Thanks all – be Uber Pretzel Next as a challenge or Four Horsemen.

Can’t make this weekend sadly might ride tomorrow will see how effective SIS recovery shake is 🙂

@robbo hope test is negative for you

Afternoon all. I’ve been off Zwift (and riding) for a few months but quite fancy the ride on Sunday. What time is it planned for?

Fingers crossed Robbo.

Thanks for the invite for this Sunday OopNorth, but I’m down in London visiting my parents, so won’t be able to make it.
Will have to squeeze in a ride on Sun evening, although nothing too strenuous – I can’t be tiring out the legs before Tuesday’s race! 🙂

@slowpuncheur it’s 8am Sunday morning. Not sure if we are following each other on Zwift or not, if not you can search for me craigpin oop north and follow me, then I can send you an invite.

Thanks Oopnorth. Following you now.

Won’t be on tomorrow, going riding outside. Done a run up the Alpe this morning instead, 72.30, a 10 minute PB and still only a pair of gloves.

@slowpuncheur I’m assuming you are Paul? If so I’ve sent you an invite.

Thanks for the invite did quatch quest this morning, pb on the Alp so going to a gentle trundle round swinley.

@oop north. Thats me thanks. What sort of pace (w/kg) you planning to ride at?

We normally attack the climbs individually and then regroup for the flats at between 200-220w. I don’t think there are any big hills tomoz (max about 7 mins I think) so wouldn’t expect big gaps. It’s a social ride more than racing along.

I’m in for tomorrow. I may be too hungover to move mind

I may join in the morning if I can get sorted in time but looking for more of a recovery ride following a couple of days back to back mtb and then a race around London classic this morning. Then a rest before Tuesday night.

When you say 220/200 on the flats is that for the front guys or in the draft?

It’s not a set pace we will work together to stay together at a pace everyone is comfortable with (other than the short climbs) and we always regroup but if you get in the draft you should be able to stay under 200.

Thanks for the invite tomorrow but am going to go ride outside tomorrow with the family!

It can be as chilled as we want…no racing…well unless you want to shoot off on sprints or the hills but we always regroup

We go as fast as the slowest rider. It’s a group ride with banter and chat. Usual pace is around the 200w mark and I’ve had a few beers tonight!! See you in the morning.

Thanks for this morning lads. Really enjoyed it. Will get some more miles in the legs before next one. That Petit KOM doesn’t half drag on..

Sorry I didn’t make the ride this morning. Hangover free but the runny nose/hay-fever I’ve been nursing the last few days has morphed into a weapons grade cold and the inevitable sinus infection I always get with that over night.

Hope you’re better soon Brian!

Thanks guys for this morning, that last 10km was tough, legs were suffering and the saddle was eating me 😉 I’m usually good for 40km rides but when I get up to 60km I’m pushing the boundaries! Thank god we ditched the Pretzel for this one.

Good effort all, some good sprints and climbing.
See ya next time!

Cheers guys. John was flying on the hills. Solved my creak sound as the seatpost not the saddle so can put my Specialized saddle back on the turbo bike now. Wife is happy as I was making mumblings about needing a new saddle!

That is a tough route – no where to hide at all!

I think they did really well with the France routes, great additions, one of my favourite worlds.

Yeh cheers for that guys, enjoyed it in a masochistic kind of way.

Dug a bit deeper than I really planned to or felt like I could this morning.
Got sucked in by the title of the climb, petit is supposed to mean small isn’t it. I’m usually okay for a short not to steep climb, it doesn’t get over steep but is a bit longer than I remembered once I’d made a effort to get part way up I thought I may as well push on up, if it was any longer I would have regretted it.

See you Tuesday hopefully, my youngest got a cold after the first few days back at school, not concerned as she always does, just trying to avoid catching it from her as I normally do. We have all been bug and germ free since the schools shut down, I hope we don’t get an avalanche of bugs now.

https://zwiftinsider.com/haute-route-virtual-ventoux/

You still planning all 3 stages this weekend @mrhoppy?

That will be pretty tough as it is the 40 mile route to start with followed by two hilly days!

At the moment I’m booked into all 3 but I will have to see how much pressure I come under from home as to whether I can do all of them.

I’m currently on 5pm Friday (Petit Boucle), 9am Saturday (Ven Top) and 8pm Sunday (La Reine). I thought they were proper race classes but it appears not.

That Friday ride going into the Saturday morning will be tough mate good luck! Might be able to support you on Sunday morning!

Was going to do all three of the challenge, have changed my mind probably do a Zwift ride Saturday out Sunday for a real ride. Will give it a miss I suspect now.

I’ve signed up for all 3, 5pm every day, doubt I’ll do them all, doing a real-world-ride either on Saturday or Sunday too…

That Friday ride going into the Saturday morning will be tough mate good luck!

“Logic” is that I can work normally Friday, jump on the ride, I do the evening/morning swap on weekends anyway and I’ve got the morning to do the big ride. Family time Saturday arvo and all of Sunday then I can have a quick blast up La Reine once I’ve done bed time duties. It’s not sensible but should be doable-ish.

But best laid plans and all that, I’ll no doubt be told I can do it then half way up get told that it’s all change like last week.

I’m down for Ventoux on Saturday at 9am. Let’s see how that goes…kill or cure…

What are the plans for the weekend? Is everyone looking at outside or the Haute-Route rides? I am still booked in for Ventoux on Saturday but I will probably cancel it, I’ve no energy for such an effort, plus it will be over 2 hours and a 9am start, I have other things I need to do.

So if anyone is doing something “normal” on Zwift, let me know, otherwise I’ll just jump on an event or freeride.

I’m going to ride the petit boucle as part of the haute route series at 5pm tomorrow, gonna see how I feel about doing ventoux on Saturday on the day.

I have a structured workout on Saturday that I want to nail but will be up for a general mosey around on Sunday morning of about 1 hour if that suits @oop north? Route recon for Tuesday perhaps?

I’m ‘m going to do an hour out so Saturday morning I think. Need to be done by about 9.00-9.30 though really as I’m headed out for the day. If that fits with your plans I’d be happy to join for your workout robbo if it’s groupable.

Sunday I’m planning to get out in the sunshine on my bike so any zwifting will depend who I’m riding with which is to say whether they’re early riders and if I’m getting beasted in real world or if its pratting in the woods and work around that. – Might be I pencil in a Sunday evening hills ride, you could try your new lights out Craig?

Haha I won’t be getting the lights for a bit yet and I think the pain cave is bright enough! I’m thinking these lights will give me the incentive to do some night rides over the winter period, although I think they may be overkill for my local area.

Robbo – Sunday works for me, I was considering Road to Ruin tomorrow AM but I’m happy to wait until Sunday. Lets try some bike changeover practice 😉

I’m with Brian and can join the workout if it works similar to the rubber band we did the other day?

Workout is 90 mins. 5 sets of 9 min over unders (1min 95% FTP, 2min 105% FTP, repeat 3 times). I can put rubber band on and you can do the same workout or choose one of your own? Or you can cut it short at 1 hour or use the time for a recovery spin. The rubber band lets you do what you want.

I’ll just pootle along with you if that works, I hate workouts, i just end up giving up cos I become frustrated 🙂

Actually…I still need to try those you let me have, need to see if I get on with those better.

I’m in for both rides.

Do one of those workouts when we do this on sat craig? When you are waiting at the start of the meet-up just go to the menu screen and choose the workout. When the meet up starts the workout will start. We will all stay together because the rubber band is on.

I’ve not yet got round to doing a workout on Zwift so think I’ll follow suit, I’ll probably pick a 60min one so I can jump off when feet start getting tapped and fingers drummed.

I’ll give it a bash, at the end of 60 mins will it just revert to a freeride?

But best laid plans and all that, I’ll no doubt be told I can do it then half way up get told that it’s all change like last week.

And it starts. It’s a nice weekend and Zwift riding isn’t that fun so we should do something else and I can ride in the evening. so I get to spend the day doing something and then start a 2hr ride at 8pm, no doubt to be complained at for being anti social in the evenings. Yay!

Yeh at the end of 60 mins it will just go back to normal.

Mrhoppy – good luck this weekend with the routes and being able to do them!