Zwift 2020

Following on from the previous season, Zwift 2019 where Balazs and I finished 26th best team in the A category of the KISS Community League, 2020 begins.


Resources

• Cycle SuperStore have a setup in their store, if you want to try it out.
• ZwiftPower.com is a Third-Party Race Results site, it DQs people for all kinds of reasons. Because Zwift, don't want be be seen to be DQing 65 year olds doing 5wkg.
• DC Rainmaker, has just published The Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide: Winter 2019-2020 .
• Shane Miller makes Smart Trainer related videos on his youtube channel GP Lama .
• ZwiftInsider.com has all the news, as Zwift's site is devoid of a News section.
• The Speed Test for the in-game equipment is here .
• Facebook Group, Zwift Racers, banter and serious zwift racers.
• Facebook Group, Zwift Riders, super basic user questions, zero banter.
• There's also a Zwift Transparency Group, that verify riders, it involves videoing yourself weighing yourself in your underwear. What ever floats your boat.
• Most of the workouts are on WhatsOnZwift.com
• When riding in the Fusion ECT races in A cat, and if you podium in the B cat, they ask you to upload a dual recording to eSportCyclingAnalytics.com
• ZwiftCommunityLive.com has Live Streams of the biggest races, they're on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook.

Teams
We have a Team Ireland and Orwell Wheelers on ZwiftPower.

Team Ireland Links:

• The Team Ireland Facebook Group
• and, the squad on ZwiftPower

It's for anyone even remotely connected with the Island. Also I've self-appointed myself captain of the C team, fight me.

Join up and append a "[IRL]" to your surname in the game. Which is a standard e-sports notation for in game team name.
If the team gets enough members, we can apply to get an in-game kit. Until such time, the people decided to use "Basic Kit #2" for Races.
Hopefully we get a nationals race this year, or we'll try to arrange an unofficial one by e-mailing Zwift.

You can have multiple teams on ZwiftPower, so you can also join Orwell Wheelers .


Interesting Events
Fusion ECT has a Tuesday race series and a Thursday race series at 19:00. Fusion races take the rules super-duper serious.
KISS EU PM Race is at 20:00, it's a mass start race.
The Chop is just like the Club League, a handicap race with D vs. C vs. B vs. A categories.

Races start super hard, so be at 300 watts as the start timer gets to 0:02.

The Chop Series is starting on Thursdays for six weeks.
Sponsored by BlackSheepCycling.cc, you unlock one of their snazzy Racing Club kits, depending on your grade. It's a bit Black Mirror S01E02.

19:00 for Womans, 19:45 for Mans.

Series: zwift.com/events/series/lamb-chop-race/

Cycling Ireland set to put on an eRacing National Championship.
It was in some AGM Brochure.

Via your favourite site, and mine, the ones who can handle one super poignant meme in their comment section, the one, the only, BottleyStick .

Due to CoronaVirus and team pulling entire teams from racing, Mitchelton-Scott are hosting group rides on Zwift.
This will take place under the "BikeExchange – Where the World Rides Series" title.

It starts this Sunday, 8th March, at 10:00 UTC+0 on the Jungle Loop.

They're using the Jungle Loop, as it replicates Straide Bianche.
AVV, Simon Yates and Daryl Impey are expected to be leading the ride.
The Jungle Loop has the latest Rolling Resistance changes, as it's a Gravel Route, nowadays. So you'll loose minutes if you're not on an in-game Gravel or Mountain Bike.

Announcement Article: Mitchelton-SCOTT to pay homage to cancelled races with ‘BikeExchange – Where the World Rides Series' .
You can also sign up the the newsletter to get updates on more of the MTS Zwift Events.

Zwift Event: Mitchelton-SCOTT Gravel Group Ride presented by Bike Exchange .
ZwiftPower Results: Mitchelton-SCOTT Gravel Group Ride presented by Bike Exchange .

British Cycling Race and Workout Series
If there was ever a time to invade them... :D #Banter

For Covid-19, British Cycling have announced a just-for-fun series.
Tuesday Race, Wednesday Group Workout, Thursday 10M TT.
Events take place at 12:00 and 19:30.

Announcement: from British Cycling .

Zwift Events Tag: #BritishCyclingRace and #BritishCyclingWorkout .

The first race is 17km.

The workouts are as Follows:
... I don't know what a "19:30pm" is tho...

Cycling Ireland Zwift League
The Cycling Ireland Zwift League (CIZL) is a 12-race series with events being held each Saturday morning starting on March 28th. Male and female riders will have four categories to choose from meaning all levels are catered for.
Your best 8/12 results count for Top 10 placings.
They'll endevour to deliver prizes for the 8 categories.

I have my personal logistical issues with it's use of ABC&D categories for a series, as I'm a Mass Start E Cat kinda ginger.

Announcement FB Post: CI FB Page .
Announcement Article: from CyclingIreland.ie .
CI Rules & Instructions: PDF file .
There's a ZwiftPower Team for the League (you can have 5 teams on ZP): Team CIZL

If you haven't signed up already, it might be cool to append an [ORW] to your surname to show you club affiliation.

Sign Up Form: for CIZL Series .

The first race is this Saturday March 28th at 11:15am on the TickTock course, 36km, w/100m elevation.

I'm signed up, but my results will all be invalid as my HRM hasn't worked for about 3 months and I've gotten used to not using one so don't intend to replace it.

I'll probably get about 2 weeks before I'm kicked out of the league and put on a CI Virtual Disgrace list.

They are using ZP for results so you wont show on the results list there as you'll be filtered out for no HRM.

You'll show on the Zwift results screen though in game.

Have you changed the battery?

Changed everything, including a new strap. Just doesn't want to work. Anyway, I don't think it'll be an issue as I've just seen the list of names registered so I think I'm pretty guaranteed to be dead last in my category!

Zwift Team Ireland Real World Kit Order
For those that may have missed this, Zwift Team Ireland is in the final stages of preparing a Real World Kit Order, likely orders will open on Monday.

This was organised in the Facebook Group. By way of a series of polls.

Zwift #RideWithPro Events
Zwift events can include an hastag in their description, so they can be searched with the zwift.com/events/tag/hashtag

They currently have a number of events tagged with #RideWithPro from Gravelperson Peter Stetina, World Road Champ Mads Peterson and Potato Enthusiast Tom's Skujins.

The events can be found at zwift.com/events/tag/ridewithpro

On this Sunday April 5th at 14:30, Alex Dowsett (and according to StickyBrothel, Dan Martin, I say "according to" as they got the time wrong) is leading a Israel Startup Nation ride, with both at 2.5wkg and 5.0wkg groups for 90 mins, and a race for the final 20 mins.

The link to that event is ISN Team Rides to Raise Funds for Medical Equipment .

The team owner will only release the Face Masks if YOU ride it, this dude is playing hard ball.

CyclingIreland Zwift League rd 2
April 4th, 10:00, Sand and Sequioas, 2 laps, 43km.

The course is mainly flat, or a 1-2% false flat. The Titan's Grove climb's average grade of 2% is a lie, as it has pitches and downhills. After the club there's a lumpy section, like an extended Esses section.

ZwiftPower: zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=439676

Zwift Event: zwift.com/events/view/439676

Announcement: facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=280432...8&id=121367401285406

Zwift Team Ireland - Group Ramp Test
Thursday April 9th, 19:00

The team have announced a Meetup where all participants select to do the Ramp Test.
Then you get an FTP, that you can work off for Training Workouts.
This FTP will be an "Indoor FTP", and likely 20-40w down on your "Outdoor FTP".

I did one last week and it's not too bad really. Maybe 4 minutes of actual suffering, and trying not to get freaked out by your heart rate value.

Details on getting invited and selecting the Workout are here: Group Ramp Test .

Essentially Accept the Meetup invite and at 18:55 click join Meetup, then set the Workout to FTP Tests -> Ramp Test.

Women's Commission Crit Series
Tuesdays, 20:45, Crit City, 10 laps, 20km

The series piggy backs on the Fearless series.
So it will always be the Tuesday night race on the events tagged with #FEAR .

The sign up form to make it easy for the series organisers to award points:
Part of the message is hidden for the guests. Please log in or register to see it.


For more updates keep an eye on Corkagh Pk Women's Racing .

Results from the first round: Fearless Women's Night Crits - EUR .

To see more Women's races (over the next three days, the ZwiftPower limit), use the "Filter" and then click "Women". There are SRAM Women's Tour and Classics Races happening.

CIZL rd 3 London Classique
Saturday 09:05, 40km, 6 laps + lead in.

Ensure the you update your Zwift version, so that you have the option of Wattopia and two guest world's. As part of the update, you'll see riders get the Green Come beside their name, if they are above the projected category limits based on a combination of their 1 and 5 mins power. Those riders will then have their power throttled to the limit. This green cone and throttling is still in beta and not very aggressive.

London Classique seems flat, but the lead in and s few of the rises will catch you out and slingshot you backwards. There is one longish climb on the course, it peaks at 4%. There's no place on the course to let up.

There's prizes this week, including spot prizes, so everyone stands a chance of winning something.

ZwiftPower: zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=495462
Strava Route: www.strava.com/segments/13626605
Announcement: facebook.com/groups/152950829247918?view...tif_t=group_activity

EDIT: It was the Classique Reverse.
Live Stream Replay from CyclingIreland, with Declan Quigley on Commentary.

Link: facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=210333...06&ref=page_internal


vEveresting and Double vEveresting
Hell's 500 Club have an vEveresting challenge on this weekend for a world record attempt.
Francis Cade is doing a Double vEveresting for the NHS, streaming to his YouTube channel.

If you see riders riding up and down the Alpe, five them a Ride On and a message telling them to keep going.

Facebook Event: facebook.com/events/3100332533320261

Luke
Any recommendations on beginners races, think I'd just about, only Just, be in category C.
Can't do virtual club league as no power meter and off work this week so thought I'd give it a go
John

Hi John,

Just try a race with a decent number of entrants.
So that you should always have someone to race against.
Just be doing about 250-300 Watts about 3 seconds before the start, so that you fly out of the gates, it'll then be about 260 Watts for the next five minutes and it should start to slow down after that.

The number of entrants per event can easily be seen on: zwiftpower.com/

Thanks Luke
There's one tomorrow I might try, 260 watts for 6 mins!!??
Might be a short race for me ;-)

CIZL rd 4. Volcano Climb
Signups, Live Standings, Results: www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=552405
Strava Course: www.strava.com/segments/16425130

Edit: Livestream: from Cameron Jeffers . From the front of the race, with DSing from his CyclingHub Team Mates.

On this course, it's mostly flat, just try to pay attention to the upcoming small grade changes. When you're in the Volcano, there are ramps just outside, or very near the exits. So kick hard before them to be doing good watts before the ramp hits. The final ramp is steep, so don't go mental on the flat section near the top of the volcano. On the descent, you'll nee to pay attention to the upcoming grade changes, you can rest but kick over the small uphill grades. Then it's back through the flat tunnel, slight 3% uphill and then the -2% to the finish. The best riders start sprinting from 350-400m out, due to the dowhill finish.

We're all on the e-mail list, so I'll stop posting about these rounds, unless there's something important.

This week there is something important, so you can spend those Drops wisely.
The Speed Tests by ZwiftInsider will likely save you up to 30 seconds at 4wkg.
The Google Sheet is: here . The "Zwift Aero" frame is the control for the wheel tests and the "32mm" wheels are the control for the frames.


Relevant, Speed Tests, so this week, I'll run the Madone and 808s:

USA Cycling League
Wednesdays, from 22nd April at 18:55.

First Event URL: USA Cycling Race League by Indoor Specialist .
Subsequent Zwift Event Tag: #usacycling . Just set it to Time = Evening.
Full Schedule: www.usacycling.org/virtual-race-league-zwift

This is slightly different start to the CIZL, this one is staggered starts, so A racers start, then B racers start a minute later, then C racers at +2 mins from A, and finally D racers at +3 minutes from A.
So you'll be racing riders with similar abilities, and riders in the wrong category might by caught by the new Anti-Sandbagging function. A super strong start is still very important though.