Never thought that this man will be the 1 who is able to explain basic things what we should know about zwift. Other young and fancy vbloggers did not give me such a detailed and understandable explanation.Thx!
Excellent explanation sir. I have been writing for a few years on swift, and it is always been so confusing the way they have that map setup it's absolutely ridiculous but thank you very much for your very informative video
Well done - simple and thorough explanation! I found an explanation on Reddit that noted the rider direction can change in the middle of the ride because of the way the segments are glued together in the Zwift program. That is to say, you can start a ride/race with the profile showing you going left-to-right, then it switches without notice and your circle is going right-to-left on the profile, and it can change back. It typically happens at a fork in the road or turn, but it can happen anywhere. How confusing! Zwift should make the bubble and arrow bigger. Or, better yet, make it so riders are always traveling left-to-right.
That's rights. The elevation profiles that are shown on the MiniMap are route segment profiles. The direction of your avatar's travel along a segment seems to be based upon how the segment was originally created. Routes are built up by connecting ("gluing") segments together. So along any route, you may be shown going 'left to right' and then 'right to left' and then it changes again. To make it more confusing, segments vary in length. So one mini-map profile might cover 15km and another 1km. Any the vertical scale of the mini-map changes from segment to segment, too. Ride On.
Really appreciate your feedback. Good to read that you found the video helpful. Taking up a new endeavour creating videos. Challenging for me. And a bit of fun.
Thank you so much for the extensive and clear details! But now I'm going to vent about Zwift and maybe you can answer some nagging questions that I'm sure many others have as well. 1. Yes, the bottom of the mini map has an orange arrow showing the direction, which is very hard to see even on my high resolution iMac. But why why oh why doesn't it just simply go in the same direction all the time!? (My Garmin Edge shows elevation profile always from left to right, simple and logical enough, right?) 2. In like manner, the elevation profile is also very hard to see. In my estimation it is using the bottom 10% of the map (which is alway small) as a transparent overlay. It's tiny! If I had my way, I would make the elevation profile a separate element, larger and with a "higher" profile just below the map, include a scale of miles so you could see how long a climb is, not just that its there, and reduce the size & font of the 12 or so "Zwifters nearby," which I have no trouble reading. 3. When coming to a hill climb or a sprint, the leaderboard shows up on the left, I think prior to said climb or sprint. BUT WHERE DOES IT START? (By comparison RGT, when you are approaching a sprint or hill climb, gives you clear warning how far it is to the start, much like the head unit on your bike counting down the distance to the start of a Strava segment) I have used Zwift maybe 15 times so I am not terribly experienced nor am I a complete newbie. But every time I use it I am amazed and disappointed at things that don't exist that I would take for granted. Zwift has so many users, they have money to develop, they must get a lot of feedback, yet it seems they have made no improvement in the interface. Thank you in advance. Keep up the great work!
Your asking the same logical questions that many others - and me - have posed before. Q1 - I think Zwift created routes by assembling a number of segments. And you only see the segment that you are riding on the mini-map. Even if the route you are on uses just a piece of that segment. So you may see the map change abruptly when your route diverges from that segment. As for the direction, it remains a mystery to me. Q2 Agree the profile is way too small. And the scale of the profile changes depending on the elevation changes of the segment that you are riding on. Q3 You can see the Sprint and KOM Finish Banners on the mini-map but not the Start of the Sprint or KOM. So you have to recon the route ahead of time or check out the route details on Zwift Hub or Zwift Insider web sites. The Mini-Map is the weakest part of the Zwift game screen design. I expect someday it will be completely overhauled. As you suggest, perhaps with another screen on the Companion App. Until then, we just have to RIDE ON. Nothing is ever perfect.
Your videos is just what i need! Thank you! Really clear , including for spanish talkers like me! Thank you again! Just i little critic, i saw the video with a little low resolution, maybe was my internet connection... otherwise You are an excelent teacher!
Thanks for that feedback. This was one of my earliest videos, so the production quality wasn't the best as you have noted. I've been trying to improve upon both video and sound quality, but content is always the most important. Hope you watch some of my later videos, and let me know if you see any improvment.
THERE'S AN ARROW!!! I was always confused by the elevation profile at the bottom of the map, still don't see the reason why it can be R-L sometimes. Good to know i need to bring my glasses to figure out which way i am going. :)
Thanks for your comment. I use the map to see the location of the Ride Leader (Yellow Beacon), the Sweep (Red Beacon), the (Red) Fence and other Zwifters when I am riding Group Rides. And I regularly check the current % grade. But as you say, the route profile is not particularly helpful.
Another useful vid Sir, however as a newbie the elevation profile is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Considering all our bike computers can offer a colour coded view of the route I find it bizarre that Zwift can't put a colour coded route elevation across the bottom of the screen. PS I have a 42 inch tv and can barely see the elevation coming up.
Thanks. I am glad to read that you found the video to be helpful. And I appreciate the "heads up" about the broken link. I've deleted the link from the video description.
Thanks. There seem to be all sorts of simple "clicks" in Zwift to change views. Another example is my latest Zwift Quick Tip on Re-Centering Zwifters Nearby View. Leave a comment if there is another Zwift topic that would be helpful.
Thanks! Understanding and using the Mini Map can be a valuable aid when riding on Zwift. Unfortunately, it often not obvious what the map is showing you. I am glad if this video helps. RIDE ON.
Thanks Ken, Loved watching this video. Would you mind doing a video on the different symbols in the companion app (hammer, toast). Haven't got a clue what they are for.
Great video- thanks for making. new to Zwift and I know I'm not the only one that has this question. Coming from outside riding with my Garmin/Strava and route loaded, I always knew when the next hill was coming up (how far before it starts) and more importantly when on that hill, how long in distance the climb was (to gauge out of saddle) and the %'s as climbing it. This seems impossible to know on Zwift and is making for uncomfortable climbs on my smart trainer. Am I correct that the info is not clear at all compared to outside rides with the route loaded on a Garmin and maybe other apps do this far better? This is important to me as I find my best indoor riding app. thanks!
Your best approach is to check out the route profile on ZwiftHub.com and/or read the route description on ZwiftInsider.com beforehand. You can also check out route profiles on the Zwift game app when are selecting a route. Unfortunately there is no equivalent to downloading a gpx file to your Garmin/Wahoo head unit. Ride On!
What I find weird about Zwift is if you pick out a route to ride, there is no marker or anything else to show you where the finish line is. You just have to remember how many km it is.
It's like someone loads the route on your bike computer/gps, and you just blindly follow the ride cues. ;-) Best to check out the route beforehand on ZwiftInsider: zwiftinsider.com/routes/
You are not the only one who finds the Mini Map Elevation Profile hard to decipher. First, your position on the elevation profile is shown by a white filled circle with an orange arrow inside. (It is miniscule, so look closely.) Your direction on the profile is shown the arrow. (Again, very tiny so hard to make out on a small screen.) You will see your position on the profile move from right to left OR left to right. Unpredictable in my experience! Good Luck.
Thanks for your comment. I've run Zwift on an Android smartphone, iPad Mini and a Windows laptop. I do not have an Apple TV device. So your comment is very helpful.
I haven't seen any age group rides on Zwift. If you go on Zwift Power to see race results, you can see riders age categories. There was a Zwift Forum discussion on this topic some time ago. See this link: forums.zwift.com/t/group-for-older-riders/546682
Unfortunately, it is not possible to see the hills in advance on the Zwift Game or on the Zwift Companion App while riding a route. The best resource I've found are the route descriptions on ZwiftHub.com and on ZwiftInsider.com. Check out the route descriptions and course profiles in advance. I've also kept the descriptions open on a browser window that I can flip to while riding a route. Ride On!
Thanks Monika. Appreciate your feedback and encouragement. New to videos. Getting some experience. Recently upgraded webcam and lighting, so hopefully production quality will improve.
@@endurancesweat This was super helpful, very much appreciated. If I may suggest, your best upgrade could be a microphone, but by all means, I am not here to critique your free help.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Never thought that this man will be the 1 who is able to explain basic things what we should know about zwift. Other young and fancy vbloggers did not give me such a detailed and understandable explanation.Thx!
Lol!
80% of the vlog we are usually looking at their pretty boy faces and bleached teeth. 🙂
Thank you sooo much for this. I've been baffled by the elevation profile, not realising that direction of travel can be either L-R or R-L
Baffles just about everyone who sees it for the first time. Me included. Thanks.
yes! only took me 3 months to come here and find that out!
Excellent explanation sir. I have been writing for a few years on swift, and it is always been so confusing the way they have that map setup it's absolutely ridiculous but thank you very much for your very informative video
Thank you. I agree that the mini-map is not the best, but there is also a lot about Zwift that keeps us Ride (ing) On.
This is the most comprehensive video about the mini map. Very informative and helpful. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for your comment. So glad that my video was helpful to you.
Thank you for the help in understanding the mini map!
Thank you. It's a challenge to figure out everything displayed on the Mini-Map.
Well done - simple and thorough explanation! I found an explanation on Reddit that noted the rider direction can change in the middle of the ride because of the way the segments are glued together in the Zwift program. That is to say, you can start a ride/race with the profile showing you going left-to-right, then it switches without notice and your circle is going right-to-left on the profile, and it can change back. It typically happens at a fork in the road or turn, but it can happen anywhere. How confusing! Zwift should make the bubble and arrow bigger. Or, better yet, make it so riders are always traveling left-to-right.
That's rights. The elevation profiles that are shown on the MiniMap are route segment profiles. The direction of your avatar's travel along a segment seems to be based upon how the segment was originally created. Routes are built up by connecting ("gluing") segments together. So along any route, you may be shown going 'left to right' and then 'right to left' and then it changes again. To make it more confusing, segments vary in length. So one mini-map profile might cover 15km and another 1km. Any the vertical scale of the mini-map changes from segment to segment, too. Ride On.
Thanks Amigo, simple but, well explained video. I was looking for this explanations of the mini map. good job!!!
Thanks. Ride On!
King. Amazingly clear explanation of one of the worst UI designs I've ever encountered.
Wow, thanks!
Glad you think so!
Thanks Ken, finally I know what all icons are. Clear and detailled instructions and information on the map! Also great 1 pager to download.
Really appreciate your feedback. Good to read that you found the video helpful. Taking up a new endeavour creating videos. Challenging for me. And a bit of fun.
Train hard and have fun...words to live by!
Great to finally figure out the blue KOM/QOM icon...snowy tops!
Thanks for explaining the Zwift map. Without your guide, it is rather hard to figure out all of the icons on the map.
Glad to read that my explanation of the map was helpful to you. Ride On.
thx finally found a nice explanatory video on zwift's map....
Glad you liked it!
Another great video, very helpful, thank you!
Happy to read that you found the video helpful. The MiniMap can be difficult to decipher. RIDE ON!
First time I whatch a good explenation for the minimap. Thanks ! Good video!
Great, informative video - you're the man!
Happy to read that you found the video to be helpful. Ride On!
This WAS comprehensive. Thank you so much!
Zwift should employ Ken to help with their documentation. So much information that just can't be found elsewhere in four minutes!
Thank you so much for the extensive and clear details! But now I'm going to vent about Zwift and maybe you can answer some nagging questions that I'm sure many others have as well. 1. Yes, the bottom of the mini map has an orange arrow showing the direction, which is very hard to see even on my high resolution iMac. But why why oh why doesn't it just simply go in the same direction all the time!? (My Garmin Edge shows elevation profile always from left to right, simple and logical enough, right?) 2. In like manner, the elevation profile is also very hard to see. In my estimation it is using the bottom 10% of the map (which is alway small) as a transparent overlay. It's tiny! If I had my way, I would make the elevation profile a separate element, larger and with a "higher" profile just below the map, include a scale of miles so you could see how long a climb is, not just that its there, and reduce the size & font of the 12 or so "Zwifters nearby," which I have no trouble reading. 3. When coming to a hill climb or a sprint, the leaderboard shows up on the left, I think prior to said climb or sprint. BUT WHERE DOES IT START? (By comparison RGT, when you are approaching a sprint or hill climb, gives you clear warning how far it is to the start, much like the head unit on your bike counting down the distance to the start of a Strava segment) I have used Zwift maybe 15 times so I am not terribly experienced nor am I a complete newbie. But every time I use it I am amazed and disappointed at things that don't exist that I would take for granted. Zwift has so many users, they have money to develop, they must get a lot of feedback, yet it seems they have made no improvement in the interface. Thank you in advance. Keep up the great work!
Your asking the same logical questions that many others - and me - have posed before. Q1 - I think Zwift created routes by assembling a number of segments. And you only see the segment that you are riding on the mini-map. Even if the route you are on uses just a piece of that segment. So you may see the map change abruptly when your route diverges from that segment. As for the direction, it remains a mystery to me. Q2 Agree the profile is way too small. And the scale of the profile changes depending on the elevation changes of the segment that you are riding on. Q3 You can see the Sprint and KOM Finish Banners on the mini-map but not the Start of the Sprint or KOM. So you have to recon the route ahead of time or check out the route details on Zwift Hub or Zwift Insider web sites. The Mini-Map is the weakest part of the Zwift game screen design. I expect someday it will be completely overhauled. As you suggest, perhaps with another screen on the Companion App. Until then, we just have to RIDE ON. Nothing is ever perfect.
Thank you for making this video!
Thanks for watching it. Ride On.
Brilliant thanks man. Please keep up these very useful videos. Cheers!
Your videos is just what i need! Thank you! Really clear , including for spanish talkers like me! Thank you again!
Just i little critic, i saw the video with a little low resolution, maybe was my internet connection... otherwise You are an excelent teacher!
Thanks for that feedback. This was one of my earliest videos, so the production quality wasn't the best as you have noted. I've been trying to improve upon both video and sound quality, but content is always the most important. Hope you watch some of my later videos, and let me know if you see any improvment.
THERE'S AN ARROW!!! I was always confused by the elevation profile at the bottom of the map, still don't see the reason why it can be R-L sometimes. Good to know i need to bring my glasses to figure out which way i am going. :)
I still have to squint to see the arrow even though I am using a large screen tv.
Perfect video! Thank you so much! Greetings from Germany. Stay safe
Vielen Dank für Ihre ermutigenden Worte. Pass auch in Deutschland auf.
Good job explaining. I will say that the Zwift map is so small that it is almost impractical. The only information that is legible is % grade.
Thanks for your comment. I use the map to see the location of the Ride Leader (Yellow Beacon), the Sweep (Red Beacon), the (Red) Fence and other Zwifters when I am riding Group Rides. And I regularly check the current % grade. But as you say, the route profile is not particularly helpful.
Best explanation I found! Thank you.
I also found it confusing at first. Did some research, and thought I should share what I learned. Thanks.
Another useful vid Sir, however as a newbie the elevation profile is about as much use as a chocolate fire guard. Considering all our bike computers can offer a colour coded view of the route I find it bizarre that Zwift can't put a colour coded route elevation across the bottom of the screen. PS I have a 42 inch tv and can barely see the elevation coming up.
Thanks for this, very well explained! FYI the link to the download seems to be broken currently.
Thanks. I am glad to read that you found the video to be helpful. And I appreciate the "heads up" about the broken link. I've deleted the link from the video description.
Appreciate the help Ken. I have been trying to figure out how to change the Mini Map view
Thanks. There seem to be all sorts of simple "clicks" in Zwift to change views. Another example is my latest Zwift Quick Tip on Re-Centering Zwifters Nearby View. Leave a comment if there is another Zwift topic that would be helpful.
Thanks for the video, very useful
Good to know that the video was helpful. Ride On.
They should hire you ! One month on zwift and I didn't know all that.
Thanks! Understanding and using the Mini Map can be a valuable aid when riding on Zwift. Unfortunately, it often not obvious what the map is showing you. I am glad if this video helps. RIDE ON.
Thanks Ken, Loved watching this video. Would you mind doing a video on the different symbols in the companion app (hammer, toast). Haven't got a clue what they are for.
Sure. Look for it in a few days. And thanks for the request/suggestion.
Great video- thanks for making. new to Zwift and I know I'm not the only one that has this question. Coming from outside riding with my Garmin/Strava and route loaded, I always knew when the next hill was coming up (how far before it starts) and more importantly when on that hill, how long in distance the climb was (to gauge out of saddle) and the %'s as climbing it. This seems impossible to know on Zwift and is making for uncomfortable climbs on my smart trainer. Am I correct that the info is not clear at all compared to outside rides with the route loaded on a Garmin and maybe other apps do this far better? This is important to me as I find my best indoor riding app. thanks!
Your best approach is to check out the route profile on ZwiftHub.com and/or read the route description on ZwiftInsider.com beforehand. You can also check out route profiles on the Zwift game app when are selecting a route. Unfortunately there is no equivalent to downloading a gpx file to your Garmin/Wahoo head unit. Ride On!
What I find weird about Zwift is if you pick out a route to ride, there is no marker or anything else to show you where the finish line is. You just have to remember how many km it is.
It's like someone loads the route on your bike computer/gps, and you just blindly follow the ride cues. ;-) Best to check out the route beforehand on ZwiftInsider: zwiftinsider.com/routes/
Thank you sir!
You are welcome!
Still I don’t understand the elevation map, you don’t see it moving. So when is it going up or down? I have no idea where I am on this map.
You are not the only one who finds the Mini Map Elevation Profile hard to decipher. First, your position on the elevation profile is shown by a white filled circle with an orange arrow inside. (It is miniscule, so look closely.) Your direction on the profile is shown the arrow. (Again, very tiny so hard to make out on a small screen.) You will see your position on the profile move from right to left OR left to right. Unpredictable in my experience! Good Luck.
on appletv the minimap is not clickable/changeable unfortunately
Thanks for your comment. I've run Zwift on an Android smartphone, iPad Mini and a Windows laptop. I do not have an Apple TV device. So your comment is very helpful.
Very helpful!
Top tip, thanks.👍
Thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated. "Train Hard. Have Fun."
An off the topic question are there any age classification rides?
I haven't seen any age group rides on Zwift. If you go on Zwift Power to see race results, you can see riders age categories. There was a Zwift Forum discussion on this topic some time ago. See this link: forums.zwift.com/t/group-for-older-riders/546682
Is it possible to see hills in advance and to get an idea on how long they are?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to see the hills in advance on the Zwift Game or on the Zwift Companion App while riding a route. The best resource I've found are the route descriptions on ZwiftHub.com and on ZwiftInsider.com. Check out the route descriptions and course profiles in advance. I've also kept the descriptions open on a browser window that I can flip to while riding a route. Ride On!
Why don't zwift give out this information?! Thank you for your help.
Your welcome. Ride On.
perfect! thank you!
Thank you!
Ken if your not working with Zwift you should be.
Let me know if you have a Zwift topic that you'd like me to cover in a video.
Thank you very much! But please try to upgrade the video quality. ^^
Thanks Monika. Appreciate your feedback and encouragement. New to videos. Getting some experience. Recently upgraded webcam and lighting, so hopefully production quality will improve.
@@endurancesweat This was super helpful, very much appreciated. If I may suggest, your best upgrade could be a microphone, but by all means, I am not here to critique your free help.
Johanna, Thank you for your kind remarks and very helpful feedback on the audio quality.
useful
Thank you.
Very helpful!