Why I got a Controllable Trainer

Drunken Zwifting requires a helmet, in case you fall off your bike. It's on the trainer so it's an extra 6 inches of distance to the concrete....

Heck, you could even break a collarbone on (off of) one.....

 

Oh brother!
That’s ridiculous!

of course I’m gonna pad up.

 

OK I'm just gonna say it. I don't get this whole smart trainer thing so far and I need help before I give it away or run it over with my Jeep , To me it feels very unrealistic sorta like pedaling your bike while dragging the brakes. The trainer has an HG freehub on it so the only bike I could use on it for now was my wife's Ripley with it's 11 speed shimano drivetrain (well I could use my SS also ).
First I tried the Wahoo app that you use to setup and calibrate the trainer which wasn't a problem. Then I tried to use the app and do some riding but I could find nothing that varied the resistance to simulate real riding terrain. Basically I could just set the desired wattage I wanted to generate and no matter how I pedaled it adjusted to keep me at the 150 watts I set it for. Pedal and easy gear and spin fast or shift to a tougher gear and the slower spin had more resistance.
Then I downloaded the Zwift app and truth be told I'm lost with this app . The graphics suck and I really can't see it on my phone, I then borrowed my wife's Ipad it's better but I still can't see most of what I need to. I did the Zwift orientation ride which I was able to spin tapped out in my highest gear most of the time at 20-24 mph and basically everyone was blowing by me like I was tied to a stump, no fun. Then I tried a Watopia ride and again I cant really tell any difference in the terrain. Basically if I pedal an easy gear I go slower and it's easy or if I pedal a bigger gear I go faster and it's harder but I can pedal any gear I want really and I can't tell there's any hills it just fells like I'm dragging the brakes in the bigger gears. This doesn't seem right to me. Obviously I'm missing something and am open to suggestions.
I've tried for a couple nights to find any kind of mountain biking and haven't figured it out. I've also tried to find another Watopia course that has climbing and feels like riding my bike but still haven't found anything. Yes I can get a workout and get my heart rate way up there but it feels nothing like riding a real bike. Maybe this is normal?
Please help before I give this thing away and loose a bunch of money...

 

It's not THAT realistic....

Here's the way to look at it: It's not riding your bike outdoors. It's a way to somewhat simulate real-world resistance as you climb and descend. It can keep you in shape when you can't get out in the real world, for those times you can.

Other than that, I can't help you. Think of it as the Science Fiction WSOD - Willing Suspension of Disbelief. Take it for what it is and use it to keep up your fitness for when you CAN ride. That is all.

I have my last generation desktop and a 32-inch TV in the garage, via the Zwift Companion App on Android. Much better than a phone or laptop alone.

EDIT: If you haven't paired the trainer to the Zwift app it won't be much good. I can't walk you through it here, but if you're using an Android phone you need the Zwift Companion App on your phone, and both the phone and confuser need to be on the same network.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I was afraid you might say that. I’ll just give it more time and try to familiarize myself more and maybe find the enjoyment. I guess I was just expecting more out of a smart trainer. Don’t get me wrong I can get the exercise I need with it but I can’t really tell the difference from the $99 Walmart exercise bike I gave away years ago. I’m stubborn so I’ll keep trying for now but I may end up selling it cheap and buying more lights…

 

You can do what I do with almost anything bought online that isn't as expected. Return it and get your money back, then go ride.

 

Tell ya what...figure out how to set up a ride (I've been using it for 4 years and have no idea), let me know when you're starting, and let's see if you can drop me.

I play chase the rabbit all the time. I look at watts, speed and kj all the time. There are ways to make it work. It's all in your head.

 

Haha now were talking though I haven’t got a clue what watts or kj’s are. I know what climbs and bombing downhills are though.

 

Hop on Zwift, ride in London. Match this...sure it was only 16 seconds, but it was 454 watts (power output) for 16 seconds, and a max of 530 watts. Go ahead. Try it.

You'll be hooked by 9 am tomorrow.

 

@Voodoo Tom if you don’t have a road bike to use those roadies are going to drop you. You haven’t got the gears! My road bike spins up way faster than my DV9 does in the same trainer.
Get a flat screen in front of it and tie in the Zwift App.

 

I rode London tonight (I think). I spun out for like the first 8 miles and then got to the climbing where I had to shift down a few gears. What seemed weird is that I was in the middle of the cassette spinning pretty good on the climb and it said I was doing only 5 mph which does not seem right as I can go that fast in the granny gear. Maybe I don't have something setup correctly but I did get a good workout...

 

This thread is beyond entertaining.

Buy the lights. Come ride the rocks.

 

I understand the convenience of trainers if you have small kids, tight on time, injuries etc. Living in socal, beautiful weather, GET OUTSIDE and ride!! When I used to run more , I would hate using a treadmill, and rarely did. I guess it's a "cyclist" thing

 

I used a spin bike during collarbone and ACL rehab, and it was less than glorious but more than miserable. Your penchant for experimentation is noteworthy. Having said that, I'd pester you nightly to ride with me during The Late Show if I were your neighbor. At any rate, JPL is approximately half way between me and you, and I have lights to share and time to spare once the kids slumber...in about one month or so.

 

I think you two are missing the point... that I'm in Arkansas and @Voodoo Tom and @Runs with Scissors are in California. One near Canada and the other near Fullerton. We're trying to get some rides in together for various reasons.
One is a recluse... I'm assuming Scissors (just joking)
The other is so stressed out at work and putting in too many inhumane hours there...
Me? I'm a recovering Knee Replacement Hooligan in a third world country who can't yet get out on the trails...

I miss my buds and want to ride with them and this is an interesting way to get time in the saddle and talk Sh!t with my buddies.
One of yah go get your midnight rocks off, and the other your fresh air... and shutty!

 

Don't worry I talked to "Mr Midnight bounces off rocks" this morning and we had a great half hour long sh!t talking session about trainers, single speeds, 12 speeds, mountain lions, hairy spiders and pretty much everything else in life.

 

Nailed it!!!! I'm not much of a people person. I think we all know this by now.

But still looking forward to riding with you, @Mikie and @Voodoo Tom, even on Zwift!!!!