That is the companion app. The companion app is different from the Zwift app. different apps with different functionality.
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Any sensible developer will take the path of least resistance; the happy path, however you want to phrase it.
Huh? Smartphone Zwifters have a disadvantage because they can’t use the companion app at the same time, surely.
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Which one is it? Gate A, Gate B or Gate C? Or even Gate D?
Wait a minute …
There is Zwift App and Companion App. But you can’t run both?
But you need both to use zwift correct?
Or is the companion App not needed?
Just to hold my self for a second … 
Or do i need zwiftpower?
or zwiftinsider?
or zwifthack?
or zwift return of the jedi?
zwift judgment day?
zwift the imperium strikes back?
You don’t need both to play Zwift. You can use just the Zwift game on any platform. The Companion app is a separate mobile phone app that provides added functionality, some of which is available in the game, some via the Zwift website. Some (sort of) on ZwiftPower. It used to be called Zwift Mobile Link/ZML.
Maybe there’s a way to use the Companion app if you’ve got two phones. I haven’t tried it.
I was a bit surprised when we got the first dirt road in December 2015 and the new road surface did not affect our speed. Ideally we would have had a road surface effect four years ago.
How much effect is right, I don’t know. But the effect plays into racing tactics, certainly.
ZwiftInsider has an article on the effect: ROLLING RESISTANCE CHANGES IN ZWIFT: COMPARING OLD AND NEW ROADS
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This is why I am so excited. Knowing the course and being prepared will play a role. Improving race tactics is always welcome.
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Hi,
it may on the surface (no pun intended) seem like a good idea to
have road surfaces impacting the Zwifter but I think Zwift is in danger of over
complicating the the whole experience.
I love what Zwift has given us, but I don’t want to spoil my enjoyment because I haven’t got the right wheels on for a race. None of us knows the best setup. We haven’t all got the same frames or wheels etc. Zwiftinsider will tells us in time I guess.
The racing side of things i.e. riders in the right Cats with some sort of progression
through the Cats needs fixing before we add another level of complexity.
My point about the gravel sections (see earlier post) being like another climb etc is that during a free ride I like to feel like I am getting somewhere. So when I free ride I like to stick to the flat sections. In a race the terrain is not so important as you are focused on those around you and not on the fact the terrain is moving so slow. The new release just adds more slow sections during free riding.
The comments on Zwiftinsider are very telling.
Almost no one wants the new change.
Please lets not over complicate a great experience.
“Ride On”
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At this stage it seem like all bikes is the same speed on the gravel except for the MTB, but the MTB is so slow on the pavement that it is a no brainer. The other thing to think about is there is currently differences between bikes so you have to pick your bike for climbing or flat races. But these changes is so small (a few seconds on a 45min race) that most people does not even consider changing.
I would think the gravel will be the same thing, a few seconds.
The bigger impact will be that you have to pay more attention while racing, you have to be in the correct gear before hitting the gravel.
I do agree this is very important. One of my pet topics.
It seems like lately Zwift seems to be adding things people don’t want and not fixing requested problems/improvements. Have no idea what the agenda is but I hope it does not start turning people away by being too frustrating to use. That would be 
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yes i have this feeling quite some time. but none of the competitors are better than zwift. i’m sure there will be better race games in future but i also hope that zwift will be too if not better! ignoring certain request for years is 
and that is what currently happens.
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It’s not the changes to rolling resistance that worry me, it’s the fact that we seem to have people running on 3 different versions of rolling resistance at the moment. People who didn’t update their iOS app, people who did update (and are now slower on dirt) and the PC people who had a recent update to 1.0.41095 which according to Zwift Insider seems to have changed rolling resistance yet again.
Changes like this can be coded into the program months in advance but only made active after a certain date (easy enough to do as Zwift requires a login every time it runs). Doing this would ensure that almost all users are running the same code rather than the current shambolic situation.
My two cents worth…
-
Having varying road surface resistance parameters is fine in the “race or event” world as long as they effect everyone equally AND as long as there is easily accessible information on what tire/wheel choices are best for a particular surface.
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As a someone who has been on Zwift since very early in the game, all of my PB’s from over the years are worthless if you NOW change the resistence parameters within the given circuits. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. First and foremost Zwift is a training tool. In that role, it’s imperative that the consistency of the routes be maintained.
Maybe Zwift can offer this feature as an event or race “option” only? Maybe for virtual gravel grinders or Karmesse (sp?) Events/Races?
The resistance parameters for existing courses need to go back the way they were for general riding. Make the change for your future routes. Then it won’t affect baseline data.
This was an Epic Fail by the Zwift development team.
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I totally agree. This is a epic fail.
A feature no one wants.
I don’t think I wil ride the Jungle again, even if it is one of my favorite routes.
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THIS UPDATE SUCKS BIG TIME!!!
Group rides are getting blown apart on the gravel sections. I have to put more power to ride at the same speed downhill on gravel sections than I do riding up a 6% climb on normal roads using the Tron bike. I know Zwift try and innovate but this update is just plain rubbish please ditch asap.
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This is manly because some users did not update their software.
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I rode the Jungle Loop again last night after the latest (2nd) update to fix the rolling resistance. I think the fix was only for the MTB, not anything else seems to have changed. The jungle is paved in peanut butter!
Time: 21:49
Avg. Speed: 13.5 mph
This was a much harder effort than my previous ride, but still barely able to get over 14 mph on the flat sections. I did notice that the boardwalk area under the waterfall seems to be normal rolling resistance and I was able to get up to 21 mph on these short sections and then immediately brought back down to 14/15 mph once hitting the gravel.
Apparently the Zwift team has never ridden on gravel roads with their road bikes, they aren’t that slow!
PLEASE CHANGE IT BACK!!!
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I did a group ride last night that got totally blown apart because of the new update on the gravel roads. We was doing the volcano flat reverse so when we was coming out of the volcano area on the gravel the leader shot passed very fast while 150-200 people suddenly slowed and got dropped due the new rolling resistance. The leader insisted his was on the latest version but he didn’t seem to be affected by it. It totally ruined the ride and people got quite annoyed as the leader then wouldn’t slow to re-group as he insisted he was doing the correct pace even though 150+ riders where dropped. This will ruin any group ride that has any gravel roads. Zwift please undo this latest update it really isn’t a good one.
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This statement should be already enough to change it back like it was before.
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I don’t think it is just that, it was already mentioned people were on latest version and still having issues. Wonder what zwift’s intentions are by doing this change, doe not seems to be for the better but is good for causing a lot of frustration.
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