The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

[AndyCr15]

As you say, I think it would be a hugely different task to add the real world scenery, so instead of maybe 30 cartoony, we'd maybe have 3 or 4 real looking ones, maybe even less. Surely as they are they don't really need to do anything, the climb info, road plan is probably already available. Designing a whole new segment of a map would be a very different task. I'm happy with it as it is and a larger selection. You can use Rouvy if you want the real climbs I guess.

 

[robj20]

So pleased today all this training is paying off.

Gone from 223W FTP to 249W.
Even got the KOM on a climb while I was doing the test. Wondered what the Red and white thing was next to my name.

 

[fez]

So pleased today all this training is paying off.

Gone from 223W FTP to 249W.
Even got the KOM on a climb while I was doing the test. Wondered what the Red and white thing was next to my name.

Its rewarding seeing that FTP go up isn't it. How did you do the test? 20 min test and 0.95 of avg power?

 

[robj20]

Its rewarding seeing that FTP go up isn't it. How did you do the test? 20 min test and 0.95 of avg power?

Just a ramp Test 20w jumps. VO2MAX is going up steadily as well at 46 now, 6 months ago it was 40.

 

[Roady]

Sign me up: where do I get one?

I've got one kinda spare in my garage (used maybe 2-3 times a year) if you really don't want to spend £20 on ebay like I did to get one...!

Main one in the house got used a lot from GCN+ as was far more reliable than my Samsung tellys cast. Discovery+ thankfully has a NowTV app so use that instead. Tend to use the Chromecast when browsing YouTube stuffs on my handset as it's quicker than the Sammy/NowTV remotes on the apps. Just browse and add stuff to queue on mobile, then skip/play/pause/etc on TV remote.

I've got one too but I don't use it much. There are faster bikes depending on route and wheel set up plus you can't see when you are in a draft with it. Regardless though, it doesn't climb well.

I use my Tron a bunch. Disco wheels give you +5%

But for racing yeah it's very much the 'allrounder' choice. Although I tend to go for Venge + 454/Dicut none disc/7.8

So pleased today all this training is paying off.

Gone from 223W FTP to 249W.
Even got the KOM on a climb while I was doing the test. Wondered what the Red and white thing was next to my name.

That's a good bump up mate! Chapeau! Into my ballpark now, 250-280 for the last few years

Red/White is the Polka for a climb segment - so top of the leaderboard (KOM) for those riders logged in. I don't see them very often!

Got a Swiss teammate who did 6 climb portals today, Polka on every single one. But his watts nothing spectacular so just riding a good tempo block before his holiday and not many others logged in!

 

[robj20]

I've got one kinda spare in my garage (used maybe 2-3 times a year) if you really don't want to spend £20 on ebay like I did to get one...!

Main one in the house got used a lot from GCN+ as was far more reliable than my Samsung tellys cast. Discovery+ thankfully has a NowTV app so use that instead. Tend to use the Chromecast when browsing YouTube stuffs on my handset as it's quicker than the Sammy/NowTV remotes on the apps. Just browse and add stuff to queue on mobile, then skip/play/pause/etc on TV remote.


I use my Tron a bunch. Disco wheels give you +5%

But for racing yeah it's very much the 'allrounder' choice. Although I tend to go for Venge + 454/Dicut none disc/7.8


That's a good bump up mate! Chapeau! Into my ballpark now, 250-280 for the last few years

Red/White is the Polka for a climb segment - so top of the leaderboard (KOM) for those riders logged in. I don't see them very often!

Got a Swiss teammate who did 6 climb portals today, Polka on every single one. But his watts nothing spectacular so just riding a good tempo block before his holiday and not many others logged in!

I think I got lucky in that no one was on with a silly gay time and my ramp Test synced to the climb perfectly.

But yes, properly pleased with myself.
I'm more interested in VO2MAX for now, tonnes of Zone 2 recently not chasing high power or anything more endurance. Determined to get into the Garmin "Excellent" zone at 48.3+

 

[fez]

I think I got lucky in that no one was on with a silly gay time and my ramp Test synced to the climb perfectly.

But yes, properly pleased with myself.
I'm more interested in VO2MAX for now, tonnes of Zone 2 recently not chasing high power or anything more endurance. Determined to get into the Garmin "Excellent" zone at 48.3+

Need to stick a 11-42 on my bike to be able to do proper Z2 around here, its far too hilly. Pushing 280w up many of the hills as a minimum. I tend to do 1-2 Z2 rides indoors a week at the moment but thats largely because the weather has been...*****.

Honestly, my fitness changes quite a bit once summer is here. I get faster and better I think but when I jump back on Zwift I don't feel quite as good usually. Different stimulus and requirements I guess. Zwift I am doing 95% ERG at a given power. Outdoors is all over the place obviously.

 

[robj20]

Need to stick a 11-42 on my bike to be able to do proper Z2 around here, its far too hilly. Pushing 280w up many of the hills as a minimum. I tend to do 1-2 Z2 rides indoors a week at the moment but thats largely because the weather has been...*****.

Honestly, my fitness changes quite a bit once summer is here. I get faster and better I think but when I jump back on Zwift I don't feel quite as good usually. Different stimulus and requirements I guess. Zwift I am doing 95% ERG at a given power. Outdoors is all over the place obviously.

That's why I have the indoor trainer impossible to do outside.

 

[platypus]

I've got one too but I don't use it much. There are faster bikes depending on route and wheel set up plus you can't see when you are in a draft with it. Regardless though, it doesn't climb well.

oh I don’t care about its performance. If the climbs harder, then I’m working harder!!

 

[Vandle]

oh I don’t care about its performance. If the climbs harder, then I’m working harder!!

You can climb just as hard on a lighter bike!
Like the great Greg Lemond said..

 

[PikeyPriest]

How are people race scores?

I’m at 598 which seems to put me at the bottom of the second category. I haven’t done a proper race for a while, but frustrating as I was finally able to keep with the front pack of B races without long climbs.

5 categories is a big change though, not sure how this will affect the highest category which always seems to have small numbers. The race category might be live from September. Interesting how this will impact the proper racing leagues rather than the ad hoc events. Hopefully it will mean that those that dominate a category will get promoted and give a better racing field.

Edit:
Groups at the moment are:
725-1000
575-725
400-575
225-400
0-225

 

[#Chri5#]

Haven't tried one of the races with the new scoring yet. I'm generally able to hang with the front group in Cat C at the moment. We (the rest of the race) did get utterly smashed by somebody who claimed to be under 13 last week. He attacked at 6km with an invisibility power up and then sat around 5.7 w/kg to the finish. As @PikeyPriest says, hopefully the new groups will see people like that moved up.

My sprint isn't very good, especially if there's been some decent efforts on hills prior to the finish. I did try a do-or-die attack at 1.5km on another race last month. Managed to get a 5 second gap but got caught by the eventual winner and then swamped by the rest of the front group with 300m left when I was completely hanging.

 

[PikeyPriest]

Haven't tried one of the races with the new scoring yet. I'm generally able to hang with the front group in Cat C at the moment. We (the rest of the race) did get utterly smashed by somebody who claimed to be under 13 last week. He attacked at 6km with an invisibility power up and then sat around 5.7 w/kg to the finish. As @PikeyPriest says, hopefully the new groups will see people like that moved up.

My sprint isn't very good, especially if there's been some decent efforts on hills prior to the finish. I did try a do-or-die attack at 1.5km on another race last month. Managed to get a 5 second gap but got caught by the eventual winner and then swamped by the rest of the front group with 300m left when I was completely hanging.

It is tough to breakaway overall. I think you need 10s if you are running at max for the last 1km (probably 3.5-4W/kg in C) to avoid being caught. The pack speeds in the final 2-300m are seriously quick and any lead melts away. My breakaway rides were all in C and I don’t even try in B. I’m currently just trying to focus on being closer to the front/reading pace better so I don’t end up chasing down early gaps/getting dropped unexpectedly.

I’ve not tried a new race category yet, I’ve not been feeling 100% so been focussing on training. The race score is in the companion app window. From what I’ve read it does track and update, but what is not finalised is how the boundaries will work, points for wins or attrition from underperforming or not racing.

 

[#Chri5#]

It is tough to breakaway overall. I think you need 10s if you are running at max for the last 1km (probably 3.5-4W/kg in C) to avoid being caught. The pack speeds in the final 2-300m are seriously quick and any lead melts away. My breakaway rides were all in C and I don’t even try in B. I’m currently just trying to focus on being closer to the front/reading pace better so I don’t end up chasing down early gaps/getting dropped unexpectedly.

I’ve not tried a new race category yet, I’ve not been feeling 100% so been focussing on training. The race score is in the companion app window. From what I’ve read it does track and update, but what is not finalised is how the boundaries will work, points for wins or attrition from underperforming or not racing.

Ah, I'd only looked on zwift.com for the racing score. The app says my score is 376.

I did end up in Cat B at one point early last year and races generally took the format of hanging on for dear life but then being shelled out the bunch at the first climb / ramp. I think one of the Richmond courses has two climbs early on and I was gone by the second. Certainly helps to keep your ego honest though!

Knowing when to cover an attack or bridge is always a dilemma as well. My reference gap is usually around 10 seconds for a lone attack. Under that and I should be be able to bridge (assuming the attacker isn't shown as holding some silly w/kg) but you run the risk of towing others with you.

 

[fez]

Its depressing that this thread is much more active than the general road cycling thread at the moment. We should all be outside in the sunshine discussing our lovely rides in the countryside.

 

[robj20]

I'm at a point in my Garmin training that it suggests far too much Zone 2 now.
1h50m today I did 1h10m yesterday.

1h30m is about my limit on the trainer, preferably 1h. But a lot of days I only have about 45 minutes, doesn't seem to be enough volume.

 

[robj20]

Its depressing that this thread is much more active than the general road cycling thread at the moment. We should all be outside in the sunshine discussing our lovely rides in the countryside.

I see it as using the best tool for the job. Don't presume we're all roadies in here either.

 

[Junglist]

I've had the nursery bug from hell the last 9 days. Had it coming out of both ends, several das of 38-39c temp and headaches that I thought my head was going to implode.

Finally starting to feel normal again but suddenly i am threatened by the idea of getting back on my bike and getting back on with my training. Walking up and down the stairs too quickly last week had my heart pounding.

Bit gutted really!

 

[Martynt74]

Sounds like you need a new bike for motivation

 

[Martynt74]

Its depressing that this thread is much more active than the general road cycling thread at the moment. We should all be outside in the sunshine discussing our lovely rides in the countryside.

If it helps i was out yesterday with the wife for a ~25mile ride and picnic?

Was lovely