Indoor cycling app... still Zwift?
Discussion
I've used Zwift for years, but cancelled my subs in the spring when the price went up. It's time to dust off the turbo again, appreciate people's views on whether Zwift is still the one to go for, or if it's time to move on and look at Rouvy or something.
Zwift likes:
-Most of the time, it just works
-Stats
-Gamification, encouraging you to keep going for the next level/bike etc
-Big events like TdZ
-Workouts
-Pacer rides
Hates:
-Stupid crap like dinosaur suits/changing into a child's trike
-Mariokart style daft environments
-Same old same old routes
-Very poor graphics for 2024
-Subscription increase
-Occasional crashes or updates that don't complete
-Daft stuff like feathers, coffee, incessant "Ride Ons"
-Stupid speeds downhill and round corners
My setup is a Tacx Neo, AppleTV box running Zwift, and a 40" TV.
In an ideal world I'm looking for more of a "sim" experience, but still with the ability to do events/training etc.
Any thoughts?
Zwift likes:
-Most of the time, it just works
-Stats
-Gamification, encouraging you to keep going for the next level/bike etc
-Big events like TdZ
-Workouts
-Pacer rides
Hates:
-Stupid crap like dinosaur suits/changing into a child's trike
-Mariokart style daft environments
-Same old same old routes
-Very poor graphics for 2024
-Subscription increase
-Occasional crashes or updates that don't complete
-Daft stuff like feathers, coffee, incessant "Ride Ons"
-Stupid speeds downhill and round corners
My setup is a Tacx Neo, AppleTV box running Zwift, and a 40" TV.
In an ideal world I'm looking for more of a "sim" experience, but still with the ability to do events/training etc.
Any thoughts?
t it's a great way of getting a decent session in, some of the hardest efforts on a bike have come on it too, and I raced in France hundreds of times, plus I don't get triggered by receiving ride ons and such like.I rode Zwift / elite direto weekly through last winter once a week doing a hour or two climbing practice - Mountain 8 and AdZ type stuff. Happy enough but a bit fed up with the game type simulation so have set up a Rouvy trial. So far the realism is really nice on a Mallorca route and tomorrow will be AdZ.
As for toughen up get out in the weather type comments….
I’m in the warm and dry, near the food / water, no-one is trying to run me over and I can listen to a book, podcast or watch something on Netflix or YouTube and I can quit whenever I want, What’s not to like?!
As for toughen up get out in the weather type comments….
I’m in the warm and dry, near the food / water, no-one is trying to run me over and I can listen to a book, podcast or watch something on Netflix or YouTube and I can quit whenever I want, What’s not to like?!
I have Zwift but likewise find it a bit Mariocart.
Been using Rouvy for a few years. Video with power etc. You can join social rides, ride routes real time with others, race and such. It has the drafting set up, so you.might end up riding with a random, taking turns on the front.
Lots of routes and training packages
Been using Rouvy for a few years. Video with power etc. You can join social rides, ride routes real time with others, race and such. It has the drafting set up, so you.might end up riding with a random, taking turns on the front.
Lots of routes and training packages
I like Zwift for the crit / short races as it works for me trying to find that extra bit of effort to hold the wheel of another person rather than it just being another horrible ERG block.
I also sub to Wahoo Systm (Sufferfest) and have donefor many years. Lots of structure and plans for solo training, though I understand the Sufferfest humour on some of the workouts might not appeal to everyone. The On Location series they have done with Mike Coty are good IMO.
I also sub to Wahoo Systm (Sufferfest) and have donefor many years. Lots of structure and plans for solo training, though I understand the Sufferfest humour on some of the workouts might not appeal to everyone. The On Location series they have done with Mike Coty are good IMO.
I don’t ride to ‘train’. I’m not a racer, I don’t need to ‘train’. What I have found, with Zwift ( being a very recent convert ) is that it actually does give me some motivation, to ride turbo, during mother nature’s angriest times. Without the Zwift, I was finding it impossible ( mentally ) to do any turbo riding. Then I’d go out in crappy conditions, and end up being totally miserable for the entire ride. Zwift has got some irritating ‘gamey’ stuff on there, but that’s not a problem really, easily ignored. I’m sure if you take yourself too seriously, Zwift wouldn’t be much good, but I don’t, so it’s okay for me.
I've been using Zwift for years but am currently on a free trial of Rouvy just because.
I like the video realism, the view of your own bike from behind is a bit odd but I could get used to it, the Zwift training plans seem to be more comprehensive. Not convinced that I'll keep it after the trial TBH.
It's really only for when the weather is too crap to go out anyway
I like the video realism, the view of your own bike from behind is a bit odd but I could get used to it, the Zwift training plans seem to be more comprehensive. Not convinced that I'll keep it after the trial TBH.
It's really only for when the weather is too crap to go out anyway
I've stuck with Zwift.
Without getting into the ins and outs of it, it's enough immersion for me - getting my trainer to sync with the gradient changes on the screen was the bit that really pulled it together (changing from ANT+ to BT sorted it, for some reason) - and the XP aspects give me enough motivation to get out to the garage for sessions... I can see my level increasing, even if my fitness plateaued long ago. And I enjoy a little bit of competition - I can sprint quite well, so tend to go hard for those on freerides (25th out of 1083 last night... as a solid cat D otherwise, I'll take that!)
I have done training plans on there, but between work, family, other hobbies and health, I find it very difficult to get them done in the timeframes set down... which says to me that swapping to a system that revolves much more around this would not suit me.
...but there is also a little bit of my head that says time spent pedaling on alternative systems would be wasting XP I could have been making on Zwift!
I guess I'm hooked.
Without getting into the ins and outs of it, it's enough immersion for me - getting my trainer to sync with the gradient changes on the screen was the bit that really pulled it together (changing from ANT+ to BT sorted it, for some reason) - and the XP aspects give me enough motivation to get out to the garage for sessions... I can see my level increasing, even if my fitness plateaued long ago. And I enjoy a little bit of competition - I can sprint quite well, so tend to go hard for those on freerides (25th out of 1083 last night... as a solid cat D otherwise, I'll take that!)
I have done training plans on there, but between work, family, other hobbies and health, I find it very difficult to get them done in the timeframes set down... which says to me that swapping to a system that revolves much more around this would not suit me.
...but there is also a little bit of my head that says time spent pedaling on alternative systems would be wasting XP I could have been making on Zwift!
I guess I'm hooked.
Dbag101 said:
I don’t ride to ‘train’. I’m not a racer, I don’t need to ‘train’. What I have found, with Zwift ( being a very recent convert ) is that it actually does give me some motivation, to ride turbo, during mother nature’s angriest times. Without the Zwift, I was finding it impossible ( mentally ) to do any turbo riding. Then I’d go out in crappy conditions, and end up being totally miserable for the entire ride. Zwift has got some irritating ‘gamey’ stuff on there, but that’s not a problem really, easily ignored. I’m sure if you take yourself too seriously, Zwift wouldn’t be much good, but I don’t, so it’s okay for me.
And that's the thing. I don't take myself too seriously. I'm a 50 year old club cyclist, yes I did a 10 day LEJOG this year but if someone removed the bacon butties and cake stop from my club ride I'd be mortified. I'm really not bothered about training plans, Zwift racing etc, and I've now been round Watopia and "London" so many times it's got boring and I've lost any motivation to ride inside. The "amusing" dinosaurs etc are now just an annoyance, no doubt coded by a teenager in Silicon Valley who grew up with MarioKart and has never actually ridden a bicycle. I need something a bit new, places to explore, and I'm hoping that Rouvy will give me that.I am in the final stages of learning to fly at the moment, and my MS Flight Sim setup at home has been a brilliant training aid but also good fun too, giving me the option of watching the sun set in Bora Bora or sun rise over an alpine peak, and being amazed by the beautiful views, before I have to kick myself and remind myself it's just ones and zeros, an X-box and a big monitor. I want that wow/explore factor on the bike, and cycling inside a volcano ain't it.
I downloaded Rouvy and set it all up the other evening, last night was a real world club ride in the dark, and now going into the weekend I've woken up with a proper dose of man-flu so I can't see me going anywhere near it this weekend and the free trial time clock is ticking...grrr!
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