Pass the... Zwift

Move over, couch potatoes. The TV zone doesn’t have to be the sloth zone.

Zwift isn’t cheap. You pay the Australian equivalent of $US14.99 ($22.70) per month.

Move over, couch potatoes. The TV zone doesn’t have to be the sloth zone. It can be the cycling fitness zone with the right training gear. You can set up a training bike in front of a TV and cycle through some amazing virtual scenery on the screen courtesy of the Zwift app.

You need a bike (a cheapie should do) and a turbo trainer that connects to or replaces the back wheel. These range from a few hundred dollars to $1000-plus: Wahoo Kickr, Tacx, Bkool, Cyclotronics, Elite and Technogym are options.

If that’s too much, a cheaper speed sensor can get you going, but a smart trainer will change the pedals’ resistance to match Zwift’s terrain. The app can display your track on a phone, tablet or computer screen, or on your TV screen via Apple TV. Pedal and take in the scenery.

Modes of training differ. You can train alone ­— Zwift offers more than 1000 structured workouts. You can join with friends across the world in virtual group rides.

Zwift virtual road cycling application

You ride side-by-side with people who could be exercising thousands of kilometres away. You can join large group rides organised by Zwift or even road races.

Zwift learns your fitness capability and matches you with similarly capable riders. To keep things interesting, Zwift rotates the cycling environment between worlds. You can choose Zwift’s default world Watopia, a South Pacific paradise, or the “guest world” for that day on the Zwift calendar: London, Richmond, New York, Innsbruck or Yorkshire.

Zwift says it offers more than 80 cycling routes.

You appear on the screen as an avatar next to the avatars of your friends and other cyclists. You create your own distinctive cycling look.

Zwift isn’t cheap. You pay the Australian equivalent of $US14.99 ($22.70) per month, plus 10 per cent tax, but you won’t be bored exercising.