Zwift Team Time Trial, Thursday

I think it went well for MoreSTW. We did 3 or 4 overtakes that went really cleanly and I dont believe anyone overtook us! That was a tough course though – the last lap seemed pretty long! Turns seemed to work well again – a couple of tricky places but think we dealt with them well.

Nest week we are in New York. Will be even more challenging as it is quite an undulating course!

Well done guys 🙂

Another enjoyable ride. Really good to finish as a squad. Again looking at my power record i spike on the descents. Think I need to concentrate more as small gaps appear and its an effort to stay attached. Was it the new drafting mode last night? If so I liked it although did a few times get stuck behind even when generating >4w/kg and had to sprint to break past. Looked a good ride by more stw. Stw = 52.13, morestw =55.49.

Sounds like both teams did well again – it was pleasing on such a long course to get everyone to the finish together. Big shout out to @scaredypants for digging in when it would have been much easier pull the rip cord – well done mate and thanks for sticking with us. I’m not surprised you were feeling it afterwards @paino – you were really strong on the front last night, big efforts just when we needed them.

Another great effort from everyone #starttogetherfinishtogether

We lost Martin who had some sort of battery issues but was good to see Haloric at the finish line last night.

Cheers Phil – you made it sound so convincing – “2 more kilometres … and then we’ve only got 10 to go” (I clearly wasn’t thinking straight at that point !)

Munkey, I don’t think it was the new draft unless they’ve altered it again already – main difference seemed to be it keeps rides apart laterally, so you can’t really ride “through” someone any more. I think that was still happening last night

Not as sore as expected this morning. Perhaps I’ll just man up next time 🤐

I think they’re still tweaking the draft maybe, got a little bit ghosting last night but we noticed a couple of weeks back that we were being spread across the road more quickly if we got too tight.

For a relatively flat course that last lap was a long one!

MoreSTW beat us (BRT Jupiter) by 5 seconds, damn you. But hey you were running 4 Bs this week to our 3 so we were only Latte.

Hard work again but very rewarding. Legs felt very tired at the end but don’t feel too bad this morning. Thanks for organising us Rob and to the rest of the team. Next week does look tough, 35km long with 420m of climbing thrown in for good measure.

I did bail briefly but managed to man up enough to get back on, but was on my limit most of the way. Fortunately none of the rises were very long, so didn’t lose contact there.

Still struggle to hit the front at the right time – get nicely in position at 2nd wheel with 10 secs to go and then get swamped and struggle to pull through smoothly, requiring a lot of burst effort that then causes the on-the-front-effort to fade too soon.

Both Jack and I were broken at the end, but don’t feel to sore today, so general fitness might be improving.

Can’t get postimage to display the icu data clearly…ah well. Didn’t realise both teams were Frappe, fair play to MoreSTW that was a cracking time for an ‘almost latte’ team!

Ant, try staying nearer the back, so when it’s your turn to go to the front you only need a smaller increase in power, use the draft effect to slingshot you to the front.
I find it harder going from second wheel to the front, need to put in a bigger dig from there to get past the front man, but from the rear it’s a more gradual increase closer to the amount you want to sustain.

I enjoyed last nights ride. I tried to stay mid pack/rear of the pack, when gaps appear I try and get in the middle and bring things back together.
On one of the climbs was at the back making sure we all got up, this was fairly on so everyone was fresh….I wasn’t paying enough attention as I got gapped, had to put in a 30s effort of about 350 watts to get back on.
Also noticed Tom was in front of Drew, a small gap appeared and Drew was smashing it at 4 w/kg to bridge the gap, then it was his turn to get on the front!! Felt for you then Drew!
Another strange one, myself and Robbo were at the back of the group just coming into the tunnels (2nd lap I think). It was Robbo’s minute at the front, we were both going in excess of 300 watts but couldn’t get through the group, was a bit weird! Either everyone else increased their power at that time or some weird
oddity of the Zwift physics.

Yeah, we saw you doing that tactic, it did seem as if you can shoot too far off the front and leave a gap, but with the right amount of practice that seems more viable than what I was struggling with.

I would like to try the ‘sink and sprint’ technique on one event, where you are in a fixed per-determined line, and drop right off the front at the end of your turn quickly, and sprint back on to the back. If you overshoot the back, and end up somewhere in the line, thats your new position in the line, and you stay there.

I imagine its quite hard to do, and requires everyone is able to hold their spot in the line, keep an appropriate gap, and not overtake, which also requires a comfort level that I don’t generally feel.

I think if you were not trying to set a record time and ran it at comfort level we could all handle, it could be quite a thing. I imagine you need a flat course to practice on.

The ‘problem’ I have is trusting that the rest of the team is not going to get away without me by accident, so I end up putting in more power to be in the middle of the bunch, rather than stretching the line out and taking a breather.

It was Robbo’s minute at the front, we were both going in excess of 300 watts but couldn’t get through the group, was a bit weird! Either everyone else increased their power at that time or some weird oddity of the Zwift physics.

Yeh I noticed that too. I try not to worry too much and just keep to the pace if I can. I figure it is a zwift oddity as long as everyone else around me isn’t trying to hard I hope the overall group effort works!

I’d forgotten about that wOOdster. I may have been muttering under my ever diminishing breath at that point 🙂

Either my turbo likes the warmer weather or the pace was a bit slower this week. Managed to rest in the pack and put some pulls in on the front. Just as painful at the end! I have no idea how you lot can all speak at after the finish

I’ve entered two teams for this week’s TTT at 7.40pm on Thursday.

3 laps of Astoria Line 8 in NYC, 34.9 lumpy kilometres. This course is a tough test of teamwork. We’ve done it a couple of times before – including, iirc, our first ever STW TTT outing.

Enter category A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1793937

I’ll get teams sorted by the end of Wednesday if I can.

BUMP.

Just 5 riders so far. Welcome to any readers who followed the link from the race thread. Anyone is welcome to join us. There’s loads of info earlier in this thread, but just sign up and I’ll post all the necessary info again ahead of Thursday. Basically Thursday, 7.40pm, mixed ability teams.

Enter category A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1793937
(the categories are used differently here; we all enter A together regardless of our category in a normal race).

@savoyad I’m hesitant this week as I’ve developed a bit of a niggle in my knee so might take a week out. Near constant effort in a TT might not be wise. I’ll confirm in the morning but if slots are full by then, so be it. Don’t keep it open for me.

Hi Savoyad,

I’ve been talked into signing up so I’m in for this week. Username Taylor Third.

Cheers

great @speedstar. I see you. I’ll allocate teams later today (hopefully!) and post all the required info then.

Awesome thanks!

If numbers don’t add up for the two team option I wouldn’t be too disappointed taking a sabbatical.

Have entered but really not feeling it today.

Will bump Jack and @mbs

If the numbers are low and there is one good team, happy to sit out.

We’re on 8 signed up (maybe 10 with @mbs and Jack). Any further takers?

There’s a queue to sit out if we get an awkward amount (!) but two teams still seems doable to me…

Cat A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1793937

I can’t ride tomorrow night now I am afraid. My wife is volunteering at the vaccine centre and got given a afternoon/late shift and isn’t due to finish until 20.30. Although I can ride in theory as my son will be in bed having to use discord means I can’t hear him if he needs something and it isn’t fair on you guys for me to drop out of my son needs a drink or something! Hopefully back again next week.

I’m sorry but I’m going having to give this a miss this evening which is a shame as it looked like the numbers were picking up. I’ve woken up with a sore and stiff lower back after doing some work at my son’s house and it definitely doesn’t feel like I’m going to be able to work it off at this point.

Hi – I’ve signed up for this evening’s race.

I’m in for this evening if the numbers work @savoyad

Entry lists are inconsistent! @munkeymadness are you planning to ride?
We’re on 7, 8 or 9 depending which list is right…

Sorry, I should be showing on Zwift event list now.

I’ll put my name down @savoyad if needed to boost the numbers up.

Ain’t done the TTT for a while, as my fitness isn’t up there at the mo, dropped to a CatC.

I’m a bit confused because lists on wtrl and zwift don’t match. Let’s assume the game itself knows the truth. @giggsmaster you’ve missed the boat this week I think. Sorry, I don’t like doing that.

Anyway just one, full, team. Ride as…

MoreSTW, start delay +2 minutes, so in the pen by 19:40 and off at 19:42

@paino – change your tag

@mbs

@haloric
Jack

@phil56 – change your tag; it’s @speedstar’s first TTT

@scaredypants – change your tag

@speedstar – add a tag, see below! ask questions if you have them.

@slowpuncheur

– you need to append your team name in brackets to your zwiftpower rider name. Go here https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=1793937 then settings top right, then for My Name put your rider name with (MoreSTW) on the end. e.g. “savoyad (MoreSTW)” no quotes. This changes it for this ride only. No need to change elsewhere like zwift itself.
– make sure you join the event by 19:40
– wear the bumblebee jersey and ride a road bike (NOT a MTB tuesday people! and NOT a TTT bike.)
– the start is a bodge. When it says GO, you MUST NOT GO. In fact, you must be stationary (zero watts) on go, so stop pedalling in advance if necessary. Then sit tight for the teams allocated start delay, which is two minutes this week. THEN you can go, all together. Don’t be fooled by people who go on go, or teams who go earlier than your departure time. Wait 2 minutes. There will be a countdown on…
– discord is used for comms. join the STW server here https://discord.gg/K5ynw4J9 and you’ll see the TTT team voice channel over on the left. It is a lot more likely to go smoothly if you use it…
– I’m sending you out as MoreSTW because that team has the shorter start delay

This course is difficult. There’s no routine, no rhythm, no memorable terrain, no way to stay off the front when the course decides it’s your turn etc. It’s just lumps, forever. Try and have fun!

Sorry about formatting. I didn’t mean to do that. I’m not going to try and fix it!

No worries @savoyad, I’d probably be hanging on the back anyway.

At least it means I can get on Zwift early and not have restless legs in bed. 👍🏼

@savoyad – just to be clear we’ll use the MoreSTW discord channel – is that correct?

Yes. Better to make a choice. That can be the choice: MoreSTW TTT discord channel.

Good luck guys!

Lol should be interesting! Any ground rules to be aware of eg time at front etc?

Phil will look after you @speedstar main thing for your first one is getting used to working in the group and staying together etc. Don’t worry too much about trying to do pulls on the front at least for the first half. Once you feel more comfortable you can push if you want but the course lends itself to working as a blob in any case.