The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

Haha I’m over it now, but maybe have to try a different route next week. I want about a 35-45 minute race.

Its just not a good enough race if the pace finishes with a 3.3-3.4 average. I’d like it to be harder and close to 3.6-3.8 if possible so I get some fitness improvements.

2 minute best power in a race anyway, not too bad as my legs felt flat as a tack, sprint efforts Tuesday hurt me!
 
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Berger said:
Its just not a good enough race if the pace finishes with a 3.3-3.4 average. I’d like it to be harder and close to 3.6-3.8 if possible so I get some fitness improvements.
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I don't do many races but there have been a few where it gently pootles along until the sprint at the very end, and when there's no realistic chance of breaking away it can be frustrating.

Have you tried the pace partners? If you rode with Brevet at the front of the pack it might average around the 3.7 mark, maybe more if you chose the wrong bike. What I tend to do is go with the group and basically do intervals on the hills, and there are usually others doing the same to have some fun with.
 
Berger said:
Haha I’m over it now, but maybe have to try a different route next week. I want about a 35-45 minute race.

Its just not a good enough race if the pace finishes with a 3.3-3.4 average. I’d like it to be harder and close to 3.6-3.8 if possible so I get some fitness improvements.

2 minute best power in a race anyway, not too bad as my legs felt flat as a tack, sprint efforts Tuesday hurt me!
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Critty critty bang bang on Tuesday 6.20pm will get your numbers up. I was 4wkg for 45 mins. All cats off at once for 24 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6722657985
 
Fans. I really need one! What are you guys using? It seems it's between the Vacmaster or Wahoo Headwind. I do like that the Wahoo can be tied to heart rate monitor and the silly part of me likes that all my current stuff is Wahoo so why not go the full way.. But for £50 cheaper the Vacmaster looks like it does everything as Headwind does apart from heart monitoring.

Limited on space so these two are looking tempting as they're not as big as a pedestal fan would be and I can just pop it in the cupboard along with the Kickr
 
I got the Headwind and I think it's fantastic. I guess the only problem is, I tend to set it to change with my speed and actually, when you're slogging up a climb, it drops down and you over heat! :cry: More and more I just set it to level 2 and crack on.
 
Yesterdays Zwift email was an odd one. Claiming they are fighting for equality by excluding men from a series of events over March. How does that work then? :confused:

This March, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with the Women’s Ride and Run Series—a collection of women-only in-game events designed to embrace Zwift’s female community.

As we continue to fight for equality in sport, we invite our male allies to learn and share!
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My warranty replacement bike should be at my house in approx 3 hours. This is directly through Garmin, I first contacted them on 3rd Feb so bang on a month. Online bike shop I bought it from were very slow although Garmin weren't that much better. Got a text from the bloke bringing it last night saying he has my replacement part and would I be home to do the exchange. I told him it should be a full bike, not a part. He said he didn't know until he picked it up from the warehouse. Hopefully its not just a new crank as I have absolutely shredded the splines on it. There's a little pile of iron filings on the mat below it. :D
 
Vandle said:
Yesterdays Zwift email was an odd one. Claiming they are fighting for equality by excluding men from a series of events over March. How does that work then? :confused:
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I mean, its womens history month so having some distinct events for women isn't an issue IMO.

Unfortunately the issue of equality is sports isn't an easy one because mens and womens sport isn't even close to be equal in 90% of sports. Professional sports is a money game. Its honestly more unequal when they pay mens and womens sports the same amount usually. Thats a discussion for another day.

Glad you are getting your replacement bike delivered however :p
 
Yeah, I see both sides of that argument. I agree though, trying to encourage women to join in is fine.

At the same time, given it's just an avatar on screen and everyone is generally judged simply by W/kg, then I find it odd a woman wouldn't join an event 'because there are lots of men in it'? You don't meet with them. You don't interact with them. It's not about 'they're faster' because everyone is similar level....
 
AndyCr15 said:
Yeah, I see both sides of that argument. I agree though, trying to encourage women to join in is fine.

At the same time, given it's just an avatar on screen and everyone is generally judged simply by W/kg, then I find it odd a woman wouldn't join an event 'because there are lots of men in it'? You don't meet with them. You don't interact with them. It's not about 'they're faster' because everyone is similar level....
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Lets be honest, with the amount of cheating that apparently goes on with Zwift you will probably find that 3 women took part in the events and the other 30,000 were men who just changed their gender to be able to compete. :p
 
Nothing wrong with encouraging more women to join, I’m all for that I just wonder how well segregation and exclusion works when trying to increase equality?

Anyway, guy brought the new bike on Friday afternoon, unpacked it and put it together then dismantled the old one and put it in the box the new one came in and took it away. Although it took a while I’m pleased with service. Road with a mate this morning and I twice had to stop to unplug the screen and plug it back in as it stopped changing gear. Great :rolleyes:


fez said:
Lets be honest, with the amount of cheating that apparently goes on with Zwift you will probably find that 3 women took part in the events and the other 30,000 were men who just changed their gender to be able to compete. :p
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A lad went past us this morning on watopia epic kom at a steady 27.8 w/kg. Never fluctuated, he was flying. Presume it was an electric bike or something.
 
Vandle said:
A lad went past us this morning on watopia epic kom at a steady 27.8 w/kg. Never fluctuated, he was flying. Presume it was an electric bike or something.
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:p That would have to be a motorbike to put out those numbers! Motors on e-bikes don't put out any more wattage than a human is capable of, they can just do it for a few hours and you can be a fat sack of **** and still burn off anyone but the absolute fittest cyclists.

I do wonder when e-road bikes will gain in popularity if ever. Its a bit of a weird juxtaposition. Road cyclists want to get fitter so a motor is very much going to scupper that. The downtubes on modern aero bikes can 100% fit a chunky battery without it being noticeable as well. They don't need as powerful a motor as MTBs either.

I do quite a lot of MTB and e-bikes are everywhere now. I reckon 30-40% of the people I see on the trail are on them.
 
Won a no pinz sub zero suit last night at our club awards night in the raffle. Can't wait to give it a go. Usually just a bib shorts man but sweat profusely even though I'm often cold, so hope it can help!
 
AndyCr15 said:
Not for everyone. If I'd had one when I started, I would have still lost weight. It would have enabled me to ride further and longer...
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Thats what everyone says... and then they ride a normal bike again after using an e-bike and they realise that they have been putting in very little work and are horribly unfit. I have spoken to a number of people that have done this and none of them were as fit as they thought when they have to go without a motor. Its hard to push yourself when you don't have to and with an ebike you don't have to.
 
fez said:
Thats what everyone says... and then they ride a normal bike again after using an e-bike and they realise that they have been putting in very little work and are horribly unfit. I have spoken to a number of people that have done this and none of them were as fit as they thought when they have to go without a motor. Its hard to push yourself when you don't have to and with an ebike you don't have to.
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I disagree. Take this ride, for example. It's on my eBikebut I still put out 197W and had an average heart rate of 129 bpm or this one where I put out 216W and averaged 124 bpm. I guess it's a bit like the thing were cycling doesn't get easier as you get fitter, you just get faster.

As said, if I'd had it when I started and I could barely ride 10 miles, I would probably have been able to last a bit longer, as the times I dipped into the red (very easily when that unfit) would have been 'softened' and I could have lasted longer and probably burnt more calories overall...
 
SoliD said:
Won a no pinz sub zero suit last night at our club awards night in the raffle. Can't wait to give it a go. Usually just a bib shorts man but sweat profusely even though I'm often cold, so hope it can help!
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That reminds me. I've got a Pro One road skinsuit in the cupboard. Not sure I'll fit it now.. but I should probably try and use it properly this year!

Which eBike is that @AndyCr15 ?
 
I've never ridden an Ebike so cant comment but how do you hit and sustain 27.8 w/kg on Zwift??

Treks new Ebike looks great
 
Lethal` said:
Which eBike is that @AndyCr15 ?
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A Orbea Gain F20. It's actually a great bike as it doesn't even really look like an eBike. Rides well, comfy, clean gear changes, good breaks... but just not of much use to me (I basically won it) but apparently can't sell the bleeder either! Will have a better go at selling once the weather picks up.

I find it kind of balances effort out. Up hills is easier, flats is harder and downhill is about the same, so if you're not a great cyclist and you just need a more consistent challenge, rather than REALLY hard for 5 mins, then easy for 10 mins, then hard again... this balances the effort out for you.
 
AndyCr15 said:
I disagree. Take this ride, for example. It's on my eBikebut I still put out 197W and had an average heart rate of 129 bpm or this one where I put out 216W and averaged 124 bpm. I guess it's a bit like the thing were cycling doesn't get easier as you get fitter, you just get faster.

As said, if I'd had it when I started and I could barely ride 10 miles, I would probably have been able to last a bit longer, as the times I dipped into the red (very easily when that unfit) would have been 'softened' and I could have lasted longer and probably burnt more calories overall...
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The photos on the first ride look lovely and its making me sad for the current weather. How were you tracking your power output on the ebike btw?

My comments were more aimed at e-MTB by the way. Most people I know who have an e-bike thats not for MTB just have it because they want to get around and don't want to have to either try or be sweaty when they get to work which is fair enough. I will probably get an e-MTB as my next bike in 4-5 years but I'm hoping that they battery and motor tech has gotten a bit better and lighter by then. There are so really nice ones like the Orbea rise that interest me but I already have a stupidly expensive MTB so I can't justify dropping £5k+ on another bike.
 
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