Zwifting - I think I need help!

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

My Zwift ride is now down for extended maintenance as of yesterday so I have cancelled as per their instructions:

https://zwiftinsider.com/zwift-subscriptions/

Reason: I shall be riding outdoors. I don't begrudge the increase but last summer I didn't cancel but hardly used Zwift.

When I resume I hope to have a trainer only bike based on an old steel frame with more modern components.  Seems a waste using a fully equipped road bike for the job and maybe they'll have introduced virtual gears for the kickr 5 in a few months.

[gibbo]

After pausing my subscription and trialing Rouvy for about 4 weeks I've just cancelled Zwift. Shame, since there are many aspects I like about it (as well a few bits that aren't so good too) but the overriding reason is the price hike. I think I said before that price increases are inevitable, and necessary, and I'm ok with that but for me they've outpriced themselves in one hit. Ironically, I'd probably still be subscribed and paying the same amount they're charging now if they'd have increased incrementally...

I wonder how Rouvy and the other platforms have benefitted from the Zwift increase?

I may need to rename the thread to "Rouvy - I think I need help!" 

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I'm very tempted by Rouvy.  Recently, to test my dedicated turbo bike I used Mywoosh! a free package.  If you want to pay nothing, it's not a bad alternative!

Here is a decent review:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/07/a-look-at-mywhoosh-indoor-cycling-app-a-first-ride-explainer.html

Anyway, it's going to be too warm in my attic to be paying subs for now.  I'll do a free trial on Rouvy next cold snap we get.

[TimC]

I've reactivated my Zwift subscription. I tried MyWhoosh and found the ride feel distinctly lacking compared to Zwift, and it needed a higher power output than on the road to maintain a given speed. It felt like riding in delayed-action mud! And the lack of any sound from anything except menu selections is weird. Yes, that is a design decision. IndieVelo is great for racing but not much else. Rouvy reminds me of the TV-equipped bikes in my gym that use a pedestrian-filmed loop to persuade you that you're going somewhere - and it's the same price as Zwift used to be.

After the trials, I decided that Zwift was the only one that I actually looked forward to using, and that gave me social interaction as well as huge flexibility as to what I do and where I do it. Over the years I've invested a huge amount of time and money into it, and, when all's said and done, I really like it. So, at the cost of one less pint per month, I'm back.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

It being a cold day, I thought I'd try Rouvy's 7 day trial.

Somehow it all went pear-shaped.  I tried using an email account I normally use for Zwift and got to the bit where it asks for a phone number(to ensure I am a new user) but it would not accept it, so I took the 'skip' option and filled in my profile on the next page.  That was as far as I got.  No further actions available, perhaps because I wasn't able to give an acceptable phone number? 

Believing the process had failed, I tried another email address and my landline number with much the same result.

I now find that Rouvy have taken 4 token payments with the possibility, for all I know that I have 4 concurrent 7 day trials at the end of which Rouvy will uplift 4 annual subs of nearly 600 euros!  Bizarrely, even though I have provided credit card details and can log on, I cannot cancel my subscription because I have not completed the connection process. I await their response to my email asking what my status actually is and whether they will give me my 4 euros back.

Not a good start to my Rouvy trial, so I think I will go back to Zwift which has been far more user-friendly.

[gibbo]

Oh dear! That sounds like a bit of a nightmare.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Rouvy have not replied to my query but I have sorted it with the card company so no subscriptions can be uplifted and now I have reinstated my Zwift membership. 

The Rouvy process was too unhelpful, for example it never said why it rejected my phone number.  Zwift isn't perfect but I've found they do respond if there is a query.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Rouvy have failed to respond to my query and have now billed me for a years subs even though I have not used the facility.

I have now told them they won’t get a payment and in return received a badly written robotic response giving a list of FAQs and telling me they are looking into my query.

[gibbo]

I did query how the payment was going to work since I'd got a free month's worth of Rouvy using a code I had. They came back to me very quickly and told me how the billing would work in conjunction with the code and it worked as described.

Sorry your experience with Rouvy isn't a good one.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Pleased to say they have woken up and rescinded their subscription demand. That's it, no further explanation.  Someone called Hector Martinez.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

If like me you have a Wahoo Kickr V5 or V4, you will have been expecting to get Virtual Shifting soon. V6 and Core already have it.

Today Zwift and Wahoo say that it will NOT become available, not ever, due to incompatiblity issues with Zwift protocols. 

I will stick with V5 for now and just have to change gear normally!