Zwift meetups and social rides ?

Will we do a bike swap?!

I always swap bikes now for the jungle, I have the swap down to about 15 seconds and that is far outweighed by the time gained on the MTB in the jungle, plus you don’t have to push as hard to keep up.

Not sure if I’ll make the meetup or not, it’s recovery week so need to keep it easy until Monday. I can’t be chasing you whippets up hills.

I can’t be chasing you whippets up hills.

You know you don’t need to chase on Sunday social yeah, I mean that pressure is all your own 😂

FWIW I was 2min off my previous up Keith Hill last night which was a solo plod round Surrey Hills over Christmas, not exactly a ride I’d have expected to yield any startling times, so I think my chasing legs are also likely to be garaged on Sunday!

You know you don’t need to chase on Sunday social yeah

You were on DrP’s New York ride…yes? 😉

I was. I think you lot lapped me. I saw most of you a few times on the great glass evil heading in the other direction.

I got dropped too…the main group was well ahead.

I always swap bikes now for the jungle, I have the swap down to about 15 seconds and that is far outweighed by the time gained on the MTB in the jungle, plus you don’t have to push as hard to keep up.

I’m using ATV now, the thought of using the controller or iPhone Remote app to execute a bike swap under pressure makes me feel nauseous 🤣 Unless there’s some easy trick I’m missing?

I finally sorted out an acceptable way of getting phone on bike for Zwift – now I am able to activate powerups with slightly less chance of falling over.
I am far too cheapscate to pay £40ish for quadlock so I spent a couple of quid on a stick-on male garmin mount from ebay and attached that onto a phone protector case. I probably wouldn’t trust it for outdoors riding but seems to work well for Zwift – bonus is that being in front of my stem is is out of the way of my sweat stream.

That’s exactly what I do…
My phone (s20) is in a case all the time, and the garmin stick on bit is thin enough now to worry me.

Agreed wouldn’t trust it on a real ride!

DrP

Sorry DrP didn’t get up and sorted in time for the 8am TDZ.

Then being stuck in between times of events starting and really not fancying any of them I decided to tick of the Quatch Quest badge and then use the flat London tdz stage as a recovery or steady ride tomorrow.

Told myself to just ride it steady but ended up doing 2nd best time up Titans and Epic KOM, I paced myself very nicely but hit it hard just before the more roller coaster top section.

Then again with over 2000ft and around 20 miles into the ride before the Alpe finish I felt I was flagging a bit so imagined a steady pootle up the Alpe.

However after the first 4 or 5 sections the average watts were all good for me around 320/340 and felt decent enough to give it a bash. I took a few sections a little steadier in the final third but started to think about a sub 50m. That looked like a reality in the last climb up and looked more like being sub 49 if could hold it together.

My chain came off as I changed to the big ring for the sprint, or what’s left of one by then, to the banner and agonisingly finished at 49minutes 1 second. Was .08 but rounded up.

Overall though to say it was at the end of a ride again rather than just an attempt at the KOM I got to be happy to be well under 49minutes and 2minutes 33 off my previous PB. Averaged 314w so maybe have some improvement to make if I can work closer to my Ftp and put it down in a steadier manner.

I’m not going to attempt again until I’ve had a few rest days and as a specific KOM attempt plus ideally lost a couple of KG.

@kirky72 your capacity to ride so hard on solo and social rides and without the added pressure/adrenaline/motivation of a race is well impressive.

@twisty I’ve been using the stick-on garmin mounts with cheap bluetooth keyboards from amazon – but cheap bluetooth keyboards don’t seem to last long, and then I need a new garmin mount as well to replace the one stuck to (or torn pulling off) the knackered keyboard so it’s a doubly false economy. I’m tempted to just go for your solution and try using my phone.

Thanks @savo I’ve gradually learned how hard I can go and when to leave it all out there just making adjustments as my threshold as crept up.

I wouldn’t go so hard on a real ride be it roadie or mtb as you have the extra concern of finishing the ride safely without blowing up and making it back to the car or home. I always tend to try and keep plenty in reserve.

I bought this for mounting my phone on the bars for Zwift – seems to work really well and not too pricey!

I might give a charge up the Alpe a go one day!

Right… for the 21st I’m thinking of two options..

Either
Big foot hills again….i REALLY liked that, and with the elastic band was a great ride, nice view, and keeps can do a workout etc..

Or

Lutcher ccw… twice! Now, in meetup you start at the top.. so not too bad!

DrP

Can we do Surrey hills, or one of your favourites from nee York (if it isn’t a world) like everything Bagel or Knickerblocker.

You should have a big hoorah up the Alpe, we could try it together, playing hop scotch like Tuesday night until one of us or both explode.

I found the compare function on Strava quite insightful seeing where I may have lost time and gained time over my previous attempt or can compare against other peoples times. I was slightly slower than my 51.30 attempt on all sections upto corner 15. So went of a little bit steadier which I guess was when I figuring out if I should sit and spin or go for it, the consequence was I didn’t hit the wall with a few sections to go like last time.

OK.. how about knickerbocker reverse…2 or 3 times…..
With the band on, we can all pull each other around!

DrP

Strava segment comparison.

Not sure if this will work from my link but if it does it shows how you can play the segment course and compare where time is lost or made up against one of your other times or another rider.

https://www.strava.com/segments/17267489/compare/Mjc5NDkzMjAyODAyMDMyNjI2MiwyNzczMjM1NzI4NDc5NDA0NDIyLDI3ODc2ODA1MjUxNDUwOTUwNzA=

Also ordered a handlebar phone holding case as It doesn’t make sense keeping reaching over to one side where’s its resting on the kids giant toy chest to type messages or hit a PU. I’ve knocked it off a few times before meaning no PU to be dropped for the sprint finish.

Should be worth the tenner spent.

Sounds like a plan Ian but three laps is 42miles, okay by me but some may struggle for time, although I guess they can bail whenever.

3 laps of New York and that glass hill?? Are you on drugs?? Isn’t there a nicer part of Watopia, France or anywhere else you would rather ride?

Yes!!!
Big Foot Hills!!

But… It’ll also be elastic band, and I’ll turn off the other players, so really it’s just a medium sized group ride/workout….

DrP

okay or how about Tire- Bouchon

small.hill koms 5 or 6 sprints. granted a bit mundane at times in between.

“Zwift route: France » Tire-Bouchon | What’s on Zwift?” https://whatsonzwift.com/world/france/route/tire-bouchon

that’s a thought.. I’d do petit-boucle…. Did tire-boucle a few times on zwit academy rides!

Shall I do that… as a meetup only view, with elastic band?

DrP

I’d be up for that. Does remind me I’ve Venn top to tick off in France too at some point and it’s probably only worth doing it as a group if band is on

Go for that then, I don’t think you’ll need the rubber band as no mega climbs. We can then hit the sprints or small koms without being dragged back.

Are we still talking about the 21st? Seems very organised for 10 days time!

Are we still talking about the 21st? Seems very organised for 10 days time!

Yes, but it we’re not careful DrP will end up putting in a 17 lap everything bagel Sunday social so its best to keep it under control.

Lolz….

Just seen you can’t actually make a meetup OVER 7 days away…

OK….
Petit-boucle…

No rubber band as it’s pretty flat, and the climb isn’t too bad…

Meetup only? 21st is actually France, so may get busy…

Could then do ventop the following week? With rubber band and baguettes amd berets…?

DrP

Sounds good…france is good for a bit of everything.
Might be best doing meetup only unless we want to take advantage of some drafting…but it may cause group splits if it’s too busy.

Is it rubber band this sunday? I’m on recovery week and Robbo is telling us we have a 200w limit…hes a hard task master! 🤣
If you want to fly free don’t worry cos I can do something else chilled, plus I may not be on long due to other commitments.

Anyone up for some Dolphin at 12:30 today ? Looks like a decent field and even though i’m not fully feeling it, i think it’ll be a good race and hopefully i’ll do half decent.

@weeksy – I did the Dolphin yesterday (B at 4.30pm) so my legs are a bit tired today and I have a meeting. I’ll be up for future ones though.
I’ve optimistically signed up for the 5pm ZHR race on S&S. Guess i’ll know how the legs feel then! Think the climb will suit me better (77KG ish).

@oopnorth I wasn’t planning banded this week – it’s a fair length but nothing too evil climb wise (no radio tower) so hopefully should be suited to a pleasant group pace on the flat and no major wait on the epic without the need for keeping us together forcibly really.

@dangeourbrain might still be too fast for our intended recovery pace, but I’ll see how I feel Sunday am.

Oof…I’ll be hanging tomorrow 😃😃

Ski ya then!

DrP

Oof…I’ll be hanging tomorrow 😃😃

On the meths already?

COVID safe alco-gel….
Kills 99% of all motivation and desire….!!!

DrP

I had some weird goings on. I waited at the op of the KOM and went to open the window (literally 5 seconds of the bike). Came back said @Dangeourbrain and @Kirky72 had finished the climb on the leaderboard, then I set off again to catch up. Saw 2 riders in the meetup in the distance on the map about 1 minute ahead so proceeded to chase. Couldn’t see any chat or anything either or beacon looking back or forward so had no clue where anyone was! Really odd…

There have been a few glitches recently with disappearing riders etc. Looked like @DrP had vanished coming out of the jungle, his chat greyed out and everything, though he had just moaned about zwift setting his trainer difficulty back to 100% so it might not have been coincide.

Cheers for a good ride all. The bike swap broke the group a bit and it was a pretty pace after we left the jungle but did me good ta!

Drop out perhaps?

So, is anyone interested in a 100 miler in 2-3 weeks.

Likely a tad slower than what some of you are capable of.

@piemonster I might be interested, I still need the 100 mile badge.

But let’s not finish on the Alpe eh? 🙈