I have Zwift on my laptop connected to my bike's powermeter, and heart rate monitor for the social interaction, immersive environment, mileage and elevation data. I have TrainerRoad on my tablet connected to my bike's powermeter, heart rate sensor and controlling my smart trainer. I do my regular interval workouts on TrainerRoad while in Zwift. Sometimes I do a Zwift race or group ride outside of TrainerRoad but I still import that data to TrainerRoad so it gets figured into the AI FTP detection.
Same as Chris, I use TR and Zwift together, setting my trainer ERG mode to TR while riding in Zwift. My Trainer adjusts to the TR workout vs Zwift but allows me to ride in the immersive Zwift world.
I use wahoo System with zwift.🙃 I end up creating a lot of my System workouts as custom workouts on zwift to stay more engaged on those 2-3.5 hour rides.
I use wahoo System with zwift.🙃 I end up creating a lot of my System workouts as custom workouts on zwift to stay more engaged on those 2-3.5 hour rides.
I’ve had Zwift for a couple years but never finished one of their training plans. They always just seemed full gas and strict with when to do workouts. I just started trainer road and I’m loving how adaptive it has been so far. I still like Zwift for hoping on and doing a route at a leisurely pace without it being boring.
Last time I had a good coach 50 watt increase to ftp as a very "seasoned" cyclist. Trainerroad + zwift is about 25 watts for me. The human interaction of a coach is very motivating.
This was very useful, have been going crazy trying to figure out a practical way to include Zwift racing into a structured plan, since all of them (including the ones in Zwift) don't seem to leave room for them unless you do very high volume training.
I agree it is nice to do your TR workout on Zwift. I do it differently. I just have my phone control my kickr through TR and when on Zwift from another device make it so it doesn’t control the power in the connections set up. That way you don’t have to input all the workouts.
There are workarounds to run your TrainerRoad workout while riding in the Zwift world. Sarah on Everything is Photogenic describes the workaround best.
@@harrisonpetropolis8465 I have done it where I hook up my power meter pedals to Zwift (for cadence only), then have TR control the power on my kickr. I love hearing that you're still getting the rides in man. That definitely takes discipline when you have a family - hats off to you! That's honestly another benefit of these apps..you can train, race and get group rides in and still be at home with the family.
Zwift is way way more fun than TR and more than good enough for non racers. If you're into racing then that's another story. Probably need both unless you know what your doing or have a coach.
IMO Sufferfest (Wahoo System) is the perfect amalgamation on these two. Especially now they have added RGT to the stable for the monthly subscription fee. That said........ It was enough to make me move away from the program when they halted the Training Peaks intergration and went to their own training calendar.
Great information. I was always curious if it was possible to match a workout to a zwift world profile. Will have to try it. I currently use TP and Fascat workouts along with zwift. After seeing all that is available with TR, I just may have to give them a try
Thanks, Steve! Glad it helped. I think TR has a free trial as well which could allow you to try it without paying. Check out some of the comments for this video as well. A lot of people have been able to do the TR workouts in Zwift in other ways than I mentioned in the video. Happy training, my friend!
Great vid. Couple of comments : you can import workouts into Zwift directly by downloading them, in zwo format, and moving them into the correct folder ; somewhere in documents/zwift/.So lots of 3rd party workouts are possible, my favourite at the mo is the Aktivitus ones. Also it's possible to run, on a pc, zwift and trainer road at the same time, but this usually needs an ant+ dongle by all accounts. I haven't tried it. Maybe you could in a future VT. One question, I really liked the bust of the couple in the background. Who are they?
I use TR and Zwift at the same time on the laptop. Run Zwift on BLE and TR on ANT+. TR overlays on top of Zwift pretty much seamlessly. DC Rainmaker has a tutorial on his site how to do this.
I run both on an iPad Air using Bluetooth. Zwift can see the trainer (Wahoo Kickr), but TR controls the resistance. Polar H10 talks to both apps (have to enable this in Polar’s app). I then drag TR in a small window on the left over Zwift. Works awesome.
Done both pretty extensively.. I can honestly say that Zwift is a better choice, however it requires that you put together your own training plan as the out the box ones are junk. That said, TR plans are overkill.. just make your own based on what Dylan Johnson says (look him up).
Just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed, great and enjoyable content. I did notice when you were doing your VO2max workout on Zwift you were using erg mode, are you always in erg mode? Do you ever use slope mode (or maybe Zwift calls it incline mode)? What mode are the races in (most likely not erg bit what do I know)? Currently I don't use any of these platforms (I use Xert =) but I know it is compatible with Zwift as well and now you have my interest piqued. Finally, do you rely on Zwift for power or do you use a power meter (just curious)?
Hi Albert! Thank you for taking time out of your day to watch. I'm glad you enjoy the content! When I do ramp test and intervals workouts, I usually always use ERG mode. But with short intervals (30 secs or less) this can get tricky because it takes a moment for the power to ramp up in that brief duration of time. Zwift races aren't done with ERG mode on. It is simply you pedaling against others, similar to real life. The races are great Vo2 workouts for the most part. They are very challenging at times, especially the shorter ones. I use my kickr core as my power meter when I am riding indoors. You can set this up before you start your ride by connecting via bluetooth or ANT+. I hope this helps!
Love your stuff Calvin. And yeah bro I gave up Zwift when I moved to San Diego last year. Living in Austin now and the weather is a lot colder. However I’m still not going back to Zwift. Just started the TR adaptive training plan and I’m absolutely loving it. Pair that with their Ask a Cycling coach podcast and you’ve got a real scientifically backed program to build a better smarter athlete. Zwift is all fluff. Sometimes that fun for people. I don’t need fluff anymore. I get that with coffee rides and bar hopping via bicycle with friends IRL. So far I will say TrainerRoad is the hands down champ when it comes to productive, no bs, scientifically backed training.
Something new I just learned is that one can open up a training plan within a banded ride on Zwift. For those who don't know, some rides (usually club rides) in Zwift are "banded", a mode that keeps all the riders together, wherein the pace of the group is roughly total watts of group/total mass. Strong riders end up pulling less strong riders along, and nobody gets dropped so long as they are pedaling. Within a banded group ride one can do a workout without shooting off the front or rear of the bunch, and enjoy a sociable ride. At the very least, you may get some thanks for taking some strong pulls as well as getting your workout without others on the ride having to have the same agenda as you..
The training plans from Zwift are not great. If you realy want to gain use TR. If your in to fun and social rides use Zwift. But I only am interessed in gains so TR is for me better. I have 3 friend who uses Zwift. Last year we did the Alpe Duzes. They could not ride the Alpe 'd Huez like me and I am 102 kg with bike. I further think the overall speed and wattage you ride with TR is a better reflection of your real biking outside than Zwift. I see a lot of Zwift result which have rudicules averages and I think more far of reality than TR.
I use TR and it definitely has the best plans and functionality (plus forum and podcast). I'm not into gaming or online racing so Zwift is not for me. Good explanation though, thanks for the video
@@jackiegerwitz-dunn4046 agreed. Zwift if you care about people knowing how fast you are. Trainneroad if you just care about knowing that you are fast.
Great video! You explained it so well. I’m already on Zwift and didn’t know you combine it with TR. And you have me the perfect rationale when I have to explain it to my wife. “But baby, if I had a coach it would cost $2,000 more!” 😅
Haha it's very rare we can tell our partner we are SAVING money when it comes to anything related to cycling. Glad you enjoyed it, man. There is a lot of additional great info in the comment section as well. Happy training!
I’m considering TR, but I don’t want a racing plan, I want an endurance type plan for the Majorca 312, does it facilitate this kind of training, or just racing?
Had my wisdom teeth out recently too. At 30 years old. Man, the first ride, once you get the heart rate up, you’ll feel the blood pumping to those wounds. Ahahaha. Pretty odd feeling. Keep ‘em clean, and heal well!
haha! My first ride back was today man and I felt that EXACT feeling.Took 11 days off before I touched the bike. I almost went stir crazy, but I honestly think that was the best approach.
you done good Calvin! i have trainer road and i can't imagine racing without it, but now u got me thinking about adding zwift just for a mental break :)
Love the review! I also use both, but simultaneously. I run TR on my phone while riding through Watopia on the iPad. Thanks to your review, I will consider jumping on a few Zwift races. I never thought about the psychological edge that could give me leading into some early season races. Awesome stuff. Subscribed!
There is another app that is more like TR, it is Today's Plan. I've been using both Today's Plan and Zwift for 5 years. The Today's plan workouts can be linked to Zwift and appear in Zwift workouts (you don'thave to create them, it is automatic when they are linked). Also, you can have the workouts automatically go to your Garmin headunit. It means you can do your workouts anywhere. Today's Plan tracks your fitness and plan as does TR. Finally, you have the workout on Zwift go to all other apps automatically (Today's Plan, Garmin, Strava) -nice!
I use both… I like the functionality of TR better and often use my TR workout in Zwift… the pure volume of TR’s available workouts make it a default choice… Zwift adds the eye candy to keep me from going stir crazy on the trainer… lol
Great video and sold. Once in a position to focus on training again (surgery upcoming) will definite give trainerroad a go, alongside my already significant use of Zwift. Thank you!
I'm glad I happened to come across this. I have and use both, but I haven't made use of them together as much as you have. I will take your advise and definitely try to integrate them from now on.
I’ve just signed up for trainer road after seeing one of your vids 👍I like structured workouts also I use ROUVY as well use to use Zwift but routes are a bit boring going to use trainer road for a few months to see how it goes
How do you use Zwift and TrainerRoad?
I have Zwift on my laptop connected to my bike's powermeter, and heart rate monitor for the social interaction, immersive environment, mileage and elevation data. I have TrainerRoad on my tablet connected to my bike's powermeter, heart rate sensor and controlling my smart trainer. I do my regular interval workouts on TrainerRoad while in Zwift. Sometimes I do a Zwift race or group ride outside of TrainerRoad but I still import that data to TrainerRoad so it gets figured into the AI FTP detection.
Same as Chris, I use TR and Zwift together, setting my trainer ERG mode to TR while riding in Zwift. My Trainer adjusts to the TR workout vs Zwift but allows me to ride in the immersive Zwift world.
I use wahoo System with zwift.🙃
I end up creating a lot of my System workouts as custom workouts on zwift to stay more engaged on those 2-3.5 hour rides.
I use wahoo System with zwift.🙃
I end up creating a lot of my System workouts as custom workouts on zwift to stay more engaged on those 2-3.5 hour rides.
@@MooreMatt I'm going to check the Wahoo system out soon. I heard the app plays videos as you work out?
I’ve had Zwift for a couple years but never finished one of their training plans. They always just seemed full gas and strict with when to do workouts. I just started trainer road and I’m loving how adaptive it has been so far. I still like Zwift for hoping on and doing a route at a leisurely pace without it being boring.
Agreed. Zwift training plans look like a recipe for burnout.
Last time I had a good coach 50 watt increase to ftp as a very "seasoned" cyclist. Trainerroad + zwift is about 25 watts for me. The human interaction of a coach is very motivating.
I agree, Dominick. The advice a seasoned coach can give is priceless.
Great video. Love the idea of finding a race to match your training plan. Subscribed..... Keep the content coming. Good luck with the channel 👍
Thanks, I appreciate that!
Thanks for being so thorough and evenhanded unfortunately I’ll choose one or the other but do so quite informed
👍🏻
No problem, Mark. At the end of the day, you will be on the bike exercising. So that is a win! Happy training, my friend.
This was very useful, have been going crazy trying to figure out a practical way to include Zwift racing into a structured plan, since all of them (including the ones in Zwift) don't seem to leave room for them unless you do very high volume training.
I'm happy to hear the video helped! Sorry if it was a little long winded :)
@@SeeSmithTVdetails are never long winded.
Nice video. I have both. Just re-create the workouts in Zwift bc its more entertaining but use TR to keep track of progressions.
Thanks, Jack. I agree with that approach. Good luck in your traininig this year!
I download my zwift workouts to todays plan
Great video! Subscribed. Keep up the great content!
Thank you, Nathan. That means a lot!
I agree it is nice to do your TR workout on Zwift. I do it differently. I just have my phone control my kickr through TR and when on Zwift from another device make it so it doesn’t control the power in the connections set up. That way you don’t have to input all the workouts.
I like that. That definitely sounds like a time saver. Especially with how many TR workouts there are. We would be creating them all day lol
Give it a shot hope it works for you, i am pretty much rider A in your scenario just fyi lol 35 dad of 3 boys trying to stay fit
There are workarounds to run your TrainerRoad workout while riding in the Zwift world. Sarah on Everything is Photogenic describes the workaround best.
@@harrisonpetropolis8465 I have done it where I hook up my power meter pedals to Zwift (for cadence only), then have TR control the power on my kickr. I love hearing that you're still getting the rides in man. That definitely takes discipline when you have a family - hats off to you! That's honestly another benefit of these apps..you can train, race and get group rides in and still be at home with the family.
@@treesnbikes Thanks, Phil!
Zwift is way way more fun than TR and more than good enough for non racers. If you're into racing then that's another story. Probably need both unless you know what your doing or have a coach.
IMO Sufferfest (Wahoo System) is the perfect amalgamation on these two. Especially now they have added RGT to the stable for the monthly subscription fee. That said........ It was enough to make me move away from the program when they halted the Training Peaks intergration and went to their own training calendar.
good video❤
Great information. I was always curious if it was possible to match a workout to a zwift world profile. Will have to try it.
I currently use TP and Fascat workouts along with zwift.
After seeing all that is available with TR, I just may have to give them a try
Thanks, Steve! Glad it helped. I think TR has a free trial as well which could allow you to try it without paying. Check out some of the comments for this video as well. A lot of people have been able to do the TR workouts in Zwift in other ways than I mentioned in the video. Happy training, my friend!
Great vid. Couple of comments : you can import workouts into Zwift directly by downloading them, in zwo format, and moving them into the correct folder ; somewhere in documents/zwift/.So lots of 3rd party workouts are possible, my favourite at the mo is the Aktivitus ones. Also it's possible to run, on a pc, zwift and trainer road at the same time, but this usually needs an ant+ dongle by all accounts. I haven't tried it. Maybe you could in a future VT.
One question, I really liked the bust of the couple in the background. Who are they?
I did not know that about the zwo format. Thanks for sharing Vinnie!
Oh and that statue is from the 60's. Made by the universal statuary corp. I'm not sure who the couple is.
I use TR and Zwift at the same time on the laptop. Run Zwift on BLE and TR on ANT+. TR overlays on top of Zwift pretty much seamlessly. DC Rainmaker has a tutorial on his site how to do this.
I run both on an iPad Air using Bluetooth. Zwift can see the trainer (Wahoo Kickr), but TR controls the resistance. Polar H10 talks to both apps (have to enable this in Polar’s app). I then drag TR in a small window on the left over Zwift. Works awesome.
Where do I get that T-shirt
Done both pretty extensively.. I can honestly say that Zwift is a better choice, however it requires that you put together your own training plan as the out the box ones are junk. That said, TR plans are overkill.. just make your own based on what Dylan Johnson says (look him up).
Dylan has some great stuff and he is FAST
Just discovered your channel and immediately subscribed, great and enjoyable content. I did notice when you were doing your VO2max workout on Zwift you were using erg mode, are you always in erg mode? Do you ever use slope mode (or maybe Zwift calls it incline mode)? What mode are the races in (most likely not erg bit what do I know)? Currently I don't use any of these platforms (I use Xert =) but I know it is compatible with Zwift as well and now you have my interest piqued. Finally, do you rely on Zwift for power or do you use a power meter (just curious)?
Hi Albert! Thank you for taking time out of your day to watch. I'm glad you enjoy the content! When I do ramp test and intervals workouts, I usually always use ERG mode. But with short intervals (30 secs or less) this can get tricky because it takes a moment for the power to ramp up in that brief duration of time.
Zwift races aren't done with ERG mode on. It is simply you pedaling against others, similar to real life. The races are great Vo2 workouts for the most part. They are very challenging at times, especially the shorter ones.
I use my kickr core as my power meter when I am riding indoors. You can set this up before you start your ride by connecting via bluetooth or ANT+.
I hope this helps!
Sucks that there isn't an easy way to export a workout from trainerroad to zwift
I know. That would be awesome.
Wahoo RGT offers a lot for free. There is also a 14 day trial without the need to put card details in.
My friend was telling me about it the other day as well. I'm thinking about checking it out. Maybe I'll do a review on it.
@@SeeSmithTV I just started with a road bike before xmas. wahoo seems like the best way forward for me. Already increased my FTP.
@@MTBScotland That's awesome, congrats. Keep putting the work in. I'm sure you are going to see more fitness gains.
Cat B? We can see that your estimates FTP is 300w and your weight is 72.5kg. You should be in Cat A
Hi Kevin. I only race Cat A. I misspoke in the recording and added a note at 14:29 mark
Love your stuff Calvin. And yeah bro I gave up Zwift when I moved to San Diego last year. Living in Austin now and the weather is a lot colder. However I’m still not going back to Zwift. Just started the TR adaptive training plan and I’m absolutely loving it. Pair that with their Ask a Cycling coach podcast and you’ve got a real scientifically backed program to build a better smarter athlete. Zwift is all fluff. Sometimes that fun for people. I don’t need fluff anymore. I get that with coffee rides and bar hopping via bicycle with friends IRL. So far I will say TrainerRoad is the hands down champ when it comes to productive, no bs, scientifically backed training.
Something new I just learned is that one can open up a training plan within a banded ride on Zwift. For those who don't know, some rides (usually club rides) in Zwift are "banded", a mode that keeps all the riders together, wherein the pace of the group is roughly total watts of group/total mass. Strong riders end up pulling less strong riders along, and nobody gets dropped so long as they are pedaling. Within a banded group ride one can do a workout without shooting off the front or rear of the bunch, and enjoy a sociable ride. At the very least, you may get some thanks for taking some strong pulls as well as getting your workout without others on the ride having to have the same agenda as you..
Oh wow! I didn't know you could do that. Thanks for sharing!
The training plans from Zwift are not great. If you realy want to gain use TR. If your in to fun and social rides use Zwift. But I only am interessed in gains so TR is for me better. I have 3 friend who uses Zwift. Last year we did the Alpe Duzes. They could not ride the Alpe 'd Huez like me and I am 102 kg with bike. I further think the overall speed and wattage you ride with TR is a better reflection of your real biking outside than Zwift. I see a lot of Zwift result which have rudicules averages and I think more far of reality than TR.
You can create or import your own workouts
Brilliantly presented 🤙. Fantastic explanation of the two platforms and super rational as to the usage of the two in conjunction ⬆️⬆️⬆️👌
Thanks, Zed. I appreciate that!
I couldn't agree with your conclusion more. They need to merge!
Fingers crossed!
I use TR and it definitely has the best plans and functionality (plus forum and podcast). I'm not into gaming or online racing so Zwift is not for me. Good explanation though, thanks for the video
The trainerroad podcast are a HUGE plus in my opinion. I enjoy them too. Lots of information.
Thanks for this video. I found it useful to learn how you can use both together
I'm glad it was helpful, Craig. Happy training!
zwift if you want to play games. trainerroad if you want to get faster. the end.
Haha pretty much
It's more nuanced than that.
@@jackiegerwitz-dunn4046 agreed.
Zwift if you care about people knowing how fast you are.
Trainneroad if you just care about knowing that you are fast.
Great video! You explained it so well. I’m already on Zwift and didn’t know you combine it with TR. And you have me the perfect rationale when I have to explain it to my wife. “But baby, if I had a coach it would cost $2,000 more!” 😅
Haha it's very rare we can tell our partner we are SAVING money when it comes to anything related to cycling. Glad you enjoyed it, man. There is a lot of additional great info in the comment section as well. Happy training!
You can also import workouts from todays plan etc
I’m considering TR, but I don’t want a racing plan, I want an endurance type plan for the Majorca 312, does it facilitate this kind of training, or just racing?
Yup! They even have a gran fondo training plan.
@@SeeSmithTVthanks very much Calvin.🏴
Racing on zwift!
This is the correct answer.
Great idea! I’m going to try lining up my workout with a race. What I normally do is run free ride in zwift while doing my workout on TR.
It makes it really fun and also helps us practice our race craft while we're at it. Happy training, Ritz!
Had my wisdom teeth out recently too. At 30 years old. Man, the first ride, once you get the heart rate up, you’ll feel the blood pumping to those wounds. Ahahaha. Pretty odd feeling. Keep ‘em clean, and heal well!
haha! My first ride back was today man and I felt that EXACT feeling.Took 11 days off before I touched the bike. I almost went stir crazy, but I honestly think that was the best approach.
you done good Calvin! i have trainer road and i can't imagine racing without it, but now u got me thinking about adding zwift just for a mental break :)
if having both works for your budget, I definitely recommend it. TrainerRoad gets boring (for me) just staring at the bars on the screen haha.
Would love a merger.
Take my money
Love the review! I also use both, but simultaneously. I run TR on my phone while riding through Watopia on the iPad.
Thanks to your review, I will consider jumping on a few Zwift races. I never thought about the psychological edge that could give me leading into some early season races.
Awesome stuff. Subscribed!
Thanks for taking the time to watch and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Good luck this season!
There is another app that is more like TR, it is Today's Plan. I've been using both Today's Plan and Zwift for 5 years. The Today's plan workouts can be linked to Zwift and appear in Zwift workouts (you don'thave to create them, it is automatic when they are linked). Also, you can have the workouts automatically go to your Garmin headunit. It means you can do your workouts anywhere. Today's Plan tracks your fitness and plan as does TR. Finally, you have the workout on Zwift go to all other apps automatically (Today's Plan, Garmin, Strava) -nice!
I hadn't heard of that app, but I'm going to look into it. Thanks, Tim!
It's out of Australia. You can choose plans or you can use a generated program based on your metrics. FTP based zones are always used.
I use both… I like the functionality of TR better and often use my TR workout in Zwift… the pure volume of TR’s available workouts make it a default choice… Zwift adds the eye candy to keep me from going stir crazy on the trainer… lol
Haha same re: eye candy
Hows your mate elgin aye? Is he growing his channel or what?
@@PhiyackYuh 🤣🤣🤣
Strava or Training Peaks
Training Peaks, easily. There's so many data points in that app.
Great content!
Thanks, Kurt! That means a lot!
Great video and sold. Once in a position to focus on training again (surgery upcoming) will definite give trainerroad a go, alongside my already significant use of Zwift. Thank you!
Great vid thx
no problem Jared, you're welcome.
I do free rides, group rides and also have created my own workouts
I'm glad I happened to come across this. I have and use both, but I haven't made use of them together as much as you have. I will take your advise and definitely try to integrate them from now on.
I'm glad it was helpful. Happy Training, Dennis!
Thanks for the video! I appreciate it.
You're welcome, Lenny. Hope it helps. Happy training!
I’ve just signed up for trainer road after seeing one of your vids 👍I like structured workouts also I use ROUVY as well use to use Zwift but routes are a bit boring going to use trainer road for a few months to see how it goes
Nice! I hope you enjoy it. They just came out with a new “Masters” training plan that I’m going to try soon. It looks pretty interesting.
@@SeeSmithTV yeah I saw that 👍
I use MyWhoosh with TrainerRoad. MyWhoosh is free, y'all! Great alternative to paying another $15/m for Zwift
I hadn't heard of MyWhoosh, thanks for mentioning it. Im going to check it out. These virtual worlds look slick from the pictures on their website.