I and many others use ERG mode for long pacebot rides to make it easier to hold a steady pace, just setting a zone2/endurance power to match bot.
Currently the “coffee stop” feature is not available to us.
I logged this as a bug and the ticket was closed without giving me the chance to comment, with a simple statement “this is a feature” (not helpful), so I’m logging this here instead.
EDIT: Zwift devs have chosen to selectively delete some of their earlier and my posts from this thread to misrepresent the situation. This is simply dishonest. I’m done here.
Not sure if you want potential ways to work around it? (as if they were to say yes to this request it might take months anyway)
You could control the trainer via a different App (Wahoo, Garmin, TR etc) as its just running ERG mode for you, whilst connecting to zwift as power only - This should then allow you the coffee break feature.
In theory there should be very little difference to your experience and you get coffee break option.
I don’t believe we would be looking to allow riders using ERG/Workouts to be able to use the coffee stop feature when riders in a workout can simply pause the workout.
Simply pause the workout. You don’t need coffee stop to take a break. If you’re using ERG mode for pacebot rides this is a special use case, definitely not intended by the zwift staff. It also doesnt make sense, since the drafting will affect the Watts needed. Do you then adjust ERG mode wattage while riding?
You don’t have ERG available outside so I’d assume its better to train yourself in smooth pack riding instead of getting limited to a specific wattage. But that’s just my two cents.
This is exactly the kind of comment that is not helpful and assumes my circumstances are the same as yours. I ride while working and need to set ERG to stick with botpack. Others do this too.
Please listen to what is being asked, rather than tell me to ride in the way you want or expect. This same attitude persists throughout the game and UI - e.g. the inability to give rideons when in workout mode… why? It literally takes extra effort to add code to split the behaviour to enforce a prescription on what “should” be available.
I didn’t understand your use case in the first go, so thats why I edited my previous post.
I still can’t get the big picture, because the bot changes power upon descents/ascents. How do you cope this? I’ve your adjusting the ERG power continuously to stay in the pack then where’s the difference to freeriding and shift or increase/decrease wattage per your own foot
Besides that, you can’t use or get powerups while in a workout and your XP will only be calculated based on your workout setting, you won’t receive XP while completing a mile/kilometer.
By setting power “over” target for bot and riding with a slower bot. Eg. set ERG to 3.2 and ride with Coco. You ride off front occasionally but then get caught and can hang on hills. You stick with the botpack. Its a known trick/workaround for the irritating “dynamic pacing”, and many others do this now too as a workaround
You say that, but when I ride with the botpack, around 5-8 people are generally doing the same thing. Its a shame to hear that, since it literally would be a simple toggle in your code to allow it and costs you nothing
While I get the request I doubt there is the demand to make this a priority update so what I read zhq as saying is it’s not a priority feature to implement at this time.
I am also confused why it matters if you ride while working are you even looking at the screen. Could you not just stop pedalling as you say above the drops/distance etc does not matter.
What might work better in future is the teleport feature so you can stop then jump back with the bot if that’s what you want. Although not sure how that would play with a workout……second thought is control the erg from head unit.
I’ve been on a group ride where the leader uses erg mode to fix themself at the listed pace. Not sure how often ride leaders use this. IMO it’s annoying though as it makes the ride too artificially even.
Because Zwift is a social platform, I take work breaks like everyone else and I have many many regular friends and contacts on Zwift that it is fun to talk to during breaks or towards the end of my ride.
But my reason shouldn’t matter, others have different reasons - the point remains that users are denied access to a function when choosing to ride in a certain manner because of an overly-prescriptive limitation that has been imposed
overly-prescriptive limitation in your view would be my argument.
I don’t have any objection to a coffee stop in a workout but i think the demand is far less that you suggest so not worth ZHQ spending developer time and money or adding this feature over other work they are doing.
The vote count for this can be the judge of that. So far we are on zero.
