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An Active Approach to Cycling Injuries: Lower Back

Christopher Schwenker
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10
An Active Approach to Cycling Injuries: Lower Back

The majority of cycling injuries are overuse injuries that develop gradually over time due to repeated movement patterns.  In fact, a recent study shows that lower back pain was among the most prevalent overuse injuries in professional cyclists, causing the highest rates of functional impairment and medical attention. 

And it’s true: one of the most common sources of discomfort for recreational cyclists is pain or stiffness in the lower back. Even with a proper bike fit, hours in the saddle will cause tension in the low back, and this issue is made worse by our lifestyle off the bike.

More time spent in a seated position increases the risk of tightness in the hip flexors. This in turn causes the pelvis to rotate forward on the saddle, and when combined with tight hamstrings, and weak glutes/core, creates constant tension on the muscles of the low back.

This constant stress upon the lumbar muscles can cause them to fatigue to the point of being unable to provide the necessary stability to the spine.  In addition, the more a  cyclist’s leg muscles fatigue, the worse their spinal posture deteriorates.  This results in a steady increase in pain as cycling duration increases, further emphasizing the fact that cyclists need to be strong in their lower back and core in order to avoid suffering the results of prolonged strain upon spinal and postural musculature.

Lower Back Pain and Basic Bike Fit Recommendations

Optimal bike fit is focused upon decreasing strain upon the lower back musculature.  A bike setup that is too long can cause lower back pain by forcing the rider to be too stretched out. This could be caused by a stem that is too long, a saddle that’s too far back, and/or handlebars that are too low. 

In addition, a saddle that’s too high will cause your hips to rock side to side when you pedal, leading to lower back pain.

Proper Posture/Position While Riding

  • Relax your neck by making sure you aren’t looking too far up or down.
  • Relax your shoulders by bringing them down and away from your ears.
  • Bend your elbows and keep them tucked to your sides to reduce strain on your shoulders and produce less pressure on your hands.
  • Avoid bending your wrist by maintaining a straight line from your elbow through your fingers.
  • Maintain a neutral spine by relaxing your lower back and keeping your shoulders and hips aligned.
  • Keep your knee over the ball of your foot while pedaling.

Being Relaxed is the Key

It is important to stay as relaxed and stress-free as possible to avoid progressively worsening lower back pain.  Many cyclists will slowly tense up over the course of a ride, sacrificing efficiency and speed while increasing spinal muscle fatigue. Letting go of that tension and relaxing into a natural position will allow you to ride longer and stronger without discomfort.

Active Treatment Plan For Lower Back Pain

What follows will be the foundation of a solid cycling injury active treatment and prevention plan, beginning with the basics of flexibility, strength, and recovery with a focus upon the lower back. 

By completing all elements of the program, and building upon it with each installment of the series, you will be equipped to withstand the physical stress of cycling with less pain and greater enjoyment.  In addition, you’ll have a resource to refer to when symptoms necessitate!

Flexibility Exercise of the Lower Back

Find the Zwift Insider Lower Back Flexibility Program complete with exercise descriptions >

Static Stretching Tips

  • Go to point of stretch and hold for 15-30 seconds
  • 3 repetitions per exercise
  • Don’t bounce!

Strengthening Exercise of the Lower Back

Find the Zwift Insider Lower Back Strengthening Program complete with exercise descriptions >

Strength Training Tips

  • Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions to start
  • Don’t perform if experiencing severe sharp pain (PRICE)
  • Increase intensity by adding weight or increasing repetitions
  • Strict form is essential!

Foam Roll Recovery Techniques

Find the Zwift Insider Lower Back Foam Roller Program >

Foam Rolling Benefits and Technique

  • Improves circulation to enhance muscle recovery
  • Relieves muscle tension to improve flexibility
  • Roll slowly and when you find a tender spot, focus in on it by rolling back and forth until you feel it soften or release

The Follow-Up Appointment

Stay tuned, as in the next edition of this series I will address cycling pathology of the lower leg and foot. We will examine active intervention measures to keep you riding, training, and racing at your best!

What Do You Think?

Now that you are aware of the importance of having a strong trunk, would you be inclined to add a core strengthening program to your weekly training routine? If yes, would you like to see this topic addressed through more advanced stabilization exercises in future installments?

Rebel Route: Mayan Bridge Loop

Eric Schlange
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18
Rebel Route: Mayan Bridge Loop

Our newest Rebel Route is a pitchy, dirty little loop that is best tackled on a mountain bike. It may be the most scenic loop on Zwift, too, thanks to all the Mayan Jungle’s plants, animals, ruins, and water features.

About Rebel Routes

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel routes >

The reward for your rebel ride? Exploring a new route, knowing you’ve gone where few Zwifters have gone before. And a Strava segment rank in the tens or hundreds instead of the thousands! They are included as a separate category on our Veloviewer Route Hunter leaderboard.

Route Description

Descending to the start banner

You’ll have a decently long lead-in before you can begin the loops. Select the “Jungle Circuit” route, which starts you near the Jungle start pens. Ride the tarmac down to the dirt road of the Jungle, then continue descending to the bottom of the Jungle valley. You’ll go through a cavern then the Jungle Circuit start/finish banner, which marks the start (and end) of the Mayan Bridge Loop.

From the start/finish banner you’ll begin climbing up the dirt road, then turn left onto the Mayan Bridge road. This new section was added in Zwift’s December 2020 update and is a mixture of dirt, brick, and wood road. Zwift’s artists really outdid themselves, too! They created massive temple architecture, flaming torches, and plenty of ruins for us to ride through.

Crossing the bridge

The Mayan Bridge road begins with a descent down to the bridge, then you’ll have to climb your way back up to the Jungle road. Then it’s a descent back to the cavern and through the start/finish banner. That’s one lap!

In the Temple ruins

Profile

The route’s two short climbs are fairly symmetrical, providing nice structure for an interval session. Hammer the climb, recover on the descent… repeat!

Getting Started + Lead-In

The easiest way to begin this route is by selecting the Jungle Circuit route. This gives you a 5.7km (3.5 mile) lead-in.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete the Mayan Bridges Loop, beginning at the Jungle pens by selecting the Jungle Circuit route.

  1. Right to Jungle/Alpe (automatic)
  2. Straight to Mayan Loop (automatic)
  3. Straight to Jungle Loop (automatic)
  4. Left to Mayan Bridge
  5. Left to Mayan Loop
  6. Straight to Jungle Loop (automatic)

Route details:
Distance: 5.27km (3.3 miles)
Elevation Gain: 47m (153′)
Strava Segment

Rebel Route Suggestions

Got an idea for a great rebel route? Share it below and maybe we’ll publish a post about it!

Rider Categorization Based on FTP: How Do I Rank?

Eric Schlange
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38
Rider Categorization Based on FTP: How Do I Rank?

Many riders discover their FTP for the first time on Zwift. And once they’ve done that, the next question is usually, “Is my FTP good?”

There are many ways to answer that question, but let’s start by saying the most important thing is that you’re working to get stronger, no matter your fitness level. Constantly comparing yourself to others can be discouraging, since there’s always stronger riders out there!

That said, let’s look at two ways to compare your FTP to others, so you can see where you stand in the universe of cyclists.

A Quick Intro to FTP

If you’re new to riding with power, you’re probably unfamiliar with the FTP (functional threshold power) as well. Read “All About FTP and Why It Matters On Zwift” to learn the basics of this important cycling metric.

Method 1: Coggan’s Chart

Here’s a handy chart showing typical power numbers for various categories of cyclists in real-world racing. (The “FT” column is your FTP number.) This chart was originally created by Andy Coggan.

The numbers are in watts per kilogram, so you’ll need to know your weight in order to calculate your FTP in w/kg.

Example: if you weigh 75kg and have an FTP of 250W, your FTP w/kg would be 250/75=3.33

ftp-table

This is a useful chart if you race IRL, or want to begin doing so. It helps answer common racer questions. Are you racing the “right” category? Are you underpowered for your category, overpowered, or in the right place? And what sort of potential do you have as a racer given your current fitness level?

The chart can also help you spot weaknesses holding you back from top race results. Two examples:

  1. If you’re racing as a cat 4 but have a cat 2 FTP, this might indicate a lack of racing skill. Perhaps you ride very efficiently, wasting that cat 2 power and thus allowing yourself to be beaten by smarter cat 4 riders.
  2. If your FTP places you in cat 3, but your 1-minute power places you in cat 5… you need to train that 1-minute power!

Method 2: ZwiftPower’s Critical Power Charts

If you’ve signed up for ZwiftPower (highly recommended for all Zwifters), the site has built a power profile for you based on your ride history. This includes a chart showing your highest 20-minute average power in the past 90 days.

Note: 20-minute power is a good proxy for FTP. Just reduce it by 5% to estimate your FTP – so a 300W average power would work out to a 300 x .95 = 285W FTP.

How does your FTP rank? Mouse over the two 20-minute bars to see a percentile ranking against a sampling of “serious cyclists”. (More on those numbers here. The percentile grade is split by gender.)

For more on ZwiftPower’s critical power charts, see our post “All About Your Critical Power Chart on ZwiftPower“.

What Next?

Looking to improve your FTP? Of course you are! There are plenty of resources available to guide you, but you’ll have to put in the work!

Zwift has FTP Booster training plans, and here are the two most popular books around for helping cyclists train smart with power – increasing not only your FTP but your overall racing fitness!

Questions or Comments?

We hope this post helps to the “how good is my FTP” questions. Got FTP-related questions or comments? Share below!

Haute Route Watopia 2021 Announced

Eric Schlange
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89
Haute Route Watopia 2021 Announced

The inaugural Haute Route Watopia in April 2020 was Haute Route’s very first virtual event, and an incredible experience for everyone involved. With almost 70,000 riders joining, Haute Route Watopia 2020 was bigger than anyone could have imagined, prompting Zwift to add more event times and categories at the last minute!

Haute Route has just announced this year’s Watopia event, and it looks like a solid challenge: 150km (93.2 miles) of riding and 3783m (12,411′) of climbing over 3 days (February 26-28th).

Registration

Visit zwift.com/hauteroute to see event details and sign up.

You can also sign up via the Companion app, the same way you’d sign up for another other Zwift event.

Stage Details

Stage 1: February 26

Distance: 51km / Elevation: 800m

This stage uses a portion of Watopia’s Mega Pretzel route, ending less than halfway through the route, atop the Volcano KOM. The route includes three key climbs:

  • Epic KOM Reverse (6.2km, 5.9%)
  • Hilly KOM (.9km, 5.0%)
  • Volcano KOM (3.8km, 3.2%)

Stage 2: February 27

Distance: 53km / Elevation: 1300m

This stage uses most of Watopia’s The Pretzel route, ending atop the Epic KOM Reverse. It’s the longest stage in terms of distance, and includes four key climbs:

  • Epic KOM (9.5km, 4.0%)
  • Radio Tower Climb (1.1km, 13.7%)
  • Hilly KOM Reverse (2.5km, 1.8%)
  • Hilly KOM (.9km, 5.0%)
  • Epic KOM Reverse (6.2km, 5.9%)

Stage 3: February 28

Distance: 45.9km / Elevation: 1683m

This stage uses the full Quatch Quest Watopia route, which finishes with a climb up Alpe du Zwift! It’s the queen stage thanks to its three climbs:

  • Titans Grove Reverse KOM (0.9km, 6.6%)
  • Epic KOM (9.5km, 4.0%)
  • Alpe du Zwift (12.0km, 8.5%)

General Classification on Zwiftpower

While riders will be competing for stage wins, the overall win is the big prize. Be sure to register on ZwiftPower before the event so you can take part in the general classification competition across the three stages.

View General Classification Results >

New Bike Day

According to Zwift’s marketing for the event, we’ll be riding the Colnago V3Rs in game for the Haute Route Watopia stages – a new bike which isn’t yet available on Zwift! Zwift describes it as a “climbing dream machine”.

Finisher’s Kit and Other Unlock

Finish all three stages to unlock the exclusive 2021 Haute Route Watopia finisher’s kit (shown below).

Prize Drawing

Complete any stage to receive a link to enter a Haute Route prize draw for entry into an IRL 3-day European Haute Route
event! You’ll also receive a £50 Le Col discount reward.

Workout Series (and Kit Unlock)

Looking for direction as you train for Haute Route Watopia? A group workout series begins on Zwift Monday, January 11th.

See/sign up for events in the series >

Complete any one of the group workouts and unlock the Haute Route 3-day jersey.

Starter’s Guide

Download the Roadbook PDF for more details on Haute Route Watopia 2021 including fueling tips and “getting started” advice for Zwift newbies. You may also want to check out the Haute Route Watopia 2021 page >

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

ZwiftPower Update: Fit File and Metrics Processing Upgraded

Eric Schlange
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20
ZwiftPower Update: Fit File and Metrics Processing Upgraded

ZwiftPower has been struggling to adequately process rider metrics and fit files for the past few weeks as Zwift usage has soared to unprecedented levels. The backlog had been growing continuously, with the pending metrics exceeding 100k and fit files exceeding 150k as of a few days ago.

This impacted racers in a variety of ways including delaying category upgrades, displaying inaccurate data, and preventing the viewing of specific power numbers for an event.

Inconveniently, the Zwift devs responsible for ZwiftPower were away on holidays when this problem got ugly, which slowed down the implementation of a solution. And concern was growing with Zwift Racing League Season 2 launching on Tuesday, since this will be Zwift’s biggest race series to date!

But here’s some good news for your Friday: I’ve just been informed that today, the problem has been fixed (see the Zwift forum thread.) Where ZwiftPower was previously limited to processing one file at a time, it is now multithreaded and able to process at least 200 per minute according to one source. (It looks to be moving even faster, from what I can see: closer to 300 per minute.)

Will this be enough? It’s certainly an improvement. Time will quickly tell if processing needs to be further boosted.

ZwiftPower’s backlog problem didn’t have a quick fix, from what I’ve heard – it required coding changes on ZwiftPower’s side plus changes to Zwift’s API which is used to grab the files.

Even as I’ve composed this quick post, the backlog of pending metrics and fit files has been shrinking. Here’s where the numbers currently stand:

At 200/minute, those numbers should be at zero by 4:00pm Pacific time. We’ll keep an eye on it and see what happens!

Kudos to Zwift devs for getting the problem resolved. We like to give a little guff to Zwift for moving too slowly or not implementing the features we want, but I think it’s always a good idea to give a thumbs up when it’s due.

Watch Tour de Boudicca This Weekend

Eric Schlange
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0
Watch Tour de Boudicca This Weekend

Don’t miss the Tour de Boudicca this weekend! This three-day Zwift stage race features teams of fierce women who will battle it out in a time trial, circuit race, and hilly queen stage.

Competitors must complete all three stages. They will be scored based on their cumulative time, both as individuals and as teams, within their category.

In stages two and three, racers won’t just be trying to cross the finish line first. They’ll be racing for bonus seconds at the sprint and QOM banners. Bonus seconds will awarded for the top 10 riders to reach the finish, too.

Catch all the action at Zwift Community Live (on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitch.)

The Stages

Stage One (Time Trial)

  • Date: Friday, Jan. 8
  • Times:
    • 7 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. PST
    • 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST
  • Route: Tempus Fugit (1 lap)
  • Total Distance 19.7 km (11.9 miles)

Stage Two (Sprint Race)

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 9
  • Time: 7 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. PST
  • Route: Seaside Sprint (5 laps)
  • Total distance: 34.5 km / 21.4 miles

Stage Three (Queen Stage)

  • Sunday, Jan. 10
  • 7 p.m. GMT / 11 a.m. PST
  • Route: Casse Pattes (2 laps)
  • Total distance: 46 km / 28.6miles

About Tour de Boudicca

This stage race is part of The Warrior Games, a racing series that includes the Tour de Boudicca for women and the Tour de Spartacus for men. According to TWG:

“Boudicca was the Queen of the Iceni who led a revolt against Roman rule in ancient Britain around AD 60-61. A warrior queen, she was a true inspiration to women and a hero to her people. She might have failed in her quest but she gave it everything she had. The Warrior Games has created a three day stage race in her honour open to all female Zwifting warriors.”

Find out more about The Warrior Games >

Zwift Sticky Draft Investigation

Pete Buckney
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84
Zwift Sticky Draft Investigation

Ever since I started Zwifting – in 2015 after a broken collarbone – I’ve been interested in the draft, and how we could make Zwift feel more like riding in the real world.

I even raised a support request after my first month, asking if it would be possible to adjust the resistance on smart trainers according to the draft as well as according to the terrain. Feeling the terrain is great, but as a trackie myself, feeling the draft is almost more important than feeling the terrain for total immersion in the game.

Editor’s note: interestingly enough, Zwift Insider also published an opinion piece on the topic of “feeling the draft” back in September 2019

I envisaged a new generation of smart trainers that replicate the speed in the virtual world rather than the gradient – the Tacx NEO has the perfect hardware to do this.

5 years later, I’m finally building this for myself – I’m converting my rollers to run at the speed of my avatar in Zwift – like a rolling road – rather than simply adjusting resistance for gradient which is what I currently have. I’ll then be able to feel every change in speed in Zwift, rather than only seeing and hearing it.

Testing the Draft

So how good is Zwift’s modeling of speed, and what can I expect to feel? For a lone rider, it’s fantastic! I did some analysis a couple of years ago to reverse estimate the model, and then compare actual rider speeds with the speeds from my model. I got to a very close match – enough to show that Zwift uses standard equations sensibly applied.

But what about the draft? I’ve always been bothered by two things. First: the weird effects in medium-paced group rides, where you have to concentrate to not ride off the front of the bunch while it’s challenging to stay on the back. Second: the dreaded sticky draft! For me, the sticky draft is a real enjoyment killer – you find someone to ride with at a good challenging pace, and are rolling along together nicely. But then you overtake a group, and one of you gets stuck, and that nice partnership is over.

So, I wanted to see what the sticky draft actually looks like…

I set up a dashboard displaying power and speed of the rider I am watching, picked a faster rider to watch, and waited for them to overtake a group – and I saw this:

The rider’s speed was varying nicely according to power and terrain (this should feel great on my rolling road) then bang! – at 14:15:44 they instantly lost about 3km/h when they reached a slower group.

I watched a few more riders, and could see this pattern happening again and again…

So I set up a more scientific experiment – fixed power on a flat road to rule out gradient changes. Here’s a video of a test rider holding 250W through Ocean Boulevard – the flattest bit of road in Zwift, where we can expect to find lots of riders/groups to overtake – together with the live dashboard:

There’s a lot of interesting stuff to see here.

On a flat road at 250W, this rider will end up at a solo speed around 37.6km/h.

First (00:01) we see that doing a u-turn immediately drops your speed to about 24km/h. (I also noticed there’s a similar effect going round the Buckingham Place u-turn on London – so it turns out that Zwift can force dropping speed for corners!)

Then we roll down the slope to the underwater section, taking a couple of small knocks on the way (00:30 and 00:37) – but let’s not worry about these – there are bigger ones to come.

A little dip at the bottom of the slope, and then from 00:58 we’re on the flat, and our speed should converge on around 37.6km/h, except where lifted by drafting.

We see some really nice examples of drafting working exactly as you hope it would: speed curving upwards as you get closer and closer to the rider in front, and then as you pass, resuming the decay towards the 37.6km/h solo speed.

And then bang! At 2:10 we hit the rider in front, and instantly drop from 40.76 to 38.74km/h, and then half a second later, another bump down to 37.65 km/h. This looks like a classic sticky draft – but there’s a bigger one coming that we’ll look at in more detail:

We carry on passing riders with drafting working as expected as we pass small groups:

And then the biggest hit is at 3:10, where we drop from 41.50 to 38.12 km/h.

Here are my logs for this big hit – the Zwift client is sending around 5 updates per second to the server – and between two of these updates – in less than 0.2s – we have lost 3.37 km/h.

2021-01-02 14:02:57,077 INFO speed 40304760 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:57,280 INFO speed 40368648 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:57,484 INFO speed 40435204 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:57,670 INFO speed 40501076 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:57,890 INFO speed 40578068 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:58,076 INFO speed 40655804 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:58,280 INFO speed 40737588 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:58,480 INFO speed 40813260 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:58,681 INFO speed 40895832 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:58,880 INFO speed 41000124 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:59,067 INFO speed 41087960 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:59,270 INFO speed 41212560 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:59,473 INFO speed 41352544 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:59,676 INFO speed 41499440 power 250
2021-01-02 14:02:59,865 INFO speed 38126480 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:00,087 INFO speed 37877664 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:00,274 INFO speed 37946692 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:00,477 INFO speed 38015924 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:00,694 INFO speed 38094700 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:00,868 INFO speed 38163176 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:01,072 INFO speed 38229232 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:01,274 INFO speed 38297072 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:01,475 INFO speed 38383356 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:01,680 INFO speed 38463896 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:01,865 INFO speed 38525808 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:02,082 INFO speed 38592660 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:02,283 INFO speed 38656560 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:02,468 INFO speed 38718224 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:02,671 INFO speed 38783208 power 250
2021-01-02 14:03:02,876 INFO speed 38818664 power 250

In energy terms, this is an instant loss of at least 678 J (calculated from the rider weight – we will in fact have lost more than this for the weight of the bike and the spinning wheels).

If we then add say 50 Watts, it will take nearly 16 seconds to regain this lost energy, i.e. just to get back to the speed we should have been at. And we’ll be falling behind nearly 1 metre every second at first. So after say 5 seconds we’ll be nearly 5 metres behind the riders we were with, outside their draft, and still needing another 10 seconds at increased power to get back up to speed, let alone to catch up again.

So I think this explains why the sticky draft feels like it does. It feels like you suddenly get pinned to a slower rider, and then struggle to escape them. I think in fact you get hit once to their speed, and you are then struggling to get back up to speed  – rather than struggling to escape them. And in some cases, you may get more than one hit, like at 2:10.

A Bug, or a Feature?

But why is this happening? To me it looks like it’s either a bug – albeit a long-standing one – or it’s a slightly crude feature put in place to work around some other difficulty in modeling drafting.

If it is a bug, ‘fixing’ it might have other unintended consequences.

The draft is a complex area – knowing who is in the front row of the bunch and should be taking the wind, and who is sheltered and should be getting maximum draft benefit is not easy when each game client needs to work this out from slightly delayed updates from other clients.

In the real world, riders can’t go full gas when they are in the wheels, but in Zwift they can – we need some kind of mechanism to stop the body of a bunch going faster than the front row – otherwise the bunch will accelerate to unrealistic speeds – but we still need to allow riders to move up and rotate at the front.

It doesn’t feel like instantly taking 3 or 4 km/h from a rider is the best solution here – it feels like it would be better to put more riders effectively in the wind. For example, putting you in the wind as soon as you are moving up on a rider you were drafting – and this would help you stay in the draft. Then you could sit in a bunch, but have to work hard to move up. Though no doubt this would introduce its own problems, and a lot of experimentation and tuning would be needed.

It’s the kind of challenge I love to get involved in, especially understanding the knock-on consequences. I’d love the opportunity to get involved in solving this one!

Share Your Thoughts

What are your thoughts on the sticky draft? Is it working the way it must due to a lack of braking/steering, or could something be improved? Share your comments below!

Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 2: Week 1 Guide: Richmond UCI Reverse

Eric Schlange
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19
Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 2: Week 1 Guide: Richmond UCI Reverse

The first week of Zwift Racing League Round 2 is upon us, and it’s going to be a slugfest right out of the gate on the Richmond UCI Reverse route! Let’s dig into the course, including some tips for bike choice and key selection areas.

Looking At the Route: Richmond UCI Reverse

We begin with a descent of Governor Street, followed by a climb up Broad Street to the 23rd St KOM banner. With an average gradient of 3.5% over 1.1km, this climb will see powerups flying as it defines the first selection of the race. Speeds will be high enough for the draft effect to be substantial, so sit in the wheels unless you’re chasing those first-across-the-line points.

Riders chasing the “fastest-through” points will also be hitting this segment hard, but would be well-advised to use the group’s draft to boost their speed.

Keep pushing over the crest, descending the 23rd Street cobbles quickly. Then try to keep your momentum up as you hit the quick kicker on 25th-Franklin Street. This is a timed KOM, but with no points attached for ZRL it may be a bit calmer than the 23rd St KOM. Be ready to go hard, though: the first part section is the steepest bit of the course, topping out at 22% as you turn the corner onto Franklin Street!

23rd Street KOM
Descending from Libby’s cobbles
E Main St climb
Broad St reverse sprint
Monument Ave reverse sprint

Then it’s a twisty descent of Libby Hill followed by a bit of flat before we hit the third and final climb of the route: E Main Street. This is the longest climb of the circuit (1.2km), but isn’t terribly steep (3.8%), so settle in, use the draft, and keep your effort steady. This climb has no intermediate points attached.

Once the road flattens out it takes a sharp right, then a sharp left. Just after the sharp left is the start of Zwift’s shortest sprint ever, the Broad Street Reverse! This one is worth first-across-the-line points, but to get them you’ll have to power up well before the left turn.

Now we’re on the flat second half of this route, which includes another sprint (Monument Avenue Reverse) with intermediate points both for first-across-the-line and fastest-through.

After the sprint we settle in for a flat effort to the start/finish banner. That’s one lap down. One more to go!

Bike Frame + Wheel Choices

On a course like this we recommend making your frame and wheel selection based on gaining an advantage for the most important sections of the course. On Richmond UCI Reverse, the big selections will take place on the three climbs on the front half of the circuit. So you want a bike setup that will get you up those climbs as quickly as possible (lightweight), while still being very aero for the crucial descents and flat back half of the route.

The Tron bike is your clear first choice based on our speed tests. It turns in the same overall route time as the fastest combination in game (Specialized Venge S-Works with Zipp 858/Super9 wheel) but climbs just a bit faster.

In lieu of the Tron, we would recommend getting the most aero bike available based on our “Fastest Bike Frames and Wheels by Level” post. Yes, the disc wheels will be a big heavy on the climbs… but those climbs will be raced at high speeds, and the disc wheel’s speed advantage should trump any weight disadvantages.

Strategic Options

This race is full of strategic options thanks to the course layout and WTRL’s points structure.

Intermediate points are available at these locations on Richmond UCI Reverse:

  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • 23rd Street KOM 2x
    • Broad Street Sprint 2x
    • Monument Ave Sprint 2x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • 23rd Street KOM
    • Monument Ave Sprint

Additionally, each arch will distribute an equal number of the following powerups: Helmet, Van, Feather. Riders will receive 9 different powerups over the course of their race, since there are 5 arches per lap: 23rd St KOM, KOM Reverse, Broad St Reverse Sprint, Monument Ave Reverse Sprint, and Start/Finish banner. Make sure you know how each powerup works, and use them wisely!

Riders with high 1-2 minute w/kg will surely be pushing up the initial climb to create a selection in order to protect sprint intermediates from the larger, more high-wattage sprinters. The same can be expected on the second and third climbs.

Any sprinters strong enough to stay in the front group should be able to rack up some intermediate first-across-the-line sprint points on the second half of the circuit. And with the introduction of fastest-through intermediates, even sprinters who are dropped will be able to earn extra points if they can put in a fast sprint!

Reminder: for Season 2, extra finishing position points are being awarded all the way down to 83rd place, which means nearly every rider will be receiving extra points based on their finishing position. Sitting up and coasting in is simply not an option in ZRL Season 2!

Since finish position matters for all riders, expect to see chase groups pulling back the climbers on the back half of the circuit. If you’re a strong sprinter who gets dropped on the climbs, finding others to work with to catch groups ahead is a smart move, as you’ll be able to outsprint those climbers at the intermediates and the finish line.

Your Thoughts

Care to share your thoughts about Tuesday’s big kickoff? Comment below!

vEveresting is Hard, but is it Special?

Christopher Schwenker
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48
vEveresting is Hard, but is it Special?

There is nothing extraordinary or unique about my recent vEveresting achievement.  Hundreds have done it before me and thousands will do it after.  Some have done two, three, or even more in a row without stopping.  Many have done it considerably faster than me on much more difficult climbs.  I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has attempted it on a unicycle.  

That is not to say it isn’t physically demanding.  I would consider it one of the hardest things I have ever done on a bicycle, which is why it’s an achievement worthy of being immortalized in the Everesting Hall of Fame. In fact, it’s been several days, and the dullness in my muscles and stabbing sensations in my knees tell me I’m still not fully recovered.

Training and Preparation  

I didn’t undertake any event-specific training, but I like to ride and race my bike a bit.  It is definitely not achievable, however, without doing the research and putting in the work beforehand.  Food, fluids, fashion, friends… all that stuff.

Food and Drink

Nutrition: Total Kcal Consumed 4,430

  • Carbs: 529g (36%)
  • Fat: 327g (51%)
  • Protein: 188g (13%)

Pre-ride Breakfast 424 kcal 

  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 16g peanut butter powder
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • Coffee w/almond milk

On the bike: Whole food

  • 2oz. Sliced chicken breast 60kcal
  • 2oz. Sliced roast beef 80kcal
  • 1 cup Gluten free pretzels 96kcal
  • Smoothie w/fluit, vegetables, and almond butter 474kcal
  • .8cup Trail mix (Archer Farms peanut butter monster) 270kcal
  • 5 slices Homemade cranberry-orange walnut bread 1,055 kcal
  • 2 Homemade peanut butter cookies 130kcal

On the bike: Hydration

  • 5 16oz bottles w/8oz Tart Cherry Juice 120kcal 
  • 6 Espresso-double shots

Dinner 1,095kcal

  • 1 celebratory 16oz Heady Topper IPA 320kcal

Dessert 307kcal

  • Smoothie w/fruit and oat yogurt

You Need to Have a Strategy  

Although, as is evident by my stats, it is invariably subject to change.

Course: Road to Sky (Watopia)
Climb: Alp du Zwift 
Start time: 3:55am est
Finish time: 3:05pm est

ClimbStart TimeElapsed TimePavgHRavg
#14:05am est1:02 (w/:5 drop)191133
#25:2058:17203139
#36:3057:56205146
#47:4058:16203147
#58:511:02190147
#610:051:12162138
#711:301:22140125
#81:06pm1:17151130
#92:3611:20 1803ft158132

When finished, it will be painfully obvious that it was a significant effort.  But not extraordinary for any of the aforementioned reasons.  Accepting and overcoming a challenge like vEveresting is very special, but not because of all the pedal pushing or climbing. Defining, accepting, confronting, and overcoming adversity is what makes a challenge extraordinary and why you can’t afford not to do it. 

My vEveresting Video

2020 Was a vEveresting Kind of Year  

Last year at this time, it’s doubtful any of us would have readily agreed to all the challenges that the new year, 2020, would bring. We’ve been confronted with creating and adapting to new ways of learning, working, and living our lives amid stressors that we have never experienced before. But for all the hardship the new year ushered in, 2020 has also provided a unique opportunity to reflect, just as accepting and overcoming a cycling challenge like vEveresting does.     

vEveresting as a Teacher

Resilience

The human spirit is capable of withstanding an incredible amount of stress. We’ve adapted and we will emerge with a far greater appreciation for a way of life that can be easily taken for granted. Maybe we’ll be less likely to take it for granted in the future.  Surviving hardship and willing ourselves to move forward builds added strength to tackle new challenges and face future failures.

Vulnerability

We have to accept the risk of failure to achieve exceptional goals.  Your best is enough, despite the outcome. Even when it is different or seems less significant than someone else’s!

Perspective

Overcoming adversity provides us a clearer sense of self.  2020 has given all of us the gift of illumination, knowing that we must embrace life because we don’t know what the future will bring.  Negative circumstances help to clarify what we are truly passionate about and motivate us to live life on our own terms.

Compassion and Sensitivity

A significant dose of humility comes with hardship. Although it may be difficult to confront the truth that we aren’t immune to terrible things, enduring hardship opens our eyes to the difficulties others face.

Limits of Control

Hardship is a powerful reminder of the limits of our own control.  By acknowledging and embracing those limits to our power, we can eliminate the burden and accept that some things are out of our hands.

Learning Experience

Hardship may be painful, but if you can learn from it, and turn it into an opportunity for growth, you receive something back that will stay with you forever.

Unity

We are not expected to go it alone.  If not for the unconditional support of my family, I fear that I would have wasted the waning hours of the attempt lying beside my bike in the fetal position weeping.  Same to be said for the selfless in-game motivation provided by teammates Pete Butler and Sarah Hreha, amongst too many others to mention.

The Most Scenic View is Atop the Greatest Climb

While we all may have a tendency to underestimate ourselves and our capabilities, tough times force us to respond in ways far beyond what we thought possible.  If never challenged in life, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to learn how to overcome adversity and risk giving up when the climb gets steep.  You will never know how amazing you can be until you put yourself in a position to be great! 

Success is not about the destination, but rather the unexpected and invaluable things we learn about ourselves and the positive personal growth realized along the ride.  

So find YOUR vEveresting and embrace it!  I know it will be special and am certain you will be the best you for it!  That is all that anyone can ask of you, and most importantly, all you can ask of yourself.  Ride On! 

What about you?

Have you ever attempted a major cycling challenge or overcome extreme adversity while on your bike?  How has the experience prepared you to face some of the challenges that life has sent your way?

Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 2 Details

Eric Schlange
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34
Zwift Racing League 2020/21 Round 2 Details

Zwift Racing League’s first season was the biggest set of racing events in the history of Zwift. Now, as promised, WTRL is organizing Season 2 which begins next week.

As always, WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page has lots of details about all things ZRL. We couldn’t be more pleased with their obvious attention to detail. There’s so much that goes into planning a multi-division, team-based racing league that really works, but WTRL is really on top of things.

If you’re looking for answers to specific questions, the WTRL Zwift Racing League Facebook page is the place to ask.

Here are the details on league changes, event schedules, and routes for the second season of the Zwift Racing League.

Signing Up

There are currently 1475 teams registered for Season 2. Wow!

Season 2 registration closes January 9th, so be sure to get your team signed up if you haven’t already!

Looking to join a team? Post your info on the WTRL Zwift Racing League Facebook page.

Season 2 Changes

As promised, WTRL has taken lessons learned in Season 1 and applied them to Season 2. There are several important changes being made – here is a summary.

  • New rider requirements: things got a bit messy in Season 1 with many inexperienced racers joining a team, then learning they were much stronger than they realized. It led to many teams containing (for example) A riders even though they were racing in the B ZRL division. For Season 2, WTRL states the following in their FAQ: All riders must have a valid ZwiftPower category and must have completed at least 3 races longer than 20km in the month prior to starting any ZRL race. Riders must not exceed the Category threshold for their division for at least their first 4 weeks in the season. A rider upgrading in category in their 3rd week would need to find a new team regardless of previous seasons.

    After a bit of digging, we’ve learned this isn’t a hard and fast rule. WTRL said on Facebook that, “If you make sure your riders’ normal racing power does not exceed that of the division for at least their first 4 weeks, your riders will be fine.” So it looks like the 3-race rule will only be used if riders exceed their division’s limits, at which point WTRL will look at the rider’s race history to determine if they had in fact completed 3 20km races within the past month which showed them performing within the limits of their team’s category.
  • Expanded finish scoring: riders are now awarded extra finishing points all the way down to 83rd place (increased from 30th place in Season 1). This will give more riders more incentive to keep pushing even if they’re dropped from the front group! (See WTRL’s “Scoring” tab for details on points breakdowns.)
  • Expanded intermediate scoring: intermediates now award first-across-the-line points 10 riders deep (increased from 3-5 riders in Season 1). Again, this just means more riders will be pushing for extra points.
  • New “fastest-through-segment” points: for the first time, riders will be awarded points 10 riders deep based on who has the fastest segment time on particular intermediates. Each points race (except one) will feature a sprint and climb intermediate, sometimes hit more than once due to multiple laps.
  • Fewer TTTs: instead of alternating points races with TTTs, we have 5 points races and 3 TTTs.
  • Defined playoff structure: the final two races will be knock-out style playoffs to determine which teams will be promoted and relegated.
  • Custom powerup mix: each points race has its own custom mix of useful powerups, giving riders some pre-definied strategic choices.
  • Mixed-gender teams allowed: there were many requests in season 1 for mixed-gender team capabilities. In season 2 this is being allowed, and mixed-gender teams will simply race in the men’s divisions.
  • Smaller divisions: instead of 20-25 teams per division, WTRL is attempting to limit it to 15.
  • New event signup system: each team will now receive a unique sign-on link for each event. Riders will not need to modify their rider tags on ZwiftPower prior to the events, but every rider must have a WTRL login in order to sign up for an event. WTRL says “When a rider clicks these links, they are taken through the WTRL website where you may be asked to login. The website will identify who you are (by your stored Zwift ID number) and what team you are in and update our race database accordingly. You will then be forwarded on to the Companion App or Zwift.com event sign-on page automatically where all you have to do is select the correct pen.”
  • Random rider verification checks: for the first time, Community Division riders will be subject to random checks by WTRL. This means all riders must have accurate height and weight entered into their Zwift Profiles.

This is only our summary of Season 2 changes. We recommend team managers and riders check out WTRL’s rules and FAQ pages for themselves.

Schedule

The Premier Division (invite-only) races on Mondays, a day before the Open (Community) Division’s Tuesday races. Premier Division has just one time slot.

Open Divisions have six time slots, as shown below. When a team signs up, they must select which time slot they will race for the duration of the season.

WTRL notes, “Note times shown are for INDICATIVE purposes at this time. ACTUAL race times may vary depending on broadcast requirements around screening both women’s and men’s divisions.”

Note, too, that for TTT races, each TTT team will have its own start time, like a typical TTT. With up to 15 teams per time slot and division, your team’s start will probably be delayed from the start time above.

Race Routes and Dates

January 11/12: Richmond’s UCI Reverse Points Race

This is the first time we’ll be racing this course in ZRL, which will make it especially interesting. Three climbs within the first 8km will break up the group early.

  • 2 Laps: 34km
  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • 23rd Street KOM 2x
    • Broad Street Sprint 2x
    • Monument Ave Sprint 2x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • 23rd Street KOM
    • Monument Ave Sprint
  • Powerups: Helmet, Van, Feather

January 18/19: France’s R.G.V. Team Time Trial

The R.G.V. route makes a repeat showing from season 1, and there’s no mystery why: it’s a wonderful flat TTT route, with just enough technical bits to make it a little interesting, especially near the end.

  • 1 Lap – 24.1km

January 25/26: Innsbruck’s KOM After Party Points Race

The biggest climb ever to be featured in a ZRL event, Innsbruck’s KOM is going to bring out the true climbers. But before the big climb we’ve got 3 laps of the Innsbruckring, where sprinters and puncheurs may be well-advised to push hard to drop the climbers.

  • 1 Lap: 37.2km
  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • Innsbruck Sprint 3x
    • Innsbruck KOM 1x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • Innsbruck Sprint 1x
    • Innsbruck KOM 1x
  • Powerups: Helmet, Van, Feather

February 1/2: Yorkshire’s 2019 UCI Worlds Harrogate Circuit Points Race

This is a repeat from season 1, for good reason: the Harrogate Circuit is a super-challenging course with plenty of places to attack and very few chances to recover.

  • 2 Laps: 27.6km
  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • Yorkshire KOM 2x
    • Yorkshire Sprint 2x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • Yorkshire KOM
    • Yorkshire Sprint
  • Powerups: Helmet, Van, Feather

February 8/9: New York’s Mighty Metropolitan Team Time Trial

A super-lumpy course that includes the KOM Reverse, this will be a challenge as a TTT! Teams will be well-advised to practice staying together before this event. This is the shortest race of the season.

  • 1 Lap: 20km

February 15/16: Watopia’s Whole Lotta Lava Points Race

The longest race of the season, this event features 3 efforts up the Volcano KOM. It’s one for the climber, but if a puncheur can hold on they stand a good chance of winning the final sprint.

  • 3 Laps: 41.5km
  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • Volcano KOM 3x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • Volcano KOM
  • Powerups: Helmet, Ghost, Feather

February 22/23: Richmond’s Libby Hill After Party Points Race

As the first of two knock-out playoff races, this event will be fun to watch. The route caters to sprinters initially with five laps of The Fan Flats, then heads off to Libby Hill for one final smashfest. Can the sprinters drop the punchy climbers before the final climb?

  • 1 Lap: 32.9km
  • First-Across-the-Line Intermediates:
    • Monument Ave Sprint 5x
    • Libby Hill KOM 1x
  • Fastest-Through Intermediates:
    • Monument Ave Sprint
    • Libby Hill KOM
  • Powerups: Helmet, Van

March 1/2: London’s Greatest London Flat Team Time Trial

The longest of season 2’s TTT’s, this is the second and final playoff race to determine which teams get crowned division champions!

  • 1 Lap – 31.1km

Questions or comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s page for all things Zwift Racing League. Feel free to share questions or comments below!

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