Is It Cheating To Ride At Below 100% Trainer Difficulty Level?

Trainer difficulty is a Zwift setting that divides the room. Many race with it at the max setting to reflect outdoor racing, while many race at below 100%. But does it mean you are cheating if you ride below 100%? After all, there are good reasons why one might! Let's dive in and find out if there are advantages to be gained from the trainer difficulty setting.
- Contents of This Video -
00:00 - Intro
03:00 - Climbing Scenario
05:32 - Sprinting
06:43 - Descents
07:35 - Results
10:40 - Will 100% Trainer Difficulty Be Required?
- Links -
Zwift Power: zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=...
If Interested, Join My Live Race Streams Going Forward: / @zwiftstreamingnetwork...
Mark Cavendish Sprint Video: • How To Sprint Like Mar...

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

I am testing out a slightly different video format. Let me know what you all think about having portions of the video with me on camera, as opposed to the old format with just the voice over. Any and all feedback/thoughts are welcome!

[@ForestCyclingAdventures]

On camera is good, but look at the camera when talking, not at your own image or script. It feels like you aren't talking to the viewer and defeats the point of being on camera. If you have to read a script, which is fine, move the camera so it's at least at the same height and looks more like you are looking at us

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

thanks for the valuable insight. Its helpful to hear how others view it, and pointing out it kind of defeats the purpose of trying to speak directly to the viewer. I did notice that same point as well, I'm currently working on another video, and focused on improving the eye contact. I think it will be a noticeable improvement compared to this one.

[@DontGetDroppedCycling]

I’m here for the music. Stay for the Zwift gospel 🙌🏽

[@SteakandChains]

I definitely get frustrated when I fall off the back when I hit the flats or downhill since I keep my difficulty at 💯. Definitely great music!

[@boffintim]

Personally I find that having trainer difficulty on helps as it encourages you to push more when the road goes up, which is where the watts matter more and attacks are more likely to be made. But great video as always, my only suggestion would be to try to memorise the script and look at the camera rather than read off the screen. Looking forward to what's next!

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

Thanks for the tip! watching and editing the video myself i realized my eye line needed to be different.

[@JChu_]

Really great content as always. We just gotta get you a way better mic and your channel would blow up.

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

Thanks! Any recommendations on mic/audio set ups?

[@JChu_]

It depends on your budget. Rode podmic or any condenser mic($30-$200) would be a big upgrade.

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

maybe ill check them out. sounds like i could just research "condenser mics" and it would lead me in the right direction!

[@GeorgAndTheBike]

I never changed the setting from the default 50 % 🤷... Maybe time to try the 100% at some time

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

its definitely worth playing with the setting! you may find its more enjoyable at a higher or lower TD.

[@mohongzhi]

i do solo riding in Zwift with around 80% TD, because i have the bike with 44T narrow wide chain ring and not small enough for Zwift hills. And it seems everyone in Zwift racing are using 0% TD, so anyone use some% of TD will have disadvantages. Especially in downhill. Some times you just watching everyone shot out while downhill and you can just do nothing. Hope one day Zwift will have another option, only tune TD for uphill and keep downhill at least just like on flat road. Other wise TD now can be used only for solo riding to mimic outdoor environment but not for group riding.

[@MarkRiddellRacing]

Adjust it to the point that you don’t spin out of gears on the majority of downhills. Radio and Alpe descents are the exceptions.

[@user-fk8rb8ue5h]

It's just like using different gear ratios. What next we should all have the same cassette and chain rings as well. So let's go further and we all have the same bikes and we all have to weigh the same. All bullshit.

[@tristanm8250]

Your analyses are usually good but here it's confounded by a skill/technique issue on your part. Higher trainer difficulty actually makes climbing easier by increasing resistance throughout a larger portion of the pedal stroke, thereby extending the duty cycle of your leg muscles and delaying the onset of muscular fatigue. If you get more practice climbing and/or riding at 100% training difficulty you will definitely find it more efficient--it's especially obvious with shorter, maximal efforts. The reason more zwift racers don't run a higher trainer difficulty is because of the downside that you mentioned--you start to run out of gears on the downhills when you go higher than 50%.

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

thanks for your feedback. Could your feedback also be in some part due to just personal preference on if its easier at 100%? I typically ride at 100% and when i set it to 0% initially it felt a bit alien to be, but i was able to adjust. I actually exclusively ride at 100% in races (except if im doing training, or for this purpose testing), but still found when testing it felt easier at less than 100%. At this setting was the only one i had to change from my big ring to small on Adz. To your point, in my test i didnt go so deep into the red that i would be able to effectively test the onset of muscular fatigue, but did point out that based on my experience ive always felt it is difficult to keep that consistent power when the gradient changes like on Adz hairpins. Cheers mate! always interested and willing to listen to different perspectives.

[@tristanm8250]

@@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork I agree that it is a matter of personal preference as to whether or not riding at 100% feels easier, but that preference is determined mostly by the training status and anatomy of each rider. If you don't practice climbing very often then you won't be used to the way climbing uses your leg muscles (feeling "on" for a longer portion of the pedal stroke) and it will feel harder and give you sore legs more easily than doing the same effort on flat ground. That's only because you are exerting force on the pedals throughout a larger range of leg motion, and making slower, longer contractions with your muscles. (Which is the same reason why it's more efficient at maximal intensities). You make a good point that depending on the gearing of your bike, using a higher or lower trainer difficulty can feel harder or easier. With a lower trainer difficulty the resistance changes due to changes in gradient are reduced, resulting in a smoother feeling and more consistent power output, like you said. But if you have climbing gears on your bike and are used to riding at different cadences, this isn't an issue.

[@colnagog6026]

None of that makes sense. "Trainer Difficulty" simply adjusts the percentage of gradient one experiences while riding a given grade. 100% of a 15% grade will always be harder to ride than 50% of a 15% grade, regardless of effort/output. As stated in the video, and several other videos on this topic over the years, its the changes in gradient over undulating routes, and extended climbs, that introduces additional difficulty, as one has to manage more of their effort. Being able to just "lock in" to a steady power level, and stay there, is much easier than trying to maintain a constant effort over constantly changing gradients. As for downhills, physics, at least on this planet, dictate that that one will travel faster down a grade than only a fraction of the same grade...at least until they hit terminal velocity. There's a reason Zwifters hit the 100kph badge down the steeper grades than others.

[@psouthworth]

Race organizers can request restrictions on TD settings for their events, but they generally don't. If the organizer is cool with people riding at TD 0% then it's not cheating. They set the rules. Some trainers can only simulate 6-7% gradients, some people ride with non-controllable trainers while using a power meter, some people race on spin bikes that don't offer controllable resistance and don't actually have a power meter despite transmitting some made up power number. Outside of elite events there are dozens of ways to have inaccurate power and resistance and organizers don't have the tools to manage most of them. I find that lower TD is better for racing for the reasons you mentioned (eg, lower NP, less mental effort associated with deciding to shift). The Titans Grove rollers are also a good test case for lower TD. I don't generally race at 0% because I want some feedback in the pedals that people are going to surge or back off with a gradient change. (And I have a smart bike with 50 gears and no cost to shifting so there's that.)

[@dmitry.gashko]

They do allow lower TD, but they often do not allow non smart trainers

[@psouthworth]

@@dmitry.gashko In my events I require a power meter (using hardware enforcement so zPower can't join at all). That doesn't require that a trainer be paired as controllable, just that there's some kind of power meter paired. That "power meter" could be a $300 Bluetooth spin bike. My understanding is it excludes a few other power measurement devices like Elite Misuro B+ that are treated as zPower. If there are other options I don't know about, I'd certainly consider adding them.

[@Boatandoffice]

I’d use TD at 100% all day long. Except for the fact the inclines lag by 2 seconds. If they sort this out, let’s talk

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

I'm glad its not only me with the delay. I thought it may be poor connection, as i typically have about a 1 second delay. It does get annoying, especially on some of the hilly routes! I would think that it would be a fix that could be implemented as the game knows the routes you are on. Hopefully they can fix this (since it seems like people other than just myself experience it) in the future.

[@FoobsTon]

Trainer difficulty absolutely impacts. Do Alpe Du Zwift at 75% and 100% and you'll see what i mean. Riding road bikes with mountain bike gears doesn't happen IRL. On paper it's easy to say a watt is a watt but it doesn't work like that on mountains.

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

To your point, on Adz the only test i had to switch to my small ring was when riding at 100% difficulty.

[@joshvillen]

As a light rider, i have to have a low TD or i would immediately be dropped on the downhills. I am already rocking a 57t-9t ffs, the whole insinuation that its cheating is hilarious. As always, we dont all react or perform the same given certain stimulus. Requiring racers to run 100% TD is just another way to limit those of us already struggling to hang on the descents, i am already pushing over 300watts in TTT to stay with my coasting team mates

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

How often do you get dropped on the downhills? In the tests that i did, I wasn't able to recreate spinning out with my current setup. However, I do know I've had a few races in which i was dropped on the downhill due to this reason. Its for sure painful to get dropped on the descents after working so hard on the climbs lol.

[@joshvillen]

@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork most ttt's hahaha, I then have to put in a massive effort of 9-10wkg to get back to my team, which would be impossible on a high TD. If it gets implemented, then I'll suck it up but light riders are already penalized enough in this game

[@ZwiftAnalysisNetwork]

Haha i can only imagine having to put out a 9wkg effort when your probably already tired. Never fun having to deal with that.

[@colnagog6026]

But isn't that how physics works in real life? Heavier riders descend faster with less effort? What about the heavier rider getting dropped by you going "uphill" that's also putting out 300W?

[@robertskochinstitut6653]

Watts are watts. Trainer difficulty is nothing but gearing. It is in place so that riders of different levels can have a good experience no matter the equipment they have available. Zwift is a business and it needs to be inclusive. What is up next? Banning standing up on the bike because you can be very efficient riding that way on a rigid direct drive trainer?