Has there ever been any discussions as it relates to doing live workouts with Chad or any other teacher within the TR software? What I mean is a similar design to Peloton where the workout is set on your screen (already a reality) but have a video feed where a teacher guides through and encourages throughout. There could be a social aspect which could include other users who are online and their power targets, w/kg, HR, etc.
I think this could really help with the motivation and helping each other as a community. I’m sure there are a lot of users who ride at 4pm every weekday like me, but I don’ t even know about it. Maybe someone is having a bad day, but knowing someone else is doing it with you and can motivate you to keep going would help. I know for me on the weekends I just get on to the workout when I get motivated, but if I knew my workout was scheduled I could make the time to be there and would much prefer that then to do it alone. Similar to Zwift, but with structure.
The idea is to make it more social and to use the community we have already established here and bringing us all closer together. Instead of discussing it afterwards we could do that in real time while suffering together. Peloton does this well, but you need their bike and Zwift handles the social aspect, but not the structure as well. As they are all competing I think we could really take TR to the next level with something like this idea.
What are your thoughts? Is this a good idea? How could it be improved?
We have been looking to crowdsource this as we have in the past. Here is our thread discussion plans to do some “events” along the lines of the prior Disaster events, but likely headed in more than one direction:
This is how I envision this as well. I don’t know if/how TR can do racing like Zwift has done without some serious refactoring of their platform. But it seems like a relatively easy segue into spin-like classes.
Zwift was already so well positioned to accept new members given the current crisis. I know a lot of people who are shifting from weekday crits and weekend group rides to Zwift instead because it’s the closest, safest alternative available. Some people really like having the continued social interaction, too.
I’m all in for riding with 4 Beer @chad narrating as long as I don’t have to also have 4 beers pre or during the ride. I had a couple epic mountain bike crashes last year that all started with, “I’ll slam this beer and then I’m ready to rip.” Post ride open discussion on how fast I thought I was going or how much power I could have produced, I’m there.
Leaving all the beer discussion aside, this would be pretty easy to implement via Zoom simply as a beta-test. The bandwidth that TR would need to stream audio and/or video seems pretty steep, given that scalable solutions already exist. If the community support for the concept remains strong, then of course it would be up to TR to somehow bring it in house.
My wife rides a Peloton (I can’t convince her to get on rollers or a proper trainer), and loves the instructor/social interaction. IMHO, I wouldn’t enjoy listening to @chad all the time, but as maybe a weekly or bi-weekly supplement to the Podcast it would be a neat product differentiator.
A weekly “ride with Trainerroad” would be an amazing addition. Maybe not as complex as video and audio but being able to see everyone else’s power lines during the same social ride/workout would be cool, along with a text function for communication perhaps
These would be awesome and I would definitely join in. A weekly (or more often) featured workout with the TR crew would be a very cool fun/social aspect that doesn’t seem like it would be too hard to coordinate. Given Chad has a history of leading classes, it seems like a very appropriate addition.
I would be interested in this. TR already has a livestream feed in YouTube. Just use that as a start/test. You give a 24-hr heads up notice as to what workout you are doing and we can pick the same at home. At home we can leave live comments and if the workout permits Chad gives a verbal response (probably limited to recovery valleys in a lot of workouts). Maybe a once a week class with rotating hosts… Chad for Sweet Spot, Jonathan does a crippling VO2 max, Nate can hold a smashing threshold session, Pete blasts us with a sprint workout, who else?
Ideas on how to make it work and be accessible…
Probably 1 hour workouts. Many cannot commit to a specific time for 1.5 hours or more. 1 hr can be a good session without being too much of a commitment or burden to your schedule.
Just a guess but spinning at 65-75% in a Z2 workout will be boring to see. SS, Th, VO2, Anerobic, and sprint intensity interval workouts.
The videos stay online and are accessible after for those that cannot join live. Build up a library. Maybe it becomes an option to display within the software if the user chooses down the road?
Give the live graph overlay. No need to give all of the specific wattage, ftp, trade secrets, etc just the blue graph and yellow line. Across the bottom 10-20% of the screen.
Instructor does the optional drills noted in the text, explain that they are optional but do them.
Announce when you hit start or even better give a 10 second countdown so everyone at home is in sync.
Beer can certainly be a part of this in some fashion. Work it in.
Rotate start times to accommodate as many schedules as possible. 6am, noon, 6PM…
