Is there some Computer Programmers that would be interested in developing a “Outside” version of Zwift ?
It could be another name.
The goal is not to compete with Zwift but more to answer a need that many Zwift Users have expressed.
I’m one of them.
And Zwift doesn’t seem to hear people who express that need.
We talk about XPs, drops, etc.
Trying to buy more component, batteries, add something to my phone, etc, when it would be easier to just have an App that complement Zwift.
I understand Zwift to stick to InDoor.
But if we have to stay indoor when it is so nice out there to ride our bikes, it doesn’t make any sense.
Here in Quebec, tit is at least 5 to 6 months to ride outside.
So if any of you are in the coding business and are interested, it would be nice to look at what is possible.
What are you thinking would be the point of this ‘Zwift Outside’ app? Isn’t Zwift trying to make riding inside, when you can’t (or don’t want to) ride outside, more palatable? If I’m riding outside, I don’t think I need any sort of app to make it different or more exciting. So I’m not clear as to what you’d be trying to do with this.
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Which features do you want that you can’t get from Strava or Garmin Connect? They have various challenges available that can gamify the experience.
When I’m riding outside, I just enjoy the countryside that I’m riding in, stop and take a few photos, just generally chill & relax, apps such as zwift are just for getting miles in on when its lousy weather outside
I Zwift outside.
I do so only to keep my weekly ride streak intact.
If I had my trainer set up, I would just ride on my trainer for a short ride.
As it is, this is the first year I have done so.
I just open Zwift on my phone, pair a speed sensor on my wheel and select a trainer (I don’t think the trainer matters).
They all seem to give about the same speed and distance.
I select a flat course and ride to the local MTB trail head (1 mile) and close the app.
The screen brightness is very poor and the battery use is high and it uses a chunk of data.
I really can’t allow myself to get immersed in the Zwift ride because there are real life obstacles and other people.
Overall, IMO, I see no reason why I want to Zwift outdoors for any other reason.
FWIW Folks have been experimenting with Zwifting outside for years…Most seem to do it to keep earning XP and drops when the weather is good.
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I think it would be cool, since we have connections to externals (strava, garmin, etc.), that it be able to at least log our riding time and distances for the weekly goals.
The concept of running Zwift on a phone for example outdoors I think is a horrible idea for obvious reasons (including but not limited to running out of battery and getting yourself into a pickle).
But being able to grab distance and times for our goals, and give us “outdoor XP / Drops”, I think would be a great addition to encourage people to ride… at all.
And now with the weekly streaks, it could tie into that as well.
I see this as a total passive system, not active, and IMO if there’s going to be any sort of connection, that’s how it needs to be for the sake of legal safety.
I wanted to post a follow up to my previous post.
I do Zwift outside once a week for 1.5 - 2 miles just to keep weekly streak active.
I use a speed sensor and ride on a flat road.
The accuracy, judging by distance, is about 10%.
But overall, a speed sensor outdoors, is unsuitable for any other purpose.
If you coast down a hill, the Zwift speed and power increase although my power is 0, if I ride up hill, Zwift power goes down because my speed decreased but my power really went up.
Finally, when I flipped my bike over to hang it up, my wheels started spinning and my avatar started moving.
It serves my purpose but is completely unsuitable for any of the regular Zwift purposes.
