Two Items it would be great to have some help with.
1. Scheduled a “Ride The World” workout.
This is a workout with a “Ride The World” attached YouTube video. This would not load into Rouvy. As in the workout (I was not expecting the video to work). I do not think the workout is recognised by Rouvy when it is one of these - is that correct?
2. What workouts don’t run properly on Rouvy and are better being run on Android EBC?
What types of workouts don’t work (or don’t work as well) when loaded into Rouvy? Is it easy to spot which need to be run on the Android EBC?
I often find that if I run a workout on Android EBC (so that’s controlling the trainer) and also Rouvy (for the immersive nature of it), the experience isn’t great.
A pause in peddling often auto-stops Rouvy, but the workout on the Android EBC continues, so Wattage Goals don’t match, and the workout between Rouvy and EBc are out of sync, which is pretty annoying.
It is a better experience when Rouvy just runs the whole thing. But good to know where I should be running things on EBC.
Workouts with Bike the World videos are meant to be ridden using EBC on your phone to control the workout while you watch the video on a laptop/tablet using the Session Player.
Examples:
Also, workouts tagged MIXEDMODE are designed to switch to Slope mode on EBC where you use gears/cadence to match target watts or generate a max effort.
I’m finding it quite frustrating to understand which Workouts are MIXEDMODE and which are not. Many workouts do not have # in the description. Nor anywhere else I can see, so the advice given by Xert “workouts tagged MIXEDMODE work better on the EBC" I just don’t know which are MIXEDMODE and which are not.
I presume all SMART workouts are better on the EBC, but sometimes you just want to ride on Rouvy, and then having the added annoyance of Rouvy and Xert EBC not being in sync is just annoying.
Is there any plans for Xert adaptive MIXEDMODE or SMART workouts to be able to be run on Rouvy/Zwift, or will it always be the case that you’ve got to use the XERT EBC?
Thanks
Example of no description to say if it it MIXEDMODE and this seems to be the norm
SMART intervals include a number of types not anchored on %FTP.
The dynamic type (power or duration) can often be discerned on thumbnail charts as curvilinear entries (work or rest interval). Look for XSSR or % Reserve MPA as the interval definition.
Example:
MIXEDMODE is tagged on the thumbnail view and refers to intervals that switch to Slope mode where you would use gears/cadence to hit targets. Look for % Grade in the interval defiinition.
Example:
The issue is the platform you are using (Rouvy) can’t replicate all SMART interval types unless the interval can be converted to an equivalent %FTP.
For full SMART compliance you’ll need to run the workout using EBC.
As far as watching Rouvy while you do this, couldn’t you watch a video without pairing power? Rouvy would provide the scenery playing at whatever speed the video was recorded while the workout is executed on your phone.
Below is from Xert to Zwift article (same issue with other platforms that only use %FTP) –
Q: Are the Xert Smart workouts dynamic?
A: Workouts with intervals and have Xert’s Smart capability – dynamic duration or power – are not dynamic in the Zwift game. They are all fixed duration and power intervals. If you wish to take advantage of the Smart workouts, check out the Ultimate Guide to Using Xert with Zwift guide for help.
A: Workouts with intervals to be performed in SLOPE mode will be exported to Zwift as Free Ride intervals, so ERG mode will be disabled & there won’t be an interval target provided. You should use your gearing and cadence to control your efforts! For the best experience, we recommend using the Xert EBC app for Mixed Mode workouts.
Since Rouvy integration to Xert is built on their end (Rouvy fetches WOTD) perhaps Rouvy could ignore workouts that contain dynamic or mixedmode intervals. Otherwise you need to make sure the WOTD on the Planner is compatible with Rouvy before their fetch occurs.
I haven’t tried yet, but AFAIK Rouvy can manage Ant+ and Bluetooth.
I would suggest connecting your HT to Rouvy with Ant+, choosing “slope mode” workout, and also connect your HT to Xert EBC with Bluetooth. Don’t give it control of your HT, let Rouvy do it with the slope. And follow the workout on your phone.
PS: if you’re using Zwift Cog/Click, you can’t connect your HT with Ant+. Check if your phone can, and if so, do the switch. Rouvy connected through BT, Xert EBC through Ant+.
On Rouvy, you can do your workout in “slope mode”: you chose the gradient you feel comfortable with to follow your workout. Whatever the route you selected, you will have a fixed resistance. You can adjust the resistance (slope) any time, depending on the intervals you have to do. For recovery, lower the slope to 0-2% (or less), for high intensity intervals, go for 4, 5, …, 10% if you want.
In slope mode, whatever the route you follow, flat, hilly, uphill, downhill, the resistance is fixed, you can push high watts on descents with a low cadence if needed.
