Zwift Team Time Trial, Thursday

Hard, but enjoyable. Struggled over the boardwalk/Sandy bit. Thought we nailed both climbs, and nicely dropped one clinger on the second KOM. Even better was Ben beating that Spanish guy to the post. Class.

Cheers guys. Really enjoyed that. We did get tangled up on the last hill and then couldn’t really separate it. I think that last team just went straight into our draft and didn’t let a gap open as we caught them quite easy. Rest of it was really good though I thought - we went up the reverse KOM really well as a team and a good pace. Got quite a few segment PBs so we set a really good pace.

I don’t know if the issue with the overtakes was that we didn’t have anyone with a 300w+ ftp to really open the gap. Think we all hit our limit getting past but then couldn’t break the draft.

Anyway 283w NP so a good threshold workout for me - couldn’t have given a lot more.

Thanks everyone on MoreSTW. I really enjoyed that. I think I was a bit eager out the blocks but we rode a tight group until those Scottish lads tangled with us. I agree. I expected them to fall back. The commissaire would have given them a penalty in a real event I think. I was close to FTP so either running into good form or the Kickr Core needed a calibration. Hope it is the former not the latter.

Very pleased I signed up now and just about to crack open that beer. It was hard work but very enjoyable all the same. I wasn’t sure what the decision was at the end re. going for it or rolling in and chose a daft time to grab my towel for a face wipe. Lost the wheel and couldn’t get back on again so hope that didn’t have a knock on effect to those behind me. Thanks everyone.

Thanks for the ride, I was out of position when we pushed past that team and got caught up with their leading rider - they definitely sped up as we passed, took a big effort to escape them and get on the back and then we were straight into the hill as they then caught back up. Very bad form from them, they never left more than a 5m gap. I was on the rivet anyway and had little left to give, so dropping out was the right thing. I cruised in 3 mins late, cramping up.

I've been under power lately, my w/kg is bottom of the group, despite power being mid group - Jack has got the whole family on a big calorie deficit diet since xmas, so hopefully that will pick up as the kgs go back down to pre xmas level.

I do hope that Zwift, when the fix the ZP team tag issue with a proper team allocation method and a proper TTT start also fix the interaction with other teams. The game already knows that some bikes (TT) can't draft. It seems a small step to make teams not be able to draft each other either. Interfering with other teams would then be a thing of the past. We can only dream.

Results are in - we got 46:31 so only really lost a couple of seconds due to the split up caused by that other team. We also came 59th out of 299 which is a pretty good result really.

Team STW got 43:59 and came in 132 out of 336.

@drew not an issue - I think everyone gave it their all to get past that team. I was pushing 330w for over a minute to try and keep some momentum as we passed and we didn't separate. These things happen. It prob only cost us a few seconds

@haloric apologies on that - it is so hard to judge when to go for it but when they speed up it is even worse!

That WRTL website is a little 'busy' isn't it? Do you have to register to see the full results? I agree with @haloric - the team identification issue would solve a lot of problems. Let's face it, Zwift really need a proper staggered start TTT set up. Oh, and I think that other team should be penalised on their mis-matching jerseys if nothing else. We looked the business:)

they definitely sped up as we passed

Do you have to register to see the full results?

Do you have to register to see the full results?

You can, I’ve never bothered signing up. At the bottom of the TTT page you’ll see the full results, but not in individual classes. So you’ll have to sift through 800 odd teams to find your result...pretty easy if you know roughly what your time was.

If you do register and log in the search feature works surpassingly well. Type in 'STW' and it brings up both teams.

I've put two entries in for next week. (Now I've finally stopped laughing at @robbo1234biking for imposing a no-socks uniform requirement on @slowpuncheur)

Enter category A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1550562

It's listed as just the one lap of Tick Tock, which will be a blisteringly brief outing. We did two laps (riding in the premier league no less...) as a latte team in 52 minutes in the Summer. So we're looking at sub 30 and possibly sub 25 in frappe.

I don't fully grasp the real story about the significance of watts v w/kg on the flat in zwift. I realise that pure watts matter more on this course than elsewhere, but I don't believe they are the whole story. Big C's don't routinely outride smaller A's even on tick tock. BUT I know some of us Bs (e.g. @w00dster) sometimes feel like they are slower on the flat and we have C's (e.g. @robbo1234biking) who can push big watts. Express your preferences, and I'll do my best to shuffle riders where appropriate to best match them into teams. And any high watts lurkers, this might be your week to join (back) in.

Entered. No preference to what team.
I do find flats harder, but I’m also rubbish at hiding in the pack.
My FTP is 260, for a shorter ride (20 to 30 mins) I’d probably be able to put out 280 to 290 watts. That’s about 4.2 or 4.3 w/kg.
The difficulty in a TTT is that the guys on the front will be pulling in excess of 300 watts on the flat, for a shorter one Phil will be pulling in excess of 350 watts!! So I’m effectively just pack fodder in the flat races as I can’t contribute.
I’m generally going over FTP for the duration of the TTT, then having to put in another 30 watts to do some work on the front is a killer.
Hope that doesn’t sound like a winge as its not intended to be, and I absolutely love it, really pushes me to work harder. I just feel for Phil who ends up doing the majority of the work.

It might be still be 2 laps @savoyad someone has asked for clarification on the Facebook page. Either way I am in - no preference for teams - whatever works best for everyone.

I noticed drew went with no socks but didn’t get a chance to check slowpuncheur!

@w00dster think you have entered as your daughter!

That doubt about the single lap is why I hedged slightly with "listed as". It's showing the 2 lap records as well. But these things often are right to start with even when they seem weird (the alpe and double-bologna weren't jokes for example!). And I can see the case for a very fast very short event occasionally.

No @w00dster it really doesn't sound like a winge at all. It's as much about how you feel about it (which I can't know without asking) as your actual power measurements (which I can!). I'll play with the combinations when I see who rides.

We could put out quite the "accidentally-entered family members" team one week.

I think you'll find my shins were properly furnished!

https://imgur.com/fVIStIK

I wasn't buying the no sock thing. Nice Tri @robbo1234biking;)

Anyway, count me in for next week. One for the rouleurs so not as good for me as the last one but I'll chip in where I can.

accidentally-entered family members

Sounds like a very niche sex tape or an episode of Jeremy Kyle.

You took that screenshot specifically in case you were questioned on it didn’t you @slowpuncheur?!

I'm so gullible, embarrassingly so for a 63 yr old. Please don't tell the others 🤫

The team I ride for (WKG) have confirmed it’s a two lapper. Gutted I can’t race it (I’ll be at work) a flat race suits me. Our team managed to get a slot in the Platinum League last night for the first time, we did 39:36, coming 17th in the platinum league (out of 81) and 31st overall out of 873 teams. Considering we don’t have many lightweight riders (5 of us are 75kg + ) it was a good result. Thankfully we didn’t have any draft issues with other teams (we thought we’d be cannon fodder for the big guns and get swamped 😂)

Hi all. We're sitting on 5 entries for next week (well, we will be once @w00dster gets his accounts in order...).

Now confirmed as TWO laps of tick tock, so 36km of flat riding. Thursday, 7.40pm.

All riders enter category A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1550562

I don't know why but I always think Tick Tock is route where you just do laps of the flat dessert portion. I forget it goes round under the sea as well.

I did it as a race between Xmas and New Year after doing the PRL full and did it in 54 mins so should be about 50 mins depending on team composition etc.

How does this work to ride, enter a are you just allocated a team?

I've entered, but I reckon I'll be hiding in the group more this week if its flat!!

Hi @karnali - just enter cat A (they are used as start pens rather than watts categories for this event) via the link above and I'll post proper details, including the two teams assuming we have that many riders, later in the week.

Thanks

Entered don'tind which team I slow down and share my terrible drafting skills with, I watch for instructions on changing tag etc later in week. If you end up with too many riders I'm happy to not race

I'm in too.

Still a couple of places left for 2 laps of tick tock tomorrow.

Grab them here, category A: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1550562

I'll post teams, tags, start delays, practical info etc at lunchtime.

I’m in!

I've registered for the race this evening.

Ok, details for this evening.
2 laps of Tick Tock

Team STW, tag (STW), discord TTT (STW)
Delay 4 mins so in the pen by 19:40 and off at 19:44:00
@benman
@phil56
@paino
@yanboss
@munkeymadness
@robbo1234biking - change your tag
@karnali - change your rider name tag in zwiftpower to (STW), see link below

MoreSTW, tag (MoreSTW), discord TTT (MoreSTW)
Delay 6 mins so in the pen by 19:40 and off at 19:46:00
@woodster - change your tag
@drew
@trolo1234
@slowpuncheur
@haloric
jack
@mbs
@zilog6128

- to change tag for this event, go to settings, top right here: https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=1550562 and enter the whole name (not just the tag!) in the rider name field.
- discord server invite: https://discord.gg/wGmGVWBZ
- dress up as a bumblebee. ride a road bike. aero rules today if you are a frame/wheel changer.
- the start procedure is weird. when it says GO! you MUST NOT GO! Instead, stop pedalling (you must stay at zero watts) for the team's "start delay". There will be a countdown over discord. THEN you can go.

@karnali pay attention to the start procedure. it's a bit weird, and first time out it's easy to either shoot off too soon and find yourself alone or just riding with all the other premature departures, or miss your team's slot and get left behind. If you are on discord, it'll be called out as a countdown. If comms fail for any reason, go at 19:44:00 and you should find yourself in a reassuring swarm of bumblebees.

(Edit - the time I originally typed was wrong. oops. This version, 19:44:00 is correct)

Thanks Savoyad - tag has been updated

Thanks tag updated, accepted discord link, hopefully i won't have same zwift issues as tuesday night, start procedure noted, hopefully I can be of help to the team and not just get shelled out the back.

Why am I so nervous!!!!

Don’t worry @karnali you are a fast rider and Phil will keep you on the straight and narrow. There isn’t anything to catch you out on this course really. Spend the first 10-15 mins getting used to the draft and working in the group as it is easy to tire yourself trying to get to the front and contribute by putting big efforts in. When you get used to dynamics you learn when to push and when to hold back.

Thanks all - that was a great ride this evening. That course is pretty tough - it may be flat but that means it is flat out continuously. The double pass was a thing of beauty! So lucky it didn’t go wrong. I think the two teams were so focussed on each other they didn’t clock us coming so it was a bit of a surprise when we went past them both!

@karnali great ride for your first outing. Hope you enjoyed it and will be back for more suffering next week.

Not sure my VO2 Max workout will be as successful in the morning after that!

51.53 for STW and 53:01 for MoreSTW.
Apologies to MoreSTW for the overtake on the last climb through the tunnel. In hindsight should have waited until we got to the top of the climb.

Yes thanks for organising and shouting through my headphones Phil, didn't have the ability to switch off mute and reply when you did the everyone ok checks. Flat is my nemesis! I was in a world of pain at 14km and was counting down the kms to 1 lap, thinking if I drop off the back after a lap that's not too bad, then just managed to hang on for another 5k each time. Enjoyed 2nd lap more. I think, I'm not 100% so won't be there in the morning Robbo, going to have a few gentle days, should be back next week though for more torture Tues and Thurs.

No worries @w00dster. We were on a roll at the time and had 2 clean passes previous to that. Thanks for driving it on. I certainly felt like I emptied the tank. Shame @haloric and Jack had IT issues. We did really well with 6.

That was quite the shitstorm for Jack and I.

After the event had started and 3 mins to go Jack tried to leave the pairing screen on Apple TV to be ready to launch, might have fumbled it, because the app minimised, and then the ATV was not having it. Normally ATV rock solid honest Robbo !.

I was trying to provide fatherly inspirational words of encouragement as you can imagine, to no avail, whilst as our launch time approached I gave the countdown, not convinced anyone heard it anyway and I launched - but was all alone - no other riders, not even a rider list.

Comms over discord was similarly poor, gave it up as a bad job after a lonely first 1k.

Rode the 4th tour de zwift stage to a similar level of pain.

Another update from Zwift coming down the sewer tonight, be ready.

Another great outing for both teams. Tried to stay second wheel for as much as possible tonight, although had to hide in the pack now and again to recharge my batteries. That double pass was quality, think you’re right Robbo, they didn’t know we were coming at all! I think the first team on the road thought we were cheating by riding together, just a well timed double pass!
@karnali I find the best method with discord is to change the voice setting to push to talk. That way you should be muted until you press the on screen button.

It was another great performance from Team STW - again we pretty much stayed locked together from start to finish. I think we passed four teams, and did really well when we caught two of them together. Great effort guys, and well done Martin on your first TTT

@haloric - I was really happy with ATV last night and on this mornings rides. Once you get used to the remote is seems to have the stability and graphics of the iPad but on a big screen and without the issues with a laptop. Frees up the household laptop as well at weekends and using a phone for typing input is easy as is the companion app. Will see how it goes over the weekend doing the TdZ rides.

I think my fan was too noisy for the microphone on my headset though as once I turned it down people could hear me. Not an issue when riding with STW as I don't need to talk to much but might need to use the other headset if I am riding with MoreSTW.

Team STW came 343 in GC out of out of 933 teams (211 in Frappe)
Team MoreSTW came in 451 in GC out of 933 teams (275 in Frappe)

How come both teams were in Frappe? I thought one should be in Latte

Oh and when does the flat white category come in?