Not disappointed. I thought I would almost never use this feature, but tried it because I was so bored with the “stay at home” order. To my surprise I really enjoyed it during recovery rides and made the time fly by.
I am always amused by those that think every part of every business must be specifically tailored to their likes and needs. I liken that to those that complain about certain topics on the podcast. TR is appealing to the masses, so it stands to reason that there will be parts of the business model that doesn’t appeal to everyone.
I’m pretty sure that the TR team can work on more than one thing at a time. Just because they fast-tracked Group Workouts for 10 days doesn’t necessarily mean that every other thing in development stopped.
More people on a feature doesn’t always mean it gets built faster.
Exactly this. Group workouts is mainly an engineering problem that doesn’t have a lot of edge cases to handle, or ux elements to content with like plan builder, or revamped training plans. Hence why they were able to deliver it in 9 days from PoC.
I get the feeling with the Tri plans there’s something bigger in the works, like a revamped training plan that includes tss for runs and swims that will coincide with the guys doing Tri’s soon. A lot of that will be doing the research and testing and doing it over the course of months. If they wanted to upload runs and swims from garmin and apply a ‘close enough’ value then I’m sure they could do it, but it doesn’t seem like they’re interested in just patching the existing process.
My .02 is I probably won’t use the feature all that much between having friends on different platforms and different plans, and not using the desktop app, but it’s a cool feature that I’m glad they’re investing in, and shows that they can identify a need in the market and deliver quickly and effectively. It looked slick as hell and seems to be working as intended. So even if it’s not a feature I’m going to use, as a user I’m happy with the delivery of it, and who knows maybe that niche feature that I’m interested in will get done. some day!
I think it great. If you have a group of coached athletes doing the same workout, why not? I think it is more fun than meeting up on Zwift. I can actually see and talk with them instead of clumsily typing on the Zwift companion app.
Way more social. I do the same workouts with a group of people at least once a week. Now I can see them and interact (and run zwift in the background for drops…).
I’m not going to use it and I don’t see the point. Would rather prefer the resources being used to some more useful features (schedule vacancies in the plan builder please!).
But hey I’m paying TR for the base features which are still great, anything added on top is always a bonus.
Scheduling vacations / breaks / whatever into plan builder is a good example of a situation where ‘more people on a feature won’t get it built faster’ may apply. Brandon says in the plan builder thread that they are working on adding in vacations but it’s clearly a complex task with a ton of implications on the rest of the plan builder and those workflows need to be tested and verified.
Also, if nothing else, this shows TR listen so head over to plan builder and give 'em a prod, maybe it’ll get bumped up the priority sheet.
I should really hold off comment until I have tried it, but I don’t ever see me using this and I agree with you. What I love about indoor training is being to do it whenever I want. The last thing I want is to arrange times & dates with other people.
In the latest podcast (the one demoing it) Nate mentions that it was originally slated for release this autumn but they brought it forward because of the Coronavirus situation partly as a means of making things a bit more sociable for folk.
It’s not something I’m likely to use (pain cave is a right mess!) but I can see why they’ve implemented this. Not everything is for everyone: I don’t do crits but listen to the podcasts about them and even watch the race analysis videos.
TR has reviewed a few studies that show improved performance and output when people trainer with others as opposed to being solo.
I have seen them, but will leave it to TR to share the info (which may be referenced in the podcast discussion today?) or for other smart people to find on PubMed.
I think most of us have likely experienced that extra 1-10% of effort that we somehow find in those tough moments at the end of a race or hard effort. I know I have held on longer when trying to hang onto a friend’s (or foe’s ) wheel in those critical moments of a race or hard group ride.
That extra bit of effort, along with the potential avoidance of a bail, are the ways this can make us faster.
I fully admit (and have already stated) that this feature is not something that everyone will like or use. I won’t even use it 100% of the time.
But I will use it for particular workouts and even simple BS sessions with friends in this messed up time.
I also see a potential to use it for light coaching for some of my friends in the area. Simple stuff like using ERG mode better up to things like how to ride particular workouts or intervals. I think it is a “simple” tool that’s value will extend well beyond the superficial appearance.
More than any other TR feature, I think people should try it before they discount it. We’ve already seen comments from people that presumed they would not like or use it, and they come out with a different opinion on the other side. Even if they still don’t like it at the end, I think it was worth the effort to confirm, rather than make an assumption.
Largely off topic, but what really disappoints me is that an existing TR forum member felt the need to make a fake account, with the express purpose of making this post.
TR made some great guidelines and set a tone of focus on the topics, not the individual, when they gave us this forum. It was something that really drew me here vs so many of the other forums that allow trolling and flaming.
I try to do my part to foster and support discussion of different view points. I hope we all feel free to share common and dissenting views, with the goal of broadening the exposure of all to new and/or different ideas. The potential for learning is huge and I know I have gained much from my time here.
The level of respect and polite discussion here is something I truly value and hope to see continue.
So I hope this example is an exception, and people will be open to sharing their opinions, even when they don’t match some or all of the group here.
I was worried the limit of five would constrain it a little bit, in the sense that it won’t be like doing a huge spin class with a bunch of different users. I think it will keep some of the local folks I know from adopting it since they currently run bigger classes (I’m seeing 10+ users, all riding on Zwift and running a concurrent Zoom chat). But still, pretty cool feature and I hope folks come up with interesting and creative ways to use it to meet new riders and stay motivated
I find that funny after remembering how TR podcasts were against the social features and zwift and more graphics. I remember @Nate_Pearson specifically stating that the simplist screen was best when folks would ask for more data.
I haven’t used it, but it looks awesome and well done. And quickly getting it out during these times. Kudos to the TR team.
My read on the prior TR criticism towards Z was aimed more at the “virtual world” aspect with comments about “you don’t need volcanoes…” and such. It think it was more about the “gaming” aspects that they didn’t see as necessary.
They clearly advocate and use a range of visual distraction from TV to movies, and POV or bike race footage as motivation to get more from themselves.
I don’t remember specific comments on the “social” aspect, but they may be out there.
To be disappointed in anything requires first the assumption that the thing in which I am disappointed was developed for me or that my legitimate personal expectations regarding an outcome have not been met. No one knew this was coming so no one could have had legitimate personal expectations. To be disappointed is a personal choice far more reflective of me than of that in which I’m disappointed. Any choice, by definition, excludes all the alternatives to that choice, all of which are equally accessible and all of which will exhibit different personal motivations, objectives, and outcomes than the one chosen.
In my minds these 2 are the same thing. But my post wasn’t meant to criticize. It was meant as a reminder to them to keep an open mind and don’t paint yourself into a corner. Just because something is from your competitor doesn’t mean it warrants criticism.
It’s created a mindset here where many on this forum wont even use the word “zwift”. Like its a bad word. We need these communities to work together. How cool would it be for TR and zwift and the others to have a lot more integration?
Nate clearly sets a direction and tends to stick to it. This new feature came out of left field and blew my mind that they did it. My read on their direction, based on past comments on entertainment and wanting a simple, and focused app lead me to think something like this would never happen in TR.
Seeing their base considerations from the research, and in light of the current situation, it impressive to see their choice and implementation. All of us make choices and choose some things over others. Being open and willing to reevaluate and even change course are great.
I do agree that there is bothersome feeling towards Z by some here. I just see it and the others as more options to use instead of, or addition to, TR. Each of us likes and wants different things. So more options seems like a great thing. Choose what works for you and try not to be negative to the choices you avoid, because they likely work well for others. Peace, love and all that jazz
working out with others helps with motivation. I used to go to a computrainer studio (still exists but I moved away) where there were like 10 trainers setup and we all did the same workout in PerfPro software. I went once a week. The studio was run by my endurance coach. whatever workout was setup for that week that’s what I did. It just got worked into my workout plan. it was just a hard workout. akin to some people who use TR but still go for a hard group ride on a weekend.
) wheel in those critical moments of a race or hard group ride.
