I think I'm getting closer to what I need to complete an effective winter prep.

The home trainer is definitely a key part of the equation. Zwift is the motivation side of the HT. Then, you need a plan, because w/o a plan you are ineffective. So I started a plan on Zwift. As long as the weather was poor it was OK, I would spend enough time on the trainer to get the plan done. Now, the week is going to be cold but very dry and sunny! No way I ride all time indoor.

But my plan!!

It's a pain, cause my plan is really just within Zwift. So, After 2 weeks warming up with Zwift's FTP plan I'm going to switch gears. I've just subscribed to CTS "60-minutes climb" plan. This is really my road goal, I plan on 60 minutes climbs (Chamrousse, Alpe d'Huez...). So, I plan to follow this program either indoor or outdoor. You basically receive instruction for the next day by email, every day. I've downloaded an interval timer on my iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/interval-timer-timing-for/id406473568?l=en&mt=8`), the free version.

I still plan to insert some normal rides if I have the opportunity, but I'll try to follow this plan.

FYI, CTS program comes free of charge to Strava Premium members. They offer a wide range of plans. For each plan you decide how long you will spend on the bike each week. I'll report on this plan, but I plan to get started after new year. I'll spend the last 4 weeks of 2016 exploring Zwift further (group rides, why not races), experimenting HIIT session on the road, why not on the MTB, and just riding!
I can provide some feedback on the Zwift FTP building plan. I could be wrong but I find the sessions a bit too relaxed to me. I wish I would push harder. I'm afraid I don't get all the benefit I could from the session because the intensity is a bit low.

Wow, it's oh so quiet (Bjork inside)! I guess it is because of Thanksgiving.

I get some content to share here, Home trainer related. Yesterday, I did an indoor ride (rain outside, was not feeling great, coughing, cold...). I still did a workout of my FTP builder plan, 1:23 minutes on the trainer, not bad. All that to say that after workout, I told myself:

"This feels very similar to an outdoor ride I've done recently. I feel just about the same after the ride!"

So I've crunched the numbers, for your delight 

	Indoor	Outdoor
Date	Nov. 24th	Nov. 17th
Distance	41.2 km	41.1 km
Time	1:23:04	1:25:33
Elevation	425 m	546 m
Avg Power	188 w	192 w
Avg HR	142 bpm	148 bpm
Avg Speed	29.8 km/h	28.9 km/h

I'm shocked by this incredible matching. The 2 rides are very similar except that the Outdoor ride showed a bit more elevation, that is reflected in every other parameter (time, power, HR, speed). And again, my body told me that these 2 efforts were similar.
So, this really shows that trainers provide reliable data (in term of power, distance, elevation, speed). It also shows that when it's not possible to ride outside you can really get the same workout indoor. And honestly, I feel bad to admit it, it can be almost as fun as riding outdoor...    I've enjoyed riding in London (I really do) or on this Watopia Island, I enjoyed riding in a group (I plan to repeat that), I'm connected to many riders from all around the world now (Asia, EU, USA) and we exchange during and after the ride. I will miss that social aspect after the winter, I will try to find groups to ride with.
Also, structured training is a lot easier on the trainer where the big screen in front of you tells you what to do. I haven't found a good way to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) training outdoor. Ideally I'd like to take some of my Zwift FTP-building plan to outdoor rides, but I haven't found a tool to tell me the sequence of the workout while on the bike (apart from a sticky note and a timer). Any advice is appreciated.

Enjoy the Holiday!

You got it 100% correct 

But again, the key point with Zwift is that it makes indoor ride 10x more enjoyable. Time flies, really. And the 3D environment, with everything around (avatar of real people, change in weather, sounds, etc...) succeeds to cheat my brain enough that I react like in a real environment (slightly leaning when cornering, pushing a bit more when reaching the top of a climb, getting in the drops after the pass of the mountain...).

Getting back to the power reading, it's most likely inaccurate but I don't race in Zwift, so I don't care! But the relative power reading is extremely useful to someone who never had a power meter. It's really educating and shows the benefit of the real life power meter.

Reviewing the article it looks like this PowerPod is not a good choice for MTB:

"Finally, one area that doesn’t work well is cobbles.  I recognize this is largely a European problem, and not so much a North American one – but, it’s a valid problem for me since my streets are littered with them.  In my testing, the unit simply doesn’t produce accurate power when riding cobblestones.  Within seconds of hitting such a patch of roadway, the unit pretty much shrugs and gives up.  It’s like this emoticon: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

No obvious choice for now...

A quick update on home trainer. I get a couple key points I'd like to share with you:

1) It's pretty impressive how it helps to progress.
I've cycled a lot more then I would have w/o a trainer. It shows when I'm back on the road. Today I went for a relaxing ride over lunch, nice sunny cold day, and still pushed on the way back up home, but not as much as I have in the past. I was surprised to cross a reference point at 28km/h, around the top of the climb, where I know I'm usually around 24-26km/h. Checking the log on Strava, I have indeed beaten my PR, not trying to!

2) There is a lot to learn from Power metric.
Real power meters are more expensive then what I want to spend, so I don't have any. But trainers enable to visualize Power easily. I've experimented that many factors impact output Power:
- the pedaling technique can save a lot of watts. You have to force yourself to push less when pedaling properly or you exceed the power target.
- my position on the bike is important. I generate more watts in the drops, w/o meaning to.
- cadence. There is really a sweet spot that is efficient. That's about 85 rpm for me (it could actually be a different real value, but that's what my sensor tells me)
- Mind focus. During a recovery section I have to focus on the watts or I push too much. When I see a change in the landscape (turn, approach a climb or a descent or a group...Zwift enables all that) I immediately start to push stronger. I have to force myself if I want to stay at the power target.
This tells me that a power meter would be cool on the road, but I'll wait till a product comes in at a reasonable price!

Hey Sitar_Ned, just check this out! GCN shows Road vs. Gravel

I had a lot of thoughts into the road bike shoes/pedals. Swapping pedals between road bike/MTB was not the main problem. The main problem was the cleats position on the shoes. I don't want them the same: under the toe ball for road and pushed to the rear for MTB. You can't change that everytime, it's a real pain, you risk that it's not positioned properly.

So, what I really needed was 2 pair of shoes, and it didn't make any sense to me to buy a MTB pair for a road-only usage. If road pedals exist, there must be a reason why they are more suited then MTB pedals. Anyway, I'll discover the reason by Christmas. I'll stick those pedals under the tree

Great price indeed!

But "Narrow", 750 mm?! 

Also, I'd be worried to get a bar too rigid being 35 mm format. I like my bars to flex a bit, it is both more comfortable and ultimately more robust (rigid = fragile).