Zwift "Trainer Difficulty" Setting Explained CLEARLY!!! Cycle with Max!

Рет қаралды 62,721

Max McAllister & Traxxion Dynamics

4 жыл бұрын

Пікірлер: 493

@ProfGoodlife 2 жыл бұрын

I've seen this slider best described as a "virtual cassette". That totally explains it to me.

@patrickfowler2764 4 жыл бұрын

Holy shit!!! Finally someone on the same page as me. When someone asks me what the setting does, my reply is, "you're changing to a cassette that serves the terrain"! Great job!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

We shall be called heretics nonetheless

@kaiyu4001 3 жыл бұрын

Close enough for most of us... the distinction is screechy/niggling, but it goes like this: Power = Force x Velocity If you take Force and break it down into aero and climbing components (just for simplicity), then: Power = (aeroForce + climbForce) x Velocity A cassette swap acts on aeroForce + climbForce. Trainer difficulty only affects grade, therefore, it only acts on climbForce. Because cassette swap and trainer difficulty usually move in the same direction (their effects are coextensive), trainer difficulty adjustment *looks like* a cassette swap to normal people. When they move in the same direction, it *is like* a cassette swap (and that's how many people use the setting). But because they act on different variables, it's not a perfect match, and so it's not a cassette swap. There can also be some fun mathematical oddities, like when you lower the climbForce requirement even though you can comfortably output the power. (It can lead to higher velocity and thereby higher aeroForce.) All of that said, I agree with you all. I'm comfortable explaining it to people as a virtual cassette swap. It's how most of us use it. The distinction doesn't matter.

@VSC-U14 3 жыл бұрын

Just came across this, pure enlightenment, now it all makes sense! This is also great to know if you have a separate "cheaper" setup for your turbo, it wouldn't matter the size of cassette and rings you have because you can balance it out in the "gearing selector". Great work, thank you!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@jeffscharpf 3 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU!!! I know this is 2 years late lol, but you are the first person to make sense to me. Honestly when I first started I put it on MAX and thought "this seems more realistic on a very small incline"... it looks like my instincts were correct. I did notice on RGT that if I turned it down to MIN my bike wouldn't go very far and I had no power :)... This explanation is perfect! Thanks again for taking the time to figure this out by experimentation, and better yet, to share this so eloquently!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to help!!!!!!!

@dangerfulmind 2 жыл бұрын

It would be great if you entered your gear ratio into Zwift (50/34 - 11/28) then the Trainer difficulty would show a different setting gauge on the slider that then shows you an 11-28 has now changed to a virtual 11-34 etc.

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

If you could do that, they would be able to truly calculate your in game speed based on cadence. That would be cool!

@JasonVE6JPR 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Max for taking the time to explain this so clearly. Great job, Ride On!

@WLYandell1 3 жыл бұрын

BEST explanation of this setting I've seen. Thank You. perfectly explained and now it all makes sense. now i can stop watching endless youtube videos trying to explain this. thanks max.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to help! Check out the Axxion Rocker Plate!

@Dustii91 Жыл бұрын

My man... I only started on zwift recently... I must be 50 hours of videos on videos, yet you're the 1st to come up on my feed solely explaining this. Many thanks!

@Traxxion Жыл бұрын

Glad it helped!

@Mal0wens 4 жыл бұрын

This explanation makes the most sense to me. Thank you!

@markgill8444 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant! Did my FTP test last night and I was on the big chainring and halfway over the cassette. What that meant was when I needed to add more power, changing up one gear added too many watts for me to maintain (jump was 40 watts or thereabouts) so I had to change back down and increase my cadence to add a smaller amount of power. Theoretically then if I set it to max, that could put me on the middle chainring during the next FTP test so gear changes won't be as big allowing me to record a more accurate FTP. It also means I won't be running out of gears as I have been on flat sections in free ride. Excellent explanation. Going to play around with it tonight. :-)

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Mark! Note that the game acts this way only for climbing gradients. It behaves differently on flats, so you may still be able to spin out on the flats, I'm not sure. But what you have observed about running on a smaller ring is actually the best way to ride a bike up a hill. Using the mechanical advantage of the gears instead using machismo to brag about riding on the big ring is just plain smart!

@tomclarke1848 Жыл бұрын

Great explanation. Riding up a volcano in the big ring was having a hyperinflationary effect on my ego. This will keep me in check. Thank you very much!

@Traxxion Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@JohnRanby 11 ай бұрын

I cycle gills a lot on my normal bike outdoors, as Ive got older I've started getting knee pain, so last year I changed my cassette to have and extra gear or 2 and don't get knee pains anymore. Thanks for the explanation, the way you put it, is so simply put.

@Traxxion 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@yancylent 3 жыл бұрын

You're spot on. I have it set so that the majority of my riding is in the middle of the cassette offing the most range.

@GeorgeNagy 3 жыл бұрын

Finally first person who explained this that I can understand, and this make absolutely sense! Thanks a bunch !!!!!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@colinmcfarlane769 4 жыл бұрын

Wow I had a pretty good handle on this but this just made it all very clear. You need Zwift to watch this and then change the DIfficulty heading to Gear Selector. Then have a description as to why you do this. Well done Max.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped!

@philcarlyle 10 ай бұрын

Perfect. Thanks Max. That’s what I actually expected the setting would do but the other videos I watched seemed to overcomplicate the issue. Essentially, I just want to set it to a point where I’m using the same gears on my bike on the trainer as I would if I was on the same bike on the road for the same gradient of climb.

@GeorgeRon 3 жыл бұрын

Great explanation. Trainer settings is like having a CVT gear, instead of discrete step jumps and choices, you can have almost unlimited choices depending on where you set the setting between Min and Max. However, the specificity of training in such a way is obviously a whole other issue. To attain the specificity needed to riding IRL with a "limited" set of gears, and to train for the feeling (load/biomechanics etc), the trainer has to be set close to 100%, if not AT 100%. Secondly, wheel-on-trainers may add higher specificity since even IRL, you have a tire making contact where that contact force and rolling resistance becomes an appreciable factor when riding up very steep slopes. IRL, you may find despite having the lowest gears possible, you still zigzag all over the place and need to spin really high in order to keep the momentum, which may not be very efficient. Besides, there's also the issue of loss of inertia and tire slip at the extreme grades, all I think which can be simulated well with a combination of trainer settings and the wheel-on-trainer. For me, that's the biggest takeaway & independent thoughts inspired from this video.

@shortsweetreviews 3 жыл бұрын

Even better explanation than some other bigger channels. Bravo.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, please share!

@eoinfitzgerald9134 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Max, a very clear and helpful explanation of what trainer difficulty is.

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

If you are interested in Indoor Cycling, please check out my new "Axxion Rocker Plate"! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aZhii9OTu7HDm40.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kL6Yo9qZnZfcqIk.html

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Please check out The Axxion Rocker Plate for Indoor Cycling! Comfort, Realistic Feel, and Power for long indoor rides! traxxion.com/indoor-cycling/ Enjoy my other cycling related videos as well: kzfaq.info/sun/PLPWgR0JlgOw0OgbUpEWo1fXDT549Zr4Gv

@matsfotografi 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That was a crystal clear explanation... I've just changed the drivetrain on my designated trainer-bike, now I can adjust for the smaller cassette:)

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Great to hear!

@jimjimtiger 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent explanation! I had no idea you were a cyclist, I had you rework the forks on my '02 Goldwing years ago, rode like a dream after that.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Cool... small world!

@wickedtwix 3 жыл бұрын

you made my day. I have an old Trek SLR 2300 Alpha with Ultegra Groupset that I bought this summer. 53/39 and 11/25 is the gearing. I live in Switzerland and I have a hard time on some hills and won't even tackle others (I tried, but failed miserably). I am on Zwift for the second week now and found that setting yesterday...I was so happy to have climbed 10% grades and then dissapointet after finding the slider. Your video now just proved that I only did a virtual switch to a compact crank and 32ish in the back :) (I have the slider at 50%), thank you for rebuilding my confidence that was destroyed yesterday.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it!

@Kameleonline 3 жыл бұрын

Ha! I had EXACTLY the same experience today - I climbed the Radio Tower (15%) yesterday (v happy) - BUT then discovered the 'slider' today set at 50% - and was gutted, because I assumed I had struggled up only a 7.5% climb. Went looking for an explanation, and found this video. So I'm happy again. It made me realise that IRL i never would have got up Radio Tower on my 12-25 cassette, and by having the slider on 50%, I was probably on a 11-34 or 11-32, which makes total sense now. Saves me having to buy a 11-34 cassette just for Zwift. This dude's video should be promoted by Zwift Support. And that Eric dude should stop saying "it only puts 50% of the gradient into your trainer" - because that is totally confusing. PS - I'm also on an old "classic" Trek 2200, from year 2001. 9-speed 105. Ride on.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

@@Kameleonline Thanks! Please share! Also, don't be too hard on Eric, he is a Zen Zwifting Master... he runs "zwiftinsider.com" the best source for all things zwift, check his site out!

@wickedtwix 3 жыл бұрын

😁 I tried today and put the slider to max. Also upgraded my old ultegra to 12/27 (max cog that fits) not just for zwift but for real life and because the old cassette was shot. 8% feels like 8% i RL but funny that going downhill is easier now and the cadence fits the speed. But yea for more gradient I will switch to the virtual compact crank 😂

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

@@wickedtwix 12/27??? You are tougher than me. I like LOTS of gears! Big ol Granny!

@wassimballany7848 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. This is the best explanation I’ve heard about trainer difficulty!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@grahampaton7529 4 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for doing all the research and testing. Makes 100% sense now

@AmilcarPino 4 жыл бұрын

Finally found the explanation !! Thank you ... I gonna set it to 100% right now....📿🚀💥

@Kameleonline 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Max, you are a genius communicator. You have explained this brilliantly. My only suggestion for even further clarity (! if poss) - would be - when you say MAX = Reality, what you mean is "the reality of THAT cassette on THAT hill". If you ever remade this video, you could dramatise this by simply having 2 bikes in front of you - one with 12-25, and another with 11-34 for example... This is what you mean by reality - how it feels to ride up with Bike A, vs Bike B. They both get to the top at the same time (same watts applied), but the dude on the 12-25 (me) will have been doing weight-lifting with my legs.... The Zwift game can allow you to choose which cassette you prefer for climbing. Which is a great feature, as you say. Thanks again for making my day, I was getting stressed by misunderstanding the slider!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Very glad to help! I have a knack at translating "engineer-speak" into "regular guy-speak". Do me a favor and check out "The Axxion Rocker Plate" for indoor cycling.

@petebarnes1525 7 ай бұрын

Great explanation, which has answered, a question I've had for a while. On my daily commute is a 22% 60m climb, which I've learned to cope with, but similar gradients on Zwift, feel easier. After watching your video I checked the Difficultly and it's set to default so by changing it to nearly Max, it now feels more realistic to my commute climb😁 (Still bl**dy hard though, ha ha ha). Thanks, Max

@Traxxion 7 ай бұрын

Happy to make your virtual ride as painful as your real ride!!!

@CTINF 4 жыл бұрын

Best explanation I’ve seen ever about this confusing issue.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, please share with friends!

@poopscoop2000 3 жыл бұрын

Finally, finally it makes sense. Heard many definitions of what this setting does and none of them really seemed "logical"to me. As soon as you explained this I thought, of course! Thanks and subscribed.👍

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@fergusdenoon1255 3 жыл бұрын

@@Traxxion all the explanations I see about how this works seem to be missing a vital element... the descent. on the Tacx software there's a similar thing, but seems to work differently? the Tacx software version seems to be associated with the transitions between gradients, as well as the gradients themselves, where 100% is as realistic as 0%. if 100% gives you a disadvantage on an assent, it gives you a massive advantage on the descent as you can actually accelerate whilst coasting. the downside is the transitions between gradients are severe where going from a 10% descent to a 1% assent is like hitting a brick wall when pedaling the entire way through, the second you transition, the gear you're using on the 10% descent is a massive struggle to use on the 1% assent instantly, and on technical roads where it goes up/down/up/down, if you're not changing gear before the gradient change you better have a stack of cassettes and chains on standby, this maybe the result of using real data rather than data created to suit a digital land. If at 0% what advantage you gain by the assent being easier, is instantly destroyed as you need to peddle the entire way down the hill creating the same amount of watts as the uphill to go the same speed or you wont move, it's just like it completely flattens the hill out, no assent, no descent, just a grind from start to finish. setting it back from 100% to say 70% is like being a big fat bloke losing 30kg and the transitions between the gradients are far less severe and far more like real riding. I have it in my head that 100% is basically a really heavy dude, 0% is a no weight dude. is Zwift completely different? are there no differences in descent with 0% or 100%?

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

@@fergusdenoon1255 From what I can tell.... and I'm not an authority... Ascents are handled in one fashion by Zwift and that is what the trainer difficulty applies to. Zwift handles descents in a completely different fashion. Descents also behave differently depending upon what brand of trainer you use. I use a Wahoo Kickr. People talk about "spinning out" on descents, and that does not happen with a Wahoo Kickr. You can go from 0 watts to 400 and your rider will not accelerate once you are actually rolling at a good clip. It would seem if you were actually racing, finding the trainer that would allow you to accelerate on descents would be invaluable. One other note, Zwift misses badly with their algorithm for riders trying to bridge or close gaps. The game makes it virtually impossible to get back to a group once you drop from it. IRL, you just stand up and crank for 30 seconds and you rejoin your group. In Zwift, you won't advance hardly at all with any effort less than a dead sprint for whatever period of time is required to close the gap.

@fergusdenoon1255 3 жыл бұрын

@@Traxxion Thanks for that reply, I intend getting into Zwift and this is all fascinating, I suppose at the end of the day it is using trainers built for training that all have different specifications, I bought a Tacx Neo that has high watt capability but not all trainers have that ability (I don't have that ability ;-) so the game will have to accommodate all models rather than specific ones. I've watched so many videos on this subject now, it's just very interesting that people expect it to be just like real life, considering all the factors that go into that it doesn't seem like a realistic pursuit, I'll always view it as a computer game rather than a simulation of real life I think, although they should sort out a few things if they expect people to peddle their hearts out in competitions. I've seen the dropping off factor and it just looks horrific, and seemingly descents are calculated at half what they display (at 100%) so Zwift riders aren't just coasting for long periods of time, tall riders are penalized on speed even with the same weight as a smaller rider, but at the end of the day it looks like great fun and can't wait to get started. If we were all the same size, the same weight, using the same trainer and the same gear ratio things would be much simpler for them I'm sure. Cheers.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

@@fergusdenoon1255 Considering the age of the game, the state of its evolution is astounding to me, so I'm not complaining at all! As for Drop Outs.... to me, it's the DUMBEST thing in the industry that every trainer doesn't have the option to HARD CABLE the damn trainer to a USB port on your computer/laptop/tablet. Just STUPID.

@JeanYvesHudon 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent explanation. This is how I can ride my singlespeed bike on zwift!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Right on!

@karlgommier9733 3 жыл бұрын

That’s a really comprehensive information about the trainer difficulty. Thanks so much

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

@MichaelSnasdell 4 жыл бұрын

Bravo! Finally someone who explains it the same way as I do. Thank you for making this video!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@davidcarroll4150 4 жыл бұрын

This is awesome!!!!! Thank you so much, it’s totally makes sense and will save a lot of people wasting a lot of money! Great job.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, happy to help!

@dickiedum 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, finally I understand the setting. It's basically a gear ratio changer if I understand correctly.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

You got it... but note that this is for uphill gradients only. Downhill trainer brands seem to behave differently. I don't have a solid explanation of that.

@benhorley4737 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, this is the very first explanation that I understand and makes sense.

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@sidestand 3 жыл бұрын

Finally. This is the best explanation on YT. Thanks

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@Gixer750pilot 5 ай бұрын

This was very helpful . On the road I like to spin at 87-93 rpm. But on swift I’m constantly at 80rpm !!! Thank you !!!! I’ll get spinning again

@Traxxion 5 ай бұрын

Mashing is no good for your knees!

@bobzuidema3560 3 жыл бұрын

Finally a good explanation, I understand now! Thank you so much!!!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Please share!

@halfglassfull 4 жыл бұрын

Great explanation. with a 11-28 cassette and 36-52 chain ring I could not climb 15% grades with 100% diff so I set it to 75%. You may have heard of GP Lama he just did a video where talks about how Zwift halves the gradient percentage sent to the trainer on downhills etc.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Vince! For reference, I have 50/34 and 11-32, and I could climb the Alpe on 100%, it took me 72 and 70 minutes. It was very very hard to turn the cranks, and I stand for about 35% of the climb. I tried 80%-ish, and I was able to get up in 66 and 65 minutes. The further reduction in gearing let me turn the cranks without killing myself.

@Marchiller 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanation! Perfectly clear!

@macfid 4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely the explanation I was looking for. Thanks.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@ryanmilton2643 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. As a new cyclist, new to Zwift, this helps.

@bateriayvr8988 Жыл бұрын

Hear hear!!

@michaelgutschner6017 3 жыл бұрын

Super Erklärung. Endlich verstanden. Vielen Dank. Great explanation. Finally got it. Thanks a lot.

@blackrubberc0ck 2 жыл бұрын

great explanation - i ride my 1x with 46t front and this is a great feature

@iuly10fcb Жыл бұрын

Thank you! You explained perfect for me! Tommorow i'll try to ride Alpe du Zwift with reality settings using 50/34 (11-32 cassete). If i can't do it i'll mount a virtual little chainring to help me 😂

@Traxxion Жыл бұрын

Get you some mountain bike gears, you'll make it for sure!

@briand9513 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. I saw the difficulty setting and was wondering if I was cheating so I moved it to the most difficult setting. Now that I understand that it has everything to do with power output, it won't matter. I, too, have mountain gearing on my road bike for steep climbs. Some hills around here reach 18% grade.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Exactly.... people set it to the middle and think they can ride outside up hills on the big ring... hahaha!

@russellscott1151 2 жыл бұрын

Best explanation I’ve come across. Thanks. Makes me not feel as bad now from having to down the setting to 50% cos I couldn’t keep up with group rides on the steep climbs. Does seem strange though that I couldn’t even turn the peddles on the radio tower in my lowest gear yet when I turned it to 50% I then proceeded to catch everyone up and drop them. I’m on a compact group set. I did wonder if there was a bug that if you change it mid game it performed differently.

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Not sure about that... but most any typical cyclist would have a hard time turning the peddles on a 15-18% climb in the real world, even with a compact group.

@sumo182 4 жыл бұрын

My kickr came with 11/25. I normally ride 11/32 for hills. I would die if on Alp de Zwift if I rode on max with 11/25. I’m able to keep my legs moving on default setting. This is the best explanation on trainer difficulty setting.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

I bought an 11/32 for my Kickr, you can buy a cheap one, you don't need anything fancy. That way my bike feels the same inside and outside, and my chain is the correct length for both setups.

@robertlacasse 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanations! Very informative.

@jinx6493 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I wish all Zwifters would watch this video!!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Please Share with friends!

@kevinleblanc7016 7 күн бұрын

I 100% agree with this explanation and I also agree that no one else explains it well. From my point of view I want the trainer on Max because in the real world I can’t get off during a ride to install a bigger cassette so that I can spin more on big hills. Since I have the same cassette on my trainer as on my wheel, Max will ensure that my cadence will be the same on a 10% hill indoors versus outdoors for a given level of effort (watts).

@Traxxion 7 күн бұрын

I still get the occassional '"Engineer" who says I'm completely wrong, and then tries to explain how a rocket gets to the moon.

@kevinleblanc7016 7 күн бұрын

@@Traxxion they should call it “gear ratio adjuster”

@jherth1 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome, Perfect explanation! Thank You.

@markclayton9656 3 жыл бұрын

Nicely done Max. Very clear.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@madiaz29 4 жыл бұрын

Finally!.. Well explained.. Thank you very much for the info!..

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Happy to help! Check out my new Axxion Rocker Plates on my channel

@martinmilne1 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent! At last I understand what this is for. Thank you!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Great to hear!

@jasongonzalez1680 Жыл бұрын

This is exactly what I was looking for to understand what this feature is.

@KSIXRIDER 3 жыл бұрын

Finally, a great explanation. Thank you.

@MrPilberg 4 жыл бұрын

Crystal clear explanation 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

@ryanmchugh7840 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant video Max, thanks!

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@tinaweena4486 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. I thought it was something like this from doing my own experiments. Excellent

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to help!

@dominikdeluga5268 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks man, I've been absolutely killing myself on a 15% or so uphill with cadence of line 50/60 because I thought anything below max is cheating.. Thanks for saving my knees man!

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

I respect your effort!!!!!!

@jeroenkaspers4927 3 жыл бұрын

You made it all clear! Thanks a lot!

@johanmaclassen1779 4 жыл бұрын

That was just a perfect deskription - loved it, and it makes so much sense - i know this depends on individual effort/perception/fitness - but has anyone made a schematic of where to categorize gearing in between, this should be the same for everyone (the feel of gearing in between - not the categorizing on the scale), - im riding singspeed (1x10 - 52T front - 11/36 rear) on my roadbike and love it - newer installing a front mech again. I however have no idea how this compares to other setups, but know i probably would need a smaller chainring if I were to ride actual mountains (my zwift setting is currently at standard 50%.)

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Hello Johan! I have not tried to quantify what the changes would represent. But from what I have learned I would suggest that the slider is very sensitive. I would also say that I can't imagine what cyclist could ride the Alpe du Zwift on the big ring! Most Zwift courses by nature are very hilly. You might consider having a plain cheap bike on your trainer with 2X so you can ride the mountains. Because weight and aero don't matter, it can practically be most any bike. It would also be impossible to ride the MTB steering courses on a bike with a big road ring. From what I understand, if you take the slider to zero, it is equivalent to making the ground flat for gearing purposes. But the game will still require you to produce the same wattage as any other rider. I hope I didn't make this more confusing!

@johanmaclassen1779 4 жыл бұрын

@@Traxxion I actually do all the mountains on zwift on my current setup - no prb. (of course the alpe is tough - but it always will be), jus a thought on weather or not a schematic existed - I do not doubt that if I were to go to the "real" alpe - I would need a smaller chainring (prob. between 40 and 44) haven't tied the steering yet :)

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

You must have a great FTP! Mine is around 220 right now. I have done the Alpe in 65 minutes, but I have 50/34 and 11-32!

@johanmaclassen1779 4 жыл бұрын

@@Traxxion My FTP is not much different aprox. 250 (3,8w/kg), acording to Zwift - i only did the alpe one time at the end of a longer ride after the radio-tower - 75min quite busted at the top.

@dean314videos9 Жыл бұрын

DAMN!!!! You need to be working for them! I worked my AZZ off to hit 2 miles on my 11 speed. I just thought something was wrong because in the real world I would ride 15-20 miles a little under 2 hrs. (I got health issues). This make it a lot better of understanding

@Traxxion Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@axessdenyd 2 жыл бұрын

This definitely makes sense. I had thought it was a grade modification, where 50% meant that a 12% grade would be modeled as a 6%, just to make it easier (and I was thinking how easy it would be for someone to cheat by setting it to 0 and doing all the climbs). But this makes much more sense. And I'll be trying 100% when I get home since I'm riding my touring bike 26/36/46, 11-36, I think) and I'm almost always in either the highest gear on the big ring or still in the top half of the cassette on the middle ring during climbs, and I have a ton of lower gears that can still come into play. Also perhaps it will help avoid getting spun out as much on descents.

@kedevash Жыл бұрын

Old post but i have the same problem. With my touring by, on the flat, it's like i'm missing some gear... But if you play 100% difficulty, you loose time by changing gear

@workhorsemtb7075 Жыл бұрын

This is sooooo helpful! I can't get up steep hills in Zwift. I have a really old bike on my trainer and it only has 7 gears on the cassette. I just thought I was a weakling but turns out my bike isn't geared for climbing... looks like this setting is no longer in the settings section anymore

@Traxxion Жыл бұрын

Really? No longer a setting? Interesting... I have been off the bike for a year as I am building a house in my spare time.

@workhorsemtb7075 Жыл бұрын

@@Traxxion I was wrong. I was looking at it with my laptop in my office. After combing through the Zwift Insider forums it doesn't show up until you are paired with a device. I also found a way to edit the .xml file where that info is stored on my pc. I just changed it there instead of setting everything up right now and changing it.

@hammerhouse153 2 жыл бұрын

Just got a new smart trainer this really helped. Thanks

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped!

@mikeli-rouse7512 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, this is such a good explanation 👍🏻

@kevinwilliamson1883 4 жыл бұрын

At last - I understand - thank you very much for posting!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

@sperger1964 4 жыл бұрын

I wonderred where you were going with this at the beginning but it makes perfect sense when you explain it like that. I think I'll give it a try the next time I go on Zwift. My concern was that usually when you lower the gear you reduce the speed so that it would be just as hard to go half as fast up hills but it appears from your research that this isn't the case. Thanks for the info.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

You are welcome. Check this out... this feature will be very important for people who want to ride a road bike on the mountain bike courses. The grades are very steep and require much more shifting, just like real mountain biking. This will allow people to have easy gears for those grades of 14+%.

@vukgrujic2957 9 күн бұрын

Great explanation, I would also add there is a preffered cadence for everyone, most of are in the middle about 80-90rpm, some guy spin 100rpm regulary, and then there are torque boys that do 60-65rpm al the time. But for most it is easier for knees, ligaments and tendons to spin more if they can, which also helps bloodflow and is more cardio based than muscle acid based. I'm planing to go for turbo trainer and zwift, and your suggestion seems best: Set it up so that you can have cadence on inclines as you would have in RL. For training purposes I might take it a notch down from time to time.

@Traxxion 9 күн бұрын

Stew-roids!

@tatojanc 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Max ... very clear explanation

@thebeardedone5809 2 жыл бұрын

If this is it its AWSOME! What a Great video! I understand it completely

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@Ayami3184 4 жыл бұрын

Spot on! Zwift should make changes. Thanks heaps... off to adjust my Zwift Gear Selector now.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Enjoy!

@noguerable 4 жыл бұрын

I'm totally agree with you but if you are In a race and you don't change the ring because you are in middle difficult you have an advantage because you are not changing your gears. But is a really good think that all the people began ride because of this feature. Thank you for your explanation.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

I understand how racers use this setting to their advantage... can't stop racers from trying to gain an advantage!

@michaelybanez3240 2 жыл бұрын

Finally an explanation that make sense!!!! Thank you 😊💘😊

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@ian3893 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant explanation, so many think less than 100% is cheating. Thank you 👍👏

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@Cyclingchoice 2 жыл бұрын

Prefect explanation! Thank you

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@inevitable_eventuality 2 ай бұрын

Thanks. this totally makes since.

@covboy70 4 жыл бұрын

Been saying this for months!!! It is about making a trainer useful for more people! . 1) 250w up a climb equals a given speed for your Avatar. You still have to produce 250w regardless of your cadence and what gear you use....but 2) the difficulty slider allows people to make full use of their gear ratios depending on their ability. If you build a trainer capable of handling 500w in a high gear, but a user can only hold 150w, then that Smart trainer would be 'too hard' for them on any steep incline, and they would spend whole time in bottom few cogs. The slider allows for the differences in smart trainer ranges, AND the differences in user's capability. Some lesser trainers might not go up to the 15%+ incline that Zwift 100% setting would force, so may not be an issue, but a top end trainer can, and it would just make it impossible for weaker riders to use. It does not make pushing a wattage in game easier

@venom777ik 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the explanation. If I am riding indoors I want almost the same gearing as outside. So I will shift it the next time more to the right untill I have the same feeling as outdoors. It would be a help if Zwift put a gradient on it. So if you ride 50/34 - 11/28 you set it on f.e 75% for 'the outdoor feeling'.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

There's an incredible amount of chainring and cassette combos, I think that might be hard to do. But I'm sure they work on improving things like this all the time!

@stijnlaenen4369 3 жыл бұрын

Shane Miller - GP Lama actually tested this with a Wahoo Kickr Bike. When difficulty is set at 50%, the resistance of the trainer itself when climbing at 14% will actually be at 7%, so people with bigger gears can handle the gradient. So half the resistance (7%) will go to your back wheel, half (the other 7) will go straight to your avatar slowing him/her down. Speed on screen and wattage will always be the same, no matter the setting from 0 to 100%. Combined with your excellent explanation, the full picture should be clear. I personally ride at 100% (reality), but only because my 50/34 11/30 gearing allows me to.

@tiaanlorenzen7778 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliantly explained . Thanks a lot

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Please share! Also check out the new Axxion Rocker Plates!

@dr.deborahnixon1192 7 ай бұрын

Finally after 6 years on Zwift I get it. Now please do a video and explain why really light riders have a harder time on Zwift. Sub 2 never exists for me because when the Beacon does 1.7 and 130 watts I'm doing 2.3-2.5 and 103 watts. I am always getting spit out the back. And don't get me started on downhills. I had a group ride the other day and was out within 3 minutes as we started the ride on a long downhill

@Traxxion 7 ай бұрын

That's a complex topic for sure!

@juliusgallardo8752 2 жыл бұрын

That's exactly right! We'll done explaining!

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!!!

@ruairibarry4764 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this excellent explanation.

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@user-fk8rb8ue5h 4 жыл бұрын

I worked this out straightaway. It makes the game more durable so it can accommodate people whose bikes have either high or low gears e.g. mountain bikes or racing bikes.

@Porto_Pablo 3 жыл бұрын

That makes complete sense to me. Thank you.

@2zany4u 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this vid, very well explained.

@Traxxion 3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@anshleyspotter6625 4 жыл бұрын

thanks so much for clearing this out.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@Un4i 4 жыл бұрын

That's they way it has to be explained! Thanks!!!

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@JonneyReay1968 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent explanation thank you 👍🏻

@lazarollanes5228 2 жыл бұрын

Was amazing explanation , thank you 🙏

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@jayjayskampjes9354 2 жыл бұрын

Love it. Great explanation. Thanks

@Traxxion 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@ondrejhejda7925 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I was confused when I first climbed a hill in Zwift. I saw the hill incline so chanched to higher gear and it was too easy to spin my legs. It felt so unnaturally climb on low gears, with the wheel spining so fast. Definitly going to try it on max settings tomorrow.

@Traxxion 4 жыл бұрын

You are welcome!