Zwift Chat

[Whorty]

Wish me luck later Hoping I can get to the LegSnapper before I'm shelled by the pack, but as that's 8 minutes from the pens that's a big ask.

Race is in a hour so I'm sure others will join. Fingers crossed there will be some more Ds

View attachment 749060

I didn't technically come last
I did manage to hang on to the pack to the LegSnapper, took a lot out of my legs just getting there. The pack flew up never to be seen again. There was one rider behind doing a tempo ride and he caught me at the top of the climb. He game me a wheel and we picked up 2 other riders who had been dropped (presumably on the 'snapper too although I didn't spot when).
Those 3 riders then dragged me around the next 2.5 laps, letting me lead up the 'snapper on lap 2 so that they didn't get too far ahead. Lap 3 2 went a little harder and I could hang on, but Hartling waited for me and paced me to the finish - so I did the right thing as he slowed at the finish and pulled past him so that he could get the reductio in ZRS he deserved
I averaged 2.3 w/kg for 20 mins (2.2 in the race) whilst the winner averages 4.3 and 4.0 respectively

 

[Peter Salt]

How's the honey business going, @CXRAndy?

 

[CXRAndy]

How's the honey business going, @CXRAndy?

We didn't proceed with it. We talked to a couple of ecologists, they checked the area for other bee keepers.

Suggested that another hive setup in the area would place stress on the natural bee population which took a massive hit this year with the extremely wet start to the spring and summer.

We didn't see more than a handful of bees until late August when they appeared greater numbers, but nothing like previous year. Same for butterflies, very reduced numbers and variety

 

[Whorty]

We didn't proceed with it. We talked to a couple of ecologists, they checked the area for other bee keepers.

Suggested that another hive setup in the area would place stress on the natural bee population which took a massive hit this year with the extremely wet start to the spring and summer.

We didn't see more than a handful of bees until late August when they appeared greater numbers, but nothing like previous year. Same for butterflies, very reduced numbers and variety

That's such a shame. The weather has been so wet this year again the poor wildlife is struggling. I didn't see many bees or butterflies in my garden this year, although I did see loads of hornets - the ants were harvesting the aphids and the hornets were taking advantage - I left them all to it

 

[Brusgaard]

That's such a shame. The weather has been so wet this year again the poor wildlife is struggling. I didn't see many bees or butterflies in my garden this year, although I did see loads of hornets - the ants were harvesting the aphids and the hornets were taking advantage - I left them all to it

The amount of insects in general is dwindling at a rapid pace. Remember like only 10 years ago, when your windscreen was full of splattered insects when driving? Very few these days!
The habitats for butterflies and other insects are disappearing, so we all need to think about that, when we design our “picture perfect gardens“ with NO FOOD for the larvae etc. Sure, beautiful flowers can provide nectar for the butterflies, but if nowhere to lay their eggs/feed the larvae, there will BE no butterflies!
So please, if you have room for it, plant some wild stuff and let nature “keep it”. In time insects will get there - if not already extinct in the region.

More butterflies - less hornets!!

 

[Whorty]

The amount of insects in general is dwindling at a rapid pace. Remember like only 10 years ago, when your windscreen was full of splattered insects when driving? Very few these days!
The habitats for butterflies and other insects are disappearing, so we all need to think about that, when we design our “picture perfect gardens“ with NO FOOD for the larvae etc. Sure, beautiful flowers can provide nectar for the butterflies, but if nowhere to lay their eggs/feed the larvae, there will BE no butterflies!
So please, if you have room for it, plant some wild stuff and let nature “keep it”. In time insects will get there - if not already extinct in the region.

More butterflies - less hornets!!

Have you seen the size of hornets? I'd not seen one before this year, very impressive beasties. I'm not messing with those bad boys!

 

[Brusgaard]

Have you seen the size of hornets? I'd not seen one before this year, very impressive beasties. I'm not messing with those bad boys!

Kill them MFs!

 

[CXRAndy]

We didn't mow much of our garden until mid September and left areas with wild flowers to grow. Same with the fields well into September before cutting.

 

[Brusgaard]

We didn't mow much of our garden until mid September and left areas with wild flowers to grow. Same with the fields well into September before cutting.

Just remember the butterflies comes (next year) from the chrysalis/cocoons, so keep that in mind. If you burn it, they die.

A few species hibernate and reproduce in the spring and then you see the offspring later in the summer as a fully fledged butterfly. But I think most (especially moths) are in the chrysalis/cocoon during the winter.

 

[bridgy]

It was a complete shite-show if you were 67kg with a 3.4 for 20. It's just a different set of people screwed over now.

Spot on Alex.

Most compaints about ZRS fall into 3 categories as far as I've seen:
1) from people who benefited - in terms of power metrics or where they fell within category boundaries- from the old system but not this one; 2) complaints that its not instantly got everyone in the correct category which on examination invariably turns out to be issues around lack of recent data to base their seed score on (people returning to Zwift after the summer is a big issue) - always happened, always will, irrespective of the Cat system used, and will soon get sorted once they start racing again;
and
3) valid criticism of things like whether the power metrics used for seed score are the best indicator of race performance, the mystery way points are gained or lost in races, and possibilities of riders manipulating results etc. - this is where Zwift have to focus their efforts on getting things right if ZRS is going to work well long term. And this is where they need constructive feedback (not whinging!)

Anyway I'm bored of all the whinging. Not going to talk about ZRS any more.

That's completely fair enough and I feel the same to be honest!

But I will talk about it if when I want to and I hope you will too Alex as you often have really good points to make and I'm sure I'm not alone in valuing your insight. It's a real shame if the whinging puts people like you off having any sensible and constructive discussion about it, but I appreciate how you feel.

 

[bridgy]

I averaged 2.3 w/kg for 20 mins (2.2 in the race) whilst the winner averages 4.3 and 4.0 respectively

You would probably get less annoyed by this sort of thing if you took a moment to click on the profile of the rider on ZP with outlier results.

Once again you're highlighting a rider who has done just 1 race since May so a lack of 90 day power. This insn't a ZRS problem as such, it always happened in all previous Cat systems and will self correct after he does a few races.

P.S. I'm surprised you've not said how delighted you are to have now dropped down a ZRS category due to the further drop in your score - you must be pleased?

 

[bridgy]

Have you seen the size of hornets? I'd not seen one before this year, very impressive beasties. I'm not messing with those bad boys!

Yes! We have a nest of them outside one of the windows in our office - the window which must NEVER be opened! Those guys are HUGE!

 

[Peter Salt]

We didn't proceed with it. We talked to a couple of ecologists, they checked the area for other bee keepers.

Suggested that another hive setup in the area would place stress on the natural bee population which took a massive hit this year with the extremely wet start to the spring and summer.

We didn't see more than a handful of bees until late August when they appeared greater numbers, but nothing like previous year. Same for butterflies, very reduced numbers and variety

Ah, that's a shame. Yeah, it was a very soggy summer so I guess it makes sense.

 

[Whorty]

You would probably get less annoyed by this sort of thing if you took a moment to click on the profile of the rider on ZP with outlier results.

Once again you're highlighting a rider who has done just 1 race since May so a lack of 90 day power. This insn't a ZRS problem as such, it always happened in all previous Cat systems and will self correct after he does a few races.

P.S. I'm surprised you've not said how delighted you are to have now dropped down a ZRS category due to the further drop in your score - you must be pleased?

I'm hoping to be dropping even lower today after the next race

 

[Whorty]

Yes! We have a nest of them outside one of the windows in our office - the window which must NEVER be opened! Those guys are HUGE!

Thankfully I haven't seen their nest near the house, but having never seen one before I was really surprised how big they are and how much noise they make! I had wasps too trying to get to the aphids and these did buzz around me a few times as wasps do, but the hornets seemed pretty placid and ignored me. Was interesting watching them, but not sure I'd want a nest outside my office window