@jeff webster here is the link to the zwift tour. Perhaps you live in the vicinity of one of the remaining cities. http://zwift.com/tour/na2016
I’m surprised and disappointed that the graphics quality has not improved since the beta stage. Despite running Zwift with a very fast gaming machine at the highest settings, the level of realism is low compared to many 3D games. Foliage, trees, etc. are often floating above the road. Shadows bizarrely move at great speed when they shouldn’t move at all (unless Zwift is trying to simulate the earth rotating 500 times a day and not just once). Transparent, glitchy-looking riders. Riders without shadows. And overall everthing just leans more towards looking cartoonish rather than photorealistic. I had written in the support forums about much of this way back. The Zwift team acknowledged the problems, but said improvements were low priority.
I’ve heard riders say they don’t care about the realism, but for me, and I’m sure many others, every graphics problem is just another distraction that makes one feel less immersed. The ride becomes more boring and more tiring as there’s less to distract from the feeling that you’re just stuck on a trainer. This is mitigated when racing with others or riding in large groups as you then focus more on the rider interaction. But when taking a cruise or there aren’t many riders nearby, realism becomes more and more necessary.
Re: resources in VR - this is a pet project done by our main developer on his weekends and evenings. The rest of the team is hard at work at non-VR related issues.
Re: hardware issues - we don’t make the hardware so there’s no way, in software, to account for sweat and how heavy it is. I’m not sure how you would propose to solve this with the game.
Re: graphics - many of those game companies have hundreds of employees, including dozens of artists. Currently our art team consists of 6 very hard working and talented individuals who still deliver out the best looking online cycling game out there without sacrificing their daily lives. 
VR - I cannot wait to try this out. I am so excited about this possibility.
Graphics - I think they look great for a game like this. In the future I could see this game with VR and photorealistic graphics, but let’s let them evolve to that point and not expect magic.
Great work at Zwift, I’m so impressed. While I’m at work I keep it on my screen and watch other riders. It’s inspiring.
Tried out VR at London Rouleur Classic Event today. AMAZING. The most unbelievable experience. On a scale of 1/10 a solid 12. Eric and Team Zwift keep up the great work. Agree with comments that all is not perfect and there are issues and I have several open tickets still regarding Bluetooth connectivity and gradient issues but Zwift is the best trainer experience out there for me. Great value for money and a product that will not only survive but will conquer!! Only wish the support was more support oriented and quicker to respond. would love a live chat function or phone number to connect like Trainerroad.
my gosh everyone is so demanding!! Zwift is already a game changer and head and shoulders above anything else out there. and at 10$ a month it is the best value on the planet. if it doesnt improve at all for 10 years. they have me and i would probably pay $100 a month for the value they provide. what an innovation. i never could have imagined i could mentally handle (or even enjoy!) getting in race shape on a trainer! cheers Zwift!!
AMEN to this! @kevin
Perhaps you ought to try doing your thinking in the Evening instead of the Morning, and then keep your thoughts to yourself :-)
Just thinking out loud, you know how it is!
M Kulesia
Why on earth do you bring gender into this?
Women even get jerseys that men can’t. They even get one that makes them look slimmer, again no such thing for men. I have no idea what this is all about.
Can’t we just get on without all this sexism blah?
Kevin = excellent post!!
M Kulesia, you should listen to the latest Zwiftcast with Simon Schofield interviewing Eric Min. I was so excited to hear of all the new developments Zwift are working on and capital raising which will allow them to employ more people to work to make it happen.
Hey, let’s be a bit more patient. The guys at Zwift are working their butts off. Also, I remember pre-Zwift days, I bought a Kickr last year but my iMac was too old to run Zwift. Instead I used another app which I enjoyed. A couple of months ago I was able to upgrade our iMac and then able to use Zwift, it was a whole new level for me. I LOVE it, I have been racing (which I have never done in IRL) and my fitness has improved even in the couple of months since being on Zwift. I am grateful I can now use Zwift, some people aren’t able to, hopefully the new iOS app will help them.
Amongst many things, there’s three things I love about Zwift:
The first is using the platform and being part of the community so close to the beginning. I personally think Zwift will be around for a long time to come because so many people are so competitive (especially with themselves), and if you train well on Zwift, it definitely transfers to outside. Since I started Zwift have added to new courses and two extensions to Watopia. All of this in say 12-18 months since we had to start paying for it. I’m excited about what they’ll be adding over the next few years.
The second is the community. A bunch ride on a weeknight with 200+ people? Not many places that will happen IRL. I’m a social creature, so that’s perfect for me.
The third is that the pack leader and co-founder is incredibly engaging with the community. If the boss cares what their customers think, you can almost guarantee the rest of the staff do too. There’s a lot of online platforms (games especially) where the best you can expect from paid support staff is a sneer or a grumpy reply to a service ticket. Thumbs up to all at Zwift HQ!
I cant see anyone doing what Zwift is doing on the market currently with the same potential. Considering how small a company it is, the growth potential is huge. Most of the issues people mention in this thread are either not really Zwift related (hardware) or something that surely is under development to improve. I´ve used Zwift since January this year and even in this short period of time quite a lot of improvements have been implemented. Continuing in this pace (or even faster due to influx of investment capital) is to me a pretty solid route to success… The question is where can I get me some Zwift stock? (seriously)
Wow ! Im literally shocked that somebody is actually complaining about Zwift and especially the updates and value for what they are paying. Zwift is ground-breaking in just about every way and working in Software, I for one, am happy that the platform is not subject to update after update and all the problems that can and do go with that. Clearly the OP is a social rider and I really do get that but the event module and training potential with workouts is off the scale. Comments like the opening statement about Women on Zwift will compound the issue, not resolve it and if I were a woman reading it, I would question it. I have tried all manner of ways of coming out of the winter in good shape and until the existence of Zwift, even using TTS4, I found it a laborious job staying on the trainer for more than an hour. Now with races, group rides and structured training plans, its easy. Im with one of the guys that said, if there are no changes for the next 10 years, you will still have me and my monthly subscription.
TLDR right?
Kev I just want to make sure that “the comment about women” wasn’t interrupted as being derogatory in any way.
I will make it a simple as I can and if someone wants to read more into the comment than I ever thought or intended, well it is the interweb and I can’t stop them -nor do I care to.
Ok - here goes.
I am shocked at the lack of embrace by women riders and the amount of effort Zwift has had to put in to promoting the platform to women.
I am a gamer and I am also shocked at the few number of women who play fps games. I find the games REALLY entertaining and challenging. I guess that is my problem for not understanding,
BUT from a development and financial standpoint I would be concerned about acceptance by half the world’s population. - I mean from a biz perspective that should be understandable right?
I am in no way attempting to analyze the how and why of this. I have no interest in that and I don’t spend time thinking about it.
But I think anyone with common sense can see that Zwift has spent a lot of time on this - how do we get more market acceptance by women?
I LOVE Zwift and I don’t understand people who don’t enjoy it. Zwift is fun, is incredibly challenging, pushing me to my limits and over most sessions - I have ridden about 2000 miles on Zwift since starting.
I also cannot understand people that abandon Zwift for something like TrainerRoad. I have used TrainerRoad and several other training platforms, and well… Zwift is the best.
The intent of my original post (in my sleepy morning head) was to indicate my concern about Zwift continuing in a healthy financial direction - a fear of mine I guess - nothing more, nothing less.
My post was precipitated by the following comment in the “control smart trainer” post.
While I enjoy Zwift, I’m considering going back to TrainerRoad for greater consistency when doing structured workouts. Right now I frequently end up pushing up towards an extra 30W on some intervals with my Kickr (firmware updated, spindown calibration done) measured with my Power2Max.
I follow that post and it often gets these type of comments above.
For me, TrainerRoad is a pain in the butt literally and figuratively. When I found Zwift, I never rode TrainerRoad again.
What I have seen in so many times is that this type of response to a problem is the type of thing that really can stall growth. The wrong group/type of people read this, have a knee jerk reaction to HATE Zwift and then the whole thing starts to fall apart.
It is this mob mentality that is so controlling in our culture and if it happens at the wrong time, the BOOM, bad things can happen.
I only have to point to the UCI’s refusal and stupidity about disc brakes in the peloton - and NO I don’t care to hear anyone else’s opinion about that in this post.
I guess to even better illustrate this phenomenon is the traction that this post has received. I touched a nerve some how but I didn’t think even a single person would be interested in it.
I have spent much more time and thought on issues, ideas, and concerns about Zwift and cycling than on my op here - good stuff really. NO ONE gives a flip about most of those.
And sadly, I have spent a lot more time trying to get support for bringing Zwift into my classroom and school - with NO response from Zwift and very little from Wahoo - I am pretty pissed about this honestly
I have sent pictures, data files, and requests multiple times to Wahoo and even talked to a sales rep who tried to run it up the chain, and couldn’t even get a conversation. The sales rep said he couldn’t get traction with it.
AND I just sent pictures to Zwift support about this.Funny how Eric C. responded almost immediately to my original…
So if any one is listening or wants to help out let me know.
BUT I honestly doubt anyone will because it isn’t cool or hip enough to help a poor school, in a poor school district get some bikes or equipment to promote cycling right?.. (grrrrrrrr).
Any way - I hope the post is useful in some way because the more I write, the more irritated I get that some early morning ramblings about my fear concerning Zwift’s financial model and future get more attention that something positive and awesome like support for bicycles/equipment for my school.
And before all the commenters whine about you didn’t tell us… well yeah I didn’t put this in a Zwift post because I was sure a bunch of haters would have whined about that and certainly Zwift would not have responded to that post.
Our world really disappoints me. Sigh…
Go ahead bring the hate.
Hey KermitdaFrog - I brought gender into the original post because I was thinking about market acceptance by women - pretty simple really and I guarantee it is something that is a concern. I explained myself (laboriously) in another post so if you care to look there you can, but it is TLDR for sure.
Eric C., one thing that won’t take developer time and if you can’t get a replacement for London, then please reduce my course choices by eliminating London. The London course can go away or be reduced to a small blip on the calendar. Currently, it dominates the calendar and I can’t stand the thought of it. Yeah, riding in a subway tunnel, in a dreary drizzle, blah, blah, blaaaahhh, is soooo much fun.
Aren’t there any time trial, race courses y’all can develop or switch Richmond for London, in a hurry?
Andy, I sort of second your sentiments.
I honestly plan my rest days for when the London course is being served.
November has:
18 days on Watopia
10 days on London
2 days in Richmond.
I would much prefer to see (assuming that London must stay) is:
20 days Watopia
5 days London
5-6 day Richmond, depending on month length.
Of course we all know that new courses are going to be added, and according to the CEO will come this winter. And, mercifully, most of the new courses he hinted at would be on Watopia.
London is good if your a hipster bike messenger on a fixie trying to prove your street cred… For myself, I’m just an old fart that loves Watopia and find it the best place to get my training in (most engaging)
London is a dump in real life and the roads a bloody awful at the best of times. Richmond is hardly a nice place, either.
However, in Zwift they are both rather nice and, for a reason I cannot make out, London is more interesting to ride. I think it is the changing architecture of the buildings and details.
I tended to avoid Richmond for some reason but happy to be forced to change landscape as otherwise I would only ride my favourite track. By logical conclusion that would mean no change EVER and that would be the end of it as I think we all want changes.
I like the mix of urban and Watopia and personally would like to see them connected in some way.
For thinking like: London is good if your a hipster bike messenger on a fixie trying to prove your street cred… One can only wonder in amazement what goes on in some peoples heads, really, …Hipster (what does it even mean?), … street cred, doh.
How about living ones life without pushing people constantly into boxes with labels like that. JUST RIDE YOUR BIKE (and let other do the same)!!!
The OP has a valid point, but I don’t think Zwift will die, but a lot depends on what direction they take the product. Zwift has to appease and attracts its investors with increasing rate of conversion to paying subscribers, so you can see the targeting of women as business strategy. Frankly, I just don’t see market. Maybe I am wrong, but this kind of activity is a niche market, and women are a niche within that. People who do this kind of stuff are zealous about it, but their numbers are tiny.
The issue I see is that core of this market is probably a lot like me - older guys with more money, but with limited time flexibility to ride. They probably have captured the market that is out there for that. So the size of the market will likely track along trends in the enthusiast and racing cycling participation. If they alienate this base, it will go elsewhere and other competitor will emerge to capture that money.
Zwift has been good for men in general, but I have had a lot of serious glitches with the Events module (the core of Zwift, if you ask me) recently. I think the the silly big wheel bikes are alienating to the core market and they need to focus their efforts on the core product and core engine, and not keep adding bells and whistles and experiments that they don’t have resources to properly implement.
Thank you Matt - finally a reasonable reply - you actually understood what I was trying to communicate.
So much frivolous and distracting noise that most people can’t see the forest for the trees. Or maybe it is just this contentious culture we live in and breed with the social media rubbish.
And the thank you isn’t that you “agreed” with my post, you just explained my thoughts better than me. LOL…
I wonder if Eric C. will reply to your post as quickly as he did mine…
I think he has already become distracted by VR - because that’s what I want - VR so I can wear google goggles and by another $400 video card to run SLI with 2 GTX 1070s - already have one.
VR really? Talk about a niche market - I want to see London in VR in the rain in a poorly rendered subway or on Box Hill (tada), maybe have a cuppa after the ride - maybe SMELL VISION - so I can smell the sweet sticky aroma of a booze hall for that after ride beer people are so fond of.
And LONDON over Richmond and other additions to Watopia - I reckon good ol GCN had some input into that one.
This is what I was talking about - the motivation behind the decisions.
Oh wait, I have a spare cardboard box I can duct tape to my head so I can type this letter in VR… yep that’ll do it.
Wait this is real isn’t it or is this VR? Do I have google goggles on?