Zwift or TrainerRoad? Which is better for training?

Hi,

Been on TrainerRoad for few years now. Was wondering if I should try Zwift.

My goal is improve FTP/Power etc and improve endurance. I use the turbo about twice a week in the winter months (with one ride outside at the weekends) and want to maximise my time on it. I’m not particularly interested in the social side of Zwift or all the stuff around making your avatar look good etc.

So, is it worth investing the time to learn how to get the most out of Zwift of is TrainerRoad still better for training?

Cheese for any help..

I get the impression from others who ‘train’ a lot… Trainerroad is king for dedicated training. But i guess that depends on your mindset.

For me, it’s Zwift or nothing, i don’t want to ‘train’ i just want to get fitter, faster, lighter and enjoy the turbo time. I don’t want training punishment.

Pretty much what Weeksy says. Zwift is more fun and means i ride the turbo more and so get fitter. TrainerRoad is more focused which, if your head is in the right place, means it’s a better training tool, less fun though.

The king of both is being able to download interval training sessions to Zwift.  They appear as Zwift workouts and are more immersive than TR but just as focussed .

For me it’s trainer road, but you really need to follow their plans properly to see decent results. At two rides a week I’m thinking you are just about following a low volume plan?

Read any reviews of either (or anything similar) and you’ll see that TrainerRoad is very training specific whereas Zwift is focussed more towards the ‘fun’ element of turbo’ing.

If you aren’t interested in the social/fun aspect of Zwift and are more concerned with improving fitness, I can’t see how Zwift would be of benefit over TrainerRoad.

I was in much the same position at the end of last year and decided on TrainerRoad as it seemed far more structured than Zwift and the idea of getting up at 4:30am just to partake in what would end up being a d!ck-waving contest with a group of Cat1 big hitters from the USA didn’t really appeal.

If you want to specifically improve then TrainerRoad. If you want to race others with possibly getting fitter/stronger then Zwift.

The problem with Zwift is that you’ve no real control over how intense your turbo session is going to be, you’re in a race! If as Kryton says you can download workouts to Zwift and use those then you’ll get a better set of graphics as you workout.

TrainerRoad is very goal oriented: follow the plan and you will improve. I’m not sure how/if Zwift does it but TR has feedback loops in the form of the FTP tests so each block of training is set at the right level for your current fitness.

The problem with Zwift is that you’ve no real control over how intense your turbo session is going to be, you’re in a race!

Not sure that’s true though.  I use Zwift a fair bit as a training tool, working my way through a training plan, so every session at the moment for me is a training workout, at variable cadences, power etc.  It depends on the workout whether it switches ERG mode on or off, so the slope affects resistance etc.

I’ve just managed to post a quote without html nonsense!!!  Wooohooo 🙂

There’s 3 (well, 4) modes in Zwift as far as i’m aware.

1) Free ride, you’re just pottering about in the world with everyone else

2) Race, shortly before the race start time you’re pinged off into a start pen and wait for the gun, then off you go etc.

3) Group ride, these start like the race but will have a ride leader or two with a beacon on their heads and a stated target speed/power etc. They’re great recovery rides 🙂

4) workout mode – structured workouts like trainer road, really the zwift world passing you by has no input on anything. Power/Cadence targets depending on the workout and it’ll shout at you if you’re not hitting one or the other. I was introduced to the concept of ‘comfortably hard’ the other day.

Group workout too?  Never done one of those, not sure if I see the point tbh.

Same as above for me. I’ve switched between the two for a couple of years but have come to conclusion that I’m not disciplined enough for trainer road. I use the workouts on Zwift as and when I feel like it but if I’ve had a hard day at work or I’m not feeling it I can just get on Zwift and go for a steady ride. Works for me and it’s certainky kept my base fitness level and probably improved it a bit too. I’ve made a couple of custom workouts which I do every couple of weeks. A hard hour of intervals and a sweet spot session. I’ve not raced on it  yet I’m gonna give it a try as my endurance training tends to leave me a bit one paced so an hour of max heart rate sounds like fun!!!.

Group workout too?  Never done one of those, not sure if I see the point tbh.

It’s to provide motivation to complete the session.

What power your putting out doesn’t affect the speed your going so each person is doing there own workout but riding as a group. If you start failing intervals you get dropped.

Never used either, but when I was training seriously, I used to perversely look forward to a session that I knew was going to **** hurt! I guess traineroad would be better for me on that basis!

I sit corrected 🙂

I’ve not been on Zwift – all I’ve ever seen is people talking about particular virtual races but never about anything “structured”

Agree with the above, if you’re committed and want structured intervals to follow then TrainerRoad all day long. If you want a bit of variety, and may not always want to do very targeted intervals then Zwift wins for me.

I used to use TrainerRoad, and it was excellent, I’d not go back to it, but I don’t really train these days, and a Zwift race means I turn myself inside out, which I’d not do otherwise.

OP,  I have a free month offer on trainer road that I don’t need. PM me if interested.

For me, Trainerroad is more than just a catalogue of workouts- the structured plans do a passable job of being a very basic coach.

But if you know you want to do  7×10 sst intervals say- it doesn’t matter if you follow TR’s line on the screen or use Zwifts workout mode- the end result is the same.

None of Zwifts archive of plans seem very focussed or specific so I use both 😂 I follow a TR plan but then ride them on Zwift to get the immersion/distraction/Strava log.

So, @Kryton and Crosshair.. how easy is it to download the plans you talk about? I’ll use the 7day free trial and want to make sure I get the most out of it.

Also, thanks for the offer of a free month with TrainerRoad but I’m presently already  subscribed to TR.

done both and whilst I’d say TrainerRoad was absolutely the best thing for structured training the introduction of workouts in Zwift kinda killed that. Zwift does it all and you have the option of just going for a free ride when you are board.

TrainerRoad for me, can only see too many distractions in Zwift – getting sucked into ‘racing’, friends coming online etc. I’d prefer to stay focused on the intervals, maybe not an issue if you’re disciplined enough.

I use the low volume plans as a basic building block and add in a mid-week interval and a longer weekend ride to cover specifics set out by Peaks ATP and Friel’s training bible.

My first winter trying some ‘proper structure’ hence the desire to stay focused, genuinely interested and looking forward to finding out how it’s gone (hopefully!).

Have done a few of the FulGaz videos when I have a free ride, easy week or just spin ups etc.

I think Kryton’s coach sends them to him and he opens them in workout mode on Zwift

I’m currently following Trainerroad’s ‘Short Power Build’ plan and just use the Trainerroad app on my phone to control the Turbo whilst letting Zwift see my power data so that my Avatar moves.

So I’m not in Zwift Workout mode and neither does my smart trainer follow the terrain.

I guess the deciding factor is- do you know what session you want to be doing on a given day of a certain week? If yes then Zwift probably is the winner. You can probably find a similar workout or make your own. If you need a suggested plan though- then TR wins hands down.

Zwift > Traineroad

I think Kryton’s coach sends them to him and he opens them in workout mode on Zwift

Thats right – my workouts are in Todays plan which downloads in Zwift.zwo.   Anything else that can download in .zwo can be used – all you have to do is place the file in the “Workouts” folder Swift places on Install.

Depends how you are wired – trainer road has more structure and is more ‘serious’ but i need a competitive element to push myself and zwift helps with that. Doesnt need to be a race, just chasing down a rider in front or trying to get a good position on the KOM leaderboard will do For longer intervals (anything over 10 minutes) then it is about 10-15% difference so not insignificant.

I guess the deciding factor is- do you know what session you want to be doing on a given day of a certain week? If yes then Zwift probably is the winner. You can probably find a similar workout or make your own

I don’t see how that makes Zwift the winner, you can do pretty much the same on TrainerRoad only with a much larger database to choose from.

OTOH, competition is why i use TR. I use the turbo to (hopefully) go faster when racing, so have no interest in doing more races for training purposes

I looke dinto Zwift briefly, but it seemed you need newer equipment to get it working. My Ipad was too old for it to work and also without a power meter/smart turbo you can use virtual power on TR but in a zwift race that would be a bit silly (given my virtual power numbers are ludicrous).

I think Zwift sucks you into suffering more than TrainerRoad.  You’re just out for a ride but someone comes past so you try to hold the wheel and before you know it you’re at VO2 max.  With TrainerRoad you decide on the suffering before you start or the program dictates level of suffering based on the plan and when you’re 30 minutes in with burning legs you can see precisely how much more you’ve got to do (which can be good or bad).

I also think Zwift worst best with newer equipment.  I have a Powermeter but a dumb turbo and so in Zwift I didn’t get simulated slope changes etc.

I use TrainerRoad but pick workouts based on how I’m feeling.

I find the sufferfest videos and trainer road, far more involving than the 1990’s nintendo graphics of zwift.

Can’t stand Zwift, tried it but something about it doesn’t work for me (my cadence wasn’t matching the screen – drove me nuts) . Love TrainerRoad but as someone said about at 2 rides a week that isn’t much to find significant improvements.

I find it a bit sad it can replace a lot of my real riding in the winter but the results speak for themselves, come the drier months I hardly touch TR but I find a great sense of achievement completely the harder sessions on TR. I guess the graphs work for me not the weird avatars pedalling about

I don’t see how that makes Zwift the winner, you can do pretty much the same on TrainerRoad only with a much larger database to choose from.

Because Zwift is more immersive. Having a physical location (either the end of interval banner or just random road furniture) to aim for seems to distract me better. Otherwise I just find myself counting down from ever further out from the end of the interval.

The Zwift workout creator is also super easy to use so if you know what you want, you can whip it up in five minutes.

I do have a nice big TV and a good setup all round so Zwift perhaps feels nicer/more realistic than if I was just running it on the iPhone.

For me, the danger with Zwift is that you get sucked into doing a session you really shouldn’t be doing if you want to stick to a plan.

I’m finding the racing fun at the mo, so every session is balls out trying to do well. It’s probably not the best way to improve but its far more fun.

Even when I do try and do a recovery ride I get tempted by a sprint segment or end up chasing someone up a hill.

I use both with a ‘smart turbo’ (Kickr). Trainer Road is the better training tool for sure as the sessions are structured. Zwift is good if you want to emulate an outdoor session but can’t get out due to weather or childcare for example. As others have said Zwift is bad for getting drawn into doing non proscribed efforts. You can load structured sessions into Zwift and it dictates what you do but I find the virtual world a wee bit dull after a while. The best thing about trainer road is you can watch Youtube, iplayer etc while you train which is pretty good use of time so long as you don’t watch sh!te of course.