I’m wondering if I could connect my HRM and my PM to my phone, and run the Zwift app while I’m riding. I wouldn’t actually be looking at the screen. I’d just have it in my pocket. But I’d get a bunch of XP and drops from outdoor rides.
Is this “cheating???”
Your outdoor rides are counted for XP if you have it set up correctly. No drops though.
It can kill your battery pretty quickly too, but it has been done succesfully in the past. I’ve no idea why people care that much to have Zwift running while they are outside, but to each their own I guess.
Using Zwift on a phone and connected to your real bike power meter and your HR strap is no different to being indoors, just that you are moving rather than stationary.
Maybe you could log your outdoor ride on a Garmin as well and get two rides for the same effort and do 3000km/week! 
If I did that maybe I could ride 85,000km per year. 
I’m sure if phone batteries lasted long enough some people would try that.
I digress however.
I’m sure you are aware that there are a certain few Zwift riders who absolutely must have the most distance per week and most total distance gained. You should do some digging there, you might see some “interesting” things.
no, I don’t care
You’d shake your head if you saw some of what was going on.
But it’s absolutely dead serious among those folks.
I connected PM and HRM to Zwift on my phone when I was on a bike tour to get miles for bike upgrades. I do not recall if Zwift was linking to Garmin/Wahoo at the time. What I found: Screen has to stay on and, therefore, battery drains quickly. I seldom ride outside due to Automobile Driver Insanity.
I did that once a week for 1 1/2 summers to keep my ride streak going.
I would ride 1-2 miles then close the ride.
When the monthly free 25 km ended I stopped.
Never did it before or since.
I used Zwift Running on my Android connected to my HRH Pro+ without any calibration on a flat 5k run. Then I ran on treadmill using the HRH Pro+ connected to Zwift. It had never been calibrated before on treadmill. But it worked with Zwift and seemed to be fairly accurate (based on my feeling because my treadmill time is not even accurate). So the best I can guess is that it took my run I did with GPS for my treadmill run calibration too. Happy with this as pretty much the most accurate measurements.
Yes this was a huge battery drain. It was an attempt to see what it would do. Love using HRH Pro+ over the Run Pod, just wish I could get the Running Dynamics from those runs too (vertical occilation and l/r balance).
Got a Tacx two weekends ago to start doing it myself!
First attempt… was much was learned lol
Not sure how anyone does this on a gravel bike; the amount of backwards feeling / frame flex was intense.
Already had a better fan in mind; future plan is really figuring out how to take this setup almost anywhere, potentially via bike trailer.
Anyone got any tips for picking up a Tacx 2 and under?? This hunk is awkward to move!
I wonder how much of the perceived flex is the front tire, since it would not be hard to stick a wheel in there with a high pressure road tire
I do not know how well/easily the bike attaches to the TACX but my new Kickr6 is not very good. My H3 is solid. I felt too much flex and the thru-axle was backing out.
My bike is a REVEN Voltage, really a LightCarbon Gravel V1 from 2019, that REVEN marketed as a Cross/Gravel bike. It is stiff as a brick. I have yet to noticeably flex it. After riding Kestrel for 30 years it was quite a change. On the trainer I am on two Wahoo mats and keep the front tire lower in pressure to provide some give.
Yeah the Lauf is super soft and flexible (moreso with the Lauf spring fork on obviously!).
I’m just not too familiar with what traditional trainers feel like; I’m waiting on better weather to give it a try on a road frame of mine which is infinitely more stiff all around (early 2020s chinese aero frame, so very boxy carbon).
I know the Tacx has some flex built in by design on it, was just surprised how much motion I was getting: essentially the front was moving around more than I have my Kickrbike on a rockerplate when standing! Lower back was feeling that night for sure 
But yes, afterwards was thinking of those tires as well being low 30psi 44’s, wondering how much impact it all had on the system.
Learning and testing moments! It was proper enjoyable getting to sit outside though and wring out my sweatband on the ground 
Never got to ride bikes with my dad so this is as close as I can get next to his tractor and maples.
I didn’t mean putting the trainer outside. I meant running Zwift while I’m riding on the road. I don’t use it very much during the warmer months, but I figured that if I could have it running while I’m riding outdoors, I could earn drops and XP, level up my frame, get those flamin’ socks, and get the Tron Bike.
I think you’re right though. I’m not sure my phone battery can handle a 90-min Zwift session.
I tried a couple of times back when bike upgrades came out just to see if it worked and was worth the bother. The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App
I turned down the screen brightness all the way and put the phone in a plastic bag in my pocket. It worked once, but the other time or two I tried, the ride kept stopping. In the end … too annoying to bother.
We knew what you meant Jamie! Definitely a good way to kill a phone battery though; doable, but probably not the most recommended. Unless you want to carry a hefty battery backup and keep in back pocket!
Follow up on my end; road bike was a far better experience than the gravel bike today! Of course when I went to start I noticed my di2 battery was dead and couldn’t shift into big ring to get it set up.. oops! No mega weird wobbling feeling though today! 10/10 weather too!
Ended up consuming .25kWh for 2 hours with Lasko blower on speed 1, and even powering Tacx and iPad.
Have to work on a solution though to hold phone for companion. Found a Garmin mount that clamps onto phone.
That must be a pain to move that setup outside and inside again.
I have my old Cervelo P5 TT bike on a Tacx Neo 2T as well which I use sometimes as an alternative (different seating position, etc) and just moving it around to point towards the screen takes some effort, that’s not light. 
Not too bad! The tacx is awkward heavy though and I see the 3 with the handle as a benefit, but this one was used from a friend and cheap, so just what I needed.
Trying to come up with a solution to make it easier but setup time isn’t that long, maybe 15 minutes or so, granted I’m not moving it too far either. Next step is figuring out total off grid, but the fan is the real power consumer of course.
The benefit of a fresh scented room fortunately outweighs the workload to move it!
Remember this is a second setup; my main setup is a kickerbike on a komrocker and triple screens… so pretty different experience! Trying to get a handle on controls and more of a pain point, communication! Specifically companion crashing and dropping etc on my newer phone…
I do have concerns over the axle coming in and out more than it surely is rated for.
In what way, as in solar/battery for the entire house or just the trainer setup?
I’ve had that for about 4 months already for the house. Size up the solar and battery capacity to cover you in winter and for the hottest days in summer. For you in winter that might be difficult because your winter might be much darker than mine.
I have a 17.5kW AC system I have to use some days because it’s just too hot inside on the trainer. My 7kW of solar won’t cover that. When I’m riding in the early evening the sun is setting so 1-3kW power won’t cover the 7kW the AC system is drawing (batteries are 16kWh).
But on less hot days, provided there is adequate light I can usually go the whole day and night without any use from the grid, sometimes I’ll get a whole week with no grid use. Even the cloudy (but bright days) work out well where you sometimes get even higher power output, I’ve seen 8.5kW out of a 7kw system and daily generation up to 46kWh.
For just the trainer setup I’m not sure what you’d do there.
