Yeah, it was the first time I remember hearing that. At the same time though, he recently said he didn’t see himself ever retiring. And he also said in the new Podcast that this stuff still really excites him.
Maybe we’re hearing little hints here and there and not putting together the big picture. I could speculate, but that’s all it would be.
My speculation is that youll get a full Zwift access, obviously. Also the ability to use AT from TrainerRoad at its current level, with the exception of certain new features that are coming soon. Then for those who only use TrainerRoad, we would get the other new things coming like; red light, green light, a more customizable Plan builder, hrv, sleep data etc.
That’s how I see it would happen but who knows and I’m sure both parties would benefit.
Zwift could use help on product and engineering to actually deliver stuff users want in less than 372 years. A TR acquisition could help on some of that.
My ideal training platform would be TR + Zwift if you rip and replace with a graphics and physics engine that don’t look like a bad circa 2003 video game. Not sure if Zwift is trying to grow the serious cyclist segment (smaller) or the spin/Peloton/fitness/lifestyle segment (bigger). A TR acquisition would make sense to support the first.
Just from a competition spurs innovation perspective I think this is a good thing for sure. If it’s decent and does a good job.
But I really think Zwift needs to update their UI, user config, and a bunch other stuff that plagues their system. It’s goofy that Zwifthacks and other sites like Zwift power before the acquisition needed to exist to make certain things just useable.
I should be able to set up a bike profile for example. Sign up for future events easily within the app weeks out etc. since there’s no competition really here on the “gaming” side, Zwift doesn’t feel they need to innovate.
Now that TR and potentially others are using AI/ML to workouts, now you see Zwift responding here.
Exciting times for sure. Although even if there was some type of merger or licencing, I’m still not sure I’d want to cancel my grandfathered early years TR subscription, sentimentality has its price.
I’ll preface this with a ginormous “if”, but if Zwift could implement all these features and TR does increase the price, I could see a big migration to Zwift. You look at those features and think, well TR has these features, but now Zwift has these features plus racing and various worlds to ride in. Like I said that’s a big “if”, but if somebody new is comparing the two and Zwift is offering the video game aspect, I could see a lot of business going their way, especially if TR does implement a price increase. I did the TR + Zwift at the same time for a while to break up the monotony, so if I could have one platform to pay for rather than two, why not?
I really have come to hate zwift. The ui, the marketing, the dated graphics, and janky features. I’ve come to decide it’s not my thing and won’t be. Cancelled it this month.
A full on partnership makes sense by my gut tells me this won’t end well. Zwifs sole goal is to go public then cash out. My only suggestion would be to make sure you have good lawyers when you draft that partnership agreement
Personally I wouldn’t go to Zwift for AT or the other features that are been mooted. I run/ride so I’m never going to be in the majority target group. I ride too much outdoors and race on zwift for it to be useful (as it currently doesn’t adapt) to unstructured rides. AT certainly doesn’t account for running. I can sense some TR staff are sweating at the prospect of being asked to adapt for multisports when they haven’t even managed unstructured ride yet!!
I don’t subscribe all year round to zwift, only for a few months over winter and use it for racing and group rides however I have been paying $189 annually for TR.
IF they bought out TR and brought across their trianing plans and integrated them I might pay for zwift all year. However I doubt that will happen so in Feb when my subscription to TR expires I’ll not be renewing and instead using my own set up for training - simply because it doesn’t fit my own training and interests.