Zwift

[PoPcOrN]

Anybody here on Zwift?

It's a virtual world (MMO) for people who cycle indoors using a smart trainer. Everything you do on the bike is transferred in to the world, and everything in the game, is transferred to the bike, ( inclines, declines, gravel, tarmac etc.

Currently i'm level 9, done about 300km.

One thing i struggle with the most is, soreness in my hands, my bum and holding a high power output. If anybody with experience can advise on the hands and bum, feel free.

 

[mir2pion]

Two years back, when covid pushed pple to indoor bike trainers, I was looking at Zwift. I bought a nice secondhand bike (carbon frame with time trial style handlebars, always wanted to try this type of bike), bought it cheap too considering that everything around bikes got very expensive because of covid... but never got any trainer equipment. I figured it would bore me biking indoor on a stationary bike. I did watch some races on Zwift though, at the time some pro bike racers went on Zwift and it was fun to watch how they struggle with pple who are expert with virtual racing which is quite a bit different from road racing. Also is nice when pple have cameras showing them off on their bikes in their biking dens...

You should really join https://www.bikeforums.net, pple there are eager to discuss anything around bikes, its mostly Americans on there but it is probably the best general biking forum.

I suspect you don't have any previous biking experience on roads and the bike you use is a dedicated trainer bike or is that road bike you use with a trainer? Bikes bought as a trainer bikes (can't use them on roads) have more comfortable seats than your typical road bike of sporting variety.

You are probably supporting too much body weight on your hands. On properly adjusted bike posture, your hands do not support your body weight too much at all when you pedal (a bit more when you don't).

Biking on a trainer I understand generates plenty of sweat which makes bike seat friction related soreness more likely, your problem with the seat probably also relates to overall bike geometry setting. Outside of some expert bike fitting that some bike shops offer (try to look around is something of this sort is available to you), your best bet for advice is that bike forum.

 

[PoPcOrN]

Two years back, when covid pushed pple to indoor bike trainers, I was looking at Zwift. I bought a nice secondhand bike (carbon frame with time trial style handlebars, always wanted to try this type of bike), bought it cheap too considering that everything around bikes got very expensive because of covid... but never got any trainer equipment. I figured it would bore me biking indoor on a stationary bike. I did watch some races on Zwift though, at the time some pro bike racers went on Zwift and it was fun to watch how they struggle with pple who are expert with virtual racing which is quite a bit different from road racing. Also is nice when pple have cameras showing them off on their bikes in their biking dens...

You should really join https://www.bikeforums.net, pple there are eager to discuss anything around bikes, its mostly Americans on there but it is probably the best general biking forum.

I suspect you don't have any previous biking experience on roads and the bike you use is a dedicated trainer bike or is that road bike you use with a trainer? Bikes bought as a trainer bikes (can't use them on roads) have more comfortable seats than your typical road bike of sporting variety.

You are probably supporting too much body weight on your hands. On properly adjusted bike posture, your hands do not support your body weight too much at all when you pedal (a bit more when you don't).

Biking on a trainer I understand generates plenty of sweat which makes bike seat friction related soreness more likely, your problem with the seat probably also relates to overall bike geometry setting. Outside of some expert bike fitting that some bike shops offer (try to look around is something of this sort is available to you), your best bet for advice is that bike forum.

You are correct, i have 0 road biking experience. personally I would never do outdoor riding unless it was mountain biking. I'm using a TacX Flow smart trainer with a cheap 2nd hand road bike. I may look in to a bike fit as i sometimes go numb in regions i didn't even know was possible.

 

[Omnibus]

Sounds pretty awesome.

I like apps that track fitness.

I'll try this next time I'm in a session.

 

[mir2pion]

I may look into this indoor biking eventually. Zwift is paid but I'd say worth it because it provides great motivation when you can ride with others and on variety of road profiles.
Plus you get visual scenery and see other riders if you hook it up to a laptop or best to a TV. But probably can do with a display on your phone too.
Riding a 'dumb', that is non internet connected trainer at home tends to put pple off before long, motivation falls off. That is why for example dieting pple join some groups of like minded pple. Here it is virtual but you get real pple behind their avatars and the action is in real time, you can join group rides or ride solo.

One health benefit above all comes from bike exercise - the aerobic exercise which is related to what you said about "holding a high power output". Keep to beginners on Zwift so as not to get discouraged. Biking separates pple by their ability to 'hold a power' very fast, on real roads or in virtual environment

Once, long ago I went riding with this guy who used to ride amateur races in his teens and when the going got tough in hills, he left me behind in dust just to show me what it means that he has that racing episode in his past. It was simply brutal and put me in my place, nothing like experiencing the difference firsthand. Was like a difference between 50cc motorbike and 500cc one, difference of a class, even several classes LOL

 

[booHA]

Anybody here on Zwift?

It's a virtual world (MMO) for people who cycle indoors using a smart trainer. Everything you do on the bike is transferred in to the world, and everything in the game, is transferred to the bike, ( inclines, declines, gravel, tarmac etc.

Currently i'm level 9, done about 300km.

One thing i struggle with the most is, soreness in my hands, my bum and holding a high power output. If anybody with experience can advise on the hands and bum, feel free.

Yeah, I use it a lot as part of my triathlon trainin. Biggestt and most important thing people underestimate is a proper bike fitting, it will increase your power and prevent you from getting sore knees and injuries in the long run.

Zwift is great fun. You should look to do an FTP ramp test to set an FTP and then Zwift will customise a workout plan for you to slow over time increase your max power and FTP with workouts. If used to the fullest it is basically a personal training/coach for cycling and is well worth the money.

 

[PoPcOrN]

I may look into this indoor biking eventually. Zwift is paid but I'd say worth it because it provides great motivation when you can ride with others and on variety of road profiles.
Plus you get visual scenery and see other riders if you hook it up to a laptop or best to a TV. But probably can do with a display on your phone too.
Riding a 'dumb', that is non internet connected trainer at home tends to put pple off before long, motivation falls off. That is why for example dieting pple join some groups of like minded pple. Here it is virtual but you get real pple behind their avatars and the action is in real time, you can join group rides or ride solo.

One health benefit above all comes from bike exercise - the aerobic exercise which is related to what you said about "holding a high power output". Keep to beginners on Zwift so as not to get discouraged. Biking separates pple by their ability to 'hold a power' very fast, on real roads or in virtual environment

Once, long ago I went riding with this guy who used to ride amateur races in his teens and when the going got tough in hills, he left me behind in dust just to show me what it means that he has that racing episode in his past. It was simply brutal and put me in my place, nothing like experiencing the difference firsthand. Was like a difference between 50cc motorbike and 500cc one, difference of a class, even several classes LOL

Yeah I think a smart trainer is a must. I hook it up to my tv via the laptop and use my phone for the companion app so i can talk easily with other riders. For the most part i ride only in groups and create my own group rides.

I struggled to find people that were in the same boat as me, not only new but also unfit and fat. Weight and height plays a big part on speed in zwift. I ended up making a club called Project SLOTH that is aimed at beginners and i create rides for people who might be struggling like i was and so far we have almost 200 members and get a good amount of people joining the club and the rides. Doing the club actually sparked some interest from the Zwift Beginners facebook group and they got me in touch with Zwift HQ who have now created a Zwift Beginners club which i'm now a moderator for and create SLOTH rides within it. The club is about 3 days old and already pulling in 300+ members as it's #1 on the featured clubs list. Exciting times ahead for the club.

I'll definitely be getting a bike fit soon, as it makes sense to, indoor can be brutal when you don't move about as much

 

[Tai]

One thing i struggle with the most is, soreness in my hands, my bum and holding a high power output. If anybody with experience can advise on the hands and bum, feel free.

Lube up! I'm sure @Martyn can recommend a good one

 

[Martyn]

Lube up! I'm sure @Martyn can recommend a good one

****


@PoPcOrN best thing I can recommend is bib shorts, ( try not to go too cheap too), been there and done that, could ride for hours, and the only thing that would hurt is a part of the arse that I never knew could feel pain before

(your look like a wrestler too)

 

[PoPcOrN]

****


@PoPcOrN best thing I can recommend is bib shorts, ( try not to go too cheap too), been there and done that, could ride for hours, and the only thing that would hurt is a part of the arse that I never knew could feel pain before

(your look like a wrestler too)

It's going to be my next purchase for sure. I got standard cycling shorts but i feel like the padding isn't in the right place

 

[Tai]

****


@PoPcOrN best thing I can recommend is bib shorts, ( try not to go too cheap too), been there and done that, could ride for hours, and the only thing that would hurt is a part of the arse that I never knew could feel pain before

(your look like a wrestler too)

I can confirm he can indeed ride for hours

 

[Martyn]

lol

@PoPcOrN how do you connect your TacX Flow up to the zwift? Does it have some sort of sensor? or Bluetooth?

 

[PoPcOrN]

lol

@PoPcOrN how do you connect your TacX Flow up to the zwift? Does it have some sort of sensor? or Bluetooth?

Bluetooth

 

[mir2pion]

club called Project SLOTH

From the zwift company view, any zwift member is as good as any other, no matter the category.
Good posting about it here, it might get some mir pple to trade their comfy chairs playing mir for a trainer bike riding in your club.

 

[Martyn]

Bluetooth

connects to the unit it self?

 

[PoPcOrN]

connects to the unit it self?

Yeah the smart trainer connects to zwift on it's own. Tracks Wattage, RPM and scales with gradience. I would love to upgrade to a direct drive with no wheel but they're not cheap

 

[mir2pion]

I used to ride a bike that looked more or less like the bikes looked when Edy Merckx was racing but the tubular tires on it were a pain (mainly expensive and didn't last long). One day I walked around town with my brothers and I saw a bike shop about to close that had close out sale. We popped in and I saw nice wheels on a bike on display there and asked if they have such wheels for sale, just wheels and I was told that no, they don't but they will take these off the bike and sell them to me. they were clincher tires 700x23

Point is, my brothers thought I was making a rush purchase, that I will end up not using the bike again and it will just be money thrown out... it turned out it was by far the best spent money as many years after that purchased proved.