I plan to mainly walk in Zwift on my treadmill, and in going through the forums I see I’m not alone.
I have a few ideas to make Zwift more friendly for walkers:
Treadmill speed/incline: For those without special hardware (foot pods, NPE Runn) it would be nice if this was built-in to Zwift and if we didn’t need to use a 3rd party app. I see some use an app like treadmill-speed-transmitter. Should be pretty easy to add a feature within Zwift to allow people to specify their speed and incline (maybe some large up/down arrows on one side to make it easy to adjust while walking/jogging). This can be built into the WIndows PC app and the mobile companion.
Nature Trails: would be cool to have a nature trail instead of a running/cycling track to choose from. There could also be wildlife, sounds of the forest, etc. Maybe a clothing set for our avatar (hiking shorts, etc)
I see some requests for the ability to put walking groups together. I also think in these forums making a separate category for Walkers would be useful too.
I think Zwift has a lot of potential for people who just want to walk.
I am frustrated that there is only RUN option for Zwift. Surely Zwift HQ realises that there are a lot of Zwifters who use treadmills for walking and not running? Me personally, I am in training for a multi-day hike with long walks so I use it for walking with a backpack on.
When a treadmill activity on Zwift is finished it then transfers this activity data over to Strava as a “Virtual Run” activity which cannot be swapped over to a “virtual walk” or “walk” activity. My Strava data between running and walking are completely skewed as I walk 99% more than I jog (I am not a runner).
Whereas over in the free Garmin APP (I use a Garmin Footpod) I can change the same activity from “Virtual Run” to just “Walking” activity. It is via this free APP that I see my true data unlike my premium membership with Strava, which through current communication with Strava, are unable to have the activity changed. I am interpreting that as Zwift sends Strava the data and they are unable to change it ?
So what I would like to see from Zwift at the start up window before starting a treadmill session on Zwift is a WALK button right next to the RUN button. By selecting WALK would then save as a “Virtual Walk” activity and then Strava can create a virtual walk activity.
Currently with not Zwift including a “virtual walk” option are excluding a whole range of people who could be using their platform.
So from now on to get my Strava walk/run data correct, I have to NOT use Zwift and just use my Garmin Fenix3 Watch, Garmin HR and Garmin Footpod to correctly record the activity. As a premium member of Strava and paid membership of Zwift this is frustrating !
I am 54 and due to my spine my doctor told me I shouldn’t jog.
But hey I can walk, and as I like workout and karate I found a way to strengthen my legs by getting a simple treadmill and incline it to 8%. That way I started walking, at just 5km/h but I can do that for 30 minutes without a problem.
I just found ZWIFT and it really gives entertainment when on the treadmill, I just miss shorter routes to walk.
Yesterday I did the Insbruck 2.8km in 32 minutes and that way I found I can do Powerwalks too.
I suggest to get more shorter tracks that people can manage in 30 minutes up to 1 hour walking.
Maybe slowest speed then 4.5km/h and 5.5km/h for the faster parts.
Also in a future version to start “Group Walks” with enhanced graphics so we can enjoy nature and the landscape
What I would like to see from Zwift at the start up window before starting a treadmill session is a WALK button right next to the RUN button. By selecting WALK the activity would then save as a “Virtual Walk” activity.
This completed activity data then when transferred over to Strava would (well should allow) create a “virtual walk” activity and not be stuck as a “virtual run”. Cause my Strava walk/run data is frustratingly completely skewed and currently Strava is unable to change a “virtual run” activity.
Hi All
I know a lot of people who wouldn’t run either on a treadmill or outside, often because they are injured or just not fit enough or no longer able to. As a suggestion (and feel free to reward me generously for this idea), but why not extend Zwift running to include walking. Walking on a treadmill normally is equally boring as running on one without Zwift. Also the social side of walking groups would be great. The great thing about walking is the treadmills are smaller and cheaper and so more accessible to a wide range of people so it opens up another large market. Does the run pod work OK while walking, hopefully not too far in the future all treadmills will have a blue-tooth connection, being as it only costs something like $5 to implement.
What do others think?
I have a walking treadmill under my stand up desk. The footpod doesn’t track well under 3 or 4 mph, which is faster than I can walk and still concentrate. The treadtracker add-on bluetooth device works, but more than I want to spend. I just walk and don’t track any of it.
That thread looks promising, but maybe not the perfect solution given the Avatar isn’t exactly lifelike if it is doing a s-l-o-w run. Maybe Zwift could fix its animation for speeds below say 3mph? Tread tracker looks OK but pricey, the app solution might do for many people. Zwift would also need to make some walking group events for the social side.
The issue is not with Zwift but with the foot pod you use. Most foot pods are designed for running and will auto-pause if the speed drops below a certain point. Zwift can easily do super slow walking speeds even though the avatar will start shuffling if the speed drops below 1 km/h.
I use a Stryd foot pod and connect it both to my Garmin watch and Zwift at the same time. I have my Garmin watch set to auto-pause when the speed drops below a certain threshold. Zwift doesn’t have pause so whenever I stop for a drink or a breath, my watch is auto-paused while I continue to walk in Zwift.
So yeah, using TreadTracker or whatever other method to broadcast speed into Zwift will work.
I see what you mean. Walking worked with my apple watch, but I switched to the milestone foot pod because it was too difficult to keep the watch connected. Now I’m working through an injury and can’t run and can’t get the avatar to move when I use the milestone. I’d like to be able to use zwift so I can see my heart rate in the heads up display but its just too boring to watch the avatar stand and occaisionaly stretch. So I’ve started watch Youtube videos.
I’ve been doing some running lately using the Zwift Run Pod and my experience is it works down to quite low speeds. I do a warm down and it is happily working a 6, 4 and 3kph - albeit my treadmill 3kph comes up as 3.4kph on Zwift but that’s within the accuracy of the footpod at low speeds.
My runpod usually tracks my walking speed but I have also used the Treadmill Smart Speed app (iOS) if my runpod is being fussy or if I want an absolutely accurate match between my treadmill speed and my avatar and Zwift data. The app connects to Zwift via the bluetooth screen and you simply enter the speed that you are walking into the app and it transmits it to Zwift. You can set up the app’s screen with custom speed buttons if you want to change speeds quickly. (Note that the app doesn’t control your treadmill – it just transmits the speeds that you enter to the Zwift program so that your avatar walking/running speed will match your treadmill. This also makes the Zwift mileage and speed much more accurate than the runpod is.)
I use a Garmin Footpod and have no problem with walking and the avatar moving at walking pace.
99% of my time on a treadmill is walking. Currently looking at the Garmin APP for the last seven days I have WALKED 33.4km yet when I look at Strava that data says I have RUN that distance!!! So my Strava walk/run data is frustratingly completely skewed and currently Strava is unable to change a “virtual run” activity.
What I would like to see from Zwift is at the start up window before starting a treadmill session is a WALK button right next to the RUN button. By selecting WALK the activity would (should) then save as a “Virtual Walk” activity.
Then this completed “virtual walk” activity data would transfer over to Strava would (should) create a “virtual walk” activity and not be stuck as a “virtual run”.
Not only would this allow correct data to be notated but also allow a whole lot of people who don’t run to use Zwift.
I now have to abandon my use of Zwift for walking and just use my Garmin Fenix3, Garmin HR, Garmin Footpod and the free Garmin APP to transfer the correct data back to Strava. Frustrating
I have recently started to use zwift run to track my walking.
does anyone else use zwift for walking? if ther are enough of us, maybe we could get a walking kit? something a bit baggier and some walking boots instead of running shoes? make it easier to spot fellow walkers?
@Paul_Allen, how fast are you walking? I contacted Stryd and they said that their instrument would not work for less than 6.5kph and I cannot walk that fast at this time due to an injury.
