If you are searching for a beginner-friendly ride to develop your Zwifting skills, then check out the Rookie Group Ride hosted by RO4H. Every Sunday at 10am EST (3pm UTC), this led group ride is an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of social group riding in a friendly, collegial, and non-judgmental atmosphere.
Ride Goals
The goal of this ride is to provide an introduction to some of the basics of group riding unique to Zwift. The power of the group draft is emphasized, so we start the ride with tips on how you find, ride along, and stay within the ride leader’s peloton, the blob. We’ll also cover variable topics based on your questions – with a smattering of Zwift lore interjected. All questions are welcome, and no question is trivial.
For example, if you don’t know that the “leaf” symbol to the left of the HUD is the Feather PowerUp, then you are missing out on a bonus that may help you set a PR or assist in your trek up to the Radio Tower.
Regardless of our levels of experience, we all learn from each other. So all Zwifters, from experienced to novices, are welcome to ride along, share their knowledge, and build our Zwift community.
Pacing and Structure
The ride is structured to have an overall average pace of 15–16 mph (24–26 kph) traveling along mostly flat, mostly paved surfaced routes. The fence is utilized since it’s a helpful marker for riders to gauge their position relative to the ride leader. On the flats, we ride about 1.0–1.1 W/kg and stay well under 2 W/kg on any inclines. Of course, your w/kg will be different (unless you weigh 88 kg). We are not racing, despite the old adage that Zwift is always a race!
Since we’re accommodating a wide range of fitness levels, we understand that any pace will be a great effort for some while being effortless for others. Subsequently, the ride pace will trend slower rather than faster to maintain group cohesion. The leader strives to maintain the advertised pace as this is an unwritten obligation of the ride leader to the group.
Sweepers
We appreciate that you join a group ride to ride with others, but many folks aren’t sure of what pace they can ride, don’t know their W/Kg, and are concerned about keeping with the group. To assuage this potential anxiety, we have fantastic sweepers. They not only help dropped riders rejoin the peloton but also create a second or third pace group, so no one has to ride alone. Our sweepers are wise to the ways of Zwift and readily interject their wisdom into the conversations. You will learn that sweepers are the unsung stars of a social group ride because they truly unite the group.
Zwift Companion Recommended
The concurrent use of the Zwift Companion (ZC) mobile app is recommended. ZC does many things, but for this ride, it helps with communication by letting you scroll through the chat messages, eliminating overlap from the on-screen group chat messages, letting you see the name of the person who wrote the chat messages, allowing you to direct messages to an individual rider in the group, and much more.
Wrapping It Up
If you are timid about joining a group ride or new to Zwift, if when you hear someone say, “The Blob,” you think of a classic sci-fi movie, or if you don’t know the difference between getting dropped or getting drops, then don’t be shy, check out the RO4H Rookie Group Ride. You’ll be glad that you did!
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