Zwift, my journey, my weight and my fitness.

Good luck in your quest mate.

The hardest thing I’m finding is taking a rest day!

These races sound fun!

I’m going to do the FTP test tomorrow to get into the correct category, is it done on a course or just watching a timer? Would you recommend the longer one over the 45 min one?

I’m 6ft and weigh 70kg – at the moment Zwift has me down at an FTP 280 which is a W/KG of 3.75 (280*.95/70)? This seems really high to me, I’m sure that’ll be much lower after the test! 😆

57th of 87 in results… happy with that… more than happy 🙂

The Zwift handicap race is good if you haven’t tried it. Riders set off at intervals with the slowest going first and fastest last with the handicaps set to create a bunch sprint amongst all of the racers.

Arse – first ride proper ends in abject failure after 5 mins when my stupid expensive ‘smart’ trainer(neo) broke. Overheating electronic brake = return to CRC.

Bummer.. that’s a bit on the crap side ! Esepcially as they’re super expensive.

I tried Zwift for the first time last night. Inspired by this thread and a lack of riding due to having a 1 year old.
I’ve done solo turbo sessions before (tough) and group ones in the local village hall (better but horribly hot and sweaty and driving there defeats the object of a quick spin). I found Zwift a bit confusing to be honest and stopped early so I could read up a bit more about what was going on. I’ll give it another go, perhaps entering a race will make more sense than just bumbling around with no structure?

57th of 87 in results… happy with that… more than happy

nice one!

Arse – first ride proper ends in abject failure after 5 mins when my stupid expensive ‘smart’ trainer(neo) broke. Overheating electronic brake = return to CRC.

hmmm. Not good to hear they still have QC problems. Do you know if yours is a 2017 version?

found Zwift a bit confusing to be honest and stopped early so I could read up a bit more about what was going on.

It is a bit confusing at first. Give this a read. http://www.titaniumgeek.com/cycling/zwift/zwift-user-manual-unofficial-running-updates/%5B/url%5D
Yes, races obviously give plenty of structure to a session, there are other things to go for outside of races though (KOM/sprint/lap times) plus if you have Strava then segments just like real life. Also there are a few achievements to unlock to help you level up a bit faster! Also although I’ve not done one yet there are “workouts” which I’m guessing are similar to TR sessions.

entering a race will make more sense than just bumbling around with no structure?

Depends what you want in a structure context really buddy.

Zwift has training programmes that can be followed, hills, sprints, intervals

But essentially it can only be what you make of it from that context, same as riding outdoor, lampost to lampost etc…

A race will only give you structure from the sense of riding at or close to your max for the duration, you’ll attack from the off and just keep going in attack mode basically. Whether that suits what you want/need from a session i don’t know.

Do you know if yours is a 2017 version?

Yes.

My structure I don’t necessarily mean training more like things to keep me interested.
To be honest half the problem was the discomfort of overheating, didn’t think I need a fan in a cold garage but after 10 mins the sweat was dripping off and my skin was steaming! Fan and buff for next attempt.
EDIT
By buff I mean the head gear, not doing it in the

Arse – first ride proper ends in abject failure after 5 mins when my stupid expensive ‘smart’ trainer(neo) broke. Overheating electronic brake = return to CRC.

Annoying. How did you know it was overheating? Shutdown? Blue smoke?

Not much consolation but the QC has improved quite a bit recently apparently. And if you get a good one then compared to the competition they are a bargain.

Really, Zwift isn’t a ‘thing’ like TR or Sufferfest (although there are features which help you to push yourself like workouts and sprint segments to chase) it’s more of a ‘place’.
A place to go and ride or race your bike where 500-1500 other cyclists will also be riding theirs.

When we compared Strava segment times i’m now quicker than him on 75% of our segments we’ve both raced/tried on… but he’s finishing races about 3 mins quicker than me ! He’s attacking climbs better than me, which makes a massive difference, he’s sitting on wheels and the right wheels better than me… hence he’s finishing quicker in races than me… It’s all pretty interesting. You notice it more on hilly courses than flat, hence me seeming to pick the flatter layouts for my racing more than the hilly ones.

did a bit of reading up on how Zwift works last night. The weight you enter on Zwift has a massive effect on your speed up hills… kudos to you for being honest, but this is probably the reason you’re struggling on hilly courses! Also apparently taller riders have a non-trivial disadvantage compared to shorter riders (probably related to frontal area which was mentioned earlier).

Yeah, I was thinking about lying about my weight, while being honest may be more realistic, it absolutely kills the experience when everyone is just going past me like I am standing still at every incline.

did a bit of reading up on how Zwift works last night. The weight you enter on Zwift has a massive effect on your speed up hills… kudos to you for being honest, but this is probably the reason you’re struggling on hilly courses!

Well yes, of course… that’s how the world works and how it would work if we were riding outdoors too. So you play to your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses.

That’s the whole reason i’m doing this and doing the 5-2, to drop weight and make myself faster and stronger.

I’m hoping in the next few weeks me, crosshair and a few of the others do a TT event, so no drafting effect, just man, bike and power… See where it all comes out in the wash.

I’m personally getting stronger, faster and more powerful week by week, every time i get on the bike and try i end up destroying my PRs… So i can’t grumble about how it’s all going. I’m hoping in the next few days/weeks the weight keeps dropping, when it does, i adjust my Strava and Zwift profile and reap the rewards.

People who were stuffing me up the hills 6 weeks ago are now being wiped the floor with on the hills… of course, there’s always people quicker, about 20,000 of them i think :D…. but there’s less than there was when i started this.

I wonder what the best weight would be for the “optimal experience” 🙂 Also it’s worth putting in a few miles to increase levels as by level 13 I think you’ll have unlocked the fastest wheels and one of the fastest bikes (probably only worth a few seconds per lap but every little helps!)

I wonder what the best weight would be for the “optimal experience”

The correct one of course 🙂 It’s optimal because it’s accurate… any results you get are exactly where you fit in on a particular ride…

This said, i have a mate who i got a Trainer for from an STWer but we can’t get an accurate reading in back to back tests, so i told him to set his weight to 30kg below his actual weight as it’s the closest to my actual setup that we know is pretty accurate. (he didn’t…. so he’s now riding a turbo that’s ‘slow’ and struggling… but damn he’s cracking on well and doing his best)

Of course 😀 although as you note it’s not really accurate unless you’re using a power meter or one of the more expensive smart trainers.

Yeah, I was thinking about lying about my weight, while being honest may be more realistic, it absolutely kills the experience when everyone is just going past me like I am standing still at every incline.

Isn’t weight doping a thing on Zwift? Need a virtual WADA and random weigh ins!

I’m hoping in the next few weeks me, crosshair and a few of the others do a TT event, so no drafting effect, just man, bike and power… See where it all comes out in the wash.

I wonder if you can submit your own CdA if you’ve had it properly measured? 🙂

Isn’t weight doping a thing on Zwift? Need a virtual WADA and random weigh ins!

There actually is a ZADA!
http://zwiftblog.com/zada/%5B/url%5D

obviously only concerned with the elite though. It is only a game after all 😀

I wonder if you can submit your own CdA if you’ve had it properly measured?

I believe that’s how it works, once they’ve verified your real life data you get a gold star next to your name or something!

I believe that’s how it works, once they’ve verified your real life data you get a gold star next to your name or something!

Though then there’s the problem of knowing you’re actually riding in that position. I can make a lot more power sat up than I can in aero position!

I guess you’d only be cheating yourself 😉

Though then there’s the problem of knowing you’re actually riding in that position. I can make a lot more power sat up than I can in aero position!

Ah I see, didn’t read properly, no I don’t think CdA is modifiable (yet!)

The thing is with the “weight doping” is at the moment I do not feel I am part of the game because my weight is so high (125kg) I would have to be putting out a steady 7-800 watts to be in the game, with a bit of cheating, I could try and hold onto a group and that would be motivation, currently it isn’t. I want it to be hard, not impossible to join in.

Zwift is supposed to accurately simulate real-life racing. As you point out, you wouldn’t be remotely competitive in a real race so I’d personally have no problem with someone entering a realistic lean weight for themselves if they so chose. No-one is going to care unless you start winning A races! (Obviously a big powerful bloke saying they’re 50kg is not on)

The thing is with the “weight doping” is at the moment I do not feel I am part of the game because my weight is so high (125kg)

That’s more than 2 of me! 😯

I’d usually be dead against it, but in your case i’d tend to agree some mild weight doping to bring you to ~2.5W/Kg FTP may be appropriate. As you say, unless the course is totally flat you’ll not really get the full experience otherwise.

MSP – Member

The thing is with the “weight doping” is at the moment I do not feel I am part of the game because my weight is so high (125kg) I would have to be putting out a steady 7-800 watts to be in the game, with a bit of cheating, I could try and hold onto a group and that would be motivation, currently it isn’t. I want it to be hard, not impossible to join in

On hills maybe, on the flats you’ll do great.

I put out pretty much 1 for 1 at 100kg (98 now being picky)

I put out 200w and that’s 2.0w/kg So i can’t see why you’d be a million miles above with that wieght on the flats.

Perhaps a stupid question but if you don’t have a smart trainer, how do you know what resistance to put it at?

If I am climbing up a monster hill, I could have mine set on almost max and somebody else could have theirs at 50%?

same as if you stand up and big gear it, and they sit and spin.

as long as the calibration is good watts is watts.

I tend to shift into the big ring for climbs to give me a lower cadence and middle-ring/higher cadence for flats.

hooli – Member
Perhaps a stupid question but if you don’t have a smart trainer, how do you know what resistance to put it at?

If I am climbing up a monster hill, I could have mine set on almost max and somebody else could have theirs at 50%?

Cadence and speed sensors are used and electronically adjusted in the game. An example – if your in the lowest resistance and your speed sensor is reporting 30mph, in Zwift it might only be 10mph.

I tend to shift into the big ring for climbs to give me a lower cadence and middle-ring/higher cadence for flats.

I singlespeed it every ride. I never ever change gear. The only time i may is if having a gentle pootle or a test/warmup ride i may change, but essentially i just ride same gear. Only thing that changes is cadence.

your on a smart trainer though that varies the resistance? i’m on a dumb trainer.

Interesting thread… Like the idea of a smart TT which will vary resistance automatically. What is a good value option – is there a default choice??

Tacx T2240 from halfords. £199 without discounts.

if they discount it tomorrow I might accidentally buy one.

Tacx T2240 from halfords. £199 without discounts.

Anything around 10% off that I can stack with a BC 10% discount and I may well accidentally buy a Neo. I think I’m going to be disappointed with the generosity of discount this year though.

There’s the Tacx Vortex too for £276 at the moment: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacx-T2180-Vortex-Smart-Trainer/dp/B00MCF5Q2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480006708&sr=8-1&keywords=tacx+vortex

Decathlon do the t2240 for £189.

KISS Europe race at 8, can’t decide whether to risk DQ in cat D again or getting dropped in cat C.

Its a tricky one.

Last night I ran exactly 2.49 for the race and would have won D by nearly 2 mins. But I’m happier to have finished where I did in C. You really do get pulled along by C guys.