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Comment by prmoustache | Hacker News Reader

> I’m not sure how you solve that for people at home.

You don't. And it is valid for most "e-sports".

But I don't understand Zwift anyway. A big part of the joy of cycling is about being outside, feeling the wind, handling your bike. The actual physical exercise is important but it is not the whole thing. I understand pro racers using turbo trainers when the weather is so crappy so that they can do specific structured training necessary for their job. But amateurs??? If the weather is too crappy (which only really happen in freezing temps or storms), just do another sport or focus on another hobby while waiting for the weather to be better.

Note: I am saying that as a former elite racer.

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> But I don't understand Zwift anyway. A big part of the joy of cycling is about being outside, feeling the wind, handling your bike. The actual physical exercise is important but it is not the whole thing. I understand pro racers using turbo trainers when the weather is so crappy so that they can do specific structured training necessary for their job. But amateurs??? If the weather is too crappy (which only really happen in freezing temps or storms), just do another sport or focus on another hobby while waiting for the weather to be better.

This seems unnecessarily narrow-minded. There are lots of hobbies and pastimes out there that lots of other people don't enjoy or understand; why the need to gate-keep, to judge? Maybe consider Zwift racing as competing on a computer game (think Fifa, or Fortnite, or Counter Strike) with the added bonus of exercise thrown in.

It's also worth noting that the world of cycling is quite threatening when you're a relatively unfit amateur; even joining a local group ride can be scary, given the uncertainty of relative fitness and speeds. Attending a race is likely even more forboding, and it should be obvious that joining an anonymous online race would be magnitudes easier - logistically and psychologically.

> even joining a local group ride can be scary, given the uncertainty of relative fitness and speeds.

You get dropped. So what? You just finish alone and happy no?

Besides there are many rides with no drop rule (sometimes until the last 10km or so) or with regular regrouping.

> Attending a race is likely even more forboding

Usually you would join the local club where people would prepare you for it and possibly introduce you to the etiquette. Usually you need a federation license for racing anyway, and you need to be member of an affiliated club for that. I doubt Zwift, or any other esport, has no etiquette anyway. I heard people are called noobs in fps and esports for stupid reasons.[1]

[1] like using default skin character in fortnite or things like that.

> You get dropped. So what? You just finish alone and happy no?

You feel shit. You feel useless. You feel a drag on the group. You give up on the idea of riding with an unknown group until you've gained more fitness riding on your own.

> Besides there are many rides with no drop rule (sometimes until the last 10km or so) or with regular regrouping.

There are many that aren't; and even if they are, believe me it sucks to be the one that's always having to be waited for.

Take some well-meaning feedback from an anonymous person on the internet: you are seriously lacking empathy on this subject.

Speak for yourself. I've been dropped on group rides many times. It's no big deal. You would have to be really fragile to get upset about that.

Clubs or bike stores will often have A/B/C road rides for different ability levels. Usually only the A ride is a drop ride, while the B and C rides have designated regroup points.

> You would have to be really fragile to get upset about that.

Attitudes like this are what stop many new riders from joining cycling clubs, myself included.

If you don't want to get dropped then just join a "no drop" ride. I'm not seeing your problem here.

That’s not what I took umbrage with. Read my comment again.

But don't you get upset if you are constently at the back of the Zwift races anyway?

I am struggling to figure out the difference.

You’ve clearly not read anything I wrote.

Maybe quit being a wuss?

Thanks for proving my point.

>>A big part of the joy of cycling is about being outside

That depends a lot on where you live, a road bike and snow is not a good combination. For me it is a joy for about 4 months a year, where 2 of the months is when my allergy is at it worst. So the rest of the year is training inside on a trainer

You don't need to participate in formal races to enjoy the ability to go fast and/or far. Even before Strava, people would "race" each other in group rides whenever a hill comes up, and themselves whenever they hit their standard loop. Plenty of non-racers have turbos to get them through winter, some of them use Zwift to make it a little less boring.

It’s fine to not want to do that but there are plenty of reasons to use indoor training:

* Easier to do a session

* Weather is too bad (either today or the entire winter)

* Want to maintain some fitness through winter

* More convenient on that day (just finished work)

I don’t use Zwift for racing but then I live on the outskirts of a fairly remote city so it’s easy to get outside. I think I’d feel differently if I lived in Central London.

I do cycle outside and love it, but for raw exercise nothing beats getting on the Peloton (or Zwift), putting your head down, music on, and cranking. It’s two different sports.

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