The Watopia “Mountain Route” is simply a loop up to the radio tower then back through the start/finish line.
This is an excellent addition to the game, since it allows group rides and races to include a major climb.
Route details:
Distance: 29.5km (18.3 miles)
Elevation Gain: 671m (2201′)
Strava Forward Segment (from Start Banner) Strava Forward Segment (from Start Pier) Strava Reverse Segment
Zwift HQ pushed out a major update today to version 1.0.11783. Here are some key things included in the update:
The big announcement here is the next phase of the group ride features being rolled out. The initial phase of the features, rolled out a couple months ago, made it easier to see the group ride leaders by putting a beacon over their head and an indicator next to their name in the rider list.
In this second phase, Zwifters will be able to join official group rides which will stage out of the carnival/staging area. Lead developer Jon Mayfield gives a lot of detail in his post on this subject, so I’ll simply link to that post for more info.
Read the official announcement from Zwift HQ >
From challenge organizer Al Clewley–here’s this month’s challenge!
This month’s Strava climbing challenge is dedicated to “sending some love to the athletes on Mt. Everest by climbing 8848 meters”.
That’s a big ask on Zwift in one go, so instead (and still far from easy), this month I’m challenging you to climb 8848 feet in one Zwift session.
Rules:
1. Post a qualifying screenshot with the height range shown between 8848 and 8858 feet inclusive. (Use the ‘U’ key to select units to “feet”!) Post your screenshot on the Zwift Riders thread.
That’s it! You can ride long and flat or take several trips up the mountain. Obviously Richmond rides would count as well. Add your Everest ‘story’ to the post if you like.
As usual, all qualifying entries will be entered into a draw for 2 Zwift bidons. Entry closes at 12:00 GMT on 1st June 2016.
Lastly, if anyone is crazy enough to do the 8848 METERS, the first to post that achievement will automatically get 2 bidons! Qualifying pic would need to show between 8848 and 8858 METERS. Ride must be during this challenge month.
Have fun!
Jason King over at Zwift HQ posted an excellent interview with Nathan Guerra, everyone’s favorite Zwift race commentator. It includes some interesting bits about Nathan, including:
I first ran across UK resident Tim Clark via the Zwift Riders Facebook group, when he posted a quick blurb about his fitness gains in early 2016. As you’ll see below, Tim’s fitness gains and weight loss have been quite impressive! If you struggle with trying to shed some pounds and/or increase your power, read Tim’s story for inspiration and tips.
2016 has been quite a year for you so far. How would you summarize it in just a few sentences?
In November 2015 I met with my cardiologist and he suggested we operate on my Atrial Fibrillation this year, so we ended up setting a date for April. I got Christmas out of the way and was horrified to see that I was 18½ stone (260lb/117kg). That was not a condition that I felt was conducive to having my heart operated on, so I set about doing something about it.
So you basically had three months to drop weight and increase fitness before your heart surgery. How much weight did you lose in that time?
I managed to get down 3 stone (42lb/19kg)Â in total.Â
Give me more detail about your fitness gains thus far using Zwift. I know you besides losing substantial weight you have increased your power significantly. What are those numbers?
I started in January with a pretty poor fitness level, but I’ve been fit in the past so I knew I could get to back to some reasonable level. I’m not there yet by any means but I’m proud of where I’ve got to so far. Not being able to comfortably put on my socks in the morning for having to suck in the belly was also a good motivator to get rid of the gut.
[Editor’s note: here are Tim’s numbers from two “max effort” rides:]
8-Jan-16
Distance 11.2mi
Weighted Average Power 202w
Avg Speed 17.1mi/h
4-Apr-16
Distance 12.0mi
Weighted Average Power 341w
Avg Speed 22.6mi/h
Impressive power gains for sure. What’s your Zwift setup (bike, trainer, power source, etc)? Did you have any challenges getting it dialed in?
I run a 2014 Giant Defy 1, Cycleops Fluid 2, Zpower, Garmin speed & candence + Premium heart rate monitor. Garmin ANT+ usb key and a MacBook Pro.
The only challenge I’ve had is the 6am cold in the garage, a heart rate monitor strap failure (that Garmin replaced free) and the odd drop out of signal from the cadence sensor (fixed with new battery).
Dialing it in? No, as I use the Zwift power estimates, I’ve not had to dial anything in. However I would say that keeping your weight measured and honest in Zwift pays dividends for two reasons. 1, a more realistic ride, even on a ‘dumb trainer’ and 2, Keeping yourself honest and showing yourself the respect that should be earned when you grab that jersey.
Were your Zwift efforts fairly consistent these past few months? How did you decide what to do each time you logged on?
I normally ride before work early in the mornings, between 6-7am. What I did depended on if I was on my own or riding with a buddy in Tokyo. If I was on my own I’d more than likely pick a workout (mostly Jon’s Short Mix) just to keep me focused. Sometimes I’d just spin around a couple of laps but kinda want to ‘achieve’ something. So I’d try and bust a jersey each ride. Nothing more satisfying that having done Jon’s Short Mix and then grab a green jersey on the way to the end of lap two of Watopia.
The thing I always did without fail was to push myself to a sweat each and every ride. In the beginning that wasn’t hard to do, but now I’m having to bust 400w up the Watopia Hill to get a sweat on by the top.
What about diet? I assume this changed for you as well. How so?
You assumed correctly. My wife is a consultant for Cambridge Weight Plan, so I’ve been following that since January 4th. It’s a high protein/low carb diet, so if you stick to it and keep drinking your water I find it easy to lose weight. I personally don’t like tomatoes and fish so most diet plans leave me with a dilemma of what I can actually eat. The Cambridge Weight Plan replaces some meals with ‘products’ so that I didn’t have to work out what I could eat.
I also cut out alcohol completely, not just during the week, but totally. There are so many hidden calories in beer, wine and spirits it’s a great way to lose weight without having to do anything else.
For most people, weight gain and poor fitness happen slowly over a period of years, sort of a frog-in-a-kettle situation. How did you come to arrive at that spot where you decided it was time to make some positive changes?
My weight crept on over the last few years and even doing the London Ride 100 a couple of years ago didn’t help me shift much of it. Also having lost both parents in the last couple of years I’d found myself comfort eating. The heart surgery was the deciding factor for me. I sat in the car park after the consultation for about 30 minutes wondering what the hell this all meant. And then I got really upset with myself for having a defeatist attitude towards it all. I was letting it happen “TO” me rather than “MAKING” it happen for me. So that was it, I’d get Christmas and all the socializing out of the way and then go for it.
What does the future look like for Tim Clark in terms of health? Do you have further fitness goals?
It’s only a few days after the heart surgery so it’s too early to say if it’s fixed the Atrial Fibrillation or not, but the future looks great. I want to get down to 14½ stone (203lbs / 92kgs) by the end of June, so I’ll be back on the bike Zwifting or outside as the weather gets better and I heal more.
I’d also like to do the Ride London 100 again as the year I did it (2014) they closed part of the course due to the rain. My goal is to do it in under 5 hours.
That’s a good pace! Do you have some local friends to ride and train with outdoors?
I ride with my local cycling club Farnborough and Camberley Cycling Club some of the time. But I can translate most of what I’ve learned in Zwift about pacing, cadence and zone training onto the road. We have some long boring but good training roads around here and I can ride for a long time without having to stop for junctions and the like.
After running my own “Zwift Weight Loss Group” I know there are many folks on Zwift who struggle with being heavier than they’d like to be. What advice would you give to these Zwifters?
Firstly – KEEP GOING. Starting out is the hardest bit to do. For us Zwifters we don’t have the issue of being ‘seen in public’ wearing lycra, unless we want to be, so that’s not a factor. But I’ll be the first to admit that some mornings I’d lay in bed and not want to get out of it to ride. That’s when you need help, so I’d try and find someone to ride with. They will help to keep you honest and will miss you if you don’t make the ride.
Secondly – Pace yourself. Don’t start out too strong or it will seem too hard and you may well want to quit. Start with small goals, get a Strava account if you don’t have one and track your PRs for each segment. Just keep going a small bit further or harder each time you ride.
Last – Don’t beat yourself up – Be your own best cheerleader. Everyone has an off day. I’ve had ‘off weeks’ but the important thing is to get back on the bike and try again. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come and what you enjoy about that great feeling when you are climbing off your bike at the end of a ride knowing that you have done a good thing for your weight and your health.
Here is the course schedule for May. Looks like we’ll be riding in Richmond only one day per week!
The Zwift Spring Hammerfest runs from May 1st, 2016 – May 6th, 2016. This is a three stage hammerfest held over six days. Riders have 48 hours to complete each stage and upload a result to Strava.
This Hammerfest event will have you riding as fast as possible! The highlight of the race is stage 2’s dramatic down hill race from tower to ocean. Queue up the TT bike and your fastest virtual wheels and leave it all on the road.
Stage 1 – Watopia Ocean Crush – May 1st & 2nd
The Hammerfest kicks off with a 6.4 mile (10.3 km) loop under the ocean, through the cobbled village, and over the hill back to the beach. This stage is banner to banner as fast as your bicycle can carry you. At only 177 feet (54 meters) of elevation change, this will be a drag race!
Stage 2 – Watopia Downhill Madness – May 3rd & 4th
You have to earn this downhill. Slowly climb to the top of the Watopia World. Round the tower and then hit it with everything you’ve got all the way to the ocean down the steep side of the mountain. Don’t stop until you get to the sea-plane at the bridge. This is a downhill TT that only Zwift can make possible. Pick up that 100 km/h achievement if you haven’t already!
Stage 3 – Richmond Every Jersey Counts – May 5th & 6th
On the UCI Worlds lap of Richmond you will hit four important jerseys: Green Sprint banner, Broad Street Sprint, Libby Hill, 23rd Street climb. String all of these together for a big Hammerfest finish on the “Every Jersey Counts” stage.
Zwift HQ has just released news that a new course is in development, to be released this summer. Like Zwift’s Richmond UCI course, this new course will somehow mirror (or contain elements of) the Prudential RideLondon event’s course, which covers roads in London and Surrey.
Here is the official press release:
Zwift, the social fitness entertainment platform for cyclists, is collaborating with Prudential RideLondon, the festival of cycling, to create an all new virtual 3D rendering of the famous event.
Scheduled for release this summer, the route design is currently in development and will include the landmarks and roads of London and Surrey familiar to cyclists from across the world.
“Our new partnership with Zwift means that thousands more riders from all around the globe can be part of the world’s greatest festival of cycling,” said Hugh Brasher, event director, Prudential RideLondon. “There will be a week of festival activities hosted on the Zwift platform in July including virtual versions of the women’s Classique and our two famous sportives: the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46 and 100.”
“London is the world’s leading city for cyclists and we’re proud to partner with its most celebrated event,” said Eric Min, Zwift CEO and co-founder. “Our Prudential RideLondon course will be a smash hit with Zwift users across the world and I’m looking forward to riding with them on the virtual roads of London and Surrey!
Zwift has also announced the launch of a Prudential RideLondon Training Club. Open to all Zwift users, the Training Club will focus on preparing sportive riders for Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46 and 100 – and other events they are training for in 2016.
“We work hard to help our riders prepare for the challenge of the sportives,” said Brasher. “Taking on 100 miles can seem very daunting. We’re committed to inspiring more and more new cyclists take part which is why we’ve added the new 46mile event this year. Our work with Zwift demonstrates the forward thinking we’re bringing to mass participation cycling.”
UPDATE: Steve Beckett at Zwift HQ posted this on Facebook:Â Hi Everyone. There’s been some misreporting in the media about Zwift recreating the entire RideLondon 100 route. This isn’t the case and we’ll be working on something a bit more fun and imaginative than asking the community to ride a 100 mile loop!
Important Update (January 29, 2020): Zwift is not taking new event requests at this time. As an alternative, you might consider organizing a Meetup.
Group rides take your Zwift experience to a whole new level. Just like riding in real life, when you join a group riding on Zwift you can expect to build camaraderie, learn from others and (depending on the ride) get pushed to ride beyond the limits of your typical solo effort.
Anyone can organize and lead a group ride on Zwift, but there are certain “best practices” to follow if you want to maximize the experience for everyone involved. These may change once Zwift HQ rolls out a more specific system for scheduling group rides, but for now here is a three-step process for organizing and leading your first group ride on Zwift.
Every group ride on Zwift has its own unique attributes, and you will need to decide what those are for your ride. What you decide here will determine, in a large part, the level of participation your ride receives.
Now that you’ve decided on your ride details, it’s time to get the word out! Here’s how and where to post your ride details.
When you post your ride on zwift.com/events or Facebook you will want to share all the particulars you decided on in step 1. I typically just save my ride information and copy/paste it into the forms to keep things fast and simple.
You’ve decided how your ride will function, and you’ve advertised it. Now the big day is here–time to lead the group ride! Here are a few pointers for leading it effectively:
Zwift HQ is live streaming today’s Amgen Tour of California Ride with Jens Voigt. Jensie will be riding on Zwift from Zwift Headquarters in Long Beach, California and chatting it up with legendary cycling announcer (known as the voice of the Amgen Tour of California).
They will discuss racing, the Amgen Tour of California and will also take questions from users. Jensie always has great stories to tell!
Start time is 5pm PDT / 6pm MDT / 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT. Full event details here >
Catch the live stream at this link, or just watch it below:
