Zwifting - I think I need help!

[grams]

Am I right in thinking corners have zero impact on Zwift physics?

(descending or otherwise)

[L CC]

Yes, corners have no effect.
Trainer difficulty doesn't reduce the slope, it reduces the gearing of the trainer. You don't descend faster at 100% than 20% [these are my training and racing settings].

To get good downhill pace, you need to be heavy with a low cda. Well hello fat short girl, feel free to overtake everything 

[L CC]

My Zwift addiction, as reported back in July '20, has resulted in me doing more virtual km than real life. I managed a year's total (my highest ever) of 9850km of which Zwift accounted for 5869km. So far this year I've done ~750km Zwift and zero real life...

I did a few Audaxes and got a mixed bag of comments from fellow members on here but if I hadn't have done the virtual rides I wouldn't have ridden at all so, for me, that's still better than nothing even if it's not real.

I've also pretty much stopped doing Winter MTB and have gone totally soft. The thought of getting crapped up (me, the bike and the washing machine) by riding through floods and mud then having to spend an hour or so cleaning said bike means the incentive to ride is diminishing, sadly.

That said, I am looking forward to doing group rides with real people again, one day...

Same, same.
2020: indoor: 6800 outdoor 3300
2021: indoor: 580 outdoor sfa

[TimC]

Am I right in thinking corners have zero impact on Zwift physics?

(descending or otherwise)

Correct. If you've used RGT before coming to Zwift, this can be a little disorientating, as RGT does slow for corners.

The physics of Zwift aren't simple, but the principles are fairly straightforward. Zwift calculates your speed as a function of weight, the power your trainer reports, a CdA based  on your height and weight, and the gradient. Other factors such as surface, the bike you're virtually riding etc do come into it, but those four factors are the basis for everything. Trainer difficulty setting does not come into it at all, as it doesn't affect any of those four factors. All it effectively does is change the gearing of your bike, so the cadence changes. You need to put out the same power to achieve the same speed (vertically or horizontally).

[grams]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I tried poking a dog toy in the side but couldn't get much purchase. I'm not sure I can be arsed fitting the proper power meter.

[drossall]

Trainer difficulty setting does not come into it at all, as it doesn't affect any of those four factors. All it effectively does is change the gearing of your bike, so the cadence changes.

As I've said before, this is why I'm happy on a dumb, wheel-on trainer with a single-speed bike. I imagine that my non-existent smart trainer has made pedalling harder, and imagine that I've changed gear in response. Zwift changes gear for me anyway, whatever type of trainer I'm using, because my Zwift bike has more gears than I've ever owned in real life. I realise that it might feel more realistic if I really did have to change, but my limited imagination has proven up to the job so far, and hills still seem harder because I'm heavy and trying to keep up with the featherweights who keep flying past me, whereas on the flat I seem to overtake quite a few of them.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

TBH I don't really compete with other riders that much.  I know my limitations and tend to go at my own pace.  When other riders decide to make a race of it I just keep going and watch to see if they either blow up or leave me trailing.

 I do like to beat my own PRs and do as well as possible in KOMs and it's probably entirely due to this thread that I had a nightmare.  In it I weighed myself after a ride and found that I was several kilos higher than I had declared   All my proud achievements were a lie, weight-doping and I decided to diet religiously knowing it was the only way to ever beat a PR in future.

As soon as got up this morning I was hugely relieved to find I had not really piled on the pounds over Christmas..


 

[citoyen]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I did the Innsbruck Worlds circuit today (the 23km loop with the big climb). Lovely long descent with several sections >10%. Perfect for experimenting with the supertuck! This has really enhanced the zwifting experience for me. Many thanks to whoever first mentioned it here - I would probably never have known about it otherwise.

[TimC]

Trainer difficulty setting does not come into it at all, as it doesn't affect any of those four factors. All it effectively does is change the gearing of your bike, so the cadence changes.

As I've said before, this is why I'm happy on a dumb, wheel-on trainer with a single-speed bike. I imagine that my non-existent smart trainer has made pedalling harder, and imagine that I've changed gear in response. Zwift changes gear for me anyway, whatever type of trainer I'm using, because my Zwift bike has more gears than I've ever owned in real life. I realise that it might feel more realistic if I really did have to change, but my limited imagination has proven up to the job so far, and hills still seem harder because I'm heavy and trying to keep up with the featherweights who keep flying past me, whereas on the flat I seem to overtake quite a few of them.

I don't quite get how Zwift is changing gears for you - unless your imagination is doing that bit too!

[chrisbainbridge]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I did the Innsbruck Worlds circuit today (the 23km loop with the big climb). Lovely long descent with several sections >10%. Perfect for experimenting with the supertuck! This has really enhanced the zwifting experience for me. Many thanks to whoever first mentioned it here - I would probably never have known about it otherwise.

I did the same on Friday. Brilliant. I almost wanted to climb off and let it run on its own.

[Lightning Phil]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I did the Innsbruck Worlds circuit today (the 23km loop with the big climb). Lovely long descent with several sections >10%. Perfect for experimenting with the supertuck! This has really enhanced the zwifting experience for me. Many thanks to whoever first mentioned it here - I would probably never have known about it otherwise.

I did the same on Friday. Brilliant. I almost wanted to climb off and let it run on its own.

Funny you mention that. I was on a downhill section on RGT and needed a pee. So climbed off, did my business, then got back on, and bike still descending quite happily.

[citoyen]

Funny you mention that. I was on a downhill section on RGT and needed a pee. So climbed off, did my business, then got back on, and bike still descending quite happily.

Genius! 

In all seriousness, it's very useful to be able to spend some time out of the saddle after 35 minutes of solid climbing. Really need to get a different turbo that allows standing.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I did the Innsbruck Worlds circuit today (the 23km loop with the big climb). Lovely long descent with several sections >10%. Perfect for experimenting with the supertuck! This has really enhanced the zwifting experience for me. Many thanks to whoever first mentioned it here - I would probably never have known about it otherwise.

I did the same on Friday. Brilliant. I almost wanted to climb off and let it run on its own.

It was FBOAB did it. 

And I think it is quite fair to make use of it.  After all, when I have struggled up some humungous climb for hours, getting hardly any points per minute it's nice to be given the option to take it easy on the descent and rake in the easy points that I feel I really have earned. 

Apart from anything else, after it gets to 8% I can't pedal fast enough!

[Lightning Phil]

Funny you mention that. I was on a downhill section on RGT and needed a pee. So climbed off, did my business, then got back on, and bike still descending quite happily.

Genius! 

In all seriousness, it's very useful to be able to spend some time out of the saddle after 35 minutes of solid climbing. Really need to get a different turbo that allows standing.

I do turbo on recumbent , so can happily do hours without discomfort. Just a normal comfortable outing on the recumbent but without the fun of leaning round fast down hills, that you get outside.   I did a few 150km sessions on turbo in first lockdown.  But generally I just reserve turbo for high intensity intervals (not longer than just over an hour) saving the long rides for outside.  RGT premium was free start of lockdown last year , so I did some laps of the big climbs such as Stelvio and Ventoux and magic roads back then.

[citoyen]

I don't quite get how Zwift is changing gears for you - unless your imagination is doing that bit too!

I think I get it...

I usually aim to maintain a steady(ish) cadence and power output, which means when resistance increases (you start going uphill), you change gear to compensate.

If your trainer is operating at fixed resistance and you're on a single speed, when the gradient on screen increases, you just pretend you've dropped down the gears to be able to keep going at the same power/cadence.

[L CC]

I tried a supertuck on the descent from Box Hill but it took so long for the flywheel to spin down that it didn't happen until right at the bottom.

I did the Innsbruck Worlds circuit today (the 23km loop with the big climb). Lovely long descent with several sections >10%. Perfect for experimenting with the supertuck! This has really enhanced the zwifting experience for me. Many thanks to whoever first mentioned it here - I would probably never have known about it otherwise.

I did the same on Friday. Brilliant. I almost wanted to climb off and let it run on its own.

It was FBOAB did it. 

And I think it is quite fair to make use of it.  After all, when I have struggled up some humungous climb for hours, getting hardly any points per minute it's nice to be given the option to take it easy on the descent and rake in the easy points that I feel I really have earned. 

Apart from anything else, after it gets to 8% I can't pedal fast enough!

The real win is where you make a workout, optimising the interval length for XP accrual (https://zwiftinsider.com/xp-for-cycling-workouts/ ), that you ride up the Alpe. You finish the workout at the top, having gained more XP than you would in a free ride, as workout XP is based on time, not distance. You will have earned climbing metres towards the tron bike, too. Finish the workout just before the banner. At the top, you get XP on the spinner (having already got the gloves /helmet /Lightweight Wheels) and then set your avatar descending as you go in the shower.

It's a game. You can game, games.

This weekend my training plan had me down for 3 hours Saturday and 2.5 Sunday.
Saturday wasn't too bad - I did the last route badge but today I pootled up the volcano in TDZ part 5 and still had an hour to do. I lost the will a bit after that.

[drossall]

Trainer difficulty setting does not come into it at all, as it doesn't affect any of those four factors. All it effectively does is change the gearing of your bike, so the cadence changes.

As I've said before, this is why I'm happy on a dumb, wheel-on trainer with a single-speed bike. I imagine that my non-existent smart trainer has made pedalling harder, and imagine that I've changed gear in response. Zwift changes gear for me anyway, whatever type of trainer I'm using, because my Zwift bike has more gears than I've ever owned in real life. I realise that it might feel more realistic if I really did have to change, but my limited imagination has proven up to the job so far, and hills still seem harder because I'm heavy and trying to keep up with the featherweights who keep flying past me, whereas on the flat I seem to overtake quite a few of them.

I don't quite get how Zwift is changing gears for you - unless your imagination is doing that bit too!

That's exactly what it does. When I hit a hill, I'm pedalling at the same rate and effort, but going slower. Because Zwift has geared me down and pushed the effort required up; these two cancel each other out.

[TimC]

Gotcha.

[citoyen]

NB for anyone thinking of doing the Watopia Jungle Circuit as a nice short one - it has a 5.7km lead-in before the start. That's 5.7km on a 7.9km circuit. FFS! 

My quick lunchtime session went on somewhat longer than intended.

Note to self: check out all untested routes on Zwift Insider before riding in future.

[PaulF]

NB for anyone thinking of doing the Watopia Jungle Circuit as a nice short one - it has a 5.7km lead-in before the start. That's 5.7km on a 7.9km circuit. FFS! 

My quick lunchtime session went on somewhat longer than intended.

Note to self: check out all untested routes on Zwift Insider before riding in future.

I find https://zwifthub.com/ a more user friendly way of checking routes

[citoyen]

I find https://zwifthub.com/ a more user friendly way of checking routes

Useful, thanks.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

NB for anyone thinking of doing the Watopia Jungle Circuit as a nice short one - it has a 5.7km lead-in before the start. That's 5.7km on a 7.9km circuit. FFS! 

My quick lunchtime session went on somewhat longer than intended.

Note to self: check out all untested routes on Zwift Insider before riding in future.

I find https://zwifthub.com/ a more user friendly way of checking routes

Beware the Tour of Fire and Ice.  Half way into it is the Alpe du Zwift    Climbing it is the second half.

[L CC]

Is this the point where I gloat that I have all the route badges?

Ah, OK. I'll save that for later then.

[drossall]

Considering that the longest is over 100 miles, that's some serious riding. You could probably go up a whole level in one ride with that

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

An end to data doping: could this body motion sensor revolutionise indoor cycling?
Incus founder in talks with two indoor cycling platforms about how body measurement tech could level up e-sports

The Incus Nova, which weighs 30g, costs £199 and is worn at the top of the spine, inserted within specifically designed Incus clothing. It uses MARG (magnetic, angular rate and gravity) and environmental sensors to map body movement.

I'll wait till the price drops. A lot..

Apparently Zwift do have ways of computing performance checks already.  Competitors receive a flying pig GIF if they are sceptical.