Zwift Chat

[alex_cycles]

@alex_cycles Are you looking to adjust the boundaries for Cyclopathon, or are you going to wait until December is over? I raced last week in D and had already signed up for next week in the same category, but now I'm entitled to race in E again (and by quite a comfortable margin) and obviously with each race getting progressively hillier, it'd be better for me to be in a group that's more to my level.

I'm leaving them as they are for December. I'm also eligible to race in a lower pen now but I'll stay in pen 2 for now. I expect the rest of my opponents will probably do the same. But everyone is free to race where they want as long as they're eligible.

The time GC transcends Pens, but the Points League doesn't. So it depends what you want to do, really.

 

[alex_cycles]

I've heard of vELO mentioned but have zero knowledge of it - is there a write up somewhere that explains it? Is zrCS the same as vELO?

Re weight, I'd agree with you - tests on Zwift seem to be with a 75kg rider, which I believe at one point was the average weight of a rider on Zwift, so anything in the range 65 - 85kg is normal. It will be riders very light (below 50kg?) and very heavy (above 100kg?) where the physics of Zwift may not work so well if they have a linear model.

My race today was a perfect example how different type of riders can and should be in the same pen - power ranges from 3.2 w/kg for 20 mins and below. On the flat even the strongest are now going to drop a rider like me who's FTP is 2.7/8 w/kg, so they drag me to the line and my sprint takes over. But, as soon as the road goes up, as we would expect, I'm out the back. Even though the NY KoM is only 2km long, and the race for me was 12 mins, I was still over 2 mins behind the winner.

This feels about right. What's not right is when under V1 we had Bs at 4 w/kg racing against Ds and lower Cs. I didn't race under V2 so no idea if that was any good, but V3, at least for me and all in the race today, seemed smoother. No idea about higher pens, they may still be a mixed bag of spanners if the FB comments are anything to go by.

That sounds to me, very much like how it should be. I'm racing in pen 3 tomorrow in a ZHQ event. I should do pretty well, but we'll see.

vELO is the score used by ZwifRacing.app. zrCS is the SEED for vELO. The documentation is here https://www.zwiftracing.app/docs

 

[Whorty]

That sounds to me, very much like how it should be. I'm racing in pen 3 tomorrow in a ZHQ event. I should do pretty well, but we'll see.

vELO is the score used by ZwifRacing.app. zrCS is the SEED for vELO. The documentation is here https://www.zwiftracing.app/docs

Checked out that ranking, I'm down in 9. Bronze in 117 place. I like that ranking system

May change after ZP finally process the race data from this morning although all my scores from today were also at Bronze level.

Pretty good website, they seem to know what they're doing. Like ZP before, these volunteers are doing a much better job than Zwift at some of this stuff.

 

[ColinJ]

Those Zwift changes sound annoying! I hope that it has all settled down by the time that I might be considering racing.

I had wondered why some people had mentioned the benefit of Apple TV boxes updating automatically in the background. Then I noticed that the Zwift app has already been updated at least a couple of times this month. The last update took well over an hour on my laptop! I am definitely interested in using an Apple TV box instead of the laptop.

I think that I will ask for the HRM for a Christmas present. I was thinking of the Coospo one but saw a few worrying reviews mentioning iffy customer service. I am now thinking of a JetBlack one for £31. Hopefully, their customer service is better than dealing direct with a Chinese supplier.

Other Zwifting preparations below...

I turned the cranks a few times on the singlespeed turbo bike. The chain was noisy. Then I remembered that I used to use the little ring but had switched to the big ring so that I could avoid using a chain tensioner. I had forgotten to move the sprocket over. I did that last night to get a perfect chainline. It is now really quiet.

I am repairing my old TV to use on Zwift. The forecast is dire for tomorrow here so I will try to get that done instead of riding. Another problem is that I have mislaid the power unit and remote control. They have resisted my searches so far...

After that I will move everything round in my bedroom to create my Zwifting corner.

Oh, and I have freed up the stereo amp and speakers that I intend to use while on the trainer. I don't want to use headphones or earbuds because I get too hot and sweaty!

 

[alex_cycles]

Checked out that ranking, I'm down in 9. Bronze in 117 place. I like that ranking system

May change after ZP finally process the race data from this morning although all my scores from today were also at Bronze level.

Pretty good website, they seem to know what they're doing. Like ZP before, these volunteers are doing a much better job than Zwift at some of this stuff.

That's why, after feeling somewhat 'betrayed' (not really, but very disappointed by the choice of 10m w/kg) on Tuesday, we were all amazed and delighted that they finally decided to go with zrCS as seed.

The nice thing about the vELO cats is when you get in a race which is just your category it really is fun. Sadly they all have to be private races, but the hope is that the Zwift system "kind of converges" on something that closely resembles vELO.

vELO is still evolving too - currently the route handicaps are "OK" but they need to better consider the actual terrain of the race - and that's in the works. Currently it's flat/rolling/hilly/mountainous and that's too "digital". A more "analogue" system will consider the lengths/durations of climbs etc and then the predictions will get ridiciulously accurate (they're already spookily good).

 

[CXRAndy]

My score keeps rising now 306 from 288 on Thursday.

What going on in the background?

 

[Whorty]

My score keeps rising now 306 from 288 on Thursday.

What going on in the background?

They released a new set of scores this week, V3

 

[Whorty]

That's why, after feeling somewhat 'betrayed' (not really, but very disappointed by the choice of 10m w/kg) on Tuesday, we were all amazed and delighted that they finally decided to go with zrCS as seed.

The nice thing about the vELO cats is when you get in a race which is just your category it really is fun. Sadly they all have to be private races, but the hope is that the Zwift system "kind of converges" on something that closely resembles vELO.

vELO is still evolving too - currently the route handicaps are "OK" but they need to better consider the actual terrain of the race - and that's in the works. Currently it's flat/rolling/hilly/mountainous and that's too "digital". A more "analogue" system will consider the lengths/durations of climbs etc and then the predictions will get ridiciulously accurate (they're already spookily good).

It has me as a decent sprinter and a rubbish climber - pretty accurate haha

 

[alex_cycles]

It has me as a decent sprinter and a rubbish climber - pretty accurate haha

I worked with Tim on those rider Phenotypes - there's a lot of room for improvement there too, but they're only there for information - kind of a bit of fun - which obviously only works if people have an accurate set of power metrics in the system.

 

[ColinJ]

Another problem is that I have mislaid the power unit and remote control. They have resisted my searches so far...

I still haven't found the TV's power unit but I did find a remote control.

Note: That is 'a' not 'the'! I had forgotten that for some reason, the TV came with 2 different remote controls. I used to use the conventional (lost) one. The other one could control a pointer on the TV screen and I never liked it so I had stuffed it at the back of a drawer, where I just found it. It will do for Zwift TV control.

The other bits must be stashed away somewhere along with my desire to do hilly 100 mile and 200 km bike rides!

Back to Zwift... I like the look of the Alpe du Zwift and Mont Ventoux climbs. Have any of you finished them, and if so, what were your times?

 

[mjd1988]

I still haven't found the TV's power unit but I did find a remote control.

Note: That is 'a' not 'the'! I had forgotten that for some reason, the TV came with 2 different remote controls. I used to use the conventional (lost) one. The other one could control a pointer on the TV screen and I never liked it so I had stuffed it at the back of a drawer, where I just found it. It will do for Zwift TV control.

The other bits must be stashed away somewhere along with my desire to do hilly 100 mile and 200 km bike rides!

Back to Zwift... I like the look of the Alpe du Zwift and Mont Ventoux climbs. Have any of you finished them, and if so, what were your times?

It used to be great when you could see everyone's Strava segment times and compare; alpe du zwift is probably one of the only ones most people will know their time as it's a really good benchmark for most riders - it took me a very long time to do it in just under an hour - I think you have to average 3.3w/kg or something to do that, first time I did it took about 80 minutes and slowly whittled it down. I know some others here have done it well under an hour.

I found ventoux a bit boring but I'm not a natural climber

 

[mjd1988]

https://zwiftinsider.com/alpe-estimates/

 

[CXRAndy]

I've missed going under the hour by 30s, It was when I was at my lightest and very fit from months of training to get back to Tenerife and complete their weeks tour- I wanted to do it without struggling. Came back and had a go at the Alpe- so close. but hey many more things I haven't done

 

[CXRAndy]

I still haven't found the TV's power unit but I did find a remote control.

Note: That is 'a' not 'the'! I had forgotten that for some reason, the TV came with 2 different remote controls. I used to use the conventional (lost) one. The other one could control a pointer on the TV screen and I never liked it so I had stuffed it at the back of a drawer, where I just found it. It will do for Zwift TV control.

The other bits must be stashed away somewhere along with my desire to do hilly 100 mile and 200 km bike rides!

Back to Zwift... I like the look of the Alpe du Zwift and Mont Ventoux climbs. Have any of you finished them, and if so, what were your times?

1hr 30secs Alpe Zwift............ real world not exactly sure around 1hr 30

2hr 15 mins Ventop.................. real world 2hr 30mins

 

[alex_cycles]

59:57 in a race in March 2023 there were a couple of Bs sandbagging in C (non-CE race) who were ahead of me, but they got DQed. I was pushing hard to stop the guys about 10-20s back from catching me. Just made it in under an hour and after the DQs I found out I'd won

Strangely, having got that sub-1hr badge, I haven't ridden the Alpe since


View: https://youtu.be/keojSKufcCE