Zwift with Cycleops M2

Question: my buddy and I use the same Cycleops M2 trainer and yesterday we set up a private group ride. He was much faster and had an easy ride where as I was sweating by mile 4. We are basically the same level rider in real life. Can anyone help me understand why he’s having an easier time vs me? Are one of us not hooked up/connected correctly?

I think it’s impossible for anyone to tell you definitively without a lot more information about both setups, rider info, etc.

Possibilities? One or both of you didn’t have your trainer set-up (tire pressure, tension knob torqued fully) or calibrated properly, and/or you were using different trainer difficulty settings. The latter would really only play into it if you were riding on a hilly course and you found yourself unable to spin at a reasonable cadence in your lowest gear while your friend rode away from you spinning easily.