Zwift question

[tjk23]

Just wondering what difficulty setting everyone with smart trainers use with everyday riding and with racing?

[ergott]

I prefer 100% since I have the gearing and it helps me train climbing which there isn't a lot of around me. For racing people prefer much lower (below 50%) because you can more easily maintain power on descents. There's also less shifting.

[makoti]

As I understand it, the difficulty slider is like changing cassettes. 100%=what's on the bike. Reduce it & you get smaller gears. Since I'm running a 53/39 with a 25 low on my trainer bike vs 50/34 with a 29, I'll bring the difficulty down for climbing. For erg work, who cares?

[Joxster]

Depends how much you want to cheat, put your real weight in and your real gears in, and when it gets hard then press harder on the pedals.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by Joxster

Depends how much you want to cheat, put your real weight in and your real gears in, and when it gets hard then press harder on the pedals.

Actually, it's about getting your indoor workout to more closely approximate your outdoor workout. If you are using the same bike inside & out, there may not be much need to do anything other than 100%. If you are not, then it allows adjustments for gearing.
It doesn't make it easier or harder. When you hit 250w, it's still 250w, not 50% less acting like 250w.
You don't "put your gears in", so that makes no sense.
Weight doping is real & silly, but some people get a kick out of being the fastest person in their basement.

[Joxster]

Originally Posted by makoti

Actually, it's about getting your indoor workout to more closely approximate your outdoor workout. If you are using the same bike inside & out, there may not be much need to do anything other than 100%. If you are not, then it allows adjustments for gearing.
It doesn't make it easier or harder. When you hit 250w, it's still 250w, not 50% less acting like 250w.
You don't "put your gears in", so that makes no sense.
Weight doping is real & silly, but some people get a kick out of being the fastest person in their basement.

I had to laugh when Thomas de Gendt couldn't finish top 20 in a Zwift race

[Seamus]

If there was no breakaway...

Originally Posted by Joxster

I had to laugh when Thomas de Gendt couldn't finish top 20 in a Zwift race

[kramnnim]

0-15%, I hate shifting for the fake hills.

[onekgguy]

I've got mine set to 100%. I like the more realistic feel it provides on the climbs.

Kevin g