Yeah true and I think I just got sucked in by my mates. Seen the wood for the tress now and back on track. I’ll cancel once the lockdown is over
That would solve the OP issue of needlessly hammering it on every group ride though wouldn’t it?
I’m a massive advocate for TR, but having experienced Zwift, it’s what you make of it.
I’m sure the plans aren’t as good as TR, and I definitely prefer the user interface of TR v the zwift companion app (even if the companion app was actually keeping pace with zwift), but there is structured training there.
For overdoing things, the biggest problem with zwift isn’t the platform or the training, it’s people’s ego’s. It’s no different from outdoor group rides, where we all get sucked into going hard to the top of climbs, sucked into a sprint, chasing a strava segment*. That’s a user issue not the platform.
*I’m as guilty as anyone - both outdoors and now on zwift!
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I use all three of the big training programs and swap between them, I originally left TR after 5 years, as it was burning me out. learnt a load of stuff on SF, and have been using Zwift exclusivly for the last year+ and aged 50 have my highest ever FTP
Personally I think the great thing about Zwift it is you can use it however you like, have a training plan (in training peaks) zwift’s you baby, want to race, want to do sportive, test yourself up alz, do a workout, it’s a great tool for all those, but like TR if you use it wrong then it will go wrong (if you use the Ramp and it sets you FTP to low, and you don’t take that on board, you training will be rubbish, if your older and need more rest and don’t take … TR could burn you out)
So to the OP if you are using Zwift and it’s turning into a “flog fests where everyone started racing and measuring their manhood”, sorry to be blunt, but thats on you and you don’t have to join in, join the right ride and join the right group, it’s not zwift, i did a 62km endurance ride yesterday morning joined D (race B) and kept to zone 2, wasn’t at the front, I was doing a zone 2 ride.
Much like if you go out with the local club, if you decide to ride with the race crew … don’t complain when it’s not zone 2
(just renewed my TR subscription)
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Not sure if this has been mentioned but there is an option to set up a group ride where you are all stuck in the pen. That way you ride as a group but you could still be doing your TR workout. Not my cup of tea but if you’re trying to be social - that’s an option.
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Like its been posted before you can do your Trainer road workout while doing a group ride on Zwift. I am classed as a B but I do group D and C rides. If I am feeling good I will sweep for the group, I have virtually met some great people this way, one guy has only one functioning lung and we had a great group pacing a guy who has Parkinsons. In the real world it would be impossible for us to enjoy riding together but Zwift has made this possible.
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RTFM 
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Hi there,
Yes, I too joined Zwift in the winter to be a change from the rollers and outdoor training. I also found I was tempted to push too hard , overtake riders etc. I was completely mullered and finding Id lost the structured training I usually do. Now Ive joined TR I mix with my mtb outdoor long rides . Im doing the low mileage plan. On Zwift, its best if you join a training session where you will ride at the wattage (based on your FTP) which shows up on screen. Then you are not affected by the other riders around you, but you can still use them to motivate you. A nice one Im doing is the GCN 4 week training with Si Richardson. There are up to 500 taking part, and whatever pace you ride at you will be with others. I don’t ride with mates ,for the reasons you ve illustrated!!!
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Only if you lack discipline . . . Have a plan, stick to your plan. Blindly following the TR graph will get you fit, but it won’t teach you to be a real cyclist. That comes when you have to make your own decisions.
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I’ve found the complete opposite…
Been only using Trainerroad for a few years thinking it’s the best and Zwift is just for people who don’t take training seriously. Wrong!
Don’t get me wrong I think TR is good but I’m no longer blindly following the plan that is spat out at me. Religiously following just TR workouts I think don’t make you as fast as you can be. Doing structured workouts outside for me has always been far more productive, but this just isn’t practical at the moment.
I have found that the perfect combination is TR workouts with one or two Zwift races a week. They only have to be short but what a difference it gives you.
No more purely following the TR plans for me, they sure do have good marketing about making you faster. And I’m sure they do, like any structured plan if someone follows with the traditional principles of periodisation and overloading.
I would be very interested to see the data from TR about performance improvements from well trained cyclists (cut out all the ‘off the couch’ users so it doesn’t include those newbie gains). Let’s see how much faster on average we all are 
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I like zwift mostly for fun stuff- group rides and races. Just like outdoors, these are not typically optimal for training unless you want to load a structured workout. If you search a bit, there are rides out there that can be used for good training on steady efforts. I sometimes do a Wednesday night ride that is a hour fast pace on a flat course. Perfect for getting an hour at sweet spot and the time goes by faster than a tr screen for that kind of effort.
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Exactly this! You need to define what you want each ride to be before you start. If you have a certain w/kg pace, find a good group ride event with 100’s of people. Sure there are some group rides that have bad leadership and dont follow the set pace. But there are also really good groups out there too. Try being the leader of your ride plan instead of following your buddies.
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Zwift isn’t the problem. Its a tool. How one uses it determines if it is beneficial to your long term goals or not.
If you have problems holding back if the tempo goes up (guilty here!), then don’t do events where you need to exercise that control. I had to experiment with some group rides but found ones where people are well behaved, the courses are flat and the tempo is steady. Temptation to over do it removed! Do fondos instead of races.
Or when you want to cut loose or have a higher intensity ride, do races, do fondos and smash it. Do the more surgey group rides. Just pick the type of events that support your overall plan instead of picking random events.
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You could ask this thread about your weekly club ride… “My plan said easy, but my club mates wanted to hammer, so I did… and then I failed XXXXXXXX TR workout! I hate my club!”
The problem isn’t the club or Zwift. The problem, as GPLama said, is discipline. At some point, you have to be OK with letting the group go if you’re wanting to be true to your training. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter and go have a bit of fun. Other times, you need to realize it’s not worth wrecking the rest of your week so you can have bragging rights on a Tuesday… especially on Zwift where the odds that you actually know who you’re chasing are pretty low.
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How I maximize my time on Zwift and not get dragged into overreaching is by doing TR outdoor workouts concurrently. Forces me to be conscious of gearing, cadence etc as well as providing the structure needed to get faster. Even when just free riding I’ll pull up the outdoor version of Pettit or homer’s nose so I don’t overdo it
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RTFM?
I’m a mountain biker. Generally everyone tends to wait for eachother
Meetups rubberband if the organizer enables that option. Events don’t rubberband, except for the “workout” type of event, which always rubberbands. You can do a Zwift workout and unpair / not pair / not have a controllable trainer and it will give you a group ride where you stick with everyone.
RTFM = Read The Freakin’ Manual… It is a hint to the referenced topic of GPLama’s video and the big P Easter Egg hidden within…
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I wish Zwift would get their fence working again. It’s great for keeping group rides to the specified pace.
Also want to add that Zwift isn’t perfect either. It has it’s own slew of issues. But as someone mentioned above, it is a tool. And outside some of Zwift’s issues, we really do have a lot of control over how we ride.
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