Here are my thoughts to date
I am connected with a Computrainer which is wired into an older Windows 7 PC. I am delighted that Zwift supports my old CT and reads my HR, cadence,speed & power from my old CT. No need to buy a Wahoo Kickr or have a power meter on the bike I have set up on the trainer (my Ritchey Breakaway Ti Carbon). I don’t have a power meter on any of my bikes as I have 5 in the fleet (from 1988 Marinoni to 2013 Guru Photon), am almost 60 and can’t justify the cost given that I am only trying to stay in shape and I’m not trying to be the next Tony Martin or Marianne Vos.
Zwift Island is tons of fun. When I first used an indoor trainer (rollers) years ago my limit before boredom was about 30 minutes. Later spin classes became popular and with a fluid trainer I could handle about an hour. I’ve had the Computrainer for a decade and my limit has been 2 hours with a lot of agony. My longest ride so far on Zwift has been mid 50k and about 90 minutes. However it’s usually been a ton of fun joining up with other riders from around the planet (USA, UK, EU, Australia and few fellow Canadians).
A few comments about other riders. Some put out more power than any pro on the planet. Obviously they have setups which are not accurate. I ignore them when I look at them blast pass me with power at 14+watts/kg and when I see their results on Strava. Who are they kidding?
I often go to Zwift looking for riders who put out similar power numbers to me (+/- 200 watts) and hope they will join in a group. The results are spotty. I think the testosterone takes over. Hopefully when Zwift goes public you can follow “friends” and set up times for group rides.
I don’t like the “bots”. I’d rather ride solo than see the ghosts. They remind me of the “Silver Fokker” on my old Comptrainer 3D software which I grew to hate.
The graphics are great. I’ve had a few problems with scenery going to black, riders disappearing, etc… The last few rides have been problem free.
I don’t like the power options using the space bar. It’s kind of like Formula One cars with the ability to add horsepower or aero improvements with the flick of a switch. When I’m powering up a climb it pisses me off to see a rider fly by with the Feather or Aero graphic above their head.
Before going “public” it would nice to know what other courses will be on the menu. Zwift Island is good but I can see getting tired of doing the same 5km course over and over. The novelty will wear off.
I like the interaction with other riders. I only recently started using the messaging function. I had to move my keyboard to a music stand by the trainer and can’t be done when putting the hammer down but is fun. So is waving at other riders and giving them the elbow to take the lead.
The different camera angles are great - once I learned to use them!
I am not sure how accurate the power stats are but don’t care. It is close enough to reality and a lot of fun. A lot more than any other indoor trainer software I’ve ever used.
I will sign up when Zwift goes public at the advertised price of about US$10 per month. Will I use it when the weather is nice? No. However if I have to sign up for a full year to maintain a membership with stats and setup, I will. No more than Netflix!
Keep up the good work!