Did you know that you can burn an average of 650 calories per hour while riding your bike? So you now know why you keep seeing dozens of cyclists on the road more than ever or your colleague comes into work with a bicycle instead of a car. But what if you don't like going outside just to ride your bike or the air on the dusty road where you live is not entirely a shoo-in for you? Well, here's where our best solution comes in.
Zwift is the answer
If you want to burn all those calories off after eating a whole pizza by yourself and pairing it with a jumbo size Mountain Dew and you have decided that cycling is the best workout for you, then yes, go ahead and buy that bicycle. But if you don't like the noise of busy streets and you just don't want to get out, then Zwift will be the best answer.
Zwift is a turbo trainer game which means that you can hook your turbo trainer to your PC, laptop, iPhone or iPad and you can start riding it while in a virtual environment - thus seeing other cyclists.
Do you remember having to cancel your cycle workout due to bad weather or you just don't have extra time? With Zwift, you can't ever use those excuses again as you can train at the comfort of your own home.
What do I need to play Zwift?
Aside from motivation, you also need a turbo trainer. If you are going to play Zwift regularly and you want the best Zwift gameplay then Wahoo Kickr or Tacx Neo Smart and other smart turbo trainers would be the best options.
You see, these trainers have built-in power meters and have variable resistance and with that, they are able to measure your cycling power output and then send the info over to Swift that will then power your online avatar. The turbo trainer's variable resistance will help make your Zwift gameplay as immersive as possible - so for example, when you are going downhill, the on-screen resistance will decrease and if uphill, it will increase.
However, you don't have to throw your old turbo trainer away and get the most expensive one since you are still able to use the casual trainer you bought 5 years ago combined with a Bluetooth or ANT+ speed sensor.
What makes Zwift better compared to a turbo trainer?
With Zwift, you are actually able to feel what it's like to go cycling with friends on a scenic road instead of the usual boring TV you stare at while you're training. Due to the immersive gameplay, Zwift's average player usually rides longer than an hour, according to the Zwift team. If you've ever spent some time on your bike, you know that any time longer than 30 minutes is already exhausting.
Additionally, Zwift tracks your performance and activity stats and that includes heart rate, cadence, and even the rate you are peddling the bike.
Zwift Update
Zwift update that will feature voice interaction is slated to come out soon and for Apple users, Zwift iOs is coming soon.
As of late, Zwift has 17,000 followers on Twitter and 100,000 fans on Facebook. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg even posted about Swift when it helped him recover after breaking his arm.
Zwift is a subscription-based service that requires a $10/month payment.
