STW Zwift Race Series 3 – Winter

@jamesoz I had to work away in the centre of London for the whole of January. I wanted to take my bike and turbo with me, but as I travelled by train, this made it impossible. So to try and get my bike fix, I resorted to using them Santander bikes for a few evenings.

I didn’t need any key worker letter, just needed to sign a form at hotel stating what you were doing there. I was tempted to tick the Elite Sportsman box!

As for food, it was Deliveroo and Just Eat for me. It was not much fun when you can’t just pop for a cheeky beer after work, especially when there were a BrewDog Bar around the corner from the hotel!

@robbo1234biking I’ve no idea what threshold change you are using to change rider weights, but surprisingly, I weighed myself a few minutes ago and was bang on 80.0Kg… Every little helps up the likes of Keith Hill at the end of Tuesday’s race! 😆

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QPxMGqez2VsN-4mD17f90t06NzqSLMMoGe4cUEK1E3U/edit#gid=677451142

And here are the handicaps for the final race of the series! Good luck everyone!

I’m unlikely to have my trainer back before Tuesday. 😭

Savo looks like you got a nice reward for last weeks efforts, bumped upto the A category, interestingly you still have a minute start from me. I seem to have an higher handicap than 5 or 6 cat As. At first glance seems a bit odd but then again I might be just one more ftp increase or couple of kg decrease from joining the As proper. could never have imagined that being the case.

Ideally there needs to be a split way ahead of the climb this week but that’s going to be difficult on this route.

I have filed an appeal with the commissaires @kirky72. It doesn’t matter though because I’m out of contention in a way that makes my category irrelevant to the racing (which is also why I was free to risk blowing up last week, swings and roundabouts.)

Ideally there needs to be a split way ahead of the climb mass disconnection this week

FTFY.

I’m out of contention in a way that makes my category irrelevant to the racing

Are you not allowed out to play this week?

I am definitely playing this week @dangeourbrain. I just meant that nothing turns (for me, or for other riders) on whether robbo’s calculator tells him I am an A or a B.

I just meant that nothing turns (for me, or for other riders) on whether robbo’s calculator tells him I am an A or a B.

Point of order: your allocation (kirky and woodster’s too) of A or B are directly proportional to my sense of being hustled at round about 8.30pm on a Tuesday! 😉

It’s been a real shame Savo, I think you would be right up there if not top spot if it wasn’t for your bad luck, being well placed in earlier races only to hit tech issues. Then again it may also have ramped up your FTP earlier and knocked up your handicap.

Still like you say regardless of category, handicap or anything else on the road you are smashing it.

@kirky72

It’s been a real shame Savo,

As @savoyard has a 2 minute handicap advantage over the group that finished behind him on the road last week, I’ll think I’ll follow @dangeourbrian and before feeling too much sympathy wait and see

my sense of being hustled at round about 8.30pm on a Tuesday! 😉

@phil56 we just need to break him before the hill 😀

I am not the rider you need to break before the hill, @nixie. You might well break me in the process (you usually have done…) but if you’re paying any attention at all to me on this course then you’re watching the wrong person!

@savoyad checked your ranking and FTP/weight comes out as 4.0 w/kg after rounding so you A I am afraid! I dont do things as complicated as ZP.

Also remember the supertuck has been banned by the UCI now so if anyone uses it you will be DSQ! (you cant supertuck on the MTB anyway!)

On this course you need to dump your lower weight lower FTP rivals somewhere on the flat section otherwise when you get to the hill you can wave them goodbye! But something to bear in mind if you are a lightweight – dont give up as there is a decent climb at the end to catch up a good chunk of time on!

I assume Nixie and Paino have been lobbying other riders to provide a lead out train as whoever wins out of those two on the mall sprint will take the green jersey title!

Also remember for the overall championship it will be your best 5 scores that count so all to play for still!

robbo1234biking
Full Member

But something to bear in mind if you are a lightweight – dont give up as there is a decent climb at the end to catch up a good chunk of time on!

Any similar words of encouragement and advice for those of us who aren’t quite so lightweight!?

Yeh drop them on the flat sections with some well chosen accelerations!

Any similar words of encouragement and advice for those of us who aren’t quite so lightweight!?

Smash it hard from the get go.
Keep smashing it all the way round.

Get at least a two minute head start at the foot of the hill, because we’ll need it.

Throw your bottles at them as well! #UCI

Also remember the supertuck has been banned by the UCI now so if anyone uses it you will be DSQ!

What is this lunacy you talk of?

[edit] ah, in real life you mean. I thought they’d banned it in zwift on reading your post!

Throw your bottles at them as well! #UCI

@oopnorth my wife has recently developed the habit, while she is the one riding the turbo, of throwing her bottle (for refilling) across the floor at me without taking her eyes off the screen. It’s funniest on the approach to a climb.

my wife has recently developed the habit, while she is the one riding the turbo, of throwing her bottle (for refilling) across the floor at me without taking her eyes off the screen

No such risk here, mine would dislike the inevitable inclusion of tabasco sauce and or gravy powder in the bottle when I returned it.

Yeh I dropped my half full water bottle yesterday on the alpe and it came to rest on the extension lead with everything plugged in. I was just hoping that it didn’t leak into plug and cause a short circuit.

Hoping my issues of the last two days don’t occur again tomorrow although could be an advantage as I still get the draft just no one would know I was there or when I went for the breakaway!

When she starts emptying them before a climb to lose weight, you need to have a talk.

At the moment @savoyad the rider I need to break on the climb to win has already broken me twice on the jungle climb this series and as has enough power to keep in touch on the flat! My plan for this week is really simple. Intervals off the front till I break or everyone else does :D.

I wonder if zwift will remove the supertuck. I hope so as it takes so long for my turbo to spool down I often miss the opportunity to use it.

Hoping my issues of the last two days don’t occur again tomorrow although could be an advantage as I still get the draft just no one would know I was there or when I went for the breakaway!

But how would you know who you were drafting and if they were helpful or not? I enjoyed the crit and the extra PUs you get (burrito, ghost, steamroller etc). Can we get those for one race next series? As you’re basically on the Zwift board these days, I am sure you can sort it 😉

I can see everyone and can draft etc it just other riders can’t see me for some reason. Not network related as I could still see and send messages (outside of the group chat function) and all the other riders. Others have had similar on the TTT I think. You could see me after I did the full reinstall this morning so hopefully that sorted it all out.

Yep. I see what you mean. I guess you’ll still have that bloody big yellow beacon above you!

This is what I saw this morning so no issues my end with visibility – you just couldnt see me! With network issues you cant see other users. But if you couldnt see my beacon this morning then I might be incognito for the race!

Do you ever ride without the beacon @robbo1234biking? Is it an option in your garage or something?

I made a cut out one to wear around the house as well so my family always know where I am as well!

Must make doorways a bugger.

LOL!!

OMG.. I forgot we’re on MTBs for this race….!!
No point me worrying about which wheels to stick back on the road bike then eh! (was goona do DT swiss, BTW!)

DrP

Anyone else think that Robbo is using his connections at Zwift HQ to make himself invisible for the race series, to gain an advantage? He can see us but we can’t see him….hmmmm

Robbo, I doubt I’m going to better this between now and tomorrow’s race, so can you chalk it up please 🙂

Here’s the stream for tomorrow, if anyone wants to witness my tired legs whimper their way around!!

DrP

Thanks @andeh – have got your time – will publish final results tomorrow evening.

Thanks man!

Here’s the stream for tomorrow, if anyone wants to witness my tired legs whimper their way around

@drp I expect you’ll still make more points than @Phil56 after handicap 😂

Ooh… I see we’ve got the same handicap… 😬😬

DrP

@robbo1234biking do you have a Sterzo or other steering set-up? I saw something recently that suggested this might be the cause of the invisibility when Zwifting.