Zwift Starter Set

[jm714]

Before I dive into the deep end of using Zwift, I wanted to make sure I understood what I needed to get started.

I have the following:
A Kurt Kinetic 2.0 trainer
A spare bike for the trainer
A 21 inch iMac (10 years old that isn't being used)
A Wahoo cadence sensor
And a Wahoo speed sensor

Will that work? Or do I need something else to get started?

Thx.

[fmradio516]

I havent done it, but if the mac has bluetooth, then you should be all set.

[kppolich]

Before I dive into the deep end of using Zwift, I wanted to make sure I understood what I needed to get started.

I have the following:
A Kurt Kinetic 2.0 trainer
A spare bike for the trainer
A 21 inch iMac (10 years old that isn't being used)
A Wahoo cadence sensor
And a Wahoo speed sensor

Will that work? Or do I need something else to get started?

Thx.

Looks good. Might want to add a fan to the list.

[RonW87]

Heart rate sensor.

Power/wattage (although there are work-arounds, better to have one. Could be hub, pedal or crank-based).


If computer doesn't have bluetooth, get an ANT+ dongle.

Do you have Apple TV? Will receive bluetooth signals for zwift.

[foo_fighter]

You might want to try this for power:

https://www.kurtkinetic.com/inride

[C40_guy]

50" televison and a good stereo. :)

[makoti]

Power & fans. If you want to get "involved" in Zwift, power is a must. Everything is based off your w/kg.

[jm714]

I have fans and I was looking at the Kurt Inride device for power, but I thought I read somewhere that you could do a fit test off of cadence/speed to help calibrate your power output, but maybe I misunderstood that item.

As much as I would like a 50" TV that isn't going to happen, I have at most space for a 32". However, before I go that route I want to see if I like it enough to go invest in a smart trainer, apple tv and a new tv.

I have one more question. I typically do my rides solo on the road and I admit that my pace is sometimes weak. I used to do more MTB riding, but since I moved 40 min away from trails I don't do much anymore, and I used to think that my fitness came from MTB rides since they were typically more strenuous because of the terrain.

So my question for you Zwift devotees is: does Zwift have an impact on your fitness? Is 60 - 90 minutes on Zwift typically more effective than just hoping on your bike for the same amount of time?

[kramnnim]

The 10 year old iMac might not run the Zwift program very well, if at all.

[fmradio516]

So my question for you Zwift devotees is: does Zwift have an impact on your fitness? Is 60 - 90 minutes on Zwift typically more effective than just hoping on your bike for the same amount of time?

well youll probably lose more water weight :)

[makoti]

So my question for you Zwift devotees is: does Zwift have an impact on your fitness? Is 60 - 90 minutes on Zwift typically more effective than just hoping on your bike for the same amount of time?

well, that's up to you. I think it is, but I do structured stuff so I don't waste my time. For some workouts, I *prefer* Zwift (but not because it's Zwift. Any indoor programs [PerfPro, for example] would likely work).
If you take a few sessions to adjust your weight & bike, you can get your indoor & outdoor speeds/efforts very close. I always ride the steel bike with standard wheels & weight dope myself +5 pounds. With that set up, it's really close to the same.

[kppolich]

well, that's up to you. I think it is, but I do structured stuff so I don't waste my time. For some workouts, I *prefer* Zwift (but not because it's Zwift. Any indoor programs [PerfPro, for example] would likely work).
If you take a few sessions to adjust your weight & bike, you can get your indoor & outdoor speeds/efforts very close. I always ride the steel bike with standard wheels & weight dope myself +5 pounds. With that set up, it's really close to the same.

60-90 minutes on the trainer is like 120+ minutes outside for me. No coasting, no traffic, no stop signs. It makes it possible to get a lot of good work in during a short, uninterrupted amount of time.

[makoti]

60-90 minutes on the trainer is like 120+ minutes outside for me. No coasting, no traffic, no stop signs. It makes it possible to get a lot of good work in during a short, uninterrupted amount of time.

An under rated point. You are ALWAYS working. Even "downhill".

[ElvisMerckx]

After considering a bunch of options, this was the cheapest route for me:


Wahoo Kickr Core
Wahoo HRM
Apple TV (Hooked up to Basement TV)
Old fan I had in back of closet

[MagicHour]

Besides speed issues on 10 yr old Mac - which is it May run with a very low frame rate and look like a slideshow...you may have issues with Legacy Bluetooth and sensors, if that’s the case you can still run your Wahoo sensors as ant+ but you should pickup a usb extension cable and a garmin (or other brand) ant+ dongle from Amazon.

[kohagen]

Zwift has training plans that you can use. There are plans that you can do at your own pace, and there are plans that start on Mondays and keep you on a schedule.There are also individual workouts you can use. Look in the training tab just below the section where you choose which "world" and which route you're going to use that day.

[trener1]

If you really want to get in on a budget you can replace the Kickr Core with a Tacx flow, retail is around $350 and DC rainmaker just gave it a very good review