- Where do you spend New Year's Eve this year? How?
- I am going to play a game.
- What
- Zwift!
... or so it seemed to me when setting up a simulator. As predicted, the enthusiasm dropped with each kilometer passed alone. Then I discovered that it does not have to be so boring, and at times can even give fun. Below are a few words about how to start your adventure with races / riding online. The first fire goes to Zwift, one of the most popular applications recently, based on computer-rendered routes (ie classic game), both fictional and real (although using the plural here is somewhat exaggerated).
"100 countries have more than 4.5 million virtual miles"
www.zwift.com
What do you need and what do we need:
1. Computer. The best of today, which embraces 3d games. The application allows you to choose only the resolution, the rest sets itself, so even my antediluvium gives advice on low details. Classic office equipment may have some problems, although apart from the aesthetic sensation it does not interfere with driving per se, although it is known that when it is nicer it is nicer. The computer is useful ... a second computer or an additional monitor, depending on how long you want to go. Let's be honest: driving 3 hours in oxygen alone, it's nice to have something to watch, preferably some kind of competition. In the premium version, we connect the projector
2.ANT + adapter on USB, called ANT + Dongle. It is important that it supports the ANT2 protocol, because the older version is not supported by Zwift. This is due to the number of channels supported: the older one simultaneously transmits 8 streams, and the newer 8, that is, more data passes at once. The following should be marked on the back of the device:
USBA will mean older and the color of the plug should be white
USB-m is newer and the color of the plug should be black.
At the moment, the device older (on the left) of the type is probably no longer produced, so it's easy to make a mistake and buy it in a promotion or on an allegro.
Installation 
dongla is that we put it into the USB port and wait until it installs itself. We do not use additional programs, such as Garmin ANT Agent, because they bite with Zwift. That means they can be on the computer, but they have to be turned off - the application will remind us about it.
3. Trainer.
All the most popular types of trainers are supported, here full list.
Basic:
This is a big surprise. The creators implemented resistance curves for quite a large number of classic devices, i.e. those without power measurement. In short: the cheapest and most popular. The only thing we need in this case is the speed sensor on the wheel, which transmits data after the ANT + protocol (Bluetooth is not yet supported), i.e. a standard wireless speed / cadence sensor (beautifully called in Western perpetrator's language) "Geschwindigkeits- und Trittfrequenzmesser") from Garmin. The solution marked as zPower is sometimes controversial, because the accuracy of the measurement depends on many factors such as tire pressure and its type, pressure of the machine, wheel slide, etc. I am talking about cheating, of course, because in order to win you just have to lie with your weight, to get a better power-to-weight ratio. Such cases are fortunately caught up quickly, because if you see a player who does 612W, at 106 and is marked as zPower, then either Cavendish has no chance at the nearest Tour or someone is cheating.
A much better solution is to connect a standard bike trainer with a pedal / crank / hub measurement. This is how it should be: "only watts / kilo count in life".
Smart Trainers
Which allow the game to spread its wings. Charging while driving is given on a regular basis, so when the bike rushes down you can stop pedaling, and so we will get speed, and with 11% lift, it gets really hard. Configuration is limited here to clicking "OK". I use the Wahoo Kickr trainer myself, and I can not fault him - he happens to delay the terrain by 2-3 seconds, but it does not bother him.
4. Phone. It is not necessary, but it facilitates some service. We enable the Zwift application, connect to the internet, log in using the same account as the computer and that's it. We get access to 4 screens and a convenient way of communication
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- a standard dashboard displaying basic information about the effects also gives the opportunity to stop driving or turning (buttons should be held for 3 seconds)
- cycling events thanks to which we can freely chat (it will help a little bit of available in both Android and iOS speech processing on text), perform a few gestures, take a screenshot (the file saves both on the phone and computer) and change the view. My favorite is "I'm Toast"
- list of players at a short distance along with the distance that separates them to them and the number of watts per kilogram they currently generate
- preview of the selected cyclist, so we can check what equipment he uses, see how he is driving or send his thumb to encourage.
In addition, text messages sent by other riders are displayed on each screen.
5. Fan
Without a fan it will not go too far. Pot instead of dripping from the whole body will be pouring out of it, so if we do not pedal on the balcony, there is a good chance that we will be overheated. It is important not to set the blow on the head, because the matter of time will be loss of voice. The direction, strength and number of vents is a matter of taste - the psyche tells you that it's better in the back. In general, the topic of building appropriate climatic conditions is quite complicated and the only way is probably the trial and error method. If you're getting ready for a longer route, it's a good idea to test different solutions earlier. In my case, one thing is sure: after riding, the shorts will be so stiff from the salt that it will make them a flag in windless weather.
6. Fejsbuk and people
As far as the initial fascination
the game was justified, enthusiasm began to fall quite quickly. After a dozen laps on both sides, the route I knew by heart and not only that it started to do boring is overcoming only the driveways itself has become annoying ... well, how to train with power when coming down the drive - to keep the appropriate values I would have to shoot with speed of the hamster. The faith was restored as usual by people. A few joint races, a few rides, some discussion on Zwift Riders and driving again becomes cool, because the company is from all over the world, from the United States, through Vietnam, to Australia. As part of facilitating communication, the TeamSpeak program is also sometimes included, which allows you to communicate by voice regardless of the location on the map, both virtual and real.
From time to time, a bigger event is also organized. Last week, for example, was a ride with Jens Voigt. This is the perfect moment to ask a question that has been bothering us for a long time. We will often find "tour"Thematic, oscillating within 2W / kg, so everyone should deal with them. I noticed, however, that the vast majority of people come from across the ocean, but rarely the turnout with decent hours falls below 100 people, which on relatively short loops makes us rather uncomfortable (at least until we get off the trainer) .
7. Achievments, expa farm, collecting items, leveling
Subject, in my opinion, a bit incomplete. It is known that the elements of RPG games are what they hold at the screen. Wall of glory, shiny, legendary armor, exclusive hat, that's it. In Zwifcie, achievments are granted for speed, number of kilometers, maximum power, etc. I also greet the person who invented the achievement: exceed 1500W. It's nice, but unfortunately there are only a dozen or so and they do not give anything except the information on the screen:
It's a bit better to collect experience. The bar at the top of the screen moves slowly with each beaten kilometer and when it reaches the end, we gain a new level and an additional opportunity to modify our appearance. New bike, new clothes, new wheels. Other elements such as a helmet, goggles and gloves are unfortunately limited to the choice "I have or do not have". Interestingly, the time bike is clearly slower when driving uphill, but saves some watts when driving on straights. It is also impossible to draft or draft a draft for it - yes, the application has been implemented as a group ride, thanks to which groups are created on "settings" as in life. After each of the segments, we draw a bonus for example "lower weight" - with TT bikes bonuses are limited only to additional "experience" - ideally to farm (greetings for fans of hack & slashy).
There are 3 segments on each route - full lap (several minutes), mountain (a few minutes) and sprint (several seconds). Defeating them in the best possible time, we get the leader's jersey (below the green, for the sprint). The distinction stays with us for an hour, unless someone in the meantime reaches a better time.
8. $ 10 per monthbecause from October 29, the application goes from Beta to a full-fledged, paid product. In return, we will get a "workout mode" that will allow you to create workouts / training plans and ride according to the charts on the screen. It sounds a bit like a limited TrainerRoad, which I will deal with in the near future.
"Your son is talented, only a little lazy"
teacher of every child
Two questions probably arise after the text: who is it for and who is it cool?
If we have a detailed training plan developed, then nothing will come of it. You can move the simulator so that it does not react by changing the load on the route, but what is the sense of driving around the area that we know by heart? Soon, there will be ready-made trainings and maybe it will make life a little easier.
The game is fun and you can feel its huge potential, but for now it leaves a lot of disappointment. Two boards, between which we can not switch (Richmond is valid from Saturday to Tuesday), very limited modifications, lists of prey and configuration. Let's be honest - watching the race of professionals on the route we know is much nicer. For the time being, I am transferring to strictly training software: TrainerRoad, but I will be watching with interest how this project will develop. Especially after leaving the Beta phase this month.
3 words of the bonus, about how I spent 6 hours looking at the screen.
Exactly 5 hours and 53 minutes, starting at 18 and finishing exactly at midnight. It was one of those seemingly pointless challenges, just like the entrance 2730 floors at a time. This time, however, the goal was a noble one - on the occasion of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, Zwift offered to donate $ 112 to charity for every distance of 182km (112 miles). In the end, I could do something useful for the world thanks to my fierce and resistance to boredom. During these few hours, I saw several music videos, a few episodes of the series, Jan Frodeno's master fight and I suspect that an equally hard fight of the last competitor was excluded from the competition, because there were a few seconds to the time limit in swimming. I drank a few liters of water, ate several bananas, two pancakes, one yogurt.
It was one of the most difficult psychological challenges in my life, mainly due to the 6-hour, lonely stay in the room and the fight against temperature, humidity and logistics - I decided that just like the players, I will not get off the bike for a moment. At this point, I would like to remind you that competitors in times of need often pee through the leg while driving - I am not sure if the dance floor would be happy. The first doubts appeared after ~ two hours, this is usually the case "very long training session"Pedaling in place. Then it was just worse. The power displayed on the screen dropped regularly, and my legs became more and more limed. I do not know how I managed to survive it, maybe it is aware that since I am already 2,3,4 ... hours it would be stupid to let go. Maybe the awareness of these $ 112 - it's killing you all season, in the end would bring some tangible benefits. In any case, and despite going down I wanted to put a trainer from PLN 1 BCM on the allegro, the next day I found out that it was a lot of fun in the end. It's always like that. It is probably the "next day syndrome", which this season has already appeared obscene number of times and I can not wait to see us again when dying for Zameczek, Piktoniówkę, Huty or Nowy Dwór Wejherowski.
PS yeah, you can export routes easily to Strava, but be prepared for stigmatizing by colleagues for the breaking of winter statistics. Richmond is in the States, and Watopia is in ...
If you have any questions, write on Facebook, under the following entry:
https://www.facebook.com/HopCycling/posts/439027256281392
UPDATE: Curiosity, the current world record in riding a stationary bike is 111 hours :)
http://www.worldrecordacademy.com/sports/longest_stationary_riding_world_record_set_by_George_Hood_70554.htm
