What benefit to using a smart trainer for workout mode?

The Archives Archived: General Discussion
1

Hi all,

I have been using Zwift for a while now and have only ever used workout mode. I use an Elite Chrono turbo and Wahoo speed/cadence sensor and Wahoo Tickr HR monitor.

What would the benefit be of a smart trainer because all I do now is change gear and keep the cadence the same to match the wattage the workout says I should be at. I can understand the benefit if I was just riding around because the smart trainer raises or lowers the resistance to simulate hills (the way I understand it)

I am really getting into Zwift over the winter especially now the ios version is out and I am wondering if its worth spending more money and getting a smart trainer.

 

Cheers 

2

I think you pretty much answered your own question. I do think that with a smart trainer it would be easier to control precisely in workout mode than a manually controlled trainer. If you do not do road simulated rides at all then there is probably no compelling reason to buy a more expensive smart trainer.

3

Thanks for the reply.
That’s what I was thinking!

4

On workouts over two hours, I watch movies. In erg mode on the smart trainer, I don’t have to pay attention to Zwift because the resistance changes for me. There’s audible tones at the end of every segment. 

I’m also really bad at staying on target wattage - if I do the same workout on my smart trainer with erg mode on and off, the one where it’s on I get a perfect star score; whereas I’m often over/under the wattage for a segment. So there’s that, too :wink:

5

Ahh. I didn’t realise that’s how it actually worked.
So the trainer alters the resistance so it takes 200 watts for example to turn the pedals and you then pedal at whatever cadence you like? At the moment I have to alter my cadence and gear to try to achieve the wattage required if I don’t do that I don’t get the stars.
I can see how the smart trainer would be better if I’ve understood it correctly…:kissing:

6

Yep, that’s how it works for a workout in erg mode. It’s especially good for a workout with a lot of short over/unders. Hitting the target wattages in 20 seconds isn’t easy (for me, anyway) but in erg mode I always see 15/15 or 33/33 or whatever at the end of a workout with my smart trainer. Love those star ratings…