Lama Lab conducted a test of the trainer difficulty setting on Zwift where he rode up a hill at 100% difficulty setting and then again at 0% difficulty setting to demonstrate that the difficulty setting had no effect on the power output. Here are his results: 100% Trainer Difficulty Lap #1 - 354W […

I’m sure someone will give you a more detailed answer than this, but the general calculation for speed in Zwift has to do with the wkg the rider is putting out. So, for the Lama’s second lap in your example, the time would be the same with the same wattage output, because all of the other ‘in game’ …

I assume you refer to the video he made to show how trainer difficulty impact going down hill [image] carlos_andrade: But if he applied the same power and the resistance was less (gradient) on the second lap, wouldn’t he had gone faster? Does anybody know how Zwift calculates power and speed? …

[image] Nigel_Tufnel: Now, IRL he might have gone faster on that second lap In real life, you can’t change the perceived gradient without changing the actual gradient used to calculate your speed as an output of your power. The only equivalent thing you can do in real life is shift gears. …

Trainer difficulty only affects the trainer. Ride up a 10% gradient at halfway slider, and the trainer will be told to emulate a 5% gradient. As far as the game is concerned, you’re still riding up a 10%. So whatever your slider is set at, if you’re doing 250W Zwift uses that to calculate speed u…

[image] Daren: Trainer difficulty only affects the trainer. Ride up a 10% gradient at halfway slider, and the trainer will be told to emulate a 5% gradient. As far as the game is concerned, you’re still riding up a 10%. Well stated. The trainer receives a slope/resistance that’s half of the …

[image] Daren: So whatever your slider is set at, if you’re doing 250W Zwift uses that to calculate speed up a 10% gradient. Thank you! That was the disconnection in my analysis, that even though the resistance (gradient) provided by the trainer is less, Zwift doesn’t use the new gradient but…

I did a diagram. [image] [image]

That graphic should be in a sticky message at the top of the forum. Lots o’ confused people asking about this. Great job.

Lama Lab Test of the Trainer Difficulty Setting

General Discussion

Daren (Daren Chandisingh) February 18, 2020, 10:14pm 8

I did a diagram.

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Lama Lab Test of the Trainer Difficulty Setting

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