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If I link My Zwift account to my Garmin Account, can I stop recording on my physical Garmin Device? and will Garmin Connect will still pass it to Strava?
Correct.
I'd set it up then do a very short ride to make sure it's all syncing, just to make sure.
FWIW if you are doing any Garmin Connect Challenges then Zwift distance won't count. There is a convoluted way around this though.
Connect Strava and Garmin to Zwift and it'll do everything for you.
If you have a watch/device that can calculate vo2 max then you'll need to sync the device after the ride shows in garmin connect, then wait a min or 2 then drop another sync, this will update your training load and vo2 max in Garmin.
I'm not looking to get on Zwift, but I am needing something to stave off the boredom of turbo sessions - I'm only meant to be doing 1 hour at a time, but I'm struggling with just a half hour.
About to move the turbo to a dedicated space so could be adding some tech to help entertain my brain whilst my body is getting hurt. I'm not wanting an iPad, but what tablet is out there that is a decent size and will allow me to access whatever streaming services I have?
I don't want a big tv screen as although I've got space, it is used for other things as well so turbo with bike and fan are going to be there and anything else I need to use will need to fit amongst other stuff...
Aware this thread is more about getting Zwift all sorted and stuff, but it does look like there are a few different setups people are using. I'm not needing a computer as I don't have a smart trainer so it wont interact with Zwift anyway.
I’m not needing a computer as I don’t have a smart trainer so it wont interact with Zwift anyway.
Do you have some kind of structure to what you're doing though? Just sitting and spinning on a turbo was actually used as a form of torture in the American revolutionary war*
*true fact
Last year I decided to treast myself to having the same saddle on the turbo bike as my normal road bike - this, it is now apparent, was a mistake. So I've just replaced the saddle for something with a bit more "room". Initial test rides are good, so instead I've started having connection issues between the turbo and the laptop/Zwift - ffffffuuuuuu.......!!!!!
Heads up if anyone is looking for a smart trainer, wiggle have the Elite Direto for £385 which is cheap for a direct drive trainer.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-direto-smart-turbo-trainer
Last year I decided to treast myself to having the same saddle on the turbo bike as my normal road bike – this, it is now apparent, was a mistake. So I’ve just replaced the saddle for something with a bit more “room”.
Yeah riding on the trainer for an hour is completely different to riding outside for an hour, I've had to buy extra wide, carbon soled ultra stiff roadie shoes to combat 'hot foot', and a saddle with a cut out for numbness. I'll be looking to build a rocker plate over winter too.
Yeah, got a training plan (from Garmin - Garmin is seeing how unfit I am and finally offered me a free training plan to get me going - does seem to be working but the 1 hour turbo sessions are an absolute struggle and I think I need something to distract the brain or keep more of my attention)...
If you're looking to get into using a turbo, and stave off boredom...any reason you're avoiding Zwift or the like?
I mean, they REALLY do help keep you on the turbo for 60-90 minutes...
But ultimately, it seems like you jsut need a TV near your turbo, tbh.
DrP
If just chasing graphs then I have to have something on in the background too, nothing that requires really concentration. e.g. think 80% of the Marvel movies I've seen have been whilst in the turbo, couldn't tell you a thing about any of them
I’ll be looking to build a rocker plate over winter too.
Keep getting tempted in then shying away. For a while tri_sports_resort (Wiggle) kept selling them on eBay, now kicking myself for not getting one!
Keep getting tempted in then shying away. For a while tri_sports_resort (Wiggle) kept selling them on eBay, now kicking myself for not getting one!
How much were they on eBay? They're £150 on wiggle at the moment. Issue is I need one with wheels as I have to move my set up about.
They were auctions so it varied a bit, sub £100 iirc. I'd forgotten they were £150 on Wiggle at the moment too - really need to just bite that bullet
I'm not looking to spend a lot...I've a turbo trainer with sensors, a bike to sit on the turbo and a plan to give me something to work through. However, the sitting with no scenery changes is killing my attention and I'm fighting to stay on for more than a half hour - body and legs feel great but head is utterly bored.
So something to watch might prove the tipping point and let me complete the hour sessions. I'm still outdoor riding so the turbo is more for specific sessions, so not looking for anything fancy...unless I can do it on the cheap.
However, the sitting with no scenery changes is killing my attention and I’m fighting to stay on for more than a half hour – body and legs feel great but head is utterly bored.
What intervals are you doing? If it's 45 mins of steady non changing power then even watching zwift it's boring as hell.
However do some under overs, or VO2 max intervals and you'll be concentrating so much on getting through the intervals you won't have a chance to be bored!
Honestly try zwift I’m just up and running a week on mine. Absolutely love it so much choice/options of easy solo riding/pace partner/group rides and races. Not to mention all the training plans. I came from turboing years ago staring at a wall !!
This really is a gamechanger for me 🙂
Dunno if this is any good & not really the answer to your question, but have you seen this?
It's apparently completely free and relies on ads for revenue.
But, the ads are in-game rather than being obtrusive banners or pop-ups.
I saw an article a few days ago reviewing it (but can't remember where now).
If you just want a tablet that can stream films etc. I would have thought any mid-range tablet would be more than up to the task.
I’m not looking to get on Zwift, but I am needing something to stave off the boredom of turbo sessions – I’m only meant to be doing 1 hour at a time, but I’m struggling with just a half hour.
Headphones, good tubes, a good workout to follow and something like a GCN video on your laptop.
I've downloaded the videos from YouTube using 4k video downloader so no streaming or buffering issues.
I warm up with the video playing in the background but following the British Cycling warm up plan (20 minutes of increasing cadence with 3 sprints at the end) then either do the 40 minute GCN Sweetspot workout, or leave it playing in the background whilst doing my own workout (at the moment I'm doing 4x8 @ 105% FTP, which has been sort of proven to be the best balance of interval duration and intensity vs. concentration span for most people!).
I never get bored although will definitely be counting seconds come the end of the last interval. It would never even occur to me to use Zwift unless I really really really needed to do 3hr endurance rides indoor.
No laptop and I also don't have a massive phone screen...however, I've a varied test on Wednesday so hopefully that'll keep me more engaged.
Well definitely pick an 'engaging' workout then!
The British Cycling warm up is available as a PDF you can print out and tape to the wall.
All the other 'usual suspects' like Sweetspot, over-unders etc. require you to concentrate on power/speed and where you are in the interval, so they tend to be 'wish it would end' intense rather than 'wish it would end' boring.
An hour on a turbo is quite a boring thing tbh. I use trainer road but if you’re easily bored it wouldn’t be a good solution. It works well just on an iPhone and with a smart trainer - although I started using it on a dumb trainer just with the app on the iphone, a garmin speed sensor and a HR strap.
On tablets - if you just want to stream something a cheap Amazon one will probably do the job. I’ve got the cheapest of cheap ones (maybe a 7) and it’s fine for Amazon prime. It struggles a bit more with stuff like red bull tv for live coverage of stuff like the hardline. An iPad is much quicker in terms of processor.
You can get a 30 day extended free trial of Rouvy via https://www.strava.com/challenges/rouvy-virtual-kom-qom-hunter-challenge.
If you have a Zwift account and you didn't do much/any in early October, look for an email offering 14 days or even 60 days free trial.
Hoping to take a peek at Mywhoosh soon.
oh wow, that sucked,
now i expected a fall from grace, i'm about 50% down on my average mileage from the last few years, life, uni as a parent is difficult, and theres been a lot of plodding this year, last considerable effort i did was a local strava "TT" segment in July 😕, and i did 259w for 30 minutes, off the back of not a lot, (no hr data, power from a Quarq)
i always used to think i sat around 230w off the couch, no matter how long of a break i had, jumped on today, did half hour spinning round, sat at 175w av, then did Makuri Islands Stage 1, weirdly only 7 of us in "E" however, drum roll
197w average (Tacx Neo) at an average hr of 180bpm, my lowest average watts in over 100 zwift races, and i've done races as long as 97km 😩
life, uni, kids, seperation, covid, aging, depression, it's all had a toll i guess, sobering
Zwift isn't outside though. You may go better outdoors. Zwift is a special suffering that takes practice
i've done 100+ races 😂
I think you lose a bit of the ability to go that hard if you don't ride zwift or other indoor training regularly - as above it's so much more intensive than outdoor riding.
I had a ramp test at the start of last week - I got Covid for just over a week at the end of September, then did a few days easy rides, then a weekend away with 3 day long big rides, then 2 weeks consisting of a few easy rides. On my ramp test I failed miserably hitting 260w from my current 279w! However, I know most of that was just because I haven't done any proper indoor structured workouts for 5 weeks. Kept my FTP at the same and I'll see how I go - I honestly don't think I've dropped that much though, it's just not being used to that sort of riding.
I'm back on it now, and last night's hard VO2 max session was strangely enjoyable 🤣
I think you lose a bit of the ability to go that hard if you don’t ride zwift or other indoor training regularly – as above it’s so much more intensive than outdoor riding.
I dunno, I think it's pretty comparative to 'cross racing IRL. I suppose it depends how hard you go outside as well.
On my ramp test I failed miserably hitting 260w from my current 279w!
Ug, this doesn't make good reading. I nailed (as in, 'completed') a 20 minute FTP test a few weeks ago and started some new workouts off the back of the new number. They were tough but achievable, ideal. Would be the perfect accompaniment to my approximate schedule of a CX race every 3 weeks or so. I might not actually improve on the course but at least it would compliment the training nicely.
Then three weeks of Bronchitis 😭😭
I think at my stage of life (peak career stress, limited time, 5 year old germ factory running about) I need to abandon any sort of structure or intensity over winter and just focus on base, every winter follows the same pattern of injuries or sickness and my training ambitions typically just fall apart. Probably skipping next weekend's CX race and hopefully back into some sort of routine for the next one on the 11th December 🙄
I dunno, I think it’s pretty comparative to ‘cross racing IRL. I suppose it depends how hard you go outside as well.
Yeah I definitely don't do anything like that on outside rides. Decently big rides (1000+m climbing) but not that short intense stuff like CX or the like.
I'm hitting the 12.00 Rhino race on Crit City Bell lap today in C.
It's a course i enjoy but looks a proper strong if small field. Lots of fast guys out in it.
Well at least we had a bit of fun....
2.5 laps from the end the bloke who ended up winning, along with myself kicked on at the rollers. 3s, 4s, 5s, then 6s.... but with the line coming up with just 1 lap to go, they'd pulled us back to 4s and my legs, lungs and heart called it a day and i died...
He hung on to the line and claimed the win... i cruised and died...
https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=3208266
But it was more interesting that waiting for the final sprint as blokey had tried it twice before, one of them i tried to go with him but failed.. the other i just laughed as it was way early.
Strewth! This thread was a long way down. Has everyone given up? 🤣
I must say, credit where it’s due- I really like the new Makuri roads.
Also, with the pace partners and the personalised pace partner of your old KOM times- there’s loads more fun ways to use it for training now.
With the huge number of routes- even just pootling around collecting route badges is good fun!
I just raced ‘Fine and Sandy’ and actually got away for a bit. Couldn’t hold it though so got dropped in the finale. That’s a really dynamic course- you climb the same loop 2x a lap 😮💨
I did the Makuri race on "fine and sandy" on Tuesday just gone.
I enjoyed it and the spurt up that spiral climb was a nice addition.
I was annoyed that I missed the 3rd race of the series last week due to a Zwift crash.
Last week the front mech cable snapped just after a workout - severe lack of maintenance so I fixed that and also stuck new bar tape on.
Workout tomorrow morning and hoping to get some Z2 stuff.in at the weekend although if the weather is nice will do that outside.
Bleurgh. I did the Pro Series Pidcock workout this morning with Robbo, slowpuncheur & oopnorth...
I really struggled with it - the legs didn't want to wake up!
I managed the main set, but the wheels fell off (not literally) during the sprints at the end & I gave up.
Was a toughie.
How’s everyone getting on?
I’m waiting to start a new training block after Xmas so jumped into back to back races tonight.
First was 18laps of Crit city and then 3 laps of Greater London flat, both in B.
I’ve never raced anti-clockwise Crit city before and it was much nicer. I wanted to push watts so I kept trying to get away and finally managed a whole lap off the front 😎
Which meant I got 20th in the sprint 🤣
Then the 3r race was a mass start and there was some cool banter with a Z power flier and general B on A smack talk 🤣
I held the lead A’s until the finale but only managed 4th B.
It ended up as 1h40 racing at around 280w average. The Z2 has paid off massively- I felt super fresh at the end.
I may work up to trying three races on the trot to get closer to the 2h20 or so that our pacy 50 mile outdoor Sunday ride takes in the summer. If I could average 280w for 2h20 by the end of Base- I’ll be a happy camper that’s for sure 😀
(Or burnt out by March 🤣)
Whilst cycling along the power started to jump around by ~70w and I could smell burning.
Then I could hear a scraping noise before the trainer completely seized.
It's only 2 years old too, bearings are dead. Bought a 4iiii crank power meter to replace it and discovered that as a big lad I can hit a lot more power than the previous meter was rated to.
So I'm deadly on the flats and less shocking on the hills (but still shit).
Nice 👌🏻 Always good to get a helping hand from the technology 😀
I was thinking about that today- forcing live zwift race competitors to race the same turbo is like getting pros to all ride the same bike 🤔
People should be allowed to tune them up 🤣 (provided it passes a calibration test).
Random question: is anyone using aero/TT bars on their Zwift setup? I have a set of Profiles in the garage and was wondering if they'd give an alternative hand/riding position for longer indoor rides.
^^^^ I have them on the Wattbike and yes, I find that going onto them every 20 mins or so for 5 mins allows a bit of a stretch and eases things a bit
Yeah but you're old
I’ve just taken mine off but yes, love them for Z2 turbo time.
I’ve never raced anti-clockwise Crit city before and it was much nicer.
As a skinny lad I'm conflicted about this. On one hand, definitely less painful, on the other at least I can have a pop up the kick when going clockwise. Obvs usually I just put people to the sword with my monster 900W sprint though
I prefer down the hill. The rollers you can power/ease and stay in the group... then once heading down the cobbles you just need to find the 400w continuous power for a minute or so and hang on a wheel or 3.... before massively disappointing in the sprint finish and trying to hang on as you've only got a 600w sprint.
I was trying to get a gap by attacking on the last straight before the start/finish and then holding it all the way to the rollers and across the top to the cobbles.
But that didn’t work.
When I finally got a solo lap in, I had to attack across the top and into the cobbles. Then hold it all the way round.
It’s bloody hard but so is getting away from a 27mph bunch in real life so I need to keep practicing 😀
I tried a couple of attacks in todays race, but nothing stuck.
https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=3256679
Mostly because both ended up being me and 1 bloke... I was impressed in the last 2km which is partly uphill i managed to hold the group, but by the time we hit 500m to go i got some nice drafting to see me in the mix, but the sprint just wasn't there as usual. All in all though, hit a max of 184bpm over the aquaduct and impressed myself by managing to hang on after maxing it out. I don't usually get to max and recover.
I've not raced or trained on Zwift properly for ages now!
Tried 'Emily's short mix' this am, and it was too much too quick so dropped the setting to 85%!
Keen to try 'build me up' but over like 18 weeks....
DrP