Watching that made my knees and back hurt 
I hate to make people jealous, but I’m months away from 40 and I have zero aches or pains.
Bring it on, I’ll hop a bike 
!
2 Likes
Anyone here using Zwift? I’m imaging some of you may have even ditched it years ago. It is totally new to me though. I am sorta married to it because it is tied in with my new Wahoo KICKRcore trainer (a very nifty piece of kit). I’d like to know how to use Zwift to best effect. It has a Robopacer feature (basically an AI group ride). But the pacer is so damn slow that you’d have to ride an hour just to break a sweat. I’m sure there’s a way to force the app to work me harder. In the meantime I am just free-riding. But that’s going to get dull quick. Any tips are appreciated.
2 Likes
I’ve used it for years, over time it’s got better. It depends on what you want to do, as how to best use it.
If you look there are different Robo pacers running at different speeds (average W/KG). Yes some are slow, so pick a faster one. Try riding with Coco for an hour and report back… 
You don’t have to do rides with the Robo pacer, explore some of the routes, and ride at your own pace. Group rides are good, as are the seasonal events (e.g Tour of Watopia) where there are 8 or so rides to complete.
I’d recommend getting the Zwift Companion app which will allow you to see upcoming rides/races.
I’ve recently ditched Zwift for Rouvy as they upped the pricing significantly. Both me and the better half use it so two subscriptions became a bit outside where I want to pay.
1 Like
Thanks @keets! That’s helpful regarding Robopacers. I thought it was using my FTP. Sounds like Coco may need to wait until I become a stronger rider.
1 Like
From memory they’re colour coded to zones.
it’s worth checking zwiftinsider for info on heaps of things in zwift.
I’d also recommend setting yourself up on zwiftpower as well, which gives a lot of historical data on how you improve.
1 Like
Ditto what @keets says. I used Zwift pretty much since its inception. There is a lot to like about Zwift, especially if you want to do group rides or race.
But like keets, I also switched to Rouvy, maybe 6 mos ago. The main reason is not because of the price, but rather that I got board with riding the same courses on Zwift and really enjoy the diversity and video quality of Rouvy’s routes. It gets updated a lot and if they break something, are usually quick to fix it.
There are a lot of comparison videos on the YT, but what I did was ride the trial before comitting. At my age and with kids still at home, have less time to ride, but when I do, Rouvy is pretty good at suspending reality and convincing me that I am riding in Spain or France. Zwift has way more support from pro teams and better racing (that I no longer do), but at my point in the cycling journey, Rouvy is a better fit.
Zwift has better racing, but Rouvy will throw in a segment from a grand tour if the year’s course traverses one of its routes. During the last Tour, I was on a Rouvy route climb and realized that it was in the actual stage for the day! Pretty cool to try to match time with Wout van Aert - not. There were only about 30k riders ahead of me LOL. Probably got passed by the lantern rouge, the publicity caravan, the camperozi, the Gendarmerie, and the drunken Dutch.
Rouvy has a companion app too, that will let you search for a route and set it to “ride later”. Then when you are ready to ride, jump on your trainer, start Rouvy on your Apple TV, pull up the companion app and start the “ride later” route. Works easier than it is to explain.
They both integrate well with Strava.
3 Likes
I just now (literally)..finally wrapped up watching the 2025 Tour de France. Amazingly..I managed to avoid any news about it…well..actually..this is the United States..so no wonder. I watch the replays on Peacock and for many many months after the event kicks off I sort of soak in an hour or two a day and string it out. It almost becomes the background music to my cooking and folding laundry..etc.. I’m always sad when it ends.
I was glad to see Phil back yet again. Sometimes you can sense the tension between Bob Roll and Phil..I suspect Bob can’t wait for Phil to retire so he can perhaps welcome Christian into the booth with him. But Christian on the moto is pretty darn special..as is Steve Porino doing the cultural stuff out in the field. In the studio..the dynamic between Brent Bookwalter and Tejay van Garderen was cringey. Brent seems like a cool dude. Tejay seems like a constant contrarian to the point of seeming like an ass. But it did liven up the studio coverage.
The race itself. Pretty awesome. Insanely difficult. So many great moments throughout and I enjoyed the entirety of it. I still object to the neutralization of sections and finishes..I feel it takes something away from the event and make it less exciting. I understand the reason behind it..but when they rolled into Paris the top 10 was locked in after the first climb there in Paris. Meh…OK…
Missed seeing Cavendish. Always a character. Had hoped Roglic would do something special. Was pissed off that the other teams pretty much relegated the U.S. riders to support as usual when I feel some of them could have contended for stages.
Now..on to the recordings of the Vuelta. (No spoilers please!)… I feel the need to get back on my bike.
3 Likes
Thanks @chipwich belatedly for the advice on Zwift and Rouvy. I am married to Zwift for a year but Rouvy sounds both more my speed and my aesthetic. Zwift looks a bit like Doom 2. And I will never race. Hopefully when/if I do switch it will be compatible with the Wahoo Kickr base.
2 Likes
I’ve really been enjoying riding with Zwift. Apps during exercise have never been my thing. I run with a timex watch and nothing else. I just want to hear the sounds around me and my own breathing. During covid I put the bike on a trainer and rode with my phone running “Sufferfest”, cool snarky riding videos with great music. I rode daily but the app did little to push me through my own laziness. But Zwift is kicking my butt every time. No matter how bad the lactic acid buildup is, I just can’t resist the green sprinter zones. If a better rider ambles past, I put in an extra 10 watts to stay in his slipstream. Well, as I admitted above, I am years late to this discovery but happy to be here now!
4 Likes
Sometimes, I think about getting a fatbike to ride in the winter.
But, then I remember it doesn’t solve my #1 problem with the winter: I hate the cold. 100F/37C degree weather doesn’t phase me. But, the moment it dips below 50F/10C? I am not happy!
2 Likes
Really good to hear. There’ll be a Zwift event soon, I can’t remember if it’s Tour de Zwift or TouR of Watopia. I found it really motivating as there’s huge group rides every 30-60mins, so fits in really well with your training.
2 Likes