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At 94kg am I going to be the heaviest? Got to be up there. Im not sure if I’ll need to work in the morning. If so, I’ll drop out and let someone else in, but hope to make it. Do you do discord for group chat? Probably too many I guess.
Not even close to the heaviest mate!
Just catching up on this. I’d like to tag along on a group ride (shifts and training permitting) so I’ve sent you a follow request weeksy. 6.A.Whiteside (WKG Torture) Bit long winded I know but it’s all to do with the team I ride for during the TTT. The number represents what position I am in the team. As number five finishes his turn in front I know that it’s my turn to come through. The WKG part is the team I ride for.
Whiteside in.
Anyone else i've missed who wants the invite today ?
Cheers for organising weeksey but don't think I can make Friday morning so I'll decline the invite
Would it help if I put together a basic Google sheet or something Weeksy for folks to sign on? Save you having to check back here every ten minutes and remember who is in and out? Folk could also add other rides easy enough that way too?
Yes please weeksy, was mtbrog(STW) now rogman(STW) thanks
might be easier (for everyone!) if peeps just changed their Zwift names to match STW logins?Would it help if I put together a basic Google sheet or something Weeksy for folks to sign on? Save you having to check back here every ten minutes and remember who is in and out?
Well there's that too zilog, but I think the mental agility required in figuring out which random character string on here matches which on Zwift brings a bit of je ne sais quoi to the whole thing
It's further back in the thread but just as a reminder or for those who missed it I've set up a quick RGT Cycling test event for 1830hrs this evening.
It's a 5 lap crit of a 1km flat course and I've suggested doing the first 3 laps as a warm-up and figuring out the system. Apparently RGT is really easy to run private group rides and events on so I thought it'd be worth a look.
The only issue is if the minimum number of entrants isn't met then the event gets cancelled automatically.
RGT premium is currently free and to sign up for an account and the event use this link.
Well hopefully it'll be easier to actually join than the zwift race I somehow didn't do this morning.
I even got up an hour and a half early and just ended up on a solo ride instead.
How did you try to join the race @dangeourbrain? I have found entering races through ZwiftPower sometimes doesn't work.
I'd signed on through the companion app, couldn't see any other instructions to be honest, I didn't look hard mind.
might be easier (for everyone!) if peeps just changed their Zwift names to match STW logins?
I've changed mine to Craigpin Oop North[STW] to help Weeksy in the future 🙂
Ah blast. Yorkshire finishes today so I've signed up for another go at 17.30 if anyone fancies joining me.
See if I can get in this time.
It should just come up on screen to join the event when you login, or on the companion app. Usually it's the blue box at the bottom left of the screen, above the orange menu box
Weird.
I'm going to blame user error [at least in public] and assume my time keeping just wasn't good enough.
Serves me right but thanks to the inbuilt stalking features it has also given me chance to see that drafting makes a big difference - Weeksy just finished the same course at broadly the same power and similar weight but finished, as best I can tell, 1 minute 20 quicker
Ooh, just seen this is 11am.. cool...
Will take the turbo into work and take an early lunch break!
Hopefully having my phone as a hotspot will work...
DrP
Well I got in fine this to time seems I may just have been late
Sorry Ivan, not going to make rgt for the race sorry. I'm a bit broken.
No worries, there weren't enough riders for it to go ahead anyway. It does seem pretty simple to set up a group ride/race though, including using any gpx file you fancy so long as the total route is under 100km.
I didn't realise you couldn't use virtual power though so it's smart trainers or power meters only.
What's the minimum number of riders you need?
RGT said I was registered but it didn't appear in my planned rides, and then the ride started without me. Typing this halfway up Ventoux!
Five, we had 4 at one point but you and another dropped out so it wouldn't have made a difference if you had made it.
I'm happy to have a bash at a ride if we can get 5, maybe something like ventoux or a "classic" flat course (not a full spring classic I don't have all weekend!) might get a bit of interest?
I can do a first thing start any day over the weekend if it would fit?
What I might do is create a ride but leave it open for anyone to join - then if STWers want to join then great, if not then RGT will publicise it so at least it will go ahead.
Could maybe do the last 50km of Milan-San Remo or something?
How does Easter Monday sound? Burn off some of that chocolate?
Sounds good to me, I'll create the ride and publish the invites etc shortly.
Hi Ivan. Definitely keen to try RGT. Will try to join.
Any Sat/Sun meet-ups?
Working today and Monday.
I've just declined this morning's, so you can pass my spot into someone else. Should be up for the next one
Plenty of spaces when we get close to it, but thanks for the info
right..i'm on the 'NHS wifi' and managed to get into Wattopia/companion app...i've told reception not to bother me unless an emergency... and i've set up 2 big fans in the upstairs office!!!
DrP reporting for duty 😀
DrP
ready 🙂
As I will ever be but zwift hasn’t asked to join
Sorry I had to drop out guys. I was enjoying that. Wife has had a cough for 2.5 weeks now and it is triggering her asthma symptoms. She is doing better but as soon as I switched the fan on it started her coughing. She might have settled down but it isn’t worth making her uncomfortable for the sake of climbing a virtual mountain. I’m going to get up early I. The morning to do a ride when everyone else is in bed.
Thanks for organising another great ride weeksy, really enjoyed that, just the kick up the arse I needed after a heavy night.
That was cracking!!!
Had 2 fans on the go, and was cooler than I normally run despite that being a good effort!!
I could see sweary Dave coming up the hill behind me, but we finished with about a 5 second gap!! This is what's great about Zwift..i'#d have jsut given up and pootled were it not for the competitive part!!
DrP
Not sure what happened but I lost all your messages from corner 6 onwards.
How did we all do? I got 74 minutes, 10 minutes faster than my PB! Well chuffed!
Oh...and I got the wheels haha! 🙂
I took a month as I waited for Figg then he bailed lol.
I got gloves FFS
Despite appearances, I enjoyed that.
Just under 92 mins, first time. Definitely room for improvement.
Question, is it poor form to get off the bike and do stretches whilst your avatar rides himself down the mountain?
Same DrP I was riding consistently a bit below ftp till I saw your dot and put in an effort on the last five bends. But you had me on the drag to the top. My best climb so far
Absolutely gutted ! Set up the turbo, logged on then had the blooming Wi Fi drop out 😩 to quote Arnie :I’ll be back 😂
89m32s - would have been sub 89m30s if I hadn't burned myself out missing the start...
Gloves here as well, which is more than I got when I did it in real life so that's a plus I suppose!
"Thanks" Weeksy!
That was great, think I paced it pretty well in the end, had a bit in the tank so should be able to knock a bit of time off next time.
Did everyone else do the descent? That was fun and nice easy way to double the XP.
Glad those of you who made it enjoyed it. I've managed to crowbar a shed to peices and fill a skip so far.I'm strangely jealous of your electro-alp climb.
I’m going to get up early I. The morning to do a ride when everyone else is in bed.
How early? I could be up for a go at the alpe early doors so long as it's not crazy early.
Thanks for that. Enjoyed chasing stumpy01 all the way up the alpe. Look forward to the next one.
Oh, and I missed the hour for the climb. A PR for me anyway.
I messed up shot off at the start, could work out where anyone was and then watched everybody over take me! Had to stop on the hour as I was hurting too much. Great fun and can’t wait to do it again thanks guys have a great locked down Easter
How early? I could be up for a go at the alpe early doors so long as it’s not crazy early.
I'd possibly be up for an early morning attempt too.
@weeksy - thanks again for organising these and getting all the invites sorted.
Much appreciated.
Phil
6.30am, is that even a time? 😉
Tomorrow I assume? Yeah that's fine for me.
I'm happy to do invites if I can figure out how though I'll need user names to invite you
Mine is R1234Bike [STW]. Yeh 6.30 am!
I'll stick the link in here as well as the main thread.
Road Grand Tours (RGT Cycling)
Last 60km of Milan - San Remo
Monday
11AM
Mostly flat, couple of small climbs at the end...
@Weeksy, I went out for a (responsible) ride in the sunshine earlier and am now sat drinking beer in the garden so won't be able to do tonight's ride. I can't seem to opt back out of it so I hope no-one is waiting for a place. Have a good ride
Anyone who's like to join tomorrow morning's (6.30am) alpe ride could you follow me please as you can only invite followers for some reason.
Brian dangeourbrainstw
Also is tour of fire and ice the correct route?
@weeksy – thanks again for organising these and getting all the invites sorted.
Much appreciated.
Its massive appreciation from me too Weeksy, I really look forward to these group rides and I'm sure it's a pain for you to get sorted and have people mithering you.
Thanks mate!
It's all good fellas.
Only downside is the choice for next week which is basically Watopia or New York, with Innsbruck on Fri.
So I'm thinking Monday. Watopia Volcano Flat as we've done before. Maybe changing it up with a Watopia waistband, so any preferences on time for Monday, shout this evening or by about 8:45 tonight I'll pick a time myself
Right, decision mate.
'dust in the wind' 33 mile. Set for distance not time. Looks mostly flat.
11am, Monday. Be there or not.
Oblongbob
Subscriber
Thanks for that. Enjoyed chasing stumpy01 all the way up the alpe. Look forward to the next one.
That was a good ride! I reckon we were down to the error in our trainers!
I am a bit surprised - I was working bloody hard and my fitness has jumped up in the last 2 months, but got an FTP update from Zwift with a jump from 203w to 233w. I was almost 7 mins faster than my last time (which was the first time I'd done Alpe du Zwift).
Pretty sure my trainer calibration is OK, but gonna re-calibrate before the next ride to make sure I'm not cheating!
....oh, also I tried a 2m Amazon basics USB extension cable today to get the ANT+ dongle closer to the turbo.
I didn't have any dropouts at all & while they don't occur every time, it is quite reassuring. Will see how it goes in time...
Have you jokers just been out on a group ride ? I've never been "thumbed" quite so heavily on a solo ride 😳
Also is tour of fire and ice the correct route?
Today's ride was Tour of Fire and Ice. If you just want the shortest route up the Alp then its Road to Sky.
Road to Sky
Not an option I think
Yeh road to sky isn’t an option on a group ride. Gives a warm up anyway before hitting the alp.
Ok, cheers, sorry for the poor advice.
On another note, Mr TW is considering Ivan's RGT ride and I was up for Weeksy's. I think they are both at the same time? Any chance of a slight rearrange? We only have one turbo. Also might be better for numbers?
I've cancelled the RGT ride, I wanted to do the Zwift group ride anyway and it turns out using the magic roads function for group rides isn't actually as easy as they make out so it couldn't go ahead quite as planned anyway.
Hi weeksy, for what ever reason I didn’t seem to get an invite to today’s ride, what do I need to do to try and get an invite please?
Neil, I'm not sure if you followed for an invite but one is sent for tomorrow any how, if anyone else wants an invite I'll check back here at about 6.15 and send out any more that have been requested assuming you've followed me.
There's nay many takers so far for the early ride so I guess we'll just settle in once we're moving, I've no idea of pace for you guys (I don't even know what mine is yet!).
Got the invite for Monday Weeksy thank you, I've not rsvp yet as the timing might work out might not, depends if mini digger man turns up tomorrow or Sunday. Let me know if you need the space for a definite tasker before then.
Cheers
A good workout that Alpe eh? Crikey, I was in an absolute puddle at the end of that 🥵🤣
Yeah I'm blown! Ta for the ride you two, though you clearly hustled me swavis!
Hi weeksy, for what ever reason I didn’t seem to get an invite to today’s ride, what do I need to do to try and get an invite please?
The only real answer is to be a bit more proactive on the thread mate, i check back often on here. I'll invite you over in a bit for Mondays, but i'll never miss anyone off if i can help it... but we have 80STWers so i miss people at times unless they ask.
Cheers for the ride! Good start to a Saturday although at 6.30 I was thinking it was a stupid idea!
Yeah I’m blown! Ta for the ride you two, though you clearly hustled me swavis
I thought I'd never see you again when you blasted off at the start, I tried to do a Froome and just stared at my stem and tapped it out. Ended up increasing my ftp from 265 to 275 😳
I've always been decent at long steady climbs, I'm rubbish at the races as I can't sprint for toffee.
Cheers for the meet up, it's nice to know some other people are suffering along with you 😁
Odd, at 6.30 I thought it was a good idea, by about 7.45 I thought it was utterly stupid!
Ended up increasing my ftp from 265 to 275 😳
Ha, it seems my stationary time at the top counted towards my ride average power so apparently I managed that climb at about 180W. I guess it doesn't revise your ftp downwards.
I’m rubbish at the races as I can’t sprint for toffee.
I found this really odd. I did my first race on Thursday and was out of contention for the category I was in as I'd guessed wrong (I'd probably have been right for a longer race) but I couldn't keep with the group that contained the ZP winner even running way over the w/kg threshold for the category.
Given I was a fair way out of category I couldn't quite figure out how I was beaten on the game by people who were very much in category. (and its not like I wasn't quick out of the blocks, I was on my own for the first 45-50 seconds before a group formed on me the folk who beat me weren't sprinting past on the way to the line either.) very odd.
That was a good ftp increase. I have always got my best results in climbs.
I did a race and while I wasn’t at the front for Zwift itself, I won on Zwift power. Very surprised and chuffed as I had little idea what was going on most of the time. It was CatC. I’m right on the upper FTP limit for the category,ZP says I’m 3.12 W/kg, but that’s only for one race. Garmin puts me a bit over 3.2. I thought it was reasonable to do catC for my first race. I’m not bad at sprinting and it was a fairly flat Harrogate course, which suited my ‘phenotype’! Quite powerful but 14.5 st. Keen to try another. Suspect I’ll get shifted up to CatB where I’ll be getting my ass handed to me.
I think ZP is the better way of gauging it as it boots those without a HRM and those who are well out of category.
My Strava average power was 230w or thereabouts for this mornings attempt which is much more like it.