#Zwift ride

[hojetsala]

The bike that rides on the Internet

- my review of the Zwift Ride -

The days get shorter, the weather wetter and colder and every day it becomes more and more of a struggle to get up at the asscrack of dawn just so I can ride my bike to work for a commute of roughly 50k both ways. A thing I usually love doing. A thing I need to be doing to get my cracked marble of a brain to cooperate with me. But now, as they say, I have bike at home. This has been my experience with the bike that now lives in my home.

I went back and forth on wether to get a home trainer quite a bit. I dont have a bike for it, its expensive, I dont have the space, I dont know what to do with it when its summer again, I worry it will make me too lazy to ride outside.

Well, some of those problems I still have.

But it took very little persuasion by friends ("You could get it if you want it") for me to take the plunge on both the trainer and the bike for it. I got the Kicker Core and the Zwift Ride and I have been having a time ever since. Mostly a good time.

Recieving the thing was a bit of a war. It comes in several boxes, two of which weigh over 25 kg and I live on the fourth floor. Alone. Not the Ride's fault I suppose. I did eventually get it up the stairs and set up, where I hit the first real snag.

The chainring was bent. Which I only noticed once I started pedalling and the chain kept dropping off. Searching around online I gathered I could probably return the thing and get a new one, but. 25kg. Fourth floor. Alone. Not to mention the packaging is so complex and huge I dunno how I'd ever get it put back together.

I still tried contacting support about it, which was the next snag. They have an "AI" chatbot with a few rote answers and thats it. No phone number. I wrote an email to support@zwift.com and have yet to hear back. Judging by the forums, this is a common problem. If something goes wrong, you are on your own. That and the lack of quality control (the chainring was definitely not damaged in transit) are the major downsides I found.

Now to the upsides. The online community is really good. I immediately found posts and videos detailing how I could swap out the chainring myself (and find the correct one). It was easy and I learned some new things about bike anatomy. And I felt great about myself. I booked it as a win.

Then I set it up. This was straightforward enough. Bikefitting a bit less so. It comes with a table for your height with suggestions on how to set everything up, but this seems kinda off. Or maybe I just have weird proportions. I am still fiddling with it. But thats ok. Adjusting the height of the stem and the seatpost is fairly easy. Adjusting the reach of the handle bars I find more difficult as they tend to get stuck a bit. But I am managing.

And then I was off!

The Ride itself is remarkably stable and solid. I am quite a heavy person, especially for a cyclist, and never do I feel wobbly or unsafe. This thing is pretty damn bombproof. It's also quite comfortable and the saddle is good for me. I got some clipless pedals for it and that feels great. Very secure, even when I go all out.

For me personally, who has never ridden a home trainer or even a road bike before, there was a definite learning curve. I got a bit of motion sickness at the start from being stationary and looking at the game, but that has cleared up when I pushed through it. I can now go further every time I ride. I feel like I am getting more comfortable in the position. Admittedly, the position is as relaxed as I can make it. I might make it more aggressive as I get stronger on it.

Zwift itself is fun. It's nice to look at if you like the graphics and there is a good variety to the maps. And there are dinosaurs to find. :) I am really getting into the workouts. They are fun, easy to follow, and tough as nails (at least for me). Its also nice to always have other people around! But Zwift definitely reminds you that comparison is the thief of joy. Damn these people are strong its not even funny.

I thought I was comparatively good on the bike, I rode a lot outside this year. Indoor riding is hard. Hard hard. For some reason, on the indoor trainer, I dont coast. Not that you can't, I find that I just don't. I pretty much go full gas, all the time. And no matter how fast you think you are going, other zwifters will blast past you like you are standing still.

When Zwift tells you to "close the gap", don't. It is a trap. There will always be another gap.

But they are quite encouraging too.

Before I got it, I was definitely worried that I wouldnt use the Ride enough to justify the cost. This has not been the case. I find I really look forward to going zwifting and I do it when I can. I am having a great time overall, even if the effort often leaves me pretty wiped out and I might have to watch out not to overdo it. What do you mean I cant do sprint workouts every day of every week? lol.

So for me, it was definitely a good investment, despite the snags. I am having a good time, I now use my daily "Youtube and Podcast" time a lot better, I get to keep riding through the winter. The cost is significant and should definitely give people pause. But I feel like it's not too much for what it is and I am definitely very happy with it.

I still don't know where I will store the damn thing in the summer though.

Cons of the Ride

non existant support by Zwift

very questionable quality control

the adjustable bits can sometimes get a bit stuck

Pros of the Ride

good online community.

very solid and stable

Quite comfortable, and saddle/ pedals can be easily swapped out

Widely customizable to your proportions

Looks snazzy if you like that kind of thing

Cons of Zwift

Graphics are a matter of taste, objectively not the highest quality

The gamification is rather minimal. Pretty much only leveling and occasionally buying new bike bits and cosmetics. Again, taste

Pros of Zwift

Very active community with events going on all the time

good, fun workouts of many different levels

training plans of different levels too

interesting routes with varied scenery

dinosaurs :)

[dimensionsvelo]

Le Zwift Ride Smart Frame est disponible

Si vous avez déjà un smart-trainer compatible avec le Zwift Cog, Zwift commercialise le Ride Smart Frame. Le châssis qui permettra de les transformer en smartbike ! Pas de secret, le Zwift Ride Smart Frame est la même chose que le Zwift Ride, mais sans smart-trainer ! On dispose de toutes ses fonctionnalités mais avec un choix de home-trainers plus larges. Le Zwift Ride Smart Frame est vendu 800…

[wouteke]

matjefreddy zwift event highlights

during their gay ass couples ride they answered some questions from chat ^_^ first of all. im scared

did we know that????? ALSO everyone in the ride was laughing abt this and mathieu didnt even say anything to defend himself 😭 😭 😭

LIKE 😭 GIRL STAND UP. anyway

very [clenches fist]. more under the cut

Start of the ride:

mullet adds 20w... not everything is about science you know!

+ had to include this one just for the smile 😭

people were also CONSTANTLYYYY talking about freddy's dad 😭😭 how are you the third most important guy in your own two-person zwift

had to defend himself 😭😭

buuut i think he doesn't mind all the attn on matje c:

+ setting realistic goals LMFAO

watopia chat.. seems like freddy may not be enjoying belgium much lolol

very true wisdom

other random q&as - freddy's fave pizza is pepperoni and he had waffles for breakfast... no comment on matjes breakfast. somebody also asked freddy if he needs a new skinsuit every race since his custom one is white and he said yes LOL

most of the questions were for matje but they were a bit boring as one might expect 😭 he said he wants to do mtb next year, gravel worlds will be his last race until cx but they haven't started any cross planning yet. he also said that the gravel course is "nice" based on his recon and he has a custom grail for it

there he is ...

anyway that's about it 😭 it may be cringe to not even DO the actual zwift and just watch the replay but what can i say. their little back and forth negging is so married couple it makes me ill

[zuzkana]

Ride time

[thegreypedaler]

[borekdothu]

50km

Három hét kihagyás után mivel is lehetne letesztelni, hogy még élek-e. Gondoltam, nem satnyultam még el annyira, hogy ne bírjak lenyomni egy ötvenest. De sikerült? Igen. A tervezett időn belül? Igen.

[exitrowiron]

I’m still bike training 5-6 hours a week to get ready for my cross Pyrenees trip this August. I hired a coach and he creates bike workouts that are downloaded to Zwift. I ride my Kickr trainer in Erg mode and Zwift and the Kickr automatically change the resistance to match the workout.

I am in a “build” phase of this month’s training and the workouts are very, very challenging. I can only sustain a few minutes above 160 beats per minute and 171 is as high as I can go. My Garmin watch was not impressed this morning.

Zwift tries to make the inherently boring experience of riding a bike trainer a little more exciting. You can chat with other riders, give kudos and even go on group rides (none of which I have any interest in doing). They also reward time in the app by advancing riders to higher and levels based on miles ridden. At each level you get points which can spend to get flashier wheels, or a special jersey or helmet. As you can see in the pic I just earned some special bike gloves. This is entirely wasted on me. I’ve never ridden by another biker, noticed his jersey and realized or cared what level the rider has achieved.

Despite the Garmin’s advice to chill on the couch, we XC skied for an hour with my niece and her SO. It is pretty warm and the tracks haven’t been groomed but it was fun nonetheless.

[puncheur]

switching between being on cyclblr and talking cycling w my dad all holiday has been a RIDE. everyone on here talking about getting mvdp pregnant meanwhile the top things my dad detests in life includes:

the dutch

alpecin-deceuninck

riders who ride in white shorts

ppl w vanity plates on their cars

zwift

anyways he has Thoughts&Opinions on mvdp as i have learned

[hiimles]

Have you found a peloton to ride with, in your new homestead?

The only ride is on Thursday evening. So, no. I ride with Zwift on a trainer in my garage. Turns out, just because I live in the mountains my dislike for climbing didn’t go away.

[freebeatfit]

Affordable Spin Bike

Looking for an affordable spin bike that's as close to the Peloton experience as possible? Want something that goes beyond just cycling, offering plenty of versatility and convenience? Look no further than the freebeat Spin Bike. This innovative bike combines high-quality engineering with thoughtful design, providing everything you need to push yourself physically. Whether you're a cycling enthusiast or a yoga lover, a busy professional or an everyday woman, the White Indoor Bike has something for you.

​But what really sets this bike apart is its benefits over the Peloton. With 12 resistance levels and a comfortable, customizable seat, the White Indoor Bike delivers a smoother ride than its competitor. Plus, it comes equipped with an LCD display screen that tracks essential metrics like time, distance, calories burned, and speed. And with the ability to sync with popular fitness apps like Zwift and Kinomap, you can explore virtual courses and compete against cyclists from around the world.

Ready to take your indoor cycling to the next level? Follow these steps to get started with the White Indoor Bike: first, adjust the bike to your height and secure your feet in the pedals. Next, choose a workout program that fits your fitness level and goals. Transform your indoor cycling experience with the White Indoor Bike.

[allhell-brakeloose]

The weather is not inviting for riding outside yet... Cold and wet, with ice on the road here and there. I am training on Zwift lately, I am halfway through the "road to the sky" challenge for February.

Getting slowly better at pacing myself on the climbs and managing my gear shifts. Unfortunately I still need to get my nutrition strategy right... I didn't have any carb-intensive snacks today so I almost bonked and the last 15 KMS were quite the challenge. I need to have some emergency candy or some gels at hand to get out of the carb slump. Hydration worked well however, i had at least one liter of water (sweating a lot because indoors there's no air to cool me down) with some magnesium and salts tablets. Feeling sore but not cramped.

If you'd like to, pm for adding me on Zwift!

[mylifelessonslog]

Another day comes to an end. Gave myself a lie in this morning and done no exercise to start. Still journalled and had breakfast/coffee in bed which was lush. Had to do a fair bit of driving for work today so only managed a midday walk for 2.5miles. But after work I done a semi relaxed 1hr Zwift ride before tidying my place up and cooking up some tasty food.

Spoke to my massage man today though which was good. Been given some recommendations and have booked in a massage for a couple weeks time. The main recommendation is to not just stretch and move but actually get in touch with my breath and feel the breath and how my body is acting. I also got reminded that it may we be emotions that are tightening me up and I have a good idea of what emotions might have tide themselves in there- imma breathe the fuckers out though ��

Food was tasty this evening. I got some tempeh from Aldi today. Not really into the processed shite but this was tasty and easy- exactly what I needed this evening.

Tomorrow I'll wake up to an organised, clean flat. Cupboards full of food, drawers full of clean nice clothes and a house that feels like home.

I feel greatful for my life.

Here to calming down.

Ill do some stretches, then head off to dream world ❤️

[cavenewstimes]

Zwift Ride smart bike review

Live Science Verdict The Zwift Ride provides all the substance of a full smart bike at less than half the cost. It’s cheaper than some turbo trainers alone and looks better than the average bike hooked up to one. You get an excellent Zwift experience here. The only major downside is that the proprietary virtual gear system is not compatible with rival platforms, limiting how free you are to try…

[wont-stop-biking]

wow i can sustain training rides WAY longer when im not glued to a HIIT program lol

which i discovered by accident while trying zwift for fun and refused to stop for the entire free trial period cause i couldnt figure out how the fuck to log out of the ride lmao

[britishcyclesport]

CycleCoach - Indoor Trainer

Indoor Trainer – Ric Stern points out some of the pitfalls. Three Things You’re Doing Wrong On Zwift! (Or Any Other Indoor Trainer Platform) Summer is over in the northern hemisphere, and the weather has turned. If you’re anything like me you’ll have dragged out your indoor trainer and started to do some indoor rides on it. Even with the option of a gravel bike or a MTB there are some filthy…