Again…i’m looking forward to this..but flats ain’t my forte…

I’m leaving my DT swiss wheels on, but switching to the tarmac sl7 frame…

Hopefully will get home from work early, so as to be able to have a nice long 100-150w warm up… honestly, 40 minutes of leg spinning before last race and I felt so much better than race 1.

Will try to get the twitch stream working again also..

DrP

I’m not sure on this one, yesterdays Sunday ride took a bit out of me, followed by a day reconstructing an old brick shed and roof, got some aches.

I can see handicapped with the usual crew, but I know all of them have more in the flatter races, I’m comparing to the first race of the series in France. Sometimes the hills help me, even though I’m no lightweight, as it gives me a break from the all out speed and I can pace myself.

I’ll see how it goes and if I’m struggling I’ll just drop in with a group accordingly, for me the fun outweighs the results!!

You can pick up with me on about lap 4 when I plow through your group a missile suddenly transformed into a whale.

@dangeourbrain – Can you update the GoFundMe link to state that all money raised from the series will go to Cardiac Risk in the Young Charity?

It should be on the description already but…

It should be in the description at this point but, in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young

It was suggested we raise a few bob for Robbo as a thank you for organising all this but he’s very kindly requested any funds raised go to charity.

So if you’ve a few pennies to spare and you’re enjoying Robbo’s efforts, chuck a few quid in the pot and it’ll go to CRitY on Robbo’s behalf at the end of the series.

Done!

Oh and Brian, I don’t believe you! I’m sure you will be plowing through, one or two laps ahead of us 😉

Balls, midday Crit race has bumped my FTP up to 282W. 12 W increase since last Sunday.

Well I’m planning on running home from the office this evening which will either make or break me Craig, I’m hoping for the former but given I hate running at the best of times and can’t remember the last time I did more than 10k let alone 10 miles I’m not expecting much.

That said I’ve got it easy tomorrow, lose no more than 8 seconds a lap to Mr revel and keep up with Phil and nixie to the line, sounds like a walk in the park, I might even have a few beers before hand.

Well done Chris, good increase! Your now 10 FTP ahead of me, looks like you are in for a handicap change!! 😉

I’m rooting for you Brian, I know you have it in ya!! And if not, then come and join me in a pootle.

Keep up? Don’t you need to beat us to the line :D.

I’m rooting for you Brian, I know you have it in ya!! And if not, then come and join me in a pootle.

Fortunately I’m working on the theory it’s a win so long as I enjoy it, so, assuming I can crawl onto my turbo tomorrow I’m happy.

Keep up? Don’t you need to beat us to the line :D.

Yeah, but I’m assuming my winning the sprint is a given…
I mean I’ve got to be better at something, right?
(that and I’m saving a hilarious joke for the final 100m in the hope you’ll be laughing too hard to breathe properly so I can sail past)

That said I’ve got it easy tomorrow, lose no more than 8 seconds a lap to Mr revel and keep up with Phil and nixie to the line, sounds like a walk in the park, I might even have a few beers before hand.

8s… jeeeez that’s not a lot… I’m thinking around 5:50 per lap will be about ball-park. My PR round ‘Mariokart’ is 5:26 i’d generally average 5:45 for an 8 lapper back in the day

https://www.strava.com/segments/14037363?filter=overall&gender=all

The fast STWers are 4:52 with big Phil at 5:07 for it… Howlett at 5:12

Cheers Brian – that will be a good result if we can raise some money for charity!

mrhoppy – you need to stop trying so hard! You seem to be really growing at the moment. I will double check but I don’t think that will change your handicap this week as I have grouped them more (if we were in the mountains however…)

midday Crit race has bumped my FTP up to 282W

Full Zwift FTP test lowered my FTP by 1W does that change my handicap 😀

Think my strategy tomorrow will be to try and hold Brian’s wheel. 🙂

I think we’ll be doing more like 5.30 tomorrow at the front. There aren’t enough to go much faster than that. The race I did on Sunday was in that ball park and we had a bigger group of As and an A+.

Yeah, but I’m assuming my winning the sprint is a given…

Is that before or after you kill your legs with a 10 mile run :D. I suck at sprinting so that’s not actually a bad plan (and hence why I don’t intend to be there for the sprint).

I will double check but I don’t think that will change your handicap this week as I have grouped them more

Feel free not to change it, I’m quite liking my handicap this week compared to the pack I finished round 1 with. 😉

(and hence why I don’t intend to be there for the sprint).

I feel your pain there, especially as it’s an uphill finish. But whether i can gap whatever riders i’m grouped with when i need to is very much open to debate.

Robbo, we got power ups ?

The fast STWers

In fairness I think the flat course sould be alright for me on paper*, I’ve not gone stalking but imagine nixie, TP, Charlie et al probably have the harder time of it as I’m guessing they’re all quite a bit lighter than Phil and I (and some of others) so unless their ftp is huge that’s a lot of w/kg to keep up with those of us at 300W plus.

*one of these days I’ll live up to my paper billing…

Is that before or after you kill your legs with a 10 mile run :D.

If I make the start line I’ll make the finish, admitedly I might be averaging 3w all the way round and 8-10 in the sprint but I *will* sprint the line.
(also running today will ruin my legs on Wednesday, tomorrow will be fine and I’ll think I’ve gotten away with it, that’s how running works)

I suck at sprinting so that’s not actually a bad plan (and hence why I don’t intend to be there for the sprint).

And I’ve never seen Phil sprint so I’m making the obvious logical leap he doesn’t.

Charlie might be the greatest sprinter ever but he’s like schrodinger’s cyclist. I can’t see him so I can’t know.

Yep power ups are available!

Not keen on the flat in Zwift, despite my 96kg. Might try pushing trainer difficulty right up, might help with the MTB gearing?
Its a 7 speed Dawes, I was tempted to use my road bike but that would mean dragging it upstairs etc.

A quick search suggests it only affects gradient changes so if it’s totally flat, I guess it’ll make no odds.

@snotrag – your handicap is 13:30. You should have the invite now.

I expect a C to potentially take this win – there are some decent power outputs in the C cats but weight holds back on the climbs. On this course this shouldn’t be as much of an issue so if they can hang on with a B pack gives a good opportunity.

Might try pushing trainer difficulty right up, might help with the MTB gearing?

Trainer difficulty shouldn’t effect the flat, it’s a % of difficulty of % gradient essentially so regardless of how high or low it is it makes no odds on a 0% incline. Its not supposed to increase the out and out resistance.

That said, it is zwift software so it likely doesn’t work as you’d expect nor as its supposed to.

I have no idea what to do this week. Last week I thoughted I’d pretty much aced it for what I can realistically achieve – I set a pretty quick pace from the off to try and discourage a few of the climbers, I set a PB on the KoM (347w average!) and then chased down Brian’s group on the decent and dropped most of them on the kicker at the end – all for 27th place!!!!

I think I need to dream up a Plan Z – none of the others have worked so far!

looking at the average wattage up that innsbruk climb is interesting…
Phil was 346, Gary Larger 335, and me 301…

I’m assuming you guys are in the 80kg + mark??

DrP

all for 27th place!!!!

@phil56 and if I’d wheezed up the climb 5s faster you’d have been 28th 😂

It’s a shame but the series thus far has not been favourable to faster, heavier riders. What is different about this week is laps – is it a viable strategy to ride as hard as possible i.e. unsustainably fast, until you can lap the slowest riders? At least that way you’ll be able to start drafting groups of riders as you pass through them, which is where the biggest gains come from (and which AFAIK Robbo’s algorithm doesn’t really take into account)?

I am a mere slip of a man at 93kg. Was looking forward to raging some Watts tomorrow but unfortunately have come down with the back to school ague, so don’t think I’ll be fit for it. Have a good one – will be a hard race.

looking at the average wattage up that innsbruk climb is interesting…
Phil was 346, Gary Larger 335, and me 301…

Look at the race average for a real giggle.

Phil managed 284 average to my 300 and still beat me.*

I made 324w up the hill @ 79kg, Got my pb but only managed to beat Phil over the top by 13 seconds.

I think roughly the same power and weight gap between you and me DrP and you put a huge chunk into me.

*I thunk there’s something very odd with the numbers, that or zwift really does hate me

I think I need to dream up a Plan Z – none of the others have worked so far!

As it goes I’ve a suspicion that – assuming I can manage the effort – I’ll do OK this week as it’s the course I like least. Tends to be the way.

is it a viable strategy to ride as hard as possible i.e. unsustainably fast, until you can lap the slowest riders? At least that way you’ll be able to start drafting groups of riders as you pass through them, which is where the biggest gains come from

I’d guess not – I’d guess that’s worse not better, getting stuck in the wrong draft could see you dropped completely if you’re unlucky. I’m thinking it’s going to need a bit of welly to leapfrog groups rather than risk getting stuck. I’m not expecting to be doing any lapping until at about half way either as the big bunch of C ish will be moving pretty quick because of their numbers compared to those out front. going all guns for 20 min or more would see me falling off way before the finish.

I’m not expecting to be doing any lapping until at about half way either as the big bunch of C ish will be moving pretty quick

You just need to look at the London Hare and Hounds we did, eventually we started getting wound in but it took a good long while.

My own tactics will be the same as every Zwift race, go like the clappers and try and stay with the leaders until I’m 95% cooked then drop to the next group that I can hopefully sustain for the duration and try not to get gapped on any kickers.

From my fag packet calculations, I’m no great mathematician,I can’t see a strong mixed B/C group doing 250/260w (lead) being lapped until towards the end of lap 7 or start of 8.

If it’s further into lap 8 a few strong riders may jump on and even if they get dropped up the hill to the finish will create a nice gap and a decent combined time.

I thunk there’s something very odd with the numbers, that or zwift really does hate me

Have you not turned off the “zwift bully me” function? DO that first… 😉

Do you think different wheels/bikes make a BIG difference too?

I was reading on zwiftinsider about the different frames etc..and they hark on about “frame X had 16 seconds over frame Y, on a 90 minute flat ride” etc etc… I eman, YES, that is faster, but it’s not ground breaking???
I guess every little helps!

DrP

Do you think different wheels/bikes make a BIG difference too?

Probably less than whether my lunch consisted of pie with salad or pie with pie.

Have you not turned off the “zwift bully me” function? DO that first… 😉

Whoa, you can turn that off? Every time I mouse over the slider the damn thing moves to somewhere else on the screen

Pretty much there is one attack point where it kicks up for a little bit on each lap from the strava segment. Is that pretty much it. Sorry didnt do much homework

Yeah, essentially speaking that’ll be where the light guys go. The heavy guys will go 1.5km earlier when leaving volcano on the run down to the S bend and Spanish galleon

Two surges per lap. Presumably Downhill less than up woth aboutba k in between. Got it cheers weeksy

Is that before or after you kill your legs with a 10 mile run :D.

Well I took the slightly less flat short cut as I definitely didn’t have the extra in my legs so a bit over 9mi in the end. It hasn’t actually killed me or my legs but I was slow may have been over confident thinking they’ll be fine tomorrow.

Proper enjoying the series and looking forward to tomorrow. I’ll be implementing my usual careful strategy of slogging my guts out until I get dropped, then repeat with the next group, and the next, and so on.

I tried something slightly radical last night and jumped on a road bike for it to test handlebar position. It was better in some ways worse in others, but i do like the way i can seem to respond to surges better on the roadie over the MTB. However i still had issues at 11km with the pace, i just couldn’t hold it and didn’t want to totally fry my legs before today, so called it a day.

It was lucky i tried the bike as it’s a mates bike and i found this.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jGGBc8]2020-09-15_07-53-33[/url] by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Properly seized headset, but happily one of my spare headsets was a nice flush fit, so installed that and it’s silky smooth again.

However, i’ll be back on the 29er tonight.. But may fit a new tyre on the turbo as the Tacx one is very much worse for wear. I don’t think it’ll help anything in a perofrmance context, but it’ll be a nice shiny one.