Originally Posted by
msu2001la
I also recall reading that there is some high-end trainer that actually includes a motor to drive the flywheel on downhills to better simulate coasting. I don't see the point of coasting on Zwift, but I suppose it is more realistic.
I think most folks don't realize how much coasting one does in the course of a normal outdoor ride. It's not just descents, but rather a lot of brief moments, just a couple seconds each, like when you hit the flat part after a climb and just want to rest for a moment, or stand up and stretch, etc. On the road, you slow down maybe an mph or two, so whatever gear you're in is still fine and you just start pedaling again. On my old dumb trainer, if I stop pedalling, it spins down within a couple seconds, and starting to pedal again means pushing whatever gear I was in from a stop. With my month-old Kickr Snap smart trainer, the spin down is MUCH more gradual, so I can stop pedalling for a second and still be in the right gear to start up again. It doesn't quite coast like a real bike on the road, but it's a lot better!
Now, of course, most of that is the flywheel weight, but I don't know of any dumb trainers with that heavy, or that large a flywheel.
As far as descents go, the other night I used the super tuck on the descent from the Innsbruck climb on Zwift to rest my legs after the climb. It is unrealistic, of course, because if you descended at those speeds with no braking you'd die.