Zwift Team Time Trial, Thursday

Apologies w00dster. We backed off after the banner to try and let STW go before the descent started but we got a bit tangled. We never seem to get an overtake in easy place when we tangle together – always seems to be on a downhill which means there is little anyone can do about it – gravity just takes over!

Greater London 8 next week so another hill in the mix! Similar gradient and time to complete the hills as well. A lot shorter though!

https://zwiftinsider.com/route/greater-london-8/

I managed to watch some of that last night. You lot rode really well. The tangle at the top of the reverse KOM was more fun to watch than ride I think.

It looks like the new entry system (no more zwiftpower tags…) is going live this week. If it does happen, it will change how we enter on here. I’ll post details as soon as they are settled.

Just reading about the new updates on ZI, anyone notice if the new pack dynamics were active? Wasn’t aware of the update so wasn’t paying attention to that, I guess they were though judging by the neat pics of our pace line posted earlier? Must help the TTT as it would naturally make your group bigger as you can’t occupy the same space anymore, therefore the draft zone is bigger?

To me the dynamics seemed better, at least we seemed more lined out than normal.

Quite hard to say.

If the new entry system arrives, that will be a small step forward toward a real time trial mode where other teams don’t interfere with each other. We didn’t come across any rogue riders last night, although one team was a bit sticky.

The passes went well, i think by not accelerating too soon and being blobbed to the last minute really helps.

I bailed with cramp as we entered the volcano so a bit disappointed, but would have died at some point, having seen the state of Jack today.

I was going to mention the updated dynamics. I think it’s a real improvement. The sticky draft is less noticeable and as you say @Zilog6128 we seemed to settle in a paceline more. There was a bit of erratic swerving at times but it felt like the AI was waiting for a gap to slot you back in the line sometimes. I liked it.

It was a really strong team effort last night. Jack really dug in up the KOM. Maybe the longer TTT’s with slightly less intensity suit us more?

I bailed with cramp as we entered the volcano so a bit disappointed, but would have died at some point, having seen the state of Jack today

Pass on my thanks – he rode a really good ride and communicated to us well which meant the gap never grew.

@drew you seemed to enjoy the longer rider as well?

Yes, I really enjoyed that, favourite one so far. It really suited me as I was able to recover well on the two climbs and I seem to be able to manage slightly longer distances as long as I don’t have to go too deep along the way. I thought the pacing strategy worked really well too.

Oddly re the dynamics I found them worse and outside of the TTT I can see them playing havoc with races.

It seemed there was a sweet spot of about 5w where I’d hold the wheel in front, anything over and I pulled way over and out of draft. that made passes much easier but trying to stay in a group was more difficult because as soon as I eased off slightly to try regain the wheel I fell off the back as I had no draft and was a fair chunk under the rider in front.
It didn’t seem related to my actual power so much either, almost as if it recognised any increase in effort as an attempt to move up. Given that at the best of times my power trace looks like a himalayan skyline that made it hard work.
Worked much better whilst I was in draft in terms of allowing me to deliberately pull forward and seemed better on the passes but deliberately dropping back when I was in draft was rubbish as ever and needed a bit of a kick to break off forward before falling back. If anything it seemed more sticky in terms of slipping back when i was in than before and made sitting in and resting much easier than previously.

(it occurs to me that a few of you mentioned having very spikey power yesterday so could actually be that rather than the change in dynamics)

Pass on my thanks – he rode a really good ride and communicated to us well which meant the gap never grew.

yes comms were great from everybody, all the passes went really well also!

Glad that the feedback seems to be positive (cramp not withstanding).

The new capability to not quit zwift worked well as well. I went in the pen at 7.10. Then left and went back into watopia for my warm up all without restarting Zwift!

For the team I was in the pack dynamics seemed all over the shot. It was like our avatars were trying to perform some kind of complex dance! I thought it was also just a little easier to fall off the back.

Defo easier to fall off the back, happened to me a few times. But the Avatar would often move to the left of the pack and not be sheltered, I’d have to put in a little kick to get back in the group,then I’d accidentally drift to the front.
Looking at my intervals.icu file lots more spikes for me, only small bumps but quite often.
Also looked at my overtake and separation from MoreSTW, 60 seconds average of 336 watts, 20 seconds at 420 watts, for me being 95% into the race that effort was hard work…..luckily we were just getting into the last couple of Km’s where we upped the pace again!

Everyone join pen A here: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1934716

False alarm (!) – entries haven’t changed. Same system as usual for now.

This week it’s 1 lap of Greater London 8, so very flat until Box Hill. And the fun of staying together up that escalator.

I’ll get teams posted ASAP. Early signups –> early teams!

I’m in 😟

As ever, I don’t care which team I’m in but FWIW I’ll take at least 8 mins up Box Hill

@savoyad , that link is to zone 11 – 19:15 start. Is that right ? (I entered 12 as usual)

Argh it’s the wrong link and too late to edit it now. Don’t use that link!

Sign up here, pen A:https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1934728

Thanks @scaredypants

Signed up – rather short this week so a good opportunity if anyone is lurking or thinking about returning to the fold as should be over relatively quick!

Looks like the new sign up system is imminent. Sounds like a pain that every rider will need a wtrl account linked to their zwift id and has to join via the magic link!

Yeh I noticed that Nixie – I hope that it doesn’t put people off. It only takes minutes to sign up but I am aware that some people are careful who they want to share data with etc. Once you have done it once it should be easier hopefully though!

Yay ! from WTRL.

TTT #101 starts a new era of NO MORE FIXED TAGS.

I like the substance of this change. But I don’t like the fact of change – more specifically I don’t want extra form filling to be the hassle that puts someone off. Anyway we’ll all now need an account at WTRL.

So everyone who rides TTT, please go here and make one https://www.wtrl.racing/registration.php

We don’t have to use them this week, we can give the zwiftpower tags a swansong, but compulsion is coming. Let’s get ready.

Also: sign up for this week here, cat A: https://www.zwift.com/events/view/1934728

10 signed up so far. Anymore takers/lurkers?

With regards to the change – Im not sure why WTRL have persevered with correcting peoples tags post event for so long – I kind of view it as tough luck/shit happens if something were to go wrong with the tags and that is the team’s responsibility. I certainly wouldn’t want to be spending hours doing it for other people.

I hate that WTRL website. It’s worse than Lings Cars. Is there a separate entry form thing there or is it enough to sign up the usual way then WTRL use our Zwift ID?

Signed up and signed on to WTRL. I agree about that website. It’s a mess. I’m assuming it’s a different protocol from next week onwards…

@paino unfortunately not. After the 2 weeks grace period (this week and next week) sign up has to be done via the WTRL website. You still have to join the event in companion app like normal but rather than setting your tag you will have to sign on to the team through the WTRL website (unless I have misunderstood @savoyad)?

This is where I am struggling to see the benefit for riders as having the tag doesn’t cause me any issues – changing in ZP takes seconds, so the benefits are to WTRL (which is fair enough – having run a race series anything to make your life easier is welcome – if you can focus on the racing not the admin it is bound ot lead to improvements)

We can do it the old way this week @paino.

But from next week, you will need an account at Lings Cars. You won’t actually need to interact with the WTRL site though beyond signing in: you click the team entry link I’ll provide…that takes you to zwift via WTRL (so WTRL register you passing through, but you don’t do anything while you are there)…then you enter the correct pen on the zwift page when you get there.

The problem is that way it ties entries to teams messes up our system of all entering the same pen and then dividing into teams later. It won’t be a big change.

Teams for tomorrow, so far. Check and set your zwiftpower tags like normal:

STW: @paino, @yanboss, @phil56, @scaredypants, @munkeymadness
MoreSTW: @drew, @mbs, @slowpuncheur, @zilog, @haloric, @robbo1234biking

There is still space in both teams. @dangeourbrain, @w00dster, Jack, anyone else – are you planning to join in?

And @drew congrats on the upgrade to B! I assume the STW series is the driving force? It does that to people.

I’ll publish a plan later on. Will be similar to last week though to be honest. Are people happy with 280w pulls this week bearing in mind it is shorter than last week?

I’m in, can I be part of MoreSTW please?
Really struggling with my fitness at the moment. Gone from 288 watt FTP to struggling to hold 220 for a couple of minutes. My outdoor mileage has increased, I’m not tired or out of breath, but my legs just feel like I’ve got permanent DOMS.

Are people happy with 280w pulls this week bearing in mind it is shorter than last week?

give it a go!

Thanks @savoyad, I wasn’t aware of the upgrade. I knew I was borderline but had been hoping I’d stay on the cusp to help keep MoreSTW In latte. It must have come about during yesterday’s race, if it’s based on 20 minute power it was probably at the beginning as it certainly wasn’t at the end. Seems crazy I’m now a B and robbo is still a C.

@robbo1234biking I’m happy with 280w pulls.

No problem @w00dster. Ride with MoreSTW.

I think you were “almost a B” until yesterday’s race @drew, and it pushed you over the edge.

@w00dster what length of pull what you like to do? Cheers

@drew – you are prob still faster than me up the hills!

Robbo, probably 1 min. Going to see how the legs are tonight, only aiming to do 40% of FTP but will do a couple of 300 watt efforys and see how I get on.

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Ill base it on 1 min then w00dster.

Standard plan for rotations. Do I need to state the pull length or can I just say the name now? I think everyone knows how long they are doing.

We need to watch Northumberland Avenue at 3.5km. At this stage blob at 3.0 w/kg and then at the top whoever was on rotation can go again.

At 12km haloric to stop taking turns and rest up for an attack on Box Hill. Once we hit Box Hill it is 3.0 w/kg. Slowpuncheur to pace it and everyone else to sit on the wheel. w00dster to cover the back.

Over the top of Box Hill w00dster can pace us up to the punchy climb and then blob again at 3.0 w/kg. We want to go over the top together so we stay together on the descent. Everyone will need to sprint over the escalator and then lets see where we are there. I think it is only 1.5km to the end after the escalator so will be a case of blobbing and working as a team to get as much pace as we can over Tower Bridge and onto the finish.

It is a short course so hopefully we can push a little harder but just speak up if you are struggling or want to miss a turn. Comms were great last week so lets keep that up!

Start delays:

STW – +5 minutes, so in the pen by 19:40 and off at 19:45:00
MoreSTW – + 9.5 minutes, so in the pen by 19:40 and off at 19:49:30

ok so for someone who hasn’t done one before, and doesn’t have a clue……

What do I need to do to do this?

P

Hi Paul. You need to sign up through the event link on which Savoyad has linked above.

@savoyad has the rest of the instructions I think in terms of discord, tags etc.

Plenty of time to get that sorted though.

I see Jack in in now as well so a bit of team re-jigging may be required.

Just a caveat from myself. I was lucky enough to get my Covid jab last night. My wife is a volunteer at the vaccine centre and they had a no show and therefore a shot of vaccine left that they didn’t want to throw away. Had to get my son out of bed (was just after 8), throw him in the car (wellies and PJs!) and get over there in 10 mins before they shut but was worth it.

I feel absolutely fine now 12 hours after the event apart from a slight achey arm so hopefully have avoided the most severe side effects.

Anyway once I do my warm up if I don’t feel right or power is lacking then I may have to withdraw at the last minute. I think it is unlikely at the moment and even if I cant physically ride I am still happy to do the DSing on MoreSTW.

Jack is in. Looking forward to my lead out train.