Zwift Chat

[JuhaL]

Good test ideas. I will probably ride in Watopia Hilly as a first test to find out discrepancy. Whorty, thats true powermeter shows zero when i stop pedalling because there is no pressure in chains. I have also noticed that Bkool without separated cadence sensor gives higher cadence numbers which might leads to higher speed and maybe higher power output numbers. Lot of factors i have to say.

I am not done ftp ever before because i have been bit of sceptical for the ftp numbers but i hope that my test will help to find out what method gives more realistic watt numbers and support better outdoor riding.

 

[JLaw]

Whoo whoo. d-dimer results are well back into the normal range, so I'm cleared to race again. Rode the Porcupine Hillclimb this morning (Big Cottonwood Canyon), 14 miles, ~4000ft of climbing. Fairly well organized with a good turnout -- I'd guess around 200 riders. Great weather, nice cool start and warmed up nicely without getting hot, some wind, but not enough to be annoying.

I hadn't rode that climb in the real world in 10+ years. The start is nice and steep, but the middling miles are ~4-5% grades and just seem to go on forever. Not steep enough to feel like a real sense of accomplishment, but too much of a grade to just burn through them. Based on a bkool sim ride of the course from a year or two ago I was shooting to break 2:00.

Seemed on track through mile 12, then my hamstring knotted up. After stretching it out I was able to continue, but at a much more sedate pace as it felt like it could knot up again at any moment. Crossed the line at 2:20 and was promptly DQ'd as I'd taken my helmet off when stretching my leg out and not put it back on. Amazingly, I was not the last rider across the line. I saw a few more stragglers come in and saw some still on their way up as I made the descent. I'd hazard a guess there were a few that were going to clock in at 3 hours. I bet the fast boys were probably clocking in around an hour.

Good to be out on the road again. 8 weeks until the Snowbird Climb.

 

[Perky77]

So yesterday I did the switch over to Zwift from BKool

I went on last night and selected the hilly route. I presumed that when I came to turning points that the hilly route ones would be already selected and there wouldn’t be a need to change. After the first turn it was apparent I wasn’t on the hilly route anymore and I needed to look a the companion app to work out where I was and where to ride to next. It didn’t give me a great first impression but I did enjoy the ride and I suppose that it will be easier once I know the routes.

Is it the same for races and events where you have to know where you are going and select which way to go?

 

[Breedon]

So yesterday I did the switch over to Zwift from BKool

I went on last night and selected the hilly route. I presumed that when I came to turning points that the hilly route ones would be already selected and there wouldn’t be a need to change. After the first turn it was apparent I wasn’t on the hilly route anymore and I needed to look a the companion app to work out where I was and where to ride to next. It didn’t give me a great first impression but I did enjoy the ride and I suppose that it will be easier once I know the routes.

Is it the same for races and events where you have to know where you are going and select which way to go?

Hilly route in zwift isn't what you would call hilly tbh, if you select a route it will take you automatically although you can change your direction by selecting any turns you want.
Try the pretzel that's very hilly and 45 miles long or the alp but that's on the watopia map.
The London map isn't hilly and richmond is very flat

 

[Breedon]

As for races you just follow the course and the same with social rides.
It just takes time to get the hang of things took me about 3 weeks as it's so different to what I was used to.

 

[Too Tyred]

Just got back from a very wet and wild North York Moors. Managed to get one ride in and called off a second that was supposed to go the other way into the Dales. I'll try and do that one at a later date. Quite annoying because I left something in the tank for the second day of riding but it was far too wet and my tyres are looking a bit sketchy as it is.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1611997679/

Includes the 'fearsome Sutton Bank climb' not my words, letour Yorkshire's! I thought the second way up via white horse bank would be tougher (https://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/white-horse-bank/) but found that quite easy. It was the 20% wet, single file, no visibility, downhills that were the hardest, both brakes on and trying to do the sign of the cross haha! :P

It's got me thinking about how well my bike is actually set up for riding steep hills. It's 9.8kg which I think is pretty good but it's a 12-26 casette with a compact 34-50 chainring. That's not actually very well suited!? What if I stuck an 11-28 on there, what sort of a difference would it make?

Case in point is my power for the 0.8m Sutton bank climb which took me 9.06 minutes. According to Strava's best guess I averaged 191w. I got a new ftp on Tuesday of 195w so I was pretty close to full throttle. HOWEVER, Sutton Bank has sections that are slightly easier, it may have about 2 or 3 sections in there of 8-10%, on these I backed way off to let my legs breathe and still my average was 191w with a cadence down at about 50. I don't track numbers on real life rides but I like to go back and do this afterwards. I'd guess when I was on the really steep bits with the low cadence I was pushing very close to 5w per kg. I can hold that on zwift for very short spells but my kickr snap goes to 11% so my cadence makes it much easier.

I mean I can get up them and there isn't much steeper but I'm sure there's an argument in there to save my knees for old age? Or am I talking nonsense?

 

[Whorty]

So yesterday I did the switch over to Zwift from BKool

I went on last night and selected the hilly route. I presumed that when I came to turning points that the hilly route ones would be already selected and there wouldn’t be a need to change. After the first turn it was apparent I wasn’t on the hilly route anymore and I needed to look a the companion app to work out where I was and where to ride to next. It didn’t give me a great first impression but I did enjoy the ride and I suppose that it will be easier once I know the routes.

Is it the same for races and events where you have to know where you are going and select which way to go?

When you select a route you shouldn't need to do any manual changes, the app will take you on the correct roads. To check if the route you select is hilly enough, look at the ascent figure (it tells you on the open screen where you select the route). The name of the route doesn't always reflect the climbing involved (e.g. Fire and Ice actually goes up the Alpe but you wouldn't think it from the name).

Zwift does take some getting used to. It's taken me a fair few months (over a year?) to become completely comfortable with the way it works.

 

[uclown2002]

https://zwiftinsider.com/route-details/

 

[Perky77]

Thanks all, I only had a short time available hence picking a relatively short route. I don’t know what happened on my ride because I hadn’t changed a selected turn and got taken off route. I’ll go on a longer ride on Tuesday evening and see how I get on

 

[bobinski]

Thanks all, I only had a short time available hence picking a relatively short route. I don’t know what happened on my ride because I hadn’t changed a selected turn and got taken off route. I’ll go on a longer ride on Tuesday evening and see how I get on

Hya. Read he link and ther material n that site. There’s a lot but it will help you see and understand how Zwift works.

 

[JuhaL]

Just did 2 Watopia Hilly Route rides. That was testing difference between Quarq Riken R and Bkool Smart Pro 1 power readings.

First ride
Power Source: Bkool
Cadence Source: Bkool
Controllable trainer: Bkool
Lap Time: 17:07
Avg speed: 32,1km/h
Cadence: 78
Heartrate: 135
Avg Power: 194

Second ride
Power Source: Quarq
Cadence Source: Quarq
Controllable Trainer: Bkool
Lap Time: 17:02
Avg Speed: 32,2km/h
Cadence: 75
Heartrate: 139
Avg Power: 188

I have to say, difference with that test is not bad at all. Discrepancy with power readings is very acceptable. I also update Quarq's firmware few days ago.

 

[theboxers]

Just did 2 Watopia Hilly Route rides. That was testing difference between Quarq Riken R and Bkool Smart Pro 1 power readings.

First ride
Power Source: Bkool
Cadence Source: Bkool
Controllable trainer: Bkool
Lap Time: 17:07
Avg speed: 32,1km/h
Cadence: 78
Heartrate: 135
Avg Power: 194

Second ride
Power Source: Quarq
Cadence Source: Quarq
Controllable Trainer: Bkool
Lap Time: 17:02
Avg Speed: 32,2km/h
Cadence: 75
Heartrate: 139
Avg Power: 188

I have to say, difference with that test is not bad at all. Discrepancy with power readings is very acceptable. I also update Quarq's firmware few days ago.

Zwift and BRVR seems to have worked out how the bkool trainers read/send data and give relatively close readings to a powermeter. My classic and pro both read higher on BRVR but only by 10-30 watts

On bsim though pro's are very variable on reported power outputs. +10-100 watts different was not uncommon for me compared to my garmin vectors. Usually about 20-40 was the variance.

 

[JuhaL]

Last winter when my indoor season was active Bkool worked very suspiciously sometimes . It was Volcano Flat ride (as far as i remember) what gives me 294ftp value. I remember that ride felt little bit too easier to believe that, but how can i know if data proves else. BRVR is been a good reference for me, feel of resistance is more realistic. I will probably do some test with BRVR too someday.

 

[bridgy]

Last winter when my indoor season was active Bkool worked very suspiciously sometimes . It was Volcano Flat ride (as far as i remember) what gives me 294ftp value. I remember that ride felt little bit too easier to believe that, but how can i know if data proves else. BRVR is been a good reference for me, feel of resistance is more realistic. I will probably do some test with BRVR too someday.

My Bkool pro trainer sometimes doesn't apply enough resistance on Zwift and I therefore get too high watts. It's obvious to me if this is happening and I just switch the trainer off at the plug for a few seconds and back on again - always works fine again after doing this. When working normally it's much more realistic with regards watts than when using on Bkool software - although watts are still a little too high on some types of terrain

 

[JuhaL]

My Bkool pro trainer sometimes doesn't apply enough resistance on Zwift and I therefore get too high watts. It's obvious to me if this is happening and I just switch the trainer off at the plug for a few seconds and back on again - always works fine again after doing this. When working normally it's much more realistic with regards watts than when using on Bkool software - although watts are still a little too high on some types of terrain

These indoor sessions are always artificial and more or less compromise for something. No doubt about it's a challenge to create exactly to same feel what outdoor ride gives. It's a great that in a market are these solution what we can use these days. It gives a good training experience anyway.