Best advice for Zwift newcomer?

Brendan Quirk · #1 01-12-2019, 02:09 PM

I've finally made the plunge into the world of Zwift.

In terms of making the most of the experience, do you have any advice?

What are your best tips to make it so I'll enjoy it as much as possible?

Really appreciate it. Brendan

fmradio516 · #2 01-12-2019, 02:11 PM

I just ordered some wahoo sensors so I'll be watching this thread like a hawk!

R3awak3n · #3 01-12-2019, 02:32 PM

fan... gotta have a fan or 2.

JAGI410 · #4 01-12-2019, 03:14 PM

How did you make the plunge? Smart trainer? Power meter?

bigbill · #5 01-12-2019, 03:35 PM

I use an old laptop with a HDMI cable to my big TV. The computer sits on TV tray, I'll eventually get something taller. I use a pedestal fan so the air blows straight at me instead of up from floor level. The fan is off to the side, it doesn't' seem to make a difference as long as it's hitting my upper body and head. I use an armband type HRM on my forearm. For hardware, I have the new model of KICKR, a 2008 vintage Serotta Ti Fierte with a front wheel, and a rubber mat.

For the setup, the bike has symmetrical chainstays so I mounted the bike then leveled it with a level across the chainstays. The KICKR has a ton of adjustability but I'm sure that's true for most others as well. I use an ANT adapter and with the computer a few feet in front of the bike I noticed some signal dropout. I fixed it with an extension cord for the adapter to put it next to the KICKR.

Miss talking to you at CC.

Brendan Quirk · #6 01-12-2019, 03:58 PM

Like many, I’m on a Wahoo Kickr and use Apple TV. The hardware set-up was pretty straightforward. But I’m still confused about how Zwift is optimally used. I don’t quite understand the difference between the app and the “companion” app. And I really don’t get the multi-player riding. It just seem like a bunch of animated bodies all over each other. It feels like there’s a smart way to benefit for the “gamification” that I haven’t quite figured out.

And certain things don’t make sense to me. Speed seems vastly over-estimated. And visualization of hills feels minimized. The experience of the terrain itself is underplayed while the surrounding graphics (that is, the roadside sights) seem over-done.

Or, to put it another way, when I’m Zwifting I feel confused in the same way as when my 13 year old son asks me to watch him play Fortnite. Am I just too old?

dan_hudson · #7 01-12-2019, 04:04 PM

Make using Zwift better? Consider having a phone/tablet nearby with the Zwift companion app. I have a tablet on the bars. So much easier to chose turns then fumbling with a remote or reaching for the laptop. The companion really comes into its own in workout mode or when trying to "ride" with buds.

I'm probably in the minority using a wheel-on trainer. But if you do, worth the time to calibrate. Don't use the Zwift calibration program! The one from the trainer vendor will do a better job. I find I need to tighten up the roller more then I think to avoid slipping when it goes to simulate a steep climb - a little over two turns.

Setup... Moved to Apple TV this year. My Mac laptop complained a bit running the Zwift program (fan ran constantly!) while Apple TV has higher res + is dead quiet.

bigbill · #8 01-12-2019, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brendan Quirk

Like many, I’m on a Wahoo Kickr and use Apple TV. The hardware set-up was pretty straightforward. But I’m still confused about how Zwift is optimally used. I don’t quite understand the difference between the app and the “companion” app. And I really don’t get the multi-player riding. It just seem like a bunch of animated bodies all over each other. It feels like there’s a smart way to benefit for the “gamification” that I haven’t quite figured out.

And certain things don’t make sense to me. Speed seems vastly over-estimated. And visualization of hills feels minimized. The experience of the terrain itself is underplayed while the surrounding graphics (that is, the roadside sights) seem over-done.

Or, to put it another way, when I’m Zwifting I feel confused in the same way as when my 13 year old son asks me to watch him play Fortnite. Am I just too old?

I sometimes have trouble wrapping my head around what I see. When I'm spinning 80 rpm on a steep climb and it says I'm going 4mph, it doesn't match what I'd feel or do on an actual climb. I see the fast groups passing me and sometimes I'll jump on for a while and draft, but most of the time those groups are holding 3-4 FTP and my fitness isn't good enough yet to hold that. I've hit 900 watts a few times on sprints, with the effort I was throwing down it seemed pretty accurate.

The one oddity I've yet to figure out happened when I was doing laps on a flat course with the intention of sitting up at an hour and cooling down. I was at 58 minutes and got some kind of level achievement which had me U-turn into the wind and head up a big climb, just about the time I wanted to spin down. That was odd.

Spaghetti Legs · #9 01-12-2019, 04:09 PM

Somewhere in your settings is a slider which tells Zwift how realistic you want the resistance to be, I.e does a 7% grade feel like a 7% grade? Mine was defaulted at something like 50% meaning the hills weren’t as hard as they should be. I slid it over to something like 75 or 80% and it feels like the real thing.

I rarely do the races or the organized training rides and get most enjoyment from doing my own riding, chasing the occasional rider down in the distance and chasing the KOMs and sprints. My biggest frustration is they only keep PRs on loops and sprints for only 30 days and between the infrequency of my Zwifting and the rotation of the courses I rarely have old numbers to compare to.

BigBill, I’m with you in that there are some serious hammerheads out there cranking out 4 or 5 w/kg continuous which is why I don’t do the races. Even the lower levels, I’ll usually burn up before the lead-in is even done.

dan_hudson · #10 01-12-2019, 04:11 PM

Saw your comment regarding speed/effort vs terrain. I'm not sure the terminology but Zwift defaults to 50% reality. So if the program says to grade is 10% the trainer tries to simulate 5%. If you go into your preferences you can tweak this so that 10% = 10%. I wouldn't be surprised if they do this for folks like me with wheel-on trainers not capable of simulating resistance of steeper climbs.

As for the video game aspect... I'd say you'll get used to it. Weekends are the worst with wall-to-wall rider avatars. Much better off-hours on a weekday. You also can switch to one of the "worlds" besides the default so the display isn't as much of a circus.

The companion... think of it as a dedicated controller for the program. Or like having a 2nd monitor on your computer to show additional windows.

Alaska Mike · #11 01-12-2019, 04:27 PM

People will give you equipment advice, so I'll skip that for the most part. You don't have to have the latest and greatest equipment and a multi-million dollar pain cave or any of the other crap people brag about on the various Facebook groups. I prefer a direct drive trainer with an actual power meter, but that's just me. Keep it simple and see if it's something you'll like before dumping a whole lot of money into it.

Best advice? Don't take it seriously. Sure, take the training seriously (if that's your goal), but don't ever take Zwift seriously. It sucks all of the fun out of it. You see it all of the time. People get wrapped up in the drama and make a big deal out of nothing.

Second best advice? Explore all of the opportunities that Zwift has to offer (solo riding, training plans, group rides, races...) and find your niche. Don't let anyone tell you that you're doing it all wrong. Do your thing. If that means using the world hack to stay on the Richmond course all of the time, do what makes it interesting for you.

Lastly, when the weather changes for the better, get off of Zwift if at all possible. Seriously. The virtual world can't hold a candle to the real world. I know some people have special circumstances that prevent them from riding out on the road, but they are the minority. Make the time to be a cyclist instead of spinning your brains out and going nowhere. Your life will be better.

redir · #12 01-12-2019, 05:50 PM

I'm a zwift newb too. I set up an old PC with an old but decent graphics card and use a 32in monitor. I have a G3 hub which is ANT+ and the USB ANT adapter plugged in on a long cable out to the bike. I am using magnetic rollers and find that to be more entertaining then a trainer though I have not yet tried any of the racing so IDK how that will go. One of the workouts has you dial up to 800 watts and that was tricky on the rollers. I like the1 hour work ouits, it's about all I can handle for indoor cycling but damn if you don't get your money's worth for that one hour.

kramnnim · #13 01-12-2019, 06:16 PM

Really depends on personal preferences. My wife grew up playing video games and had the fitness of a sloth, Zwift got her in to cycling and now she does crits and rode to the top of Mt. Mitchell. Can hear her Kickr whining in the other room as I type this.

If you love cycling because you love the feeling of bombing down twisty descents or enjoy exploring roads far off the beaten path, Zwift might not ever have any appeal.

I find the group rides and races to be very motivating, there's no way I'd be pushed to max HR riding inside otherwise. The pretty tropical island backgrounds and futuristic cityscapes don't interest me, especially after seeing them for the umpteenth time. Don't really care for the virtual hill simulation, either, have that effect turned way down.

The workouts could be used as an alternative to Sufferfest/Trainerroad, and will control the trainer's resistance in erg mode.

(I have ridden 20,000 virtualmiles on Zwift)

ergott · #14 01-12-2019, 06:51 PM

Zwift speeds aren't that far off for me on the flats. Biggest difference is never needing to stop for intersections so average speeds are higher.

There are many ways to get a lot out of Zwift. I'm in training mode so ride mostly solo and in ERG mode. I've done some tours (NYC and Watopia) and they motivated me to push very hard, harder than I usually do out on the road. I don't live near extended climbs so I really take advantage of Zwift for climb conditioning. For that I have the slider up to 100% so I'm shifting a lot to maintain cadence. For a race I would drop slider for less shifting and easier maintenance of steady power over rolling terrain.

The group rides are a nice way to pass the miles, but I rarely find a group ride that fits my goal for the day. I know others that prefer pack riding and you get more for your watts in the draft.

The racing gets serious and you should head over to www.zwiftpower.com for a better experience. Results are kept there and there's an attempt to keep people racing in the proper category. Cheating is a thing, but whatever. I'm in a cat that I'm not racing for the win anyway, just getting in a charged workout.

Today I did 2:46 on the trainer and I have 3hrs planned for tomorrow. No way in the world I would have done that before Zwift. Last year I started the outdoor season swinging strong so it definitely works. You'll know who Zwifts and who doesn't by what sort of shape they are in come April (at least here in the colder climates)!

kramnnim · #15 01-12-2019, 06:52 PM

Random thoughts in no particular order-

If you like Sufferfest/TR, there's workout mode, if you like spin classes, there's group workouts.

If you ride for weight loss/better health and benefit from the encouragement from fellow riders, there are many regular group rides with Facebook groups for socializing, posting about your goals, etc.

There are group rides in a wide range of intensities, similar to your typical weekend evening group rides outdoors. Staring at a little video game dude on a screen isn't much worse than staring at the guy in front of you's butt...

There are many races to choose from, zwiftpower.com is the best way to see race results. (you have to jump through a few small hoops to get it linked to your Zwift account). Obviously it takes no bike handling skills to race well, it's mostly comes down to brute power, but you do have to learn when/where to attack, etc.

Zwift has been holding monthly virtual Fondos. They are a good way to see routes that group rides often do not use.

The virtual TT bike does not get any virtual draft benefit.

Your Zwift speed will not match the speed on your Garmin. (if you choose to use the Garmin while you ride)

Zwiftinsider.com has a ton of info

zwiftalizer.com will show a bunch of info about how well your computer performs, and may help diagnose hardware problems.

There are 5 Zwift "worlds" aka maps. Currently they rotate every few days, soon we will be able to choose between two worlds. Richmond is rarely used now.

Zwift will run on older/lower end hardware, but looks much better on a gaming PC. If you're using an ANT+ stick to connect your sensors to your computer, you will almost always benefit from using a USB extender cable to get the stick down closer to your power meter/speed sensor/smart trainer.