Cycle Like a Pro... Without Leaving the House

It's raining today. Like, full-on, I-don't-even-want-to-put-the-rubbish-out kind of rain. Cold too.

The exact kind of weather that makes the perfect reason for cancelling the exercise you had planned. Running. Cycling. Even just walking the dog seems like a really bad idea.

Any excuse though. I remember when I used to be a member of a gym. If I couldn't find a convenient car park, I used to take that as a sign and flag that day's workout away. What was I supposed to do? Walk?

Obviously I'm a super-disciplined exercise addict but you know... when it rains... or it's cold... what can you do?

Well you can Zwift, apparently.

If you're not familiar with the name, Zwift is a cycle-trainer companion app, enabling you to create a virtual cycling experience in your own home, similar to those flash exercise machines at the gym that let you choose a simulated cycling or running circuit on screen.

The difference with Zwift is you can use it on any number of different devices, you can connect with other users anywhere in the world and best of all, you don't have to leave the house.

Please don't be fooled. I am not an elite cyclist. In fact, the only reason I have a bike is because a couple of decades ago I developed heel-spurs from running too much. So I bought the cheapest bike I could find at the Warehouse and rode that around instead. That bike is currently sitting in my shed with flat tyres and slowly rusting away. A bit like me.

These days, the aforementioned dog walks make up the lion's share of my regular exercise routine and if I'm being completely honest, my general fitness has suffered quite a bit over recent years.

Timely then I had the opportunity to put Zwift through its paces - or rather, for Zwift to put me through mine.

If you still don't completely understand what Zwift is, think of it as a virtual world of cycling routes, based on both real and imaginary locations, in a number of different cities and countries. In many ways, it's a cycling video game, except instead of steering yourself from level to level with a joystick or controller, you literally have to cycle your way around, using a real bike or trainer.

While I've used spin bikes and other similar bits of gym equipment in the past, I've never tried a real bike on an indoor trainer, which is how I was set up to use Zwift at my place. There is a daunting array of this sort of gear out there - ranging from basic roller-style trainers you just plonk your existing bike on right up to specifically designed trainers that look a bit like futuristic torture devices; no wheels, just seat, pedals and handlebars.

The key here is whatever trainer you use has to be smart enough to feed power, cadence and speed information back to your Zwift device via bluetooth. That Zwift device can be a laptop, tablet, iPad - even just a phone, although the bigger the screen, the more immersive the experience. The indoor trainer I was supplied with was a very high-end option; the Wahoo KICKR V5 direct drive smart trainer - about $2K-worth of gear just there.

Like so many sports, how much it's going to cost you approximates to slightly more than the amount you're willing to pay. If you're already a cycling enthusiast, you may have some of the required gear already. Obviously most of us already have iPads or laptops. You'll need to do your own research to figure out exactly what bits and pieces you'll require to get Zwifting.

As with any workout routine, it's also useful to wear some kind of heart-rate monitor. While it's generally accepted that chest straps are the most accurate and reliable, I found I was also able to achieve acceptable results using Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watches. There's a bit of fiddling around getting them to pair with the app but it saved me shelling out for another piece of kit. 

Oh - I almost forgot the fan. You'll need a fan. And a mat. And... Like I say, it's easy to get carried away.

Obviously you'll be required to create your own Zwift account - and you can try it out for seven days to see if it's going to work for you. After that, the monthly subscription adds up to about $28.50, which might sound like a lot but it's definitely cheaper than the gym.

The question here is; is it better than the gym?

Let's start by saying there's a lot going on in the world of Zwift and as a total cycling noob, initially I was somewhat overwhelmed. I started by assessing where my general bike fitness was at with a "Benchmarking" workout in the training section of the app. The key thing here is to get an accurate sense of your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) level; this is what the app will base your training level on, adjusting resistance and cadence accordingly so your target power levels will be challenging without being impossible.

Initially, I must have set my FTP level a bit low, as once I was a few workouts in somehow Zwift figured out I was finding things a tad too easy and ramped my regime up accordingly.

Training is the part of the app I've been using the most as I've embarked on a 12-week "Back to Fitness" programme. This thing is like a set of Russian dolls; want to train? Let's do it. What sort of training do you want to do? Let's choose a programme. Chosen a programme? Which actual workout within that programme would you like to try today? Chosen a workout? Where would you like to ride? France? Yorkshire? Innsbruck? London? How about future New York? Or the fictional lands of Makuri Islands or Zwift's famous world of Watopia?

Yup, you can see why I've been finding this a bit more interesting than the gym.

But training is just one section of the app. There are probably many users who don't use those workouts at all. Instead, you can just go for a ride. Again, so many choices. Ride by yourself. Join a group. Find a pace-setter. Meet a friend and ride together (from anywhere in the world). All these options are available to you in your own home, 24 hours a day. In fact, I've been amazed to find myself riding alongside people from countries where I know it's the middle of the night. Ah well, when you gotta ride, you gotta ride apparently.

Then things can also get competitive. There are races and events happening constantly - simply choose one at your level and immerse yourself in the carnage. You can join a club or start your own. Zwift even runs its own online academy, where the super serious Zwifters can vie for a places on the professional circuit. Yes, you can actually become a professional Zwifter. Again, all without leaving the house.

Like any video game, the more you ride, the more in-game credits - or "Drops" - you earn. These can be spent on bike frame and wheel upgrades at the Drop Shop - you'll also unlock other gear and apparel along the way. This kind of thing isn't my kind of thing but if you're into customising your avatar hard-out, keep cycling.

Another thing I'm not into is sharing and comparing online. I get many people find it motivating to post their workouts, linking to them via their social media accounts but I can't think of anything worse. In the three weeks I've been using Zwift I've had a few other people ask what my handle is so they can check out my rides. That ain't happening. My exercise is for me and me alone but if you are a sharer, Zwift definitely has the ability to help you do that - even with images and highlights to save from each ride.

It really is an impressive bit of programming - in three weeks I don't think I've ridden the same course twice. I've peddled up gravel paths, raced down sealed roads, ridden through glass tunnels under the sea and around erupting volcanoes complete with flowing lava. Best of all, Zwift is adding to and updating these courses all the time so you never know exactly what new experiences are awaiting you every time you log in.

Unfortunately - just as I'm starting to get that fitness back (and just as my bum is starting to feel almost normal again) it's time for me to return all the cool gear and I've realised how attached I've become to this new style of workout. I haven't missed a day since I've been using Zwift and I've never found it boring for even second. I'm now trying to figure out how to get some budget together so I can create my own home-trainer setup and continue my journey through Watopia. I'm kind of addicted.

    

Click here for more information about Zwift.