My Zwift Setup

Up in my part of the world, training outside in the eveningsĀ (and some days) is pretty difficult between October and April. During this period,Ā I rely on my Turbo trainer for cycling fitness. I’m lucky enough to have aĀ dedicated room for my training, albeit in our outbuilding.

TacxNeo

Neo Trainer

Late last year, I upgraded by mid-2000’s vintage Tacx FlowĀ to a Tacx Neo. The Neo is a direct-drive trainer, meaning that the bikeĀ connects directly to it, rather than the bike’s rear wheel resting on a roller,Ā like in a traditional turbo trainer. My last trainer did have controllableĀ resistance, but it was from a time when few trainers had a computer connection.Ā Having the trainer controller by the software has made a big difference to myĀ experience on the trainer.

Zwift

Since I got the Tacx Neo I’ve been using Zwift. Prior toĀ this, for the past couple of winters, I’ve used the Sufferfest, first just theĀ videos, then the app once that was released. While the sufferfest provides aĀ good workout, it didn’t provide anything for unstructured, ā€˜just cycling along’ days. With Zwift, there’s the option to just cycle the roads of the worlds theyĀ provide.

Of course, the latest Sufferfest provides much more thanĀ just training sessions, providing yoga and weight training sessions as well.

There’s a number of VR-type cycling apps on the market now,Ā including Bkool, Road Grand Tour and others. Zwift works well for me, and I’dĀ rather spent my time training, then trying out other apps. For a good review ofĀ the various options, have a look at DCRainmaker’s trainer software review.

Computer/Keyboard/Monitor/Adaptors

I’m using my main laptop, a 2018 Macbook Pro, along with anĀ Apple keyboard (MB869LL/A). The keyboard has two USB ports, one at each end. IntoĀ one I’ve plugged a cheap mouse, and to the other, a Suunto ANT+ adaptor. TheĀ Macbook needs to have a keyboard connected to run in clamshell mode (i.e., lidĀ closed). Although a Bluetooth one will work, I used a wired one as it allows meĀ to use a cheap mouse and also provides a port for the ANT+ dongle. I’ve alsoĀ got an additional power adaptor for the laptop to save having to drag one outĀ every time I’m training.

I’ve got a BenQ 21ā€ monitor (GL2250HM) that I picked upĀ cheap on Amazon, and a stand to hold the laptop vertically so that it takes upĀ less space on the worktop (the unit is an old kitchen unit from our house). AĀ plethora of USB-C adaptors are used to connect these – I swear the adaptors costĀ more than the laptop!

WiFi is provided by a TP-Link PowerLine adaptor connected backĀ to the Internet router in our house.

I’ve got Honeywell fan from Amazon which sits on the desk toĀ provide some cooling airflow. To control the fan (only On/Off), I’ve got an EveĀ Homekit switch – this means I can turn the fan on and off without having toĀ dismount from the training, using an app on my iPhone. In the winter, it’s aĀ bit too cold to have the fan on from the start of the session, and I usuallyĀ need 10 -15 minutes warming up before it goes on.

On the bike, I’m using a Tacx Sweat Cover with an iPhoneĀ pouch on it. In Zwift, there’s a companion app that runs on iOS and lets youĀ control aspects of Zwift without using the mouse or keyboard. I also use theĀ iPhone to control my fan.

ZwiftSetup

Performance

The setup works very well. However, looking the zwift logsĀ in zwiftilizer.com, it looks like the distance between the Neo and the ANTĀ dongle might be on the limit, as the log files show some dropouts, although IĀ haven’t noticed this either when using zwift or in the .fit files when reviewingĀ at them later. This may also be due to the TP-Link WiFi base being too close toĀ the ANT dongle as both of these work on the 2.4 GHz frequency. I probably needĀ to check exactly what channel the WiFi is using as well, as it’s recommended toĀ uses channels 1-5 to avoid interference with ANT+ and to definitely avoidĀ Channel 10, as it’s exactly the same frequency that ANT uses. Using 5 GHz WiFiĀ is also an option, although I don’t think my current TP-Link unit supportsĀ that.

With my 2018 Macbook pro, I’m getting 60 frames per secondĀ on average, using the 720 & basic settings in Zwift. I need to experimentĀ with higher settings, but I always forget to do this before starting the ZwiftĀ session!

Conclusions

The change to using a Neo and Zwift has certainly enhancedĀ my training this winter. If nothing else, it’s motivated me to training moreĀ often, which can only be a good thing. Getting the environment right alsoĀ reduces the friction to getting going for a session.

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