Zwift and trainerroad getting them to work together

I’ve signed back up to zwift, last used it in 2015. I was hoping the training mode was as good as trainerroad but from what I’ve seen it looks very limited, and I’m thinking about sticking with trainerroad for structured stuff and zwift fora weekly ride/race simulation. Is there a way to follow a trainerroad programme and still use zwift, but the turbo is controlled by trainerroad?

Or are the zwift programmes comparable? They mostly looked like hit stuff to me, and I get good results with sweet spot

I run TR on my iPhone paired to the power meter and controllable trainer via Bluetooth.
Then I run Zwift on my pc and let it see the power but not control the trainer.

Works pretty well.

You can just replicate the workout in Zwift workout creator if you like Zwift workout mode.
People were doing that and publicly sharing them but Nath from TR publicly asked people to stop and Zwift endorsed the message.

What Crosshair said. I do this with zwift on the laptop and Tacx app controlling the turbo on the iPad.

great I’ll give it a go

I did a “FTP-builder” on zwift – wasn’t really HIT except occasional days, though it was above what I understand by sweet spot a reasonable amount of the time. Did seem to be working, even over just 4wks though that might be becase I “rode” an hour+ every day. Didn’t get to do the final test as I knackered my back putting shopping in the back of the car 🙄

Started off pretty easy IMO but got harder and the last “proper” training session was a bastard; 15 minutes of warm-up twiddling and then 2 min at 91% FTP 90 rpm/30 sec at 120% 95 rpm repeated 12 times with no breaks

I struggled on this one particularly, partly because I think it’s pretty tough but also zwift and/or my trainer didn’t seem to let off the required effort at the end of the 120% bits – I think it was too close to the previous effort/cadence and I couldn’t get it to let go. I ended up slowing down to 55 rpm but still needing 120% and on one of the reps I had to stop and wait for it to let go with the resistance. Not sure if that’s just my setup though; I’ve tended to “burst” up into harder efforts to be sure that it notices there’s been a change but that’s harder on a step down

let off the required effort at the end of the 120%

I had similar issues a couple of years ago when I first started out using the turbo – it was the garmin ant dongle wasn’t close enough to the turbo, to solve I used a long USB lead and had the ant dongle under the turbo.

Then I swapped to using the ipad and bluetooth so I didn’t need to faff with the ant dongle.

interesting DT – I have a long lead but a very cheap dongle

(worst. euphemism. ever ?)

Well as I’m back on zwift I’m having to use the laptop / ant dongle again.

I cant for the life of me find the garmin dongle which was tiny so I ordered this cheaper one
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N4QZY7C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

as I wasn’t sure I’ll stick with zwift / most likely find the other one in a week.

It is much bigger and seems to pick up the signal much better, I had one drop out. Currently it is plugged in on the laptop about 6 inches from the front wheel so it is much closer than the old setup used to be.

Seems I’m okay with a big cheap dongle

hmmm, might take a punt on that. Ta

ooooh – v similar looking thing a tenner on Amazon

Does this look the same to you ??

sorry for the delayed response….it looks like the same thing with a different logo. not sure of the spec is the same…can there be much difference?