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@dazh still time to update if you can let me know what the new figures are.
@dazh still time to update if you can let me know what the new figures are.
Cheers Robbo, new figures after an ftp test are 81kg and 271w (was using a turbo muin before which are notorious for over-reporting so expected a bigger ftp drop!).
Quick scan of peoples numbers on Zwiftpower ( https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=1313968) and the handicaps throw up some slightly strange handicaps. Not sure if this is the handicap method, the length of races people do on Zwift and how close they get to an FTP test or how up to date the FTP numbers are.
oopnorth gives v7fmp 1:30 on handicap despite almost identical power numbers and v7fmp being lighter
Phil gives me 1 minute for his extra 35 W, I give a lighter Kirky72 50 seconds for my extra 7w
Don't mean it in a negative way, it was great fun last time, appreciate all the organisation. Looking forward to desperately trying to cling on to the front group up the climb...
Hi Yanboss - I think it is a peculiarity of the course that is being raced tomorrow. The way the handicap is calculated has stayed the same but the course has no flat at all - it is either up or down basically! The times are a little slower due to rolling resistance. High power, coupled with a high weight on the downhills will prob be the best combo for tomorrow.
I don't know how much people have in ZP as well as not everyone is in there but I have benchmarked the lap times against a few race results etc.
Hopefully it all works OK!
dangeourbrain
Is there a lorena bobbitt joke in there too? Certainly there should be one somewhere but I can’t find it.
No sign of gherkins, dangeourbrain....!
Well, I think I am about as race ready (Zwift-wise) as I will every be. I have treated myself to a Spesh Epic, (although have since seen that the Trek is a bit quicker).
I have also reset my power numbers (5s, 1min etc.) that show up in Zwift as well as the power curve.
When I first started doing group rides a year or more ago (the initial weeksy ones) I kept up rather better than I expected to. After a bit of re-calibrating & head-scratching they seemed to revert back to numbers I recognised a bit more! But that left me with a massively inflated power curve & numbers, which I think are only used as a visual guide. But anyway - they should be set during tomorrow's race, so will hopefully be nearer reality for me.
One other thing - not wanting to teach people to suck eggs, but if you are finding it uncomfortable on the turbo trainer for any length of time, have a proper think about whether you need to adjust your saddle position. I don't find the races particularly uncomfortable as I'm constantly out of the saddle to smash-out my 250W mega-sprint power, but on workouts and other rides, I found it really uncomfortable after 30 mins or so.
A few rides back I realised I was sitting too high & my saddle was a bit too nose down so spent 5 mins adjusting it & am now in a state of saddle bliss.
I thought it might jog a few people into considering it, if I mentioned it.
Signed on for tomorrow, looking forward to it - only the 3rd race I've done on Zwift so it should be interesting...
@stumpy01 Great point well made. I was finding the same thing but due to the pain of adjusting the saddle on my turbo bike (I-Beam!) I put it off and put it off. It's so much better now I've finally got around to playing with it.
Hopefully it all works OK!
@robbo1234biking I think it will, it has previously certainly.
I was looking at the [my] handicaps scratching my head and thinking they seemed rather at odds with the previous season(s). After a little cogitation it looks like they've landed me slap in the middle of the folks I was actually riding against in practice last season* rather than those I was only really anywhere near on paper which is probably a good thing and requires less heroics on my part to try make a few minutes on people I'm genuinely well matched to.
Unfortunately looking at those I'm now bunched with it does seem like my recent diet of Christmas cake, pies, chocolate and beer has moved me into the pointy end of the points race instead.
I can't believe I need to loose my Xmas poundage so I can be uncompetitive again! 😂
*bout of melodramatic insignificant near deathness excepted.
@robbo124biking my ftp is 258w and my weight 71.5kg after I did a ramp test a couple of weeks ago, I did post at the time but probably on the previous series thread, sadly no longer an A cat 🙂
Cheers
Mark
HI Mark - stats and handicap updated.
Sort of looking forward to it! Hopefully I don't have to take a minute or so sit down after the start like the last race.
Talking of comfort on the turbo, best thing I did was put a turntable under the front wheel. Made a massive difference to me, the bike moving around more.
Looking forwards to bringing up the rear in Cat B!
Talking of comfort on the turbo, best thing I did was put a turntable under the front wheel.
I can't imagine a DJ bike being well suited to zwift.
Did the short route option TDZ stage 1 @ Six Train at 1700 on the Zwift MTB, first time I've tried to go near race pace in weeks, my god that was a melting wake up call for tomorrow... Mummmyyy!
Looking forwards to bringing up the rear in Cat B!
I fully expect to be fighting you hard for that position!
@robbo124biking
New ftp of 242 at 66kg for me. Has dropped like a stone in last 3 months.
Can you send me an invite to the event tomorrow please.
My days of being a front runner are truelly behind me unfortunately, however will give it a bash tomorrow and see how I get on.
Btw..some chap from stw contacted me about a prize for 1st series wanting my address, but nothing ever arrived. Did others get anything?
@tpbiker I will update your handicap. Check your PMs - I have sent the sign in information there. There are links for the races. Click on those and they will take you to a sign on link in either the companion app or on the Zwift website.
nixie
I put it off and put it off. It’s so much better now I’ve finally got around to playing with it.
Great! You'll be even quicker now 😉
Similar to nobodyofthegoat, I thought a spin with a few thousand others on the TDZ London course would be okay, find a steady paced group and draft my way round for a quicker than solo 40km or so. Alternatively I could get a bit excited and bury myself for an hour... I’m in bits now.
That’s got my excuse in early for a tired performance in Race 1 tomorrow.
Wow - not only has Furrybreeks Maclean cornered the market in usernames, he/she must be one hell of a rider with that handicap 🤣
Is Furrybreeks Dan Evans, Chris Opie or another alien that is part of the STW Strava club? 😆
Great! You’ll be even quicker now 😉
I've been working on negating that by drinking more beer.
Has anyone noticed though that as you sit up off the bars or go back into them you generate a power spike?
Has anyone noticed though that as you sit up off the bars or go back into them you generate a power spike
Just to check I'm reading this right, your race tip for us is "do crunches whilst pedaling"?
😆 secretly killing your core.
Only noticed it while doing workouts as moving between hands on the bar and hands off confuses ERG mode for a second or two.
@robbo1234biking a 6 week series, starting on Tuesday 5th Jan 2021? Its like you and Boris colluded!
Good timing 😀
I'm in work later so unable to join in with tonights race. I might however be able to watch some one struggle if there is a youtube feed.
I'll join this tonight as I think I can squeeze it into my latest training plan. Did a Ramp Test 2 weeks ago and hit a rather disappointing 285W - well down on my summer and Autumn peak. May as well keep the weight the same - I weighed myself on Sunday and was a couple of kilos heavier than 76kg but reckon that is Christmas excess that'll soon burn off.
**Just realised I am a bit too late to join the first one tonight. Hopefully you can include me in the one next Tuesday.
I think I really should have done a ramp test.. Oh well!!
For anyone interested... Here's the link to my YouTube live stream... will kick off at 1920
DrP
I'll be streaming as well. Will post the link later. Nice picture of me there DrP.
@crazyharry you should have the links.
If anyone still wants to join in and last nights announcement has affected their plans then let me know. I can still get late entries in without an issue.
Don't forget that Repack Ridge times are now valid so anyone who wants to complete that let me know what time you achieved (with time penalties for the not hitting all the stars). Closing date for those entries is the day of the last race.
Looking forward to tonight. Points awarded for the quickest time around the Jungle Circuit tonight as there isn't a sprint segment. If you are going for a fastest lap time and are towards the back of the race then get a screenshot of your time in case I finish in front of you and you do a flyer on your last lap.
Here’s the link to my YouTube live stream…
Thanks for the link DrP. 👍
Unfortunately I now can't make tonight due to some personal reasons, I'm gutted to miss the first one of the series.
Enjoy all, I'll try catch up on a YouTube feed if possible and you must all give a detailed account on here afterwards so that I know the full details.
Best of luck!
My stream link for tonight should be
My (remote) PT session today was a little leg heavier than I was expecting, not ideal prep!
Still feeling wrecked after that TDZ short stage last night (looking at ride since I did get way too excited on the ramps plus the end) and almost feel like I've got some some of mild lurgy since, hope to make the start line but I might simply end up pootling around at less than race pace effort.
Do we need to use mtbs for every single race in this series (even the tt?)? If so I'm assuming I actually have one in my garage.
@tpbiker the MTB will be auto selected for you during this series...and yes, every race! 🙂
If so I’m assuming I actually have one in my garage.
Yeah, there's a default zwift one and you'll get punted over automatically, which is good as I think it's likely to be too cold in my office to manage manually selecting one.
Yeh if you dont have one then Zwift will give you one. You dont have to spend your drops
The super caliber is cheap though and those 3s a lap are worth it :D.
maybe if you are on the front. If you're sucking a wheel the whole way round it'll not make much difference 😂 Think I've got one I unlocked with some snazzy Zebra paint job, might go with that 🦓
i've a scott scale...
Nino I ain't!
DrP
What tyres are people running?
They should do a Tron MTB, make people earn them and therefore make the MTB option more popular
What tyres are people running?
Conti vert(ual) Pro obviously
That would be cool.