@mrjmt I find the category classifications a little bit misleading. They are based on 95% of your 20 minute power / weight in KG.
This means the relationship between your calculated FTP as above and your actual hour power can decide if you have a fair race or not.
My stamina isn't great, so I tend to drift into B cat territory for the short races and everyone gets all uppity that I'm sandbagging but in races closer to an hour or longer then I'm firmly mid-C cat.
The organisers have invested a lot of time effort and money into Zwiftpower.com so stick with the cats almost in an attempt to justify it but I think either no categories, a TT qualifier or a points based system would all be 'better' in many ways.
Ordered it all! dammit! I need to get fit for my trip to NZ in February so it seems the best way to get the legs spinning!
Is there a STW group on there now?
There's a Strava one. I don't think Zwift does groups... but if you add people from Strava into Zwift and they're riding, they then come up at the top of your list and you can select 'ride with'....
Nice thanks for the info - I'll get on it next week
After a lot of searching using various software and intel identification utility to identify my exact model, it transpires that not even intel had the answer. I tried zwift anyway as i read that even below min spec it runs but zwift told me that my intel hd 2900 graphics was prehistoric and old biffers like me should return to using brass rubbings for graphical displays!
Well its an acer icore i3-380 with 4gb ram and hd display thats less than 5 years old. But at least i now know which graphics its using so thats my silver lining.
You can drop your Zwift ride log file into this page and it will analysis your systems performance.
Ooooh might try that later.....
Quick question for those with smart trainers
What happens if you are running a candance + speed sensor already
Will take the speed from the trainer or the sensor on the wheel ?
Will take the speed from the trainer or the sensor on the wheel ?
You would pair the trainer with Zwift as a smart trainer so it would use this as the power source. You could additionally pair s/c sensor as just a cadence sensor so Zwifty knows your cadence too.
hi, can someone please spec me stuff to get into zwift cheaply in very laymans term (like..posting links)
what?
Smart turbo? = Tacx Flow T2240
ANT+? =
Heart Rate Monitor? =
Road Bike? = Cheapest I can get my hand in Decathlon near me.
my laptop to use is fast enough in terms of processor and graphics.cheers
Apologies if I've missed the answer to this but isn't racing on a trainer that doesnt automatically adjust the power to suit the terrain alomst like cheating?
For example, I have an Elite Volano trainer...if I was to race at my w/kg it would put me in a B race (I think). When the race came to a climb (Box Hill for example), surely I could just keep pedalling at the same power as I was on the flat and therefor not fatigue as quickly or slow as I might if I was climbing it on an ergo trainer???
If that makes sense????
it adjusts your speed in zwift for the slope.
On a hill the same power will result in a slower speed.
you do get to keep the same cadence which smart trainers users can only do by dropping gears(as per real life) I do better on a smart trainer as I hit it a bit harder when the resistance is applied.
it adjusts your speed in zwift for the slope.
I get that but then wouldnt those that still pedalled at a constant power on a non ergo be fresher at the top of the climb as oppose to those who climbed at that true power and speed??
What I have.....
Smart turbo? = Tacx Flow T2240 yes from Halfords with a BC discount.
ANT+? = from amazon with a usb extension cable c £15 from memory
Heart Rate Monitor? = Garmin already have a few.
Road Bike? = Cheapest I can get my hand in Decathlon near me. Whatever you like but I think its important to have at least a semi dedicated bike or you just wont bother with the faff.
You could use a winter bike in the summer and summer bike in the winter.
A cadence sensor is also useful as you'll soon get to know whats optimal, usually 80 to 90 rpm.
@gaz, no, in that mode the motor brake just simulates a hill, it doesn't make you produce more power.
So on a smart turbo you are pedalling along at 200w at 90rpm, then the hill kicks in, so you are still doing 200w, but now at 60rpm - unless you change down a couple of gears, then you are back to 90rpm again.
On a [u]non[/u] smart turbo, you are still pedalling 200w at 90rpm, you just don't have to change gear.
The only difference is a few gear changes and 'feel' Gaz. The power you can put out at a given cadence will stay the same regardless (and with a good spread of gears, there's no reason why you can't maintain the same cadence).
There's also a reality slider that lets you choose what percentage of grade you want adding. I ride at about 25% reality as any higher and I would need to keep changing chainring- whereas I can stay in the big ring at 25% and just shift +/- a few cogs at the back.
Apologies if I've missed the answer to this but isn't racing on a trainer that doesnt automatically adjust the power to suit the terrain alomst like cheating?
The trainer's just adjusting the resistance.
You're still right though, if you sit there at your optimum cadence in a high gear at the resistance you find most comfortable when making good power, you'll generally perceive it to be easier. A smart trainer would increase resistance resulting in a lower wheel speed and less inertia so making the same power feel different (might be easier, might be harder, depends on the rider.) Also if you're having to change gear a lot as the resistance varies, you're typically having to make a lot of little accelerations, this can be more fatiguing.
ok I did the ftp test on it this evening, but I can't see where my ftp figures are stored or adjusted?
On the pause menu where you see the orange boxes for settings, kit, achievement etc. Top left of that screen is edit profile.
Bottom right on that is ftp
ok found it now, thanks.
The interface is a bit crap, that stuff should be accessible from the start screen, and at the end of the ride.
Having read this thread I now want to zwift.
Having read up on turbo trainers, I'd like to do it on a Tacx Neo!
I've never been on a turbo trainer, I last had a road bike circa 1993 and it's not certain there's a competitive bone in my body, but this looks ace!
I wonder if I should be on commission from zwift and tacx.
wolfenstein - Member
hi, can someone please spec me stuff to get into zwift cheaply in very laymans term (like..posting links)what?
Smart turbo? = Tacx Flow T2240
ANT+? =
Heart Rate Monitor? =
Road Bike? = Cheapest I can get my hand in Decathlon near me.
Smart turbo - nice to have but not essential. If doing it cheaply you could get a normal turbo trainer but check it's on the list on the Zwift website, so you get more accurate numbers.
ant+ dongle - I got one named 'anself' one from Amazon. It was a tenner. I didn't bother with a usb extension lead, but I probably should have done.
HRM - again not essential, but I like knowing what my heart rate is doing. You could always start without and add later.
Road bike - triathlon or eBay?
I would also recommend to anyone thinking of getting into turbo training whether using Zwift or not to get a large pedestal fan. It doesn't need to be fancy, I think mine was about £19 from Amazon.
Also, one of those towel thong things to keep the sweat that will pour off you away from the bike...
ok found it now, thanks.The interface is a bit crap, that stuff should be accessible from the start screen, and at the end of the ride.
Your right some stuff is still quite poor, especially the logging in and out bits but its better than it was a year ago
Interesting....but I think I'll stick to my tried and tested method. This winter I've got all the Game of Thrones to watch. Each episode is about 45 mins, and thats about all I can take on the TT.
My 2p's worth:
I did a whole 12 week ftp builder in the new year and it really set me up for the summer, although my favoured target event for the year folded, (epic Cymru) and I rediscovered ale...
Last night I did my first ride since April on zwift. (Garmin bike sensors and HRM, generic ANT+ dongle and Kurt Kinetic rock 'n' roll trainer) if originally planned to just spin for 30 mins or so, but found myself on the 'slope' of the mountain climb... in the end it was a one hour ride with a 30 min block of climbing at threshold and a spin down at the end!
@Weeksy- only if I get 75% like all good pyramid schemes 😀
I did 2h30 on there tonight. Literally flew by! (1xGroupride 1xCoached interval session).
weeksy - Member
I wonder if I should be on commission from zwift and tacx.
Same here. I've now got 5 friends signed up with another who came round to have a go yesterday, very interested.
It's not just that Zwift is totally amazing fun but my real world results are starting to get noticed as well (I'm not bragging as I wasn't exactly rapid to start with, more a slow overweight bloke becomes slightly less fat and slightly less slow).
😳 Ahem... just so I get the right one, is it the "first generation" ANT+ dongle on this link I need or the "second generation" one??
Either. I think the generation thing refers specifically to their product line - so the first gen is bulky & sticks out, the second gen is a much more compact one.
ANT+ is the important bit.
I went for the first gen version because it was cheaper, but in hindsight I should have bought the small compact one (second gen), so I could just leave it in a USB port and it wouldn't be obtrusive.
It's a bit of a pain having to remember to take it with me into the garage wit the laptop, but don't want to leave it plugged in, because I know I'll catch it and snap it off.
weeksy - Member
I wonder if I should be on commission from zwift and tacx.
This thread has me looking at the Neo once again, that'd be a nice chunk of commission 🙂
Oh, and with hindsight - I probably should have bought a USB extension lead to go with it, just in case.....
It works fine at the moment and I have had no drop-outs or problems, but it would probably be 'better' if the dongle was located closer to the sensors.....
For the sake of a few more quid it's probably worth getting one, even if it turns out you don't need it...
OH - and one more thing. Pay attention to the delivery time from that seller. I got mine from them too, and signed up to the Amazon Prime trial to get next day delivery - otherwise it's about 2-4 week delivery.....
This thread finally encouraged me to get round to signing up on Zwift - I had been meaning to for a while, just not actually got round to actually doing it.
Anyway, I managed to get home early from work today so thought I would crack on with the FTP test for a baseline. I did one a couple of years ago now & was around 3.2w/kg in the middle of winter, with lots of riding but minimal training, so distinctly average in that respect.
Well, after the sick feeling subsided & I could read the screen, I clocked in at 3.3w/kg this time. I went too hard off the start & suffered horribly in the middle, which will have hurt my average, coupled with a fairly rubbish season of riding & probably a few kg overweight, I think that could/should bump up to 3.4-3.5w/kg by Christmas.
I'd love to try & stay motivated over winter and push hard to see where I end up. We shall see. If it started with a 4, i'd be amazed, and impressed with myself!
OH - and one more thing. Pay attention to the delivery time from that seller. I got mine from them too, and signed up to the Amazon Prime trial to get next day delivery - otherwise it's about 2-4 week delivery.....
Aha! I was just looking at the "sold and fulfilled by" bit and wondered if I was going to have a similar experience to my Halloween decorations order that just about made it from China in time for 6pm on the 31st 😀
So if I go for the Prime trial, it really arrives the next day?
Well, after the sick feeling subsided & I could read the screen,
!!! how hard is that test??
!!! how hard is that test??
It's pretty much one of the most horrible things you could ever do to yourself.
if you dont feel that like that the end of a FTP test you didnt go hard enough....
thinking about having a crack at one of the races tonight. is the KISS europe race a stupid place to start?
alp_girl - MemberSo if I go for the Prime trial, it really arrives the next day?
Well, when I did it, it was around 7-8pm on a Friday night (11th Nov) & with 'Prime next day delivery' or whatever it is, it said will be delivered Sat 12th Nov & it was.
Was delivered by Royal Mail...
You just have to remember to cancel the Prime trial before 30 days if you don't want it or you will be charged £79 for a year of Prime.
thinking about having a crack at one of the races tonight. is the KISS europe race a stupid place to start?
Perfect place to start, I have done 4 or 5 of these. Tonight's races have different starts for each cat. Make sure you enter the correct Cat as if you exceed the cat limits you will be DQed
Be prepared to put a serious effort in from the off, the pace will settle down a bit after a couple of minutes.
Hob Nob - Member....so thought I would crack on with the FTP test for a baseline
I've had a sore throat for the last 10 days or so & the glands in my neck have been up, so I've put off doing it but I think I'll do one of these ftp tests in the next few days now I seem to be back to normal....
Not really looking forward to it, if I'm honest but figure it has to be done!!! 😆
KISS race is perfect, generally about an hour or so in time, so you can keep up a decent chunk of your FTP speed/power.
I did an hour this morning so i'm not playing tonight.
!!! how hard is that test??
As hard as you make it, but essentially if you are doing it to train and improve it should be everything you have for the actual 20min stint.
There is a bit of an art to doing them though - basically you need to be as consistent and solid as you can all the way, no point in blowing up in the first 5-10 mins and limping home with a low result.
If you can, start strong & slowly ramp it up all the way to the end. in short.
I've had a sore throat for the last 10 days or so & the glands in my neck have been up, so I've put off doing it but I think I'll do one of these ftp tests in the next few days now I seem to be back to normal....
Not really looking forward to it, if I'm honest but figure it has to be done!!!
They are no fun at all - I had a serious chest infection about 6 weeks ago, so have only just started doing anything remotely tough since, it was nasty work today 🙂
Persuaded Mrs A to let me have my xmas prezzie early, so I'm off to Halfords over the weekend to get involved.
It's probably sad that I'm so excited about it. Been feeling fat and lazy of late, so I'm expecting pain. Last time I went out my legs felt like wet noodles 😐
Don't forget guys, if your smart trainer has Bluetooth, you don't strictly need a dongle to get going if you have a mobile device as you can pair through the Zwift App.
I was going to ask to see if anyone uses just Bluetooth? My laptop has Bluetooth but I wasn't sure how reliable it would be, compared to Ant+.
Should be spot on.
Mmm..I've heard otherwise but never tried it myself.
I have done sessions on Bluetooth to try it out through the app and they worked perfectly. No good for Ant+ HRM and Cadrnce or I would use it all the time.
Also, my wifi isn't great. My laptop is ethernet cabled in for group rides and races. I wouldn't trust my iphone or iPad wifi signal not to drop out.
[quote=crosshair ]I have done sessions on Bluetooth to try it out through the app and they worked perfectly. No good for Ant+ HRM and Cadrnce or I would use it all the time.
Also, my wifi isn't great. My laptop is ethernet cabled in for group rides and races. I wouldn't trust my iphone or iPad wifi signal not to drop out.
i was struggling with wifi in the shed on my phone but have an powerline ethernet adaptor in there. discovered earlier that I can set my laptop up at as a wifi hotspot and linked my phone to that. worked perfectly.
first race hurt. waiting for the final results now...
bugger it. just over the cat D limit (2.65) so disqualified, but it would seem so were 16 out of the 36 entered. i was trying to hold onto them.
is there somewhere it shows you your W/kg figure for the race?
i meant during the race.
Yes, Zwiftpower runs live.
(Or just run average power on your Garmin etc)
that seems complicated.
edit: not the garmin bit, don't have one. got a kinetic inride powermeter on bluetooth.
Easier just to race in C 😉
probably will next time. just suprised me the pace of the Cat D race and then everyone I was burying myself chasing get disqualified...
jam bo - Memberprobably will next time. just suprised me the pace of the Cat D race and then everyone I was burying myself chasing get disqualified...
Yup, it's proper crazy but not uncommon, i had about the same number in a race DQ'd... hence i won... with a 2.53 average.
If you've got the legs there's a race tnoight, both me and Crosshair are racing in C. (my first time in C and expect to be last). 7pm. Friday Criterium series.
Big qn is though Jam, did you enjoy it ?
I might do the crit race tonight, just to see what it's all about.
How does it work? Do you just sign in before & join the event? get going once it starts?
Joining rides used to be chaos but recently theres been a new group ride function added details here..
https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/articles/210511106-Joining-an-Event
@ Jambo perhaps if you hadn't got into a sprint finished you wouldn't have bumped up a cat 😀
There is a 10 mile TT every Wednesday at 20:00 GMT, for a slightly easier race experience, but must be done on a virtual TT bike so there is no draft effect.
guilty...
how did you work that out?
Sprinting at the end probably won't affect your w/kg on Zwiftpower. It is based on 95% of your best 20min effort during the race, which normally happens in the first 20minutes of the race.
I normally do the TFC race, but am currently away with work so giving it a misss tonight. There is normally a good turn out of C riders.
Joining a race. The earlier you join the higher on the grid you are placed at start. You then sit on a Virtual Turbo on the start line, which you don't have to pedal. You get the option to 'join event' with 30 mins before race start on the screen. So sign in... 'ride' and then click so you get the menu button at 30 mins to go, you then get the join ride option.
I sign in, join and then go put my boy to bed usually as they're 8pm starts.
Tonight I won't massivley worry about grid position as i expect to do badly overall anyway, so where i start will have little bearing on where i finish. The trick though is to be hitting 4+ w/kg as the race start ticks down to 0.00 so you're on a flier as soon as the race begins... get yourself a good start and latch onto a fast group.
Drafting will give you 0.5w/kg or more, so for me, i can sit quite easily on someones wheel doing 3w/kg whilst only doing 2.4 or 2.5 at the time.
I'm hoping to hook onto one of these groups of Cs until i die and then just see what i can do from there on my own or with whoever i find nearby
When you add yourself for the race, you log into Zwift and start riding... you'll then see 'join event'
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That's 30 mins before start time. If racing, the earlier you join the closer to start line you start.
You then end up on a Virtual Turbo on the start line, you can ride (with no logged distance) or just ignore and jump on with 5 mins to go for warmup etc...
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how did you work that out?
It was me you were sprinting with!
@jason not in the D cat last night..the second lap was faster than the first and many of the group were over 3w/kg for the last 10k
I wonder if people are trying to be sandbaggers to an extent and entering race catagories they think they can win as they think "well i can put out 3.0 and the rest can only put out 2.49 so i should win"
OR if they simply don't realise/understand the catagories or maybe they misjudged their potential expected output ?
Obviously as riders improve regulalry it can cloud the issue, but it's not like you're going to go from 2.3 average to 3.0 in an afternoon is it ?
It was me you were sprinting with!
ah...I'd been riding on my own since box hill, i was bored 😉
Theres probably a bit of that but more likely it just takes a few rides to work out whats best for you.
another question. are all the riders you see on course during the race, racing. or is it a race within the normal zwift world?
If you're in a race, others will be not racing, if you're in a 'ride' some will be racing.
However, if you're in a ride, you see all riders who are ahead/behind with their distance, watts, times etc.
In a race, you only see the people you're racing in the list for speeds, distances, time ahead/behind etc.
You can stil draft non-racers if racing.
Thanks for the info - will give it a pop tonight then.
I don't quite understand all the A-D other than it being based on output levels - does Zwift automatically do this on your FTP, or do I need to choose when join?
Does it even matter as a separate point?
you have to pick based on what you think your w/kg is likely to be. I underestimated and went over the 2.5W/kg limit for Cat D and got disqualified.
in hindsight I went too hard on the first lap and that 20min power pushed me over. I think I'll stick with Cat D for the next race and pace myself a little better. do some more drafting as well.
Some have different start times. 8.00, 8.02, 8.04 etc for the categories.
Some are group start and you category only goes in your name.
I sounds complex but in reality its just 30s planning pre race.
You select it e.g weeks kiss (d)
So based on me at 3.25w/kg do I have to do anything?
I'm kind of on the threshold of 'B' based on that criteria.
I'm not fussed about possibly 'winning' a virtual race, just want to make sure i'm doing it right & i'm going to be around people of a similar fitness so i'm not smoked in the first 10 minutes 🙂
Put the letter in your name and enter correct category if a split start.
Tonights criterium at 7pm is mass start.
Look at tonights evr race to see one with split starts for example
I see - thanks!
How does all this fit in with building a steady winter base 😉
mrblobby - MemberHow does all this fit in with building a steady winter base
God knows, i don't even know what that means...
I'm sure Friel could answer that though.