween was cool last night. Some people had pumpkin heads. I had a cool bat bike, which was the tt bike. Jack-o-lanterns on the side of the road and it was night the whole time too.
Ha ha that totally kills me that Si would have a go at Hank about Sweat! Super cool video. Definitely got to say that getting on Zwift when its completely dark outside in the winter evenings does make riding so much more pleasurable. Definitely recommend the GCN workouts and would love to see some new GCN workouts and challenges on Zwift! Love the video guys!
I'm featured again on GCN! 7:25 So, why aren't the sponsors calling me?! Just because it was a "D" race? Pshaw. I should at least get a pair of socks. 😂
Not sure that you are quite correct on trainer difficulty - You still have to achieve the same wattage to get up a hill or reach a certain speed but it reduces the need to change gear - well that's my understanding anyway. Otherwise everyone would set it to zero before a race...
That's my understanding too. An easier setting makes it like a longer climb at a lower gradient - same total amount of work, but less need for gear changes. In addition, it compensates for situations in which you might not have the gearing on your bike for those 17% climbs.
Once I got on Zwift and something was going on with my Kickr and by even just barely turning over the pedals it said I was producing 2000 watts. I was flying by everyone at 50+ mph. Hilarious. Some sort of bug, I assume. Haven't been able to replicate it again.
@@liaml.7529 look up redbull bay climb NorCal Cycling. He's a US domestic pro and he holds 784 for 1:10 in the first round. Second round holds 810 for 1:10. Do you even follow cycling?
@@jdr4307 Oh, .. you would be surprised at what a console can do... It is more of the servers being able to handle the demand. The graphics is the easy part, .. playstation and Xbox can handle that part very easily. The problem is this, I believe: Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (Xbox) do not think that there would be much of a demand for this type of gaming. Boy, .. are they wrong there, ... biking is an amazing sport globally. But a biking game would at first appear VERY boring to gaming designers as this is far too simplistic a game (in THEIR minds). The gaming designers have not even thought of how this would be a BOOMING industry to be able to race against others by using one's OWN bike rather than a controller. This would be a Battle Royale type of game but rather than guns and grenades, ... one uses a bicycle to beat the opponent, and when to overtake others, etc.
I was at a triathlon where I was competing in a relay. Doing the bike part I was warming up on a trainer waiting for my swimmer to finish. The officials made me wear a helmet on the trainer 😲. If you were talking about the avatar...never mind 😀
No, having a fan should have been Tip 1, not 12. When I started riding Zwift I was nauseas after rides when riding in an unheated garage when it was 25 degrees or colder outside. A few rides later I dehydrated so badly I threw a kidney stone. I was drinking just as much as I do on the road.
As someone who has never done a Zwift session but seriously thinking of giving it a try, this video has been invaluable. Extremely well explained and at a pace that a non-Zwifter can follow. In addition, your method of explaining each step does not give me loads of options which I don't understand. Instead, you show how to choose one of the options so that I can at least make a start. Well done. Thank you.
Hi All, I’ve only been Zwifting for about one and one-half months. Lovely. Simply lovely! I notice that a number Zwifters add content in parentheses to their Zwift name. I think most of that content refers to a Zwift riding Club that person belongs to. But others have what appears to be just fun, personal info like J.Strong (Old Fart 64). Is that ok to do? I want to be a good member of the Zwift community, so don’t want to break any unwritten rules of decorum.
How to get the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels.... cycle up alpe du Zwift... you may get them on your 3rd... 10th or even 30th attempt. I got mine on my 19th summit... kept getting socks and gloves
Here is a new tip: you can turn off the annoying Intro music. You have to log on and enter the game, but then choose settings and the top item allows you to turn on/off the happy time Zwift music (this tip was from Shane Miller - GPLama). Cheers gents. See you next year at the Birmingham Velo...need a live GCN feed!
Thanks for letting us know this! I actually requested this feature in the Zwift Feature Request Forum. Believe it or not, some people actually said they like it (forums.zwift.com/t/intro-music/12704). So I guess they made it optional, but they didn't mention it on the forum.
Is there a way to get an elevation chart along the bottom (or top) of the screen for either the route you're doing, or for the KOM, showing how far along you are? I like how it shows you your ETA at the end of the KOM....I don't like how it only shows you this once you're about 1/2 way through, is there any way to change this? Thanks :)
@@david131092 it's high enough for a "retired" racing cyclist. Think I managed an FTP just over 300W at peak fitness. Now somewhere south of 280W. Quite a bit south.
Tell them about the spiral of death, when you can't keep on top of the watts and it just gets harder and harder !! Set your trainer onto 100% and prepare to suffer.
Trainer difficulty has nothing to do with what GCN or you guys say. It simply changes the affect on gearing. ie, at 0% you don't need to change gears when you hit a steep incline, at 100% you need to knock it back into the 39/28. All that matters is watts, and unless you are putting out more watts, you won't be faster using 0%. So to sum up, 100% difficulty is neither harder or slower than 0%. Unless you run out of gears and can't maintain cadence. That's what the difficulty setting is for, for people who don't have a large enough gear spread.
Can you guys help me understand the limits of Zwift? Hubby is doing rehab after a stroke and has really low power in his legs - but this looks like a great tool to help. How slow/weak is too slow/weak to actually make use out of Zwift? He could probably pedal 5mph for 3 miles. Is it worth trying - does the program have a way that people with limited abilities can join in? Would be great if it did.
the thing about zwift is that i keep seeing it advertised with people setup up like pros with rigs that cost way too much. i'm a casual commuter that loves long distance bikepacking. i need to stay fit by having a good experience while gathering my fittness data accurately without carrying about competitions while at home. how do i know if this is for me or not?
You don’t have to compete - you can just ride and it’s a lot of fun. Obviously if they showed a setup that looked like my old basement rig it wouldn’t merit much views here. Hence these pros and their dream setups. A speed and cadence sensor for your bike is around $100 USD and then a dumb trainer isn’t much more than that and you can use an iPad for your Zwift machine. Try it- I thought like you did but now I’m addicted to it and it has transformed my winter fitness.
Jack and Canon it is not. But their estimations are based on FTP20*0,95 = FTP60, which is likely true for professional athletes. For me (and most people I know) it is closer to 85-92%.
30 points for 1 mile, 20 for 1 km. This isn't proportional, it assumes a mile is 1500m and so favours those who ride in miles, not kms. Seems stupid to me.
You should do the math again. It favours the KM, not the M. when you ride 100 miles, you will have 3000 points. When you ride 160 KM (equal distance, agreed?) you will have 3200 points. 19 points per KM would have been more fair, so they are off by 5%. Not sure if that even really makes the difference...
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using rollers especially when racing, I struggle to find watts above 550 on rollers therefore impossible to sprint finish. Is there anything else I’m missing?
Note: trainer difficulty doesn't change the number of watts needed to climb... Just changes the response of your smart trainer if you have one. So basically I would need to change gears less when at a lower "difficulty" with 0% acting like a "dumb" trainer and 100% having me grinding up some of those steep grades and spinning out on the downhill. So to clarify when Si says it makes the downhills "harder" what he means is you will spin out (run out of gears). This is problematic when racing as you need to be able to power down the descents to keep up (especially if you are a lighter rider)
Do you change gears less when riding actual hills than flats? It depends if you're trying to cancel out what the trainer did to try maintain steady cadence (like you do in the real world), or if you're trying to hit cadence targets. If the first, you'd change gears MORE in 100%, if the latter, you'd change gears less. Either way, yeah, you can control with your gears anyway. Hills only affect speed and in a simulator, speed is just a number.
The way I see this is more that setting your trainer difficulty lower, would in the real world mean having lighter gears. For me, Iiving in a very flat part of the world, it helps me riding up the mountains on Zwift with my lowest gear of 36x25.
@@larsborghouts8360 Most trainers can only simulate about 7% hills anyway. For a 36/28 gear combination, which I might call intermediate, that's 229 watts at 90 rpm for 83kg bike + rider which is probably about the assumption used in the 7% number. Most reasonably young folks should be able to hit that at least for awhile after some time in the sport. For a 34/34 (which is now available in ultegra long cage road) it's 180 watts, and for a 39/25 it's 280 watts, still not enormous. So in other words if you've got a light gearing and you're riding sweet spot at 180watts and 90rpm in a 50/24 gear (2.08 ratio) and you hit a hill the trainer will suddenly get twice more resistive, its ABSOLUTE MAX resistance, and you'll shift to 34/34 (1.06) and you will STILL be doing 180 watts at 90 rpm. Sure if you've got heavier gearing it will force you to higher power or lower cadence, but you could do that anyway by upshifting instead. Bottom line, I don't see any point in having the trainer increase resistance unless I'm already in my 50/11 and still want to go harder at a given cadence. Unless I'm already there I can still increase it myself, and the rest is a head game. However for low cadence intervals in the 50/11 and recovery at high cadence in a 34/32 or so, it could be nice to expand that range with some automatic resistance control.
I may look at changing this, I use an original Kickr with an 11-30T 11 speed cassette. I was going up a 13% gradient earlier at 90rpm doing around 4.5W/kg and wasn't even in 1st gear! Would making this towards the "max" setting mean It'd be more like riding up a 13% gradient (ie I'd be in 1st gear for sure!!). Cheers.
@@rossfripp4503 it would do that. Of course if you want a lower cadence to feel like you're on a hill (and to get low cadence high force workouts) you can also just shift into a harder (not easier) gear. In the end there are only two things that matter: Power, and cadence. Likewise if you want to spin out on the downhills, you can just shift into an easy gear and spin away.
Missing tip: you aren’t limited to riding on one of the three ‘available’ worlds! Create a Meet Up ... even if with a random Zwifter on your following list who you know won’t / can’t come ... and you can choose ANY world! Also ... during a meet-up you can also choose to do a Structured Workout
the best tip for zwift is that trainerroad is dedicated to making you a faster cyclist, better plans than zwift and calendar is so good. trainers are boring either way. might as well maximize your time and get a good workout.
@@gregoberry3976 yeah, I tried both and zwift was fun for a day or two. can see it would be fun if you have friends on there. but i found it wasn't really very focused on much so I migrated to the training plans. and trainerroad works out better there. also I don't want to spent up to 12 hours a week in the zwift world. I'd rather be reading/watching TV shows I like etc while on the trainer. all of which are much more interesting than Zwift. Zwift is cool but I prefer the basic and comprehensive plans offered by trainerroad and the ability to sequence them and other workouts in calendar.
Keith Ratcliff I hear you. Any visual distraction reduces the boredom. For me, riding with others provides a measure of pacing and gets my competitive juices flowing, resulting in a harder effort, when I want to give a hard effort, such as a race, FTP test or HIIT intervals.
@@gregoberry3976 yup I get ya, definitely noticed I sped up when someone overtook me in Zwift! Then again, trainerroad (or zwift training plans) force you to hold power targets too. I suppose these softwares are in early days so all will improve with time. I just hope that the market is big enough to sustain a few different options for consumers. Zwift definitely have the marketing nailed with GCN and I don't want them to take all the market share! Keen to see how the VR stuff develops though. and it'd be nice to see other options discussed on GCN goldencheetah/perfpro/sufferfest etc etc
Zwift isn’t interested in your speed as you report, they figure it out. Power is it. I guess speed is easy to modify, that’s why. I use power, cadence, and HR. All recorded. No matter the grade, unless training specific, I watch and limit HR but power responds faster, so I may be going just 4 mph at 11% grade according to Zwift, but putting out same wattage as going 20 mph on flats.
Semi new, thanks for sharing some good stuff. Any idea how or why the ride stops when your cadence or HR sensors unpairs during a ride and you go to sensors to reconnect? It’s terribly discouraging when you lose 200 spots for the 4 secs it takes to re-pair.
Is it bad that I'd want to turn this into a Road Rash style game where you could kick other riders, hit them with bats, chains, and sticks crow bars into other riders wheels lol
I use a dumb trainer with a PM. When racing especially on new courses its very difficult to realise you’re going uphill till too late!! Is there a more obvious way of displaying gradient??
I'm in hawaii. You know... sometimes it rains, even in paradise. And when the trade winds are gusting to 45mph, playing in traffic is just dumb. Been looking into a trainer setup to run zwift or other to replace my dumb spin bike, which I use when the weather is just too screwy or I get off work too late during the week to ride before the sun sets.
Matt, I am a recreational rider who suffers from OFS (Old, Fat and Slow) Syndrome, so I wanted an indoor option but was not interested in spending thousands...I think there are plenty of budget options for putting together a setup. The trainer setup in my garage cost about $300, not including the $200 Walmart bike that I have sitting in it.
@@danielshrage4990 Yes, unfortunately now everyone wants one they're all out of stock, so all the used ones on ebay are fetching over new retail price!
Hey Matt I have a spin bike I bought off eBay , I use training videos that are on UA-cam use your phone or iPad or your tv if you can get internet on it, you adjust the power manually in effort from 1to 6 I think , 1 being the easiest and 6 your maximum, don’t need dongles and things just follow them from the spin bike. Good training and cost much less. 👍
That was quite bizarre! so my fitness ride of about net 75m rise (also descent) maybe 15km total, (local cricketer aimed ball at my head) DIDN'T HAPPEN COS IT WASN'T ON STRAVA! My daughter just caught me watching on my computer screen y'all pretending to ride through New York whilst watching a computer screen, WHO NEEDS A REALITY CHECK?
GCN Team, can you put some pressure so that Zwift enables sync from Zwift to Google Fit & Apple Health? It's unreal they block this. Zwift also blocks the sync coming from other apps, such as Strava or Google. For example, I sync my Zwift activities to Garmin Connect, and then I have an app (Health Sync) that syncs to Google Fit. Every normal activity done with my bike gets synced, excel the Zwift activities. The developer of the app Health Sync reached out to Zwift several times, but they have not fixed this yet.
GUys can you help me I use dual power meters faveros yet zwift only picks up one side so power is halfed a real pain any idea how to get around this thanks guys
Hi, GCN! I asked the Zwift support about "sprints" that occur in for example group rides. They didnt answer my question properly so now I turn to you for helping out with this. How can I know where a sprint begins and where it ends. I know theres a green panel on the left about sprint leaderboards and Ive been told that on the mini map you should look for some green lines or arcs. I´m confused. Kind regards Pär
One thing I picked up on, if your not using a smart trainer, then I found that I need to shift up on hills to make any progress. Otherwise, just sitting and spinning for an hour to move 1k.
Hi Can you buy Zwift outright, like you would a game, and simply log into the online interaction when you choose to use it? This tethering via monthly billing seems to be becoming too commonplace in our society. I don't need more direct debits, I need less. God bless
I wish is was cheaper to access!! Power meters are SOOO expensive, or you have to buy special equipment, also expensive, and speed and cadence sensors are useless grrrrr. Technology needs to advance to make this more accessible.
With the kudos I received, I responded with star icon, next to the kudos. what does it mean? Is this the only option to respond to kudos after the ride. Please explain, 😊 I’m not ignoring the thumbs up, I just don’t know how to respond after the ride. Thank you 😊
1:39 what is that keyboard he is using? Also, I am using a pc (not a laptop) with the Wahoo USB ANT+ Kit. Can we still use the companion app? It says you have to be on same wifi but my pc is hard wired. Any solution for this?
What's your top Zwift hack? (Don't lie about your weight 😂) 👇
Set the power estimate (or what its called these days) to 3 seconds - and push hard right before any short ascend. Once you enter it, you can reduce power already, at least by some amount.
That way, Zwift uses the median of the last 3 seconds for calculating your power, which lets you ride up those short steep sections at much higher speed.
Very useful in the Esses in Watopia, and some points in New York...
It is similar to riding in the real world, “punching” up short climbs.
Oh, and that cooling fan is definitely number 12. Make it a high-volume one, too.
Ride in kilometers, you gain more experience points per 100km than if you rode that same distance in miles. Also end rides on a whole km/mile so you get all those points.
@@jonathanzappala do all your rides in workout mode (you can just select a free ride one) and you get a over 10 points a minute, which is even better
In addition to riding in km rather than miles if you're looking to level up as fast as possible also ride the TT bike. The TT bike is the fastest in the game so you'll get more km for your work and you also always get XP bonuses when you go under banners and never the Aero Boost, Drafting Boost or Climbing Boost.
Also...world hack...Google it. #Richmondsucks
Daniel Hughes I’ll have to start doing that!
I feel like that sound bite from 4:06-4:09 could be used in some interesting ways...
Good lord hahahaha
I would like a swift kit for geezers (65+ riders)
If I ride different types of bikes (in this case, a carbon road bike and an aluminum recumbent trike), do I need to create two separate accounts to keep from commingling the two?
I have a hart condition, and need to regain some fitness. using a smart trainer coupled with swift! will it cope with my very slow workouts? or am i way to slow for swift to be of any use.
What about using the zwift hacks app
Zwift need to add the calendar to the companion app
Use this... zwiftinsider.com/schedule/
Ohhhh, it's a "holographic display". New to Zwift and I was wondering why I was seeing all these people who look like they're reading the newspaper as they ride...
Always finish at .1km further than what Zwift shows you've ridden. I've stopped right at an even number, like 30km, then only been credited for 29.99km. Makes a difference in XP.
my Top zwift hack was getting a fan (the one that blows wind at you, although now that i think of it, maybe some friends cheering you on might be pretty cool too!) In all seriousness though...i rode without a fan during workouts and the amount of sweat pouring off me was clinically dangerous. The fan makes a HUGE difference in keeping you cool allowing me to workout longer and much more enjoyable.
It certainly does!
Nick Cup couldn’t agree more. My watts without a fan is dismal. 10mins at my true outdoor FTP max. Add a massive industrial fan and I can put out the same watts as I do during a TT for over an hour. Not sure why this isn’t mentioned more. Sod the little piddling fans, everyone should adopt a massive blower.
I use a small fan, low setting for like warm up and Z1 PLUS a remote controlled 3 speed fan on a pedestal for the efforts and depending on the temp inside.
And this was a revelation. A fan. 🙄
Definitely 👍
Apparently, Simon has the same problem I have: the jersey becomes a crop top when standing (0:14).
My tip: Race suits.
yas96225 🤣🤣🤣🤣👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
You don’t need a race suit unless you’re racing!! Outside! Ridiculous.
You can also manually over ride which course you ride by editing the configuration file with a 2 tag. In case you don't like that day's default course.
Or you can change the date on your lap top in settings to the date that suits to load a different world if you aren't wanting to change configuration
@@russellkelly8980 U just hacked the hacker mate. GJ
Halloween was cool last night. Some people had pumpkin heads. I had a cool bat bike, which was the tt bike. Jack-o-lanterns on the side of the road and it was night the whole time too.
Jonathan Zappala they do something for April fools day as well.
Once I saw your espresso setup I wasn't able to concentrate on anything else anymore....
4:05 love the look Si gave after shifting the gears =)
Ha ha that totally kills me that Si would have a go at Hank about Sweat! Super cool video. Definitely got to say that getting on Zwift when its completely dark outside in the winter evenings does make riding so much more pleasurable. Definitely recommend the GCN workouts and would love to see some new GCN workouts and challenges on Zwift! Love the video guys!
If you participate in a race does that automatically put all racers on the same "Trainer Difficulty" setting?
I'm featured again on GCN! 7:25 So, why aren't the sponsors calling me?! Just because it was a "D" race? Pshaw. I should at least get a pair of socks. 😂
Not sure that you are quite correct on trainer difficulty - You still have to achieve the same wattage to get up a hill or reach a certain speed but it reduces the need to change gear - well that's my understanding anyway. Otherwise everyone would set it to zero before a race...
That's my understanding too. An easier setting makes it like a longer climb at a lower gradient - same total amount of work, but less need for gear changes. In addition, it compensates for situations in which you might not have the gearing on your bike for those 17% climbs.
Agreed
Once I got on Zwift and something was going on with my Kickr and by even just barely turning over the pedals it said I was producing 2000 watts. I was flying by everyone at 50+ mph. Hilarious. Some sort of bug, I assume. Haven't been able to replicate it again.
That's because of your first name
4:28 - he is warming up to 335w and ten rides 30 second intervals at 720w? How is that even possible?
Lars Pros can hold 700-800 watts for a minute.
@@Jebusjoose false
@@liaml.7529 look up redbull bay climb NorCal Cycling. He's a US domestic pro and he holds 784 for 1:10 in the first round. Second round holds 810 for 1:10. Do you even follow cycling?
@@Jebusjoose fuck off m8 do you even race, it's easy to hold 800 watts for a minute if that's all your doing it's a different story in an actual race.
@Inthegarden 123 fuck off go back to the garden you ass clown
why doesn't Zwift pair up with Xbox or PlayStation and then get a zillion more units sold? This would be soooo cool
Thats actually pretty cool idea but I dont think consoles cant handle it
@@jdr4307 Oh, .. you would be surprised at what a console can do... It is more of the servers being able to handle the demand. The graphics is the easy part, .. playstation and Xbox can handle that part very easily. The problem is this, I believe: Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (Xbox) do not think that there would be much of a demand for this type of gaming. Boy, .. are they wrong there, ... biking is an amazing sport globally. But a biking game would at first appear VERY boring to gaming designers as this is far too simplistic a game (in THEIR minds). The gaming designers have not even thought of how this would be a BOOMING industry to be able to race against others by using one's OWN bike rather than a controller. This would be a Battle Royale type of game but rather than guns and grenades, ... one uses a bicycle to beat the opponent, and when to overtake others, etc.
@@davidokanagan3368 dont worry dude I play fortnite :) I know about xbox and ps4. I was thinking about connecting devices to it
@@davidokanagan3368 but I would really like to see this
Start a petition
Si, wash your hands! Still got some grease under your fingernails ;-)
Why do people wear a helmet in Zwift?
Looks probably. Some of the helmets are cool but my digital haircut is just too suave to cover.
safety ;)
@Myron McCasland I think he means why do people put lids on their avatars
Myron McCasland yeah, that’s just weird
I was at a triathlon where I was competing in a relay. Doing the bike part I was warming up on a trainer waiting for my swimmer to finish. The officials made me wear a helmet on the trainer 😲. If you were talking about the avatar...never mind 😀
Just make sure to properly clean the bike when finished. That sweat can be more corrosive than you think!
3 bottom brackets later....
@@hardleesoft5919 Yep, it's the nasty business nobody talks about but mechanics have to fix.
Get a fan with massive CFM... problem sloved!
No, having a fan should have been Tip 1, not 12. When I started riding Zwift I was nauseas after rides when riding in an unheated garage when it was 25 degrees or colder outside. A few rides later I dehydrated so badly I threw a kidney stone. I was drinking just as much as I do on the road.
As someone who has never done a Zwift session but seriously thinking of giving it a try, this video has been invaluable. Extremely well explained and at a pace that a non-Zwifter can follow. In addition, your method of explaining each step does not give me loads of options which I don't understand. Instead, you show how to choose one of the options so that I can at least make a start. Well done. Thank you.
Hi All, I’ve only been Zwifting for about one and one-half months. Lovely. Simply lovely! I notice that a number Zwifters add content in parentheses to their Zwift name. I think most of that content refers to a Zwift riding Club that person belongs to. But others have what appears to be just fun, personal info like J.Strong (Old Fart 64). Is that ok to do? I want to be a good member of the Zwift community, so don’t want to break any unwritten rules of decorum.
How to get the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels.... cycle up alpe du Zwift... you may get them on your 3rd... 10th or even 30th attempt.
I got mine on my 19th summit... kept getting socks and gloves
ahh zwift... the only place where 100 watts equals 25mph
Total crap of software.
downhills?
I have to put out about 275 watts for 25 mph on Zwift. But really, who cares? As long as you are training and having fun, it’s beneficial.
Speed is relative anyway. Riding to power wins every time so speed means nothing
Yeah and meanwhile you're still getting crushed by other riders. 🤔
Here is a new tip: you can turn off the annoying Intro music. You have to log on and enter the game, but then choose settings and the top item allows you to turn on/off the happy time Zwift music (this tip was from Shane Miller - GPLama). Cheers gents. See you next year at the Birmingham Velo...need a live GCN feed!
Thanks for letting us know this! I actually requested this feature in the Zwift Feature Request Forum. Believe it or not, some people actually said they like it (forums.zwift.com/t/intro-music/12704). So I guess they made it optional, but they didn't mention it on the forum.
"XP points"
experience points points
eXPerience points
It’s like a BFF Forever
As a newbie I found that really useful thanks
Is there a way to get an elevation chart along the bottom (or top) of the screen for either the route you're doing, or for the KOM, showing how far along you are? I like how it shows you your ETA at the end of the KOM....I don't like how it only shows you this once you're about 1/2 way through, is there any way to change this? Thanks :)
Simon has an FTP of 350W. Godtheactualdammit
I guess it's Simon's account as the avatar has his name! ;-)
Ah, that's only about 100W more than me.
@@dariohug6669 That's even worse. James probably has a higher FTP.
werdsmyth is that high?
@@david131092 it's high enough for a "retired" racing cyclist. Think I managed an FTP just over 300W at peak fitness. Now somewhere south of 280W. Quite a bit south.
Tell them about the spiral of death, when you can't keep on top of the watts and it just gets harder and harder !! Set your trainer onto 100% and prepare to suffer.
Stephen Cowman 100% is the way to go.
Getting a smart trainer doesn’t seem so smart now!
100% on the Trainer Difficulty is closest to what actual road cycling effort feels like, so get real people, happy Zwifting.
Trainer difficulty has nothing to do with what GCN or you guys say.
It simply changes the affect on gearing. ie, at 0% you don't need to change gears when you hit a steep incline, at 100% you need to knock it back into the 39/28.
All that matters is watts, and unless you are putting out more watts, you won't be faster using 0%.
So to sum up, 100% difficulty is neither harder or slower than 0%. Unless you run out of gears and can't maintain cadence. That's what the difficulty setting is for, for people who don't have a large enough gear spread.
A rather dry comedic review to get me interested in this thing . . . loved it !!
4:06 with eyes closed
How does the avantar make turns? Are there sensors on the handlebar? Is there gravel bike races on Swift? How about mountain bike?
Can you guys help me understand the limits of Zwift? Hubby is doing rehab after a stroke and has really low power in his legs - but this looks like a great tool to help. How slow/weak is too slow/weak to actually make use out of Zwift? He could probably pedal 5mph for 3 miles. Is it worth trying - does the program have a way that people with limited abilities can join in? Would be great if it did.
the thing about zwift is that i keep seeing it advertised with people setup up like pros with rigs that cost way too much.
i'm a casual commuter that loves long distance bikepacking. i need to stay fit by having a good experience while gathering my fittness data accurately without carrying about competitions while at home. how do i know if this is for me or not?
You don’t have to compete - you can just ride and it’s a lot of fun. Obviously if they showed a setup that looked like my old basement rig it wouldn’t merit much views here. Hence these pros and their dream setups. A speed and cadence sensor for your bike is around $100 USD and then a dumb trainer isn’t much more than that and you can use an iPad for your Zwift machine. Try it- I thought like you did but now I’m addicted to it and it has transformed my winter fitness.
"Accurate estimation" - Not sure if that's an oxymoron
Jack and Canon it is not. But their estimations are based on FTP20*0,95 = FTP60, which is likely true for professional athletes. For me (and most people I know) it is closer to 85-92%.
30 points for 1 mile, 20 for 1 km. This isn't proportional, it assumes a mile is 1500m and so favours those who ride in miles, not kms. Seems stupid to me.
You should do the math again. It favours the KM, not the M. when you ride 100 miles, you will have 3000 points. When you ride 160 KM (equal distance, agreed?) you will have 3200 points. 19 points per KM would have been more fair, so they are off by 5%. Not sure if that even really makes the difference...
Really miss Matt and Daniel.
Yeah
Yepp. I almost completely stopped watching this show now :/
Matt is sort of back :D ua-cam.com/video/T9InzRc3Tz8/v-deo.html&list=LLBBl3D2R0X99gGYLmIraj2g
Matt have become head of the new bicycle team Top-Bonk ua-cam.com/video/xdtennf9KgY/v-deo.html :D
When is Zwift going to add F1 Grand Prix circuits?
Haha in asset to corsa someone made a mod about that :)
"Zwift will give you an accurate estimation".... right 😂.... so when were estimates accurate?
How do give multiple thumbs up to people around, at the same time? Is the one key to press?
Using the companion app, click on your position arrow and it ride-on bombs the nearest 5 riders to you
ah - Simon's grin at 04:09
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using rollers especially when racing, I struggle to find watts above 550 on rollers therefore impossible to sprint finish. Is there anything else I’m missing?
When I cycle I’m not even going fast but I says im going 2000w
Based on my understanding, a heart rate monitor is required for Zwift racing.
When using a dumb trainer I find that quite often when I get to s climb my avatar will just stop. Why is this and what am I doing wrong? Cheers.
Note: trainer difficulty doesn't change the number of watts needed to climb... Just changes the response of your smart trainer if you have one. So basically I would need to change gears less when at a lower "difficulty" with 0% acting like a "dumb" trainer and 100% having me grinding up some of those steep grades and spinning out on the downhill. So to clarify when Si says it makes the downhills "harder" what he means is you will spin out (run out of gears). This is problematic when racing as you need to be able to power down the descents to keep up (especially if you are a lighter rider)
Do you change gears less when riding actual hills than flats? It depends if you're trying to cancel out what the trainer did to try maintain steady cadence (like you do in the real world), or if you're trying to hit cadence targets. If the first, you'd change gears MORE in 100%, if the latter, you'd change gears less. Either way, yeah, you can control with your gears anyway. Hills only affect speed and in a simulator, speed is just a number.
The way I see this is more that setting your trainer difficulty lower, would in the real world mean having lighter gears. For me,
Iiving in a very flat part of the world, it helps me riding up the mountains on Zwift with my lowest gear of 36x25.
@@larsborghouts8360 Most trainers can only simulate about 7% hills anyway. For a 36/28 gear combination, which I might call intermediate, that's 229 watts at 90 rpm for 83kg bike + rider which is probably about the assumption used in the 7% number. Most reasonably young folks should be able to hit that at least for awhile after some time in the sport. For a 34/34 (which is now available in ultegra long cage road) it's 180 watts, and for a 39/25 it's 280 watts, still not enormous.
So in other words if you've got a light gearing and you're riding sweet spot at 180watts and 90rpm in a 50/24 gear (2.08 ratio) and you hit a hill the trainer will suddenly get twice more resistive, its ABSOLUTE MAX resistance, and you'll shift to 34/34 (1.06) and you will STILL be doing 180 watts at 90 rpm. Sure if you've got heavier gearing it will force you to higher power or lower cadence, but you could do that anyway by upshifting instead.
Bottom line, I don't see any point in having the trainer increase resistance unless I'm already in my 50/11 and still want to go harder at a given cadence. Unless I'm already there I can still increase it myself, and the rest is a head game. However for low cadence intervals in the 50/11 and recovery at high cadence in a 34/32 or so, it could be nice to expand that range with some automatic resistance control.
I may look at changing this, I use an original Kickr with an 11-30T 11 speed cassette. I was going up a 13% gradient earlier at 90rpm doing around 4.5W/kg and wasn't even in 1st gear! Would making this towards the "max" setting mean It'd be more like riding up a 13% gradient (ie I'd be in 1st gear for sure!!). Cheers.
@@rossfripp4503 it would do that. Of course if you want a lower cadence to feel like you're on a hill (and to get low cadence high force workouts) you can also just shift into a harder (not easier) gear. In the end there are only two things that matter: Power, and cadence. Likewise if you want to spin out on the downhills, you can just shift into an easy gear and spin away.
how do i know when I've completed a lap
Missing tip: you aren’t limited to riding on one of the three ‘available’ worlds! Create a Meet Up ... even if with a random Zwifter on your following list who you know won’t / can’t come ... and you can choose ANY world!
Also ... during a meet-up you can also choose to do a Structured Workout
why i dont see that trainer difficulty in my settings?
In real life, I spent 8 days climb the height of Mt Everest and using the time after work before sunset.
ı am so curıous people cheat by readjusting resistance? lıke removing a few magnets? possible?
the best tip for zwift is that trainerroad is dedicated to making you a faster cyclist, better plans than zwift and calendar is so good. trainers are boring either way. might as well maximize your time and get a good workout.
Keith Ratcliff training in a virtual reality with other riders is a helluva lot less boring than riding a trainer with either no video or just data...
@@gregoberry3976 yeah, I tried both and zwift was fun for a day or two. can see it would be fun if you have friends on there. but i found it wasn't really very focused on much so I migrated to the training plans. and trainerroad works out better there. also I don't want to spent up to 12 hours a week in the zwift world. I'd rather be reading/watching TV shows I like etc while on the trainer. all of which are much more interesting than Zwift. Zwift is cool but I prefer the basic and comprehensive plans offered by trainerroad and the ability to sequence them and other workouts in calendar.
Keith Ratcliff I hear you. Any visual distraction reduces the boredom. For me, riding with others provides a measure of pacing and gets my competitive juices flowing, resulting in a harder effort, when I want to give a hard effort, such as a race, FTP test or HIIT intervals.
@@gregoberry3976 yup I get ya, definitely noticed I sped up when someone overtook me in Zwift! Then again, trainerroad (or zwift training plans) force you to hold power targets too. I suppose these softwares are in early days so all will improve with time. I just hope that the market is big enough to sustain a few different options for consumers. Zwift definitely have the marketing nailed with GCN and I don't want them to take all the market share! Keen to see how the VR stuff develops though. and it'd be nice to see other options discussed on GCN goldencheetah/perfpro/sufferfest etc etc
Is hank, hank? Or is hank james.
Im so confused. People occasionally call him james often.
What's your top Zwift hack? (Don't lie about your weight 😂) 👇
Anyone interested in joining a 12H / 24H zwift race? Ultra riders? check it out at stayrelentless.com Ride is june 6th!
Zwift isn’t interested in your speed as you report, they figure it out. Power is it. I guess speed is easy to modify, that’s why. I use power, cadence, and HR. All recorded. No matter the grade, unless training specific, I watch and limit HR but power responds faster, so I may be going just 4 mph at 11% grade according to Zwift, but putting out same wattage as going 20 mph on flats.
Semi new, thanks for sharing some good stuff. Any idea how or why the ride stops when your cadence or HR sensors unpairs during a ride and you go to sensors to reconnect? It’s terribly discouraging when you lose 200 spots for the 4 secs it takes to re-pair.
I'm just using my cell phone to run zwift...how do I run the companion app too?
Is it bad that I'd want to turn this into a Road Rash style game where you could kick other riders, hit them with bats, chains, and sticks crow bars into other riders wheels lol
can i ride on zwift with a spin bike??
I use a dumb trainer with a PM. When racing especially on new courses its very difficult to realise you’re going uphill till too late!! Is there a more obvious way of displaying gradient??
Yes Jon. watch the map in top right corner of screen. you can see incline coming up
GAH! 'warming up' at over 250 watts. It sucks to be me
3:40 "An accurate estimation". Love it ! :-p
does the zwift simulates the REAL WEATHER?
the swift workouts are rubbish. There is no science behind them.
just hook all this indoor bikers to a generator and solve the global energy crisis
Super regretting my Peloton purchase.
Halo 2 headband and plenty of fans.
Three people in our household ,can you have saved info for each rider as all different abilities ???
With three separate paid for accounts 😩
Guys thank you for explanation
Warm Up at 335W .. all righty then.
4:08 ohhhohohhh Simon... later under the shower...
Why doesn't my athlete in Zwift make sharp turns like other competitors in a competition or training and groups in Zwift?
Watching in Jan 2021... spoiled by UA-cam adverts every minute,
I live in the Mediterranian so I don’t need Swift, I just go outside.
I'm in hawaii.
You know... sometimes it rains, even in paradise.
And when the trade winds are gusting to 45mph, playing in traffic is just dumb.
Been looking into a trainer setup to run zwift or other to replace my dumb spin bike, which I use when the weather is just too screwy or I get off work too late during the week to ride before the sun sets.
Wow, you're so cool!
me too, still use swift for long rides when it's dark out or during work (remote ftw). also great for structured training
At 2.00 a small orange "tick" symbol in the right hand bar besides S.Richardsson name. What is this symbol mean?
Oh, jeeze, I was born too damn early! 🤨😐 There is so much neat stuff for you young punks 🤣😳👍👏
Never to late to get into Zwift 🙌
Would love to give this a go, shame all the gear costs about 5x what my bike did.
Matt, I am a recreational rider who suffers from OFS (Old, Fat and Slow) Syndrome, so I wanted an indoor option but was not interested in spending thousands...I think there are plenty of budget options for putting together a setup. The trainer setup in my garage cost about $300, not including the $200 Walmart bike that I have sitting in it.
@@danielshrage4990 Yes, unfortunately now everyone wants one they're all out of stock, so all the used ones on ebay are fetching over new retail price!
Hey Matt I have a spin bike I bought off eBay , I use training videos that are on UA-cam use your phone or iPad or your tv if you can get internet on it, you adjust the power manually in effort from 1to 6 I think , 1 being the easiest and 6 your maximum, don’t need dongles and things just follow them from the spin bike. Good training and cost much less. 👍
I got an old turbo trainer, a crank powermeter and a fan for 350€
That was quite bizarre! so my fitness ride of about net 75m rise (also descent) maybe 15km total, (local cricketer aimed ball at my head) DIDN'T HAPPEN COS IT WASN'T ON STRAVA! My daughter just caught me watching on my computer screen y'all pretending to ride through New York whilst watching a computer screen, WHO NEEDS A REALITY CHECK?
GCN Team, can you put some pressure so that Zwift enables sync from Zwift to Google Fit & Apple Health? It's unreal they block this. Zwift also blocks the sync coming from other apps, such as Strava or Google.
For example, I sync my Zwift activities to Garmin Connect, and then I have an app (Health Sync) that syncs to Google Fit. Every normal activity done with my bike gets synced, excel the Zwift activities. The developer of the app Health Sync reached out to Zwift several times, but they have not fixed this yet.
My Zwift view looks nothing like yours. Your image quality is 10x better than mine. WTH?
GUys can you help me I use dual power meters faveros yet zwift only picks up one side so power is halfed a real pain any idea how to get around this thanks guys
How to start a Ramp Test?
Hi, GCN! I asked the Zwift support about "sprints" that occur in for example group rides. They didnt answer my question properly so now I turn to you for helping out with this. How can I know where a sprint begins and where it ends. I know theres a green panel on the left about sprint leaderboards and Ive been told that on the mini map you should look for some green lines or arcs. I´m confused.
Kind regards
Pär
One thing I picked up on, if your not using a smart trainer, then I found that I need to shift up on hills to make any progress. Otherwise, just sitting and spinning for an hour to move 1k.
I ride a Challenge Fujin SL2 recumbent low racer. Can Zwift replicate the aerodynamics of this bike?
Hi
Can you buy Zwift outright, like you would a game,
and simply log into the online interaction when you choose to use it?
This tethering via monthly billing seems to be becoming too commonplace in our society.
I don't need more direct debits, I need less.
God bless
Simón, why are your Zwift workout segments request for a very high cadence? They're really tough
I wish is was cheaper to access!! Power meters are SOOO expensive, or you have to buy special equipment, also expensive, and speed and cadence sensors are useless grrrrr. Technology needs to advance to make this more accessible.
What is trick to riding faster on hills? Higher cadence? Higher watts?
Pro Tip: If you are going to take a closeup shot of your finger with a camera, make sure your nails are cut or at least CLEAN!!!!!
Cyclists don't have clean fingernails.
With the kudos I received, I responded with star icon, next to the kudos. what does it mean? Is this the only option to respond to kudos after the ride. Please explain, 😊 I’m not ignoring the thumbs up, I just don’t know how to respond after the ride. Thank you 😊
1:39 what is that keyboard he is using? Also, I am using a pc (not a laptop) with the Wahoo USB ANT+ Kit. Can we still use the companion app? It says you have to be on same wifi but my pc is hard wired. Any solution for this?