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After making good progress down to 78Kg I think I'm back at or over 80Kg again. Beer and way too many double cake days have caught up again. Like you weeksy I can;t quite bring myself to change my profile weight.
Just checked all my segments on zwift power (only just found this), the tacx climb i have actually done in 20:07,avg 335w, avg 4.3w/kg. The reverse is exactly the same stats but time is 18:41 and that was done last week. Box hill i avgd 378w, 4.8w/kg and in that race i still got whooped by over 30s.
Well that hurt. Entered first proper race - the SZR iTT UCI Innsbruck and successfully concluded I still have a LOT of work to do. I suspect I finished last and was probably only averaging 1.6w/kg and nearly blew toward the end but I finished and it was (sort of) fun.
Was a very lonely ride - had someone who was always about 500m up the road but just couldn’t get across to them so enjoyed the view instead :).
Can definitely see myself entering more though...
I only happened to read a comment by one if the organisers if waholigan races that it was all on TT bikes tonight. That was on their Facebook group.
All round great climbing by the sound of it from everyone 💪
Dannybgood, was that an idividual time trial (ITT)? If you do some normal races you can draft etc and is much more fun when you have others around you
Danny - I was about 1.6 when I started just under a year ago. I made rapid progress into the mid 2s and that gives you a lot more people to ride with/against in races
If you do some normal races you can draft etc and is much more fun when you have others around you
No it was a group race but on TT bikes. I did another group race as part of the Academy and I found again I was just in no mans land between the person in front and then someone 1km or so back.
I’m just not fit enough to hang on to a bunch yet but then it’s only in the last month I’ve really looked to train so it’ll take time.
Damn I came (B) second in a TT! Nearly got first as well. I'm so f##cked! Unsurprisingly got a a FTP boost to 325 (I think). Was quite a way back at 3k but took the lead at half way. Lead then alternated between a group of five of us. I pulled a gap on the Surrey foot hills which only one managed to bridge. We stayed together to the end. He was 3s ahead at the Mall turning point, I was almost on his wheel at 200m and dispite being able to put out more power I couldn't keep it up. Happy with the result though.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=87820
@robbo1234biking - I’m ‘skywalker’. That KISS race was my first zwift ride after suspending my account in May, to ride in rl through the summer (in fact I did bugger all). But I was nearing the top end of group C when I stopped zwift in May, so did the group D KISS race last night to benchmark myself for the coming months.
At the start of the race I launched out the blocks, forgetting the first lap was the warm-up! I saw ‘r.b. (Stw) and wondered who it was, so good to make that connection. You held on for a bit but then eventually we formed a break-away of about five riders.
To give you an idea of what it was like in the lead group, we were pushing out between 2.2-2.9 w/kg on average. I led a lot of the time at around 2.9-3, but eased back to control the pace a bit more. I was pleased that I hadn’t lost much power since May, but I definitely noticed a loss in stamina as I was flagging by the second half of the second lap.
In the last half a lap, someone jumped and pulled away, at over 3.5 w/kg, to get a lead of 20ish seconds but we eventually reeled the rider in. Then ‘Trigo’ (?) broke away at well over 4 w/kg and won by quite a big margin. I came in around 5/6th and noticed the peloton were about 3 minutes down on us. Suffice to say I’ll be moving up to group C now I know where my fitness is.
@nemesis, how are you creating 7 w/kg? I heard a podcast (think it was a TrainerRoad episode), where it was mentioned that 5 w/kg is around pro level in real world and that a fully doped up Armstrong would’ve been doing 7 w/kg. Looking at the power charts, that would make sense for 1 min and 5 min thresholds. Were you pushing 7 for shorter bursts?
https://cyclingtips.com/2017/06/just-how-good-are-male-pro-road-cyclists/
Not sure you mean me unless you're talking a sprint in which case of course that's quite possible. Or you misread 2.7
Damn looks like I bust the power boundary and got DQed :(. Now wish I had put my weight back up as would have just snuck under.
@Dannybgood that is still a time trial as you get NO draft on the TT bikes. 😉
Robbo, when we were talking earlier about 7 wkg we were talking about sprinting (or very short hills) and 7wkg isn't that high for A Cats. Some are 14wkg up there and 22 wkg was hit in the CVR finals
When they talk about the pros having 5wkg they are usually talking about their average when on a mountain stage. On flat stages the GC guys can be as low as 3wkg average if you take out the last 10km.
I can hold 5 wkg for around 20 mins on a climb but my average for a ride would be 2.5 - 3 usually.
Watched a bit of the live streaming and looked hard, as a light-ish rider flat time trials are too hard for me as I just don't have the high watts required.
Well done all who raced today though 👍
No it was a group race but on TT bikes.
I’m just not fit enough to hang on to a bunch yet but then it’s only in the last month I’ve really looked to train so it’ll take time
The point didgy2 was making is that you get zero drafting benefit on a TT bike in zwift. You can race directly against somebody but you can't "sit in" - your required effort would be the same as if you were in front of them
I quite like their TTs - as I'm tactically naive and also shit at the positioning for drafting
(weather on the turn; looks like I'll soon be finding out what the summer outdoors has done for/to me)
Edit: Eh?? that last post from didgy wasn't there "a minute ago" - or did I black out while typing mine ?
I think whether I *could* get a draft or not is a moot point. I was a at least 500m away from the nearest rider at all times. An average of 1.6w/kg just isn’t enough to keep up even in most Cat D races.
But, the weight is coming down and the power going up (I’ve already improved my ftp by 25 Watts in 3 weeks or so) so I’ll get there 🙂
Well I managed it! The course was pretty tough covering the climb twice. The worst bit was that the climb was part of the warm up so it started as you go over the KOM meaning that the warm up was about 45 minutes!
I knew I wasn't going to keep up on this climb so instead of rushing out of the blocks I just let the other riders go other and settled into my own rhythm at about 250W. Then the climb started. The first time up it I managed an average of 263W for a time of 32.45 (2.3 W/kg). The previous highest that I have managed was 1.9 W/Kg so this was a good improvement for me.
I caught a guy up in front at the end of the downhill section, but he gapped me by about 8 seconds on the climb up. I managed to bridge across to him about half way up and then went ahead briefly but he was able to come back at me and he ended up crossing the line 8 seconds in front of me. A few of the Cat D riders dropped out after the first climb so I was just happy to have done it twice! Second time up I did it in 35 mins at 243W average so still decent numbers (apart from my weight dragging me back!)
After the race Zwift informed me that my FTP had gone from 224 to 256 so that is a significant improvement. As I mentioned on an earlier post though it is easier for me to generate power on a slope than it is on the flat.
Final results on Zwift power show me as having achieved an average of 2.1 W/kg so a good improvement already considering I have only been at it for just over a week.
I am going to do the BRT Criterium on Thursday at 19:20 (6 laps of Richmond Flat). Rest day today I think. Was going to do a recovery commute but the wind doesn't look favourable later on!
Top write up mate. Well done on the increases.
Richmond, hmmm. Cool. I'll take today off then I rekon.
Good effort Rob. That's a decent power increase, especially since it's a long sustained effort. I do like the hill events.
I've been upgraded to A in my TT so instead of second I'm mid pack at 26th. Annoyingly the guy who finished ahead of me is 5kg heavier so sneaks into the results. The race leaves me a little confused. In can't always stay with As or lead Bs in races but in a TT I get upgraded. Not sure now if I should keep racing B or rank up.
Nice going Robbo, great effort. Wont be long till you are filling the stw trophy cabinet.
Nixie - thats a great result and some very impressive numbers. Congrats also for getting on my list of people to avoid in a race 😀
well i have woken up a bit under the weather but i have to complete the tour. As its not a race i am going to experiment and drop my weight to 63kg to see if i can notice any difference. Its all the hills in Innsbruck so lots of climbing, not looking forward to it.
At 63kg you should float up :).
Amazing and hilarious is what i would call that ride. Did the weight doping and put myself down to 140 pounds so i guess around 63kg. I beat my pr by over 2 mins and i had plenty left in the tank, in all honesty i could have kept up with the leaders with a big effort. In the end I finished 6th overall and beat people i could never get near by over 4 mins. It was quite ridiculous the difference it made and surprising.
edit: i have put my weight back now.
And that would be why people do it.
Yeh but you aren't get much benefit from it then are you. Surely the point of doing Zwift is to improve your fitness to make riding outside etc more enjoyable especially during the winter months. Its not like winning a Zwift race massively improves your life!
EDIT: Obviously I have never won a race and the first time I do maybe I will become addicted to winning at all costs!
I dont really see the point in doing it as there is nothing to gain, there isnt a prize at the end. Saying that i am still not surprised that people would do it. At the end of the day its just a video game that we use to motivate us to exercise. I guess i am going to have to lose some fat or a limb if i want to climb that quick again. The riders who have to get zada approved, is weight check part of that process?
I think it might be, it's that plus a real world ride with power meter I think.
I also don't see the point. I just wouldn't get the same satisfaction from winning by cheating. The fact it's hard to get there makes it much more rewarding. I want to win but not at all costs. I'll push myself hard enough to throw up but I'm not going to cheat.
I'm going to give it a few more races in B and see what my averages are. If I keep getting really close to A I'll rank up early I think and try to get better. I've got the impression that some As attack just to drop all the Bs so it might even make some races eaiser.
Is the 13:25 calling me on a rest day.... well... a rest day and a Fasting day too LOL... That would be crazy talk... .wouldn't it ?
I’ve got the impression that some As attack just to drop all the Bs so it might even make some races eaiser.
Of course they do... why wouldn't they ? If i'm in a weak C race i do it too... just hit the power to get their HR up and gradually drop 1 rider here, 1 rider there.. Common sense.
Good point. Tactics I've still to get on top of!
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i did the WBR Innsbruckring 4 lap flat race earlier - and even though it was only a short climb on each lap .. it was tough!
stayed with front group till 3/4 way up climb on 3rd lap ... then lost them all on descent. Just me and an A cat rode together on last lap .. and managed to just about them to finish.
innsbruckring is all tough!
I think Innsbruckenring is my favourite course at the moment.
Being a bit sad I just did a name search in the companion app for 'STW' quite a few peeps came back.
Just finished the WBR UCI World Hilly Race over the UCI short course. I think I need to admit it's time to join A. Unless the last two days have been a fluke. There wasnt a huge field (40 over all classes). The pace start high and stayed high into the hill. After a few minutes climbing it was clear the As were pulling away, but at the same time I was dropping the other Bs. It was a lonely climb, lonely decent and lonely trip to the line. Finished about 1.20 back from the last A but something like 2.30 ahead of the other Bs. This was basically a ITT for me. FTP went up to 328W while the zwift score board suggested 4.1W/kg. Also smashed my time up the climb by about 2 minutes.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=88094
Good work Nixie - catching up with the A's sounds like the next challenge!
328w, nice work sir. You're in a tricky place now in that context. An enviable place to be i have to say, but a tricky one 🙂
Robbo, got your follow request. Maybe you join me in a C group race and see how you fare? Didgby2, thanks for clarification on the wkg. Has anyone here done the zwift Academy or other group training sessions and found an improvement?
Good work Nixie
328w, nice work sir. You’re in a tricky place now in that context.
Thanks, I think there is only one fair thing to do and that's to go play with the big boys in A. The worst that could happen is I end up in a dead zone on my own which is only going to make me stronger :D.
doordonot - cheers for the offer - don't think I am quite there yet. Hoping to the 7.20 Richmond flat tonight (as long as the little one gets to bed on time). I cant seem to do as well on the flat races but will try and rop a grea or too tonight to make more resistance and see if I can generate more power. I was able to generate 260W for 30 minutes the other day so it should be feasible - maybe I just need to try harder!
Nixie - you are a little quicker (my ftp is 318w) than me and a little lighter and i generally race towards the pointy end of B. Strangely i did the CHOP race today and was dq’d, i think it suggested i should upgrade even though i only finished with stats of 3.8w/kg and 307w avg. i think you will find the upgrade to A isnt a massive difference until you race the top A’s. I have done a few races in A and managed to hold my own in the pack but just didnt get near the trophy end. In small fields i did struggle and ended up in no mans land.
260w for 30 mins is a fairly strong C mate.... with a bit of drafting thrown in there you should be at the pointy end on a Richmond flat with them numbers.
@weeksy - I can only seem to generate those numbers on hills hence I think I need to make It harder for myself by changing gear or upping the realism. At my weight 260W only gives 2.2 W/kg though so still not challenging the upper reaches of D. I guess speed is only based on W/kg rather than just W.
@blader1611 I wonder if it was the 5m effort that put you over or the weight testing the other day. Sure I've read a thread in the ZP forum today that suggests it is more than just the 95% in the current event that may put you over. You also seem to have got an A upgrade for the Auz KISS crit race the other day.
Or actually is it that ZP thinks you should be A (your skill is listed as A). Pretty sure another thread specified that if the event organiser turns on a setting you have to race in the cat ZP thinks you should be in or you get an automatic DQ.
There is no way I'm going to get near the top A's, just don't have the time. Maybe I should go all in and eat pies will my weight goes up :D.
I saw you in the B's last night @Nixie I was supposed to be in that race but the little 'un woke up and I drew the short straw (by that I mean i'd been out on the MTB on Tuesday night so it was my wifes turn to ride!)
Looked like a good race though, i was fol.owing on the companion app while trying to get the little sod back to sleep!
@scaled I noticed you in the list before the start and wondered where you'd gone. Fortunately my little terror was just asleep enough for me to race.
Ive just joined Zwift in a bid to get fit. I've only done one ride and its telling me i have an FTP of 179, which i gather is pretty pants??
Still, at least i know my starting point.
I’ve only done one ride and its telling me i have an FTP of 179, which i gather is pretty pants??
It's higher than that, you've just not learned to suffer properly yet 😉
It’s higher than that, you’ve just not learned to suffer properly yet
Ha ha. Well it wasn't from one of the FTP tests its just on that huge climb out of Innsbruck. But i was trying to the point of being seriously light headed afterwards.
That's a big climb though with some nasty steep sections, well done getting up there as a first ride!
The light headed and jelly legs does get better. The first few events I did I could barely walk downstairs afterwards.