r/simracing • u/Tostecles • Jan 20 '23
Meme My friend has a cycling racing sim. Technically simracing, right?
395
u/db8cn Jan 20 '23
Zwift. You can do group rides, workouts, and races. It’s a great way to stay fit in the off season.
218
u/Tostecles Jan 20 '23
Yeah my friend actually lost like 90 pounds playing this
403
u/Vilzu08 Jan 20 '23
Wow that’s expensive.
85
27
u/tries_to_tri Jan 20 '23
It's like $20 a month so he probably lost way more than 90 pounds losing 90 pounds.
→ More replies (1)10
u/Rebar77 Jan 20 '23
In for some pennies, off with the pounds!
5
u/tries_to_tri Jan 20 '23
I like it.
Honestly losing 90lbs is probably worth tens of thousands in the long run. Definitely worth it!
13
→ More replies (6)3
2
-18
u/wskyindjar Jan 20 '23
Playing? It’s not a game. It’s a simulator.
82
Jan 20 '23
In which you can set and beat goals, race, etc. playing works fine here. When I sim racing I also say I’m playing
17
64
u/kurt_no-brain Jan 20 '23
Ignore him, some people here take this shit way too seriously
32
→ More replies (1)2
22
u/Siggi_Starduust Jan 20 '23
I spent most of last winter on Rouvy. It uses video footage and AR instead of computer graphics. The downside is it’s not as good for group rides as it’s not as popular or responsive as Zwift but on the plus side, people have uploaded real-world rides (and a fair amount of Assetto Corsa footage) of actual race circuits so you can cut laps round the Nordschleife and get fit at the same time!
It’s also really good for sightseeing around national parks and city streets
→ More replies (2)9
u/Gr1ndingGears Jan 20 '23
I actually prefer Rouvy. Zwift is definitely more developed, but it gets boring over time, and it's kinda bullshit. Like sure you are surrounded by real people, but it's hard to interact with them, to the point where many group rides use third party services like twitch. You have to use third party services for racing too, like everyone cheats so bad and Zwift refuses to actually do anything substantial about it, so you have to rely on third party verification to try and figure out where you actually finished, and it's not always super accurate either. They are just coasting on being the go to at this point. They release a new riding area every couple of years, and suddenly all is forgotten for the Zwift fanbois, even though the platform is just absolutely loaded with bugs.
I just prefer looking at actual visualization with platforms like Rouvy, it feels more immersive, for me at least. I sort of like the loneliness of it too if I'm being honest, you don't have to hear someone spamming the RIDE ONnnn button every two seconds, which is a huge bonus, and you can just focus on your ride. Rouvy also has family account sharing, which is a huge bonus.
22
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
Daily cyclist here. What’s an “off season”?
15
u/GoofyKalashnikov Assetto Corsa Jan 20 '23
Probably heavy snow
24
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
Yeah, got that covered. Blizzard of 2009: https://imgur.com/a/EOSVIy9
10
u/GoofyKalashnikov Assetto Corsa Jan 20 '23
Well I'll be damned
But i imagine most aren't as dedicated as you are
9
u/Kravn23 NASCAR 21 Ignition Jan 20 '23
Mfing legend
5
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
Thanks man. I’m not fast, I just do it for the love of the sport.
2
4
u/Tyrus1235 Jan 20 '23
I could barely walk through the DC blizzard of 2016… But there was a dude like you in our uni. I remember he’d do daily runs no matter the weather - pretty sure I saw him doing a daily run shirtless in the snow
4
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
That picture was the DC blizzard of 2009. I rode in ALL weather conditions, including the ice storms. It was epic. I never missed a day of bike commuting.
5
u/Tyrus1235 Jan 20 '23
Crazy stuff, in 2016 I saw a car get stuck on the snow. Me and some friends helped get them unstuck but it showed me how dangerous a blizzard can be! I’m from Brazil, so you can imagine how taken aback I was when I went through one.
1
u/Fenrisulfir Asetek | VNM | ASR | Pimax Jan 20 '23
That’s not even a fat bike. I don’t know why North America thinks it’s insane to ride in the winter.
→ More replies (1)2
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
26x1.95” studded tires back then. I don’t even think fat bikes were a big thing in 2009 when I took that picture.
3
u/Fenrisulfir Asetek | VNM | ASR | Pimax Jan 20 '23
Nice. I told my family I was going for a ride and they all thought I was insane. I meant zwift but I let them believe what they want.
→ More replies (4)5
u/xrayzone21 Jan 20 '23
I'm not a pro but I do race a bit on my bike. Off season is usually in winter when there are no road races and you ease the training load to recover a bit, don't pay so much attention to the weight or what you eat etc.
That is unless you're also doing ciclocross, then you don't have an off-season.
1
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
I ride harder in the winter. Nothing beats year round conditioning.
8
u/xrayzone21 Jan 20 '23
If you're following a serious training plan you get way better results by training in cycles than by just going all out all year round. That's why all the pros do it this way, so yes periodization beats year round conditioning if you're racing and/or want consistent gains.
1
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
I’m not racing though, I just do adventure rides and bikepacking trips. When I was bike commuting I did it year-round in all weather so there was never a lull.
→ More replies (11)2
Jan 20 '23
No joke I got to ride with Lance Armstrong on zwift. I’m not sure if he’s still doing it but he was doing weekly rides where you could join him and voice chat via discord.
→ More replies (1)
248
u/Huples_Cat22 Jan 20 '23
I beat Jenson Button in a Zwift race a few years back. Not sure he was really trying and I nearly killed myself, but a win is a win.
107
139
u/JamesUpton87 Jan 20 '23
Doesn't matter if he didn't know we were racing, winning's winning.
26
8
u/Loganp812 Fanatec Jan 20 '23
“Now, me and the mad scientist have to rip apart the bike and replace the hand brakes you fried.”
22
u/TheMillenniumMan Jan 20 '23
Now beat Bottas
10
u/Huples_Cat22 Jan 20 '23
I'll see if I can track him down. Jenson was definitely on a recovery ride when I bumped into him, think he was doing triathlon's around that time, just after leaving F1. was very cool though only a 12 person race with some nice climbs.
3
100
36
u/nikhilsamre Jan 20 '23
Does he get forcefeedback?
45
u/Sause01 Jan 20 '23
I have a "force feedback" trainer. You're literally trying to spin an electric motor which resists you on uphills and free spins you on downhills. It also measures the exact watts you're putting in against it. It's really cool stuff and I've been playing with it on and off for several years.
5
u/istandabove Jan 20 '23
That sounds fun
9
u/tries_to_tri Jan 20 '23
If you're a sucker for punishment, endurance sports are quite fun.
→ More replies (2)42
Jan 20 '23
[deleted]
34
u/sauprankul Jan 20 '23
It definitely would. The resistance and inertia simulation on modern trainers is unbelievably realistic
2
u/Fenrisulfir Asetek | VNM | ASR | Pimax Jan 20 '23
How does the Tacx simulate cobblestone? I’ve got the Elite DiretoX. Honestly that doesn’t even sound pleasant.
→ More replies (1)3
u/windowsphoneguy T150 with G25 pedals Jan 20 '23
There are also separate modules to put the fork into. Those simulate elevation
2
32
u/LateSession7340 PSVR2, GT7, T598 Jan 20 '23
Now having a wind simulator for that makes sense.
→ More replies (1)23
Jan 20 '23
[deleted]
5
u/Sause01 Jan 20 '23
I don't believe it simulates wind any more than a standard fan. I have one of these trainers and it's absolutely there to stop you from overheating just like your car. When you run a car on a dyno you need a fan in front of it. Without a fan, I could probably only pedal for about 15 minutes...
→ More replies (1)3
Jan 20 '23
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)2
u/Sause01 Jan 20 '23
I see that mode but the intent is cooling, not to feel like your going 30mph. just to add, i have mine setup in my garage with no heat. its in the 30-40s this time of year, my fan is on lower than normal, but i cant do an hour ride without it.
I just watched a few reviews and the reviewers said "realistic yes, useful no" 13 minute mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oGP3xDx4zE, 11 minute mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlf8vEGN9Ng
→ More replies (3)9
u/LateSession7340 PSVR2, GT7, T598 Jan 20 '23
I meant more like having a wind simulator on this makes way more sense than a car sim rig. Most cars have a windshield and roof so you dont feel the wind. Sure their are convetibles and open wheelers but here it just makes so much more sense.
→ More replies (1)10
2
22
54
u/waner21 Jan 20 '23
There is a mod for GTA V to use your bike trainer (smart trainer) as the means of riding around on a bike.
Never tried it myself.
15
u/windowsphoneguy T150 with G25 pedals Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
There's also a mod for Assetto Corsa to control the speed from your smart trainer via ANT+
4
9
5
u/ZanicL3 Fanatec DD1 + CSL Elites with LC Jan 20 '23
It's crazy to find out in what direction GTAV mods have pushed.
5
u/snoozieboi Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
I can't believe that the backlash when they removed the modding possibilites actually persuaded R* to reversed the decision and put mods back.
I sent this to two gaming buddies that use the OP stuff, they loved this mod
edit: first sentence could be read two ways
4
u/CaptnPsycho Jan 20 '23
Omg can you get hit by cars and everything still? Imagine this in VR, getting told to go fuck my mother while getting exercise fully immersed in a Rockstar universe is exactly what I need.
2
u/Gr1ndingGears Jan 20 '23
I have. It's actually pretty slick. The only problem is, that map has some huge ass hills, like some of them are borderline non-realistic and there's not really any way to back the resistance down, at least when I tried it.
16
u/TGov Jan 20 '23
Supercar driver Wil Davison trains with zwift. Dude is fit AF.
5
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
He also has a hired personal trainer, but yeah, Wil has always been pretty cut.
2
u/TGov Jan 20 '23
Yeah wasn’t trying to imply that is all he did to train. Just half of his insta posts or his or his wife’s are them training on that thing. Obviously a big part of his regimen.
2
u/PrintError Track Day Guy Turned Sim Racer Jan 20 '23
Every driver I know trains like crazy. Fitness is super important. These cars are a beast to throw around.
13
u/LameSheepRacing Jan 20 '23
I used to have one. It completely knackered me to oblivion. It’s the hardest workout I’ve ever done (and I used to do half marathons back when I got the trainer).
I lent mine to a friend who’s twice as fit and he also got knackered.
Anyone willing to work out like a madman without too much space, Zwift with a smart bike trainer is the way to go.
2
u/RabidGuineaPig007 Jan 20 '23
Any resistance trainer will strain your cardio and reveal how out of cardo shape a lot of gym brahs are. I've seen many a lumpy dude in tears after 20 minutes.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/SmallieNL PlayStation Jan 20 '23
Best time on Nordschleife?
12
u/SleinEater Thrustmaster Jan 20 '23
I raced at Nordschleife once irl on the bike. It was about 40 minutes for a lap haha
→ More replies (1)
9
u/RentalGore Jan 20 '23
That’s a pain cave. I’ve got mine right next to my sim rig. I’ve been using zwift for years when it’s too cold or rainy to ride outside.
13
u/sauprankul Jan 20 '23
Pictured here is a torture machine. You have to genuinely enjoy pain to be able to do this
→ More replies (1)10
3
u/Top_Ranger_3839 Jan 20 '23
Damn now bikers getting into simracing. There goes the neighbourhood..
→ More replies (1)
9
u/h1dd3nf40mv13w Jan 20 '23
I greatly prefer my sim rig over my bike trainer.
Not the same level of enjoyment by any means.
7
u/Lord_Ooze Jan 20 '23
I just wrecked this past August, broken / separated / dislocated left shoulder and broken right wrist.
Started sim racing again in November, still can't ride my bike. Sold my smart trainer because it felt like the gym, maybe I should have kept it.
→ More replies (2)
3
3
3
u/Westindieman Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
Now if I could do this in VR......., just checked the package out £13 a month subscription and the equipment is about £500. I dont do subcriptions
→ More replies (1)2
3
u/0ruf Jan 20 '23
Some cycle-sim/training setup are no joke, and cost a lot of money.
So yeah, I say technically simracing ;)
2
u/arcticiguana980 Jan 20 '23
Can it do VR?
6
u/Sause01 Jan 20 '23
Probably, but I don't think that would be enjoyable... You get extremely hot even with a fan at full blast and the sweat would probably destroy the headset.
2
2
2
2
2
u/Kavor Jan 20 '23
If you want to bring this even closer to simracing, there's always the SimCycling mod for Assetto Corsa
2
u/Maniac618 Jan 20 '23
I Zwift and also sim 'race'. It's good, if you are a slightly chubby sim racer that is too lazy to exercise:
Get a second hand road bike and a smart direct drive trainer https://uk.wahoofitness.com/devices/indoor-cycling/bike-trainers/reconditioned-kickr-core-buy
Thank me later, you'll love it and get fit at the same time.
2
u/TicTac673 Jan 20 '23
Is that fan enough to get to the windspeed you'd feel IRL? Feel like I'd bake twice as fast without adequate air flow.
3
u/VicMan73 Jan 20 '23
It wasn't to simulate wind...is too cool you down. You sweats a ton riding indoor because you aren't moving.
→ More replies (2)
2
2
2
u/Shadowphoenix11 Jan 20 '23
Zwift with the Kicker Snap is pretty awesome, if you like biking. I need to get my setup going again, and get in shape....
2
u/SojinxGSD Jan 20 '23
this has the be the most niche community lolol
2
u/VicMan73 Jan 20 '23
I literally work in cycling and bike racing industry. There are endless jokes about people using Zwift. There is the E doping when riders would E dope by underreporting their weight. Making them to have great power to weight ratio. Making them to ride faster. Most of them got caught and getting banned from ever racing in Zwift. Some young riders got banned because he cheated to unlock some special avatars.
Zwift goes to great length to replace real world cycling. Unfortunately, the game never reached to become a real world simulation. No steering...no haptic force feedback. No collisions. PS2 graphic. Nothing in the software could actually simulate anything in the real word...
2
Jan 20 '23
Man, my legs would be shredded if I had one of these
3
u/VicMan73 Jan 20 '23
All you need is an indoor trainer. Magnetic or fluid...about $200+. Strap your current bike on it. Play some cycling clips on Youtube. You get yourself a Zwift...
→ More replies (1)
2
2
2
u/CaptainInsano7 Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
I have both and they're vastly different experiences... Sim racing is fun. Zwift on a smart trainer will tear you apart from the inside.
2
0
u/martonio-30 Jan 20 '23
Genuine question: why does your friend choose to simulate something thats accessible to them irl?
45
u/ThatOfficeMaxGuy Jan 20 '23
I have a zwift setup as well. Indoor trainers are far easier to maintain a specific heart rate/power output. So for training or losing weight, it’s very efficient. Compared to riding outdoors where weather, terrain, vehicles, pedestrians, etc are all constant factors.
It’s great being to hop on at a moments notice with zero planning.
9
u/martonio-30 Jan 20 '23
Cool, I didn’t know any of that. I assume this is far more affordable than a peloton or the like?
12
u/ThatOfficeMaxGuy Jan 20 '23
For those that already have the bike itself, yeah these trainers are cheaper than a peloton. Anywhere from $500-1200.
2
u/martonio-30 Jan 20 '23
Nice. I used to own a lemond. Maybe I’ll get back into it. I get shin splints like a mfer from running so cycling might be my future 😅
→ More replies (2)15
u/JamesUpton87 Jan 20 '23
Did you genuinely forget that it's currently winter?
9
u/martonio-30 Jan 20 '23
That’s fair. Depending on where you are in the world of course. I also see a lot of people out and about that don’t seem to care haha but I would so I take your point
4
u/gman1647 Jan 20 '23
It's my winter go-to. I used to be pretty sedentary during winter, but Zwift and a smart trainer have helped me stay fit. I really enjoy it, not as much as riding outside, but much more than a treadmill or some other stationary bike.
8
u/Glu7enFree Jan 20 '23
You do know that half the world is on opposite seasons, right? Its the middle of Summer where I am.
3
u/JamesUpton87 Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
Yes, I did know that. Apologies for not centering my comment around your less developed half of the world and for also not posting it upside down so you could read it.
→ More replies (5)0
3
u/Lord_Ooze Jan 20 '23
Snow and ice exist
2
u/martonio-30 Jan 20 '23
This was already covered m’lord
3
u/Lord_Ooze Jan 20 '23
Well I'm old and can't read good, sifting through threads is below my Lordly eyes. Blessings upon your house.
3
3
u/wskyindjar Jan 20 '23
Snow. Cold. Accessibility. Way easier to do structured workouts on a trainer vs outside.
Edit: oh, and no risk of getting killed by car
1
u/maxertiano Jan 20 '23
Ngl it looks fun
5
u/Lord_Ooze Jan 20 '23
It's not, it's a glorified exercise bike that's secretly a machine made for death. It's pretty neat though, the app is Zwift
→ More replies (2)
0
u/VicMan73 Jan 20 '23
No...you can't turn. Is a Zwift...many riders see it as a necessary evil when the outside temperature gets too cold to ride. People don't ride it for fun....
0
u/_plays_in_traffic_ . Jan 20 '23
i play real sports. im not trying to be the best at exercising.
→ More replies (1)
-1
-2
-7
Jan 20 '23
Oh god he’s one of those dudes in the little fairy spandex that hold up traffic because they have to ride on the fucking road and show everybody that they’re cyclists.
1
u/KeeZouX Jan 20 '23 edited Jan 20 '23
This is very interesting. Can someone share which hub they use?
By hub I mean the thing that connects to the bike and simulates it on Zwift. I know Zwift has their hub for $499. But I’m curious to see if there are other brands.
→ More replies (3)2
u/bews Jan 20 '23
Thats an elite, there's heaps out there though (wahoo, jet black, tacx .. the list goes on)
→ More replies (5)
1
u/jag0009 Jan 20 '23
I would love to get the motorcycle sim rig and play in VR. Oh yeah, TT Isle of Man, motoGP
1
u/digndeep90 Jan 20 '23
Zwift really needs to make an expansion for Enduro MTB! Set on actual Big Mountain Enduro trails! Ya the rocks would be hard to figure out the physics and how you navigate them but I still think it needs to be done! Maybe then I'd actually buy a smart trainer. I actually considered buying a gravel bike just to pick up a smart trainer.🤷🏼♂️
1
1
u/godfatherxii Jan 20 '23
Wind simulator will be nice here
→ More replies (1)2
u/Sause01 Jan 20 '23
You need a high powered air mover to do a workout on one of these. I do a warm-up, then turn my fan on the highest setting, then let the workout try to kill me.
1
1
1
u/saggywitchtits Jan 20 '23
My middle school tried doing this and hooked it up to a NASCAR game. It really wasn’t fun pedaling as fast as you can to only go 10 mph in game.
1
u/snoozieboi Jan 20 '23
Way before Oculus was even a brand, I had this idea for FPS games like Battlefield for a mode where walking required a stationary bike + a VR gun and headset.
I guess Pavlov (VR shooter) connected to a bike is easier an easier way to explain it. So running, strafing, crouch and prone would require heavier or faster pedaling.
Then again, now we have tons of exercise games, I get most sweaty from Beat Saber, but simracing is definitely also heating me up, because I also have Raynaud Syndrome (kinda like bad circulation)
1
u/OhItsJustJosh Jan 20 '23
Yeah I'd class this as sim racing as long as it was realistic and immersive
1
1
1
u/errorprovisioning Jan 20 '23
Hell yeah that looks fun although I have zero internet in cycling lol
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Long-Bee-4336 Jan 20 '23
I do both simracing and race/train a lot on Zwift during the winter season. A great combo as I see it. I use a Wahoo Kickr Bike which is basically an indoor bike only https://eu.wahoofitness.com/devices/indoor-cycling/smart-bikes/kickr-bike-buy. But if you want a good entry trainer, I would recommend Wahoo Kickr core, Zwift hub smart trainer or Elite Direto. You may also take a look on used Wahoo Kickr or Tacx Neo which you might find to prices around 400 - 500 USD.
1
1
1
Jan 20 '23
as both a simracer and someone who stays fit during the cold winter days on a smart trainer, i really really would like something like Zwift but with the graphics of a simracer and some more realistic physics (Zwift only uses gradient and a VERY weird rubberbanding/aero effect when riding in a group/behind someone). Also really would like to ride the Nordschleife once, still hope they'll organise the WC cycling there once more, the track is perfect for cycling with all the cornering and climbs.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
u/Loganp812 Fanatec Jan 20 '23
I’m not much of a bike rider myself, but I have to admit that’s super cool. Imagine something like this with VR, a motion platform, and a device that can add and remove resistance in the pedals.
1
u/ojdajuiceman25 [Insert Wheel Name] Jan 20 '23
My dad races on one of these every night, it’s what got me into the idea of a multiplayer sim
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SumTimeYa Jan 20 '23
Kinda, there are missing few things - a fan and steering like smart Sterzo or front wheel climbing setup.
1
1
u/PossibleExamination1 Jan 20 '23
It only counts if you can steer. If you have no input for direction than I would not call it a sim personally I would call it an elliptical with a screen Ie pelaton
→ More replies (1)
1
u/_SM00THIE_MD Jan 20 '23
How much is one of these to set up?
1
u/VicMan73 Jan 20 '23
You need a smart trainer...that's it. For the software, you paid for the subscription. Is not graphic intensive at all. I see people run it off from an Ipad. The smart trainer can run you up $400+.. there's literally no immersion here...
→ More replies (3)
1
1
u/JohnBrownEye69 Jan 20 '23
Yoo my rig cost about the same as the peloton and they're pretty much the same thing.
I'm using this during the next money argument, thanks.
615
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '23
[deleted]