Need to get back on with you folks again soon!

Also when working out who’s on what team I’d suggest going off FTP Watts rather than WKG/Cat as it can be a bit misleading for all but the hilliest routes

To give you a sense of how WKG handle it each week they have call for riders where they ask who’s available and which time slot they want, One guy then divvies those up into teams in a Google Sheet.

My instinct if most people can make one time slot then two teams in one time slot is the way to go. It doesn’t matter too much if you’re entered into the wrong category as they move team about afterwards based who was in the start pen.

As long as everyone then knows if they’re in STWGNAR or STWNOTGNAR, joins the right pen for their team, their start time and change their ZwiftPower tags accordingly you’ll be fine.

If you think you’ll end up with an Espresso team I’m happy to jump back with you folks if that helps on numbers.

Thanks Brant, that’s helpful, I’m after something cheap and cheerful to get me started TTing so if it’s in decent condition might go for it.

Plus Zwift Power is 95% of best twenty minute during a race whereas Zwifts could come from a twenty minute effort in a race/meet-up/free ride or ramp/ftp test which Zwift Power wouldn’t have access to I think?

Obv the handicap will work differently there but if Nixie has to get an eight minute lead there I think that might be a tad ambitious!

I’m tempted but I also think the Maths on the road will make my head hurt!

Is Innsbruck the Hilly one because the descent on that one’s already a pretty good equaliser

see you bright and early!

Yeah I reckon Le Reine is harder than Ven-Top and I like those sort of rides on Zwift!

Congrats on the upgrade though!

So I’ll be weight doping at 79Kg, if I’m mad enough to finally try the new French routes in this heat, while trying not to sweat into my healing open wound.

Pretty sure it’s been no decimals on weight for as long as I’ve been on 9ish month? Can switch to imperial and then it does a conversion.

I think technically you’re sposed to round up or down so 79.3 would be be 79 but 79.5 would be 80

Well this is surprising, got my first category win since getting the more accurate turbo in Crit City Dolphin of all places. Not particular in-keeping with my grinding up hill escapades.

Was based on points for fastest time each lap on the Prime (aka fairly short hill) plus some overall points for finishing position. Wasn’t a huge field either but a win is a win!

Now working out if it there’s other points based raced where punchy hill sprints are part of the set-up…

How are people finding Paris?

I’ve been enjoying the “Def not a race” up Le Reine this week, with some decent results on the road and ZP but feel that I should give Paris a spin even though very much not too my strengths.

I’ve had three goes now, it’s quite different to the Alpe where the flats and the hair pins give a bit of respite and it seems to reward steadier effort than being too spikey.

There’s a bit of a climb almost from the banner but the KOM doesn’t kick in straight away depending on if your only interested in the Strava segment rather than the overall time worth taking it a bit easy on that first bit.

And people really muck up the pacing I managed to make up about 150 places over the course of the KOM based on people over cooking it.

I was having a problem with the Flow cutting out after extended periods around 300 and a fan def helped, though I just pointed a fan in it’s general direction

I had the opposite, but my understanding is strong Vo2 = higher ramp results / stronger steady state better 0.95*20 minute average right?

You’re not shy with the climbing Kelvin. Saw you were on that last night but was just getting on for some sightseeing at the Casse Pattes route.

Got booted just as the banner dropped with hundreds of others, which is pretty annoying. TBH did an ERG work out that was probably more productive but still pretty frustrating as I’d spent some time pootling round at 1w/kg waiting for the event to start.

Read that there’s no average power display for the climb like the Alpe? So could be harder to pace, you use the bike computer for avg power I guess.

No power guidance at the moment it seems, that does make the Alpe so much easier to handle. I don’t have a head unit but really should sort one, can you take the power from the Turbo to a head unit and Zwift at the same time?

If anyone fancies, going to have a go at the Ventoux this evening at 7, if you join the group ride, wait for it to start then quit you can choose the directions to get to the climb.

Had a go yesterday but completely cocked up the pacing so need another go!

My guess is that you will find your power numbers are 10-20% lower on the Drivo, compared to the Flow, so at worst your 20min power will be “re-calibrated” to ~270W, just under 4.5W/Kg.

If A+ is 4.5+, you might become a non-alien A. 😉

Well two ramp tests and another race up the Alpe later and the results are in, short version is dropped by 10%.

n0b0dy0ftheg0at wasn’t far out 279w on 95% of best 20 minutes which is 4.4w/kg which all told I’m pretty happy with, shouldn’t mean I need to drop down in racing cat and it’s near enough that trying to get to a realistic 300+ feels like a motivating longer term goal to work towards.

Interestingly on both the new and old set-up was lower on ramp test vs 95% of twenty minute effort. Any one else noticed differences in score between testing approaches?

Yeah that’s the ball park I’m working on.

It’s silly isn’t it I’ll be exactly the same fitness no matter what I’m measuring it on but hard not to get sucked into where you’re at relative to everyone else rather than relative to yourself!

You taking on coaching clients at the moment?

Cool no not sounding like we’ve got lots of advocates for lots of ramp tests which is probably cool!

Not in a training block as such, in one of those “race too many days a week” periods that Zwift can suck you into.

I’m not super worried about the FTP as a number more its consequences elsewhere, should I be dropping a race cat? Should I be reconsidering if I can handle the TTTs etc.

There’s an easy approach of ride what you’d normally ride and see if it’s too difficult.

I think if it’s too far out it’ll become apparent fairly quickly but I’d rather know what sort of difference we’re looking at and we re-adjust my expectations rather than having a vague “well it’s different” feeling for a while.

Not sure if it’s just a foible of my current set up or just how my fitness breaks down but find it much easier to put the watts out climbing than on a flat TT

Testing the new vs the old trainer! Need your opinions.

So the new turbo has arrived and making the move from wheel on to direct drive and expecting the customary watt drop, which I’m keen to try and quantify.

Waiting on my new cassette to arrive so wondering about which of two options to consider.
First some context, my current FTP was set about six weeks ago from 95% of a twenty minute effort climbing the Alpe in a race at 50% trainer difficulty.

This Monday just gone got very close to matching that effort in another race up the Alpe, but feel a few watts short.

Do I….
1. Do two ramp tests over two days one on the old set up and one on the new despite not having done a ramp test for in absolutely ages.

2. Wait for another race up the Alpe (I’ve raced up the Alpe every Sunday since lockdown started), set the trainer difficulty the same and compare that?

I spose I could do both as well… but by day three of doing that feels like I might be shattered…

Thanks for that Phil, held it together quite nicely there, though the Titan Rollers the second time round were exasperating.

On the completely miniscule off chance you wanna watch it back Brian from WKG streamed it.

No worries Brian and see you in the pen Phil!

And only certain days of the week right? Want a longer slot take a day off work?

Nice one Phil, LJ you’re welcome to if you fancy it, the team is a couple of As and everyone else Bs.

This week it’s also ended up being a bit more of a “Climber” crew so not crazy watts wise if you wanna give a try…

Nice one Phil! Hope Brian can make it as well.

Need the Zwift Power Tag (WKG Vomit)

Pen D @ 7.43 with 10.5 minute delay – Sign up here

Discord here though not everyone uses it.

Also usually tend to do more structured turns, so 30 second turns based on surname alphabetical but will prob firm that up in the pen

Phil and Dangeour might be a couple of slots in my other team if you fancy?

7.40 start time

I’ve been off the plans, but want to get back onto the structure, Anyone doing the “Zwift
Racing” training programme? looks like good plan with enough gaps to allow some proper races/outdoor riding as well

https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/zwift-racing/

Yeah def what I’m expecting, my only small glimmer of hope is apparently the Flow was more accurate at low wheel speeds and most of my decent efforts were grinding up hill, but fully expect to be brought down to earth with a mega bump!

Ordered the Drivo 1, know paid a bit over the odds but two punctures in two days and bunch of cut outs when riding near when in racing winning position tipped me into to the “need to sort now” rather than wait a while for a good deal.

Partially humble brag but have recently won a couple of A cat races on the Alpe and feel mega cheeky that it’s likely partially down to an over generous turbo so needed to sort at some point sooner rather than later.

I’ve been calibrating the Flow regularly so hope I’m only 10-15 watts lower rather than 20-30 which seems possible! Fingers crossed

So finally biting the bullet and ordering a direct drive turbo.

Looks like Kickr Cores are our of stock everywhere so realistically looking at either an Elite Direto or Drivo.

The Direto 1 for 550 or Drivo 1 for 650

The accuracy of the Drivo appeals but could do with a GPS head unit so saving the hundred quid could be handy

Mostly on FB now that group

And there’s a Brighton Specific one as well

I’m doing a rare crit this evening at 1820 if anyone fancies? 1820 14 laps of Downtown Dolphin so a little longer than usual to mix things up…

Embargo over… details

Here’s the course profiles as well https://whatsonzwift.com/world/france/

Just looked at the results, Phil how are you not an A?

I’m excited for Ventoux! IRL steeper than most trainers go right? Wonder if they’ll tweak it slightly?

Paris should be fun as well as short course like Crit City but even more flat, which should be bonkers, draft-and-sprint-tastic!