Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

I can’t get on this morning, but I’ve followed you.
Through the summer I’ve mainly been using zwift for recovery type rides as I’m out on my mtb 3 times a week anyway. During the winter I tend to drop that to 1 or 2 mtb rides per week so was thinking that should make the effort to do one race a week. I find the builder type workouts inconvenient to follow as I don’t use zwift often enough to follow them. So tend to do stuff like Jon’s mix etc.

Racing's good if you're a lazy bastard like me - Above 5 minutes or so, my effort's always higher in a race and, since I'm not on a structured plan (like you, access is sporadic), that's good enough for me

It's also quite good fun, or at least it's more "immersive" 🙄

I struggle to do the races as I tend to just jump on it when I have a spare hour. Would you say that the races provide you with a better workout than the set workouts? I’m wondering if it’s worth making a concerted effort to do at least one race a week this winter?

It's very rare I do anything other than race, I can't get the mindset for structure or z1/2 etc, so for me, it's all or nothing. Some weeks I will race 6 days in a week, more than likely hindering my results and performance, but I enjoy the racing, chasing, trying to hang on etc.

Still, only way is up!

Loads of us were struggling at sub 2.0 on week 1. Just how it is mate. Now, I'm just under 3.0 you'll get there if you stick with it.

weeksy - Member
Some weeks I will race 6 days in a week; [b]some weeks I will race 6 times a day[/b]

My thoughts on racing are:
- it is great but not when you have the cold
- You can soon become obsessed with your cycle ranking (which isn't good)
- always start fast and try and hang on for as long as possible
- tuck into the bunch
- sometimes a long sprint at the end can catch everyone out

Ok, sounds good. Are there any races that are worth making the effort for or are they all much the same?
Based on my current w/kg I’m between cat c and d is it worth starting at D to see how it goes or just go straight in at C and hang on?

Pick a big one - KISS or something, earlyish evening (the phone app shows you entry numbers, so take a look an hour or two in advance). You can enter using the app and then just start riding a little while beofre the race starts - you'll be offered a button to go to the race but if you do you just sit on a turbo on the line so I'd ignore it and wait for it to move you over automatically)

I'd start at D and see how you go - at the worst you'll be upgraded

Go for C, start hard and hang on for as long as you can.

Is it still the case in KISS races that most of the top half of the leaderboard get DQ’d or upgraded?

Is it still the case in KISS races that most of the top half of the leaderboard get DQ’d or upgraded?

Welcome to Zwift!

Thoughts on the new mini map?
[img] [/img]

Thoughts on the new mini map?

It may, I'll have a proper look when I pop out on it in a bit.

I think it looks really out of place, like a true afterthought, needs to be blended in 😆

It looks a bit odd. It's not on the ipad, which I've switched to since going back. It was just getting to warm in the house and I'm relatively undisturbed in the garage and can have the music blasting out! Just dinged level 20 after doing the Long SST on three sisters, although I'm a bit pissed off that I missed out on half a star on the first over/under for stopping for 20 seconds to tighten the back wheel up, it's a 30 minute segment ffs!

I find that the structured daily plans (at an hour each are relatively easy to fit in), have really improved certain areas of my riding (well anything involving power, definitely not improved my handling!).

It is on the iPad. I had an update this morning and it’s there now.

needs to show the hills

It does show the elevation profile at the bottom of the mini map and where you are.

It is on the iPad. I had an update this morning and it’s there now.

Will have to update then 🙂

Yeah my screenshot is from the iPad 🙂

Just got KOM on the first hill of the Hilly Route and lap record - got slightly carried away and now knackered for the other 3 laps I had planned 😆

Hopefully going to start racing again next week - it's been a while!!

Good work. I get excited when I’m the fastest on a sprint on course until I realise that everyone else was just warming up and get to see it tumble further and further down the leaderboard.

I did a race yesterday and i stayed top of the sprint board right to the end of the race when i realised it was only for my category of which there were only 7 of us so a hollow victory.

Arrrggghhhhhh. Stupid sodding thing!

Did Zwift race at 1.30 I think it was. C cat, all going well for 15 mins, we had 1 guy who's jumped on with B group who was 13s ahead, but we were pulling him in as he lost draft, strong thing.
Next thing you know, I'd lost 2s on the group of 6, wtf. So pinned it and got back on, going ok, then I had hangs in power again, so even if I eased off, it was showing say 320w for 5-10s, great when it works in your favour, but hit the kick out of the glass tube and wham, 200w, damn! Hit the power, still 200w, the bunch blew me away and I was in no man's land.
Carried on but the thing was playing up constantly.

Last time I contacted wahoo they told me about a firmware upgrade in beta to try, so I tried that, went into Zwift and resistance was all over the place, in, out, easy, hard, just bouncing about.
Tried in wahoo fitness app and that was just as bad.

Sigh

Could the update to zwift released today have anything to do with it?

Don't think so, I've been having minor issues for 3 weeks now, but thought it was ok at last

Emailed wiggle now as getting a little frustrated in a way with Wahoo, I email and due to timezones etc don't get a reply until day after, then another mail with delay, then it works ok, then repeat until I scream.

I tried to do the P-race today at 3pm. Logged in fine, but no one else on the island. Just tried again and the same - so hopefully there is something up with the latest update as t'interweb and wifi seem to be fine.

Weeksy, I had great results with the live chat.
Really helpful and replaced without delay. (Once I'd realised it was not a software or Zwift issue).

Muggomagic
If you look through the workouts you’ll see the ftp test. Worth doing one early as a benchmark to measure your improvement against

Thanks, didn't know about that, will do that today, good tip!

Can I ask anyone on here, if I say sign up to an event:

1) Will I automatically be shifted to the start line if I happen to just be out riding somewhere on the map?

2) also will I automatically be "steered" to follow the route the race is on so I don't have to choose directions at intersections during it?

Sorry for daft questions but thanks for help!

(Reading through this thread a few pages at a time as and when I can to play catchup.)

Yes and Yes to both. A 'Join Event' box will be on your screen, but if you ignore it and go for a ride it'll automatically take you to the start line about 4min 30secs before the start. And in a race you can only follow the race route, so no need to worry about going the wrong way.

Fantastic, thanks!

OK just did the shorter FTP Tester. Averaged 1.724 (avg watts 197 / 114kg... right way to work it out I guess?)

Anyway, got a baseline now! 🙂

Couple more noob Q's:

1) Noticed no resistance (gradient change) during the Test even though its shown on screen.... guess that's correct for this type of test?

2)Watts dropped out quite a few times on the PC (Kickr Snap)though not on the Android mobile on BT... guessing I just need to get a USB extender lead and place it near the Snap?

3) Lastly.... if I enter a race which has all cats in it and (obviously) enter as a cat D will I find that the ride breaks off into groups of riders, by cat type, to a degree anyway. I mean, i wont be left totally on my tod... Im likely ro be with some other cat D riders I can try and mix it up a bit with? Sorry for dumb questions again!

Yes the resistance won’t change on the ftp test. You just have to go as hard as you can for 20 minutes. When doing the workouts the resistance is governed by the zone you are in on the workout not the course. You’ll just notice that your speed changes.
Not sure about the dropout as I use my iPad connected via Bluetooth.
I’ve only entered 1 race before (around January when I first got it) and just tried to stay with the group for as long as possible. Noticed a few people had updated their name with the race and category so just kept with them but never finished it as my WiFi cut out (thanks Virgin media) and haven’t tried again since.

@Weeksy

I had issues with my Kickr - it was set as a smart trainer on Zwift, but once warmed up would lose all resistance, then get really hard, really easy, then almost lock up. Tried all the checks, beta firmware etc but I was 99% sure it needed a new top cap (the bit with all the electronics in).

After a couple of weeks of back and forth emails a new top cap was sent.. and hey ho, it's been fine since.

Poopscoop - you will all start together and the start ALWAYS is a sprint so go as fast as you can for about 30 secs. The race will settle down and it is then up to you to stay with other people around you or catch up people in front of you. Some races you will be in a group and some days you might have to solo, it depends on who is racing.

Thanks been

Put firmware back to previous version, ran an advanced spindown and it worked lovely.

No races that appealed so jumped on a social ride, but got a bit bored I must admit and bailed after 1/2 way.

Not sure what the answer is now lol

Thanks all for the continued help!

Is drafting a bit of an art? I tend to lag a bit. Drop out of draft, floor it, then overtake the lesson I was going to draft.lol 🙂

[/b]weeksy[b] have you got the Snap, or the Kickr?

I'm damned if I can find Advanced Spindown on the Snap. Online it says the app will prompt me to do it when it's needed but I would like to do it as and when I want to, too! 😀
Using the apps on an Android.

Thanks for info mate.

First session back on last night. Bit depressing really.

Watopia hasn’t changed much, has London?

A bit. But its all just pedalling.

Used my kurt kinetic last night which made me realise how flimsy my tacx flow smart is in comparison.

Didn’t really miss the smart control either so I think I’m going to stick with the kurt and sell the tacx.

What dont you like about the tacx flow Jambo?

It’s not bad, just built to a budget.

Whereas my kurt is built like a tank.

Did my first ever race yesterday as part of the zwift academy necessary two races. Ended up getting bumped up from B category to A which lost me my second place spot but meant I came 10th out of 60. Happy enough for a first race but felt I could of gone up one or two places but just as I was starting to think 'the end line' the commentator started saying we're now approaching the last lap banner and I thought crap I cant push any harder and then do another lap so i stayed at the current pace and then as I crossed the line he started saying 'oh my apologies', the swine!!

Thats a good result golfchick,well done. Also congrats on getting a bump to cat a, thats the stuff of dreams for many of us on this thread!

Awesome result! Well done.

Quick Q,

So as the seconds count down to the start of a race I should be sprinting hard?

Not entered a race yet, nervous stupidly! Lol

I generally ramp up to around your FTP type power for the last 30seconds and then start to sprint at about 8 seconds. I don't want to burn too big of a match so it's not a 100% sprint but more of a 75% one.
Then blip just enough power to hold where you want to be. About 10 riders back works well as you are forward enough to follow the moves but still getting a good draft. Then hold on tight for the next 2-5 minutes 😆

Poop,

Don't forget that a lot of races now you'll go off with all groups together, so if you're a C and go hard you'll fight with As etc, so don't get disheartened if you can't hang with them. Just solt into next group when they catch you.

I was having a debate today between a day out on KTM or a day on the Whyte. As long as its not too cold when I go outside for school drop off, its going to be a KTM day.
That will mean I'm taking the 8pm kiss second base at 8pm. Its one of my favourite races usually as it gets decent fields and the Cs are mostly Cs, so is a good race and battle.

Thanks for the helps guys.

I am gradually reading through this thread from the start, honest!

I'll be a definite cat D at the moment with 1.7w/kg or there abouts. Once I've done my first race I'll be a lot less nervous I'm sure.

Got a USB extension arriving today as the Snap keeps on dropping out over Ant+. Pretty common I think?