Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

Zwift constantly monitors your best 20minute power and will recommend you a new FTP when you save your ride if you have achieved a new high number.

Shake your mobile device whilst viewing riders on a shared activity and it will give you the option to Kudos all. That way you can stalk everyone!

Zwift constantly monitors your best 20minute power and will recommend you a new FTP when you save your ride if you have achieved a new high number.

A slight update - I made an error, looking on Strava the rider I was with was a lady rider called Barb from Montana. So I sent her kudos and hope she doesn't think I'm stalking from the UK!

Don't worry about it, it will be a hairy truck driver from Birmingham in reality.

Nathb, I'm still a Zwift virgin, yet to sign up. I'll give it a go when the Neo turns up.

was just looking at the results for the race I missed last night (KISS 2nd Base). the 'winner' averaged over ~5 W/Kg, there are numerous > 4 W/kg in a Cat C/D race. Zwift must be able to restrict entry to an event based on FTP & weight figures entered.

jam bo -
was just looking at the results for the race I missed last night (KISS 2nd Base). the 'winner' averaged over ~5 W/Kg, there are numerous > 4 W/kg in a Cat C/D race. Zwift must be able to restrict entry to an event based on FTP & weight figures entered.

They should be DQ'd soon.

Those pushing out over 5w/kg will be DQ'd & Zada'd soon too: http://zwiftblog.com/zada/

That's why I was asking my earlier question, about them just sitting at 2.49w/kg. I agree the FTP should automatically put you into the correct cat.

i know they'll get DQ'd on zwiftpower, but about 1/4 to 1/3 of the field get DQ'd on every race i've done so far.

It's a bit harder than blindly following FTP for categories - the chart at the bottom of the results page - note the secondary condition.
A 4.0wkg+ and 270w+ (20min)
B 3.2wkg+ and 225w+ (20min)
C 2.5wkg+ and 175w+ (20min)
D 1.0wkg+ and 135w+ (20min)

For very light or very heavy riders they can easily trigger one of the conditions without the other. I could ride at 3.7W/kg and still not trigger the second condition for Cat B. Its not outside the realms of possibility that someone shorter than me could break 4W/kg and remain classified as 'C'

This is why the results as such don't really worry me.

I just ride the best race i can at the time, try and beat whoever is the rider close to me at the line and hang on in front of whoever is trying to close me down.

Sure, it's nice to 'win' a race, but unless you actually finish first, IMO it's not a win. I won a race 2 weeks back and i think i finished 5th. But the rest were DQ'd.

I base my performances more on w/KG over the overall distance rather than anything else.

I think my issue is then it's really just a time trial with drafting then rather than a race.

Some races EVR last night for example require you to wear a HR strap and exceptional power from dumb trainers will be DQ'd.

They remain open to weight doping so its not perfect but close enough for me to feel like I'm in a proper race.

Zwiftpower race results also start to develop useful trends which can be used for analysis once you have sufficient races logged.

I think the cats are flawed for anything other than grouping a bunch of clones together. People's power curves and of course weights and heights are subtly or significantly different so it's possible to be a B for a 20 min race but a low C for a 1h30 climb up the Pretzal.
There's loads of threads on FB but Glen Knight from KISS gets pretty defensive and says 'it's the best we've got'.

For the Friday Criterium, I actually had a higher average power for the race (3.3) than my best 20minute power (3.1) despite it being a short race but this was because I blew up hanging with the A race (it's a mass start still), then sat up and waited for the next group for most of a lap, then attacked the final lap to secure the C cat win. But because the cats are based on best 20minute power x 0.95, this was absolutely fine.

Now racing is getting big numbers, I don't see any problem with raising the bar for entry a little in a few of the races. You could say that people need to have racked up at least 3 KISS races logged on ZP within the past month to get a genuine picture of their current ability and then keep the same 20 or 30 people grouped in a cat for the next month for example. At least that would give people a chance to improve without getting DQ'd.

The other, simpler option, is just to scrap cats and race the race for what it is! Then let people filter results however they like (like a Strava segment). Then you could keep adding filters until everyone's a winner 😀

What your suggesting would mean it takes longer to move up categories similar to how it works IRL. That would be frustrating for newbies so you would need some thing else for the first few races.

but equally its pretty demoralising in a Cat D race to be riding at the power limit so in theory competitive and have most of the field vanish up the road

That's why I said you need a few races on ZP before you can even enter. KISS do a great job of catering for the general public so there's room for another type of event that's more elitist but fairer.

The Friday Criterium grew from a C/D only series with very strict verification requirements. Alan Wyres has run the past 12 races or so as a series with a Lantern Rouge for the C cats and points based 'leagues' for all four cats. It's certainly helped keep my interest and has meant you get to find out your true competitors across a range of different distance/terrain events.

it's gone back up to £1k on Amazon, hopefully that means they'll be restocking soon

Timed that well! Did you order one too Zilog?

Yep, hopefully they dispatch it before I bottle it and cancel the order 🙂 I see the Kinetic Smart Power kit is available in a few places now, would be tempted by that as I have a Rock & Roll but the comments on the DCR article aren't very encouraging!

but equally its pretty demoralising in a Cat D race to be riding at the power limit so in theory competitive and have most of the field vanish up the road

Is that because they will go mad for short(ish) efforts. At the start of most race everyone appears to be on 4w/kg for a few minutes until it settles.

Pace events are better in that respect but even those are often well over the agreed power for some time but always seem to be about right over the whole event.

[quote=wilburt ]b
Is that because they will go mad for short(ish) efforts. At the start of most race everyone appears to be on 4w/kg for a few minutes until it settles.

the last D I did, on the road I came 25th or so out of 80 something. once the results had sorted out, i was joint 3rd and 12s off 1st.

One thing that'll never be the same as a real race is there'll always be someone to draft, even for the guy at the front or lone breakaways, people trying to cross over to the next pack, etc. They have implied the current work they're doing on Zwift will allow them to host multiple maps at the same time so maybe "serious" races might have their own island at some point!

You can change the world you're put into very simply by just changing some text in a settings file. So if say we wanted to host a STW ride we could arrange to meet on particular map then we'd pretty much have it all to ourselves. I don't see why races couldn't implement this too?

I saw this music stand in the [s]Waitrose[/s] Lidl catalogue this week - it could be perfect for supporting a laptop in front of a Zwift setup close to the bars...

[url= http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=1008 ]http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=1008[/url]

if its anything like the music stands I used in the school band, they can barely hold a few sheets of paper, let alone a laptop...

I base my performances more on w/KG over the overall distance rather than anything else.

I guess this is one of the main differences. In a real race you're trying to use as few a watts as possible most of the time.

I think the cats are flawed for anything other than grouping a bunch of clones together

What would be the problem with basing category on results and points?

You can change the world you're put into very simply by just changing some text in a settings file. So if say we wanted to host a STW ride we could arrange to meet on particular map then we'd pretty much have it all to ourselves.

I saw this music stand in the Waitrose Lidl catalogue this week - it could be perfect for supporting a laptop in front of a Zwift setup close to the bars...

Of course the ultimate solution is the Wahoo KICKR desk... sadly not available in the UK yet 😀 [img] [/img]

I don't know MrBlobby- it works well in the Friday Criterium series but everybody else seems dead against it. Glen Knight thinks it will cause more issues with sandbaggers than w/kg?

My biggest issue with categorising people by what they are rather than how they perform is that it kind of defeats the object of racing. Enter a genuine category, have a great breakthrough race and get DQ'd seems a silly way of doing things.

Eacing at 1pm. Hilly route!

Enter a genuine category, have a great breakthrough race and get DQ'd seems a silly way of doing things.

Eacing at 1pm. Hilly route!

Final stupid question, if someone is new and doesn't know their category. They won't be DQ'd for running as a Cat A and putting out Cat B/C/D W/KG? 🙄

Jeez. I need pull my finger out & get riding and/or lose weight!

I reckon I can just about maintain 2w/kg for any length of time.

Went on last night 'just riding' and aim to keep my heart rate around 155-160bpm.
If it gets much higher than that, I'm going at a pace I can't sustain for very long (10 mins, perhaps) and at the moment my heart rate takes ages to come back down....due to my lack of fitness, I guess.

Gonna just work on getting some regular rides in (either on Zwift or on the road) and then once my fitness starts coming up a bit start on a training plan of some sort.
Don't see the point of entering a race at the moment....be too demoralising..... 😆

Don't see the point of entering a race at the moment....be too demoralising.....

You're not a numpty if you are close to cat boundaries. If you get a pb 20minute power, then you should get a pat on the back and a podium not a slagging and a DQ.

It's why I think no cats would be better- you could just race whoever you end up with on the road pure and simple.

SUB2 pace events?

You may be surprised how much extra you can find when you're in a pack.

You're not a numpty if you are close to cat boundaries. If you get a pb 20minute power, then you should get a pat on the back and a podium not a slagging and a DQ.

Open cat race, 41st out of 59.,

2.4 w/kg which over that time is about my peak currently.

weeksy
Open cat race, 41st out of 59.,

2.4 w/kg which over that time is about my peak currently.

Congrats, is that Asia Tuesday?

Tempted to do the "KISS 10 TT" race on Wednesday night @ 8pm, anyone else?

ANT+ dongle arrived, 2240 & MBP now chatting happily away.

is that Asia Tuesday?

Yup.

Tempted to do the "KISS 10 TT" race on Wednesday night @ 8pm, anyone else

Yeah that's a potentially good shout for me that.

weeksy

Yeah that's a potentially good shout for me that.

See you there!

Going to try and make the start of the KISS Europe Race later this evening too. I've just added the "KISS (X)" to my surname in anticipation (If that's the way you do it 😳 ).

Yup, that's the way buddy... What Cat you going for ?

weeksy -
Yup, that's the way buddy... What Cat you going for ?

Ah good!

A. But I'm not convinced on my FTP test so I'm probably going to get spat out! 😳

It's 4x laps of the Watopia Hilly Route.

That wahoo desk is available in the UK

http://uk.wahoofitness.com/wahoo-fitness-standing-desk

Hilly Watopia is relentless! Sprint start, sprint up the KOM, sprint repeatedly through the Esses, Repeat 4x then Sprint for the finish 😀 Barely time for drafting let alone any kind of recovery.

That wahoo desk is available in the UK

😯 as overpriced as the kickr!

Sprint? What's this sprint you talk of!

zwifthacks.com has some quite neat tools. the live map tool looks quite useful, i'd been thinking it'd be useful to know where on track you are.

I was planning on doing the SUB2.5 ride tonight, as it was good last week, but apparently I have to go out for a meal instead 🙄

zwifthacks.com has some quite neat tools. the live map tool looks quite useful, i'd been thinking it'd be useful to know where on track you are.

Don't want to turn this into a willy waving thread so prevented posting last night, but need some ZWIFT advice.

I entered my first race last night (The kiss C/D referred to earlier) where I thought I was going to enjoy battling it out in the pack.

However I found myself at the front, and managed to stay there until the end, with an output of 3.59 w / kg. Obviously I was disqualified from the Cat D race.

Given that my height and weight are correct is it likely to be my dumb trainer? I have it set on the correct resistance (4 - which I can definitely feel when pedalling). I did the whole race in a high gear with a very low cadence (C70 rpm) so want working up much of a sweat.

I suppose I could just accept that I should be in Cat C but I am no racer, just a chubby middle aged accountant.

Is a smart trainer the only thing for it? Or should I just wind the resistance up a couple of notches?

3.59 is B cat lol. Have you got access to a Power Meter to help find the right setting?

Given that my height and weight are correct is it likely to be my dumb trainer? I have it set on the correct resistance (4 - which I can definitely feel when pedalling). I did the whole race in a high gear with a very low cadence (C70 rpm) so want working up much of a sweat.

I suppose I could just accept that I should be in Cat C but I am no racer, just a chubby middle aged accountant.

Is a smart trainer the only thing for it? Or should I just wind the resistance up a couple of notches?

Well, based upon your description, it's not sounding correct at the moment. To be putting out 3.59 you'd really have to be expecting to be pushing the front runners of a decent level MTB race... If you're not.. then something somewhere is wrong on your setup.

When you consider for example that Crosshair is doing a Cat4 race at the weekend and expecting to be dropped out of the pack, so not really a super racer, but he's putting out around 3.0w/kg....

I'm finishing about 1/2 way down a field in a fun race and putting out 2.5w/kg...

So to be sticking in 3.59 and not really sweating, well.. you really ought to be very very quick.

I find Strava a good indication. On a given route/section i'm about 50% of the pack, on Zwift, again, i'm about 50%... it's not scientific data, but i know i'm in the right ball park settings wise. It also helps that the bloke who owned my turbo (and still does) also ran a Power Meter which gave very close results to the Turbo.

Is a smart trainer the only thing for it?

Variable resistance magnetic trainers tend to be the lowest quality offerings, you don't need to get a smart trainer, but fluid trainers tend to be higher quality and have more predictable power curves. I expect there will also be quite a few decent quality second hand trainers around at the moment with the number of people upgrading to "smart" trainers.

Will crank the resistance up a notch, pump up my rear tyre and see how I get along tonight on the sub 2.5 group ride.

.....and keep an eye out for a smart trainer.....

I'm another 2 lb down this last few days, so taking the advantage of lowering my weight in Zwift and Strava, i've now dropped 17lb since starting this quest. Currently 15st 6.

Target is 15st 0 by Xmas eve when i head to the in-laws. Even if it means 4 hours a night for the 3 previous days when Mrs Weeksy is away, i WILL make 15st 0.

Ahem. I'm not EXPECTING to be dropped out of the pack thanks 😀 I'm expecting to ride off the front after lap three and lap everyone!!!!!

Good progress Weeksy, its this thread that's motivated me to give it a go.....

Just thinking about my issues, if the resistance is right then could it be an issue with my Garmin speed / cadence sensor? It has been mounted on the winter bike all summer not moving very far from the garage, so might it have "Forgotten" the speed for a given number of wheel revolutions, if you get my drift. I tend to use it in conjunction with a Garmin head unit which gives me speed whether or not I have the cadence sensor paired.

Also is there a manual input of rear wheel size?

.Ahem. I'm not EXPECTING to be dropped out of the pack thanks I'm expecting to ride off the front after lap three and lap everyone!!!!!

Oh, errrm. Lol

Also is there a manual input of rear wheel size?

Nope, using with a standard Road bike.

Is it worth going out for a real ride (heaven forbid) and let the speed / cadence sensor relearn revolutions for a given speed?

Will also check alignment and spacing of the magnet and sensor.

The speed sensor doesn't learn anything, it just counts/transmits how often the magnet passes by. The garmin head unit calculates a wheel size from this by comparing it to gps data, zwift (as above) calculates it from what it expects to be the diameter of a 700c 23mm tyre.

Okies, well that rules out the sensor thinking the wheel is a different size.

Think I'll have a play and make sure its all lined up correctly as looks like the wrong spacing between the Sensor and the magnet can give rogue readings, although last nights performance seemed to be a constant output rather than spikes.

crosshair
Ahem. I'm not EXPECTING to be dropped out of the pack thanks I'm expecting to ride off the front after lap three and lap everyone!!!!!

I'll keep an eye out! 8)

I need to man up and join you...

In terms of zwift I'm pretty much set to join the KISS race tonight, anyone joining?

Maybe you're just really fast Harry.

As a point of refrence I'm a middle age middle weight bloke but did a load of miles last year and frequently had 50 plus miles ride at or just above 20mph average and managed the PRL in 5h 11m (I was hoping for sub 5h).

I'm usually low cat c 2.6/7 w/kg which I think is about correct.

My PRL time was 5h13 and I was about 2.7 then so that's a good reference I think 🙂

Well p%*{*} off. At 7:50 I plugged my turbo trainer into the wall in the garage and somehow it blew the fuse in the routers wall socket on the other side of the wall. By the time I'd found an extension cord and the router had booted up I'd missed the start by 2 mins. Was really looking forward it too!!!! Next time I'm giving myself 20 mins+ to get ready.

I'll keep an eye out!

I need to man up and join you...

😉 I'll probably be the rolling roadblock being asked to leave the track but am ignorant enough to hope not 😀

I start races an hour before. Just in case there's a Zwift update or Windows goes haywire. Then I double check my name tag on the app before logging in and warm up for 30 mins. I join the race as soon as it's offered to secure a front row spot and then faff around with water, fan speed and winding mates up on group chat. With ten to go I either set Nathan Guerra's Beam feed going or my race playlist on iTunes or occasionally Discord for team chat.
Then it's another quick spin of the legs. With one min to go, I try and hit race pace then with ten seconds left, ramp up to a full on sprint so I'm at 700-900w when the race starts.

Well that seems to have sorted it......

Had a play with the resistance, gave it a few cycles, tightened the roller, lined up the magnet correctly and tight to the sensor arm.

Noticed the difference as soon as I started and fell off the back of the KISS (D) ride tonight when last night I was in the front from the start.

Tried to get back up the start and blew up, best 60 seconds was the more realistic 235w (<2.9 w/kg) rather than nearly 400 (5w/kg) yesterday.

Certainly closer to the mark!

crosshair -
I'll probably be the rolling roadblock being asked to leave the track but am ignorant enough to hope not

Haha you'll be fine!

I start races an hour before. Just in case there's a Zwift update or Windows goes haywire. Then I double check my name tag on the app before logging in and warm up for 30 mins. I join the race as soon as it's offered to secure a front row spot and then faff around with water, fan speed and winding mates up on group chat. With ten to go I either set Nathan Guerra's Beam feed going or my race playlist on iTunes or occasionally Discord for team chat.
Then it's another quick spin of the legs. With one min to go, I try and hit race pace then with ten seconds left, ramp up to a full on sprint so I'm at 700-900w when the race starts.

Okay lesson learned! I'll try again tomorrow night for the KISS TT event.
I did an angry 15 miler 😛

I'm at 700-900w when the race starts

crosshair - Member
I start races an hour before. Just in case there's a Zwift update or Windows goes haywire. Then I double check my name tag on the app before logging in and warm up for 30 mins. I join the race as soon as it's offered to secure a front row spot and then faff around with water, fan speed and winding mates up on group chat. With ten to go I either set Nathan Guerra's Beam feed going or my race playlist on iTunes or occasionally Discord for team chat.
Then it's another quick spin of the legs. With one min to go, I try and hit race pace then with ten seconds left, ramp up to a full on sprint so I'm at 700-900w when the race starts.

That's almost exactly what I do other than with about 10 seconds to go I start wondering if my other headphones might be better, with 5 seconds to go I decide to change... then I miss the start and the 900watt sprint is to try and catch the 2nd to last rider. 🙁

Does anyone have some sort of cheap out front mount for an iphone that doesn't need a case that is meant to be permanent.

scaredypants -
I'm at 700-900w when the race starts
what, really or are you taking the piss ? That'd be a full-on sprint for me and even then 900 isn't coming to a screen near me any time soon. No way I could finish a ride that started like that. What category are you ?

I don't think there is any resistance until the countdown hits 0?
Have a look at your best 5 seconds, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

My best 5s ever is 570w.... i can't sprint... either i can't or my turbo doesn't suit sprinting, either way, 570w is as good as it gets for me.

I don't think there is any resistance until the countdown hits 0?
Have a look at your best 5 seconds, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

No not taking the piss.

From last week's Friday Criterium measured with a Stages:

[img] https://flic.kr/p/Nvgq8v [/img]

I'm a C 🙂

(Edit- pic to follow! What's happened to photobucket!!!!)

What's happened to photobucket

It's tuned into a bloody slow advert ridden spunkfest of nightmare proportions... Takes forever these days to do anything useful !

I tried on my 34" jeans last night, they're my incentive jeans and my target... They also showed i've got a fair bit to go yet. I don't think even at my best ever recent weight they were particularly a decent fit on the waitline, but then again, they were an incentive back then too.. I rekon i'm about 1" from getting on without holding my breath and 2" from actually fitting.

My longer term weight goal is 14st 0, where i think they'll fit perfectly... but that goal i think will be pretty hard to reach.

However, if i can actually maintain my power, my speed/performance will be brilliant with that weight !

Grrr. Ran out of editing time.

[img] [/img]