Michael Hanney, creator of the incredible Zwiftalizer tool, has released a site update with improved features which make it even easier to analyze your Zwift log files, research hardware performance and (new!) look at power source popularity.
Power Sources
This new report shows which brands of smart trainers and power meters are most popular in each country.
Hopefully this report will be as widely used as the Benchmarks report (which is currently based on 13,700 log samples)–but in order for that to happen, we need the Zwift community to upload their logs to Zwiftalizer so we have a large sample size. As Michael says:
Unfortunately I did not store any smart trainer or power meter make or model information before the 1.1 update, so the survey needs community participation to make the report worth while.
To add your power source data to the Zwiftalizer database, simply upload your logfiles like you’ve done in the past. Just make sure you keep the “Upload my system specs” box checked. Go to the ‘ANT+ Devices’ tab to see your smart trainer and power meter device name. All the major brands should be recognized, but if your device is not recognized a pop-up will ask you for its name.
ANT+ Section
The reformatted ANT+ charts make it easier to spot drop outs. AN easy to read description of your overall signal quality is also included, along with tips to improve (if necessary).
Sample with a drop out in the Kickr, and two basic sensors (HR and Cadence), but importantly – not the Power2Max power meter (top, green).A drop out in the basic sensor (HR), but not the signal from the Favero BePro power meter pedals – it went low, but did not drop completely.
BTLE Section
The improved Bluetooth section now recognizes Wahoo and Tacx specific signal types including Kickr Snap. Michael says:
There isn’t much info in the log for BTLE devices so I don’t have much to go on. The plot shows the general pattern of messages logged but that’s about it. I… hope to do more with BTLE in future if I can include all brands of smart training, including Elite, CycleOps and Kinetic.
Benchmarks Section
Zwiftalizer’s Benchmarks section is my favorite feature of the site, because it shows how different hardware (CPU, graphics cards, etc) performs on Zwift. Michael has enhanced this feature with the following upgrades:
Benchmarks can now be filtered by platform, resolution, profile, CPU brand, GPU brand and min FPS.
For Mac and iOS fans: added model and release year for most iMac, Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, iPhone and iPad models.
For PC builders: added links to search for CPU and GPU deals from Pricewatch, Tweakers, Newegg, eBay and Amazon. (Note: the links to Amazon are unashamedly affiliate links. So if you’re shopping for a computer or graphics card, you can support Zwiftalizer just by using the links!)
Benchmark Filter Examples
Want to know which Macs run smoothly at 1080 resolution with high quality effects?
Set filters to Platform = Mac, Resolution = 1080 (FHD), Profile = High, CPU = All, GPU = All, Min FPS >= 30
Want to know which iOS devices run 1080?
Set filters to Platform = iOS, Resolution = 1080 (FHD), Profile = All, CPU = All, GPU = All, Min FPS = All
Want to know which GPUs run the full Ultra resolution and effects at a minimum of 60 FPS?
Set filters to Platform = All, Resolution = 2160 (4K), Profile = Ultra, CPU = All, GPU = All, Min FPS >= 60
Want to find deals on that 4K capable GPU?
Click any of the Pricewatch, Tweakers, Newegg, eBay or Amazon links beneath the system name.
Other Stuff
This update also includes some small bug fixes, minor performance improvements, and a little bonus surprise flare if you agree to share (check ‘upload my stats’ for your reward).
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 May 10th from ride leader Brett Jenner.
One tricky thing about triathlon is that most people get introduced to the sport through short distance racing – Sprint or Olympic. There is a wide range of approaches to these short-distance races when it comes to nutrition (bananas taped to top tubes, potatoes duct taped to seat posts, et cetera). But it is only as the event distances increase that the ability to properly meter the effort, nutrition, and hydration become vital factors to race day success.
While the goal in cycling is to put out the most watts over a given distance, in long course racing if our goal is to have the best total time (finish time) then we are looking to nail that sweet spot of going just hard enough to have legs for a successful run. Before we get into the analytics of how to do this the following disclaimer needs to be made – there is no secret sauce when it comes to long course success. The following factors are primary to long course success: aerobic development (this can take years and years of consistent hard work), nutrition that is considered and well-planned, race fueling, race hydration, and pacing that is realistic, executable, and based on data realized during training.
Using a Power Meter can help you pace an Iron-distance event. While pacing and properly metering the effort on the day has been cited above as factors contributing to success, the factors below are cited as hindering success and can all be seen at any given event in the Age Group and even Pro ranks:
Going out too hard (only to blow up later)
Hammering the hills
Burning too many matches with surges (VI)
IM Florida is very different from IM Nice or Mont Tremblant
Underestimating the Effects of Altitude and Heat and Humidity
For those interested in learning more about how to properly pace the bike in Ironman using a Power Meter there is a great graphic relationship authored by Rick Ashburn and included in the article by Joe Friel “How to “Cheat” by Using a Power Meter in an Ironman.” Using the Rick Ashburn chart and knowing what kind of athlete you are, we can hone in on what percent of FTP an athlete should aim to average over the course of an Ironman to achieve a particular bike split and also have legs left for a successful run.
Castelli SkillZ and DrillZ Ride, 3 May – We’ve all been there. In the middle of a group ride or race, our attention wanders because the pace is not high enough to force us to narrow our focus. After yet another in-depth examination of the stem or the socks of the rider in front of us, we look up and see a sizeable gap just ahead. Nobody attacked, and the pace isn’t particularly hot, but you are somehow dropped on yet another group ride. This time, there is no sweet satisfaction of the burning legs and lungs that normally accompany this vision. How did this happen?
All races and group rides are not created equal, and a course profile does not give you much more of a story than a book cover does. Yet, we often think that we can predict how a race will unfold simply by looking at the graphical depiction of the terrain.
Are we really that senseless?
Sometimes, yes, we are.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (at Your Own Risk)
Everyone knows that a major climb is probably decisive terrain for most events. But this is just scratching the surface of what can affect a race. Rolling hills, crosswinds, and technical portions of a course can be and are often just as decisive as any alpine mountain. Just wait until July!
The main difference between the nuanced portions of a course and a major climb is that everyone knows about the climb, and everyone pays attention to it. Somehow, though, we neglect numerous sections due to a first-look dismissal. Both on Zwift and IRL rides and races, small terrain or course changes can end our day prematurely.
Splits and gaps happen most frequently on decisive terrain or after attacks. That is true. Everybody knows this, and everyone is acutely aware of this. Why do we continue to focus so much of our attention on this when we know where the split has the highest probability of occurring? Simultaneously, we almost willfully fail to take advantage of opportunities that are equally as probable.
Natural gaps, a split that occurs spontaneously or naturally rather than due to an attack of some sort, can destroy your chances of contesting the finale of a race without you knowing what happened. The most common causes of natural gaps are a change in wind direction (usually into a crosswind), a series of short but moderately steep hills, and a course change, most often a sharp turn or a significant narrowing of the road. Not being properly positioned for or unaware of these sections could be detrimental to your day.
Group Therapy – Working Together to Bridge the Gap
Obviously, the first way to deal with any natural gap is to be on the good side of the split. For today’s class, we made the assumption that we missed the split and had to bridge to the front group. In previous SDR bridging classes, we focused on bridging from the field to a lone rider or small group of attackers. This situation is a bit of a different animal, as the front group may not be actively trying to get away. It just happens.
To set up the class, we divided the group into two groups, G1 and G2. While we had planned to split the groups by last name, the small climb on the way to the Volcano CCW route gave us a natural split from the gun. Thus, we played the cards we were dealt and made our groups accordingly.
For the first drill, G1 held steady at 2.0, simulating a natural relative riding pace. I say relative because we artificially cap the pace to try to keep the group together as best as possible. (Also, I have found that hypoxic riders don’t learn very well. They may accomplish the task at hand to end the pain, but they don’t internalize as much. Basically, it’s a little like torture. Thus, we don’t condone that.) G2 began its chase in earnest, holding between 2.5 and 3.0 W/kg. The important part of G2’s chase, though, was working together. As we will see later, there is a difference.
The chase took a while to complete, as we had some other naturally splitting terrain to cope with, and the gap did start at a healthy 35 seconds. The point of the exercise was not to close the gap as fast as possible. The point was to show how to work together to close the gap while limiting any extraneous energy expenditure. By taking turns and keeping the pace steady, those in the front worked a little harder, and those in the draft could rest. All while still closing on the lead group.
We repeated this exercise with G2 being the lead group and G1 having to chase, but with a little different results. We still had the same concept, but the size of the groups were significantly different. G2 was way bigger than G1. We’ll go into the why a little later, though. The result was that someone from G1 had to be sacrificed to the cycling gods. Ok, maybe not sacrificed, but definitely forced to work a bit more. In a race situation, this is where teammates come into play. For our purposes, I took the role of faithful domestique and went to the front to do the work. This allowed my “protected rider(s)” to do less work and be ready for anything as we caught back on the lead pack. This is a very common occurrence, so take advantage of it when possible. The impromptu learning point showed the group the value of communication and working with other riders.
Size Really Matters, Boyz!
After regrouping, we moved on to the second drill. Like the first one, G2 moved to the back, and we allowed a natural gap to open up. Unlike during the first drill, though, riders had to bridge the gap individually, removing the benefit of the draft. The lead group remained at the 2.0 W/kg effort, so we kept that constant.
At this point, you may be thinking that all the G2 riders made it back to the lead group one by one. But you would be incorrect! No, very few riders were actually able to bridge the gap due to a simple matter of physics. In this case, size matters. The much larger lead group, despite rolling at 2.0 W/kg was able to hold speeds equal to or greater than the individual riders could at 2.5-3.0 W/kg. This is due to the effect of the draft on the bunch.
In the end, riders started grouping up at the back, and the small group picked up steam. Along the way, the small group turned into a bigger group, and the draft effect gap began to narrow. Eventually, the size of the chase pack passed a tipping point, and the 2.5-3.0 W/kg was sufficient to rapidly pull back the leaders.
Bringing it Together
After the second drill, we wrapped up the session with a little recap. Unlike previous sessions where we worked on bridging the gap to an attack, the natural gap bridge is something that is completely preventable if you pay attention and maintain a good position. If and when the natural split occurs, try to find some buddies to share the work. A large chase pack has a much better chance to close the gap with a limited expenditure of energy than an individual rider or small group. If you do have to bridge in a solo effort, be prepared for a hard effort or resign yourself to living in no-man’s land for a while before you either complete the bridge or get sucked back into the chase group.
That’s it for this week. Thanks to Castelli for sponsoring the SkillZ and DrillZ Ride. As usual, one lucky US-based rider who completes the ride will be registered for a drawing for some Castelli swag at the end of the month. SkillZ and DrillZ will be off next week but will return on 17 May. Until then, RideOn!
While 1080p (HD) resolution is just fine, Zwifting in 4K (UHD) resolution is an incredible experience. At four times the resolution of 1080p, 4K gives you a much sharper, high contrast picture that clearly picks up the finest details in the Zwift universe. In addition, this large resolution increase allows you to Zwift twice as close to a 4K TV than an HDTV which may be important if your pain cave is small. Zwifting in 4K will not make you faster or stronger, but once you try it, it’s hard to go back.
Since the iPad, iPhone and Apple TV don’t have 4K resolution, the only way to Zwift in 4K is with a gaming computer (and a 4K TV). But, thankfully, you don’t need to break the bank in order to get a gaming computer with the specs powerful enough to run Zwift in 4K and at least 50 frames per second (FPS). (For an in-depth explanation of computer and TV tech specs for Zwift, read “Stuff You Need for a Great Zwifting Experience.”)
The most important component for Zwifting in 4K is the GPU, which runs the graphics. The two biggest GPU manufacturers are NVIDIA and AMD but the latest generation of NVIDIA GPU cards (the 10 series) is a giant leap forward in performance.
Surprisingly, while the CPU performs important Zwifting functions, most current and previous Intel i3, i5 and i7 desktop CPUs with clock speeds above 2.5 GHz should work just fine in 4K…so long as the GPU is fast enough. This is great news for those with older gaming computers which can be converted into powerful 4K Zwifting machines with a simple $200 GPU upgrade. Just make sure the computer’s power supply is beefy enough to handle the new GPU.
Which GPUs are fast enough? Analyzing data from Zwiftalizer, here is a list of the latest GPUs capable of Zwifting in 4K.
GPU
VRAM
Relative Speed
Average FPS*
Min Power
Price
NVIDIA 1080
8
126%
165
500w
$500
1070
8
100%
85
500w
$400
1060
6
70%
75
400w
$250
**1060
3
65%
72
400w
$190
1050 Ti
4
38%
52
300w
$140
1050
2
33%
52
300w
$110
AMD RX 480
8
66%
63
500w
$250
* Â your average FPS is limited to the Max FPS (or Hz) of your TV. ** While the 1050 and 1050ti GPUs will work in 4K, the 1060 is much faster for only $50-$80 more.
Although deals come and go, you can usually get a great price on an open box, refurbished or leftover gaming computer at Newegg.com. For example, in May 2017, Newegg was selling an Open Box CyberPowerPC gaming computer with Intel’s latest i5 CPU and AMD’s RX 480 GPU for $700. This is a steal and will run Zwift beautifully in 4K.
CVR World Cup discovery Jonathon Sandoval in white jersey at pro stage race
Jonathan Sandoval, 24 year old cyclist from Zapotlanejo, Mexico has earned the prestigious white jersey, recognizing the best amateur rider in a race at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Jonathan was discovered at last month’s CVR World Cup Kick-Off event in Las Vegas, where Michael Engleman, sports agent for Mission Sports Group was impressed by his performance and offered him a contract. The agent then negotiated him a guest position in a team competing in the Redlands Bicycle Classic.
“Today has been a great day for me,” Jonathan says, “Being able to stay in the select group on the final climb has earned me the White Jersey! A lot of work lies ahead but I am really happy and grateful to be where I am.”
Jonathan’s performance in the CVR World Cup Kick-Off event impressed both his competitors and those watching with his solid tempo, powerful tactics and ability to sustain 6 watts per kilogram several times throughout the race. Watch the full CVR World Cup race below:
The CVR World Cup, presented by Cycligent Esports, brings together cycling talent from around the globe to compete in high impact virtual racing events. Events are conducted in the Cycligent Esport Arena where bikes are set up on indoor smart trainers and get transformed into a virtual world.
Audiences attend the events which are streamed live in HD across the globe. CVR’s new approach to cycling and riders is already having an impact on the world of cycling. CVR’s founder, Frank Garcia, stated “This will not only continue but will accelerate in the future. We are bringing cycling to esports and that will change the landscape of cycling forever. It will be better for riders, better for spectators, and better for those who participate online in the virtual landscape.”
The Redlands Bicycle Classic continues over the next few days. Watch an post-race interview with Jonathan below:
Zwift released an update late last night for Windows, Mac, and iOS which includes some exciting new features.
Route Previewer
When you click to change your route in the startup screen, you are now greeted with a very informative list of available routes which include route length, elevation, and a map. This is a very helpful addition to the game, since newcomers until now have had no idea which routes to choose without tracking down route details on third-party sources like our route details page.
Erg Mode with Your Power Meter (beta)
This is big deal for many who use Zwift for serious training. Before last night, workouts in Erg mode could only be accomplished using the power numbers from your smart trainer. This worked just fine, except that many serious riders have power meters on their bikes (pedals, cranks, hubs) and would prefer to use those power numbers for consistency.
(TrainerRoad, which is Zwift’s #1 competitor in the workout space, has had the ability to do ERG workouts with your power meter and smart trainer for quite some time, using a feature they call Power Match.)
I tested the beta feature this morning, pairing Garmin Vector pedals as my power meter and a Tacx Neo as my smart trainer. It seemed to work just fine, although I didn’t work through a wide range of intervals.
Below is a snapshot of two different 1 minute, 230w intervals. The first was done using the Neo trainer for power, the second was done using the Garmin power meter. You can see the second is more erratic, but that is what I would expect given how this must work. And although it is a bit more erratic, the overall feel wasn’t any different for me.
First blue interval is controlled via the smart trainer, second is controlled via my power meter.
A quick glance at Facebook tells me some users are reporting erratic resistance and other problems when testing this new feature, and that doesn’t surprise me since it’s still in beta. Be sure to report problems to Zwift support so they can polish up this feature and release a final version.
Additional Changes
A few more notable changes in this update:
Non-race events can now be joined after they are started: this is a welcome change, as it lets riders participate in group rides more easily, or join if they’re just a few minutes late.
Each event can now have a list of backup ride leaders: another helpful change which should result in more group rides led well.
Japanese Language support: I believe this is the first language (besides English) Zwift has supported. I’m sure it’s just the start of more to come!
Women’s jersey bug fixed: a bug which was giving leaders jerseys to the slowest women has now been fixed, according to Zwift support guru Lindsay Ruppert.
Two Final Notes
Game master Jon Mayfield included two final interesting notes in the update:
If you’re wondering when the next expansion is, you’re not alone. We’ve recently grown our amazing art team and it finally allows us to work on multiple expansions simultaneously. Due to London now not holding back future Watopia enhancements we decided we could spend a little more time polishing our upcoming London expansion. It’s coming soon, we promise!
Speaking of things coming soon, this update also contains the bulk of our necessary changes for our impending Apple TV beta test. Expect to see beta invites go out any day now.
Episode 26 of Zwiftcast has been released. Here’s the full episode description:
Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together, albeit on three different continents, to discuss all matters Zwift.
The chaps spend a good deal of this episode applying their Zwiftcastian analysis to the many talking points stemming from the long interview with Zwift creator Jon Mayfield on the previous episode.
But there’s room for lots more and the podcasters range over ways to mitigate the effects of long haul travel for bike riders; the joys of procrastination and who’s hidden all Nathan’s cycling gear!
Plus there’s an illuminating interview with Zwift troubleshooter-in-chief, Lindsey Ruppert; a chat with Zwift exec Charlie Issendorf, who raises the intriguing possibility of pro racing on Zwift and an informative spot with Zwifter and coach Alan Dempsey who passes on some great tips about honing Zwift-fitness for outdoor riding.
The latest Zwift update includes a new mission for May which is focused on the Giro d’Italia, the first grand tour race of the season.
How to Enter
This mission actually includes four weeks of “mini-missions.” Each mission you complete earns one entry into the prize drawing, so the maximum number of entries per Zwifter is four.
Simply select the mission before you ride. Zwift will put you in a pink leader’s jersey (aka the “maglia rosa”) for the duration of your mission.
Week 1: 30km ride
Week 2: 40km TT
Week 3: 30km ride
Week 4: 50km ride
One important note: it doesn’t appear that you can complete these missions while participating in official group rides or races. I tested it this morning on a group ride and while the ride exceeded the 30km mark, my mission was never marked as complete.
Prizes
Five Santini cycling kits will be given away to random winners. Here are the men’s and women’s kits:
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 May 3rd from ride leader Taylor Thomas.
Once you’ve established your functional threshold power, set your training zones, and identified your strengths and weaknesses as a rider, it’s time to use your power meter to create tailored workouts. Your power meter is an extremely valuable tool that enables you to fine-tune and analyze your riding so that you can see the biggest gains. Whether your goal is faster club rides, centuries, or racing, building the right workouts is the key to reaching your goals.
1: When and Where to Use Your Power Meter
Training with power is valuable no matter the ride or the terrain. However, there are a few scenarios that are best suited to producing the most reliable and usable data.
With the introduction of interactive indoor ride programs like Zwift, you can take full advantage of the predictability of training indoors. The trainer lets you have full control of the workout.
Flat roads, time trials, and hill climbs are also perfect places to use power. The consistent terrain of a flat road allows for long uninterrupted tempo or endurance rides. Use your power meter to stick to the cardinal rule of TT’s, “don’t go out too fast!” Develop a pacing strategy for your time trial and stay within the predetermined power zone. Hill climbs also allow for proper pacing and ensure you have enough energy to top out feeling strong.
2: Cycling is Naturally Variable
Don’t get discouraged if it seems that your power numbers are all over the place. This is normal due to the wind, terrain, other riders and a variety of different factors. Do your best to stay within a certain power range, not focus on the numbers second by second.
Proper pacing is the key to consistent riding. Surges in speed produce surges in effort. Steady speed and cadence are what keeps your power numbers in line.
Most rides will include some amount of variability. Since this is inevitable it’s okay if there are surges on the climbs, or you drop below your ideal power zone on the downhills. Knowing what to expect and how to properly ride the terrain is the goal. Also, use the terrain to dictate your workouts. If you have a long flat road, then use that for tempo work. If there are rolling hills or bigger climbs then hill repeats are the answer. Use what you have to create the best workout for you.
3: Guidelines for Optimal Intervals
One of the biggest advantages to training with power is knowing exactly how to elicit specific physiological adaptations. To properly do that you need to do the right amount of intervals, for the appropriate duration. More is not always better, so make sure that you’re aware of how much your power drops from interval to interval. If it drops too much it’s time to stop.
The importance of an accurate FTP and properly calculated training zones can’t be overstated. If you’re basing your FTP on bad data, and thus using incorrect zones to write your workouts, you’re not going to get the results you desire.
Duration and intensity are the keys to a proper interval workout. Understanding how each power zone correlates to specific systems in your body will help you understand how to build the appropriate interval session to move you towards your goals.
4: Workouts for Power-Based Training
Level 1 rides are the most overlooked and underappreciated workouts for the majority of cyclists. These recovery rides are extremely important and help prepare the body for focused and more intense sessions.
Muscular endurance is the foundation for many cycling disciplines. Time in zone 2 early in the season, and during a proper warmup and cool down helps to develop a stronger heart, increase capillarization, and build stamina.
Sweet spot training is the base from which a strong FTP is built. Riding at between 88%-94% of your threshold is a great way to prep for harder FTP level efforts later in the season, or to begin building mid-season for other priority races on your calendar.
When performing specific workouts, or designing your training, make sure that the sessions match your goals. If you want to increase FTP, then the intervals you’re performing should line up with that goal. They should also match the specifics of the races on your calendar. Things like climbs, sprint opportunities, long flats, can all be mimicked in training.
Three tips for better climbing (SkillZ and DrillZ)
Castelli SkillZ and DrillZ Ride, 26 April – Climbing is equivalent to public speaking for many people. We know it must be done from time to time, but we dread every second leading up to the event. Most of the time, our fears are unfounded, or the fear is based on not being properly prepared for what we will undertake.
In today’s class, we addressed three techniques to help make climbing a more palatable endeavor. To see the video of the class to simply watch or follow along, check out Zwift Live by ODZ on Facebook or watch it below:
For some unfathomable reason, many people hate going uphill on a bike. It’s just like going downhill (only a lot harder, and you could be reduced to walking to the top while pushing your bike. Other than that, it is pretty much the same.)
Ok, so maybe it’s not much fun, but like everything we cover on SkillZ and DrillZ, there are techniques that can make climbing a hill not such a daunting task. During this week’s class, we targeted three specific areas that, when used correctly, will help riders get over all but the steepest climbs without burning through their energy stores. Like always, though, we started our class by working on positioning. During the warm-up session, I tasked riders with moving backwards and forwards within the group to try to understand the effects of the draft and the efforts required to move to the front.
It’s Not All About Being Skinny
Despite popular opinion to the contrary, climbing is not all about being skinny. Sure, it helps to be under 60 kgs, but that is only if you can generate a fair amount of power. A 60 kg rider who can only generate 120W is not going to fair much better than a 100 kg rider pushing 200W. Sure, there will be a small difference due to gravity, but it will not be insurmountable. The factor that influences climbing the most, in my opinion, is power management.
On the flats, a ten percent drop in power due to fatigue can translate to a bad day, but if you can hide in the draft, you may be able to recover or last until the end. On climbs, a 10 percent drop in power means that the front of the race will quickly disappear, leaving you to suffer through the solitary drudge up the rest of the climb. It’s pretty much the definition of the opposite of awesome. So, how do we ensure that we don’t fade to black while climbing the bigger hills and mountains? Well, there are a few simple things we can do.
Feel the Rhythm
First, we need to take a look at the length, grade, and location of the climb. If the climb is early in the race, why on earth are we going to attack it like a crazy person? Unless the race is a climb followed by all downhill, there is no need to go out like your hair is on fire. The climbs that are not decisive in the grand scheme of things need to be addressed as such. Now, that does not mean we loligag up the climb. Au contraire mon frere, we should use that climb to dispatch some of the weaker climbers who may be able to sprint or make a late break if the climb is the only decisive terrain for a long while. Or, we should keep the pace high enough to discourage attacks. That’s where climbing at a steady effort and cadence come into play. Team Sky and Movistar are masters at this. Watch any mountain stage that either of those two teams want to control. The pace is never easy, and the bigger or weaker riders get shelled early and often. However, the majority of the riders can stay with the group, albeit while suffering a little bit. Why are they able to hang with such a tough tempo? Well, that’s because the pace is consistent despite being high. Our bodies adapt quickly, and as long as the effort is not above our threshold, we can usually settle in and maintain for a good while. Provided the accelerations or few and small, riders can just get into their own rhythm and match the speed of the group. This reduces the number of matches being burned, as you do not have to call on your reserves to catch back on to a wheel.
To work on this skill, we went up the reverse KOM and the Esses maintaining a steady cadence and effort. Sure, we spread out a little, as gravity had a bit of play, but we stayed fairly well grouped other than those who took a flyer (talking to you T. Hageman! ;)). We entered the base of the climb at 2.5 and periodically lifted the pace, finishing off the climb at 3.0. That was a very small acceleration, and those who could hold that effort had no problem bunching up and working together. We repeated that drill as we went through the Esses, but the rolling nature and short duration of those climbs highlighted the difficulty of maintaining a constant tempo. The reverse KOM, though, was a great example of how to execute that technique.
Sitting and Standing
On the next iteration of the reverse KOM, we transitioned to switching between seated and standing. Determining when you should remain in the saddle or stand is really a matter of personal preference. If I am fairly fresh and not throwing down, I prefer to stay seated and spin up the climb. If I plan to attack or anticipate attacks, I may spend more time out of the saddle, as I can respond and accelerate quicker. Standing has the benefit of allowing you to use your bodyweight to put power into the pedals, which is a great way to give your butt a break during a steady tempo climb. It also taxes the system more.
Do your own experiment. Get out of the saddle and push a little higher wattage than when you were sitting. Your heart rate will go up significantly quicker than had you just accelerated from a seated position. The difference is that you may not feel comfortable or able to lift the pace from your seated position, and you surely will not be able to do it as quickly or violently as when standing.
For our drill, we practiced moving from the seated position at 2.5 W/kg, shifting up (harder) twice while coming out of the saddle and holding 3.0-3.5. After about a minute, we shifted back to our original gearing and sat down. We repeated it a few more times up the climb and then through the Esses before getting ready for the next drill.
Attacking Out of the Saddle
On our next trip up the reverse KOM, we stayed out of the saddle the whole time to work on attacking and bringing our body up to but not over our own redline (think blowing up your engine). The drill was to have a short but massive acceleration and then settling in at 3.5 W/kg before returning to 2.5 W/kg for a short recovery.
This drill was a bit harder and had us strewn across the mountain, but it showed riders how to manage their efforts. On the climbs, this is extremely important. The price you pay for overdoing it on a climb is exponentially greater than on the flats. On the flats, you can coast or soft pedal a good bit before your momentum completely falls away. On a climb, once you start to lock up, you’re done. It is very difficult to recover on a climb, as the pedaling never gets easier. It is very similar to riding in erg mode on the trainer when you slow your cadence down below 50 RPMs. At that point, you are simply mashing the pedals trying to turn them over. With a lot of effort over some time, you can get it going again, but the cost of energy wasted is tremendous. It’s the same thing on a climb.
Going Too Hard
Since we still had a few minutes, we rolled back to the Esses for the last few minutes of the class. The last, impromptu drill consisted of attacking at an effort over redline any time the grade went above two percent, riding at 2.5 W/kg between zero and two percent, and soft pedaling any descents. The whole purpose of this drill was to show the effects of attacking too hard and/or too often. Sure enough, many legs exploded in the last two minutes of the ride, but everyone got the point: ride smart. On that note, we transitioned to an easy spin for the remaining five minutes of the ride.
Conclusion
Remember, climbing is not much different than sprinting when it comes to having or taking an advantage. Sure, some people are naturally predisposed to be better climbers than others due to size, but the ability to time attacks and manage one’s effort can neutralize any size advantage. Plus, throwing down a crazy-hard attack may just get you away, as the traditional climbers may not think you can hold it or manage your effort after the attack. The next time you ride the hilly course, Box Hill, or the Volcano Climb, practice laying down some attacks and managing the efforts. Start easy and build up, just to see what you can do. If you know your limits, you can develop your tactics accordingly.
That’s it for this week. Next week we will go back to covering bridging a gap, but we will focus on doing it after a natural split in the bunch rather than an attack. Until then, Ride On!
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