Forum menu
Going to be tough for me tonight. Will be over the moon if I manage to finish with DrP and J-R in sight, no hope in making up the 1:15 and 30 seconds respectively. Just hoping I am in a decent group going over the bridge after first short climb.
Anybody actually gonna try bike swapping?!
Nah, because that'd mean stopping on rollers and I tend to fall off when I do that.
If Zwift linked different equipment to different power meters then I could just change physical bikes.
So am I right in thinking the first climb is on tarmac about 5km in and is pretty short . Then the second is part of the jungle loop and lasts 3/4 km but is very shallow?
The First steep leg snapper after the bridge isn’t long but steep enough to cause some splits, then one long climb in the jungle never steep enough to change down to the small chain ring but a grinder, big effort over the wooden swing bridge, a bit of down and then a medium length and medium effort grind before an undulating finish.
Personally I now need to aim for an even higher group to finish with, whereas aiming to finish amongst the likes of zilog and Andy berghin would seem me well placed I’ll now be way down the final Standings.
Should again be a interesting race with more but smaller groups forming after each of the break points.
Motivation
You're welcome to join me again if you find me kirky,and on the upside as I've now figured out you're not just sucking and waiting for the sprint I'll not try encouraging you to the front and keep the effort up!
I have no idea how I am going to go tonight. I haven't really performed at any of the races so far. Definitely not at the level that I should be and nowhere near what I can achieve on the Thursday TTTs. I wonder if the stress of actually getting it off the line saps something from me after the debacle of the first week.
I would hope that I can put in a decent turn on the first climb and see where it goes from there. That means staying relative to those around me with similar handicaps.
The second climb suits my strengths as it requires a constant high power output which I can deliver on. I cant put music on tonight which always makes it harder for me - the wife is out so I need to keep an ear out for my son who will be in bed.
RATM - Killing in the Name is great for climbs when you get to the end!
I've not even looked at the handicaps. I'm going more Froome than Nibali today.
I've got a power and a HR goal/target, i won't be passing
I'll try to find tou dangerbrain, although that's the easy part staying with you up the hills js a different matter.
really think ill need to be over 300w until the slight deacebt towards the jungle maybe even later. if I don't get a rest then I cant see me maintaining 260/300w up the next long climb out of the jungle.
I’ll try to find tou dangerbrain, although that’s the easy part staying with you up the hills js a different matter.
It'll be a good effort to the bottom of the first climb I think then assess for me. Ideally I'd like to be clear of you lot with a few like minded souls but if I don't think I'll get clear enough in a decent group by the top of the first hill I think I'll be sitting up to join the main bunch and taking it easy in honesty then hoping I can put in a big turn come the last climb and the final drag to claw some time back. I reckon if I can sit in an "easy" group for the first 20k or so until the second climb, I can kick clear and then bury myself over the last 10k. If I've got my big boy legs on I should be able manage 350+ over the last 10k which with luck will see me distancing any (hopefully small by that point) group and crossing the line before I pass out and choke on my own vomit.
350+ eeeeek ! That's big boy numbers
Jeesh...at present I'm just going to aim to finish!
having to use my inhaler, and legs feel like jelly just walking up stairs at work!
Will have a nice mug of lemsip before the race, and stick with my plan of 45min of sub 100w warm up, just to get the blood flowing...
As I'm doing it all through ant+ now, i won't have BT issues, so will live stream from the laptop again..
Click here to see my hacking up my gizzards!
DrP
It gets a bit lumpy towards the end too...
DrP
Isn’t an inhaler a form of drug cheating?😀
I never tend to ride in the PM always an early morning upto 10am latest, so I have resorted to taking barroca, a coffe before hand and then dosing with those dextrose sweets before and during the race just to stay awake.
350+ eeeeek ! That’s big boy numbers
Yeah, 10 mins at 4.5w/kg will kill me but I should manage it if I pace the first chunk well. ZP has me at 339W as my best average for just over 20min round crit city bell lap, 4.4 as my 20 minute best and 4.6 for my 5 minute best.
I've had better runs out in non races though which aren't on there so fingers crossed. It'll all be worth nowt though if I can't get clear on the hill.
After my lack of success over the last few weeks unless the splits are favourable in the first 5k I think that's about the only course of action available to be honest, I've just got to take it very steady, get over the 2nd hill at least a few m in front of DrP and hope I can leave him behind after that.
I'm just rolling round at the back sobbing quietly today. Despite doing none of the Haute Route rides I ruined myself over the weekend and can barely walk up and down the stairs with DOMS from taking Hoppy Jr up Tryfan on Sunday. The 2nd climb is going to have me in bits I suspect.
@nixie it was the easiest of FB-live/youtube...
It's easy to set up, but i had a few glitches i've sorted:
-you have to make sure audio is set to something like 'feed and game', i.e I have both Zwift, AND spotify in the feed
-this messes up bluetooth headphones if you have 'audio in' set to 'on' via the BT headphones. In the windows (NOT twitch) settings, I opened up the headphones via 'advanced audio' and just turned 'audio in/mic' to off. Then you can listen to the audio via the headphones, as well as stream it!
-it just takes a bit of playing around to get the 'stream window' to show zwift, and have a smaller video window in the corner.
You'll get it set up for tonight as long as you only have the weird audio glitch I had!
DrP
Isn’t an inhaler a form of drug cheating?
Yeah...If you take it when you don't need it! I'm wheezy McWheezer at the mo...
DrP
Thanks, I'll take a look if I get 5 minutes. On your last video it looks like everything got muted because of that spotify feed.
Been coughing up more shit than Boris the last couple of days, will make the start but it'll be a slog.
Thanks, I’ll take a look if I get 5 minutes. On your last video it looks like everything got muted because of that spotify feed.
Not everything... some silent sections, then more with music... I'll try a different playlist tonight.. "Run'n'bass" songs are obviously copy protected!
DrP
Did try a bike swop once made up a minute on the mountain bike but lost more as I couldn’t get the bike to stop as I use my iPad so saying on 1 bike.
see you later.
Neil
having to use my inhaler
Isn’t an inhaler a form of drug cheating?
yeah, you have to apply to Robbo for a TUE!
Ha! I'll get a doctor's note... 😉
P
Quick setup attempt failed, need more time and a second monitor. Don't want to take zwift out of full screen which makes it a bit more difficult.
Blimey the route for this evening looks evil.
Full of cold (must have caught it at last weeks race) but still keen for a spin fuelled by pesto pasta. See you all in a bit.
Can't wait to attack at the most tactically inept moments like last week.
Steve Scott BSCC (on zwift)
My head isn't in this really, had to make some of my staff redundant today, it's the worst...
So this ride for me is a release, not taking it too seriously, it's all about fun for me today, I desperately need a laugh.
As I spew up and splutter my way on... I'll drop a few gags....
Riding now, if anyone fancies joining..
DrP
@robbo1234biking
errrrr it's not coming up on my event thingy. maybe I didn't accept the invite? can you shoot me one real quick! thanks!!
Think the blue box comes up with 5 minutes to go...no?
Resent the invite just in case
Omg.... this is going to be BRUTAL....
struggling to hold 180w ... hmmm! Lolz!
Ooh well...
"Please don't lose the draft off the line DrP "!
DrP
Good luck all, won't be logging in as just heading home from a and E. All good though.😁
Hope your ok poopscoop.
That was hard. Pretty much an ITT! Bad luck to Phil with the power cut.
That did not go to plan!
Power went doolally at the bottom of the first hill. Dropped to 45w, spin like mad for 100 some, zilog passed me, Zwift dumped me out.
Joined back in following robbo, I don't think I'll have been visible to you lot but I could see you lot at least so had some names to chase. Made it over the line with scaredy, burgin, rolo, copping and drysdale. Averaged a little over 300w which isn't too bad over the time and distance.
Not sure what happened to Phil, you mentioned a power cut nixie? I saw him on my leader board briefly about 2 min ahead which didn't sound right.
No, no it didn't. Felt OK on the warm-up but just had no speed, cruised along for 30mins or so then called it a night.
sorry everyone i gave up after 40 mins most of which was spent on my own.Pretty disheartened with my performance - as i appear to be going backwards! Going to have to have stern words with myself this evening
Ow.
And.
Ow....
****....
Literally maxing put at 180w cruising power....
Just empty legs from the word go...!
Managed to finish, but it felt like a commute to work, not a race.. ffs!
Should've switched to mtb too!
Really interesting, the perils of racing when ill....
Av power was 186w... about 70 down on my average race power...
The top boys were FLYING!
BRAVO! DrP
Phil was about 25s behind me and his power went to 0. I assumed bike swap but he was stationary for about 2 minutes. He mentioned a power cut rather than bike swap.
Usual tactic for me, stay in the lead group, don't try to attack off the front and always stay about 3rd man so you don't get dropped. Works every time. Although ended up with only 3 of us at the end so had to work hard at times.
Says I came 3rd overall but I'll stick my hands up and admit M Hewlett definitely beat me to the line for the bronze medal.
These are good workouts for me, I spend most of the time just under ftp, but have to dig deep at intervals, and don't get any rest even on the descents where it's easy to get dropped if you let up for a second.
Literally maxing put at 180w cruising power….
Just empty legs from the word go…!
Legs are empty because your socks are too short dude!
That was savage. Apologies to anyone I was in a group with, I didn't have the legs to do any work at all. Was grand to see a bike change and then a cloud of smoke as an mtb disappeared over the hill.
Steve Scott (BSCC)
Oooof. Did the swap thing (feel it was the right move as I was riding solo at that point) but being unfamiliar with the course miss-timed both swaps, although did them smoothly. Was quite funny to see Oop & T Webster flying past me on their MTBs as I’d swapped back by that point, then they had to stop to change to roadie & I went flying past them in turn! Legs gone by that point tho so they managed to reel me in & we finished off the course together.
Dangeourbrain, what’s your Zwift name? Think you were in stealth mode, or maybe I was just blinded by sweat! Attacking from 1k out was a bit ambitious but I think others in the group may have pulled up after the ”false finish” allowing me to sneak through the blue a whisker ahead. Managed to set a new max HR for my garmin, though...192. That was tough on the dirt. Almost pulled up to change bikes after Phil flew past.
Oh god that hurt, effectively an ITT from the arch in the Jungle slowly picking off riders in front and trying to keep Stumpy behind me. I slowly reeled Dr P back in but Stumpy was winding me in until I got the tarmac then I managed to hold Stumpy and start to wind in S. Scott. The descent saw me break the string to Stumpy and wind in those infront, got a break on the climb up to Italian village then started closing Weeksy in, managed to break him on the climb after the tunnel bridge. Nearly puked when I got off the bike.
MTB swap would have been waaay faster but I was in a pack when we got into the jungle so decided against it, wrong choice.