Mojo31

Not unless someone is chasing you!

big john

Twisty climbs are the best. Just grinding a long, straight ramp gets old.

big john

I was going to write that but I wonder if I could even then.

downtube42

Being humbled is a good first step. Having the ego savagely crushed and shredded, left wimpering in the ditch never to be seen again, is liberating.

Remember the dude who spent a whole damn year crushing the longstanding world record for most miles in a year... only to lose it in a few months to a female cyclist? That's what I'm talking about.

MinnMan

Amanda Coker. She's not from this planet.

downtube42

Yet she actually is, which makes it all the more astounding.

guachi

On reasonably flat terrain my Zwift speeds and real speeds outside are almost identical once I got my new bike. I did a century on Zwift and outside both on flat courses. My average Watts were within 1 W and the times were less than five minutes apart. So Zwift is realistic (for me) given a suitably aerodynamic bike.

Seattle Forrest

The effort itself gets kinda monotonous, I can't argue with that. Scenery keeps it interesting though. Everything changes so much from the bottom to the top.

PeteHski

Same for me as long as I ride solo with no drafting from other riders. If I do a group ride on Zwift then it's a lot faster as you would expect riding in a large group. But I did a meet-up ride the other day with a friend of mine, just the two of us with no other Zwifters on the route. I led most of the ride with my friend sitting on my wheel. Average speed was very similar to what I get IRL on similar terrain. I was a little surprised because I'm so used to Zwift speeds being higher. But it's mainly down to all the drafting, presuming you are on an equivalent bike.

rumrunn6

sounds like there is hope for video meetings

bampilot06

weird so far it has been the opposite for me,
unless I have it set up for strictly zone 2 then everything matches.

rsbob 

With Zwift and IRL I go by my heart rate and watts. I endeavor to keep my watts and heart rate within certain parameters. The mileage will differ but the end result of the workout is the same. Except with little to no coasting on Zwift - I’m beat. This time of year being able to ride indoors is a better option than 43* and driving rain - which I did for an hour and bagged, went indoors and comfortably rode the trainer. Always prefer the outdoors but during the cold dark months an alternative is welcome.

Speaking of humbled, I am participating in a November climbing challenge which I know I will not succeed. The challenge is 60.000’ outdoors during one of the PNW wettest, windy months. I was feeling pretty good putting in 2000’ and a couple of 3000’ days until one guy does 8,000’! Then the next day he does 4000’. Of course he is 25 years younger, but anyone who does that kind for climbing in one day can really humble a person regardless of age. Go figure he was the one who came up with the challange.

waters60

I would substitute pitied fo humbled. So many of my tri friends are divorced; it is no surprise. My mileage keeps me out of the house for 60 - 80 miles most Saturdays and Sundays, as well as time during the week. To each their own, but 13,000 miles on Zwift, although impressive is also sad.

noimagination

My own story of being humbled:

I merged onto a road just as a woman rode past, so I merged behind her. She looked to be about 5' nuthin, and looked to be about as wide as she was tall (exaggeration, but she did not conform to usual standards of appearance for "fit" people). She then proceeded to ride away up the road with no apparent effort. Taught me (again) about assuming from appearance.

big john

These days you can be fooled by e-bikes. Some are hard to tell from regular bikes. Or, it could be that you just got spanked.

Eiko

I have no power and thus slow. I always wondered why I like climbing (slowly) even though I suffer and I'm just as slow on hills as on the flats. Thanks for explaining why!

Eiko

I was passed by her a few weeks ago too! I was truly amazed at the width of her butt as she went by me. I caught her on the next hill so physics and gravity still hold but she again motored away from me at the top of the climb. I took away your same lesson.

Seattle Forrest

Couples that sweat together stay together! 🙂

noimagination

This was a bit before e-bikes went mainstream, as I recall, so I'm going with door #2.

mstateglfr 

I dont think I said all 13000mi are on Zwift, but if I did that is my mistake. He has multiple bikes- a tri, a road, and an mtb for sure.

big john

Been there, done that.

OldTryGuy

FUN comes in all shapes, sizes, time of day, route chosen ---

Yesterday morning's - SLOW solo 63.36 miler, start time 1:19am, elevation 96', no stopping, beautiful star studded sky above --

big john

That would be different and different can be fun.

ericcox

I find this as well. At similar outputs, my speeds on Zwift and on the road are quite similar on similar terrain. But... I have no long climbs in my area, so if I'm doing one of the zwift rides with lots of elevation (relative to what I can get here), the speed drops accordingly. In that sense, I get fewer miles on zwift for similar time dedicated.

All that said, the vast majority of my miles are outside.

WhyFi

I think that the main reason that Zwift mileage diverges from reality, for many of us, is that the Zwift situations are implausible in our real lives.

I live in a metro area and, with the slowing, starting and stopping of frequent traffic controls, the distance covered over a given time is going to be low when compared to effort/output. Zwift gives instant access to open roads. The other thing that I don't have regular access to is the draft of 100+ riding buddies. Oh, and I also can't divebomb downhill, hairpin turns at 50mph.

Other than that, though, it's totally real.