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Why Pace Partners Stopped Drafting (and What’s Coming Next)

Eric Schlange
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31
Why Pace Partners Stopped Drafting (and What’s Coming Next)

There’s been a lot of chatter in the past two days as Zwifters have hopped into the Pace Partner groups only to discover the bots’ paces are different than usual.

We initially covered this topic yesterday, explaining that the bots had stopped drafting. At that time, based on a message we had seen from Zwift support, we assumed the lack of drafting was done on purpose. But that wasn’t actually the case! On top of all that, more updates have come in since yesterday’s changes, with some Pace Partners reverting back to their old drafting paces, while others remain slow (non-drafting).

Not long after I was alerted to this forum post, I received the following from Kristy Fulwider, Director of Marketing Communications at Zwift:

Hi Eric – 

Hope you’re having a lovely Friday. 

I wanted to follow up on something you noted in ZwiftInsider this week re: Pace Partners. We’re also putting a forum post up for the community, and wanted to make sure we shared some of the more technical elements with you at the same time. 

As you noticed, Pace Partner paces were slower than usual for roughly a day. We were in the process of transitioning Pace Partners from client emulation to server entity emulation, a move that would eventually transition Pace Partners out of our experimental FutureWorks program. This change created unforeseen inconsistencies in drafting which impacted pace, and as parity was the goal, we reverted them back. 

We’ll continue to work on this transition with an eye on consistency. We remain excited about what this change means: a path towards Pace Partners in worlds other than Watopia and equally important, a reduction in Pace Partner downtime. 

Have a fantastic weekend. 

Kristy

Client to Server Emulation

The most interesting part of Kristy’s message is her statement about moving Pace Partners from “client emulation to server entity emulation”. For the less nerdy among us, here’s what those terms mean in Zwiftland:

  • Client emulation: Zwift is running on a device just like you or I use for Zwift (the “client”), but the power and cadence data is being “faked” by software instead of created by someone’s legs. This is how Zwift Insider’s speed testing bots work – and how every bot on Zwift works. A normal Zwift install, reading in computer-generated data. This is how Zwift’s Pace Partners currently work – somewhere (we assume in a Zwift developer’s house, since Zwift’s offices are essentially closed), there are four PCs running Zwift reading in emulated cadence+power data. If one of those machines crashes, so does the Pace Partner. You get the idea.
  • Server entity emulation: the Pacer Bots are no longer running on separate Zwift devices – rather, they are “generated” by Zwift’s servers and controlled entirely by code. (Think the blue ghosts of early Zwift days, which rode around on course with behavior automatically controlled by server code.)
Remember the blue guys?

Moving to server-based Pace Partners makes it much easier to spin up additional bots, with little increase in maintenance or other costs. Instead of requiring a developer to set up an entirely new computer (which could crash at any time), a new server-side Pace Partner would simply require another entry into a database table. And since Zwift’s servers are redundant and cloud-based, reliability should be rock-solid, provided the code behind everything is stable.

Next-Level Opportunities

Moving Pace Partners to the server-side is an essential step in order for Zwift to implement many of the cooler features which we’ve talked about for months. These ideas are listed and discussed on our main Pace Partners page, but here’s a quick list:

  1. Roll Your Own: being able to spin up a Pace Partner with whatever specs you desire
  2. Change of Pace: having Pace Partners change their pace in smart ways – like bumping it up on climbs, and decreasing it on descents
  3. Smart Messaging: sending smarter messages to nearby riders, instead of just reading through the script like they do currently
  4. More Options: having more Pace Partners available at various paces

All four of these ideas are much more doable using server-side emulation. In fact, I would say #1 is impossible unless the Pace Partners are server-side, and numbers 2-4 are made much much easier when implemented server-side.

A Good Sign

At the time of this posting, C. Cadence was still rolling without a draft, meaning her group was around 5kph slower than normal. Hopefully Zwift will get her fixed up soon.

But those are just growing pains. In the bigger picture, it’s clear Zwift is investing some work into taking Pace Partners to the next level – and that’s exciting! I’m looking forward to the server-side rollout happening soon, so Zwift can begin to grant Pace Partners more magical powers.

Your Thoughts

Share your thoughts below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Race Starts, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Throwbacks

Karissa Minn
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3
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Race Starts, Keyboard Shortcuts, and Throwbacks

This week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos include different approaches to race starts, a handy keyboard shortcut guide, and a history of Zwift. Also, an old Dragons’ Den episode where an entrepreneur pitches a familiar-sounding product is worth a watch!

Zwift concept 10 years before launch: Dragons’ Den S2E6

In a 2005 episode of the British TV series Dragons’ Den (similar to Shark Tank in the USA), an entrepreneur pitched a computer program called “Personal Trainer” that could connect to personal indoor cycling equipment. The potential investors were not impressed! Wonder what they would think now… Thanks to Arlette Watowich for posting this one.

Trying a New Zwift Race Strategy – Does it Work???

Zwift race starts are famously fast, but Caedmon Cycling decided to try something different. He left the gate at a steadier pace instead of going hard at the start and risking blowing up. Watch the video to see how well it worked.

Race Winning Starts – Zwift Top 5 Tips

Having trouble starting races well in Zwift? Try out some of General Elost’s advice, whether it’s getting a good position in the pen or learning to start hard and quickly find your rhythm.

Zwift Through the Ages | A Complete History of Zwift

While we’re peeking at the past, why not look at the history of Zwift? The Zwift Race Place and guest Greg Hilton, a Zwift beta tester, talk about how Zwift has changed over time..

ZWIFT GUIDE: Keyboard Shortcuts and Tips You Might Not Know

Did you know that you can cue your avatar to say “bring it”? SMART Bike Trainers will tell you how to do that, along with several more useful actions, in this keyboard shortcut rundown.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Top Zwift Events for the Weekend of May 1-2

Tim Perkin
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2
Top Zwift Events for the Weekend of May 1-2

Spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere and most are drawn outside for a ride with friends around the local country lanes.  If you are lucky, perhaps your local club rides have restarted!

But the dilemma we now face is that there are still some excellent events on Zwift!  If you are like me, you’ll end up doing two rides: one outside followed by a session on Zwift. Here are my top events on Zwift over this weekend.

Ride with INEOS Grenadiers – Around the World

Pro cycling team INEOS-Grenadiers are hosting a series of 1-hour rides throughout the day May 1st.  Each hour, a different pro cyclist from the team is going to lead a group ride on a different course across Zwift, so either ride at a time that suits you, or opt to race with your favorite riders – the choice is yours.

The cyclists leading the rides are current Giro d’Italia Champion, Tao Geoghegan Hart, recent Volta a Catalunya winner, Adam Yates, former World Champion, Michal Kwiatkowski, along with Ben Swift, Dani Martínez, Michal Golas, Dylan van Baarle, Ethan Hayter, Leonardo Basso, and Jhonatan Narváez 

Multiple times. See full event list at zwift.com/events/series/ineos-grenadiers-around-the-world

Team Challenge for Crohn’s & Colitis

Team Challenge is a group of people riding together to help fight against Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two painful and debilitating inflammatory bowel diseases.

The ride is one hour in duration and this particular event offers a structured training session, consisting of an Over-Under session, meaning you are training a few beats below and a few beats above lactate threshold or FTP. This is designed to improve threshold and endurance. 

Saturday May 1st at 4pm BST/11am EDT/8am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/2007949

LEQP Provence Badge Hunter Series

No weekend is complete without a ride with the LEQP Provence Badge Hunters.

We covered about L’Equipe Provence Badge Hunters earlier in the year and the team are still out there hunting the badges.  These excellent group rides are always well-attended.  This week, the team are out hunting the 100km badge on Tempus Fugit.  A customized jersey is your reward for finishing!

Sunday May 2nd at 8:30am CEST/7:30am BST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/2043558

3R Women’s Sunday Rollout

This is a new event aimed specifically at the Ladies.  3R is offering a Women’s steady (2.5w/kg) ride, with a brief warmup to get up to speed, lasting 60 minutes.  It will be led by the women of Race3R and the group will remain a solid pack throughout. The women from the club are aiming to create an inclusive community where women come together to support and encourage each other, as well as build strength and fitness. 

Sunday May 2nd at 4pm CEST/3pm BST/10am EDT/7am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/2025941

Bonbon (Group Workout)

Check out the session plan

If you are short on time but still want to get a Zwift session done, you won’t go far wrong with this workout. 40 minutes in duration, this interval session is designed to work muscular strength and endurance.  It is tough and will leave you gasping for breath by the end. 

Sunday May 2nd at 6:25pm BST/1:25pm EDT/10:25am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/2043714

Your Thoughts

Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!

Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 3 Week 5 Guide: Richmond’s Cobbled Climbs

Eric Schlange
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5
Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 3 Week 5 Guide: Richmond’s Cobbled Climbs

The third points race of Zwift Racing League Season 3 happens Tuesday, May 4th. And we’ll need the 4th to be with us as we’re heading to Richmond to have repeated goes at what may be the punchiest racecourse in ZRL history.

It’s multiple laps of Cobbled Climbs, a route featuring Richmond’s 3 climbs on every lap. Let’s dig into the course, including some tips for bike choice and strategic options.

Looking at the Route: Cobbled Climbs

We begin at the standard Richmond start/finish banner, but make a quick left turn, and another left, onto the descent of E Main St. (This is the longest descent on the route, so enjoy it while it lasts.)

After some flats and rollers along the river the road tilts up and you know what’s coming: our first KOM of the day. Twisty, bumpy Libby Hill!

Hammer your way up this climb, then recover for a few seconds as you descend to the start of our next KOM: the short, straight 23rd Street. This is essentially a “sprint-climb”, which is why Peter Sagan was able to drop everyone in his famous attack here in the 2015 UCI Worlds race.

Do everything you can to maintain good pack position up and over the 23rd Street KOM, knowing you’ve got a few seconds of recovery just up the road on the Broad Street descent. You can even supertuck the descent like Sagan did (but can’t anymore – thanks for ruining the fun, UCI!)

You’ll need every bit of recovery you can get, because just a few seconds after the descent we begin the final climb of the lap: Governor Street! This is not a timed KOM section, but it’s where the race-winning final moves are often made, and it feels so long in the final minutes of a race. Finish this climb then it’s a false flat straightaway to the finish!

Each lap is 9.2 km (5.7 miles), and A/B teams will race over 5 laps, while C/D will race 3. This is going to feel significantly longer than most ZRL points races... because it is!

Dave’s Route Notes

Sherpa Dave has put together a race recon video and some helpful notes:

Sagan went for his break on the last lap coming over the 23rd Street KOM, but that’s a big ask for normal humans! More likely the field will be whittled down lap after lap and a small bunch will compete for the finish line (FIN) points. But keep in mind, there are more points available than just FIN – and I’ve spoken to plenty of teams and riders who are rethinking what success means when Fastest Through Segment points are available. 

This is a puncheurs paradise! Pure sprinters might stay with the first lap or two and get some FAL (First Across the Line) points on the KOMs – maybe even FTS points (Fastest Through Segment). But can they stay the distance? Then again there are no sustained climbs for the Grimpeurs (climbers) to show off on. Yup, this is for the riders with enough muscle to punch their way up, but not so much that it’ll weigh them down… assuredly a puncheurs paradise!

Key parts of the recon video:

If all you want are the facts… here is the one-page print-off sheet with the key distances.

This isn’t epic in the way NYC was – but you will leave this ride more depleted than you thought possible… particularly the B’s!

No Breakaways Course Preview

Here’s the course preview from Rick at No Breakaways:

PowerUp Notes

Riders will be awarded powerups through the start/finish banner as well as the sprint banner, meaning we’ll get 3 powerup chances per lap. Three powerups will be given out at each banner:

Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use this if you’re contesting the sprint intermediate, attempting an attack at high speed, or just trying to catch a breather in the peloton on flat or descending road.

Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 15 seconds. Use this when the road tilts upward. Useful for taking the edge off of a ground-level road’s lumpy climbs, or to help you grab extra points on that final KOM.

Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing by 50% for 30 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.)

Bike Frame + Wheel Choice

Zwift Concept 1 (Tron) bike

None of the climbs here are long or steep enough for a true climbing bike to be the sensible choice. And yet, going full-on aero with a disc wheel setup probably isn’t your best option, either.

The Tron bike is the best of both worlds, climbing a bit faster than the disc wheel but also performing very well on flats and descents. If you don’t have the Tron bike, go with an all-arounder frame like the Canyon Aeroad 2021 coupled with lighter-weight aero hoops like the ENVE 7.8, Zipp 858, or DT Swiss ARC 62.

See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.

Strategic Options

This is a points race, so everything comes down to the two timed KOMs, as well as the finish. All the miles in between are just the setup.

Here are a few predictions about what we’ll see in this race:

  • The front group will get smaller on each lap, with a small pack of only 5-10 duking it out across the finish line.
  • Fastest Through Segment top 10 times will all be set on the first lap. Why? Because the pack draft will be largest then, plus riders will simply be too tired to better their times on subsequent laps.
  • Chase groups will catch some riders up the road at the start of each lap (through the flat/descent portion), but those same riders will attack again on the climbs and get away. Which begs the question: is it even worth chasing? On the other hand…
  • This is a long race – the second-longest in ZRL history, in fact, and with a lot of climbing! Riders will have a hard time pacing their efforts properly. Some will push hard to make the front selection, but blow up on subsequent laps. Chase groups shouldn’t give up hope, because that front group will keep shrinking, and there may be opportunity for intermediate and significant finish points if you’re in the first chase group.
  • Some riders who don’t fancy their chances of staying in the front group to the finish will go all-in on the first climb up Libby Hill – then do it again on 23rd Street if they’re still in the front group. These riders may take a few FAL and FTS points, but they’ll get dropped from the front group and miss out on oodles of points over the course of the race. For these riders, recovering then sitting in with a well-paced group is their best hope of a decent finishing position.
  • With the first 10 riders across the line receiving bonus points on each KOM, we’ve got a huge amount of intermediate points going to a small front group of riders. We predict that the final race win will come down to the simple math of how many riders each team puts into that front group.

Is there a place here for non front-group riders to earn some intermediate points? You’d like to think so, but we don’t see it happening. As we’ve already said, FTS points will go to the top puncheurs on the first lap. And once that front group is away, all the FAL and FTS and big finish points ride away with them. The stragglers will be left to battle over paltry finish points.

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on the big race? Share below!

Why are Zwift’s Pace Partners So Slow Today?

Eric Schlange
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91
Why are Zwift’s Pace Partners So Slow Today?

UPDATE: as quickly as it came, it left. Just a couple hours after this post went live, Zwift reverted the Pace Partners back to drafting mode. Some of them, at least. Learn more here >

Yesterday reports started drifting in that the Pace Partner bots had slowed down dramatically. One Zwifter told us it felt like C. Cadence was around 5kph slower than usual.

So what’s going on?

Based on forum posts, it appears Zwift has turned off drafting for each of the Pace Partners. So while you experience the benefits of the draft, the Pace Partners do not.

Why would Zwift make this change? They haven’t said, but our guess is it’s to provide a more consistent pack speed. When the Pace Partners aren’t affected by the draft, their speeds should stay more constant and predictable.

Testing to Confirm

We tested this ourselves to confirm – setting up a bot with the same parameters as each of the Pace Partners, then joining the Pace Partner ride before enabling a firewall setting which hid all other riders. If the Pace Partners weren’t drafting, that means our rider would keep pace with the Pace Partner while riding alone at the same weight and wattage.

  • Starting next to Dan Diesel
  • Riding alone to test the non-drafting speed

There are some unknowns here, of course – we don’t know what sort of virtual frame and wheels the Pace Partners use, and we don’t know their height, either. But our test confirmed that the Pace Partners aren’t enjoying the benefits of the draft – after a few kilometers of riding alone, our riders were still within a few meters of the Pace Partner.

New Speeds

Based on our quick observations, the Pace Partners are now traveling at significantly lower speeds, meaning you can sit in with them at much lower wattage:

  • Dan Diesel now travels at 29-31kph on flat ground. (His speed has changed the least, since drafting matters less at slower speeds.)
  • C. Cadence now travels around 34-35kph instead of 40-41kph. Most nearby riders were doing 1.4-1.8w/kg to sit in.
  • Bowie Brevet now travels at 38-39kph, with most riders nearby doing 2.4-2.6w/kg.
  • Amelia Anquetil rides a route with lots of dirt and hills, so it was hard to figure out her new speed. But she had a slightly larger group of followers than usual, and definitely moved slower than usual on faster paved flats and descents.

A Quick Survey

Zwift is no doubt getting a lot of feedback from their exit survey which pops up after riding with Pace Partners. Our guess, after taking a bit of a straw poll in the various Pace Partner groups, is that the feedback with this latest change isn’t very positive.

When we asked everyone what they thought of the change, the most common response was “the group moves too slow now!” Zwifters weren’t happy with the change, because it wasn’t what they expected. Example: one Zwifter told us they hopped into the C. Cadence group for a quick race warmup, but immediately dropped the pack because it was moving so slow.

A newer, slower Bowie experience

FutureWorks

It’s worth reminding ourselves that Pace Partners are still officially under Zwift’s FutureWorks banner, meaning they’re still being beta tested by the community and iteratively tweaked by Zwift. So we shouldn’t expect our experience with them to be completely consistent.

That said, this is the most significant change in terms of Pace Partner “feel” since the feature launched, because it dramatically impacts the wattage required to ride with each Pace Partner. So it’s not surprising that it’s raised a bit of a hullabaloo.

Managing Expectations

Our guess is, turning off drafting for the Pace Partners will in fact keep pack speeds a bit more consistent. (This may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you’re using the Pace Partner packs for. If it’s race training, then it’s not a good thing! If it’s for riding with a group at consistent power – then it would be good.)

The bigger challenge, though, is that Zwifters have come to expect a certain effort level with each Pace Partner. And now that effort level is dramatically lower. Additionally, the drop-in screen where you select a Pace Partner hasn’t changed at all, so it only shows the w/kg each Pace Partner is holding – which really isn’t a helpful metric when that Pace Partner isn’t drafting, since your w/kg will be much lower to keep up with them, at least on flats and descents.

For now, we predict that Bowie Brevet’s group will become the largest, since it’s the new “C. Cadence” group in terms of power needed to sit in. It’ll be interesting to see if Zwift keeps this change in place, or rolls it back.

Your Thoughts

What do you think of this latest Pace Partners change? Share below!

Boone’s C to B: Week 7 – To B, or Not to B?

Eric Schlange
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51
Boone’s C to B: Week 7 – To B, or Not to B?

After a very successful “Couch to Cat C” project, Boone is now well into his “C to B” training block, where the goal is to see him hit 3.2 w/kg in his ramp FTP test and thus qualify as a B racer.

Our first two rides this week were pretty standard events, but it’s the FTP test at the end that really makes things interesting. Read on to see how it all unfolded…

The Plan

As a reminder: the basic plan we’ve settled on contains a mix of five different types of rides. (Many thanks to Alan Dempsey of HPP Coaching for giving us solid advice that sets Boone up for success).

  • Races: Boone will race the C’s every week or two to check his progress, work on race craft, and of course get in a good workout.
  • VO2 Workouts: this will be the cornerstone workout of each week. Nobody likes VO2 work, but we both agree Boone is getting a lot of benefit from these.
  • Pace Partner Intervals: we’ll use the Pace Partners (C. Cadence or Bowie Brevet) to anchor a fun, interactive interval workout. Warm up with the pace partner, then sprint off the front for 15s. Or drop off the back, and put in a measured 2-minute effort to get back on. Lots of options here.
  • FTP Ramp Tests: we’ll do at least two ramp tests to measure FTP progress.
  • Recovery Rides: some days, Boone will just need an easier effort in the saddle. Since he’s still a beginning cyclist, even easy efforts are far from wasted.

Ride 23: Tour of Watopia Stage 5

Boone hadn’t taken part in a Zwift “group ride” yet, so I proposed we join a Tour of Watopia event for today’s ride. Stage 5, in this case: one lap of the Mountain 8 route, the “shorter ride” for this stage. Since he’s only level 14, the double XP wouldn’t hurt!

I wasn’t looking to push hard since I had a ZRL race the next day. So I just rode along with Boone, who put in a solid effort, setting some new power curve bests on the ride. We had a good time putting in short efforts to hold the wheels of certain riders, then working with our ever-growing group to chase down stranded riders in the final miles of the event.

This was a wonderful example of the power of the Zwift group ride experience. It camaraderie, but also a bit of competition. And in the end, everybody wins!

See this ride on Strava >

Ride 24: Welcome to Richmond

Today was a fast day for Boone (“fast” referring to not eating), so we wanted to do another steady ride. He wanted to ride some roads he hadn’t yet covered in Zwift, so we jumped into a new world for him: Richmond, Virginia!

He’d been there IRL, but never on Zwift. He finished two laps as I explained to him why it’s my favorite race course, even though I never win.

See this ride on Strava >

Ride 25: Ramp FTP Test

Boone hadn’t done a ramp test in several weeks, so we decided today was the day. And I was feeling spry, so I decided I would do a ramp test along with him. Boone has repeatedly told me he pushes harder when I’m riding with him, so I figured we would both help each other by suffering together.

Here’s where we stood before the test:

  • I’ve only done the ramp test once before, back when it was first released on Zwift. And I haven’t tested my FTP using a standard protocol of any sort for over a year. Instead, I’ve just used the “95% of my best 20-minute power” estimation in order to determine my rough FTP, which was set at 310W.
  • Boone had last done a ramp test 6 weeks ago, with a resulting FTP of 294W.

After doing some rough math, I decided I should start the test 1 minute before Boone, in hopes that we would both be on our limit at the same time. I envisioned us each turning ourselves inside out, trying to not be the guy who stops pedaling first!

The Ramp Test starts easy (at least for bigger guys like Boone and I) at 120W, and steps up the wattage by 20W every 1 minute until you fail. You’ll fail at a much higher wattage than your actual FTP – your FTP results is calculated by taking 75% of your best 1-minute power during the test.

I like to set a minimum target when taking these tests, so for me that was finishing the 420W interval. If I was able to do that, my detected FTP would be 315W – a respectable increase.

In Boone’s case, he wanted to at least complete the 400W interval, which would give him a detected FTP of 300W.

We chatted in the early intervals, knowing the pain was coming soon enough. The Ramp Test is quite easy, then you start to feel it for a couple minutes, then it’s just a few more minutes of pure suffering until failure. We were watching our heartrates on screen – mine was a bit below Boone’s as things started getting hard, but then I caught up to him and we stayed pretty close until the end.

Boone crushed his 400W interval, and kept going well into the 420W section. His new FTP: 310W, exactly what my FTP had been set to going into this test!

As Boone stopped pedaling I had just a few more seconds left. I finished a bit more than half of the 440W segment, with a final FTP of 324W.

See this ride on Strava >

Week 7 Takeaways

If you ever need to take the ramp test, I highly recommend doing it with another rider on a voice call, and timing your tests so you’re ending together. It’s a super-motivating way to help you keep pushing.

Boone’s Ramp Test result, along with his continued weight loss, puts him at an FTP of 3.22 w/kg. The goal of this training block was to hit 3.2 w/kg in his FTP test, so… that’s another goal achieved! We were hoping to hit the goal in 6 weeks, and he finished it at the end of his 7th training week. Not bad. Not bad at all.

To B, or Not to B?

Now the question is: does Boone start racing the B’s, or should he stay with the C’s until ZwiftPower upgrades him?

He’s never averaged over 3.1 w/kg in a race (and those are short Crit City events), so he’s not even an “almost B” in ZwiftPower’s eyes. ZwiftPower determines your category based on the “average of best 3 races in last 90 days (4.1 + 3.9 + 3.8 = 3.9w/kg).”

Should Zwift racers categorize themselves based on the results of FTP tests, or based on the category ZwiftPower sets for them? For riders like Boone, the correct answer isn’t obvious. In Boone’s case, as a rookie rider, I doubt he would be able to hold his newly-detected FTP of 3.22w/kg for more than 30 minutes.

Does he belong in the B’s, where the front group in most races can hold 3.6w/kg for 45 minutes or more? Or does he belong in the C’s, where you can average 3.36w/kg for 20 minutes and still be under the B-category 3.2w/kg mark based on the “95% of 20-minute power” calculation?

His new FTP says cat B (barely). His race numbers indicate cat C.

On the other hand, he’s doing well in his C-cat Crit City races (although admittedly the pack sizes have been a bit small), and staying in cat C for short Crit City events may just stunt his growth. Wouldn’t it be better to jump into the B’s and really be pushed to the limit, with no chance of staying in the front group until the end?

Your Thoughts

Chime in below with your thoughts on Boone’s cat quandary. We welcome your input!

2XU Brick Training Series with German Pro Jonas Schomburg (PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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0
2XU Brick Training Series with German Pro Jonas Schomburg (PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Episode Description:

The 2XU Brick Training Series is a 6-week event series with top 2XU Pro Triathletes riding and running their favorite workouts throughout Zwift. What makes these workouts their favorite? Find out as they dish the details in exclusive interviews on the PowerUp Tri Podcast! This week, we are joined by German Pro Jonas Schomburg.

Tune in to the latest episode each Wednesday and have a live Q&A ride or run session with top pro triathletes like Brent McMahon, Sarah Crowley, Terenzo Bozzone, and Cam Brown. Or join a recast ride every Saturday, where you can zone in the workout with the podcast.

About the Podcast:

The Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast is hosted by former pro triathlete Matt Lieto and Zwift Academy Tri mentor Sarah True. Both are passionate about lending their in-depth knowledge of the multisport to the Zwift Tri audience.

Zwiftcast Episode 96: Zwift Re-thinks Height/Weight Call; ZwiftHub Rescue and Zwifting in Jail

Simon Schofield
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4
Zwiftcast Episode 96: Zwift Re-thinks Height/Weight Call; ZwiftHub Rescue and Zwifting in Jail

Simon, Shane and Nathan round up all the latest from Zwift. The podcasters look at what they believe to be a big first: Zwift has changed its mind over a plan to hide riders’ weight and height after an outcry from the racing community.

Amidst other signs that Zwift may be extending its plans to consult the community on some planned changes, the Zwiftcasters discuss the significance of the decision as well as the thinking behind the initial plans.

After a roundup of the Zwift news, including an easy way to ride without the Heads Up Display, the saving of the ZwiftHub site by friend of the podcast Eric Schlange of Zwift Insider, and how an early precursor of Zwift was laughed out of the Dragons’ Den, the chaps move on to discuss an innovative move from sports superstore operator Decathlon. The company has rolled out an advertising campaign championing prisoners’ use of Zwift inside a jail in the Belgian cycling heartland of Oudenaarde. The idea came from advertising creative and avid Zwifter Frederik Clarysse. He explains how the initiative came about.

Andrew Cotter – and his dogs Olive and Mabel – became global online superstars during the pandemic. Andrew, a sports commentator, is a keen Zwifter and Simon discusses how the platform has provided a valuable escape during the pandemic and lockdown.

Finally Shane reveals that he is again the target of lawyers… after seeing off the Peloton briefs last year, now a German IP expert is after our Aussie friend – over 10 dollars worth of T-shirts!

We hope you enjoy listening.

Just Three laps o’ Flat – Tips for WTRL TTT #106 – Watopia Flat

Sherpa Dave
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Just Three laps o’ Flat – Tips for WTRL TTT #106 – Watopia Flat

Since March I have become obsessed with the weekly Team Time Trial… so I asked Eric if i could share my obsession with you all, in weekly doses.

Each week I will give you a profile of the upcoming route, guidance on bike choice, and some target times if you want to aim for the Premiere League (top-10 in each coffee class get to be in a special race televised on YouTube). 

If you can’t ride (or even if you can ride, but want more action!) don’t forget to tune in to the live TV show on Zwift Community Live’s YouTube Channel at 6:15 (UK time). 

Thursday 29th April – Watopia Flat Route

We’re back in Watopia this week, with three laps of Watopia Flat Route. This route is old, pre-dating my existence on Zwift since it launched in December 2015 (I didn’t find Zwift until autumn of 2017). In fact, it is the second-oldest Watopian route. We are lucky that ZwiftHQ has written a race recon. The race recon profiles focus on scratch race dynamics, not TTT, but it is a good read regardless. 

Three laps at a touch over 10km each make this a 30 km race – the observant among you will know this is one lap less than last time we did this course. Each lap is pretty flat (the clue is in the name), and all-told we have 180 meters of vertical climb. This is all about formation and communication.

There are two tricky areas on the route – the ramp out of tunnels through the dirt and up the false flat is the first, and the hill through the Esses is the other. Keep communication clean and keep an eye on your teammates and you will sail through. 

From the Pens you head towards the undersea tunnels (Ocean Boulevard) through the fishing village and up the winding false flat. Down the other side into the Italian Villas towards the sprint (don’t be tempted) and up the hill that precedes the Esses. Then it’s up and down the Esses, and down the hill to the start/finish. My fastest time through the course was the Team INEOS group ride in the spring, where I averaged 40kph. 

What to ride?

Bike recommendation on this route is pretty straightforward. Aero rules the day. For me it’s Venge and Super-9 over Tron.

As I mentioned last week, the new Canyon Aeroad 2021 totally changed things for anyone between level 23 and 33. I don’t think there’s a lot of difference between the Aeroad and the Tron even.

Here are my recommendations at different levels:

  • Level 6 Zwift Aero frame and DT Swiss ARC 62 wheels
  • Level 13 Canyon Aeroad 2021 and Zipp 808s
  • Level 18 Specialized Venge with Zipp 808s
  • Level 25 Cervelo S5 with Zipp 808s
  • Level 33 S-Works Venge with ENVE SES 8.9
  • Level 35 S-Works Venge with Zipp 808/Super 9
  • Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge

If you’re below level 35 and have a Tron, use it… it beats every other setup but the last two on this route hands down. I cannot stress highly enough that if you are racing you need to be working on Tron. It’ll take a while, but just set the Everest Challenge and forget about it for nine months… like having a baby. 

Route Recon 

If you prefer your recons in the visual style, take a look at my YouTube video. You can choose to watch the whole thing, or just pick and choose from these time codes:

  • 0:40​ Ride summary
  • 1:45​ Shoutouts and feedback
  • 2:10​ DS-Notes
  • 2:30​ Lap Walkthrough starts
  • 6:00​ Bike choices
  • 6:40​  Target times for each Coffee Class
  • 7:46​ DS Notes print-off sheet

Race breakdown 

Here’s my handy-dandy DS summary for you to print off and put by your trainer if you so desire!

Regardless of how the official Zwift race-recon breaks the route up, I only see three sections:

  • Pen/Gate to the end of the undersea tunnels
  • To the Italian Villas
  • Esses through to the start/finish

Start to the end of the undersea tunnels

A flat 3.2 km from the start/finish gate to the start of the ramp. Around the same if you’re on lap 1 from the pens. You’ll pick up speed as you go into the tunnels. That is really all there is to say here.

Col Du Italian Villas

This starts with the ramp out of the tunnels (300 meters at 3%), onto the dirt roads around the fishing village and up the false flat. The kicker at the end of the false flat will be barely noticeable at speed. It’s 3.6m in total from the the ramp to the Italian Villas.

Esses and home

Through the tunnel and through the sprint. Cross the bridge and into the only real climb of the loop – 300m at an average of 5%. This one will take some care if you are all on the rivet because your smaller, lighter riders will shoot ahead if they aren’t careful. After that it’s the Esses.

The Esses are a series of humps. If you’re coordinated you’ll accelerate on the downhill and let the momentum carry you up the next. If you’re not coordinated the momentum delta between heavier and lighter riders will split you apart! 

After the Esses its downhill to downtown. Don’t forget to sprint on the last lap!

Wrap up

This race is all about decision-making. You will be flat out on the flat, and the hills will strain the team… people will get dropped. The question is do you wait for them, or do you drop them?

Red Walters, One Year To Go Pro (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #68)

Eric Schlange
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Red Walters, One Year To Go Pro (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #68)

About this Episode

Red Walters has a very promising career ahead of him, but Covid-19 closed down racing for 2020 and he couldn’t show off his potential as he had hoped. Now he’s stuck with only 1 year left in the Under23 category, and 1 year to show off his talent and earn a pro signing.

He sits down with Matt Rowe and Rahsaan Bahati to discuss lockdown training, diversity in cycling, what he hopes the future holds, and let’s not forget his previous accolades in dinghy racing… 

About the Podcast

The Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast features training tips from host Matt Rowe (Rowe & King), with regular co-hosts Greg Henderson, Rahsaan Bahati, Dani Rowe, and Kristin Armstrong.

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