Tips for getting most out of Zwift training over winter?

Having spent most of this year running, I'll be looking at training plans to get me back to a decent level of cycling fitness. 

I'm expecting lots of Zone 2 and some intervals of various types with the occasional high intensity ride thrown in. I did Zwift Academy last year and that worked well for me 

Racing doesn't interest me whatsoever, especially on Zwift where everything is so short. 

Don’t get hung up on getting dropped in Zwift races, treat it as a training ride and make sure you finish 👍

I'm just going to do loads of zone 2. I keep hearing that it should be 80% of our training ( and can drastically improve fitness) but it's boring so I'm going to watch TV while I do it and see if I reap the benefits.

Can't do it outside because it's too hilly.

Consistency. When training for the Dirty Reiver this year, I think it was mainly the consistency of efforts that helped.
Easy rides are important, as well as hard ones.

If you want to get better at the races, do them regularly. It takes a while to get used to them.

I wouldn't call races TRAINING per se, but they are still riding...

The best fitness I ever had was after sticking to the "build me up" programme on zwift.

DrP

I have a few custom Z2 ERG workouts, and ride them on a variety of Watopia or wherever, with the Companion App showing the zone band, main zwift screen on iPad. I’ll have sounds on AirPods and find an hour passes easily and pleasantly.

I do find it more engaging to an actually do a just ride route, using gears, and keeping myself in Z2  - more to think about and passes quickly.

Binned Zwift. Can you commute on the bike.

Just enojy it... That's the simplest answer to it all on Zwift. Some enjoy the climbing, some enjoy structured training, some enjoy the racing and some enjoy riding around. It's all down to your mindset and preference.

Me, i'll take racing 90% of my Zwifts, but it is at times counter productive to the legs, fatigue and muscle strain issues.... So i TRY and do slower and less intense rides too, but they're not my favourite, so it's hard to find the enthusiasm for them.

Being consistent is the main thing so find a way that you can set yourself goals that you’ll keep. For some folks it’s a training plan, some a mileage target and some a time target.

Personally, I save up a bunch of superhero nonsense to watch and do a TrainerRoad plan. That gives me a bit of structure which I can then tweak as time/health dictates. I’ve learned the hard way to be patient though - piling on too much early on in the season makes it really hard to keep consistent later on.

The route badges on zwift are good to rack miles, throw in races on top as and when you feel for intensity. You wouldn't typically look for structured progression over the winter, but if you struggle with turbo motivation then a training plan might be the engagement you need.

I looked at the longer routes when I first got zwift and they didn't really register, the idea of sitting on the turbo for that length of time did not compute. Ended up doing them all - some with virtual company when the forum was organising stuff during lockdown. Wouldn't say I ever got to a level where it felt comfy but you can certainly get into the longer ride mindset on zwift.

You wouldn’t typically look for structured progression over the winter

I typically use winter to gradually increase time spent in sweetspot, aim being good long intervals amounting to double your TTE

If just starting on Zwift, or if your level is below approx 34 and you expect to try racing over the winter, make good use of the current Tour Of Watopia.

ToW gives double XP (used to level up), opening up faster frames and especially faster wheels that you buy with accumilated drops ( https://zwiftinsider.com/what-to-buy-at-each-zwift-level/ is a good guide on what to buy). Joining a group ride will increase your speed if you get drafting benefit, makes routes like the unusually high route completion XP bonus for "Eastern Eight" finish quicker (last day for this group ride route today until the catchup week). If you don't want to do group rides, you can do the routes solo "on demand" this year.

Some ERG workout plans such as "TT-Tuneup" https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup (a rare Zwift plan that doesn't have random intervals within a session with no real logic) run the real risk of overtraining if you increase your FTP estimate during the plan and/or try and add races on top of the plan.

Racing - if you have a heart rate monitor and a smart trainer, start in Cat D and find which type circuits suit you. I found that you have to sprint 10secs before the start and absolutely bust  gut for a few minutes to settle in a group. Otherwise your at the back. But always finish as the actual results on ZWIFTPOWER will eliminate all the cheats you could not keep with in the race. Crit City is my fav circuit and there is often 5 Micro Races that are about 10-15mins and 10mins apart you can do. Otherwise Scotland is my fav scenery circuit as it's always changing or Sand and Seqouia.

I don't use Zwift, sometimes use Tacx (the Koppenberg climb with "road feel" switched on is horrible) and RGT (ability to create "models" of real routes - Brickworks is much harder than doing it for real though that perhaps has a lot to do with my old '90s bike on the trainer, 52/42 11-28). Most often though I use the trainer without the computer and do a mix of British Cycling workouts and have in the past used a couple of British Cycling's TrainingPeaks plans.

RGT is no more.

Isn't it part of Wahoo now? I can still log onto WahooRGT with my details from last winter, routes etc. are still there.

They're closing RGT down at the end of the month. The rest of Systm is still going, though.

Coming back from a hip injury I’ll be doing zone 2 using trainer day and watching  GCN. I’ve stopped racing so I’m going to see what zone 2 only and normal outdoor rides does for my fitness. Or I’m going to sack it all off and get an ebike

Or I’m going to sack it all off and get an ebike

They don't do it all for you

😉

Spend the money on Traineroad instead. You really don't need to be riding alongside digital avatars.

dazh

Spend the money on Traineroad instead. You really don’t need to be riding alongside digital avatars.

Some people might find this to be the case, but I would get bored out of my swede staring at a blue graph for an hour or more & struggle for motivation to bother with a turbo trainer, if I wasn't using something like Zwift.
I used a turbo before Zwift was a thing & hated it. I don't think I ever managed more than an hour. I suppose you could watch a film, or stick iplayer on, along side TR.

During the winter, I find riding 'on Zwift' much more enjoyable than riding on dark, cold roads staring at a small illuminated bit of grey tarmac, and there isn't really much off-road near me to bother with.

As above... I get TR works for some.. I like the 'idea' of covering miles on 'the road', even if it's virtual etc etc...

I mainly do training programmes, but also like to do group workouts and races etc etc.. (i really should get back into racing)..

DrP

I too am realising it's that time of year when I restart the old Zwift subscription. I've just been looking at the training plans though, and they all seem to need five or six sessions a week at an hour a time. That's quite a time commitment, isn't it?

Zwift Training Plans don't seem to get a lot of love and I think are generally considered to be a bit random and not very well thought-out.

I tried one and it was indeed pretty brutal and I say that as someone who has done a fair amount of training/plans/intervals over the years. I didn't really adhere to it properly in the end and I think I'm reasonably well disciplined/motivated.

When I do Traineroad plans they seem a bit easier to stick to but then again TR does give you then option to tailor the plan to you, so I guess its always going to seem "better".

On a slightly related note to the OP, somebody on the Traineroad forum reckons that once you hit 7 hours a week of <any type of riding> then you will get faster. I think they are probably right.

For sure you could get faster sooner, by being very clinical about your progression and interval(s) but I think to a greater or lesser degree you will progress either way once you hit those hours/week. I found it to be true when I tried this for a few months over the summer.

I’ve just been looking at the training plans though, and they all seem to need five or six sessions a week at an hour a time. That’s quite a time commitment, isn’t it?

I agree - it's my one criticism of zwift TBH..

In reality I can only really fit 2 sessions a week in (with work, swimming, and IRL riding).

I'm doing the "build me up" plan, but cherry picking sensible workouts. These are mainly:

The unicorns - aim to always do these.

The 90% FTP ones.. devedset, novanto etc

Ones sticking to one type of workout.. Ignore 'amalgam' and 'A bit of everything' sessions... Ham sandwich is good.

Over/under workouts are good

Once you figure out what to miss out, it makes more sense and is more acheivable...

DrP

This was one of the reasons I stopped doing the Zwift plans.
I could never keep up with the workouts due to time constraints & 'stuff'.

I signed up to Xert in Jan this year & find it very good. It's about £8 a month, so works out around £20/month for Zwift & Xert.
Xert takes some getting used to, but the training advisor constantly updates based on the work you have been doing - so if you are time constrained on a particular week & don't meet your planned workout schedule it will just re-calculate things.
The problem I have found with it, is because it lets you choose what workout you want to do at any given time you need to be quite disciplined at choosing suitable workouts. I recently went through a phase of picking easier workouts for some reason - head wasn't quite in it - and was struggling to see any gains - not unexpectedly.

It will also used HR data from outdoor rides (although it prefers a power meter) to update your progress/fitness signature. And you can load workouts up on a Garmin & do them outside if you have a power meter fitted. I don't think this works with Wahoo units.
The trial can be a bit limiting. I ended up just signing up to it, as you can upload a lot more historic fitness data which helps to dial in your fitness signature & also makes a lot more workouts available.

I also found the Zwift plans impossivle to stick to. Especially if you have any kind of family / social life and like to ride outside. I just try and ride on feel - Z2 sessions if I'm tired or a race / interval session if I'm feeling fresh. 2 - 3 sessions per week, each no longer than an hour.

once you hit 7 hours a week of <any type of riding> then you will get faster. I think they are probably right.

I train for anywhere between 8-12hrs a week.  The current illness free period has seen my fitness shoot up albeit from a very low base this year.   1hr of race start intervals on Saturday saw me 20w below my peak power of 1280w personal best after which I rode 3hrs endurance without any issues.  <br /><br />Sessions are usually z2 at the weekend, sweet spot or Threshold on Tuesdays, and Z2/3 with the Hotchilee sessions on Thursday followed by some short sharp intervals after 90mins.  2 other days are recovery days.  

...once you hit 7 hours a week of <any type of riding> then you will get faster

Will certainly improve especially if starting from a low base but might eventually need some kind of progression/structure to avoid the plateau?

Find a way you enjoy using it.  Do that.

I think the finer differences between all these different approaches are often wiped out by whether or not you actually stick to it consistently over the winter.

If racing's not for you...don't do it.  But I don't think (do you have a zwiftpower profile you are willing to share?) you should be getting dropped even from the lowest group (what do you mean lowest group?).

+1 for consistency trumping a program, although a consistent program is always going to be better if you can stick at it.

7 hours sounds a bit 'average', it'll be more than a novice could achieve, but less than a lot of club cyclists probably do on any given Sunday. A better oversimplification would be you get faster if you do more than you currently do. If you don't ride enough then "more" is just more miles. If you ride a lot then perhaps "more" is just more effort. If you're already putting in the effort then perhaps "more" is structuring it better so you can go harder/more often with optimized rest.

Thanks to nObOdy (on a different thread he gave loads of getting started advice) I did my first race yday.

I was out the back from the start (maybe I will try that pre start sprinting technique above, next time) but wasn't dead last and come the final few Kms there were half a dozen around me to try and beat to the line. Good fun.

I guess the point being is .... Does it really matter where you finish ? As long as it is fun it should bring you back for more and then you will get that all important consistency.

Got a couple of question if I may ... the thumbs up I keep seeing and people asking for a ride ons, what that pls

And virtual bike upgrades !! Please can someone explain that .... ta

Ro5ey

Got a couple of question if I may … the thumbs up I keep seeing and people asking for a ride ons, what that pls

And virtual bike upgrades !! Please can someone explain that …. ta

The thumbs up 'ride ons' are just like Kudos on Strava. It's just a virtual pat on the back, really. It doesn't mean anything, or do anything but I suppose just helps with the sense of community.
You can give ride-ons in several different ways. In a group ride or race, when using the companion app on the map page, there should be a white ring around your position on the road. If you tap that, it will give ride-ons to people around you & then recharge (the white line will refill). When it is full, you can tap it again - it will only give ride-ons once to the same person, so if you are in a small group repeatedly tapping it won't really do anything.

Virtual bike upgrades....
You get new bike options as you go through the levels, which you can swap to in the garage.
The Tron bike (illuminated wheels) you get by doing the climbing challenge. This takes ages, but you can start the challenge & it just counts all the climbing you do while using Zwift towards the challenge.
You can also spend the 'drops' that you earn on new kit - well, bikes and wheels.

Depending on the route you are doing, it can be worth swapping frames & wheels - a lighter frame & wheelset will see you a little bit faster on a hilly route, as will an aero set-up on a flat route.
If you choose a TT bike you won't get any draft effect so probably best to stay clear unless that's what you want.
Also, on courses that have a lot of off-road (jungle circuit for example), a gravel bike will be quite a lot faster. Conversely, keeping gravel bike on a road bike will mean you end up having to use a lot more effort to stay with a pack.

I'm about to set up my jet black volt on Zwift, so watching with interest.
in the past I've 'used' some of these BC sessions on a dumb turbo, so interested at the possibility to automate on Zwif. Not sure I want to also for training peaks ££, but suspect some of these sessions will be similar to some of the Zwift ones.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/training-plans/supporting-documents/article/izn20140529-Indoor-Training-Sessions-0

what our peoples top tips for getting the most out of winter training?

Doing it consistently. Doesn't matter if you only manage 2 or 3 a week, it's better than nothing! Even a few Zone 2 rides a week will help get your base fitness up and give you a decent starting point for the spring. I'm in a similar situation of hardly any riding this summer so going into winter with no fitness at all and Zwift is the only real way I'm going to make any gains. Means I don't have to worry about only getting a ride in every weekend and can just enjoy being outdoors, the sessions on the trainer take care of the fitness gains.

I’ve just been looking at the training plans though, and they all seem to need five or six sessions a week at an hour a time. That’s quite a time commitment, isn’t it?

Pebble Pounder is good if you're short on time. 3 sessions per week at ~ 45 mins each and an optional general ride that you can do outdoors (just tick it, they're based on riding time so not actual training). It's not going to give you massive gains but it's easy enough to do and isn't time-hungry like some of the bigger plans.

On a different but related point. Is it possible to link Zwift to a non smart TV using chromecast? Is it reliable/usable?

I binned Zwift, too many gimmicks making it all seem false and too game like I ended to playing about and not sticking to a plan.

I use Bkool now, proper routes, videos etc can add your own rides with GPX and vids.

If anyone wants to try it I can get 20% off a sub, just msg me. First 30days are free anyway.

Tagged for future

I've got the bug, a little bit, maybe there is somethin in this gamification.

Rather than just riding around, I thought it's best to be riding for "something" and looking into into level upgrades, XP and Drops etc, I came across "best" beginners wheels.

So Saturday afternoon I rode to a climb portal and rode up Col de al Madone (riding climbs will accelerate the rate of drops accumulated and these climb portals have sectors that throw out extra XP)... 90 mins later I had enough drops to get some new wheels ?? A new frame is my next aim, reckon I'll have to do 4 more decent climbs.

Here's the weird bit.

In the real world I don't buy upgrades. I've got a retro late 80s steel Colnago, that is the nuts, and in the last ten years the only thing I bought are tyres.

Now what the new wheels or a new frame will do in the game who knows, probably not much, but its got my attention for the time being.

@Ro5ey

https://zwiftinsider.com/climb-mt-everest/

@monkeyp I started off using my phone and a Chromecast for Zwifting. Had to use screen mirroring as there's no cast option on the Android Zwift app, which was a bit disappointing. Resolution wasn't great and I found navigating the Zwift menus on a small screen tricky.

I've ended up buying an "open box" Apple TV device for £75 from eBay which will run the Zwift app and I can control it from the Zwift Companion app on my phone or the Apple TV remote.

I've been doing Zwift for a couple of weeks, I'm still not completely sold on it. I've done an FTP test and started doing the Build Me Up course, which I dropped after a couple of sessions - the longer sessions (1hr plus) for me are just too hard/boring/uncomfortable🫤

I've started Build Me Up Lite now.

Pretty much as above but I mix Zwift up a little. For instance I might join an easy RoboPacer and teleport upwards to see how long I can keep up and then back to catch my breath.
Tour of Watopia is good and also find a group and ride and chat using Discord.

Hey

How do you find the STW rides/races on Zwift pls

Ta

@Ro5ey - they've kinda fizzled out a bit.
There was Sunday hills that haven't been done for ages, Robbo's race series that ran through lock-down but no more and the TTT team on a Thursday which hasn't been on for ages.
There's an stw club, but again very little (nothing) going on.

Maybe it'll pick up a bit once winter gets properly underway.
Keep your eyes peeled for Zwift threads.

I may do the 10.00-15-30-11 tiny races tomorrow