The Indoor Riding/ Zwift/ TrainerRoad etc. Thread

Rode 'THE CHOP' last night. Basically a handicap race with a scratch A group. I set off in CAT C which is for B grade riders 2-3w/kg with a 3 minute head start. Trying to keep the group together (strength in numbers) I did some strong pulls and then drifted back to try and tow some off the back. I dropped to 10s thinking I could close the gap, no chance! Doing 4 w/kg was barely managing the gap. Teamed up with another rider who'd got dropped by a disconnect and we tried to hang on until the B group (A 3-4w/kg) picked us up. They did lap 5, managed to jump and hang on for most of a lap before the (small) A scratch group (4w/kg+) came past like a steam train! They must've been pushing on as I'd found myself in the B group pushing 4w/kg on the flats and 5w/kg on the slight drags uphill to just stick in the group (nowhere near the front!). Got DQ due to being over 3w/kg with the efforts I'd put in, crazy when the C group (2-3w/kg) actually dropped me! :o

Still, 246W avg for 44 mins isn't great but the threshold efforts are what I needed to try and get myself back on track and regain some form, along with learning how my Flux behaves (find myself changing down gears quite a lot otherwise I end up grinding!). Did a cooling loop and some cadence efforts up the Volcano afterwards. Really think some SST or O/U would've been a better idea...
 
UTmaniac said:
http://www.onelap.cn/topic/OnelapIntro.html?lang=en

Currently free Chinese development version of something along the lines of Zwift.

Anyone tried it?
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Tried this today - it doesn't have my Elite Chrono Fluid trainer listed, but it has "Elite fluid - red roller" which I thought would be the same. I then proceeded to get a free additional 150W or so whilst zooming past everyone with ease.

Shame, as the Zwift sub is extortionate! Will def be keeping an eye on their trainer compatibility list.
 
Did one of those handicap races tonight, is Gavin Mclosky (sp) a guy on here from Manchester? He was in my bunch but got some lag or something coming down the last hill descent, at 60-70kmh that 1 second gap was never coming back! :( I was OK for the first 20 mins but then the second 20 was a bit of a survival game.

The name was familiar but maybe that’s just from lots of zwift racing?
 
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Zoom, zoom, zoom! :D

Really need some hard sessions this weekend if I'm going to get myself back on track. Recovery from illness and a couple of other things have hindered my riding the last 2 weeks, coupled with the turbo change, I've lost more than just a bit of power! Feeling fatigued this week already at only 60 miles, with 88 last week and 67 the week before. All are well short of my 100 miles per week target! Only did 404 miles in January (4.5 weeks!) :( :o

Steve: Hate to be the bearer of bad news... But the Zwift Everest Challenge of 29,000ft isn't the Tron bike... That's a further 135,000 ft (for a total of 164,000)! :o

https://zwiftinsider.com/climb-mt-everest/
 
I can live with the Tron prize being a higher number, considering my riding year started five days late due to that stomach bug, I'm fairly content to be over 10% towards my 2018 elevation goal... I'm including virtual stats.;)

Looking forward to opening up Road To Ruins soon, I'm ~25% through Level 9, opens at Level 10... Hoping is has some nice hill challenges on its routes!
 
I've tried searching but coming up with nothing.

What's the entry costs to start using Zwift? I don't cycle at the moment and my only activity is running a few times a week but i'd like to get something to do at home. I'm debating either this or a rower. Ideally with the whole virtual reality side to it to keep things interesting.

If we assume i have nothing at the moment as it's likely to be going in a shed (with power) so no computer/tv etc
 
Do you have a bike currently? Any spare wheels? Any old tyres? A laptop? Old TV to connect to laptop? If you have any of those you'll drastically reduce your 'start up' costs.

  • If you have no laptop or TV, then getting an AppleTV is probably the cheapest way to get started, as it negates an iPad/Laptop purchase as it can run Zwift.
  • Cheapest interactive/controllable/smart trainer is the Tacx Flow Smart from Decathlon/Halfords/Cycle Republic for £190-200. Can use British Cycling membership for 10% off in store with Halfords, not sure on others? Halfords currently not showing stock online but local store might. Tacx Vortex Smart is the next one up, £300 new, £200 S/H.
  • Zwift subscription starts at £13 per month.
  • Cheapest new bikes are around £300 price range, Verenti/Wiggle brand on Wiggle, Btwin from Decathlon, Boardman/Carrera from Halfords, PlanetX.
 
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Nope, no bike. I do have a laptop which isn't used much. I wasn't sure if it'd be good enough or not to run the 3d modeling (An 6yr old Dell L702X with I5 and 4gb ram). Can buy a second hand tv cheap enough so thats not too bad.

Those trainers are less than i expected. Although i think i initially thought of getting an all in one indoor bike, getting something like that and a separate bike probably makes sense for if i actually want to ride outside too!

Ooh also realised i get 50% off at Evans Cycles too through Vitality. Maybe i could be looking around £500 then rather than £1000 upwards.

If i was to spend closer to £1k, would i be better buying a better bike or a better trainer (assuming indoor only use)
 
Berger said:
Did one of those handicap races tonight, is Gavin Mclosky (sp) a guy on here from Manchester? He was in my bunch but got some lag or something coming down the last hill descent, at 60-70kmh that 1 second gap was never coming back! :( I was OK for the first 20 mins but then the second 20 was a bit of a survival game.

The name was familiar but maybe that’s just from lots of zwift racing?
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Yeah that's me. Bloody power dropped on that descent after all the hard stuff and ended up with an 8 second gap in about 2 seconds. I was enjoying the ride up to that point but hard to motivate yourself when you end up in no man's land with no chance of chasing. :(
 
Marvt74 said:
Ooh also realised i get 50% off at Evans Cycles too through Vitality. Maybe i could be looking around £500 then rather than £1000 upwards.

If i was to spend closer to £1k, would i be better buying a better bike or a better trainer (assuming indoor only use)
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If the Evans' thing is valid on Bike & Trainer purchases you should get everything from there! I'd say the money would be better spread over the two with the majority on the bike. There's minor differences between a £200 and £400 trainer, but generally big difference between a £300 bike and a £800 one.

I ride a ~£900 bike (Giant Defy 1) on a ~£500 trainer (Tacx Flux) and it's more than suitable for me (5th winter of riding the turbo, 3rd or 4th on Zwift). Certainly not a beginner setup, but well within your budget if that Evans' voucher works!

I started originally on a 'dumb' £250 trainer and a £400 hybrid. Progressed to a £500 bike and £300 smart trainer, then £900 bike and recently £500 trainer. All of my bikes where also used outside, the current one did 2 years of work commuting & leisure riding.
 
One More Solo said:
Yeah that's me. Bloody power dropped on that descent after all the hard stuff and ended up with an 8 second gap in about 2 seconds. I was enjoying the ride up to that point but hard to motivate yourself when you end up in no man's land with no chance of chasing. :(
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Yup I saw you go out the back like someone had dropped an anchor. Only way that would happen is with a problem!

There were only the minor hills at threshold power and the short one at the base of the volcano (lost all but one C rider here) and after the sprint to get over. I got to the line but was super cooked and just rolled over last of the winning bunch (all DQ for overpower I think).

Silly as would have been blown straight out the back of the A bunch or dropped on the steep hill climb up to the jungle!
 
Got an email this morning from Zwift saying miles their count towards Strava challenges now. Hmmmm....good for honest people I guess!

Also did an FTP test yesterday, averaged 363W for 20 mins. Only 7W up from last test but I'll take it! :)
 
Shadowness said:
Also did an FTP test yesterday, averaged 363W for 20 mins. Only 7W up from last test but I'll take it! :)
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Pro contract is in the post? ;) :D

Emptied myself on the WBR 160km 3.0w/kg ride saturday morning. Good to see @One More Solo there too! :D

Stupidly did some keeping and then soon found myself in trouble. I could stick in the pack but it was such a big draft that whenever a gap opened (or I got distracted before a ramp) I found myself unable to hit and hold the 4.5w/kg+ needed to jump back quickly. Most of my chases then being 3.5-4.0w/kg sustained efforts and even those usually needing a ramp/climb and a lucky wheel or two to regain the group. I was cooked by around 45 miles and dropped back. Rolling around recovering solo I decided to push on and clock to 50, then to 62 miles so at least I'd done 100km. Playing around with cadences, efforts and sweetspot seeing how they felt on the Flux with tired legs. Hopefully some good volume to build from as I'm fairly sure that's key to what I'm missing at the moment.
 
I've been useless. Forgotten what my bike looks like pretty much. Been so busy with working, it's been crazy. That and we lost our childminder, so I need to take the kids all to 3 diff schools in the morning and collect them each night so my riding commute has been shattered. I need to realign some health time though, so will be riding indoors. It's going to be painful.

Tidied my garage a bit though, so can do riding and some weights alternate days.

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First time back is going to kill me. I'll ease myself in :D

I want to try even just 20 mins tonight, after I've done the kids dinner, bed etc. and before I have 2 meetings later and get back to work :'(
 
Just jump on and ride mate, you'll find Zwift loads busier than when you where last on there! Build yourself back up, also plenty of group training rides on there now.

Most races are still an hour, but WBR do a series of '1 lap' races which are loads shorter (depending course & speed/power)! :)
 
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