Zwift

[NeilRhys]

Hi All,

Hope everyone is managing well with the current situation. I've been using Zwift a lot, which I'm sure a few other have. There are some interesting developments on Zwift, which I think will continue while the current racing situation is ongoing.

I've used Zwift for a while for training, but never done a race...I tried my first one last week...really fun. I'm planning on doing a TT this week (Saturday morning, Newbury Velo). The developments are around clubs organising club TT's etc and club competitions. If anyone is interested in getting into Zwift, or grouping together and doing some club TT's or anything like that, get in touch. I would recommend getting on Zwift Power website and signing up, as this DQ's people with spurious results that are clearly cheating. I've set up an OVW team group on there, so let me know if you are interested.

Keep safe all,

Neil

[Ben]

Hi Neil,
I've started to do some races on there. I've done the Glasgow CC TT and am having another go this weekend. I'm interested in the OVW group though.

[NeilRhys]

We could look at organising racing in the same event or I can set up a no drop group ride...if you sign up to Zwift Power and then search for OVW in the teams you should find it...I'm the only member at the moment!

Neil

[stevelandeg]

Good work boys.

I've been daring myself to dip my toes in the Newbury 10s but am too disorganised.
Could you put together a "How to" materials and method sheet to tempt others who may be interested?

[NeilRhys]

good idea...I'll have a look tonight

[Ben]

There is a surprising shortage on TT's on Zwift. Maybe we should look into how we set one up on a weekly basis.

[NeilRhys]

Yeah...that's not easy  as far as I can tell...

They are making some changes over the coming months, which are going to make it easier to set up a club, club run, club TT...so I'll keep looking into it.

But there's about 10TT's each day, so there's plenty to choose from :-)

Neil

[NeilRhys]

Hi Guys,

Sorry, it's taken me a while as I had an MSc assignment due last week and it was a bit stressful!!

Here's a good all around guide to getting on Zwift.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/zwift-turbo-trainer-game-171798

Personally, I don't have a smart trainer, I just use the power meter on my bike. If you are just looking to train you don't even need that. You can use Zwift with a speed sensor and it will estimate your power. However, if you want to race, you really need an accurate trainer or a power meter.

If you want to get on to racing, then accurate power data is pretty key and you should sign up to zwiftpower.com as they will DQ anyone with dodgy power readings or using estimated power (which is almost always way too high!). This means the result you get on Zwift power will be pretty fair (though people putting in low body weight will always be an issue I think!).

Here's a guide to signing up for Zwift Power.

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/training-guide/training/how-to-create-your-zwiftpower-account/

This is a great guide, but follow it closely as some of it can get a bit tricky.

We have an OVW team on Zwift now, with 5 of us in it (when I last checked). We haven'y got organised with anything yet, but if there's interest we could all enter a race or TT together :-)

All the best,

Neil

[Paul Nicholas]

Happy to join in if you have any plans. I just bought a heart rate monitor with Bluetooth so I can enter races, unfortunately as you might have seen on Strava my cycling time is pretty limited I can do an hour in the week around lunchtime 1pm or after 10pm. Just trying to get a bit of fitness back at the moment and thinking of fitting in one “race” a week. Zwift Power is baffling to me tho!

[NeilRhys]

Basically, Zwift Power is a more strict filter. It means that Zwift itself can be more inclusive and allow anyone to ride and race, but then if you are a bit more serious you can use the Zwift Power results as a more accurate reflection of what you've done. With all the training in the world, you'll never beat someone with a speed sensor that has estimated FTP of 500 Watts...but they won't appear in the Zwift Power results, they get filtered out.

I'm racing in the 'Matando O Corpo ZESP by SARIS' on Saturday, 9am...Bit of a crazy one, never done this course before, but it looks really hard...short-ish race, but finishes up Alpe du Zwift!!

I'm still learning the ropes...I've only done 1 race and 1 TT so far, but good fun and certainly gets you a harder workout than training alone, which is what I need (only once a week though!!).

Have a go at some events and we'll see how things develop...

Neil

[Ben]

I've done a few races on there now. I'm enjoying it. The pain is strangely addictive.

[Paul Nicholas]

Is the Tour for All a race series? I entered that as a B level racer, Strava recorded it as a C level race and Zwift Power put an A next to it in my results? but my record has no races entered. I'll keep on entering now I have a heart rate monitor and see how it goes it just seems a bit all over the shop.

[NeilRhys]

can't help with that one I'm afraid!! I think things are evolving fast due to Zwift having such an increase in use lately...things will settle down and become more clear I'm sure of that...

[NeilRhys]

How about an OVW Mid-week TT?? I can set one up as a meet-up on Zwift. To make these ones work you have to find me on Zwift and follow me, then I can send you an invite to the meet-up...

How about making the first 1 a week today? Give us a week to get organised.

What do you think?

Neil

[Ben]

Or keep them on a Thursday? Where are you planning? There is the pancake flat Fuego Flats. Or shall we mix it up every so often? I did a group ride with a race up the Alpe yesterday. That was hard work hurt as well. But it was fun.