There's no doubt that the online training platform Zwift has experienced exponential growth in the last few years. In fact, Zwift users have managed to rack up more than 200 million kilometers in 2017. That's a LOT of miles, and probably a lot of fun too.
There's also little doubt that Zwift is an amazing training tool. In fact, I've relied on it for much of the past two winter seasons to both build fitness and maintain motivation. What seems to have risen recently, however, is the concept of Zwift racing. More than once, I've seen people comment about the validity of these competitions. Are people using the online format to easily cheat? Is it even racing if you're not in the same room with someone else?
There are even plenty of people on various Zwift Facebook groups that eschew outdoor riding completely in favor of a virtual riding platform.
A few years back, I wrote about how Strava had the potential to be a fitness wrecker. Now, hearing that people are turning to Zwift instead of the outdoors, I'm wondering, “Is Zwift Killing Cycling?”
Click through to explore the pros and cons of this burgeoning platform:
How Has An Indoor Trainer Replaced An Outdoor Ride?
One of the many things I've read on a variety of Facebook comments is how riders are skipping their outdoor rides. They're opting to climb on a smart trainer and knocking out 20 miles online. In a room under artificial lighting. Away from the sights, smells, and sounds of the road (not to mention nature in general.) At what point did we, as a society, become so addicted to instantaneous stimulation that we have switched from going outside on a sunny day to go for a ride to sitting inside in front of a TV?
The arguments for Zwift
Yes, there is no traffic indoors on your trainer. You don't run the risk of being driven over by an inattentive, texting motorist. There is no road rage on the trainer and generally, you're safer from the world around you.
You don't have to worry about wind, rain or weather in general on the trainer. Every facet of your training environment is tightly controllable. You can change the temperature, the fan speed, even the humidity with a little forethought. That's a huge advantage compared to outdoors where you're at the mercy of the weather.
Finally, because of the specific control you have over your environment, Zwift is a great platform for interval training. You can get very specific, controlled and repeatable interval work in a short period of time. It's the perfect way to knock out a short hour of work without having to ride to and from a hill to do hill repeats.
The arguments against Zwift
C'mon. This isn't even a challenge, is it?
Sunshine. The wind in your face. The sound of the tarmac (or gravel) whipping by under your tires. The smell of the outdoors. The freedom of riding wherever you want to go and wherever you want to be.
The other problem you run into is that no trainer can adequately recreate the true feel of the road. Climbing is just different on a trainer and even the resistance offered by different road surfaces can't be replicated on Zwift. This is a big deal. In a lot of events, the actual conditions of the roads contribute to the difficulty. For example, I had to do most of my Monkey Knife Fight training on an indoor trainer. Nothing I did on the trainer was close to the feel of riding over dirt and gravel roads. The pounding on the saddle and the resistance on the tires is something that the trainer can't provide. Period.
These are the things people are giving up for their trainers and their Zwift app. Is it safer than riding on the road? Sure, but even taking simple steps like adding a Garmin Varia to your bike can give you more awareness while you're out on the road. Is Zwift more convenient than kitting up for an outdoor ride? Absolutely. You don't have to worry about a helmet, gloves, glasses, tube, pump, etc etc.
But that's all part of the process of riding a bike outside. And I don't buy the argument that someone can't carve out an hour or two a week to ride their bike outside. The time difference isn't significant enough from the trainer to even enter the argument.
So even though there are compelling arguments for Zwift, something else has evolved that is attracting plenty of attention. That something also struck more of a nerve with me than anything else I'd seen.
The Rise of Zwift “Racing”
In the last few months, I've seen a lot of posts like this:
And this:
To call this racing is, frankly, a disservice to anyone who's ever pinned on a number. Is this a competition? Yes. It is. Is it a race? No.
Racing involves an investment in learning a craft. A good racer is not just strong, but intelligent and cagey. They understand how to work a field in their favor and how to beat a stronger rider to the line. There's a large commitment to trying tactics that will never work, learn how to handle a bicycle in a peloton, understand the nuances of staying in the draft until just the right moment and how to navigate a chaotic field sprint.
None of this exists in the world of Zwift “racing.” It's simply an FTP test and who can ride the hardest for the longest. There are no tactics, no draft to speak of and no physical risk.
That bears repeating: there's no physical risk. Part of the thrill of a bike race is the inherent risk by the participants. One wrong move, one grab of the brakes, one twitchy look over the shoulder could be the end of your race. Short of riding off the rollers in your basement, your Zwift “race” is over only when you decide to stop pedaling.
This is to say nothing of the potential to cheat when you're thousands of miles away from your closest competitor or the prying eyes of any kind of authorities. Pro cyclists have shown they're not trustworthy when saying they're racing on the up and up, so why would I expect anyone in the Zwift ranks to be any more believable? If many of these performances are to be believed, then lots of pro contracts should be handed out. I don't see that happening much, do you?
Where Are We Going From Here?
With all the previous information in mind, is Zwift killing cycling? No, I don't think it's killing cycling per se. I think Zwift has done a fantastic job of catering to our over-stimulated society. Let's face it: most cyclists are a type A, highly motivated and highly connected group. We all have smartphones and like to be constantly on the move. Zwift gives us an outlet to both be connected with others and on the move at the same time.
It also scratches an itch that's akin to a video game. We get to be the superhero, we get to “play” and “win” at something that really doesn't exist in real life. It's not much different than firing up Madden '18 on your Xbox, playing through a season and calling yourself a football coach. The only real difference is you need to put some measure of effort into the game in order to “win.”
Some bike shops have expressed that they have reservations about Zwift and how it's impacting local cycling culture as well. Many shops have initiatives to get people outside and riding, trying to build a community based on health, fitness and camaraderie. Parents have fought against video games for years in the quest to get their kids outside or involved in physical activity. Now the local bike shop is doing the same.
That's a sad state of affairs. When someone says they'd rather sit on a trainer, isolated in a basement, riding on Zwift instead of joining their friends outside in the wind on a real group ride, I can't help but shake my head.
What do you guys think?
