The Official ZWIFTING Thread

[AngryScientist]

I'd hopefully like to use this thread as a collection of information and keep it rolling through the off-season with experience and stuff.

I've now heard from a number of riders i consider pretty respectable that zwift has changed the way they train in the off-season. typically i lay off the bike in the winter and do the gym cardio thing, but if i could stay engaged this winter with some motivation other than mind numbing boredom, that would be a plus!

[AngryScientist]

so to start:

what is my least expensive option to get going, equipment wise?

i think i would like to acquire a "smart trainer". which one?

will my little chromebook have enough computing power to run the software?

[distanc3]

I'm currently using a 4 year old Macbook Air

- P2M + Garmin Ant+ Dongle + Kurt Kinetic Road Machine.

Things I found useful:
- Cheap phone mount for controlling Zwift via Zwift App (http://blog.trainerroad.com/custom-phone-mount/)
- Garmin Anti+ Dongle: stick with the mini one, it stay plugged in on my laptop, it wont snap off like the USB sticks.
- 1 Dongle per Application (1 for Zwift and if you'd like Trainerroad you'll need a second one). A few people use Zwift for the entertainment factor but prefer the TR programs however Zwift has workouts integrated now.

[shovelhd]

I'm not sure a Chromebook will work but that could just be me. You need a computer that will work with an Ant+ dongle, which usually means drivers. Also you need a fast Internet connection l, and if you want to use a large monitor, a good video adapter or very modern chipset.

My Zwift setup is:

Lenovo Z580 Core i5 laptop. Not super new or powerful.
Garmin Ant+ mini dongle
Belkin 16' powered USB cable to put the dongle next to the bike
HP 28" monitor via HDMI
Tacx Bushido TDF smart trainer
Conductor's stand for the laptop
Cable receiver, DVD player, and separate 19" TV for non-Zwift video
Gemini DJ mixer
MPow Bluetooth earbuds
Yamaha computer speakers for when I'm sick of the earbuds
24" commercial exhaust fan

That's all I can think of at the moment. I use my iPhone logged into Zwift for the ride ons and PM's. In the offseason I use the Felt on the trainer with a dedicated Mavic Aksium trainer wheel and Tacx trainer tire. This keeps the Redline available for road use. The Felt has an SRM which is set up in Zwift as the power reference. However with a Smart trainer you don't need a PM as they have one built in.

I can't recommend a good fan highly enough. It can make the difference between suffering and being miserable. Every trainer setup needs good cooling. Those cheap 20" box fans don't cut it for me unless I'm doing a recovery ride.

I don't do Zwift workouts but I do the group rides and races. The underground races are my favorite, but I haven't ridden the trainer in months so I don't know if they're still around.

The best smart trainer for the buck used to be the Tacx Vortex Smart through overseas retailers but I haven't kept up with pricing. I paid just under $500 for my Bushido TDF from a German retailer.

[marciero]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

...
Also you need a fast Internet connection l, and if you want to use a large monitor, a good video adapter or very modern chipset.
...
.

What is a minimum acceptable Internet speed? Not sure what we have here. Is enough to stream Netflix but maybe not much beyond that.

[kramnnim]

Originally Posted by marciero

What is a minimum acceptable Internet speed? Not sure what we have here. Is enough to stream Netflix but maybe not much beyond that.

1mbps should be fine, unless other family members are eating up the bandwidth while you are trying to ride.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by kramnnim

1mbps should be fine, unless other family members are eating up the bandwidth while you are trying to ride.

I disagree. It's not the bandwidth, it's the latency. That's what causes the drops. You would want to have ping times under 30ms, preferably close to 20ms. That usually means clean broadband at 30mbps or higher.

[R3awak3n]

not sure how much latency really matters in zwift. Sure you don't want 200ms latency but 50 is totally acceptable. We are not talking about a FPS game here. my opinion of course.

that said, I would prob do minimum 50mps internet. I have 200 right now and ping is usually down to 15/20.

[mtb_frk]

I get 20-30 Mb/s uploads and <10Mb/s download, with pings in 30-40ms range and it runs just fine on my iPhone.

[kramnnim]

Plenty of Australians use Zwift, they're like 200ms.

[YesNdeed]

Has anyone tried an off brand ANT stick of any kind, and had good results? Something like this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional...sAAOSwknJXz7-g

If my quick skim of the previous 27 pages missed this inquiry, my apologies for the redundant question.

[Bwana]

Originally Posted by YesNdeed

Has anyone tried an off brand ANT stick of any kind, and had good results? Something like this one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional...sAAOSwknJXz7-g

If my quick skim of the previous 27 pages missed this inquiry, my apologies for the redundant question.

That's the exact one I am using. Works perfectly and I'm not even using an extension.

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by Bwana

That's the exact one I am using. Works perfectly and I'm not even using an extension.

Awesome! Thanks for the reply.

[AngryScientist]

since i started this thread i have barely used zwift! been spending some time at the gym and then the stomach virus from hell. i think right after the new year hits i'm off to zwifting.

i'm actually looking forward to pedaling some miles without having to bundle up for outdoors!

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

since i started this thread i have barely used zwift! been spending some time at the gym and then the stomach virus from hell. i think right after the new year hits i'm off to zwifting.

i'm actually looking forward to pedaling some miles without having to bundle up for outdoors!

I made an earnest effort to try it for the first time yesterday, including subscribing, and realized I'm ill-equipped. I'm looking forward to generating some motivation for it too!