The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

[platypus]

The "magic roads" feature could have really drawn turbo users in if they had opened up all Premium features for say the whole of January, but a 14 day Premium trial is no use now when rgt staff won't be around much to process the gpx files to make Magic Roads function.

Not to mention the 60mile limit.

The one thing they have over Zwift, but needs some major refinement, is auto braking and a power ceiling for corners. However, it's had oddities for months, where it kicks in on some routes on tiny kinks in the road. Done properly, it could drastically improves races, especially crits.

I've yet to test if it still happens, but I reported a bug to them last winter... For some reason, some courses report inflated power figures to Strava and Elevate For Strava for your best 20min power effort. This inflated figure is then passed on to my https://cricklesorg.wordpress.com/ account (not sure about my https://power-meter.cc/home account) which processes it and gives me an inflated FTP estimate that consequently will then screw up all TSS figures for the next six weeks.

Not sure there monthly subs will help draw users in either, only £1pcm cheaper than Zwift iirc.

It could easily go the same way as Virtugo, lots of promise, but not enough draw to pull away Zwift users from the masses.

I was intrigued so downloaded it and rode the Stelvio Pass. I was impressed; and something that really drew me in was the strava segments (if Zwift has them I've never seen them?), but I didn't feel it really gave me much more. The graphics weren't terrible, but they weren't brilliant either.

Since there is a free version of it it's the kind of thing I'll keep on my turbo PC for when I have a hankering for reliving the torture of Ventoux, but other than that I didn't see anything that would make me subscribe.

 

[AndyCr15]

I was impressed; and something that really drew me in was the strava segments (if Zwift has them I've never seen them?)

This is something that surprises me with Zwift. Even out on the road, I have segments and a live update of if I'm ahead or behind... how does a computer game version not have this?!

 

[Skillmister]

@platypus @AndyCr15 assume you mean live segments as Zwift definitely has normal post-ride strava segments?

 

[AndyCr15]

@platypus @AndyCr15 assume you mean live segments as Zwift definitely has normal post-ride strava segments?

Tbf, doesn't Strava do that, not Zwift. I don't think you can check Strava segments in Zwift?

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Also what are peoples thoughts on the kickr climb? It definitely seems gimmicky to me but hell, if she's letting me spend money..

Smart trainer is great and it feels like going uphill to me without the climb. Spend the £500 on a coach or some new wheels

 

[Robzere31]

Finished my last ride of 2019 on Zwift, a cheeky 75 miles to round things up to 3000 miles for the year.
https://strava.app.link/lMtLwx77R2

My lowest total in 10 years, however, its 3k more than I expected to do this year so I'm happy enough.

Time to start on the small mountain of drinks now that I amassed over Christmas & my birthday.

Happy new year everyone & hope 2020 is a good one for all.

 

[Roady]

Tour De Zwift starts on the 12th Jan. I'll be aiming to complete. It really pushed me last year and I got a bunch of fitness from it... Just need to build towards it now as I've really slumped!

Done a bunch of rides over the break but without my commuting it wasn't regularly enough and I seemed to lose a bunch of power. Considering I've ridden 3 hour 2.5w/kg group rides before, sweeping/keeping in many, I found myself popping at the same power in under an hour... It was possibly a combination involving some illness as by the weekend I'd got some of it back for my usual 100km @2.5w/kg again. Couldn't ride the whole thing but felt good.

Thats one of the routes I wont be getting the badge , along with mega pretzel and the full PRL. I did try the Alpe once but got about 2/3 up and had no more gears left to bail into , then I thought ive still got ages to go and was sick of seeing those segments go so slowly. Not sure i'll bother ever again

That's part of the challenge, much of it is willpower! Also if you ran out of gears what are you running? Probably worth dropping Trainer difficulty down to 50/60% if you have it high as you should be able to spin up most of it and recover in some parts!

Nothing over Christmas for me but instead I’m targeting Jan 4/5th for the Vegan Cyclist 100+1 or the Zwift Gran Fondo

What's that one? I did a VZT ride on the 26th which seemed like a good friendly bunch!

How about 2135km and 50k meters climbing in one Zwift ride

https://twitter.com/rd_ultracyclist/status/1209412715401359360?s=21

Ross Duncan. He's a machine! Nice guy too!

The 3R Team also riding for the World Record got it, but didn't quite reach their target of 1000km in 24H. They got the record but with a distance of 975km.

Ok I've been permitted to upgrade to a DD turbo. Since I'm never going to need the output of the Kickr, I'm sorely tempted to just save some ££ and go Kickr Core, but I am permitted to spend, so, would the DD'ers buy a Kickr or a Tacx Neo 2 for example? Reading the reviews it seems like the Neo 2 has some nice features, and I've used a Tacx for years so very happy with the brand.
I meant as part of a longer term TT focused training plan. Just to improve speed and what have you.

Go Core. You won't regret it, also leave yourself open to the CLIMB in future should you so wish, while also remaining in 'her' good books so other cycling purchases are allowed as required... Just make sure she knows you almost bought a 'Neo'!

I don't really have enough organisational skillz to sign up for Zwift races or anything, so I just sit on the turbo doing intervals.

One of the main things which keeps me racing is the lack of organisation needed, in the evening I just jump on and see what races there are. In the mornings I'll generally scout out group rides the night before or when first waking up on Zwiftpower. Just so I know what time I have to get ready.

This is something that surprises me with Zwift. Even out on the road, I have segments and a live update of if I'm ahead or behind... how does a computer game version not have this?!

Zwift has your segment times against others and yourself (with results from your last 30 days). But I think you only get 'Live segments' comparing your efforts against previous/others when doing a Free Ride.

Happy new year everyone & hope 2020 is a good one for all.

You too buddy, good to see you coming back well with rides like that after the year you've had!

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Tour De Zwift starts on the 12th Jan. I'll be aiming to complete. It really pushed me last year and I got a bunch of fitness from it...

Interesting- it’s my first year but I was hoping for a decent unlock for doing it. Tour of Watopia 19 was great for me with the 1000XP bonuses on Stage 4 that I farmed mercilessly

here’s the vegan ride

https://www.zwift.com/events/view/263884

 

[#Chri5#]

Tour of Sufferlandria starts February 15

https://thesufferfest.com/blogs/the...-of-sufferlandria-is-happening-15-23-february

 

[Roady]

I failed miserably to get on last week, so this week I need to! Did get on for my usual Sunday morning 100km but a Zwift update meant I missed the start, I then discovered that the 'Join' from ZP which links to events on Zwifts site is now broken, so I had no Late Join option. Really annoying. I hung around for a bit and then joined a Vikings of Valhalla ride, 5 laps of London loop for 100km... Which did mean 5 ascents of Box hill. I was running out of time at around the 2 hour mark so called it after the 3rd climb. Decent training and brutal enough that I'm happy I didn't stick around to finish!

https://www.strava.com/activities/2983404433

Ride at generally 2.2-2.7 around the group, then climbs at 3.0-3.4. As that climb was Box hill, it hurt! Helped out a bit sweeping, good leader but he would willy-nilly change the fence distance which got very annoying when he did it just at the base of climbs from the back of the group. You'd be well within the fence to it suddenly behind you, you'd ease to make it back but then as he'd started climbing you'd have to almost stop as fence would drop faster than you. Then he would extend it again when he was really on the climb so you'd be stationary and the fence up in front again. Just ruined any momentum/early pacing/early ramps into the climb. There where a couple of good sweepers but the main one would drop like a stone to gather riders and then come back like an express train with his follower who was also incredibly strong... He wouldn't pre-empt a sweep like I'm generally used to doing so gaps opened fast to dropped riders, most of them over 10-15s before sweep started. He would close so fast it became 4.5w/kg+ intervals just to help him. Like sprints, rather than the usual ramps/surges. Just too hard and not good use of energy. Me and a couple of other sweepers (who sweep in 3R) would just hang a few seconds from the back of group waiting for him rather than going all the way back back as it just hurt too much...! The times he called us back to help some of the gaps where close to 30s!

Interesting- it’s my first year but I was hoping for a decent unlock for doing it. Tour of Watopia 19 was great for me with the 1000XP bonuses on Stage 4 that I farmed mercilessly

You don't really get unlocks in Zwift for events, unless you mean a jersey? They tend to come from the associated challenge anyway, not the event.

I still have no clue who the 'Vegan Cyclist is... Looks like some guy from CyclingHub who's got hooks into Zwift so now has his own ride. Quite well attended, but then again those 'events' with prizes and giveaways generally are!

Tour of Sufferlandria starts February 15

https://thesufferfest.com/blogs/the...-of-sufferlandria-is-happening-15-23-february

Sweet. Any free trials? I missed it the last couple of years but previously I'd started a free trial and done quite a bit of it as a taster/test of their app when it was new. Would do the same again if I can sort a trial code out!

 

[Shadowness]

How do pee stops work when doing the longer sportive rides on Zwift?

I've sometimes fancied the 160km rides, but once you lose the group (stopping in real life), that's it isn't it?

 

[GSVBagpuss]

Empty water bottle?

 

[Roady]

How do pee stops work when doing the longer sportive rides on Zwift?

I've sometimes fancied the 160km rides, but once you lose the group (stopping in real life), that's it isn't it?

Yup, the draft effect in the longer rides really means a chase of several minutes would be far too hard/long/impossible!

Go like a pro - even easier as you don't really need to balance.

Spoiler

Kidding! I generally go before I start and can easily do 3 hours without needing another. I guess I'm generally sweating it out and not overhydrating so less in my bladder. Depends on the group but some of the longer ones will have a dedicated stop in them. I know the 200km 3R rides do at half way, but don't think the 160km generally do. The 100km don't. Some of the longer 3R rides are on short courses for various reasons, one of them is that riders can drop off the group for food/toilet/recovery and then be picked up again by the group next 'lap'.

Some group rides with various CAT's (like the Vikings I did) you can drop from 1 group into the next, obviously then riding at a lower average etc, as it's meant for riders 'dropped' from the front rather than those who stop for a break...

 

[Berger]

That new Zwift crit circuit is a good workout!

My legs didn’t feel terrible after Sunday but knew that would change. Thought I’d ride C and hopefully have an easier time.... no chance.

Went easy at the start but had to put in some digs on each lap, especially lap 3 gaps started to really open and I was about to blow. When I couldn’t hold the wheel I let the front group go, two easy laps and got picked up by the chasers.

It was then still going hard but a few laps when positioned well went easier. It’s difficult when you end up lapping groups as everyone mixes and the drafting can go funny.

For the first ten minutes my vastus medialis (had to google it! Muscle top of my leg just behind my knee) was sore, must push harder through my knees on the trainer. Towards the end I was spinning a higher cadence while I fatigued and my calf’s started to feel it.

I ended up 7th and DQ for being over w/kg (some others listed in the results despite being over) but if I had ridden B I’d have been shelled out straight away as I didn’t have enough freshness.

It’s quite a good crit course, I can see what they have done with it, reminds me of one I’ve ridden before with the short steep climb.

 

[xdcx]

Done that new crit course for first time last night. Absolutely awful for a wee boy like me.
295w for 40mins (62KG) was just enough to hang with the front group and finish with it. So much strong guys on these big live stream races now but when I compare the data to when I was doing community league that last night was actually tame!

 

[Roady]

I ended up 7th and DQ for being over w/kg (some others listed in the results despite being over) but if I had ridden B I’d have been shelled out straight away as I didn’t have enough freshness.

It’s quite a good crit course, I can see what they have done with it, reminds me of one I’ve ridden before with the short steep climb.

6th but DQ. 3.33w/kg average in C so not a huge surprise?

If you're blatantly sandbagging then most admins will straight DQ regardless. Some admins really look into results so riders finishing over category within the same group as others within category generally get left alone. Others have a line in the sand/go on a power spree and everyone over CAT gets DQ'd. I think through ZP or general Admin guidance Riders are generally allowed '3 strikes' when riding out of category, so providing you're not that far over you'll still appear in results. Consistently over you'll get a DQ, an admin looking at your recent results would say you should be riding in B (you're winning C CAT / getting DQ'd) quite a bit recently. Even if an Admin goes as far as checking your ZP (WKG) category it says B which looks at the power data/results from the last X days.

You'd have been middle of the pack in the B race, in around 40th place. Maybe even as high as 30th place as looks like a group of ~10 together (with a friend of mine coming front). Loads of riders DQ (37) in that race for various reasons, including you. Which may also hint towards an aggressive admin (look at the top of results on ZP - 180 (unfiltered), 143 (filtered)).

Done that new crit course for first time last night. Absolutely awful for a wee boy like me.
295w for 40mins (62KG) was just enough to hang with the front group and finish with it. So much strong guys on these big live stream races now but when I compare the data to when I was doing community league that last night was actually tame!

Ultimate Racing League, talk about throwing yourself in the deep end on a new course! Especially a crit, is always going to favour the more powerful riders...

53 riders within a couple of seconds of each other in the front of that, oooosh, makes your 43rd place not so bad... Especially when racers like Matt Looker from 3R struggle for a top 10 even with a 450W avg last lap (inc sprint). Brutal!

I really must try it... It may suit me, I tend to fare best riding efforts & recovering rather than constant high power.

 

[Berger]

There isn’t a whole lot of recovery time! Laps are 2:30 or so.

You go over the hill which is 20-30 seconds over threshold, then have to keep the power on for another 10 seconds or so depending on where you are in the pack. Then you hit some downhill rollers where you need to pay attention as it can split here.

Get round a U turn and there’s a brief rest going over the start and finish line and slightly after that but then it’s straight back into it.

 

[xdcx]

That's the tough thing about these bigger races full of hitters.
You have to sit at around 4.2-4.8 constant and be able to surge 6+ when required and then do 8+ up short inclines. You then need to do 14+ for 15 seconds off the back of sitting at 7 for a minute before the sprint. NOPE!
There is absolutely none of that sitting at 2.5-3 nonsense you see in most other A races.

I can hang with it even in my current super unfit state and just getting back to training. I just don't have that sharpness. The guy from my team who finished 15th in it was leading me out and I was beating him without killing myself in October. So just shows how you lose that top end sharpness quickly and how someone who stayed training during my down time can retain it.

 

[Berger]

Depends if they get burnt out in March/April when you’re just coming good!

I took it easy tonight and just did a short one. Got passed by Mrs OMS I think going up Box Hill.

 

[SPG]

Chuffin hell....

Just bought a smart trainer, Elite suito and its bloody brutal compared to road riding.

On the free trial for zwift atm but dear god it shows up how lazy i am.