Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

And in other news, Graylish brings home the
Silver in Cat C for Team STW. Get in!

The KISS TT results from last night are still messed up, hopefully they're sorted later!

I haven't ever looked at the race results, mainly as I get bored and rarely finish an event.

It's a training tool for me rather than racing - save my racing for the fun stuff IRL.

The Gladiator race yesterday was pretty good however, that one nearly entertained me enough to finish - ended up using the last lap for a cool down.

Seems like the racing bit with results is more hassle than it's worth.

Well, I can't find the enthusiasm to do the FTP test workout thing, especially after a few on here reckoned it wasn't really worth bothering with - I can see your point.

Yesterday I decided to do the mountain route, which I really enjoyed. Great exercise for a Fenland flat lander like me!!
I got into a bit of a tussle with an American bloke on the last drag right to the top and then my warm-down descent turned into a charging race of who could get down the mountain quicker! It was great.

Only problem I had was at the start of my ride; all my devices connected fine on the opening page, but then when I started riding there was no resistance at all from the Flow Smart and no data feed at all, including HR.
Restarting Zwift sorted it, but Zwift takes so long to load it lost me about 6-7 mins due to faff.....

I've not had an issue with Zwift not picking up the data from my various ANT+ devices but a couple of times I have found that the turbo trainer resistance hasn't adapted to the changes in incline. Not really an issue as the power readings still seemed ok, but it did seem like something in the Zwift startup process wasn't working right.

@zilog - it's my own fault. I probably confused the hell out of it when I rejoined Zwift behind Weeksy, after finishing the race and exiting, to see how he was getting on.

But the race is only showing 7 people as finishing.

I think I finished 13-15th, which I'm happy with as I got an epic stitch 10 mins in.

Only problem I had was at the start of my ride; all my devices connected fine on the opening page, but then when I started riding there was no resistance at all from the Flow Smart and no data feed at all, including HR.

mine did that in the GCN race. i was getting power readings but no resistance on the gradients. after the race I repaired it as a controllable trainer in the menu and it worked fine without exiting zwift.

Right, who's on the KISS race this morning?

epicsteve - Member

I've not had an issue with Zwift not picking up the data from my various ANT+ devices but a couple of times I have found that the turbo trainer resistance hasn't adapted to the changes in incline. Not really an issue as the power readings still seemed ok, but it did seem like something in the Zwift startup process wasn't working right.

It was weird that it all connected in the start up screen & seemed to be working, but then when I started the ride it all just disconnected - I went into the setting screen and there was a banner across each sensor saying something like 'not paired'

jam bo - Member

mine did that in the GCN race. i was getting power readings but no resistance on the gradients. after the race I repaired it as a controllable trainer in the menu and it worked fine without exiting zwift.

I didn't think of just trying to re-pair them in the menu settings. I just chose the brute force close & re-start option. I'll try to remember to do that next time.

Just done the TBR LONDON ride and finished 3rd only 4 seconds behind the winner and got the KOM jersey for box hill, did it in 6:39. Lets see if ZP picks up my result.

Wow... we've got some proper racers on STW.

Wow... we've got some proper racers on STW.

As well as the likes of me...

Ok i have been playing about on zwift after my race to try and find a set up that is more like my actual ability. I can say with extreme confidence that i am not a Cat A rider but i have been running in these events so i can be competitive and not dq'd all the time. I think i have the right set up now which reflects more like real world cycling which will hopefully help my fitness better than what i am doing now, so farewell to cat A and B and i look forward to the embrace of cat C riders (gotta earn my cat c stripes first)

Lol what had you done wrong blader?

Dropping from A to C is quite large!?

Yeah I assume you're talking about not having your trainer configured properly in Zwift so it's over-estimating your zPower? Otherwise that's some serious sandbagging!!

Have you got an Ant+ washing machine or something?

Yeah I assume you're talking about not having your trainer configured properly in Zwift so it's over-estimating your zPower?

zPower is utter b***ocks, could easily increase/decrease it by 50% on the same trainer just from setup and that's before any zwift settings.

By choosing a different/wrong trainer or are there other options (hidden away?) in Zwift?

Obviously you can pick a wrong trainer in zwift, but there's other stuff you can do to.

1) Inflate tyre right up to (and beyond if you feel like some risk taking) its max pressure, rather than a normal riding pressure. You are on a perfectly smooth roller, so no drawbacks from more pressure.
2) Reduce clamping force - doesn't matter if wheel slips a bit since your speed sensor is on the wheel - wheel spinning with less resistance = more zPower.
3) Most fluid trainers have substantially different curves when warmed up - use them in a cold room with a fan blowing on the fluid unit and they'll never warm up = 5-6W/KG FTP no worries. Assume similar abuse can be made with resistance dial for mag trainers.
4) If you really wanted you could run a smaller (650c) wheel and zwift would happily assume its a 700c.

Not that i'm advocating doing any of these, or accusing anyone. Just pointing out the zPower is so easily abused both on purpose and by accident its bordering on worthless

Hmmmm, seems like the "warm up" lap on the KISS race is very much still a max effort with a sprint start then!

You'll find that's the same with all races that have a "warm up". I think they're just there because the route happens to include an initial section that takes you to where the laps start.

I think a combination of a poor turbo which wasnt set up quite right and ridiculous stats generated by zwift. I have also realised my turbo was set to resistance 2 when it should have been 3. I also discovered a very slow puncture which i think was affecting the resistance on the roller after a couple of days.
I could happily stay as i am as its still hard work keeping up but it feels like a training session for long sprints and i would prefer something that will benefit distance and climbing as i live in hilly Yorkshire.

Amazon have just dropped the price of the Neo again to £864, although delivery is currently listed at 1-3 months..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0112VE4NO

(NB I'm referring to the sale from Amazon themselves. There's a couple of cheaper sellers but they look dodgy to me)

box hill, did it in 6:39

That is pretty quick 🙂

Speaking of which, a lot of rapid Koreans round London this morning. They the Zwift equivalent of old GDR? 😉

Amazon have just dropped the price of the Neo again to £864, although delivery is currently listed at 1-3 months..

Recommended, really like mine. And unless you find somewhere with stock it's likely to be a long wait as I hear they have a long list of people waiting for stock.

Edit... oh and after a fair bit of deliberation, Zwift rides now on my strava and I'm in the STW group 8)

Lol! I was going to make all my non-Zwift rides private otherwise 😀

Lol! I was going to make all my non-Zwift rides private otherwise

🙂

I've taken a tip from here. Make them private initially then public after a day or two.

Can't decide whether to to the 8pm KISS race - found it boring last time - or to go and ride up box hill for the first time

Boring why?

too flat, there's enough flat where i live in the real world

Let me know, I've got a 9.45 in me if that's where I start and end my ride. If you get below 9.30 thought you can have it

Managed to break 10 minutes tonight and have set you a 9:57 to aim at. Wasn't a lot left in the tank at that but I did stop briefly with what might have been some kind of ANT+ dropout so might be able to improve that by a few seconds without actually killing myself.

Does anyone other than me have a drivo?
I have a "noise" question

Ooooh. Hopefully I'll get a chance in the morning as I think it switches on us time. So if I get on early I may be able to have a crack at it.
Well done BTW.

Cheers. Looked like I backed off a bit early though as I was 15 seconds behind your PB for the London Loop Forward full lap!

how do I search for segments on strava that are zwift ones? To compare times / etc.?

I know they're there, as others have linked to them but I can't find how to search for them myself!!

[ok, think I sussed it out]

Zwifted tonight for the first time, lap round boxhill. There was a STWer behind me for a bit-how so I join the Stw club ?
Initial impressions are good, certainly livens up an hour in the garage while on parenting duties.

I was on earlier riding with a mate, gave a fellow stw'er a ride on.

Was aiming to set a new PB up box hill but my rear wheel kept slipping...and trying to save my legs for the weekend 😆

Was aiming to set a new PB up box hill but my rear wheel kept slipping...

It's been a bit icy out

I binned the KISS race halfway because my screen kept freezing dropping me 5s back from the group I was in. Went up box hill for the first time instead, fairly consistent 280w all the way up, unfortunately I weight 94kg though.
Was my second outing using the Tacx Flow, it's really creaky which was doing my head in. Time to get the silicone spray out. I also struggled with the resistance which seems too much on little rises, with no considerations for the momentum. Resistance was fine on box hill.

STW Box Hill comp is hotting up I see! Managed to knock a minute or so off my PR tonight, not quite troubling the top 10 yet though (probably need to lose at least 5kg for that!)

What Strava segment for box hill are we using? it doesn't correlate with the Swift kom

STW Box Hill comp is hotting up I see! Managed to knock a minute or so off my PR tonight, not quite troubling the top 10 yet though

What Strava segment for box hill are we using? it doesn't correlate with the Swift kom

[url= https://www.strava.com/segments/12744502?filter=overall ]This one[/url]

Oo I did set a new personal best last night 🙄

I think it's much easier to set a new PB in a race - you can hang on to someone else's wheel then haha.

Thanks, 37th, 1 place in front of weeksy 😉

Oh FFS, i was going to ride outside again ! Now i've got to do the Box Hill climb today haven't I .... !

Althoguh, i have to admit, i'm not actually convinced i CAN beat it !

Now i've got to do the Box Hill climb today haven't I ....

(so give it a day to sink in ... and THEN smash* him !)

((*see my classifieds ad for ebike))