Road Cycling

[Thomas. PLease.]

That flu thing is horrible, my father has it and just can't shake it off! Hear of several others who had it over xmas/new year too.

Congrats on the marriage plans! Great news & exciting times, a big year for you!

I can understand how 'sick' some get from training that hard as it's such a commitment, your whole life revolves around it and soon the only 'friends' you generally have are clubmates as you have so little time for anything else. Enjoyment, family and friends should come first. Unfortunately 'detraining' does take quite a bit of the enjoyment out of it when you're used to riding so strongly before, but that does fade a little don't worry! Hate to give advice you probably don't need - just ride for the right reasons & enjoy the ride for what it is - rather than the numbers it produces! It's too easy to 'chase' former fitness and struggle (I know this and complain about it far more here than I should!)

Good point about the stress/anxiety/sleep/release side of things and a great example of some of the additional 'benefits' we get from regular riding & exercise! Enjoy G.Canaria, taking the bike?

EDIT: Bernie Eisel retiring from racing: https://twitter.com/EiselBernhard/status/1217046015351672832

Shame, such a great rider and fantastic example of a Pro rider! One of my favourites in the peloton from his HTC/Cavendish days with Renshaw. Sure hope we still see him in commentary and stuff.

Yeah GC will be a mini training camp so to speak, so hopefully get some decent riding in and pray it's not going to be too windy! Then off to Mallorca again end of March for a proper weeks training. Hopefully be back going ok after that.

 

[Adam-r]

Anyone else do the tour de Zwift stage last night? It finished on leith hill. Which isn’t really a hill. But I thought it was a cruel end to a fairly quick stage!

 

[xdcx]

Anyone else do the tour de Zwift stage last night? It finished on leith hill. Which isn’t really a hill. But I thought it was a cruel end to a fairly quick stage!

I done it Monday night and came 6th or something. The front 2 guys put a minute into me on Leith.... Think they averaged over 8W/KG for it.
Always lovely to ride against blatant cheats

 

[AndyCr15]

I did the race of stage 1 yesterday. After the Tour of London, I'm not looking for a long ride indoors in a hurry! Can I race each stage and get the unlock?

 

[Lethal`]

I rode up proper Leith on Saturday. It is a hill

 

[Roady]

Yeah GC will be a mini training camp so to speak, so hopefully get some decent riding in and pray it's not going to be too windy! Then off to Mallorca again end of March for a proper weeks training. Hopefully be back going ok after that.

Awesome stuff. Where you staying? We really enjoyed it when we went (non-riding holiday) and have been meaning to go back. Really enjoyed a 4x4 day trip up into the mountains. It was spectacular!

@Shamrock did some quality riding there (VoTT) but not sure who else from here has been?

Anyone else do the tour de Zwift stage last night? It finished on leith hill. Which isn’t really a hill. But I thought it was a cruel end to a fairly quick stage!

Did mine Sunday night. I'm really liking the 3-day format as means I'll happily race the long routes HARD, the way it's meant to be done! None of this short flat route race nonsense!

May even do some stages twice...

I done it Monday night and came 6th or something. The front 2 guys put a minute into me on Leith.... Think they averaged over 8W/KG for it.
Always lovely to ride against blatant cheats

Mega ride buddy. 4.3w/kg avg! Even got yourself a 4th on this segment (but now 25th as a load of goats have raced since lol). Bet Yorkshire URL hurt last night?

See that guys data who came behind you in TdZ? Similar W/KG but 24kg heavier! 394W NP for an hour. Ouch! Although, gotta be dodgy. My money is on an ebike.

I did the race of stage 1 yesterday. After the Tour of London, I'm not looking for a long ride indoors in a hurry! Can I race each stage and get the unlock?

Yup, you just need to 'complete' each stage. Could do the short group rides at 1w/kg and still get it providing you finish them all...

I rode up proper Leith on Saturday. It is a hill

Really?! I'd always thought it was a Zwift made up hill.

We know the locations of it (& Box) in Zwift is garbage, but the actual climb Box is meant to be a fairly accurate representation of the real thing. How does Leith compare?

 

[Lethal`]

@Shamrock did some quality riding there (VoTT) but not sure who else from here has been?

VoTT isn't quality. It's hell.

We know the locations of it (& Box) in Zwift is garbage, but the actual climb Box is meant to be a fairly accurate representation of the real thing. How does Leith compare?

I've no idea as I've ridden neither of them on Zwift. Box in the real world is as hard as you make it. Easy gradient all the way up, Leith does get a bit spicier from halfway up.

 

[xdcx]

Mega ride buddy. 4.3w/kg avg! Even got yourself a 4th on this segment (but now 25th as a load of goats have raced since lol). Bet Yorkshire URL hurt last night?

See that guys data who came behind you in TdZ? Similar W/KG but 24kg heavier! 394W NP for an hour. Ouch! Although, gotta be dodgy. My money is on an ebike.

URL last night was a pile of ****. I am convinced this game craps all over genuine lightweight guys.
I got to the top of the KOM on first lap in the front group and then on the crest as it starts going downhill I am doing over 6w/kg and the group is riding away from me?!? A guy on my team had the exact same thing happen to him on the earlier URL race. If you can live with the pace on 2min effort climbs in this game then there is no way you're getting dropped on flats/downhills like that. Total BS mechanics.

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

Lol not sure if we'll do valley of the tears although I've got a 32 on the back so maybe I'm ready. Staying in playa de mogan. Which is slightly annoying as apparently the coast road there is shut, so it's a 30min climb out everyday. Should be decent training though.

 

[Roady]

VoTT isn't quality. It's hell.

I've no idea as I've ridden neither of them on Zwift. Box in the real world is as hard as you make it. Easy gradient all the way up, Leith does get a bit spicier from halfway up.

Haha surely you mean 'hell' of a challenge!?

Shame you've not ridden them on Zwift to compare. Box is meant to be similar. Came across some videos from someone riding both comparing the two:

But I can't watch them at work (no audio), so can't see if the guy compares them or says where he's actually riding for Leith.

Done some googling and Strava stalking. Can't really see any of the climbs you did that are even close to it's 3 miles at 5%+ avg. Although you rode all around it (some great hill hunting you did, I approve!) there's a road across the south (Abinger Road?) which you didn't ride, might be a climb? Although no segments on it.

If you can live with the pace on 2min effort climbs in this game then there is no way you're getting dropped on flats/downhills like that. Total BS mechanics.

Yup I totally agree, Zwift is utterly biased towards drafting and power than lighter riders. Totally totally agree!

Lol not sure if we'll do valley of the tears although I've got a 32 on the back so maybe I'm ready. Staying in playa de mogan. Which is slightly annoying as apparently the coast road there is shut, so it's a 30min climb out everyday. Should be decent training though.

Ahh nice, we stayed in Puerto Rico only a couple of miles further down the coast.

Perfect segment for you to train on - https://www.strava.com/segments/6013447

Oh yeah I'd spotted something about that road, Annemiek van V posted a ride with a boat trip around the coast there due to the road closure.

*rummage through Strava*: https://www.strava.com/activities/2977791520 Actual ride (good route here you could use/adapt) - https://www.strava.com/activities/2978714771

She's a good follow, always great ride titles and lots of pictures.

 

[AndyCr15]

Yup I totally agree, Zwift is utterly biased towards drafting and power than lighter riders. Totally totally agree!

My experience is it's biased towards lighter riders? Going up gradients as 100kg is sooooo slow. IRL I feel I do okay these days up gradients. I almost have a top 10 on a small one near home for example.

 

[Lethal`]

Done some googling and Strava stalking. Can't really see any of the climbs you did that are even close to it's 3 miles at 5%+ avg. Although you rode all around it (some great hill hunting you did, I approve!) there's a road across the south (Abinger Road?) which you didn't ride, might be a climb? Although no segments on it.

https://www.strava.com/segments/6691321? This is the main route up Leith Hill (though there are about 8 really - there's a ride called the Leith Hill Octopus where you do all eight ascents). I guess it's quite different on Zwift. Abinger Road isn't a climb, few little lumps but pretty much flat.

 

[Adam-r]

Lol not sure if we'll do valley of the tears although I've got a 32 on the back so maybe I'm ready. Staying in playa de mogan. Which is slightly annoying as apparently the coast road there is shut, so it's a 30min climb out everyday. Should be decent training though.

I was there in september and the coast road is shut, iirc there is a way around if you want to risk the main motorway hard shoulder?

 

[Adam-r]

My experience is it's biased towards lighter riders? Going up gradients as 100kg is sooooo slow. IRL I feel I do okay these days up gradients. I almost have a top 10 on a small one near home for example.

My turbo isn't smart (however I have a pm), the upshot of this means in zwift I can choose a wattage, say 200W which in real life would leave me toppling over because its so slow! If I pick a 10% climb outside i need 260-280W minimum. On zwift I can go up at 75W if I want. It's really annoying!

 

[Saytan]

decent upgrade from budget rim brake wheels here: https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPVIT35CSL/vision-team-35-comp-sl-road-clincher-wheelset?deal=WINTER

bit more off with code WINTER too

 

[Roady]

My experience is it's biased towards lighter riders? Going up gradients as 100kg is sooooo slow. IRL I feel I do okay these days up gradients. I almost have a top 10 on a small one near home for example.

Sounds like you don't have trainer difficulty set very high...? At the top end of racing Zwift does favour power riders - races courses are generally flatter and the rides tend to be pelotons/groups as the draft effect is so strong (stronger than real). It generally ends in long/mass sprints. You really don't get many breakaways forming on Zwift racing so it's generally groups shelling riders then whoever's left sitting in for the sprint!

https://www.strava.com/segments/6691321? This is the main route up Leith Hill (though there are about 8 really - there's a ride called the Leith Hill Octopus where you do all eight ascents). I guess it's quite different on Zwift. Abinger Road isn't a climb, few little lumps but pretty much flat.

Oooh now the Octopus sounds like my sorta thing!

To be fair I really like the look of that area, not sure why you don't ride it more! Lots of roads, lots of climbs, not too many towns/houses crammed together so should be quiet?

There looks to several sportives around there, Wiggle, Evans and such. They seem to be able to clock up some great elevation in quite a concentrated area!

I was there in september and the coast road is shut, iirc there is a way around if you want to risk the main motorway hard shoulder?

Dodgy! There looks like loads of tunnels on the motorway. Although the motorway looks to 'finish' at Mogan and if it's just shut between there and Taurito you'd only have to go through 1 tunnel as you can come off again at Taurito. Looks about half a mile.

 

[AndyCr15]

Sounds like you don't have trainer difficulty set very high...? At the top end of racing Zwift does favour power riders - races courses are generally flatter and the rides tend to be pelotons/groups as the draft effect is so strong (stronger than real). It generally ends in long/mass sprints. You really don't get many breakaways forming on Zwift racing so it's generally groups shelling riders then whoever's left sitting in for the sprint!

I've never seen a difficulty? I can sprint well. Often in the upper end of sprint tables, but on gradients I watch people cruise past me...

 

[Lethal`]

To be fair I really like the look of that area, not sure why you don't ride it more! Lots of roads, lots of climbs, not too many towns/houses crammed together so should be quiet?

I ride the area a fair amount in spring/summer, it can be a bit mucky in winter. Probably not as much as I should but actually it's really not that quiet. It has close proximity to London, Guildford, Woking, Dorking, Redhill, Crawley etc so there's a fair few drivers about and perhaps due to its popularity with cyclists a too high proportion are not keen on cyclists and make that known. The Surrey Hills is pretty much where 70%+ of London cyclists go on the weekend.

Oh and also - it's hilly. I don't really like hills that much

 

[Adam-r]

I've never seen a difficulty? I can sprint well. Often in the upper end of sprint tables, but on gradients I watch people cruise past me...

Can't rely on people being truthful about their actual weight.

 

[resurgam]

I had someone doing laps of the Harrogate full course at 15 w/kg when I was on last week. I think I worked out it was about 80 mph.

I can't see the point, it's not even like it's got enough ascent to get the Tron bike quickly.