Mostly just community based. Friendly jerseys to work, hang and ride with in races. Buddies for group rides etc etc

Zwiftpower collates team info but since Tour de Zwift, the main organisers have shied away from too many series.

Some events like the team worlds and various other Team TT’s are open only to teams.

And how do people become team members etc?

Usually just by asking to join the relevant FB group. Bolt Racing Team are one of the best organised for working together in races but KISS Racing Team and of course Nathan Guerra’s ‘Vision Cycling’ have some of the top names.

Some are actually just people’s real life cycling clubs.

I have been a signed up member to BRT for a few months. Being in a team adds an extra element to the races. A lot of us (try to) chat on Discord during a race. If you end up in a group with a team mate or two it adds to the strategy as the race unfolds. There is also a lot of vocal encouragement as people finish. The only problem is it is often hard to get in a group with team mates at the start of the race. The teams Facebook page also has a bit of chat about the races.

My dongle arrived over the weekend and tonight was the first time with the automatic resistance. Rode the SZR group ride/race thing. Very strange sensation. I wouldn’t call the transitions seamless, occasionally it was like riding into I giant puddle of treacle, but definitely added another level. I really need to index my gears now 🙄

Jason, are you my nemesis from the TFC series 😀 ??

(My initials are A.S. )

That went better than I thought. C class on Watopia hilly, so was expecting to be last. Think I beat a fair few. Ended up jumping on an SZR sub 3 train a few times to close. Ended up catching and passing a guy who was it seemed closely matched for 3/4 of the race. Then saw a random German 10s ahead, down from 15s, he was putting out 2.5 so I went 2.7, caught him just after village sprint and as we were coming to the climb I went 320w, 3.3, I pulled 11s on the climb and it was all over. Grabbed a few more wheels on the roller coaster bit and a good wheel in last 1000m, I was 350w and slipstreaming nicely. Beat the German by 25s in the end.

Tough, but very rewarding tonight.

Jason, are you my nemesis from the TFC series ??

LOL I think so. I will be missing the last race due to my bike club’s xmas do on Friday night.

Planning to do the KISS race on Pretzel tomorrow night.

A classic Esses attack 🙂 Well splayed sir.

Only about 9 places behind you Weeksy, quite pleased for my 1st C race! Didn’t manage to draft very well today, found a few random wheels but was on my own in terms of other competitors for most of it 🙁 Good race though!!

I think I’m getting time penalties for power ups as I used 2, I saw a couple of others using so thought they were legal.

Oops

@Jason- well thanks very much for all your motivating battles! I pushed myself so hard during that series!
I’m a B now after my Crit on Saturday so all those points in C were for nothing anyway 😀

My only issue seems to be numb nuts

I’ve not had many issues on the road but it my arse and or nuts always hurt when on the turbo. I think it’s because you are totally static on a turbo, no moving around, no weight shifts.

weeksy
That went better than I thought. C class on Watopia hilly, so was expecting to be last. Think I beat a fair few. Ended up jumping on an SZR sub 3 train a few times to close. Ended up catching and passing a guy who was it seemed closely matched for 3/4 of the race. Then saw a random German 10s ahead, down from 15s, he was putting out 2.5 so I went 2.7, caught him just after village sprint and as we were coming to the climb I went 320w, 3.3, I pulled 11s on the climb and it was all over. Grabbed a few more wheels on the roller coaster bit and a good wheel in last 1000m, I was 350w and slipstreaming nicely. Beat the German by 25s in the end.

Tough, but very rewarding tonight.

Sounds like a really good race, good ride!

crosshair –
@Jason- well thanks very much for all your motivating battles! I pushed myself so hard during that series!
I’m a B now after my Crit on Saturday so all those points in C were for nothing anyway

Congrats on moving up to B!

So tonight at precisely 6:50pm I pulled the garage door off. Finished repairing it at around 7:45 missing BOTH races. It’s like this house is against me cycling competitively indoors! 😆

I think I’m going to try the BRS Time Trial at 7:05pm tomorrow, with the 8pm KISS Europe race as my backup plan. What can possibly go wrong!?

Lol! Looking back at old posts I made on another forum, Zwift racing can be frustrating in the set-up stakes 🙂
I’ve got my routine as slick as can be now- I haven’t messed up a race for ages!

I even managed to race ZTR and KISS on the same evening the other week 8)

It certainly helps racing the same people week after week. I think if I could have kept up with you off the start it would have helped.

On the verge of moving up myself, keep ending up at just under 3.2W/Kg, I might have to dig a bit deeper than normal in tomorrow’s race.

Are you guys doing the KISS race tomorrow evening?

I was so mad as it’s always something trivial that ends up costing me time. I.e. Plugging a socket in randomly turning the router off or evening opening the ruddy garage door a little too fast!!

Yes KISS race for me. I haven’t done the mountain route for ages, I am sure it will be great fun…

No- first proper race in B so will wait for something flatter 😀

I’m doing the ZSun Chaingang ride at 19:15 (36 miles at around 3.2w/kg if I can hang on!)

Fair enough, think I’ll stick to trying to get on in time for the time trial – quite fancy just sticking my head down and powering.

What W/KG are you up to now @crosshair? (I know it’s only relevant in Zwift land) Be interesting to hear what you started at versus now and the time.

Pretty gutted I didn’t know about Zwift back when I was at my heaviest and was doing a 7 mile cycle per week to try and lose weight, these sorts of numbers would have been intriguing!

I was a 97kg, 220w FTP D rider this time last year.
I’m a 90kg 303w B Cat now.

So 2.2 to 3.4 basically.

Wow. What an improvement.

(Let’s hope I’m an 83kg, 400w Cat A by this time next year 😀 )

(Let’s hope I’m an 83kg, 400w Cat A by this time next year

It wouldn’t shock me massively mate… You’re a determined fella when you set your mind to things

Nice work crosshair!

Not sure how far you are from it, but Strava Central (Richmond Park) has been a fantastic fitness tool for me. One headphone in, head down and you can churn out laps attacking the hills in relative safety. There’s also shed loads of other cyclists to be secretly competitive with 😆

It’s a little far 😉 I live near Newbury 😀

I enjoyed blitzing across it on Ride London though 🙂

Might have a go at the BRS TT tonight, as a shorter option since I raced yesterday! (or possibly the 5km race as a super-short option!)

I’ll see what happens later, i’m feeling pretty good considering how hard i tried last night. Got no other plans and i’m out for Xmas night out tomorrow, so would be nice to get some calories burnt today for that. Added to the fact i’m not on a fasting day today which is a good thing.

KISS Europe is looking about the most likely possible for me at 8pm. However that’s Pretzel route !

I want to ride tonight as I won’t get another chance till the weekend. Not done a pretzel race yet and I’m not gonna make tonight my first! Looks very tough!!

RE: the KISS race. It says any bikes allowed, does that mean TT bikes too?

The full pretzel is 44.9 miles (http://zwiftblog.com/the-pretzel/ ) the race is 31km according to the events list. Do you know which is correct?

Still aiming for the 7:05 BRS Time Trial, but the KISS is looking most likely, I just don’t fancy 45 miles of it. It does play into my strength* though.. hills! I just wish my Vortex was a sturdier, I nearly tipped over last time I stomped up one. 😆

*I think

The full pretzel is 44.9 miles (http://zwiftblog.com/the-pretzel/ ) the race is 31km according to the events list. Do you know which is correct?

If you google “KISS Europe pretzel” there are videos of people doing a 31km route so I’d guess this is the same and it’s just a subset of the full pretzel.

Much less daunting in that case!

Ah, found the route: https://www.strava.com/activities/750859591

Yes it’s half the Pretzel Loop and ends at the start/finish line.
TT bikes are allowed AND you can stop and change any time you like. The TT is loads faster downhill. People used to do it ‘on the fly’ but Zwift recoded it so it couldn’t be done.

But there’s no drafting with the TT bike is there? Think I’ll stick to the standard one.

I’m going for the KISS one tonight, see you there! (Hopefully 😆 )

Bleurgh….!

Well, I did a ride on Sunday and felt quite strong for the first time in ages. Not quick or fit by any stretch of the imagination but I had that desire to keep pushing harder & harder for the whole time I was riding….

My Wife is out tonight, so planned on getting the baby to sleep & taking the monitor into the garage for a 1.5-2hr session to build on Sunday’s enthusiasm…..

But, have picked up yet another sore throat/cold general crap feeling bug. Seems to be one after the other at the moment. I dragged myself into work, but am currently sat here alternating between too hot & shivering cold….

Gonna buy some multi-vitamins on the way home & sit on the sofa watching telly instead this evening…..Bah…

I did my 1 hour 5 mins after work, so I’m afraid I’m done for today guys.

I’m on the KISS start line.

Good luck! Just done the TT (my first one). Not nearly as enjoyable as a normal race but a good indicator of fitness I’m sure!