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1. mrblobby - Member 

   Really? There's no way I'm that quick. I'll investigate, and do a bit more testing to see that I'm recording this all correctly.

   As you are reasonably light at 73kg and near the bottom end of a category you'll need to hone your Zwift racing skills! It'll be tough as you'll be racing against people who are 80+ kg and near 4 w/kg so FTP of 320+ watts which is a lot more power than you. So you'll find it hard on the flats unless you're good at hiding as others will have a lot more power (probably near threshold just to stay in their draft.) And you'll find it hard on the hills as you're at the bottom end of w/kg scale. Good luck

   Posted 23 hours ago #
2. codybrennan - Member 

   mrblobby - Member
   So you'll find it hard on the flats

   I already am, now that you come to mention it- cheers for the advice

   TBH, my ambitions are fairly modest. I'm well over the hill now, and this is primarily intended to maintain fitness for me. Anything else is a bonus.

   Posted 23 hours ago #
3. cycle86 - Member 

   I’d not rated myself performance wise but I’m thinking I might give a race a go shortly and see what happens based on the above. To those of you with experience doing them - do the longer ones tend to be a bit less committed due to the time they run for, or is it the case that pace stays high regardless, you just have to suffer for longer?

   Posted 21 hours ago #
4. weeksy - Member 

   do the longer ones tend to be a bit less committed due to the time they run for, or is it the case that pace stays high regardless, you just have to suffer for longer?

   You'd think they'd be less intense/easier wouldn't you... but not really.

   Admittedly, if i do a WBR 10km race, i'll finish on 295-300w If i do a 30km i'll put in 275-280w, if it's a 42km, i'm more list 260w.

   Sure, it's 40w... Or heck, it's only 40w.... LOL... Depends how you look at things.

   It's not the whole story though, it's the kicks in power, especially late on, it's the surges with 3-4km to go and people just wham up the power..

   Not sure that helps.

   Posted 20 hours ago #
5. tomlevell - Member 

   Depends on the group you end up in. Going off hard get's you in a better group which makes it harder for the entire race. I found I got dropped if setting off too enthusiastically and dropping back to the group behind on lap 2 of 4. Going off at a more sensible pace, still quite hard, got me into the right group which I probably would fall back to. BUT if I can get my recovery in with the harder group and hold on I'll do a lot better...
   3 lap races of about 45 minutes suit me best. 1 lap was fun too but. All are flipping hard if you want to make it so.

   Posted 20 hours ago #
6. zilog6128 - Member 

   3 lap races of about 45 minutes suit me best.

   very much this. I did do quite well in my last race which was about 1hr5 but it was bloody hard work & I could only keep up the pace because I really reigned myself in at the start!

   Was tempted to do the CVR race today but looking at the races that've run already today, I'll be very much at the bottom of the pack plus it's a relatively long race (probably 1hr20+ for me).

   Doesn't seem like there's been that much interest... the Zone A race this morning only had 19 riders (male & female!) There are a lot more registered for the Zone E one but I reckon the length of the races is putting people off. Anyone raced any or multiple ones so far?

   Posted 20 hours ago #
7. weeksy - Member 

   Distance and the fact it would be mostly solo has put me off them. At least in a ABCD race you generally know you'll have other riders around you to play with and battle. HOwever due to the way the format of these is, i could end up being the only guy at 3w/kg and destroyed within the first 2 mins.... Then the rest solo.

   Posted 20 hours ago #
8. zilog6128 - Member 

   Hadn't noticed the staggered start. Not that it'd make any difference (for me)... although it seems to imply regular zwift w/kg categories on the Zwift events app listing, pretty sure you're supposed to race in the category you were assigned when you signed up (which would be D for me)... I'd be right at the back either way looking at past race results!

   Posted 20 hours ago #
9. blader1611 - Member 

   Apologies to zwift,it seems it is my network that has been causing me issues for the past few days. I was leading the mgcc race this morning when the familiar sideways movement started and then boom everyone gone,internet came back up within 30s but zwift wouldnt reconnect back to the race, i was going great again. It seems to be dropping wifi on a regular basis but LAN is unaffected.
   I ended up going for a pootle and then tried to break my pr for box hill (6:47) but it seems pulling no less than 4.5w/kg all the way up is just not fast enough,ended up doing it in 7:08. I was too focused on cadence and should have just concentrated on burying myself.

   Posted 19 hours ago #
10. crosshair - Member 

    Blader, until we swapped ISP, I had to run an Ethernet cable for racing or I’d more than likely get a drop out. Not had one for a long time touch wood!!

    Posted 19 hours ago #
11. blader1611 - Member 

    I do zwift on ipad so hardwiring isnt an option for me. I will just change out the router as its never been an issue before, just a shame its happened twice when i have been going great.
    I now have just under 10,000ft of climbing left to get the Tron bike so hopefully end of next week for completion.

    Posted 18 hours ago #
12. zilog6128 - Member 

    I don't have wi-fi where I Zwift so I use 4g (connect iPad to mobile hotspot on my phone). Only downside of this approach is that you can't use the Mobile Link app on the phone to control anything. Might be worth trying assuming you have a 4g signal.

    Posted 18 hours ago #
13. scaredypants - Member 

    have you got power in there ?

    powerline network plugs, one with wifi ?

    Posted 18 hours ago #
14. zilog6128 - Member 

    Is that at me? No internet anywhere in the building (that I can access) unfortunately. Did get me thinking though if there's a way of sharing the connection from my main building. I wonder if anything here would actually work reliably considering they are very low cost options. I have line of site from my main building (although at an acute angle), distance 100m or so https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/store/wifi-links/wifi-building-links/

    Posted 17 hours ago #
15. jam bo - Member 

    https://community.zwift.com/preview/4236

    leith hill is a go...

    Posted 17 hours ago #
16. scaredypants - Member 

    Yes, was at you, zilog
    how do you power your turbo? (or is it one of those self-powered ones). If plugged in, is it not on the same supply as your house ?

    Posted 17 hours ago #
17. zilog6128 - Member 

    I live in a flat so space/noise means I Zwift at work... there are some empty offices in the mezzanine above the warehouse so I have commandeered one as my pain cave. So there’s power but no internet (or heating lol). It’s in a different building on an industrial estate about 100m away from the main office.

    Posted 16 hours ago #
18. scaredypants - Member 

    

    (that is all)

    Posted 16 hours ago #

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19. weeksy - Member 

    https://community.zwift.com/preview/4236

    leith hill is a go...

    Rode it this morning. It's a hill. I set myself a max of 150hr to keep me in fat burn zone, so was slow up it.

    Posted 16 hours ago #
20. jk501 - Member 

    Me too. Rode it from the box hill side (you turn right for Leith hill instead of left for box hill). The start is more of a gradual climb with some 5 to 7% gradients thrown in. When you get to the KOM section it rapidly turns into 9-12% right to the top. That section is shorter than the box hill KOM though. My time was about 90 seconds faster than my box hill pb without killing myself.

    Posted 15 hours ago #
21. jam bo - Member 

    Kiss C for me tonight. Jumping on shortly for a warmup.

    Posted 14 hours ago #
22. jam bo - Member 

    **** I hate racing box hill. Too fat...

    Posted 13 hours ago #
23. scaled - Member 

    CVR A at 10:00 getting pre race jitters

    Posted 13 hours ago #
24. MrPottatoHead - Member 

    New Strava segment on Leith; "Zwift Velodrome:Coming Soon". Should make for some fun racing if they put that in!!

    Posted 12 hours ago #
25. jk501 - Member 

    You may get to enter an STW pursuit team

    Posted 12 hours ago #
26. zilog6128 - Member 

    Interesting article about using a Concept2 rower on Zwift. Unfortunately don’t have the necessary PM5, tempted to get one though and try it as I really don’t use my C2 much these days!

    https://zwiftinsider.com/rowing-on-zwift/

    Posted 11 hours ago #
27. scaled - Member 

    Wow, that was tougher than the numbers would suggest.

    6:26 up box hill on the first lap, was 3rd through the Kim barrier but got dropped on the next kicker (that I'd forgotten about)

    Second time up the hill I was hanging* with the chase group until dinner threatened pretty seriously to put in a second appearance.

    Rolled in 8th or something, 3.9w/kg. Could have bossed it in B

    *Just about

    Posted 10 hours ago #
28. weeksy - Member 

    6:26 ! Sheesh that's epic !

    Posted 2 hours ago #
29. BadlyWiredDog - Member 

    How much difference does drafting make on Zwift climbs? You'd think it wouldn't have much impact, but if you're passing someone on one of the steeper sections, the Radio Mast climb for example, there's an obvious sticky draft when you're passing a slower rider that's quite irritating and not, ime, very true to life. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. I guess I should take the time trial bike up something to see if I'm imagining it...

    Posted 1 hour ago #
30. weeksy - Member 

    Very little IME, i was climbing Leith Hill yesterday following a guy and on a 5-6% section i'd need the exact same w/kg as him to keep him 4m away. If i'm on the flat i can be up to 1.2w/kg down on someone and still hold their wheel.

    Posted 1 hour ago #
31. jam bo - Member 

    should have read the course notes, thought the KISS race last night was going to be on the flat course until we turned left at the top of the first climb. got to the bottom of box hill comfortably in the lead group. went backwards. got it back together on on the descent and through london, blew up on the 2nd time up box hill and limped home.

    15/47 which isnt too bad for a climbing circuit for me.

    Posted 50 minutes ago #
32. Alex - Member 

    I've enjoyed reading this thread almost as much as the now much-missed 'can I buy a fatbike for £500' monster

    Bought a tacx 2240 yesterday after reading stuff here. Dug out old MacBook Air, ANT dongle and unused cross bike and assembled in the big shed. Had a quick go knowing nothing and being far too stubborn to read any on-line guides. It was fun tho. And hard. I was just rushing round Richmond Park chasing random people.

    I can't ride MTBs for 8 weeks due to damaging ligaments in my ankle (from running FFS). But I can ride clipped in on the trainer. Not sure if I'm going to race but might try structured workouts etc. Years ago I used sufferfest videos with a mechanical trainer when I was crocked and I hated it.

    Zwift - from my limited use - seems to offer quite a lot more fun. For a given value of fun.

    I forgot to calibrate the tacx so that's my next step before an easy hour of something tonight to test the ankle. Can't believe I'm looking forward to it!

    Posted 21 minutes ago #
33. jolmes - Member 

    @Alex- there is a PACK ride tonight at 630pm, should be nice and easy

    Posted 13 minutes ago #
34. muggomagic - Member 

    Can't believe I'm looking forward to it!

    Don't worry that soon wears off

    Posted 10 minutes ago #
35. zilog6128 - Member 

    Quite enjoy the PACK rides as a good way to while away an hour or so on a recovery ride. They normally get 3-400 hundred riders which psychologically seems to make you feel like you're part of a big group even though obviously you're sat there on your own!

    Posted 9 minutes ago #

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