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Old 10-08-19, 08:03 PM
  #10  
zacster
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Brooklyn NY
Posts: 7,702

Bikes: Kuota Kredo/Chorus, Trek 7000 commuter, Trek 8000 MTB and a few others

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I always think Zwift is harder than real life until I do their Central Park loop. Since this is a loop that I also do in real life outside I can say that it isn't all that much different in effort. The difference IMHO is that not so much that you coast more than you think when riding outside, but that the trainer forces you to keep pedaling. There is no point in coasting on a trainer either since you aren't going anywhere. That big downhill when you head north into Harlem, I'll coast that in the park but what would the point be on a trainer to coast? You don't feel the wind in your hair, the bumps on the road. You just watch yourself go downhill on an animated video if you coast on the trainer and what pleasure would you derive from that?

I don't actually ride Central Park that often, but I do ride in Prospect Park which has a similar but shorter loop. Once I'm in the park I ride the entire loop without letting up and up to 5 laps, and you just don't do that on most rides.

Back to Zwift, it is a great training tool and can really kick your arse if you are on a good course or using a good workout. Also, workouts are relative to FTP so get yourself tested if you haven't already.

And stop comparing indoors to outdoors...
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