Zwift Chat

[Norry1]

I’m sure some people are on the constant look out for segments to snag! Living in London it’s hard for me to get into the top one thousand of lots of the segments.

There is one that is familiar to us all though... had a crack at the zwift alp with @berty bassett earlier. He clearly wasn’t feeling it tonight but he set a great pace for me to follow for the first half of the climb. Which played a massive part in me hitting my first sub 50 min climb! I’m very pleased to be honest. Not bad at all for a long old bean Pole like me! 😁. But like you Andy I’m going to enjoy while it last. Because I can think of at least a couple of light weights amongst us who might just want their places back on the the leader board!
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Sleep well whippets! 🍿 🎣 😄

Great time

 

[CXRAndy]

I feel happy if i can get green sprint jersey. With good luck my time might stay top on the list longer than 1 minute.

Im falling down the the leaderboard 😫

Still no.1 for 200+fatties

For tonight at least

And on a shopper bike

 

[Del C]

2nd Team Time Trial tonight with WTRL.

8 riders in our team on the Out and Back course at just under 26.5 miles. It was brutal!

Started from the desert pens. Got my usual slow start meaning I had to chase back on to my team, but I got there and then we were off across the desert with the power rarely dropping below 260W. I really need to sort my starts out!!

Group stayed together well over the rise out of Saddle Springs, then after the descent we turned right, then left and up the little climb out of the underwater section, and then up the zig zag, through the Italian village, across the bridge and through the Esses to the bottom of the Volcano. We nearly lost one of our team on the Esses, but he pushed hard and with a little help from one of our stronger riders he was back in the group.

The pace stayed high as we started the Volcano climb and we started to drop the guy who'd struggled through the Esses and it was clear he wasn't going to make it back this time. I was still in the group but half way up the climb I was starting to struggle. I got slightly gapped, but made my way back and was back in the group as we went through the second indoor cave section. As we came out on to the final section of the climb the elastic stretched a little and I was falling slowly back.

I went over the top about 15 seconds behind the remaining 6 guys. At 16 miles out of 26, my race was run. It was just a case of getting home from there on in. The 15 seconds grew quickly on the descent and eventually I came over the line with my other team mate that we'd dropped at the start of the Volcano climb.

I was completely shot at the end but pleased I'd given it everything on what the guys assured me is about the toughest TTT course that they ride. The bonus is that I didn't get caught in any sticky drafts tonight, so I'm learning!

Next weeks TTT is 3 laps around the Volcano Flat course. It's going to be fast!

Be interesting to hear how @bobinski @bridgy and @IrishAl got on tonight.

I can thoroughly recommend the TTT to anyone here still else thinking of giving this a go. Hard but great fun! Well worth giving it a go.

 

[bobinski]

@Del C It was tough!
6 of us made it to the end together overtaking 2 teams on the way. I was one of the B’s in out team and also the lightest bar a woman, Alina who stepped in at last moment but was off the pace to the volcano. She dropped off. We rode and stuck together well, the big boys leading but a good 20-30w lower than I expected. By the time we hit the volcano it was clear the struggle would be to stay together so I lead at an ok pace making Sure I didn’t pull away though I found that difficult. My form is improving and every part of me wanted to push on harder. Everyone set PB’s in the climb except me which is a testimony to their effort. We then rolled through the village and the final climb , a few calling out to say they were struggling and Alina working as DS to encourage berate and cajole everyone to the line.
It was great fun, riding as a group, supporting each other, bursting past other teams and then through the finish. Highly recommended 👍

 

[bridgy]

Mine was a team of one A+, four A's and three B's including me obviously. I lasted until I think about 2 minutes into the volcano climb before I was gapped by the A's and one of the B's (the other B having dropped off a bit earlier on the climb).

We were expecting this to happen so they didn't wait for me, and the final B rider was also dropped before the top of the climb. I carried on pushing hard though and caught up with the other B rider with about 10k to go so we rode together to the end. We had an unofficial little sprint finish battle at the end and I was pleased to win that - my small personal victory for the ride!

57:54 for the team and1:01:49 for me I believe

 

[<Tommy>]

Great time

Thanks mate 👍. I’m feeling fitter than ever and it’s that feeling of still improving that feels better than anything else. There’s always going to be a million people faster than well, all of us frankly. But if you can keep moving forward on a personal level it really helps the motivation I think.

 

[<Tommy>]

Del, Paul, Bob. Well done guys. Brilliant write ups too 👍👍. The TTT really is unique isn’t it. And I think you all nailed it in your description. The team work element is such a test. Especially on a course that hilly. so tough to stick together and work as a team takes a lot of co operation and communication.
I felt like I had to drop out of my team because it is unbelievably strong and basically I couldn’t get in it! massive kudos to @bridgy for hanging in with those A guys for so long. And the guy he piped on the line also seems very quick indeed. And Del too for the same! Bob clearly the strongest guy in his group by the sounds of it. But the three of you combined really show the different elements that make up a team of varying strengths.
I just thought better for me to ride every week for my own fitness rather than not being sure if I have a spot in the starting lineup. But I’d definitely give it another go in the future. And I’d highly suggest you guys give it a whirl. Such good fun.

 

[Del C]

Thanks mate 👍. I’m feeling fitter than ever and it’s that feeling of still improving that feels better than anything else. There’s always going to be a million people faster than well, all of us frankly. But if you can keep moving forward on a personal level it really helps the motivation I think.

Del, Paul, Bob. Well done guys. Brilliant write ups too 👍👍. The TTT really is unique isn’t it. And I think you all nailed it in your description. The team work element is such a test. Especially on a course that hilly. so tough to stick together and work as a team takes a lot of co operation and communication.

All of the above!

That was a great time up the Alpe! I still haven't broken the hour so that's a massive effort!!

I've played a lot of competitive sport in my past and that desire to do well does stay with you. You do need the right motivation, but you're right that if you feel you're still moving forward then that motivation will be there.

There are times like last Monday when I bailed on the DBR race that I feel a bit down about it, but the reason was I needed a rest after too much work. But then I have to remember I'm in my 60s now, I'm an improving B Cat, I'm regularly in the top 10-20% of Strava segment times and I'm racing against some really strong riders both here and in the wider Zwift community. I really don't have much to complain about.

And the TTT feels like its really helping. I'm riding in a team of mainly B riders with an A rider and another borderline A/B rider. They all have higher W/kg than me, but like @bridgy I only blew up near the top of the Volcano climb. It's making me work harder and the team aspect is certainly working. I'm sure it makes you dig deeper and it's like the feeling I had in the C cat team in the feltet.dk series earlier this year.

I get a real high out of feeling that I've done all I can, and that's the same feeling I used to get when I played team squash 25-30 years ago and used to come off court wrecked but feeling great.

 

[berty bassett]

American prisoners working on the roads didn’t work as hard as I have this week - just saying 😉

 

[bobinski]

All of the above!

That was a great time up the Alpe! I still haven't broken the hour so that's a massive effort!!

I've played a lot of competitive sport in my past and that desire to do well does stay with you. You do need the right motivation, but you're right that if you feel you're still moving forward then that motivation will be there.

There are times like last Monday when I bailed on the DBR race that I feel a bit down about it, but the reason was I needed a rest after too much work. But then I have to remember I'm in my 60s now, I'm an improving B Cat, I'm regularly in the top 10-20% of Strava segment times and I'm racing against some really strong riders both here and in the wider Zwift community. I really don't have much to complain about.

And the TTT feels like its really helping. I'm riding in a team of mainly B riders with an A rider and another borderline A/B rider. They all have higher W/kg than me, but like @bridgy I only blew up near the top of the Volcano climb. It's making me work harder and the team aspect is certainly working. I'm sure it makes you dig deeper and it's like the feeling I had in the C cat team in the feltet.dk series earlier this year.

I get a real high out of feeling that I've done all I can, and that's the same feeling I used to get when I played team squash 25-30 years ago and used to come off court wrecked but feeling great.

Never be afraid to bail- especially at your age 😉
A life time of competitive sport means you know when the body is working. That’s my excuse anyway 😁

Del, you’re welcome to join the ZsunR teams- always on the lookout for fresh meat 😀

 

[Del C]

Never be afraid to bail- especially at your age 😉
A life time of competitive sport means you know when the body is working. That’s my excuse anyway 😁

Del, you’re welcome to join the ZsunR teams- always on the lookout for fresh meat 😀

Thanks Bob.

I think I ought to stick with WTRL for now. They've been welcoming and I think I need to pay that back, but it's a kind offer and I may well come back to you on it.

I do have some doubts about WTRL, but I want to give it a proper go. They seem to be mainly focussed on their own races: ITT, TTT and a sprint league currently. I think they also organise a winter league and they seem to have some monthly Strava segment challenge which I don't fully understand right now.

Lots of non WTRL teams ride in the WTRL races, but I've not seen any great evidence of WTRL teams in non WTRL events. They don't seem to be that organised to ride in leagues or events outside their own control. In fact, one of the guys was checking it was ok to swap his team for 6 weeks to ride in a Dutch league series. It was, but I did wonder why they didn't organise a WTRL team. So, I'm wondering right now if I want to ride any non-WTRL stuff in future, say like the DBR league I've been riding here, whether I just need to accept that and flip my team.

I don't know how ZsunR compare to that. I think you said they have some type of Admin function that organises teams, but I don't really know any more than that.

 

[<Tommy>]

American prisoners working on the roads didn’t work as hard as I have this week - just saying 😉

😄

They didn’t moan as much either to be fair. Better luck next time ‘cool hand lee’!

 

[bobinski]

Thanks Bob.

I think I ought to stick with WTRL for now. They've been welcoming and I think I need to pay that back, but it's a kind offer and I may well come back to you on it.

I do have some doubts about WTRL, but I want to give it a proper go. They seem to be mainly focussed on their own races: ITT, TTT and a sprint league currently. I think they also organise a winter league and they seem to have some monthly Strava segment challenge which I don't fully understand right now.

Lots of non WTRL teams ride in the WTRL races, but I've not seen any great evidence of WTRL teams in non WTRL events. They don't seem to be that organised to ride in leagues or events outside their own control. In fact, one of the guys was checking it was ok to swap his team for 6 weeks to ride in a Dutch league series. It was, but I did wonder why they didn't organise a WTRL team. So, I'm wondering right now if I want to ride any non-WTRL stuff in future, say like the DBR league I've been riding here, whether I just need to accept that and flip my team.

I don't know how ZsunR compare to that. I think you said they have some type of Admin function that organises teams, but I don't really know any more than that.

Zsunr is very much based around and an extension of their history of social riding and racing as Zsun. So a mix of men and women. They are just looking to race more. They are pretty welcoming and supportive. They have some very strong riders. And then there’s the rest of us across all cat,s. It is FB based with a lot of messenger activity discussing tactics etc. I find keeping up with that a hassle. But it seems to work and the social riding aspect to it means, that while it can be very competitive, it’s also a good crack and not just a disparate group of people coming together just to occasionally race- it’s a bit more than that. There are other similar teams, Herd etc , I just landed at Zsun and have stayed there.

 

[Del C]

Zsunr is very much based around and an extension of their history of social riding and racing as Zsun. So a mix of men and women. They are just looking to race more. They are pretty welcoming and supportive. They have some very strong riders. And then there’s the rest of us across all cat,s. It is FB based with a lot of messenger activity discussing tactics etc. I find keeping up with that a hassle. But it seems to work and the social riding aspect to it means, that while it can be very competitive, it’s also a good crack and not just a disparate group of people coming together just to occasionally race- it’s a bit more than that. There are other similar teams, Herd etc , I just landed at Zsun and have stayed there.

WTRL seems to communicate the same way. Facebook page, but far more activity on Messenger which I'm struggling to get used to. Seems harder to get to know people on a little scrolling feed, rather than a message board!

Can't see much evidence of a social riding aspect. That would be nice. I want to race but just rolling along with some friends is just as important to balance it out and form a few relationships .

 

[berty bassett]

😄

They didn’t moan as much either to be fair. Better luck next time ‘cool hand lee’!

you are not the first person to say i look like a young paul newman
its a curse but ive learnt to live with it