Zwift Chat

[alex_cycles]

It's autocat- they use a slightly stricter formula to look at past performance and vo2 max rather than just FTP. That's the spin anyway

Yeah I have that too. On ZP I'm a C almost B, but for a long time I've been unable to do "Category Enforcement" events in C as my VO2 is well over the C/B threshold. Quite a lot of races have started using category enforcement now.

It doesn't matter though, as I like my short 4km all cats together sprint races and ride as an A (much better ZP ranking points ).

 

[Peter Salt]

Anyone Zwift racing tonight?? I've been off it for a while but fancy a bit of a blast.

Nope, but I will try and make the lunch time Kinetic Cruisers events every Friday to practice sprinting.

 

[alex_cycles]

Nope, but I will try and make the lunch time Kinetic Cruisers events every Friday to practice sprinting.

That looks fun. Don't be surprised to see me there if the weather's crap

 

[Legs]

I’ll be doing a workout after Daniel’s gone to bed. Maybe SS Medium?

 

[steverob]

Yeah I have that too. On ZP I'm a C almost B, but for a long time I've been unable to do "Category Enforcement" events in C as my VO2 is well over the C/B threshold. Quite a lot of races have started using category enforcement now.

Also worth noting that Category Enforcement is based on your BEST result in the last 60 days, not the average of your best three in 90 like ZP. So one outlier of a race can leave you in different categories in both systems.

 

[alex_cycles]

Also worth noting that Category Enforcement is based on your BEST result in the last 60 days, not the average of your best three in 90 like ZP. So one outlier of a race can leave you in different categories in both systems.

It also includes EVERYTHING you do in Zwift (apart from workouts, IIRC?)
So yeah, those 5 minute smash races are what's doing it in my case, but as long as ZRL doesn't change to cat enforcement I'll still be a C.

 

[Spartak]

Here's a strange one, I haven't raced for a while and have been relegated to a Cat. D ( almost C ).

So I've entered this event tonight...

Crit Races on Neokyo Crit Course! https://www.zwift.com/events/view/3038628

But Cat. D is restricted to me ... ?

View attachment 650721

Crikey.... I'd forgotten how tough Crit races are, first 10km I was okay but struggled on the last 10km.

Didn't like the Neokyo Crit course as much as Bell Lap or Downtown Dolphin !

 

[BurningLegs]

My plans were scuppered by two highly uncooperative children this evening so wasn’t able to get on a race but did a 1hr workout instead.

I quite like Wahoo SYSTM. The range of content is nice, you can do things like a guided tour (with intervals on climbs etc) or a workout with a story line (45 minute “escape from work”). All sounds a bit corny but I’ve found it to be good variation and a different way to sneak the intervals in 🙂

 

[DCLane]

A bit too late to be asking this, as it arrived today, but has anyone got experience of using a Wahoo Kickr Smart?

Someone has been selling several on eBay and I picked one up last week for £200 delivered. It looks to have been a demo model.

It'll hopefully be for son no. 2 to use whilst at university. The halls (of residence) will be loud with the sound of a turbo ...

 

[BurningLegs]

If it’s the Kickr rather than Kickr snap it’ll be silent, and £200 is an amazing price!

What do you want to know about it? 🙂

 

[DCLane]

If it’s the Kickr rather than Kickr snap it’ll be silent, and £200 is an amazing price!

What do you want to know about it? 🙂

Thanks. Is it any good?

And yes, it's the 2018 Kickr Smart.

Life's been so busy I didn't spend any time looking into them, but took a punt.

 

[BurningLegs]

It’s Wahoo’s top offering of the time. Their competitor to the Tacx Neo.

They release a new version every year or two but generally just incremental improvements. Recent years have bought things like a direct cabled connection in addition to ANT+ and Bluetooth (who knew hard wired would become a selling point again!!) so not really huge features!

Not sure if the 2018 has it but current Wahoo trainers have a feature where the trainer will pair to your bike’s power meter on ANT+ and then broadcast that value over Bluetooth. This is a killer feature on Apple TV because you then get a trainer, power meter, and hrm all connected at the same time within the two device limit.

Other than that it’s as good as any other trainer tbh. Good max gradient and power numbers as you’d expect from a flagship product and good accuracy.

 

[CXRAndy]

Thanks. Is it any good?

And yes, it's the 2018 Kickr Smart.

Life's been so busy I didn't spend any time looking into them, but took a punt.

Beware the 2018 model had bearing and shaft wear/ vibration issues. It maybe a refurbished model but they never actually cured the problem. It may repeat fault-hoping not £200 is a cheap price

 

[CXRAndy]

Crikey.... I'd forgotten how tough Crit races are, first 10km I was okay but struggled on the last 10km.

Didn't like the Neokyo Crit course as much as Bell Lap or Downtown Dolphin !

I prefer Neokyo crit, it maybe I've done quite a few of the Bell/dolphin loops. I'm bored of it. So Neokyo was fresh.

 

[Legs]

I’ll be doing a workout after Daniel’s gone to bed. Maybe SS Medium?

Went for the Mat Hayman P-R workout instead because I was a bit time-crunched. Man, that is tough! The first block of 20 mins of alternating 95rpm/65rpm really hurts the legs, then I died on the fifth rep of six on the second block - where my cadence should have been 95rpm, I was languishing around 60rpm and got into a death spiral...