If you use Zwift training plans in conjunction with other activities, if you travel, or if you have kids, the timing lockout feature seriously diminishes the otherwise great value of training plans.
I am using a running training plan and want to keep going in order, but I also have swimming training and travel which may prevent me from doing the next run in time.
I understand that there are always workouts, but the progression of the plan is what makes it useful.
The timing lockout seems to alienate folks unnecessarily. People keep asking for this to be removed, so I wonder if there is some tech related reason for it. If not, c’mon Zwift—flexibility is what people rave about.
Chris_Harmon
(GUSTAVO DE JESUS GAVIRIA (Mi Duole))
2
Totally agree with you Kevin. Zwift absolutely needs to provide the ability to override the recommended rest period. I find myself doing “filler” rides in between the lock out periods because Zwift won’t let me access the next ride! Or missing out on a half week of training because of a busy schedule and travel. Very frustrating!!! I think flexibility is the key word that the Zwift dev team needs to really understand. There are many requests on this forum for this feature. The response I love the most from Zwift is the “training plans and rest periods aren’t for everyone”. What the hell!? I understand that in an ideal world we should stick with the recommended rest periods. But people are busy and need to have the flexibility to complete the training plans when they have the time each week. Don’t force us to rest because we’ll most likely find alternatives to using your product. Zwift dev team- PLEASE ADD THIS FEATURE!
There’s a reason they enforce a minimum time in between workouts and I’m on board with that. I would like to join in the other 934934598457 people who would appreciate the ability to pause the plan for unavoidable life events and pick up where I was instead of just flat missing out on workouts that expire while I’m away.
And I am a shift worker (firefighter) and cannot always ride when Zwift tells me I have to. I get off shift and go home to do a ride in my training plan only to find out it expired just hours before. Who is the genius who figured that out? I think I can decide for myself when to do my workouts and if I need more personalized/forced timelines then I can dream to be a pro and get paid to ride. Until then let me do my damn workouts when I want or when I can. I am paying $20 per month dammit…
Lol!! Thats your answer?? So all shift workers, military, guys who fatbike or ride in off season etc and plan their outdoor IRL rides around extreme weather patterns (not when Zwift says “ok today you can go ride outdoors!! - when it is -30c) should not even bother with plans at all and should just do workouts??? Wow. Ok. Then why doesn’t Zwift structure your payment schedule so you can pay less and not have access to plans. I want to do a specific plan for mtb that involves cadence etc so now I guess instead of joining an easy plan that is already built, I have to go throw various workouts and try to build my own plan. That is stupid. All people are asking for is the ability to postpone a damn ride within a plan for a bit until I can get off shift at 2am and get home to the damn ride.
Well I am prepping for BC Bike Race. I was going to do the 4-6 week Dirt Destroyer and fill in with Z1 Recovery rides and some long duration base rides, as well as IRL fat bike rides when the weather allows, then take 10 days off (go to Mexico) then come home and do the 7-12 week Gravel Grinder. Fill in again with Z1 recovery rides and begin to get into spring and more IRL rides and less long duration rides. Then start to taper early June.
I have already done the Alba Cape Epic workouts and lots of the other individual ones. I just want easy… come home, get on the trainer and go without thinking about what is next and what I should do. But my time is limited and I need to plan my rides around my shift work, and I also own a company that I have to manage, then holidays, IRL, life etc etc. I just cannot believe that there is zero flexibility for all of us non-pro average Joes.
How do I vote for that change?
Thanks for the reply and sorry for my snarky tone but this really pisses me off. I know some of my riding partners have all left Zwift and moved on to Sufferfest or Trainerroad etc and this may push me as well. I really like Zwift but I need to be able to have some damn control over my life.
I have done many Zwift workouts and even made my own. I am in the same boat as you having many things to juggle and my training times change, that is why I use workouts and not a plan.
Ya it is frustrating. I just want a plan I can come home and jump on the trainer and do my workout then move on to other priorities. I have no time to develop or even copy other workouts to a Custom workout. That is why I am paying $20 per month for Zwift.
I’m sorry Gerrie but this is not an answer we can expect from a team of Zwift, hoping you’re not a developer.
We pay every months for a service where there are many lacks, one of this is the one mentioned above and has been asked so many times that i don’t even remeber how many.
I kindly suggest to zwift to add this to the next update, it’s a super easy thing to do for a developer, instead of pushing new bikes, new socks, new badges, all useless stuff, it’s more important to let the people who work out of the city for few (or many) days to recover the plan from where they left.
This was ultimately why I let my subscription lapse. I didn’t want to do workouts; I wanted the logic and sense of accomplishment that come from following a plan, but on my schedule, not one decided for me. The combination of plans and the virtual world were what motivated me to ride. This has been an issue for at least two years, and despite all of the demand from customers for some reason Zwift has decided to continue to make it impossible.
I actually stayed on for awhile, figuring there was no way it would continue to be so rigid given the demand. There is no technological limitation causing Zwift to lock people into a calendar, and it’s not reasonable to expect most people to be able to commit to such a schedule for something that is clearly behind obligations to work, family, etc.
It’s hugely disappointing. If you have lots of customers providing the same feedback, and there is no technical limitation, why would you not enable it? It’s really just sad and unfortunate.
No I don’t work for zwift and I am not a software developer. Just trying to help. Zwift gave us two options one is super flexible and the other super rigid. I’m just suggesting using the flexible one.
I also believe that the Training Plans should be offer more flexibility. I am ready to complete the Ramp Up test as part of Z101 but it will not let me for another 5 hours. It has been 24 hours since my last workout and it was a very light ride. I am ready to go! Very frustrated with this not being available when it fits my schedule. I probably will not use the plans moving forward, but wonder what the purpose is for Zwift to be so controlling?
Agree to add flexibility in training plan. I’m in week 4 of FTP Builder and need to take a week off due to travel (work). I would love to start back where I left off after 1 week off. Love the training plans that Zwift offers. I just joined zwift 6 weeks ago and in the middle of second training plan. Keep up the improvements​:+1:
I am certainly also in favour of a pause option for the trailing plans. I am currently 3 weeks into the 12 week Gravel Grinder and have work commitments (travel) for a week at the end of week 11 of the training plan that will result in me not being able to complete the training according to the set schedule.
One of the key values to joining a training plan is the commitment to daily riding and the personal achievement from completing all the training rides and the plan. The fact that I will not be able to complete the plan is already blighting my commitment to continue which I believe defeats the value and objective of the training plans. Just my 2 cents worth… I have voted.
Even though I’m well aware of how inflexible the training plans are, it’s really hard to make sure I select the right workout on the right day.
Like on Wednesday I had two workouts available for me: one expirering on Wednesday night, another expirering on Thursday night. I knew I had to ride the first one, as it was already Wednesday. So I started up Zwift, it offered me a choice between two workouts. I picked the first one (which Zwift had selected by default) and started the workout. And then in the middle of doing that workout I realized I had chosen the wrong one. Zwift had suggested I do a workout that expires tomorrow instead of workout that expires today.
To make matters worse, the information about when a workout expires is kind of hidden. If I want to make a plan for the next week, it’s almost impossible as the companion app only tells me when a workout becomes available, but not when it expires - it will only tell you that after the workout becomes available.
Disclaimer: I don’t have children and crazy work schedule. I actually have quite a bit of time in my hands to put it into cycling. I’m happy with spending Friday evenings on Zwift and sacrificing an entire weekend for cycling alone. My vacations for the whole year are actually all training camps. But these training plans are still so hard to schedule.
