Imagine you can only find time to get on your bike indoors whether at the gym or in your home, yet you want to have a the feeling of being outdoors with or without friends. Zwift allows you to experience exactly this sensation by merging the real world and a virtual riding experience into one. Basically by adding sensors to the bicycle and a software download you can opt in to cycle training sessions, competitions and a variety of challenging rides. Zwift is created by cycling enthusiasts who also happened to have software and video game development experience.
The software keeps you in tune with your personal tracking statistics from heart rate to cycling cadence and anything else you want to keep an eye on. It can be linked to other known fitness devices such as Strava for example. With the assistance of an ANT+, USB, Speed and cadence sensor linked to the bike and a computer you can start your virtual experience of riding in new settings with friends or taking part in competitions with fellow riders around the world.
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Blending real world effort in often boring indoor settings with relevant technology allows you to create a fabulous cycling experience. The gamification aspects that allow for tracking your own personal best, joining teams to explore new locations and entering competitions if you feel like it all enhance the riding experience.
In fact the average ride whilst using Zwift is over 1 hour long, I know that after 20-30 minutes even the best indoor program has me bored and wishing I was no longer on the bike. So the gamification aspect definitely would keep me going for longer too.