Zwift Team Time Trial, Thursday

Done.

Numbers are growing – we are on 8 riders now.

Anyone else? Join A here https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1744993

If you’re lurking but not riding this week, it’ll help me plan teams if you say so…

Done. Don’t mind which team I’m put in.

I’ve signed up, sorry it’s late. Don’t mind missing out if there’s one full team and no spares.
I did a TdZ ride on there the other day; that’s a faaaast course and I’d be tempted to put the heavier, hi-power riders in a group together if folk want a good result.

(I don’t consider myself to be one of ^ those – even on my best day I’d have struggled to hold the STW train for the full distance last week. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to ride with a fast group but I alsmost definitely would have to pull the ripcord early – doesn’t bother me at all; I worry more about slowing the group than being dropped)

Incidentally, the TdZ ride I did yesterday was using their new drafting/spacing algorithm. I liked it a bit better – felt more like real riding as you couldn’t “ghost” through other riders so have to move round them. I think it might have changed the sticky draft too, though instead you’d put your nose into the wind earlier when coming to the front

Was still bloody hard to get back if a gap developed to a group. Actually, possibly worse (I wonder if they’ve toned down the sort of vaccuum you get behind a group too)

Will be interesting if/when they release it more generally

With no race on a Tuesday and with working from home and it being school half term I am completely thrown this week and thought this morning was race day! Unfortunately it is only Wednesday. The lack of difference between the days seems to have got to me at last

If you’re lurking but not riding this week, it’ll help me plan teams if you say so…

@savoyad I am going to give myself a week off this week, back for the next one though!!

12 riders so far – team selection might depend on who else signs up. I’d like to post teams today.

So….LAST CALL for the TTT on Volcano Flat, tomorrow at 7.40pm

Sign up to category A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1744993

? @zilog6128, @mbs, Jack, @nixie, @karnali, @dangeourbrain, @retrorick, @benman (I realise some of you have already said/implied you won’t be here but I can’t remember who/when etc; I realise I’ve missed other people who might need a nudge, don’t be offended, sign up!)
EDIT zilog i’ve seen your post now

I’m out this week, normal squad is running. Will be dying in espresso 🤮.

Sorry @savoyad, given the way work is going this week I can’t commit so will say no at the moment.

@savoyad not for me this week, tour of sufferlandria instead 7 stages seven days, it’s proving hard work. Should be back next week

@savoyad
Okay, I’m in

Teams for tomorrow:

STW

@phil56

@benman

@paino

@munkeymadness

@scaredypants

@rj2dj

@yanboss

MoreSTW

@w00dster

@trolo1234

@slowpuncheur

@robbo1234biking

@drew

@haloric

There is still space in both teams if anyone still wants to sign up. Cat A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1744993

I’ll post time delays when I get them, hopefully this evening.

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Here are the details for pulls on MoreSTW tomorrow night. We will be reducing the target to 280-290w as this is a long TT and we will be out there another 10-15mins more than last week. For w00dster and I we will start with 60s pulls but as this is at our FTP we may increase these to 90s as required to cover others or as people tire towards the end.

If we feel good after two laps we will up the target to 300w.

If you arent on the front when you are doing your target pulls dont worry too much as long as you are doing the wattage. If everyone else backs off you will get to the front.

@slowpuncheur – Overtaking monitor again?

@w00dster – do you want to do the pull calling this week?

Course is pretty much flat – 2 areas to watch, coming out of the undersea tunnels and going into the volcano.

Cheers guys – any other suggestions welcome!

Thanks Robbo. Happy to keep eyes peeled. What I learnt last week is that when there are two groups ahead of us, even say 4-5s apart, that is enough space for a quick breather which is far better than trying to blast through both in one effort and be left in bits afterwards.

Even if the first group we pass catch us, we can lose them in the second group as we accelerate (if that makes sense?). We need to conserve enough to guard against the second group hitching onto our wagon. This is where a Mario Kart turtle shell PU would come in handy!

More than happy to leave you to it Robbo, worked well last week.
I’m also happy to do longer pulls or to step in for guys if you need to stay in the pack a bit longer. As there’s a smaller number tomorrow be good to finish as a full group, feel free to yell if you need the pace reducing.

Thanks Robbo. I must say I’m more than slightly relieved at us reducing the target power this week as I was wondering how well I’d cope with the longer distance. Looking forward to it now.

@savoyad I’m having my vaccination at 8.30am tomorrow – I’m assuming that eleven hours later I’ll be OK, but I guess there’s a possibility I’ll be a bit subdued!

That’s excellent news @phil56 whatever its impact on the TTT!

Do you know which one you are having? I think the consensus is Pfizer gives you a sore arm, AZ you might feel a bit under the weather. If you can’t ride, so be it…

Jack has also signed up yesterday, but is not in the list for some reason.

@Savoyad – I don’t know which I’m having, but I’ll ask in the morning.

It’s a double edged sword – on the one hand I’m glad to be getting the vaccination, but the other hand I don’t like being in the age group that qualifies for this second wave!!!

@haloric that’s strange as I thought I saw Jack yesterday but when I just checked I cant see his name in the entrants list.

Great @haloric. He’ll ride with MoreSTW. I’ll post updated teams with those time delays.
(I still can’t see him on the app or the WTRL site or zwiftpower though.)

Ill update the pull list but he will slot in after w00dster and before you for 30 second pulls.

Just literally got a phone call from the surgery asking if we were free this afternoon and if so would we like to come and have our jabs. Is the Pope a catholic, do bears s##t in the woods etc. etc.

@wOOdster missed your post while I was writing mine(it takes me a while). Cheers for the kind offer, may take you up on that at some point.

OK, updated teams / start delays:

STW – delay 11.5 minutes

@phil56

@benman

@paino

@munkeymadness

@scaredypants

@rj2dj

@yanboss

MoreSTW – delay +5 minutes

@w00dster

@trolo1234

@slowpuncheur

@robbo1234biking

@drew
Jack

@haloric

I think everyone’s tags are already set.

<reads list>

Just to reiterate what I said before, as I’m the weakest on there by some margin I think:

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to ride with a fast group but I alsmost definitely would have to pull the ripcord early – doesn’t bother me at all; I worry more about slowing the group than being dropped

The workout will do me good and I think I am improving after my second-wave laziness due to busy work stuff but still not up to an hour of this.
Phil, please cajole all you like but please all remember, I do not want anyone waiting for me when I drop off

Did a ride of the loop tonight, and I was surprised that for a flat course there were some surprise little ramps. Not enough to cause huge problems, but enough that both groups will want to remain vigilant through them, and perhaps a little flexible depending on who ends up on the front. I think I briefly saw 8% at one point!

At least 11.5 minutes delay might be enough to remain vaguely warm!

Jack and I just did two laps tonight on a TDZ catchup ride.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to 3 laps.

haloric, those catchup rides (I believe all of them) have that new drafting algorithm and I think that makes the ride a bit harder and slower as a result. Will still be a long long grind tomorrow though, even with the “old” draft

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Updated pull list for MoreSTW including Jack. I have it printed ready for tonight anyway

Ok – if there’s space I’m available and have just entered this evening’s race.

Hi @mbs – yes there’s a space in MoreSTW. @robbo1234biking will update his planning to fit you in.

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Updated pull information @mbs 60s pulls at 280-290w. Will go through it all in the pen before hand

Everything looks set to me.
It’s loooooooong. Don’t go out too hot.
The trickiest sections (I think: tunnel exit, switchbacks, volcano ramp) wouldn’t get any attention in another week. But they do get tougher to ride as a team as you all get tireder!

A rider from my CX league is big on DS for Zwift – there are some notes on this weeks course on his website. Doesn’t tell you much you don’t know but it might be useful for you budding DS’ers.

https://zwift-ds.com/

For a flat course that was bloody hard work. I’ll look at the power data later but ZP has me averaging 302W and Strava thinks it was higher than average effort…my legs agree with Strava. After a pretty dubious start we motored along nicely with some great pulls by everyone. Fantastic overtakes too. I think it was probably all the passes which killed me! Great work by @Scaredypants too, didn’t think you actually wanted to draft given you kept disappearing off the front!
What happened to Martin? Was he being a naughty boy?

Well, the curse of the TTT strikes again “Your estimated FTP has increased by *tadaaa* … 1w ”
I suppose they all count and hardly surprising after towing you lazy losers round for an hour (sadly I can’t find a “bollocks” emoji, so you’ll have to imagine it)

Believe me paino, none of my fleeting moments on the front were intended !
Weird night again in terms of my setup – had LOADS of lag periodically throughout the night but it wasn’t even constant. Worst was when you lot blew rigth past me after my false start* ; I was doing 400-500W as soon as Phil said “pedal” and nothing at all was happening to my avatar for ages – literally 10 seconds before speed picked up

*yeah, my false start – again. I was just about to get back on the bike when my avatar shot off in pursuit of some other lone rider on-screen. This time I saw it happen: display showed me at 2000 Whaaaats! I have never, ever been above 1200 and that was when I first started on zwift and was doing sprints from fresh to get some badges 🙄

Every now & then all your names disappeared from the list on my screen but I could still see you and I looked like I was right in the bunch – then sometimes Phil’d say “close the gap” when I thought i was right in there. Think I need to read up on that setup article about ports or whatever (my connection is good generally and did a speedtest straight after which was absolutely flying and low “ping”)

Anyway – massive thanks to everyone in the group for (I’m sure) holding up for me. Honest, I’d have been happy to drop off. Legs are already sore; not looking forward to tomorrow

Phil – hope you’re still OK after yr jab. You sounded like you weren’t even breathing on the mic so I assume all was well

Beer

Bed

For a ‘flat’ course that is surprisingly hard work! By the end of lap two I’d given up trying to pull and resorted to clinging on.

Qapla’!?