🚀🚀🚀 Announcing: SYSTM, the new home of The Sufferfest 🚀🚀🚀

A lot of good news, actually.
Good to know we are still Sufferlandrians, and I’m really looking forward to getting my workouts in my bike computer w/o reconstructing them in TP from scratch!!

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And surprisingly systm successfully recognized my account/subscription on the 1st try.
Expected some troubles, to be honest))

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It works on the Nvidia shield (sort off), sideloaded it from apkmirror.

Would be nice if a landscape mode was added in the interface (in the workout part it does work)

Will do a workout tomorrow to test it. (did today’s on Zwift this morning and still too tired from this weekend to do a second workout today)

Really hate the name :face_vomiting: (for me the rebrand was not needed at all)

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Ah it’s one of the Norway tours, huh

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Thanks @gpsjared Reloaded the app and this is now fixed. It would still be very useful to see the 4DP focus graph on the workouts listing screen.

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So true. Once one is used to gestures the lack of the back button is so annoying.

@gpsjared has already replied on this and I understand, hopefully it won’t take long to get it working on the app.

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Quite a few and they are being added to.
I believe all of the new content now supports Climb in videos that have an elevation component and it’s being added into older videos also over time.

No, no elevation gain logging and I, personally, think this is a good thing because, well, you’re not actually covering any elevation…
Simulated distance is one thing, because you can make a reasonable guess based upon power and weight (but still ignores elevation, wind etc) and most people wouldn’t be happy without a rough idea of distance covered.
However, if you were to include elevation then it causes problems…

At the moment, if a video says “12%” then your Climb gets set to a 12% gradient, but the resistance is not that of climbing at 12%.
If the resistance accurately represented 12% then it becomes a lot harder to make the videos work properly because they are about specific training impulses at specific points. Suddenly, they either have to make the gradient dynamic, like the power profiles are, or you’re going to have videos which are tempo for some people, threshold for others and completely unachievable for a bunch of people.
That or you make the gradient mean nothing because you just say someone is managing to climb a 12% gradient at 120 watts…

Basically, the only “value” to adding an elevation component while retaining the current aim of the videos (which needs to be the priority) is to allow people to complete Strava challenges that they haven’t actually completed.
I also, personally, strongly believe Zwift elevation data (or possibly even all Zwift data shouldn’t be counted in Strava challenges because with their drafting and boosts system their speed and elevation calculations are pure nonsense).

Basically, in my eyes, there is no way to give sensible elevation data while also remaining true to what Sufferfest is actually about.

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All the Sufferfest videos are still there. Also give ProRides a go.

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@NickyLeary --As a long time beta tester, I have struggled with SYSTM subsuming The Sufferfest. Like you, I started using it BECAUSE of the name–it was very different and it required a rather special (probably masochistic) sort to appreciate. And I hate SYSTM (but since I can’t think of anything better, I can’t complain). However, for The Sufferfest to survive, it has to appeal to the less masochistic people as well. The Sufferfest is still there, for those special people who want it, but the evolution of SYSTM means that The Sufferfest can continue to produce awesome content. And, since I am recovering from a couple of injuries, I’ve enjoyed that I can do workouts that are a bit less demanding from within the same environment.

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@Mowag Please stop snickering long enough to look at the app in depth. There are way more than 10 new videos in it. As a long-time Sufferlandrian, I don’t like the new name and I don’t like that The Sufferfest has been subsumed into something so generic. But I’ve been a beta tester for the app for a very long time and it has slowly won me over for the content. It definitely doesn’t give me the same excitement as the old Sufferfest branding, but for getting in a good training session, it’s a vast improvement.

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Very few words.
At first sight I must say it worth the wait.

It’s clear how many sacrifices or toads to be swallowed for @David.McQuillen.KoS e Co to make things greater.
Work together with such an important partner may not always be easy.

For the name. Just imagine that SYSTM is the acronym for: Sufferlandria’s Yelling and Scorching Training Machine.

Maybe a little more black and red instead of indigo.

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Nah, Mt. Sufferlandria is still Mt. Sufferlandria. You can never leave. They’ve just taken Mt. SUF out of the Mental Training Plan. FWIW, I’m not a fan of “Big Mountain” either btw, but Mt. Suf is not going anywhere.

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To be honest, I don’t really give a damn about either old or new branding. I’m here because I want to train, no matter whether it’s a niche or a ‘normal’ name.This release seems to be much more about the look than the training. There are new videos, but I think the balance is definitely tipped towards appearance and a more market-friendly name; it’s not a big update to actual cycling training content, the entire purpose im here.

As I said very early today when I found the app ~2/3hour before the announcement, I hope the rebranding gives them money to get more cycling content and training plans, but I find the hype and new app a bit lacklustre. Mobile (iOS / Android ) is a nice addition, which may help get more people on board, but those of us who already have a computer/laptop have managed so far…so it’s a nice but not special addition.

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Mate this is a Couchlandrain coup.
Indigo sucks.

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As a long time user, (I started with the downloaded videos embedded into Trainer Road), I have seen The Sufferfest evolve over time.

I had just bought all of their videos a few months before they went to the subscription model. I bought them to do my Knighthood and was a bit disappointed at the new subscription model until I realized that I could access all of there new content at will. So it was a good move for everyone. And it kept our nation solvent.

Fast forward to today and we’ve got another significant change. I trusted @David.McQuillen.KoS back then, and he was proved right. I trust him now that he is doing the best he knows how to help us train effectively, to suffer in style. And to make it appealing for the masses to suffer as well.

I was in in the beta, and for me the name change is a minor thing, because everything is still there and so much more. And now, I can actually convince my cycling buddies to give it a go.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

The Suffering is still glorious no matter what you name it.

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A politically incorrect name also gives you extra watts.
That’ll be missing in a indigo world.

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So do misspelled names!

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Knowing a few people that shied away from The Sufferfest because “it’s too hard core”, I think the name change and the focus on a whole training ‘system’ is a great move and will definitely make people look at Suf / Systm again.

I’ve only joined about a year ago and I really like the whole package, including the yoga and strength training sessions, the mix of recovery / inspiration rides and real suffering sessions.

I’m also happy there’s now Android support so I can take support sessions along with me.

A few features I’d still like to see:

  • app-integrated support for casting workouts to Chromecast (for example, keep the profile showing on the app on the phone/tablet while video plays on Chromecast)
  • drag and drop in the calendar to easily move workouts around.
  • showing TSS / IF in the calendar for individual workouts (without having to click on the workout itself) and in the week summary
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I agree, the name is a mistake. I am no racer, just a person who likes to be in shape, and I loved the Sufferfest name. It’s unique, funny and edgy. The jokes around it lend interest to hard workouts. It also implies that it takes some work to get in shape or meet training goals. Systm says none of that. It sounds more double-speak or bureaucratic than anything fun or difficult.

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A bit disappointing, not so much more as the old Sufferfest app.

I would like to see a workout builder added to the program. (Like Tacx and Rouvy have)

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