Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
After most of the summer off the bike due to illnesses, holidays and recovery time I’m back. After a few rides I’m around 20watts down over 30 miles and probably more over a longer distance. Going to be pushing to start next year strong again.
Good to see Zwift have some new stuff to try out too
Good to see Zwift have some new stuff to try out too
This. One round the neck, one round the ears. £3 from Decathlon; eBay too I imagine.Buffs.
Then, for all the other leading body parts... Toe caps for the feet. Windproof ¾-length Endura shorts over Rapha cyclo-cross ⅞ bib tights for the knees. I can't remember what gloves I ended up with. I got some Acu lobster mitts but stopped riding my commute before I got to use them. I think I ended up with some Defeet. A beard helps.
Soldato
I wear a buff round the neck and a merino skull cap as it goes over the ears
After most of the summer off the bike due to illnesses, holidays and recovery time I’m back. After a few rides I’m around 20watts down over 30 miles and probably more over a longer distance. Going to be pushing to start next year strong again.
Good to see Zwift have some new stuff to try out too
That wattage loss will soon come back, reel it in patiently and you'll be absolutely fine. You've got all the time in the world to rebuild now summer has gone.
I'm focussing on getting some sweet spot training done, a bit of endurance type stuff then might chuck in the odd zwift race here and there too.
Hat under the helmet and a buff/snood for neck/ears/chin when it's cold. Oh and a beard.
Castelli winter cap is excellent. Covers ears or can be folded up and used as normal cap - https://www.merlincycles.com/castelli-difesa-thermal-cap-aw19-156384.html
Any buff is good for around the neck.
5 degree's is toasty though. I deploy the winter hat and buff when it's down to 1/2.... like it has been this week. Stupid bloody country!
I just use same bibs all year. Leg warmers, DeFeet woolie boolie socks.
I use sleeveless base layer and a Sportful Fiandre no rain jacket down to about 0. Below 0 I just use a long sleeve base layer with the jacket instead.
Endura long finger winter typical gloves down to 0 again. Below that I use those icebreaker thin glove liners inside the gloves.
Nothing dramatic, no cupboards full of heaps of kit. Keep it simple. The above does me down to -8 without any problems. And I am one for REALLY feeling the cold. I am absolutely not meant to be Scottish.
Any buff is good for around the neck.
5 degree's is toasty though. I deploy the winter hat and buff when it's down to 1/2.... like it has been this week. Stupid bloody country!
I just use same bibs all year. Leg warmers, DeFeet woolie boolie socks.
I use sleeveless base layer and a Sportful Fiandre no rain jacket down to about 0. Below 0 I just use a long sleeve base layer with the jacket instead.
Endura long finger winter typical gloves down to 0 again. Below that I use those icebreaker thin glove liners inside the gloves.
Nothing dramatic, no cupboards full of heaps of kit. Keep it simple. The above does me down to -8 without any problems. And I am one for REALLY feeling the cold. I am absolutely not meant to be Scottish.
Good to get some wind assistance on the way back! We'll hopefully get the same as the wind is predominantly from the West/NW this time of year. But it does mean the latter 5-10 miles will be a slog into a cross headwind and include this grind of a climb (that hurts me when semi-fresh, never ridden it empty!). The descent afterwards it to the finish will be welcome!It was damp and windy. Head wind on way out and it felt like it turned for coming in
Looks like a lot of climbing there, good luck with it
I hadn't really done anything much over 3 hours or so until the weekend before hand and it was one of those where you were just pleased to finish it. I'd done a fair bit on zwift prior to that though, but mainly 1-1.5 hour sessions following their gran fondo training plan. Dark nights coming in so going to see what else they've got on there to follow
There's lots on Zwift to follow, if you like plans and seriously commit to them they're good, but then you might 'run out' if that's all you do. Some of the group 'training rides' are great for several hours endurance/base riding (the 3R sunday morning 100km is one of my favourites). Some of the events now (Dimension Data etc) are more of a 'stage race' over several days with a mixture of training and racing. Think with the DD one you can even just ride it all as guided training sessions rather than races. This all belongs in the Indoor training thread anyway...
Let me know what you think of Rouvy, I've always meant to give it a go. Same with RGT. Obviously in the Indoor thread.
Yup chilly!
/seconded.Buffs.
Although I've been in buffs since the wind temperature dropped below 14/15 degrees as I really suffer with it (chapped lips/nose/cold sores). I tend to live in them from September to March/April. Even in the summer on cool mornings I'll wear them. Then I'm always wearing caps too - even middle of the summer! The only times I didn't where the really hot weather climbs where I switched it out for a sweatband. I don't have much hair and sweat quite a bit from my forehead so always need something. I cool down rapidly without one, so tend to prefer to run warm than cool. I have various caps normal cotton caps, summer ones, showerproof ones. The DHB windslam cap or the Rapha deep winter are superb, having a windproof cap for bitter cold winds (which also goes over ears) is supreme!
One around the neck, tucked into jersey/jacket, tucked into rear of helmet, over ears and over cheeks to top lip.
I have heaps and heaps of kit. Have tried all sorts but am mostly settled now on what I use during these shoulder and winter seasons. I still try out new stuff most winters but nothing really drastic. Main aim this winter is to get some more thermal shorts, probably S/H Rapha if I can get them for the right price (missed a few recently). My go-to winter shorts have been Sportful Fiandre NoRain but most of them are XL. I'm now M in summer shorts and L in the winter ones which I only have 3 pairs of. The XL's will be baggy so need to switch them out for L's to tide me over the weekly commutes.
20 watts is nothing! Welcome back!After most of the summer off the bike due to illnesses, holidays and recovery time I’m back. After a few rides I’m around 20watts down over 30 miles and probably more over a longer distance. Going to be pushing to start next year strong again.
Good to see Zwift have some new stuff to try out too
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Well it's about 10%, which doesn't sound much but when I'm used to doing x watts and now i'm just hanging on and putting out less power, less it makes me feel bad20 watts is nothing! Welcome back!
Yup looks like you're really struggling!
Wish I could do 20mph avg rides after several weeks of illness! Mine where more like -30% sustained power even when 99% recovered and a month back in. The return consisted on me blowing myself up a number of times when setting my targets a little high early on... But then that bout of a chest infection was about the 3rd interruption I'd had to my riding in 2019 from illness and holiday (with a slow return to training):
After low mileage/intensity at the start of the year (lack of group rides and no consistency to my Zwifting), when I'd got a couple of bigger rides under my belt in April I was on a nice upward trajectory of recovering fitness. Two bouts of illness and a holiday through May & June really put me back to (before) my already low starting point. Since then I've recovered well, trying to slowly build which has worked well to try and keep ahead of any illnesses and it has felt very manageable - even though I've struggled to get out for many club/group rides when I have, they've not utterly smashed me and I've felt strong. Throwing in a couple of big solo climbs/challenges in August/September and I'm now the 'fittest' I've been for 1.5 years... Although I'm carrying 5-6kg (or more) than I 'should' be to be at my best... Still nice little taper the last couple of weeks has got me some positive form for theSportiveChallenge on sunday... I hope! 
Wish I could do 20mph avg rides after several weeks of illness! Mine where more like -30% sustained power even when 99% recovered and a month back in. The return consisted on me blowing myself up a number of times when setting my targets a little high early on... But then that bout of a chest infection was about the 3rd interruption I'd had to my riding in 2019 from illness and holiday (with a slow return to training):
After low mileage/intensity at the start of the year (lack of group rides and no consistency to my Zwifting), when I'd got a couple of bigger rides under my belt in April I was on a nice upward trajectory of recovering fitness. Two bouts of illness and a holiday through May & June really put me back to (before) my already low starting point. Since then I've recovered well, trying to slowly build which has worked well to try and keep ahead of any illnesses and it has felt very manageable - even though I've struggled to get out for many club/group rides when I have, they've not utterly smashed me and I've felt strong. Throwing in a couple of big solo climbs/challenges in August/September and I'm now the 'fittest' I've been for 1.5 years... Although I'm carrying 5-6kg (or more) than I 'should' be to be at my best... Still nice little taper the last couple of weeks has got me some positive form for the
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Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 10,646
Soldato
I follow him in IG (for some reason). What a knob.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2004
- Posts
- 10,646
The first link I read didn't mention what happened but that article goes into detail.
How does using a bot to gain the tron bike help win the actual race he took part in?
How does using a bot to gain the tron bike help win the actual race he took part in?
I’ve followed Jeffers on YouTube for over a year and watch his videos regularly.
In my view this is a nonsense. It’s the ‘video game’ side of Zwift relating to bikes performing better than others. The Tron bike is the fastest bike and wheetset config in Zwift, being a few seconds quicker over anything else. This is similar to the power ups in game where the ‘aero’ power up provides more advantage that the others, yet it’s completely random what you get.
Basically, in Zwift you could be a better, fitter rider but could lose because your bike is slower than the competition and/or you get duf power ups.
it would be like an F1 esports event, where one guy gets the fastest Mercedes car and someone else the slowest car, the Williams. Just give everyone the same equipment and let it be the best rider which wins.
Also, the rules which he is being judged against were not in place until March 2019. He did the ‘offence’ in Dec 2018 and the Zwift UK Champs final was in February 2019, before the rules existed.
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Yup looks like you're really struggling!
Wish I could do 20mph avg rides after several weeks of illness! Mine where more like -30% sustained power even when 99% recovered and a month back in. The return consisted on me blowing myself up a number of times when setting my targets a little high early on... But then that bout of a chest infection was about the 3rd interruption I'd had to my riding in 2019 from illness and holiday (with a slow return to training):
After low mileage/intensity at the start of the year (lack of group rides and no consistency to my Zwifting), when I'd got a couple of bigger rides under my belt in April I was on a nice upward trajectory of recovering fitness. Two bouts of illness and a holiday through May & June really put me back to (before) my already low starting point. Since then I've recovered well, trying to slowly build which has worked well to try and keep ahead of any illnesses and it has felt very manageable - even though I've struggled to get out for many club/group rides when I have, they've not utterly smashed me and I've felt strong. Throwing in a couple of big solo climbs/challenges in August/September and I'm now the 'fittest' I've been for 1.5 years... Although I'm carrying 5-6kg (or more) than I 'should' be to be at my best... Still nice little taper the last couple of weeks has got me some positive form for theSportiveChallenge on sunday... I hope!
Look at my drop off
Soldato
Doesn't the article say he put his weight in as 45kg... doesn't that make you much faster in Zwift to the power you're kicking out?
His weight was briefly changed to 45kg in December to get the Tron bike quicker, where he gave someone access to his account to use ANT+ software to get the bike.
He always weighs himself and adjusts his weight before he rides Zwift - his vlogs on his YouTube channel and the Zwift Power website confirm this.
Also, in the Champs competition all riders are weighed before every race.
Soldato
So the main objection is someone else helped him get the Tron bike? Did the other person really weight 45kg?
yes, he got the Tron bike by cheating the system.
To get the Tron bike for him no one actually rode - it was software running on his account set to go up Alpe De Zwift at 2000w over and over, using the fastest settings until 50k meters of climbing was achieved for the bike.
It made zero difference in the finals over 3 races, he had the highest w/kg over 10sec, 30secs and 1min
His Champs Zwift ride here: https://www.strava.com/activities/2248053549
Also, I didn’t realise I was the first to comment on it