is it possible to incorporate the ability to build a work out based on time and grade percentage?
This way one could make a work out that lets them be free of the zone workout mode.
almost like the free ride block, but a “free ride” at a certain grade percentage that can be adjusted by time.
You can do this at the moment but it takes a bit of work. You need to convert gradient into resistance and then set up time blocks based on that and how fast you think you can ride rather than just the zone values.
If you take a look at http://bikecalculator.com/ you can enter gradient, distance and speed parameters and it will give you a wattage you’d need to climb that grade at that speed and how long it would take you.
You could then replicate famous climbs by following their gradient profiles, like this one for Ventoux http://www.veloventoux.com/images/Ventoux%20sault%20profile.jpg
Enter the sections as gradient and distance, with your estimate of how fast you can ride it and you’ll get a resistance to set and how long to set it for.
Not ideal but it’s as close as you are likely to get atm.
I don’t get it - why is such a simple thing so difficult to implement in SW? If one can set the trainer resistance manually (eg. on my Garmin headunit) to 10%, 20% etc, why we can not create workouts based on resistance instead of power.
I understand about ERG mode, and no, I don’t want to ride 2min @350W, I want to ride 2min @70% resistance (not gradient!!)
Why? - because in ERG mode I’d be forced to push 350W regardless of cadence, gearing and how easy/hard it may feel. If I’m doing “low cadence/high gear” work, in “RESISTANCE” mode I would be able to pick my cadence and then use gearing to make it as hard as I think it should be (could be less or more than 350W).
Goran- I am 100% with you. the workouts I have done for years are not based on zones. I get on the bike, Tacx software with the trainer, tell the software I want 1.5% grade and then go. the software knows my weight and the power is a result of how hard I ride.
the instructions I get for the work outs are
use a gear such as BR 19-15 you get to pick
pedal at 95rpm
do that for x minutes
the workout changes the gearing and rpms as the video goes. I am free to pump out what ever watts I can. with zone workout, I am given a different resistance to pump out a certain watts no matter what gear or rpm. If the resistance could be kept constant, it would be more realistic actually because some races, especially say track, there isnt any elevation change or resistance change at all.
to me, it seems like a pretty simple thing to add to zwift custom workouts.
