Can anyone tell me why the default resistance between a free-ride and using a training peaks training session is different - and in fact, increased, when using the training plan?
Or, even better, how to get the same resistance in the two modes?
Scenario:
Free-ride: Using 0% trainer difficulty (as I use my gearing and performance to alter the resistance manually as needed for my training sessions).
Gearing: chainrings - 40 and 53, cassette 11-25 10 speed.
Added today (and seen the same results before), use an imported training plan from TrainingPeaks - NO ERG mode selected.
In free-ride, I can use my 53/25 for recovery power and progress up to 53/17 or 15 for zone 6 power. Whatever resistance Zwift uses on the flywheel allows this to work.
But, when I switched to using the imported training session today and my recovery power was in the 40/25 and zone 6 was in the 53/25.
The net result is that, using the training mode has increased resistance and completely alters the impact of my gearing.
Why is it that the baseline resistance that Zwift adds/ controls isn’t the same between free-ride and using a training plan?
Welcome to the Forums! I’m Haziel, and I’m here from Zwift Support. I understand that you want to know about the differences in your riding experience, and I want to share some insights that might help clarify things for you.
The difference you’re seeing is related to how Zwift manages resistance in different modes. When you’re in free-ride mode with the trainer difficulty set to 0%, Zwift provides a flat, baseline resistance that allows you to manually adjust your power output using your gears without any added resistance influence.
On the other hand, when you import a training plan from TrainingPeaks, even if ERG mode is turned off, Zwift switches your ride to what we refer to as SIM mode. This mode simulates terrain changes by dynamically adjusting the resistance, which is likely what’s causing the increased baseline resistance you’ve been experiencing.
I hope this clarifies why you’re experiencing a difference between the two modes. Should you have any more questions or need further assistance with adjusting your setup for a more consistent experience, please contact us at Support@zwift.com. We are glad to help you with any questions or concerns.
If ERG mode is turned off in a workout you’re placed into slope mode, not SIM mode, and by default the slope it sets is not 0% which is why it feels harder than a free ride that has trainer difficulty set to 0.
You can adjust the slope though in a non-Erg mode workout block up or down. If you turn it all the way down you’re gearing should get much closer, if not the same (I’ve never tried it) as to your free ride with zero trainer difficulty.
I was prepared for this to be a simple process and to be able to reply back to Dean of how much of a godsend this answer was, and yet, after 2 hours of searching I can find no trace of how to do this.
Zwift doesn’t seem to have the ability to change this in their workouts and I’ve checked out the TrainingPeaks file and there’s no reference to “flat road.” And since I can’t export a Zwift workout I can’t see where they might have that added in so that I can manually add the text.
All in all, it’s baffling that Zwift provides different baseline resistance control to the trainers between free-ride and workout modes when performance should be consistent. And baffling that there’s not a straightforward way to get it to match.
I can’t see many references online to the “flat road=0” solution but how do do it? That seems to be a mystery.
You would need access to the workout ZWO file on a Mac or PC, and open it in a text or XML editor. Custom workouts live in Documents\Zwift\Workouts. If it’s not a custom workout, make a copy of it and it will be.
Thanks Paul,
I’m editing it on a PC. I can open and edit the file just fine. Followed your directions to make a custom workout since TrainingPeaks workouts don’t seem to exists within the Zwift file structure.
Here’s an interesting comparison. Apart from some nominal time differences that Zwift has added, the two plans appear to be basically identical. And yet there’s no reference to a “flat road” setting.
TrainingPeaks
<workout_file>
Ken Talbot (via TrainingPeaks)
Vo2 Max into Anaerobic
bike
</workout_file>
Zwift Workout
<workout_file>
Ken Talbot (via TrainingPeaks)
Vo2 Max into Anaerobic (1)
bike
</workout_file>
I can only assume that Zwift must add in this “flat road” setting but I can’t tell where.
But in an interesting twist, I thought, "why not make a workout in Zwift and see what it includes for the road setting. Nothing apparently.
Does this option then no exist as a possibility? Does Zwift then provide a baffling different baseline resistance between modes that can’t be altered so that you can have a consistent training result regardless of how you ride?
Thanks James, this is useful, thought what I want is to be able to make the change while using a workout in ERG rather than in non-ERG.
and the problem lies in that, while everyone says that ERG doesn’t change anything because it’s just reading power, the fact that going into a workout DOES change things, essentially, lets cal it the flywheel loading.
hence this appears to be a fundamental flaw in Zwift: Inconsistent flywheel loading between Free-ride and Workout modes.
It’s not a solution, but what does help (slightly) is not having cadence as part of the training plan. But, given that some of my training session have the need for a free-ride in some portion of them, it would be incredibly helpful to have the performance characteristics between free-ride and training plan be the same. Today, I was playing around and the difference between the same recovery power on a 53/25 gear and a 40/25 gear is 25 rpm. A rider shouldn’t nee to compensate for that just because the setup between different riding genres is inconsistent. How about some consistency Zwift?
.
