Zwift Insider

Tips and Tricks for Zwift on Apple TV

Computers

Jesper Rosenlund Nielsen

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November 29, 2017

Tips and Tricks for Zwift on Apple TV

It has been a week since the Apple TV Zwift app was officially launched, and it has been hugely popular. Why? Because Apple TV is the most affordable device to purchase if you want to get up and running on Zwift! Shop Apple TV on Amazon >

There have been numerous posts in different Facebook groups asking various Apple TV-related questions, so here is a collection of the best tips, tricks, and observations from the past week.

Apple TV Differences

The Apple TV Zwift differs from the other Zwift versions (PC, Mac, and iOS) in several ways.

Friends Online

The list on the Ride screen is only a list of your online friends and not a full list of other Zwifters.

Jon Mayfield says:

We made the list “friends only” because navigating a giant list of people on tvOS was too cumbersome without a mouse or touch screen. It was possible, but not good.

Your Garmin Device Cannot Pair with Zwift

If you try to use a speed sensor, cadence sensor, heart rate monitor, or foot pod from Garmin with your Apple TV you will have a problem. Most of these are ANT+ devices, and the Apple TV can only connect to Bluetooth devices.

Yes, there are ANT+ to Bluetooth bridges ([amazon_textlink asin=’B071S929ZC’ text=’CABLE’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’zwif-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’141b9850-d4a3-11e7-bcaa-8b08cba89c51′] and the [amazon_textlink asin=’B00BHZQ6OG’ text=’Viiiiva HRM’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’zwif-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ea27d98a-d4a2-11e7-bd4a-5df708933196′]), but the simplest and cleanest solution is to get Bluetooth enabled sensors to replace your ANT+ only sensors. Maybe something to put on your Christmas wish list?

Ride Ons and View Other Riders

You have to use Zwift Companion on a iOS/Android device to give ride ons and view other users. It was possible to do it with the Apple TV remote until late in the beta period but the functionality was removed–it simply never worked very well to perform these actions with the remote.

Custom Workouts

So far there is only one way to get custom workouts on Apple TV: Use TrainingPeaks.

You add a workout to your calendar in TrainingPeaks, and TrainingPeaks will automatically upload it to Zwift for you on that day.

You cannot upload Zwift custom workout files (.zwo files) to TrainingPeaks. You must construct your workout directly in TrainingPeaks or use one of the file formats they can import.

Use the Remote Effectively

There are some clever ways to use the Apple TV remote:

Swipe up to get to the blue button bar.
Swipe down to select the powerup, then click to activate it.

Make Sure to Disconnect if You Want to Connect (?!)

You can connect Bluetooth LE devices via Zwift Companion on an iOS / Android device. Bluetooth LE devices can only connect to one app and the Settings app in iOS counts, so make sure that your device is NOT connected in Settings > Bluetooth before you try to pair it via Zwift Companion.

Known Problems

Friends are Picked – Even if You Want to be Alone…

It is a minor annoyance that the first friend in the ‘Join’ panel is checked even if you do not click on him/her. It happens when you move up to pick a workout/route or move back down, so just be aware so you do not suddenly get to ride with someone when you planned on something else.

Different World on ATV and in Zwift Companion

There have been cases where Zwift Companion shows a different map than the one in Zwift on the Apple TV. It was reported that if you made sure to use latest versions of Zwift on your devices it should be fixed, but there has been reports of this also with the very latest version of Zwift Companion on iOS (version 2.15 (323)).

Display Issues with ATV 4K and 720p HD TVs

If you have the newest Apple TV 4K but your TV set has only 720p HD resolution, the welcome splash screen fills the whole TV, but the game only fills a quarter of the bottom left hand side. Jon Mayfield has promised it will be fixed in the next update.

We will probably see an update soon…

At the time of writing the current build is 1.0.21984. There will most likely be a new version within a week or so, so check back for an update after that.

eCriticism of the eCrit

Racing

Duane Gran

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November 28, 2017

0

eCriticism of the eCrit

While many were riding outdoors in the northern hemisphere this past summer Zwift ran a wildly successful eCrit race series in Australia where ten racers from around the continent were selected to race in a live finale. It was a quality event and rightly they sought to reproduce the format for the northern winter. At present we are at what would have been 4 stages into a 6 stage race until yesterday when it was announced that the whole series was getting a reboot as a 10 race series.

To say there was some disappointment would be understating it. In fairness some people who missed the start of the series, which began a little early for some or had sickness or travel commitments, will benefit from the new plan. Current racers can carry over 2 of their best race performances into the new series where the best 7 of 10 stages will be counted to select a group of racers for a live final event.

The official explanation from Zwift is that they want a quality set of finalists. Their explanation in brief:

We’ve made a call at Zwift HQ to re-boot the EU and NA Crit Series in association with Zwift Power and KISS. Results from the previous series will count towards the new one. A tough call which will frustrate many.

A 5 week series was simply too short

The rules penalised those who could not join each week

Qualifying criteria for the US final wasn’t clear

We want to boost female participation, which was super low. Only 15 women took part in the EU series. Our QA team identified a bug last week which meant some women could not join the event series

2 of the 4 rounds of the series were affected by server issues

I’ll be frank in saying I disagree with their decision but like many I’m not privy to all the information and give Zwift the benefit of the doubt here. It sounds like they were trying to remedy one type of problem but didn’t anticipate how much frustration might be caused by moving the goal post after the fact. I’m not alone saying that participating the past four weeks has involved careful negotiation with family obligations that can’t easily be extended by 2.5 months. The short race series was in some ways a feature, not a bug.

Lest this sound all negative there are some good aspects about the event that shouldn’t be lost in the controversy:

The racing was quite good. The talent was top flite and you could sense that a high proportion of the racers had the experience and race acumen to burn their matches for maximum effect.
It was interesting doing races grouped by geography. I personally raced the North America East division and discovered some familiar names that I didn’t know were in my region. The regional division created a unique vibe for the race as we fought and counter punched to see who was the strongest on the East region.
The live broadcast was, as usual, a great motivator and nice touch complements of Nathan Guerra. Kudos to him for the endurance to do back to back broadcasts.

Because of some server issues during a couple of the race events some people were upset that they missed a chance to rack up points. Zwift extended the series from 5 to 6 races, but at this point it may have made sense to change the format to select the best 5 out of 6 scores. In fairness the new format of the best 7 out of 10 is likely a better format, but the sudden change simply didn’t go over well.

In the end the eCrit series will still be an excellent event. Top talent will emerge and, like before, some perfectly qualified individuals won’t make the cut due to luck or schedule conflicts. In the end it should be a positive experience. Ideally next year the rules of engagement will be more stable for all concerned.

Zwiftcast Episode 38

Simon Schofield

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November 28, 2017

0

Zwiftcast Episode 38

Episode 38 of Zwiftcast has been released. Here’s the full episode description:

After a tumultuous week or so in Zwift-world, the podcasters are back to discuss the price rise and its aftermath.

Simon, Shane and Nathan first of all lay their cards on the table and then analyse a detailed interview with ZHQ’s marketing chief, Steve Beckett, which reveals the fine detail of Zwift’s thinking on subjects that arose in the extended and passionate debate after the announcement.

A consumer psychologist, from outside the Zwift bubble, gives his verdict on the handling of the announcement.

There’s plenty of coverage of the whole subject given its importance both to the company and the community… but there’s lots more in this Zwiftcast.

The Zwiftcasters hear from the winner of the Men’s Academy Ollie Jones and consider whether, in the light of the price announcement, the funding of these schemes is something to admire, or the opposite.

Leah Thorvilson, the winner of last year’s Women’s Academy, is on the ‘cast for a catch up as she enters her second season.

In any other week, the arrival of Zwift on Apple TV would have been a very big deal. The Zwiftcasters wonder why the announcement seemed so low key and go on to consider the merits of Zwift on ATV.

Zwiftpower.com is undergoing some changes as the race results service readies itself for a crackdown on cheating. The podcasters wonder whether data confidentiality and privacy issues could leak out of the narrow world of virtual bike racing to influence, for example, a prospective employer.

Pro rider Laurens Ten Dam makes a quick appearance on the Zwiftcast to talk about how he’ll be extending his popular wake up rides to lead a ride on the WBR Zwiftathon on December 2nd, where the community is targeting one million miles ridden to raise money to get kids on bikes in Africa.

And finally, the chaps have some fun with a post on a cycling website which suggested that “Zwift is killing cycling.” A light-hearted end to a meaty podcast.

Elite Direto vs Tacx Flux: what’s best for Zwift ?

Trainers

Jérémy Brosset

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November 27, 2017

0

Elite Direto vs Tacx Flux: what’s best for Zwift ?

With the expansion of apps making indoor cycling a lot more interactive, trainer manufacturers have launched a new generation products. These smart trainers communicate directly with Zwift and their resistance is managed by Zwift, allowing it to vary according to the information transmitted by Zwift.

There are two types of smart trainer: roller trainers (or “wheel on” trainers) and direct-drive (or “wheel off”) trainers. Home trainers Elite Direto and Tacx Flux are part of this second category. Positioned in the middle in the overall range of trainer prices, these trainers offer the benefits of the higher-priced direct-drive trainers at a more accessible price point.

Since these trainers are in the same price range, we found it useful to compare them on different points: connectivity, slope simulation, compatibility and noise.

Technical Characteristics

The undeniable common point of these trainers is their system of resistance. Both operate using electromagnetic resistance, so the magnets brake the flywheel and create a resistance. Thus the Tacx Flux is able to withstand a power of 1500W, the Elite Direto will develop 1400W (at 40 km/h). For comparison, the big brothers of these home trainers (Elite Drivo and Tacx Neo Smart) are able to develop respectively 2000W and 2200W. Nevertheless a power of 1400W or 1500W will be more than enough for most riders.

The Direto has adjustable pads and can be folded when not in use, unlike the Flux which does not have an adjustment system and cannot be folded.

Power Accuracy

In our opinion, the biggest difference of these two trainers lies in the power sensor. The Elite Direto is equipped with a real power sensor to measure this data with an accuracy of +/- 2.5%. Conversely, the Tacx Flux does not measure the power but calculates it according to an algorithm taking into account cadence, speed and resistance of the device. Tacx claims an estimated power of +/- 5% and is therefore less precise than its competitor.

Connectivity

On this point both home trainers are equivalent. They both carry ANT + FE-C technology and Bluetooth Smart technology.

Slope Simulation

The ability to simulate slopes is essential for Zwifters, who may see slopes of up to 17% in the famous world of Watopia. Our two trainers are not equal on this point. While the Tacx Flux peaks at 10%, the Elite Direto home trainer can reproduce a slope of 14%. Note that neither of these home trainers simulate descent, unlike the Tacx Neo Smart, the only device to reproduce this sensation.

Compatibility

Here the slight advantage goes to the Tacx Flux. Indeed, it is equipped with the EDCO Multysis universal freewheel body compatible with Shimano, SRAM, and most of the recent Campagnolo cassettes (so, no need to change this freewheel body if you ride Italian.) The Elite Direto has a Shimano freewheel body which would have to be changed if you plan to mount a Campagnolo cassette on the unit.

Regarding the axles, both trainers come with a 9mm axle (quick release). You may also change this axle to mount a bike with thru axle on it. On the Tacx Flux this axle is not sold with the home trainer and must be purchased separately. At Elite, this special axle comes with the Direto.

Noise

Concerning the noise nuisance emitted by the devices, DCrainmaker.com has carried out tests on these and many other home trainers. Here the Tacx Flux wins with 63 dB at 35 km/h when the Elite Direto measured 68 dB at the same speed.

Our Opinion

When someone plans to buy this type of connected home trainer, he wants to acquire a product that will meet his requirements but especially the requirements of the app that will be used. For this reason, at Zwift Insider we prefer the Direto. Its more accurate power sensor allows more precise training, while riders can also enjoy (or curse!) the ability of the trainer to reproduce even the most difficult percentages.

Zwift on Apple TV – The Full A to Z User Experience (video)

Shane Miller

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November 27, 2017

1

Zwift on Apple TV – The Full A to Z User Experience (video)

Zwift on AppleTV just might be the game changer people have been waiting for. The AppleTV 4K packs a huge amount of processing power for the 3D rendering required for a solid Zwift experience. In short, nothing comes close in terms of price/performance.

Quick Summary:

Zwift on AppleTV 4K currently provides the best performance for the price.
The App is free, however you’ll need a Zwift subscription (or trial period) to use it.
Direct HDMI connection to a TV/screen is required.
No ANT+ support. Direct connections to the AppleTV are made over Bluetooth.
Bluetooth keyboards are not supported for shortcut input similar to Mac/PC.
The Zwift Companion (IOS/Android) works flawlessly with Zwift on Apple TV.
Shop Apple TV on Amazon >

Backing up and syncing your Zwift custom workouts on Windows

Greg Hilton

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November 26, 2017

5

Backing up and syncing your Zwift custom workouts on Windows

UPDATE: thanks to Zwift’s update on September 30 2018, custom workouts are now automatically synced across all devices. The following hack is no longer needed!

Have you ever wished you could create your Zwift workouts on one computer and have them available on another computer? Or perhaps you’re just wanting to make sure your painstakingly-created Zwift workouts are backed up? Word on the street is ZwiftHQ has plans to add automatic cloud backup and sync to custom workouts, but we don’t have an ETA on that feature yet. So until that functionality is available in-game, here’s a solution to make it happen.

Before You Start

Please make sure you backup your entire Zwift directory before doing any of this, just in case!
Make sure you’ve created a Dropbox account (free) and the Dropbox app is installed on your computer. (This tutorial is based on Dropbox, but there is no reason you couldn’t use any of the other cloud sync tools like OneDrive or Google Drive.)
You will need to be signed in as an administrator on your Windows PC to complete the steps below.

This is the starting position on my computer, with no custom workouts showing:

Step 1: Copy Workouts to Dropbox

First you need to open a Command Prompt, this article on ZDnet explains how to do that if you are not familiar.

In the following commands replace USER with your username to get to the correct directory. To see what your username is use this command

C:\>cd %HOMEPATH%

On my PC this then changes me to my home directory and my username is greg as shown:

C:\Users\Greg>

Now create the backup folder in Dropbox.

C:\Users\Greg>mkdir “\users\Greg\Dropbox\Zwift workouts” (or create the folder via Windows Explorer)

From the command prompt copy your workouts from your Zwift folder to the newly-created Dropbox folder. You can do this via drag and drop using Windows Explorer, or with the following command:

C:\Users\Greg>copy \users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\workouts “\users\Greg\Dropbox\Zwift Workouts”

You should then see the files being copied over. Double check the files are there in Windows Explorer, or via this command:

C:\Users\Greg>dir “\users\Greg\Dropbox\Zwift Workouts”

Step 2: Back Up Your Workouts Folder

Create a backup folder in Windows Explorer, or via this command:

C:\Users\Greg>mkdir \users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\backup_workouts

Copy all your Zwift workouts to this folder, as you will delete them in the next step:

C:\Users\Greg>copy \users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\workouts \users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\backup_workouts

Step 3: Delete Existing Workouts Folder

Delete the existing workout folder using Windows Explorer, or via this command:.

C:\Users\Greg>Rmdir \users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\workouts

Step 4: Point Zwift to Your Dropbox Folder

And finally the clever bit to link the Zwift workouts folder to your newly backed up one in Dropbox. You will need to use the command prompt for this!

mklink /J C:\Users\Greg\Documents\Zwift\Workouts “C:\Users\Greg\Dropbox\Zwift Workouts”

Where the “Zwift Workouts” Directory in Dropbox exists and the one in Zwift does NOT exist.

And there you have it, all my custom workouts are now backed up and available to be shared on other devices!

Follow the same steps above on other computers which run Zwift and use the same Dropbox account, and you can have one set of workout files automatically synced across all systems.

What’s Going On with ZwiftPower.com?

News
Racing

Eric Schlange

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November 25, 2017

1

What’s Going On with ZwiftPower.com?

ZwiftPower.com is a community-driven website used by Zwift racers and ride organizers to track results and see rider/team details. Recently the service has been interrupted, and I thought it would be helpful to chat with Glen Knight, one part of the ZwiftPower crew, to learn more about what’s going on.

First, please introduce yourself. I know you’re a part of the KISS Race organizing team, which led to you working with the ZwiftPower team. What do you do at ZwiftPower specifically? And who else makes ZwiftPower happen?

Father, husband, wannabe cyclist with 20 years experience in infrastructure and I chose to ply my trade for the good of our education industry. I’m one of the founding members of the KISS Race Series which lead to me approaching James Hodges about how we could replace the KISS spreadsheets result with something more automated. We worked with Jonathan Lemon and Christian Wiedman to put the building blocks in place for what we have now (editor’s note: read more about Lemon’s zlogger and more here).

My roll is the infrastructure, I look after the backend and all the scripts we run. James will probably tell you I’m the one that says “when you get 5 minutes can you add this feature.” James does all the front end work and Christian the capture/translation utilities that I use to collect the data.

For those unfamiliar with ZwiftPower, can you explain from your point of view what it’s all about?

I see zwiftpower as an enabler that has seen the explosion of events on Zwift by the community. James is constantly adding features that make race organisers’ lives easier. But more than that, we want zwiftpower to become the community race portal.

And ZwiftPower isn’t a ZwiftHQ entity, even though you work closely with them when it comes to gathering data. What sort of relationship do you have with ZwiftHQ, and do they support ZwiftPower in any way?

We do have a good relationship with the Zwift team. We often discuss changes and future enhancements. Zwift helps cover the cost of the infrastructure we use to run zwiftpower as well as helping with guidance and advice when things like this our current issue (see below) come up. We’ve also recently worked with Zwift for results on the eCrit series, and there are more projects in the pipeline.

ZwiftPower.com is the first place I go after finishing a race. But it hasn’t been displaying race results (or rider data) for the past several days. What’s going on?

With the race portal in mind, we instigated the Zwift Riders Verification Group (ZRVG) in an attempt to clean up racing and start investigating suspect rider performance. To achieve this we started displaying more data and more historical information. It was brought to our attention that we didn’t have permission from riders to do this and a legal objection was made.

Because of this we made the decision to take the site offline whilst we sought legal council. That’s an ongoing concern we are dealing with.

ZwiftPower was still gathering race data even though results aren’t available, correct?

Zwiftpower’s watchers are still collecting data. James is taking advantage of the downtime to do some major upgrades to the backend of the site and we are making more progress on moving the entire infrastructure to new hardware. Race results will be re-processed once the site upgrade is complete.

Awesome! So the new ZwiftPower will be even better than the current one… which is hard to beat.

I know the ZwiftPower team has been adding more cool features to the site lately. Can you tell me anything about what you’ve got in the works, once the current issues are resolved?

Mostly James’ work and mostly unseen, sadly. Some of the things you can see will be a cleaner and less cluttered site, instant automated results, more league options, updates to the rider profile page to include KOM history, and hopefully better performance and stability from the backend.

You just released a “low data” version of ZwiftPower today. Can you tell me more about that?

The low data version allows organizers and racers to see results but removes any personal/non-public data. The site will remain in this format until we have sorted out our terms and conditions. Once we have that in place the default for riders will be hidden until they agree to the terms and conditions then it will display the data.

Not agreeing to the terms will lead to removal from results and ineligibility for points/prizes. I’d hope organizers would encourage racers to agree to the conditions. KISS for example will stipulate it as a requirement to appear in the results for any race of our series.

What, if anything, can Zwifters do to help the ZwiftPower team?

At some point in the not too distant future we will be asking riders to fully register with zwiftpower.com, link their Strava and Zwift accounts and agree to new terms and conditions. We’ve had to take the step of hiding data for riders who have not agreed. This would remove them from the results. So we are asking Zwifters to show their support and to complete these tasks as quickly as possible when available. We will also be asking organizers to encourage their riders also.

First Official Zwift Running Event

News
Running

Rory Duckworth

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November 23, 2017

0

First Official Zwift Running Event

Zwift continues to new features for runners on a regular basis, and recently hosted its first ever group run event.

Looking to join a group run? These events are available at zwift.com/events along with cycling group rides and races. You can also access them in the Zwift app in the upper right corner.

On November 18th, 2017 Zwift had their official first group run. The event was called “Run in the Park 5K” using a portion of the Volcano Flat route. 14 runners attended with 2 spectating.

Here are some comment from runners in the attendance from the first group run:

Kevin Spence- “Clearly has huge potential and really enjoyed the first official group event. In much the same way as the cycling helps you to keep pushing due to a little bit of competition the running works in much the same way.”
Russ Crowder- “I use to run competitive when I was in my teens. Running for Jersey. Then I became hooked on cycling. I Would not of started running again if it was not for Zwift. I am now loving running again and in the real world too. Was on holiday in France this Summer and ran everyday. all because of the Zwift effect!!”
Jon Hancock- “That was great.”
Jesper Rosenlund Nielsen- “It was fun to run with others in an organised event – it gives you someone to chase. In my opinion it also really does make a difference to be starting from the start pen, waiting for the beeps, and then go off. Besides that it is always cool to try the new things in Zwift. I am sure that we will eventually see run events with hundreds of runners in them.”
Martin Beastall- “Running on Zwift has been really fun. I’ve been using Zwift for just over a year now as a cyclist, but joining as a runner has given me the enjoyment and real sense of community that early Zwift cyclists on Jarvis Island must have had. Participating in the first official run, accompanied by Jon Mayfield (who was touchingly humble in expressing his worries that everything would work as planned as the countdown clock neared zero), felt like the culmination of months of genuine enthusiast participation.”
Jon Hancock- “It was great to see Jon Mayfield joined us along with all the regulars. The beacon I was given as run leader was a nice touch that I wasn’t expecting. The event was run in the same spirit as always with the group sticking together until the sprint point when I think a few max HR’s were reached.”
Jon Mayfield- “Having that first big group together really let me see the first real glimpses of how this will all turn out. So much fun. The following Monday I told more coworkers than I’d like to admit about my valiant sprint finish (which I lost).” (Jon was in attendance running even with a cold but he had to be there to try the new feature. He’s uploaded run on Strava here. Jon is a runner himself, so the future of running on Zwift looks bright. )

The Zwift Running community gathers on Facebook in the Zwift Runners group, so be sure to follow that page for more information as running develops on Zwift. #StrideOn!

Skating Phenom Named Men’s Zwift Academy Winner

News

Ian Murray

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November 22, 2017

0

Skating Phenom Named Men’s Zwift Academy Winner

On 21 November, Team Dimension Data and Zwift announced that former New Zealand in-line skating sensation Ollie Jones won a one-year contract with the team’s development squad, Dimension Data for Qhubeka. Jones joins last year’s women’s academy winner Leah Thorvilson as the second Zwifter-turned-pro. Unlike Thorvilson, Jones will not be thrown into the World Tour quite yet, but he did get the opportunity to ride with some of the squad’s biggest names during the Zwift Academy tryouts.

Jones leading the field during an in-line skating competition – Facebook

Jones says he was stunned:

“To say this is a dream come true is the understatement of the year. It’s a life-changing experience and I still can’t believe it’s happening.”

Despite being an under-23 cyclist, Jones has already had quite a bit of success as an elite athlete, having won multiple national titles in in-line skating and competed for New Zealand on age group national teams as a cyclist. Recently, he moved up to the elite level, racing for the domestic team Powernet, and has had some good successes. All the while, Jones has maintained his rigorous academic schedule, sitting for three exams during the week-long stage race.

Besides his strength in the peloton and his in-line skating dominance, Ollie is well-known for being a hard worker and tougher than the average competitor. During the height of his skating career, Jones is said to have trained or raced every day for two-and-a-half years. As a junior cyclist, he also completed the last 15 kilometers of a race with no saddle. According to New Zealand website Stuff, Jones was in the middle of the Rotorua to Taupo 100km race when his seat came loose on the rails. He simply took it off, stuffed it in his saddle, and rode on to complete the 100km course in under 2 hours and 30 minutes!

Jones in the Tour of the Southland – Facebook

Finding young raw talent isn’t easy, but Zwift’s global reach and data collection makes it easier. Dimension Data’s team principal Doug Ryder said, “Of course, there’s no substitute for the tactics, bike handling, and skills a rider need in real-world racing, but these finalists presented us with the raw materials we need to find the next generation of world class talent. This isn’t a marketing gimmick; many of our riders are passionate about riding Zwift and they’ve seen first-hand what a capable rider Ollie is. We’re super proud to have him on the team.”

Jones will now take his legendary work ethic to Lucca, Italy, to begin working with his new team. He has already commented publicly how much he enjoyed riding and training with his other Zwift Academy finalists, Sam Mobberley and Nick White, and the crop of Team Dimension Data riders who helped in making the final selection.

As it went with Leah, Ollie’s debut in the European pro peloton in the Spring will likely be met with some controversy, but the fact that he is riding with a development squad should reduce some of the pressure on the young rider.

Jones signed up for the Men’s Zwift Academy with 9231 other cyclists. 1247 completed the Academy’s requirements. See detailed results from the inaugural Men’s Zwift Academy >

The Zwift community will be actively cheering for Ollie and keeping an eye open for the newest Zwift Academy winner on the roads of Watopia this winter. Ride On, Ollie!

Determining Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Watts up with Power)

Training & Nutrition

Taylor Thomas

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November 22, 2017

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Determining Your Strengths and Weaknesses (Watts up with Power)

The “Watts up with Power?” ride is likely the slowest group ride you’ll find on Zwift, because it focuses on learning the basics of power based training while riding together on Zwift. Each ride is streamed to Zwift LIVE by ODZ on Facebook, and focuses on teaching specific principles of power-based training. For viewers that are unable to attend live, the teaching is made available for all to review afterwards.

Here is the summary for November 22nd from presenter Taylor Thomas.

One of the primary reasons to train and race with a power meter is so you can better understand your relative strengths and weaknesses. Power data allows you to create a profile from which you can not only see where you’re at individually, but how you stack up against other riders. Through proper testing and data collection a rider’s power profile and resistance to fatigue can help to greatly inform their training prescription and racing strategy.

The Power Profile

While the profile can be useful in comparing a rider’s efforts against others, the primary purpose of the power profile is to gain insight into the relative strengths and weaknesses of individual riders and their physiological systems.

Comparing data within, and across, different racing categories is not the best way to profile a rider. An athlete’s abilities should be based on race day performance, and their physiological strengths. Comparing power output for riders in the same category does not provide the level of insight needed to make the best use of the power profile.

Using the power profile to critique and understand yourself is the most impactful way to utilize the available power data, not comparison with others. This approach enables you to train so you bolster weak areas and continue to build your strengths.

The target durations for the power profile are meant to represent key physiological areas in the body. 5 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minute and FTP serve to reflect neuromuscular power, anaerobic capacity, VO2Max, and lactate threshold respectively. These durations are not comprised solely of these systems, but do a good job of correlating the different physiological abilities involved.

Testing Protocol

Power to weight ratio (W/Kg) is a key metric in understanding both the power profile and where it is you’re strongest and weakest. W/Kg determines how strong of a rider you are at any discipline be it hill climbs, sprints, or time trials. Review your best powers for 5 second, 1 minute, 5 minute and FTP to determine where your W/Kg falls on the spectrum.

Once you have identified your best powers for each duration it’s important to understand how to apply them, and what they mean for you as a rider. You’ll see a pattern emerge that will highlight individual strengths and weaknesses. You can use these power profiles to inform your training, race selection and focus.

Know what your power profile says about you as a rider. Depending on what your W/Kg is for each category, you’ll be able to determine what classification of rider most closely matches your abilities. You may be an All-Rounder, Sprinter, Time Trialist, or Pursuiter.

It’s important to note that when analyzing the power profiles age is not taken into consideration. Both men and women’s performance begin to decline gradually after the age of 30. While this decline will most likely not impact how your strengths and weaknesses are presented in the profile, it is worth considering for both training prescription and race selection.

The Fatigue Profile

The power profile is great for highlighting gross strengths and weaknesses. However, what it doesn’t do is tell you exactly what type of effort you’re best suited for. The fatigue profile helps to pinpoint areas with greater precision to further inform your training.

Fatigue profiling further expands the key ranges identified in the power profile. This allows the rider to gain a better understand of specifically what duration effort they’re strongest. Understanding fatigue only further enables a greater level of individualization.

More tests will need to be done to complete the fatigue profile. One day you’ll test both neuromuscular power and anaerobic capacity. After 1-2 days of rest you’ll then test VO2Max and FTP. If you already have an accurate FTP, 60 and 90 minute powers you may only need to perform the VO2Max testing protocol on the second day.

After the data has been produced from the tests you can plot the numbers for key durations within each category. Looking for abnormalities and inverse relationships will allow for the fatigue profile to come into plain view and be utilized to its full potential.

Categories of Fatigue Resistance

If you’re in the “below average” or “well below average” category that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. What this says is that you’re better at the shorter durations within each category, and that your power falls away sharply as you move towards the end of the time range.

A rider with “average” fatigue resistance should expect to see a similar percentage of degradation through all of the durations within a category. This means that there are no huge spikes or large drop offs, but that power decreases at an acceptable rate.

If you’re charting “above average” or “well above average” fatigue resistance this means there is little to no drop off across the spectrum of powers. It also means that you may be producing the best power possible for the shorter durations. It’s worth noting that these riders may not be able to train other areas effectively given their strong propensity towards these specific strengths.

Power and fatigue profiling differ in that the power profile allows for comparison across durations that represent neuromuscular power, anaerobic capacity, VO2Max and lactate threshold. Fatigue profiling compares power within ranges of durations meant to reflect the same physiological areas. When used together they provide invaluable insight.

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Quick Summary:

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Before You Start

Step 1: Copy Workouts to Dropbox

Step 2: Back Up Your Workouts Folder

Step 3: Delete Existing Workouts Folder

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