Hi all just did my first TR ride yesterday with Zwift and my question is when using both apps at the same time I’ve been in Free Ride mode on Zwift. Do people also use Group Rides, Races and Pace Partners, but follow TR instructions? I have a 3.0 w/kg so when I was looking at Pace Partners do I want them to be below my w/kg or the same? I have my first SS workout today and wondering which Zwift course/mode would be most appropriate. Thank you!
I wouldn’t try to do any events or anything. Just do a free ride. Connect your power meter and heart rate to Zwift, but don’t connect anything into the controllable spot. You want TrainerRoad to control the trainer.
You could try to do a pace partner if you’re doing an endurance ride but I find that unless it’s a pancake flat course, you’re going to have to increase/reduce power off your target frequently in order to keep up and/or not drop the pace partner. Not to mention there aren’t really any stock TR endurance workouts where you’re at a specific power target the entire duration. This will also cause you to lose the pace partner. If you want to swap out Z2 for pace partner rides, I’d just find the one that has the closest w/kg to your endurance zone and ride it without connecting to TrainerRoad.
I will do some of the big annual Zwift events like Tour of Watopia using a TrainerRoad workout, but those don’t require you to stick with a group and you aren’t really racing so it doesn’t matter if you need to take rest intervals or whatever.
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What I’ve done since signing onto Zwift is to accumulate course badges by doing TR workouts on them.
I’ll start the Zwift course, but let TR control my Wahoo Kickr in ERG mode. Depending on the length of the workout, I may do two courses in one session. Checkout ZwiftHub for courses and start ticking off the ones you’ve done. https://zwifthub.com/
I also incorporate Zwift races into my training calendar, along with whatever plan I’m doing during the season. Zwift races tend to be “B” events as I also do outside events and rides, so I incorporate those in my calendar.
There’s a lot of variety to keep one engaged indoors.
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It’s just another way to set the mood for a workout: Sometimes i’ll do sweetspot while climbing up the Alpe du Zwift, or go full TT mode on one of the flat desert routes while doing threshold or VO2. Don’t try and stick with a group though and just be passive to other riders and let them come and go depending on your pace.
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Unless you are trying to do TR workouts in resistance mode (e.g. non-ERG where TR controls the resistance), then the route doesn’t really matter. When I do Zwift + TR I usually unselect the pairing device that says “controllabe” (can’t remove the specific icon) and let TR manage the ERG part. Zwift is up just to up my levels, get drops, and for some scenery.
If you want to do non-erg mode with TR and use the Zwift resistance, then it is hard to do pace partners, group rides, etc… Even for Z2 endurance, I found there is just enough difference between my target and a pace partner or group that it just doesn’t work out. I find that the Tempus Fugit TT course is good for general TR workouts in resistance mode b/c it is pretty much flat. Hillier stuff gets more complicated as, like with outdoor workouts, it can be hard to be in Z2 and going up Ventoo. 
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I have been playing with running both programs to ease the boredom of long endurance TR workouts. I havent had much luck with group rides, either you get dropped on your recovery intervals or you go off the front and get zapped by the fence and get booted on your work intervals…best bet is just to freeride.
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As above, solo for “workouts” that have work and recovery intervals.
Endurance rides in ERG via TR are possible with pace partners, if you pick your partner well. I end up having decent luck with Maria & Coco depending on my workout (with my FTP ranging from 235w-265w). Even when done well, the ebb & flow of some courses leads to being off the front or back at times. Can lead to frustration, which usually means solo is best.
These days if I plan to do an Endurance ride with a ZPP, I just swap the TR workout to outside, ride with the best guess PP, and ride with Z only in SIM mode (no TR loaded at all). I let TR link it when the ride uploads from Strava. It’s like doing a ride outside but with the reliability and stability of a PP.
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