What dongle are you using? I tried lots of different positions with extensions and a mini/small USB dongle and just couldn't get it stable enough, was feeling flush and annoyed so bought the external Tacx one and it has been consistent and solid.
I'd say there are probably good, cheaper options, but after a cheapy non-brand USB dongle, Something Sony or Samsung or similar branded and a Suunto movistik (from
@SoliD - it was the best of the bunch), I'd spent/wasted the same amount on 'wasted' attempts.
Race Reports.
On tuesday came my first race in 2.5 years in B CAT, in the popular 'Turbocharged' Race series. I'm going well at the moment, but I knew the highly contested and extremely busy B CAT was going to really be a 'trial by fire'. I'd been riding in C cat without many teammates around, but I knew coming to B there would be a bunch, it felt great to be back in the thick with some of the guys I'd not raced with for 2+ years and some of the familar faces from many of the group rides I've one in that time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3829718583
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=974540
What followed was frantic on a very tough course, with much of the pre-race Discord chat about bike swaps for the Jungle part with most of the guys fairly split. I'd decided not to as it takes a little bit of skill to make it slick and it's not something I've done much before (nor having ridden the MTB much). The rush out the gate was fairly typical, I hadn't expected to hold the front group but I did, although it was a massive group. Things had eased quite a bit as we came towards the bridge and
the little ramp there I actually fired off the front with a couple of other riders stretching my legs as things where that easy before the main climb of the day.
The Epic KOM. It's brutally long and has a mixture of gradients. I quite like it, but I'm also sure I've not raced it many times. I hit it quite hard towards the front as some of the team talk was about making it hard for some of the teams who hadn't got a big representation of riders (we had). I was not kidding myself I was staying with the front group for this so the first part up mount Zwift towards the bridge
I upped the pace and started to string the front out. But by the time things had levelled to the bridge I was easing and swamped by the group. Over the bridge I was dropped from the group and with lots of scattered riders around started looking for a few forming up. What followed was quite a slog,
I rode it hard but quite paced with around 4-6 other riders at various points us all leap-frogging at different points. I eased a couple of times for 3R riders getting dropped to see if they wanted a wheel but was waved on/told to push on.
My time up the KOM actually 2 seconds within my PR, even thought I rode it not absolutely maxed.
Over the top into the couple of ramps I chased on a couple of wheels and made a few places,
but over the top I let 3 riders go as they where pressing on a little too hard for my liking. Over the top I aero-tucked, it's a long descent and without many wheels around it was a good way to get some recovery. Weirdly not many other riders where, so I made up probably 8-10 places.
The couple of ramps I surged over and passed a few more, making up over 15 places by the turn to the Jungle.
I made a couple of efforts on the ramp towards it to latch onto a team of 3 TugaZ riders who where riding well and pressing on. The descent into the Jungle I just sat on their wheels, they seemed to be a mixture of abilities with one guy keeping surging whenever I was on the back, then having to ease as he'd left his mates. Towards the bottom of the descent and the flats towards the jungle climb we started to come across those riders stopping for bike swaps. I messaged 2 teammates I passed asking if they needed a wheel. One replied and said he was ok, I still dropped back from the group for him and he came past like an express train w
hen we hit the climb. I got a nice part-tow back up to the group with him, they even jumped to try and get on his wheel (as I eased to continue riding with them) and one of them kept with him for a while... But the group was then toast and scattered. Towards the top I'd dropped the other 2, chasing the guy up front but he seemed to ease for them,
2 other MTB's came past so I put a dig in to hold their wheels over the top, it worked well, but when they stopped to bike swap I was on my own again.
I eased and just tempo'd the descent towards Watopia and the finishing circuit, not many riders around but I just knew as I was still around 30/40th there would be a chase group somewhere which would catch me. I rested well.
When the group caught me they where going pretty quick with a couple of strong riders pulling but the majority sitting in. Maybe 15 riders, including several from earlier. Pace was too easy, I put efforts into any ramps to keep the speed up and try to thin things out a bit. Nobody else seemed interested. The guys up front had finished at this point and several on Discord where watching me... Including Moaty who was then also streaming my finish... No pressure then!
Couple of closing efforts/wheels as things got closer to the finish. I was prepared to go long but with such a big group I had tried to scout out who I thought where sprinters. I was half waiting for someone else to go, or a teammate to lead out one of the sprinters. Nothing seemed to be happening as we dropped down towards the banner the speed was high enough to string things out without much input, still nothing, but when one of the guys I thought was a sprinter moved up he did ramp a little. I reacted fast and half-jumped, but he didn't ramp much more. I was sure I'd rested enough to go hard but I wasn't sure how much the climbs had taken out of me to go long (my usual tactic in a big group with sprinters).
We where well into the finish at this point so I just went, Big ramp and a good kick, 8w/kg felt ok so when I saw orange numbers behind me I kicked a little more and think I saw 10w/kg. Not many others seemed to be sprinting but one guy was coming up fast - I'd lead him out... Lots of shouting on Discord and the thought I was on a stream I continued the effort, only dying a little before the line, but enough to get rolled by him. Dammit! Still 34th place in my first real competitive CAT B ride in several years, so pleased with that!
I think I rode it pretty clever, part of me regrets losing the group so early on the KOM but like to think I'd helped make the selection for 3R to get a great result up front (1st place and 6 riders in the top20). I was tactically good, resting well and saving my efforts for the finish knowing a group would form and be far faster. Efforts on the descent from the Jungle and finish might have kept me away, but would maybe have only netted me 2 places, equally if they caught me I wouldn't have had that finish.
Snip from Moatys stream of my finish, 33s long:
https://clips.twitch.tv/ResourcefulDarkAlpacaWow
The other sprinters did come up fast so quite glad I went when I did. Going later with them I wouldn't have matched/beaten their numbers, earlier and I'd maybe have got away but ended up leading them out more than I did and wouldn't have had my kick. Considering they where B sprints I'm more than happy that only 1 out of 5 or 6 actually (just) caught me.
or any gpu for that matter.
