To Zwift or Not to Zwift
Zwift. Rouvy. Trainer Road. Peloton. These are just some of the applications that cyclists use to train indoors. They are fitness apps that include cycling workouts with motivating instructors and realistic videos.
Your faithful club member here does not Zwift. And the details of how they work is not at issue here. However, more and more cyclists are using these apps to stay fit in the winter months or get in a good ride in the evening if they are employed. That includes professionals, rookies, and everyone in between. We have had presenters at a couple of club meetings discuss and even demonstrate Zwift. Brent Morrow referenced it as a tool he uses to stay in shape for Cyclocross. Daniel Payne demonstrated it several months ago.
One of our ride leaders uses Zwift as a backup for outdoor club rides. When the weather is too bad to ride outside, instead of the ride being canceled on the ride calendar, the ride is changed to Zwift. Members meet on Zwift and do a club group ride that way. Yes, riders can all be on the same screen and participate together in a physical ride over digital media…like a Zoom meeting, only it’s a ride. ✎
This is not the norm for our club, but this ambitious, progressive ride leader found a way to keep rolling even when the weather is horrific. Members accumulate club mileage for Zwift rides as if they were out riding their usual routes.
Your board wants to know your thoughts on this concept. Consider the proposed criteria:
- All rides start as physical rides.
- To use a backup physical digital ride, it would have to be advertised on the club ride calendar with a ride description, including a link to the Zwift digital ride and a link to the Discord channel, thus giving fair access to all ride participants.
- The method for the ride leader to switch the ride on the ride calendar would be to click a box labeled Digital, next to the box labeled Cancel, that only the ride leader has access to.
- This methodology is not to replace physical rides, only to supply a secondary method, if the original ride is to be canceled; and it must result in a group digital ride to get club mileage credit.
What are your thoughts? I have heard that we should adopt this futuristic way of riding because our club’s mission is to promote cycling, and this keeps members riding. I have also heard that a member will quit if we go the Zwift route.
We’ll discuss this a bit at the club member meeting as well. Reach out to a board member (login required) and share your thoughts. Thank you.
For more information on a couple of these apps, go to: Cycology Today: Indoor Training – Part 2 (00:59:55)
For a brief overview of Zwift, go to What Is Zwift? (00:02:09) and for more detailed information, visit their Zwift YouTube channel.
Ann Morrow, President