Ended up 12th. My average a bit down around 10watts from the last couple of races but I expected that. The top 10 in C all averaged 3-3.1 w/kg. I’m a long way off that until I can drop 10-15kgs. So even at my usual I wouldn’t have finished much higher.
I wonder if zwift was affecting my race today then as it seems to have had a few glitches. I am not back on zwift till thursday so will see if its any different then.
Muggo there does appear to be a lot of riders in the wrong category at the minute. Looking over results this past week and i have never seen so many upgrades and dq’s.
Let's see what happens!
Just dropped in on weeksy - looks like he's been picked on by some smaller boys and is in classic nomansland territory between 1st and 2nd groups
C'mon WEEKSY, kick their li'l arses !
He’s doing good. That was just like me earlier. It’s nasty to be giving it all and see the gap extending from the group in front and reducing to the group behind.
tell me about it - premonition for me at 8.00 🙁
He just took the sprint from his grp of 3 though. Good lad
/stalky
Went about as well as I could expect really. Held my own on the hill on lap 1, was in a several man battle. Dragged a couple back on next flat section, then lost them on hill lap2. Pulled one guy back and was caught from behind by 2, so a group of 4, then one shot off at 4+.
So we were 3. I then lost 5s on the final of the big climbs, but pulled them both back on flat. Sat behind to recover for 500m and then kicked for the line with 350m. Put in about 550w and hung on.
Average of 280w which is back to almost my peak, certainly for a 55min event.
Set a PR for the lap and the climb. So can't grumble.
well played weeksy - "one" could easily have let them get away on that last climb
Nice one weeksy!!
Good work Weeksy.
one of the DQ Cs was pulling 3.8 w/kg 😀
Uh oh, some of the DQs are my fellow team mates - in our own race series!
Results not final though so they always change...
What everyone’s plans for Wednesday?
Don't know yet muggo, I was close to cramping a few times in that one, I think caused by hills, so will have to see how legs are.
I’m thinking either SZR at 6pm the WBR hilly 3 lapper at 5:05pm. The SZR has 50 people signed up already and it’s a flat course so that’s favourite for me ATM.
Blimey you don't look at the thread for a few hours and it's moved on 2 pages!
Yeah Weeksy, the ride summary says that the rubber banding only stops if you stop pedaling completely. Not sure what the benefit of the group is other than the knowledge that some poor bastard in Japan in going through the same VO2Max hell as you
Having done a zwift workout today that is exactly what it is. You simply get to share the pain while doing your own workout. Everyone stays together regardless of level. I would recommend calibrating your trainer first.
as per my earlier, post, i uploaded the ride to strava
[url= https://preview.ibb.co/j25wi6/Screen_Shot_2017_10_17_at_20_15_34.pn g" target="_blank">https://preview.ibb.co/j25wi6/Screen_Shot_2017_10_17_at_20_15_34.pn g"/> [/img][/url]
clearly something happens after the mountain
I got a stitch and died 😆
That route is brutal, as it was a large group it was attack after attack.
Think I got 10th...
I don't think you quite grasp how good 10th in A is when your write up makes it sound like you think you failed lol
Nathb i was watching you (stalking) and that group went for it with over a mile still left to go. I thought you did well catching them just before all that as i think you were about 5 secs behind. A few watt bombs being dropped in true nathb style which is always a pleasure to watch.
Scaredypants was in a good race in B group as i stalked him for a while too, he dropped a couple of watt bombs too. It looked like he did his sprint too early and may have been caught just before the line but it was hard to tell as it was crowded.
Good work fellas, kinda enjoyed watching that, tried pedalling for you at times.
Bloody hell well done Nath! What I especially like is being a similar weight to you, I am only 140 watts behind in ability 🙂
Eyesight's not what it used to be - thought it said 0.4km but think probably 0.9 😳It looked like he did his sprint too early and may have been caught just before the line
Only had a feather though, so figured I'd go relatively early, blader-style !
(who's "P Bayles STW" then ?? - kicked my arse good & proper)
Scaredypants - when i saw you laying down that power so far out i was thinking if i am going to beat you then i best get it done long before the sprint happens. Looked like you were climbing pretty good tonight.
Smartypants - p bayles here. Bit of a forum lurker rather than poster. Arse kicking not intentional - got carried away with racing on first lap and ended up on my own for next 2 1\2 laps. Felt sick at the end!
I couldn’t be arsed to race so I did the 40km diamond back challenge on the TT bike. God it was dull.
Back to racing next time.
Nice races guys!
Sorry but you'll being far too kind, I should have done better - the race was a shower of **** for me.
Not sure why but my back was killing making the climb very hard, and then the stitch 2 miles out was the icing on the cake.
Anyway, onwards and upwards - I'll try again on Thursday night 😆
My Bayles joins us on our Sunday group rides, nice to know your forum handle now too!
you did well to stay away peesbee - we were travelling reasonably fast in a bunch of 10 or so
(I see you got bumped - by 0.04w/kg 🙁 )
jam bo, I thought about doing that challenge but have you seen the prize?
**** me, you'd have to have some front to ride round on that!
Just realized I could have used power ups! Think I would have been below 4 drafting in a group.
Good racing guys. Nath- eat some Carbs 😆
I had an afternoon free so I went to Hillingdon and did my intervals in real life. Then I drove home, ate some grub and spotted a thread on FB saying that some TFC guys were heading to the Zwift Live event at Bristol. Sod it!
So back in the car and the other way down the M4 with my legs still quivering.
What a nice event! My main man Jesper was hosting and doing an epic job. Four bikes on Kickrs were set up and a couple of hundred people milled in and out on a rolling basis.
The challenge is just the Hilly KOM (the short and sweet one 😉 ). Best time for the series wins a Kickr and goodies and stuff. Best time so far is 1.36!
A JLT rider was there but even he couldn't touch that.
The banter heated up as Jesper poked the mic in my face and interviewed me and I prepared for battle with little warm up! My PB set at home on my Stages/Snap combo is 1.56 but would the pressure and the intervals in my legs get to me!
With all four TFC guys on the bikes at once, we set off and I was doing 750w until the second bend 😆
The inevitable re-balance occurred and I shifted gears and position to shuttle Lactate. It really really hurt!
A token but ineffective sprint to the line and I thrashed the TFC C guys with....... 1.56 😆
A fun evening!
With my wife finding the whole Zwift thing another mildly amusing temporary fixation of her greying yet in-denial husband I feel the need to join in the conversation, so I don't start talking to myself about how awful or awesome my last ride/race was.
It all started so innocently, with my son's dh season written off (possibly more than his season) with a complicated elbow break. To help his recovery/keep him motivated while the bones did the knitting thing, I bought an Elite Qubo from Wiggle for much cheapnness. Couldn't get it to work (wrong ANT I now know) and by the time I'd upgraded the firmware and got it working he had completely lost his dh mojo, started pinging about on his bmx and I had a pristine, ridden-once smart turbo trainer. Thus it began...
Fast forward to now - and off the back of Zwift I'm back out on the road bike and contemplating all sorts of idiocy like enduros and road racing and slinging my leg over a track bike for the first time in a long(ish) while.
Anyway, say hello if you see my pixellated version out there - I'm racing Cat B and taking a kicking on the hills but hanging in there, under the admittedly odd name of M ezimov (although my first name is not 'M' and second is certainly not 'ezimov'. Cheers all!
I've spoken to my family about Zwift and race results, they are of the opinion that it's similar to someone playing on the xbox talking about how they won free for all on CoD. In other words, no one cares other than the people who play these games. So you are among friends here 🙂
Just looked at my results on ZP and I think I may have done myself a disservice with my opinion of my performance yesterday. I last did that race on 7th Oct and it took me 1:07:30, 95% - 2.32w/kg and 20m - 276w. Yesterday I completed the race in 1:05:08, 95% - 2.52w/kg and 20m 300w.
I think because I faded during the middle and parts of my body were really hurting I felt I hadn't done as well. Thank god for stats 😀
Welcome Mezimoz 🙂 Look forward to hanging with you for some of the early parts of the rides until the B power takes over 🙂
Muggo
276w and a 1:05 is a long way from terrible matey ! I did a 1:11 last week ! So you're in good company...
SZR tonight at 6pm then, 3 laps Volcano flat reverse guys.... This is one of my very well known rides, it's probably the layout i've raced the most, so my stats will be very telling. Although as we know, the dynamics of the groups can affect them hugely. But i feel happy that my flat speed will hold me in the majority of C groups for flat sections, just need to kick on hard on the couple of minor inclines and i should be somewhere in the mix on the last lap. I often struggle on the last lap despite being in a comfortable place for the previous laps, but once we get to a certain HR/power, that's where the big boys find the extra. But, lets see what we've got in there !
Welcome guys!
Okay still scraped some points, but should have been 3rd 😆 http://www.zwiftrankings.com/vcr/client/result/13459/34068/2017r10/all/1/1/0/0/1/1
And no to carbs & sugar CH 😆 but congrats on the hill climb!!
Due to my DNF's i think i'm likely the lowest rank decent C rider LOL. I've got <900 points. Last nights race gave me a +10. But it's harder down at the lower end. Winners in C generally get 20-30 points but anything outside the top 10 can easily see you in a negative.
I'm hoping now we're back on the Isaac that more of my races at the moment will be + rather than - numbers.... but to get any sort of ranking back i really need a magical reset.
I think field size plays a factor which means the race tonight, assuming i have a reasonable result may help me out.
Can I ask an etiquette question?
If your normal performance is Cat B, but because you've tired or whatever, is it considered bad form to enter as a Cat C and have a lazy race? Or is that OK?
In the grand scheme of things it's not 'allowed' however, i'm not sure it's ever enforced.
Techincally due to one short race, i ended up being upgraded to a B in that race, but no-one has ever questioned me continuing to race as a C.
I don't know how peoples minds work on this though, i just race the bikes around me, i don't actually care what they normally ride in, what group they should be in or whether their weight has changed dramatically.
If your normal performance is Cat B, but because you've tired or whatever, is it considered bad form to enter as a Cat C and have a lazy race? Or is that OK?
Straight to Watopia jail if you get found out 😀
Did the Flanders C race yesterday, forgot how painful Watopia Hilly was, ended up in the 2nd group after 1 lap and stayed there for the duration, constantly sparring with a good bunch of riders.
The rules are ftp/kg so most people are racing a little lower than they should. If you are hitting close to Cat boundaries regularly in a race then likely with a little rest and a focussed test- you'd be over.
The enforcement of course is based on race performance though so you can do it if you don't go over.
Nath- 😆 😛
I'm going to try zwift this winter but current laptop graphics aren't good enough. I found this which looks like it meets minimum spec but am I better to spend a bit more, pretty much only used for zwift? The spec says it is Intel Core i5 3rd Gen 2.6GHz, Intel HD 4000 Graphics, 6Gb Ram and 320Gb HighSpeed HDD.
I can't link it for some reason. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Comes-Boxed-Gaming-Laptop-Lenovo-Intel-HD-4000-Intel-Core-i5-6Gb-Ram-/262968288665?hash=item3d3a21a599
I see your point CH but I think they work OK with "racing FTP" - categories are fairly evenly populated, I think (?)The rules are ftp/kg so most people are racing a little lower than they should
A is the broadest spread I guess - must be a bugger if you can run flat out at 4.1 and see a load of cat A big hitters rolling up to the dock who're capable of 5+. Maybe an elite cat for 4.7+, even if they still started with the As (immaterial to me, though you're all invited to the party the day I hit 4.1 !!)
Yeah- they're okay unless you're an outlier. Its gonna take me a LONG time to get to Cat A- with a lot of upper body mass, my FTP needs to get to 345+ 😮
But on a flat course, I can hang with them now....
I'm honestly not convinced i'm ever going to make it to B. On an optimistic day i MAY be able to squeeze 290w average for a decent length race, so on a REALLY good day i may make somewhere near Cat limits.
But without dropping 5-10kg i can't see my just simply making more power by luck/chance.
I accept that doing some structured training and FTP building, Over-under may make that happen, but there's no world in which we live where i'm doing them.
I need to gain 25w or lose 6kg for 4.1
Doubt either's happening, nor a big enough bit of each at my age
(and if it did I'd be flat last every race). Quite liking mid-pack B if truth be told
(and if it did I'd be flat last every race). Quite liking mid-pack B if truth be told
That's the problem isn't it at times. If i'm at peak form, i'm borderline B... but when i check B results, every race i'd be pushing up the back of the field, maybe not last, but in say a 30 field, i'm finishing 28th. Or if on form, i'm finishing somewhere in the pack of the C front runners..... You can imagine which is more exciting.
So now you understand why I'm not in any rush to get my Cat 3 license 😉
Until I'm a big fish in a small pond, I want to keep my armbands on 😆
I am planning on doing the SZR race at 6pm Weeksy.
My back is really sore today though, but didn’t hurt too bad while racing yesterday evening, so didn’t affect me too much. Not sure it’s helping it get better though so maybe I should rest, but resting is boring.
muggomagic - Member
I am planning on doing the SZR race at 6pm Weeksy.
My back is really sore today though, but didn’t hurt too bad while racing yesterday evening, so didn’t affect me too much. Not sure it’s helping it get better though so maybe I should rest, but resting is boring.
Looks a good field, so even if we lose a group, we shouldn't be out there alone. With both our powers/flat speed, we should be hanging with most apart from the odd DQ. Big task is going to be the first little climb after the pier.... If we can hang with a bunch of Bs up there, then we're in with a chance of gapping some C groups behind. So my plan is to hammer the first KM, then after the climb you've got the swoop down to the Volcano circuit proper, hope to recover on that for a few mine.
That's my theory.
Sounds good. I don’t know this course too well so I’ll try and follow your lead.
Without getting too nerdy, it's not quite flat....
You've got the kicker up after the start line each lap, which isn't too bad. Then you've got the one out of the glass tube which is common on watopia courses, that's about 1.6km from the line, which is where a few break aways late on happen. You've also got the one at the village, which is a bit longer as it comes up from the volcano, but is only 2-3% so you can still generally hang as i think you still get a little bit of drafting effect.
My plans rarely work out in Zwift lol, but i set out with them all in my mind.
The one thing i've found lately is even with a 2-3 man group, breaking away from a set of riders is properly tough. Last night i caught 6s on a bunch of guys, it may have even been 8s at one stage, so i was clearly quick enough. But i could barely even pass them, let alone break them.
I rekon you need to be putting out 1w/kg more than the other riders to break the tow.
Dirtygirlonabike - if i remember rightly that HD4000 graphics card is the bare minimum needed if it hasnt changed in the last year or so. If zwift changes in any way that requires a better spec then you may get stuck as i think that card is embedded and thus cant be changed (i doubt zwift will change very much so this is an unlikely scenario but worth noting). What trainer do you have as if its bluetooth enabled you could get a refurbed ipad for that budget?
muggomagic - Member
I am planning on doing the SZR race at 6pm Weeksy
Planning to do this race too, need to finish well before 7pm so the mrs. can do the Women's academy ride 8)
Is this course harder than Greater London Flat?
Using my power meter with a Cycleops jet 2 fluid or kurt kinetic rock n roll. Struggled to find any cheap ipads so gave up on that option. Is it better to get higher standard graphics card then if its just bare minimum?
I might join you guys later on the SZR, but bare in mind, flat is far from my forte (get excuses out of the way now). I'll try and contribute, but no guarantees 🙄
Looking like a decent field so far
Personally don't notice quality of the picture and don't think it affects my enjoyment of the process (I view it on a big screen but it's a telly, so low-res anyway, regardless of card). As blader suggests, "failure to run" would make you cross, thoughIs it better to get higher standard graphics card then if its just bare minimum?
I watched last nights race on the tube this morning (my back has properly gone & it's raining).
It was really about team work last night, and there was none from my team (by which I mean no coms between any of us). So I feel slightly better for that!
I'm going to try do some stalking later/tomorrow and watch you guys race for a change.
P.s. Thanks for the kind words/support!!
DGOAB - I thinl "all" you need is decent graphics. I'm certain my zwift pc doesn't have a processor anywhere near as posh as that one you found.
Lower overall spec without integrated graphics and a cheap separate card??
Planning to do this race too, need to finish well before 7pm so the mrs. can do the Women's academy ride
Last time i did it in July i won the C race with a 56min 56.
Well before 7 may be optimistic 🙂
https://www.strava.com/activities/1059421244/segments/26057512893
Last time i did it in July i won the C race with a 56min 56.
Ooft and held a 273W avg...definitely looks harder than London
Still not raced.
Too many disruptions to risk putting the effort in only to drop out part way through. Still got some pedaling in which is something.
Ooft and held a 273W avg...definitely looks harder than London
I doubt i'll be quite that good today... .I'll try... but it's optimistic 🙂
c'mon - everybody loves a nice warm saddle 😀56min 56.
Well before 7 may be optimistic
Changing the subject slightly, has anyone gone to the zwift tour?
I'm going to the one in tunbridge wells didn't know what to expect
leeroy, see CH's post ontheprevious page about Bristol
(then again, CH is a zwift megastar of some sort 😉 )
Lol! Nah, that's reserved for the likes of Rachael Elliot who got a GCN Wattage Bazooka this week for a KISS race performance 😮
Yeah she won the race i was in the other night.
Cheers , I pop in for a hour of so hopefully grab some freebies !
No chance of winning that KOM
I got a Zwift bottle. Some people had a different bottle too. Great atmosphere!
I’m in for tonight at 6pm. Just received full clearance (Mrs said she didn’t mind doing dinner again so long as I walk the dog when I get in 🙂 )
My back is beginning to piss me off now though, as it really does hurt. I’ve hopefully timed the painkillers right so I can have them about 5:30.
I weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost another 2kg so that’ll help a bit tonight. It’s all about the marginal gains 😆
dammit, totally forgot about that! Was considering going. I'm in Kent but TW is a bit of a mission for me, busy now anyway!I'm going to the one in tunbridge wells didn't know what to expect
By Eck that's a field tonight! 76 in C. Drafting central. May need a plan B.
FFS, 59 kg and still produces 10-15% more power than me 😀the likes of Rachael Elliot
One less in Cat C Weeksy. My back is knackered no point in racing tonight so I’m going to see about putting that 2kg back on and rest up. Hopefully a night off will see me back to normal tomorrow.
I may try a bit of stalking/watching tonight so good luck to the peeps that are racing.
I have just realised why my sprint is almost always the same watts, my trainer is limited to 800w so i am now wondering whether i am hitting the limit or if i have an amazingly consistant 796w sprint!
scaredypants - Member
I see your point CH but I think they work OK with "racing FTP" - categories are fairly evenly populated, I think (?)
A is the broadest spread I guess - must be a bugger if you can run flat out at 4.1 and see a load of cat A big hitters rolling up to the dock who're capable of 5+. Maybe an elite cat for 4.7+, even if they still started with the As (immaterial to me, though you're all invited to the party the day I hit 4.1 !!)
There’s no hiding in A, it’s stull open to cheating but that’s equipment/input manipulation. Lower cats are a bit more open to manipulation (sandbagging)
I don’t find racing against 5.0w/kg Zada approved riders disheartening... Reason being is when they open up, so does everyone else, which means everyone’s knackered together and therefore there are normally less attacks in the remainder of the race. Which suits lone riders like me. Where as in races without big hitters team tactics are more prevelant and you’ll literally be hung out to dry trying to chase down “attacks”.
Did my first race last night, went straight in for the cat A. Stupidly short at 6.5 miles but it was the only one I could fit in. Started fast and two riders went off into the distance. Tried to bridge but blew and then sat in. Took 4th out of the bunch in the sprint. Turns out that was 4th overall as the two riders who took off were Zpower and knocking out 7+ w/kg.
Tired legs having raced twice at the weekend and ridden on Monday so I was happy with that. 4.01W/kg average but FTP about 40W down on fresh legs.
Need to get my roadie rather than CX bike setup when it is back from the shop. Then I'm looking forward to a winter of racing online. Addictive stuff.
IS there a STW group ride at any time. I did notice a STW team on zwiftpower.
nath, you don't mind them doing 5w/kg bevcause you're doing close to 5 anyway aren't you ?
*gulp*Turns out that was 4th overall
yeh, it's just people typing it into the relevant bit of their profile (lot of folk also add it into their screen name)I did notice a STW team on zwiftpower
The game has been raised on Zwift for sure.
Last time i raced it i won on 57:58
Today was 55:00 and i was a millionth
https://www.strava.com/activities/1236404253
Too tired to look, i may puke !
Phew, didn't see you at all Weeksy, you must have shot off!
I set off hard, as always, and tried to keep up with who I thought was the first group and a few Bs. Ended up splitting in two about half way around the first lap, with the faster boys heading off with a few Bs. I sat with the slower group for a bit until another group shot past and I clung onto the back/middle of them for the remainder of the race. We were steadily winding in a small group until just before the pier of the last lap when they just properly put the hammer down and dissipated.
Tried to make the most of my climbing and then rested briefly on the downhills, but some of the bigger riders just leave me for dead on the flat. Pushed hard on the last lap out of the tunnel, and ended up chasing down a guy who sped off putting out about 7w/kg. Sort of stuck with him until we got to the sea front but, much like in London the other day, I went too early and blew up about 50m before the finish.
No idea where I came, Zwift Power doesn't have all the results up yet.
Also, I think I need to change the battery in my HRM, apparently my average HR was 102......I think not 🙄