STW Zwift Autumn Series 2

If people want to donate then happy to suggest a charity but dont want that to be an expectation of the races.

Handicaps for this week are live. No one should be completing this one in under an hour.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iTgJtFVOo3QzWHBY8iS-D2s2a52AB3awdMBMRtyWpNM/edit#gid=39149357

Apologies if I’ve missed it, but what’s the course for Tuesday?
Just looked at the handicaps and wanted to check they were correct, Robbo it has you and Ivan ahead of me and Kirky the same. I’m sure there used to be a minute or so difference? (Me giving you guys time not the other way around)
My current FTP is 261 and 69kgs.
Not sure if it’s pan flat then that moves you guys up?

From page 1

Race 3 – 17th November – Greater London Flat (3 laps)
40.8km distance, 164m of climbing
Something a little flatter but also a little longer. Fast speeds should mean that this just goes over the hour mark. 1 place to pick up sprint points.

No one should be completing this one in under an hour.

Handicap time or moving time?

Moving time – if you and Phil get a good group you might keep up 40kph but it will be close. Sounds like you are taking that as a challenge!

W00dster – I have a high ftp and high mass. This route is flat so in theory the weight shouldn’t matter and my power should allow me to stay up with some faster guys – we will see though!

Sounds like you are taking that as a challenge!

🙂 Sounds like a challenge. Done 3 laps in 53 minutes before and 2 in 38. Should be possible in under the hour as long as there are 3 or 4 working.

Is that 3 laps including the 7k lead in though?

Yeap https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=232208

First race I’ll probably be missing unfortunately

Mojo has well and truly been lost on bike recently, so much so that last couple of races I’ve just not really looked forward to, they’ve felt like a chore which they shouldn’t be. I think I need to actually ride my bike outside for a change rather than spend all my time on turbo.

Coupled with my body causing me a few issues I reckon taking a week or 3 off ain’t a bad idea. Although I may have to force myself back for the summit finish race, whenever that is.

Bugger, just got an ftp increase to 311 and I think DQ’d from the last race.
On the bright side i’m a mere 95kg now

thats a big FTP jump @jamesoz I have updated your handicap for you. You are showing as not coming on Tuesday – is that right? If not let me know and I will resend invite!

@tpbiker – summit finish is the final race. Ill keep you on the invites each week in case you change your mind or get your mojo back.

thats a big FTP jump @jamesoz I have updated your handicap for you. You are showing as not coming on Tuesday – is that right? If not let me know and I will resend invite!

Yeah, I was surprised but I averaged too much up the Alpe apparently.

Another invite would be great thanks, not sure why they keep showing as not going. Maybe it’s my subconscious.

Yeah, I was surprised but I averaged too much up the Alpe apparently

Break the hour??

I got the badge, so I guess so.
3.33wkg which I guess is why I was DQ’d.

Not wanting to start a big debate but how are we starting on Tuesday ?

Not wanting to start a big debate but how are we starting on Tuesday ?

Now you’ve done it! 😜😜

Not wanting to start a big debate but how are we starting on Tuesday ?

Hard and fast 😜.

Not wanting to start a big debate but how are we starting on Tuesday ?

Alphabetical order on forum username…everyone starts changing there username!

Didn’t know it was an ITT😜

Well I got reinstated, now classified C nearly B apparently. I had now idea there was such a thing, sort of C+, reminds me of school. Looking forward to having my arse handed to me on tuesday, I hate flat races.

I hate flat races

Me too. It’s very hard to drop people with similar or more power but a bit more mass. The lead in climb is going to be crazy, as are the 3 times through the underpass.

I love flat races, but due to the evening race times i’m calling it a day on the series. Just sort of breaks into family time and ‘me’ time so will ride in the daytime i’m sorry to say.

I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the thread and results though 😀

The lead in climb is going to be crazy, as are the 3 times through the underpass.

yeh about that…would appear for a group meet-up you spawn on the Mall…will leave race as it is as the intention is for 40 flat km to add a bit of endurance to the proceedings but we will likely do 3.5 laps instead of the lead plus 3 laps. Wont change too much though – just look out for the blue banner/distance countdown for the finish.

That’ll deffo suit the power/heavy guys !

Gah!

oh well.

you’re gonna have to find a watt bomb out of the underpass Nixie…. then through the 3% drag afterwards too.

Robbo… My FTP is now 270..
Sorry cos you’ve made the handicaps already.. TBH i THINK it WAS 269, so prob no major change if you just left it i guess?

DrP

DrP – 1 W won’t make a difference – the times are rounded so the few seconds difference won’t matter I don’t think. Is that 1W with your new power meter? 😉

I feel tomorrow’s route will be hard work for me. The flat section of last week’s was really hard going….trying my hardest & managing to make no ground whatsoever to the bloke up the road 🙂

I went on the turbo on Saturday & tried to spend the time working on getting my cadence up on the flat – I did appear to get a bit more power out (maybe) by spinning faster – it’s just reminding my legs to get on with it.

It’ll be good to do a slightly longer distance & see what happens! Just need to check that Bake Off is set to record…

Enjoy folks but I’m out for this week, going to do what I should have done when the lurgy first appeared a few weeks ago and take a week off rather than taking the if I can walk I can race* approach.

The flat section of last week’s was really hard going….trying my hardest & managing to make no ground whatsoever to the bloke up the road

Flat races are just about not letting that bloke get up the road in the first place.
The mixed cats format in Robbo’s Races really suits hangers-on on the flat, makes it very hard work to be the bloke up the road trying to stay ahead of a bunch.

Is that 1W with your new power meter?

Heck yeah!!!
Money well spent I say!!!!
;-D

DrP

you’re gonna have to find a watt bomb out of the underpass Nixie

Sadly all out of those at the moment 😅. The current stock seem to blow up prematurely if used.

Having rotated out of the ZRL for a week – I’m in.

Looking forward to it, although my trainer which has decided not to power on..

dangeourbrain

Flat races are just about not letting that bloke get up the road in the first place.

It’s not like I haven’t tried that 😉

I found it interesting riding ‘on my own’ on Zwift this Saturday just gone.
I was starting to get the impression from riding in this race series or on the Sunday hills etc. that I was massively unfit & slow on the bike etc. and that this was all a bit futile as it seems like such a long way to the next person up the road in terms of required fitness gains.
But, with >9000 other Zwifters I was hardly overtaken. Perhaps once every 10 minutes or so, with a couple of groups flying past in a draft.
I guess a normal Zwift ride encompasses a much larger section of the cycling world & it made me feel a bit less unfit & useless than I have been feeling! I’m sure that’ll change tomorrow 🙂

@stumpy01 with the free ride option on Zwift you’re going to get a lot of people who are casual riders not racers, also people doing recovery rides etc or just not going balls out for whatever reason – whereas in any race EVERYONE is going to be giving it 100%, so you can’t really compare the two. Also there are some VERY fast riders at the sharp end of the STW crew… I think most of us feel pretty unfit compared to them 🤣

yes and they aren’t going hell for leather trying to beat each there. its all about perspective.

anytime I get carried away and feel I’ve done a section particularly rapid or done really well in a race. I just take a quick check on strava and find there’s a few hundred thousand n front of me.

Yeh outside of the STW Zwift World things are probably closer to real lift distribution. Some of our group rides may be a bit quick as well I think sometimes.

I emptied myself in the cycling weekly chase this weekend, my FTP has gone up to 254 Robbo. Not sure that makes a huge difference in my handicap.

As usual, it’s going to be a case of trying to hang on to whoever I can hold onto for an hour…

Well i may now make an enforced comeback due to my shock being dead on the G-160. Shortest retirement ever.