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Zwift Feature Request: The Virtual Tandem

Eric Schlange
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66
Zwift Feature Request: The Virtual Tandem

Here’s an idea that’s been knocking around the Zwift community since early days: what if riders located anywhere in the world could virtually partner up to ride a tandem in-game? It could be used for free riding and group rides, but would get really interesting for races.

The first reference we could find to this idea comes from early Zwift race organizer Christian Wiedmann in August of 2015. But there are multiple Feature Request forum posts on the topic as well, with the earliest being from Andrew McLennan in December of 2018.

Next-Level Teamwork

The beauty of this idea isn’t in replicating the outdoor tandem experience for a niche group of riders. Instead, think about how this would bring next-level teamwork to Zwift riding.

Sure, you can work with teammates today – sitting in their draft, letting one attack off the front while you recover in the group, riding in a TTT. But imagine if your speed in Zwift was directly linked to the power output of another rider. If your watts were simply added to your partner’s watts, and this power determined your in-game speed. Now that is what we call working together!

Just like outdoor tandem racing, it’s teamwork taken up a notch. Or perhaps several notches…

How Would It Work?

Physics

The physics of real-world tandem cycling would need to be implemented in Zwift for the idea to work. That means combining the power and physical characteristics of both riders in way that makes their in-game speed fairly realistic.

  • Power: the riders’ power would be summed, so one rider holding 300W with a partner holding 200W would result in a total of 500W
  • Weight: riders’ weights would be summed
  • Frame/wheel physics: aero and weight values for just one tandem frame plus one wheelset would be used in the speed calculations
  • Height: this is perhaps the most interesting calculation Zwift would make. As we know, rider height has a major effect on your Zwift speed, since it’s used to calculate your CdA. How would Zwift calculate a CdA for two riders in a virtual tandem setup? There are various options here, none of them terribly complex.

Matchmaking

In-game functionality would need to be developed which allows Zwifters to pair up into tandem teams. Chances are this would start as something simple, like being able to invite any of your followers to partner with you in an upcoming event or free-ride, Meetup style, on a course of your choosing.

But it could evolve into an automatic matchmaking tool. Perhaps a tandem group ride or race would allow individuals to sign up, then dynamically pair them in the final minutes (based on historic performance numbers) to help ensure each pair’s speed is close to the others.

Communication

The ability to communicate with your partner would be vital in a virtual tandem situation. Third-party solutions like Discord or even a simple phone call could fill the void, but it would be really nice to see Zwift develop a one-to-one voice chat functionality which could be baked into the product.

Rider Data

For the purpose of training, your individual rider data would still be recorded – power, cadence, HR. The only change to recorded info would be your virtual speed, which means some changes would need to be made in terms of Strava and in-game leaderboards (see below for more on this).

To Do List/Roadblocks

Obviously, a feature like this comes with some challenges. Each of these would need to be addressed in order for virtual tandem mode to be successful long-term:

  • Strava segments and activity type: tandem rides on Zwift would, of course, be much faster (at least on flat ground and descents) than solo rides. Strava would need to support a new “Virtual Tandem Ride” activity type in order to make sure leaderboards don’t get ugly and our Zwift times for solo efforts don’t get muddled with tandem times.
  • Split leaderboards: in-game leaderboards would need to filter out tandem efforts. Giving tandem teams their own leaderboards would be ideal.
  • ZwiftPower categories and data handling: tandem race results would need to display as such on ZwiftPower. This may be as simple as indicating which riders are paired together. Their individual data (power, HR, etc) could still be displayed. Additionally, race categories would need to be tweaked to work for a pair of riders.
  • New Zwift physics calculations: as mentioned above, Zwift programmers would need to add some modified physics calculations for tandem teams in order to ensure realistic in-game speeds.
  • New frames required: Zwift’s art team would need to create at least one tandem frame.
  • UI Changes: in-game interface elements would need to be added to allow riders to team up, display their names properly, etc.

Your Thoughts

Does this idea interest you? Does it seem doable, or are there roadblocks which would make it a non-starter?

Share your thoughts below, and if you think the idea has merit, be sure to vote for it on the oldest tandem feature request post we could find.

How the (Team) Race Was Won: ZRL Season 3, Week 2 (Beach Island Loop)

Eric Schlange
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11
How the (Team) Race Was Won: ZRL Season 3, Week 2 (Beach Island Loop)

Zwift Racing League season 3 is in full swing, and this week was the first points race of the season. Three laps of Watopia’s Beach Island Loop – a route that hasn’t been used yet in ZRL.

I had joined the DIRT Roosters team for season 3, and we TTTd our way into 1st place in EMEA N Division B5. Always nice to get a victory on the first time out as a new squad!

But for week 2, I was asked to join the DIRT Hellhounds in EMEA E Division B1. This is the same team name (and manager) as I’ve raced with for seasons 1-2, but many of the riders had moved onto other time zones. They needed a rider, so I jumped in. Competition would be stiffer in B1. Just how tough would it be? I wasn’t sure, but I was about to find out…

Watch the Summary Video

Look, I get it – my race videos are nothing fancy. Until now they’ve just been a straight recording of the race, dumped onto YouTube. Quick and easy for me, but not exactly time-efficient or enjoyable for you, dear viewer.

So I’m collaborating with my 14-year-old son to up Zwift Insider’s video game a bit – trying to make them shorter and more useful. This one’s still a bit long, but it’s an improvement. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

The Warmup

My standard pre-race ritual looks something like this:

  • Chew some caffeine gum – usually 2 pieces (200mg) about an hour before the race
  • Rub PR lotion into my legs 30-45 minutes before the race
  • Warm up for 30-45 minutes, putting in some short, hard seated and standing efforts to get the muscles firing and get the heartrate up to 160+

Depending on the race route and its importance, I may add other things. This week, for example, I wanted to do my very best for the team. So I double-checked the route notes, made sure my Discord setup was working properly, chewed an extra piece of gum (more go go juice!) and even drank some beet juice I found in the refrigerator. And I made sure to click to join the start pens as soon as the option popped up, reserving my spot near the front of the pack.

Marginal gains, right?

I’m not sure if beet juice works, but its effects sure scare me the first time I use the bathroom after the race.

Having completed the warmup routine, I clicked to join the event for a second time with about 6 minutes to go. On Discord, I led our team in a short prayer to the powerup gods (I’m not joking): “Oh powerup gods, please grant us steamrollers on this day… in your mercy.”

Lap 1

The race started with a decently hard effort, but it wasn’t any tougher than any other B race. 102 riders started, and everyone seemed to know that the fireworks were coming down the road on the Dirty Sorpresa.

When we went through the start/finish banner everyone held their breath – “Will I get the steamroller?” Some were lucky. Others were not. I was not. An aero powerup for me, which meant I’d have to go hell-for-leather up the dirt so I wouldn’t miss the split. I figured I wouldn’t be in contention for segment points, but I could use the aero to help me make a bit of forward progress depending on the situation.

And that’s exactly what happened. I started the Dirty Sorpresa near the front – a trick used by poor climbers everywhere. I began drifting back near the top of the climb, hitting the cobbles around 32nd place. I used my aero and what little my legs had left in order to stay in touch to the banner, then I used my newly-acquired drafting powerup to help me grab onto the tail end of a small group which had formed at the very front.

That was it – the first big split of the race. From 102 riders we were down to ~40, and all those riders behind would never see the front again.

Lap 2

Hitting the start/finish banner to start the second lap, we all sent up quick prayers to the powerup gods once more. “Steamroller, please!”

The powerup gods smiled upon me for lap 2

And this time they answered me. With my trusty steamroller stashed in my saddlebag, I made my way to the Dirty Sorpresa with a newfound sense of confidence. As the dirt began, I held off on using my powerup, knowing the steamroller only lasts for 30 seconds. Then on the first hairpin turn to the left, I triggered it, giving me half a minute of sweet, fast-rolling bliss on that dusty gravel road.

I came over the top in 10th place – still gassed, but knowing I could sit in these wheels and let the riders behind catch me, since the small number of riders ahead wouldn’t be able to stay away from the larger pack behind. I used my new aero powerup as the groups coalesced, just trying to keep my effort as low as possible.

And that was the second split. We were down to about 30 riders in the front group.

Lap 3

I scored another steamroller at the start of our final lap. Glory! My entire goal at this point was to stay with the front pack of riders so I could be in contention for the final sprint. That meant triggering the steamroller on the first hairpin, then holding a position close enough to the front that I wouldn’t get gapped by the group that would stay away to the finish.

On this lap, more than the previous laps, it was clear riders were learning how powerful the steamroller was, and where to time it best. I counted several which all popped within a second or two of each other, quickly moving to the front of the pack!

Steamroller lessons learned

I made it to the top around 12th place, sitting nicely in the front pack. But I didn’t keep working to hold a good position, and nearly got dropped as ~12 stronger riders sprinted hard and jumped off the front! When I was about to use my aero powerup to bridge to the front pack, I saw they had eased up and my smaller group was catching them. Keep that aero helmet, Eric. You’ll need it for the finish!

Flyer Alert!

One rider flew through our front pack just as the group came together on the snaking descent to the fishing village. “Gomes” quickly gapped our front group, and just kept hammering away. When I clicked forward to check out his numbers, he was holding precisely 431w (6.1w/kg) although his cadence and HR were changing. Weird. I figured he’d get DQ’d… and I wasn’t wrong. He finished nearly 30s ahead of the next rider, but was removed from the results.

Our final front group had around 25 riders in it, and a few more would get dropped off as riders used steamrollers to attack in the dirt sections of the fishing village.

The Finish

This finish is always a tough one – the ramp up out of the ocean takes it out of you, then there’s a false flat that keeps the watts high. And before you know it you turn onto the main drag and it’s time to sprint!

I had an aero powerup saved for the finish, but I didn’t have the legs to back it up. I was happy to have stayed in the front pack until the end, but finished a sad 17th out of around 21 riders. 16th on Zwift Power.

See my activity on Strava >
See my ride on Zwift.com >
See results on ZwiftPower >

Results

It took several hours for the results to show up, but when they did… it was good news! The DIRT Hellhounds had taken first place, scoring 202 points compared to second place’s 125. A strong win!

As you can see, I didn’t contribute my fair share to the team’s total (only 19 of the 202 points), mostly because I wasn’t able to score any intermediate points. But here’s the thing… all but one of our riders finished in the front group. That’s huge. If you had those numbers in front, you were basically assured a podium spot in this race.

Takeaways

This week was a revelation for many in the Zwift racing community who didn’t understand the power of the steamroller powerup. Heck, even I was a bit surprised by it, and I’ve done the math to show that it gives a 150-200W advantage in the dirt! Some racers are saying the steamroller was too powerful. I didn’t feel like that was the case, but then again – I got it. Twice. So I was pretty happy.

It’s possible that the steamroller needs to be shortened to perhaps 15 seconds. But honestly? I loved how this race unfolded, with the steamrollers attacking off the front, then the sprinters catching them near the line every lap. It was an action-packed 3-4 minutes each lap, thanks to the combination of powerups and course layout.

You can see that Dirty Sorpresa + sprint effort in my Strava power curve for this event – from 3:21-4:37 I set new 6-week power PBs with this race. (I also set some PBs at other intervals, as you can see).

And after last season’s route choices, let me just say it was refreshing to race a ZRL event where I didn’t get dropped on the climb. Thanks, WTRL + Zwift, for picking a route where the non-climbers could shine.

Your Thoughts

Did you race in ZRL week 2? Share your experience below!

Zwift Announces Community Welfare and Anti-Harassment Update

Eric Schlange
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100
Zwift Announces Community Welfare and Anti-Harassment Update

UPDATE: Zwift has announced a postponing of the ZwiftPower height and weight hiding. Read more here >

Today Zwift announced a two updates via their forum which are being rolled out to mitigate harassment and increase community welfare.

#1: Weight and Height No Longer Public

Zwift says:

First, beginning next week, we will no longer publicly display Zwifter weight and height in ZwiftPower, Zwift Companion, nor on Zwift.com. Weight and height will continue to be an input requirement for the game but will no longer be displayed publicly in order to deter weight or height related harassment.

As some Zwift racers have already pointed out on the forum thread, hiding weight and height data is a double-edged sword. Yes, it should reduce unwarranted harassment while removing some triggers which can lead to disordered eating. That’s a good thing. But it will also make it nearly impossible for racers to spot weight/height dopers – and generally, racers have been relied upon to spot this sort of cheating, since race organizers have enough work on their hands.

It’s worth noting here that Zwift provides a form which racers can use to report racers they believe are cheating. According to Zwift, “Our CS agents have all the tools to look at egregious changes in weight and make informed decisions if someone is ‘weight doping’ or not.“ Read more here >

Will race organizers have access to the now-private height and weight data, or will only ZADA be able to access it for performance verification of top-tier races? I posed this question to Zwift, but have not yet received a response.

Assuming race organizers can access the data via ZwiftPower, and the site includes simple tools for spotting potential weight or height dopers (perhaps flagging those who made dramatic changes recently), then hiding weight and height data from the public should work swimmingly. But if this simply lets cheaters cheat more, it may affect more people than it helps.

#2: New Reporting Features

Zwift says:

Secondly, we will be introducing new reporting features within Zwift Companion. An expansion to the existing flagging feature, the reporting feature allows riders and runners to report discrimination, bad language, or other forms of harassment in real time by clicking the three dots in the upper right hand corner of a member’s ZC profile. This feature will allow our team to monitor the situation and enact shadow banning when appropriate.

This is a welcome change, as it was unclear how the flagging feature in Companion actually functioned, and it was impossible to share additional details of your report when flagging a rider. The idea that a Zwift staffer can monitor these reports in real time in intriguing – it will be interesting to see if actions are taken quickly when bad actors are reported.

It’s fair to say that the vast majority of Zwifters haven’t had to endure bullying or harassment on the platform. But for those who have, the experience can have huge negative impacts on their zwifting experience and even their overall well-being. And that’s just not right. Zwift should be a safe place.

Changes Already Implemented

Zwift’s forum post included the following list of recent changes they’ve implemented to boost community welfare and reduce harassment:

  • Implemented tools that allow us to more effectively review in-game messaging to ensure in-game behavior meets our community guidelines.
  • Raising awareness on podcasts about disordered eating
  • Removing blog stories, missions, and challenges that glamorize unhealthy weight loss
  • With the full support of community group owners, we have collectively worked to ensure community groups promote health and wellbeing and avoid potentially unhealthy triggers.
  • Tightened privacy rules for ZADA (Zwift Accuracy and Data Analysis) verification videos – preventing athletes from sharing these publicly.
  • Instituting a 2-hour pre-race weigh-in submission window as is the acknowledged best practice across other sports and by the IOC

Zwift is rightly concerned with how its platform can encourage disordered eating behaviors. We dug into this topic in depth several weeks ago, our series “Extreme Dieting in Virtual Cycling“. It’s good to see Zwift working to protect racers.

Changes Coming

The forum post concludes with the following statement:

These are only the first steps. More steps are planned to enhance the features that improve the experience for all Zwifters and mitigate harassment.

Just what are those future changes? We’re not sure, but here are some guesses:

  • At least one forum reply also mentioned that Zwift could easily put in further controls to reduce weight and height doping – perhaps not allowing riders to change their measurements by more than X% on a given day.
  • Rolling out additional race categorization controls/anti-sandbagging tools would greatly reduce arguments and cheating accusations between racers. Forcing riders to race in a category which matches their historic power numbers, for example, is one foundational change that would clean up cheating and improve the racing experience for many, especially D and C riders.
  • Cleaning up messaging: currently, group ride messages are bleeding into free rides, which makes for confusing conversations where event participants banter and riders outside of the event get to “listen” in. Sometimes the free riders will even respond to the event messages, but of course the event participants will never see those messages. This all needs to get cleaned up.

Share Your Thoughts

What do you think of Zwift’s recent (and pending) changes? Share your thoughts below, but we’d also recommend sharing them on the official Zwift forum thread.

“The Breakaway”: An E-Cycling Team for Prisoners

Eric Schlange
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10
“The Breakaway”: An E-Cycling Team for Prisoners

Each year, a few things happen on Zwift which take us by surprise and expand our view of what can be accomplished on a virtual fitness platform. “The Breakaway” is one such project.

It’s the first-ever virtual cycling team for prisoners. Based out of Oudenaarde prison in Belgium, the project is a collaboration between Decathlon, De Rode Antraciet vzw (a non-profit advocating sports activities & tradition inside prisons), Cellmade, and the Belgian Division of Justice.

Six inmates have been selected to join The Breakaway. They will be riding publicly on Zwift, both for training and in open races against thousands of riders from around the world.

The groundbreaking project may help answer an important question: can a virtual sport help inmates reintegrate into the real world?

Support the Team

The team members will remain anonymous, but you can still follow them in Companion (search for “John Doe 1, “John Doe 2”, etc) and on Strava.

You can even join them on their training rides! Decathlon has published a schedule of when each rider will be on Zwift.

Breakaway vs The Law

According to the project website, in a few months the inmates will take on “their ultimate challenge”: a virtual race against judges, police officers, prison guards, and members of the Belgian Department of Justice. The race will be live-streamed on Facebook.

My Thoughts

Prison reform is a weighty topic, on both personal and societal levels. And it’s an issue which all countries struggle with to some extent. The Breakaway is based in Belgium, but I would welcome a similar project here in California, where our prison system is desperately overcrowded and truly “broken” on many levels.

It is my strongly-held belief that, for the vast majority of prisoners, a system focused on rehabilitation and healthy reintegration into society is the best solution.

People can change. And we, as Zwifters, know the power sports and fitness hold to transform mental and physical health. Perhaps Zwift can be a crucial role in helping prisoners reintegrate as healthy, productive members of society. I’d love to see it happen.

Learn More

Visit decathlonbreakaway.be to learn more about the project.

Your Comments

Share below!

World of Zwift – Season 2, Episode 20

Eric Schlange
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0
World of Zwift – Season 2, Episode 20

The latest episode of WOZ is out, covering all things great and beautiful in our favorite virtual world.

In this episode, host OJ Borg brings us:

  • This Week In The World Of Zwift
  • Tour of Watopia Updated
  • The Feed Zone: Ketchup + Mac and Cheese
  • A to Zwift
  • Coaches Corner with Kristin Armstrong
  • ZRL Season 3, Week 1:
    • Men’s Highlights
    • Women’s Highlights​
    • Dave Towle Chat
  • Beach Island Loop Route Recon with Jess Pratt

Zwift Running League Announced, Starting April 16

Tim Perkin
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4
Zwift Running League Announced, Starting April 16

In any ‘normal year’ (sans a global pandemic) April means one thing for many runners – the London Marathon.  It is a massive event that sees the streets of London transformed into a carnival that is special to watch and amazing to participate in. 

Sadly, with the pandemic, the traditional April London Marathon is not taking place, but runners need not despair. The magic of London can be replaced by the magic of Watopia! 

Our friends at WTRL, who brought us the extremely successful Zwift Racing League, are launching the new Zwift Running League which lasts 6 weeks and starts on Friday, April 16.

Event Types, Explained  

The Zwift Running League is a team-based running event.  There are two types of events which alternate each week:

  • Points Race: based on the Cross Country format, this is a simple race where the higher you finish, the lower the points you earn.  For example, finish 1st, you get one point.  Your team’s top 3 finishers earn points, and the winning team is the one with the lowest points.  To participate, you’ll need 3-4 runners. Distances for this race vary between 4.4km and 9km.
  • Relay Race: this race requires 3 runners. Everyone waits in the pen at the start, runner 1 starts and runs 2km, once they have completed their distance, runner 2 goes, then finally runner 3. You can’t start your leg until your teammate has finished their leg and any false starts will result in a 20-second penalty. The team’s overall time is calculated when the final runner crosses the finish line. The key to this race is communicating with your team member once you have completed your 2km distance. This can be done in various ways such as using Discord or simply messaging them to say “Start”.

Is this Competitive?

The event is competitive and caters to all abilities, since you only race people near your own abilities.

The way this is done is that you select what class you enter, based on your running speed.

 ClassAverage Minutes per MILE
based on 3.2 miles		 Average Minutes per KILOMETER
based on 5 kilometers
14:00 – 5:292:30 – 3:25
25:30 – 6:293:26 – 4:02
36:30 – 7:294:03 – 4:39
47:30 -8:444:40- 5:25
58:45- 10:005:26- 6:12

Teams will consist of 3 runners for Team Relay Races and 3 to 4 for the Points Races.  Once you established your Team’s ability, you select the relevant City event category to enter, meaning you are competing against teams of your own level.

The City category you enter is dependent upon the ability of the runners in your team, based on their Class.  

CityTeam Make-up
Atlanta3 Runners x Class 1 (but can include other classes)
Helsinki1 Runner x Class 1 – 2/3 x Class 2, 3, 4, 5
Munich1 Runner x Class 2 – 2/3 x Class 3, 4, 5
Rome1 Runner x Class 3 – 2/3 x Class 4, 5
Sydney1 Runner x Class 4 – 2/3 x Class 5

Examples how this works:

  • If you had 3 quick runners that can average 4 to 5.30 minute miles, you enter Atlanta.
  • If your team consists of 1 quick runner of Class 1, but then 2 runners of Class 2, you enter Munich.

Winners

Both individual and team winners will be crowned:

  • Team Results and Leagues (collective/average time, points etc by CITY CLASS)
  • Individual Leagues & Results (times, points etc by AGE GROUP and CLASS)

Important Detail             

The league that you join has a designated event time. If you do not compete in that designated event, you will not receive a result.

How to participate

You need to register your team at wtrl.racing/zwift-running-league/#registration

To race, you need to be connected to Zwift, and this can be done with a Smart treadmill.

If you don’t have a Smart treadmill, there are other solutions. You can attach the NPE Runn™ treadmill sensor to almost any treadmill that transmits the belt’s speed in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).  It is available in the Zwift Shop.

If you don’t have a treadmill and still want to participate, one way to do this is via attaching a stride sensor to one of your shoes and run outside, with your device.  The two most economically-priced options that work are:

Running outside with your device comes with risks, so we would advise against this option.  You have to physically check your phone (which must be actively running Zwift) while running, and it is quite challenging. Basically, a treadmill is the best way to participate.      

Wrapping It Up

With an ever-increasing number of running events appearing on Zwift, it may just be time to start shopping around for a treadmill if you don’t already have one! Just as Zwift cycling has enabled people to compete around the world, Zwift running is bringing people together to compete from all corners of the globe. Zwift Running League will be the first real show of this global competition, but it certainly won’t be the last!

The potential here to have fun and get back to competitive running is appealing. WTRL has seen massive success with their Zwift Racing League and Thursday night TTT events, and we’re sure this series will be handled with equal attention to detail.

Learn more at wtrl.racing/zwift-running-league/

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Tips for WTRL TTT #104 – Sand and Sequoias Once More

Sherpa Dave
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2
Tips for WTRL TTT #104 – Sand and Sequoias Once More

Since March I have become obsessed with the weekly WTRL 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). 

Review of WTRL TTT #103 Harrogate Reverse

It was a sea of riders… parts of the ride felt more like a group ride than a TTT, particularly the last 5km. Unfortunately, I had a mechanical which needed a reboot, and I missed the pen by 5 seconds, leaving the already shorthanded Puffins with only 3 riders. Not an auspicious debut with a new club!

Category#85My PredictionPL TimeMy place
Vienna44:4144:3045:126th
Doppio39:1838:4539:327th
Espresso39:4439:4539:2814th
Frappe41:1341:0041:137th
Latte45:3745:1545:4910th
Mocha53:4553:3054:068th

Not bad, even if I do say so myself. The only fail on my part was Espresso who really went to town beating the Doppio class by 4 seconds.

Only one Rider Review this week – from our Paris correspondent Mark, in the CICC Blast team. 

So with the spring weather now CICC consolidated down to two teams (forgetting that a good portion now live in Scotland where today’s spring weather was 50mph gusts). With the inclement and, for our lighter riders, downright dangerous conditions we were fielding a strong 7 (including a CICC vAmos conscript, Jan). We had made pace notes and studied Sherpa’s video, the videos are amazing (flattery will get you everywhere), had a plan and then concluded that the old Army adage ‘no plan survives first contact’ was likely to never be truer and a shambles was inevitable.

Off we set with the agreed strategy. Carlos dropped off (under-reporting turbo to blame) and sent us on with his regards. Really good tempo riding kept our team (with a spread of 17kg from light to heavy) together for the first lap, and we passed several teams cleanly. Phil unfortunately got caught up passing a team early in lap 2 and had to go red to get by. Since this course has nowhere to get unred, and despite briefly getting back on, the next hill came too quick and Phil sent the remaining 5 on. We stayed together and Jan paid Blast the ultimate compliment ‘I thought I was ‘dropping down’ for an easy ride, this is just as bad as vAmos!!!’

Jan and I got slightly distanced on the very last climb and couldn’t quite get back on for the run in. Slight schism in team but overall not the ‘shambles’ predicted and some fantastic performances. This is our ‘B’ team and we took a full minute out of our then ‘A’ team’s December time on this course… now all the Internet knows Blast beat vAmos! 

WTRL TTT #104 Sand and Sequoias (2 laps)

I thought London was the first leg in a three-week European vacation: France this week, and Italy (Bologna) next week. So sure was I that I wrote this week’s recce and sent it to Eric for publication! I have no clue when it changed – but we are actually heading back to Watopia this week. 

This week is two laps of Sand and Sequoias. This route is a regular on TTT – I have ridden it three times (once with CICC, twice with R&K). In fact, this was the route of my first TTT. Prior to that it was the route four times – #51, #39, #26, and #19! 

Two laps at 20km plus a lead in make this a 43km ride – add in a KOM and what we have here is one of the longest and hardest TTTs, at least until the TTT visits Alpe Du Zwift on New Year’s Eve. Even top-flight teams will be in the saddle for 55 minutes, and the rest of us should expect well over an hour. 

Essentially the route is out from the pens on the Fuego Flats desert then back via the Titans Grove sequoia forest – then repeat it all. This route ticks all the boxes – the flat of the desert, the KOM itself, and the rollers that bookend the KOM. And it’s long, too. 

From the desert pens we head straight for the Sprint then through the start/finish gate. Through the desert for 10km (including the lead-in) before heading up the hill and into Titans Grove. From here it’s a sequence of rollers before heading up the KOM (2.6km at a pretty steady 3%) then more rollers. It flattens out as you hit the desert again for the remaining 3.5km to the start/finish banner – then do it again. 

What to ride?

Bike recommendation on this route is tricky. For the Fuego Flats aero is king, but for Titans Grove the rollers give an edge to something more balanced. I will be on my Tron bike this week, leaving the Venge in the garage… although I did my recon ride on the Venge and it wasn’t awful.

Here are some recommendations on equipment at various 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

In this case though, if you have a Tron, use it… it beats every other bike 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 Rides

The last couple of weeks I have struggled to find good recce rides – but Sand and Sequoias is everywhere! – check for yourself on the event listing on zwifthacks.com. 

BUT! As I do every week now, I rode the route (just one lap) and created a recce ride for you:

Race breakdown 

As you can see from the route map courtesy of VeloViewer, the route is divided into two parts – flat in the desert, hilly in Titans Grove. There is an official Zwift race recon – but i didn’t think this one translated well to a TTT.

Start through the end of the Flats

It’s 10k from the pens to the start of the rise into the Sequoias. There are a couple of tiny rises but you won’t notice them as you speed through. Practice your paceline here! 

Col du Saddle Springs

Some wag on Strava coined this term for a segment and I couldn’t resist using it. After 10km flat this is the first real rise – a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m up to the turn into Titans Grove.

More up than down – the approach to the KOM

Rounding the bend from the Col you head into Titans Grove – a very pretty section, although you won’t have the energy for sightseeing. Before the KOM itself are a jagged series of bumps heading upwards before the descent that marks the approach to the KOM itself. This segment feels just like The Esses to me – plenty of opportunities to gain momentum and increase the team’s speed, but you also run the risk of splitting up.

Titan’s Grove KOM

On the face of it, this is a simple 2.5km pull at 2%, as it winds up and around the mountain with three beautiful switchbacks. But the top and the bottom are kinda flat, so the middle is steeper.

Think of this as a 1km at 4%. That’s enough height and distance to create a split – particularly on the second time around. I have raced this on the TTTs and both times we lost someone on this segment. Depending on your race strategy that might be fine on the second time through of course.

More down than up… after the KOM and back to the desert

Once you go through the KOM the grade heads downwards. There’s a 4% downhill for a 1.4 km where you will pick up speed, then a series of rollers. Tired legs after the KOM (particularly on lap 2), will put strain on the team. Keep an eye out for splits in the group.

After the rollers it flattens out as you speed back into the desert, through the sprint and on to the Start/Finish banner.

Target times

The WTRL splits here are at 10, 20 and 30 kilometers.

  • Split 1 (10km) – Just before the Col du Saddle Springs
  • Split 2 (20km) – As you reconnect to the Desert from Titans Grove on Lap 1
  • Split 3 (30km) – Passing the LAX Control Tower in Saddle Springs on Lap 2

How have you done in the last few attempts on this course? Here are the PL time markers from the past three rides on this course.

Class9th April / #519th July / #648th Oct / #7717 Dec / #87
Vienna1:11:121:04:141:03:171:05:03
Doppio58:03
Espresso57:0455:3856:0758:10
Frappe59:4258:5558:441:00:38
Latte1:04:511:04:031:03:101:04:58
Mocha1:22:451:11:061:11:391:15:22

Here are my split and finish predictions for everyone:

ClassSplit 1 (10km)Split 2 (20km)Split 3 (30km)Finish
Vienna15:0030:1045:301:04:00
Doppio12:4525:5538:4555:30
Espresso13:0026:1039:2056:45
Frappe13:3027:3041:3058:00
Latte14:2030:1544:301:03:00
Mocha16:0033:3049:301:11:00

Wrap up

This race is all about team discipline. You will be flat out on the flat, and the hills will strain the team… people will get dropped. But for me the critical section are the rollers before and after the KOM… hold together on those and everything else will come together! Climbers… if you can stay with the team on the hilly stuff they will help you on the desert plains! 

Rachael Elliott, TT Star to Paralympic Hopeful (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #67)

Eric Schlange
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2
Rachael Elliott, TT Star to Paralympic Hopeful (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #67)

About this Episode

She’s a renowned Zwift community member, IRL record holder, and now Paralympic hopeful. Rachael Elliott has not let her 2018 stroke stop her from living her life to the fullest, and she sat down with Kristin Armstrong to discuss the TT mindset, how her stroke changed the way she trains and whether we might see Rachael at the Paralympics some day.

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.

Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 3 Week 2 Guide: Beach Island Loop

Eric Schlange
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2
Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 3 Week 2 Guide: Beach Island Loop

The first points race of Zwift Racing League Season 3 has arrived, and it’s one for the sprinters! We’ll be riding 3 laps of Beach Island Loop, a newish route introduced in December 2020. Let’s dig into the course, including some tips for bike choice and key selection areas.

Looking at the Route: Beach Island Loop

Beach Island Loop is nearly identical to Volcano Flat Reverse, a route most racers will be very familiar with. But there is one crucial change, and that is going to make all the difference!

On Volcano Flat reverse, we hit the twisty dirt climb up to the Italian Villas, then turn right at the fountain to go past the noisy waterfall. On Beach Island Loop, we hit the dirt climb, but turn left to ride through the Villas and onto the Watopia Forward Sprint. This sprint point is the intermediate for our race, so teams will be working to earn those precious first across the line (FAL) and fastest through segment (FTS) points on each lap.

This would be a pure sprinters race, except the sprint comes just seconds after riders will be attacking hard up the dirt climb. Look at the profile from ZwiftHub below, and notice the short climb just before the sprint: 

It’s what we call the “Dirty Sorpresa”: 570 meters of slow-rolling dirt on a snaking incline up to the Villas:

Dave’s Route Notes

Sherpa Dave has put together a race recon video, which you can watch below. And he put together some helpful notes, which you can also find below.

For me, every meter of a points race breaks into one of two decisions: am I trying to hold on to the group, or can I make a breakaway? In this race there are a few areas where a break becomes possible (or handling someone else’s break is necessary). 

I marked up the Veloviewer map with some key points (orange text for break opportunities or break threats, black for landmarks, and red for the sprint):

  • Hill out of the start/finish: Small hill (400m) at around 3%. Not really much of an opportunity to gain a strategic advantage but someone will have a go. It “summits” as you go through the little tunnel. 
  • Gravel section up to the Italian Village: Flat 300m then winds up the hill… all on gravel. This is where the Steamroller comes in handy. Effective use of that powerup will set you up for FAL points on the sprint which comes just a little down the line. 
  • Sprint: If you’re in the lead group, go for FAL points, if you’re not… fear not, you can go for FTS.
  • After sprint break: Everyone is gassed after the sprint… can you make a break on this short rise?
  • Up and out of the tunnels: The section up out of the tunnels and around to the start gate always causes breaks in my experience… that’ll happen every lap but definitely on the last lap.

Rick’s Route Recon

Here’s a recon video from Rick over at No Breakaways:

Powerful Powerups

PowerUps will play a crucial roll in this race. Riders will be awarded powerups through the start/finish banner as well as the sprint banner, meaning we’ll get 6 powerups in the course of the three laps. Three powerups will be given in this race:

Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds.

Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing by 50% for 30 seconds. In a double draft event, this powerup will give you 3x the standard draft effect.

Steamroller: reduces Crr for 30 seconds so you roll as fast as a road tire on pavement regardless of wheels or road surface.

The steamroller is a widely-misunderstood powerup (see “Misused Powerups: The Steamroller” for details), but let’s just say it will prove very useful on the Dirt Sorpressa. Riders will use it to help them attack early on the sprint, or (more likely) to help them conserve energy on the climb so they’ve got a little more left for the sprint just down the road.

Bike Frame + Wheel Choices

Frame and wheelset selection for this route is straightforward enough: go aero. Read “Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level” if you’re not sure what your fastest available option is.

If you’re at level 45+, you have access to the fastest combo in game: the Specialized Venge S-Works + Zipp 858/Super9 wheels.

Strategic Options

This is a points race, so everything comes down to the sprint on each lap, as well as the finish. All the miles in between are just the setup.

Riders have a few options on the sprint:

  1. Go early, attacking off the front on the dirt climb then trying to stay away to the line. This will earn FAL points, and require a super-strong 90-120 second effort. Steamroller powerup holders will be attracted to this approach.
  2. Conserve on the climb, attack on the sprint: this may earn FTS points, and even FAL points, if early attackers don’t stay away. Helmet and Van powerups holders may tend toward this approach.
  3. Survival: if you aren’t strong enough to contest the sprint, but you’re trying to maximize your finishing points, you’ll want to conserve as much as possible on the Dirt Sorpressa and through the sprint, while maintaining good pack position.

Of course, this is a team race. Smart teams will use a mix of the above strategies to maximize results. Example: got a rider with strong 1-2 minute power and a steamroller? Send them off the front at the bottom of the Sorpressa, and let your pure sprinters sit in with their aero powerups to contest FTS times.

The finish here offers strategic options as well, and always becomes both a mental and physical slugfest. Do you attack early on the climb up from the underwater tunnel? Sit in and conserve until the last second? Execute team tactics, perhaps for a strong leadout effort?

It may be a flat route, but it’s far from straightforward. Good luck out there!

Your Thoughts

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

Paralyzed in 2 Minutes: Steven Curran’s Story

Christopher Schwenker
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27
Paralyzed in 2 Minutes: Steven Curran’s Story

Your body is kitted with a ticking time bomb, a developmental weakness in the masterlink of your neurological chain, its detonator set to go off anywhere, at any time.  Lying dormant in the recesses of your brain, without any warning or clue of its presence, allowing no opportunity to prepare, plan, or process its arrival.  The explosion signaled by a silent shockwave of fright, you tremble as you realize your basic physical abilities are being stripped from you. 

It was December 22, 2020 at 8:58am.

Steven on an outdoor ride

The Day Began Like Any Other

The day began like any other for 39-year-old Steve Curran. Stepping from the shower following his normal morning routine, he dismissed a minor slip by blaming it on the wet floor.  Wrapped in a towel, he dried himself as he started towards the bedroom, but with each step his feet met the floor with less surety until both his legs collapsed and he lay unable to move with his arms cramped in pain. 

“I looked at my watch at 0900,” the trauma having etched the detail in his throbbing head. He recalls thinking to himself, “In two minutes I have gone from feeling absolutely fine to paralyzed from the waist down.” 

Steven’s wife of 8 years was in shock as she watched him flail around upon attempts to stand.  He refused the assistance of the paramedics as he crawled to the stairs and slid himself down to meet the trolley, determined to get out of the house on his own, grasping at the last bit of control he still had left.  Due to Covid restrictions, Steven’s petrified wife could only watch as the ambulance sped away from their home in Poole in Dorset, UK.

The Day Ended Like No Other

Shortly after arriving at a neuro specialist hospital in Southampton, Steven received a myriad of diagnostic tests, including a CT, CT angio, MRI, and an MRI angio.  Then a cerebral angio (a surgical procedure whereupon a camera is inserted via catheter pushed from the femoral artery to the brain while dye is injected to visualize the blood vessels) confirmed that Steven had experienced a hemorrhagic stroke, the result of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

An AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation.  The vessel walls become weak and rupture, causing bleeding into the brain, stroke, and brain damage.  AVM cause is poorly understood, and may be genetic, hereditary, or congenital in nature.  In Steven’s case, the malformation was in the portion of the brain which controlled the motor and sensory function of his right side.1

A Holiday He Will Never Forget

For the next few days Steven was monitored to ensure the brain bleed remained stable while he lay sleepless, wondering, “Am I going to die, and if not will I ever walk again, let alone cycle?”  Once stable, he was discharged on Christmas Eve and scheduled to undergo brain surgery on January 5th, 2021 to remove the damaged malformation.  After allowing himself Christmas day to rest, he immediately began the journey to recovery on the 26th.

By that time, Steven had regained full movement of his left leg but remained unable to move his right from the knee down.  He was given a series of exercises and advised to start at 20 and work his way up, but he saw little point in that and used 100 reps as a starting point.  He also refused to use the assistive devices he was given to walk.  In stubborn satisfaction Steven states, “I had a constant headache, didn’t sleep properly, and worried constantly, but pushed on with rehab and achieved my goal of 3 sets of 100 reps and balancing for 30 seconds on my right leg the day before surgery.”

The Shocking and Disappointing News

It had been determined that the AVM affecting Steven spanned the length of the main artery supplying oxygen to a large region of the brain.  He was informed that the entire vessel would have to be removed in surgery.  The surgeon detected Steven’s shocked disappointment on hearing the news and stated frankly, “Waking up unable to move your right side is better than dying.”  

The choice wasn’t as clear-cut for Steven who tearfully responded, “I don’t know, actually, my life revolves around being active.”  Steven spent the next hour preparing for the life-changing procedure by stroking his leg, one final effort to stimulate it to move and squeeze out the last drop of feeling he was soon to be without.

Surgery With a Smile

Steven awoke in recovery after the 9.5 hour surgery to see his surgeon, who smiled as he told his patient he was able to remove the AVM without sacrificing the main artery.  The surgeon’s smile grew wider as he performed the initial post-surgical neuro tests and detected traces of movement in Steven’s right foot.  “It only moved like a millimeter,” Steven gleefully recalls, “but I was elated and at that moment told myself that I will recover and ride my bike.” Steven was discharged 18 hours later.

The first morning home Steven walked down the stairs without help.  He went for a half mile walk two days later, and three days after surgery noticed that he was able to do a calf raise.  On the eighth day post-surgery, he awoke to the sense of movement in his toes and knew it was the day.  “If I can flex my toes then I can clip into my pedals,” he recalls telling himself.

The First Zwift Ride Back

Steven describes the 13km in 31 minutes on Zwift as “the best and worst ride of my life.”  A four-year Zwift subscriber (see Steven’s Strava profile) who predominantly utilized the Zwift platform (see Steven’s ZwiftPower profile) as a poor weather riding option prior to Covid, Steven gained a greater appreciation for Zwift when UK lockdowns were imposed in 2020.  “I found it addicting completing the challenges and earning the badges and was on the trainer even on sunny days,” he says.

Steven’s appreciation for Zwift became immeasurable and its worth invaluable to his rehabilitation.  “It would have been impossible to get on my bike on the road without movement in my leg and foot,” he says.  Steven would clip his right shoe into the pedal prior to climbing onto the saddle, then with his wife’s help put his foot in and tighten the closure.  “Zwift enabled me to focus purely on my leg and how it was feeling and moving,” without the stress,  distractions, and dangers of training on the road, which Steven admits would have surely deterred him.

It Hasn’t Been Easy, but Zwift Helped Him Get His Nerve Back 

Approximately 10 weeks after surgery Steven had full range of movement in his right leg, foot, and toes.  While he felt that his right leg wasn’t ‘doing anything’ during the first few rides, Steven recalls, “I genuinely think the pedal stroke woke up the nerves and helped me relearn the pathways to get my foot moving again.”

Although the speed and degree of Steven’s recovery has been remarkable, it hasn’t been easy, mentally or physically.  “It’s unbelievably hard looking at your leg and telling it to move and getting nothing,” he says when describing the trauma he experienced. (This also explains the importance of the treatment he receives for PTSD symptoms.)  Steven credits the ease of accessibility to Zwift and the ability to ride in the nurturing comfort of his home with helping him to cope.

Healing by Giving Back

Steven’s next goal is to do his part to raise awareness of AVM and help others in his situation to cope.  He is planning a century ride to support the life-saving neuro ward of Southampton Hospital (if interested in donating please designate Neuro and mention Steven and this article).  “I will leave home at 0858 22 Dec, the moment my life changed, and ride to the hospital and back to symbolize my journey.” 

A journey which would have been difficult to start, and which continues strongly today, with appreciation to Zwift.   Ride ON Steven! 

Steven’s Goals for the Future

  • Raise £100,000 for the neuro ward that looked after me by turning my hospital 100 miler into an annual event.
  • Live to see my 100th birthday and don’t waste the second chance I’ve been given.
  • Teach my son how to ride a bike, surf, ski, and play football.
  • Never ride in the back of an ambulance again.
  • Raise awareness for AVM and other rare brain conditions.
  • Complete all the route badges and challenges on Zwift (including getting the Lightweight wheels) before autumn.

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