As a cyclist I spend a lot of time in Zone 2, usually between 60% and 80% of my weeks riding. I am sure I am not alone in this, as far as I can see most of us ride this way and yet there is exactly ZERO facilities in zwift for zone 2 training specifically. The only training programs are part of something else like the FTP builder or something, there are no pacer bots for zone 2 since they have been screwed up.
Whats the story? We spend MOST of our time in zone 2 and you simply don’t cater for it at all other than free rides and something hidden in another workout.
Most of the Zwift plans are light on zone 2 work and base building, but if all you want is zone 2 training then why use a training plan? You can pick one of the available zone 2 workouts and do it as much as you want. Ideally, what do you imagine your training plan would include other than steadily marching on at zone 2?
With the range of pacers, you should be able to find one that puts you into Z2. If you’re not happy with the dynamic pacing on the hills, look to the flatter routes.
…or, if you find the pacers aren’t at quite the right pace for you to be kept in Z2, you can tweak the effort that you need to put in by, for example, riding with a slow pacer on a MTB or gravel bike. This might take a bit of trial and error!
“Riders choice” workouts turn off erg and trainer difficulty, so you can pick a gear for the power you want, found in the “x-y minutes” workout folders.
Just remembered that there’s some zone 2 workouts early on in the “TT Tune Up” plan, it’s one of a limited number of plans that has some decent structure to the workouts, rather than randomly working different zones through individual workouts.
Do not, I repeat do not, increase your FTP setting through the plan… Week 5+ after doing so in early '20 was a nightmare!
Got me in great shape at ~76Kg, before the health rollercoaster that the pandemic dealt me.
You’re missing the point entirely. There should literally be a "zone 2 " section with various things to do in it on the main page for the number of us that use it and the amount of time we spend there. One click, with erg mode options. Not have to dig into another workout or custom make something every time just to find something suitable. Also with no favorites anywhere its a mission just to find something fresh to do. Its NOT user friendly.
Why would there need to be ‘various things’? What sort of different Zone 2 things would you be looking for? I have one Zone 2 workout (based on the Inigo San Millan definition of Zone 2), and am not sure why I would need anything else.
is that erg mode basically? im new to this so excuse basic qs. Im basically trying to do Z2 training with zwift, i guess just using a robo pacer is the best
The goal with zone 2 training is to keep your heart rate in zone 2. Due to cardiac drift, you can expect your heart rate to rise over time even at a fixed level of power that you think of as zone 2, so as you are riding, you will eventually need to reduce power to maintain your zone 2 heart rate. How long that takes depends on things like fitness, fatigue, hydration, core temperature. A zone 2 workout of under an hour doesn’t have much benefit, so it’s pretty common to see this phenomenon of heart rate drifting up over time in long sessions.
When you’re in an ERG mode workout, you can use the FTP bias buttons to raise or lower the required power. If you’re with a robo pacer, you may need to teleport to a slower one eventually, but the jumps in power between the various pacers may or may not perfectly suit what you want. You’ll have to try it and see.
Either erg mode or resistance mode but in a workout. If you just want to ride Z2 then, yeah, find a robopacer at your desired power output and have at it. I’m 74kg and riding with Maria I average just about 160watts which is just under 65% of my FTP. Ideal for 2 or 3 hours. Anything shorter and I’d ride with Coco for at least some of the time.
Well, if you didn’t give them so much to work with they wouldn’t tone-Police you.
The fastest way is just to get the TT bike, go to Tempus or Fugit or the flat Richmond route and just ride around in zone 2 easily. You can use the graph information to watch that you aren’t going into unacceptable power/heart rate zones. It’s simpler than going into the workout section of Zwift. That screen is not the greatest one.
I also use the my Garmin Edge 1030 paired with my Kickr Bike to show me power information that Zwift doesn’t give you - it shows me average power and 30 second power and power zone information. That’s very useful.
