Zwifting - I think I need help!

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

No need to start pedalling. Zwift defies the UCI:
Zwift: ‘The super tuck is here to stay’ inside the game]
On the heels of the UCI's decision to ban the position outside, the world's largest cycling game doubles down on its aerodynamic benefit.

Phew!

[L CC]

My cockwomble avatar is resisting going into the supertuck. We have had words and I'll see how she goes, or I might be sacking the stupid skinny-looking thing.

[drossall]

Stage 8 was fun. Laps of London doing 35-40kph in the he bunches for 170W.
And a PB on the course seemed to get me 250xp as well.

I am strangely enjoying it.

I like the flat group rides for that reason. I've done some at nearly 25mph, which is out of the question for the real me. It's quite realistic on the hilly ones - I just drop off as soon as the road turns up

I'll probably do the Paris one tonight because it's shorter and I've got limited time today. Maybe London at the weekend if it's still open.

[chrisbainbridge]

I joined late so have 1 and 2 to do then had a glitch on 6 so have that to do as well to finish the whole thing

[Legs]

TdZ catch-up week is 13-20 February.

[Chris S]

I joined late so have 1 and 2 to do then had a glitch on 6 so have that to do as well to finish the whole thing

Yeah, I only have three, but I'm having a lot of trouble summoning any fucks to give, TBH.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

They invited me to do the group Uber Pretzel next Saturday:o   Looks like a bridge too far for me but I will have go.  It is only one lap..

[chrisbainbridge]

Hopefully should get one done this weekend and then the other two during the week.

[grams]

Am I weird for wanting an elevation graph that's legible, relevant to the course I'm on and runs consistently from left to right?

[chrisbainbridge]

Am I weird for wanting an elevation graph that's legible, relevant to the course I'm on and runs consistently from left to right?

NO!  That really annoys me.  The elevation graph is too small. doesn't seem to be intuitive and just not right

[Legs]

Did my second Newbury Velo TT on Tempus Fugit this morning - NP of 284W for 26:02.  Not exactly setting the world alight but 41 seconds faster than a fortnight ago, so heading in the right direction! 

[gibbo]

Am I weird for wanting an elevation graph that's legible, relevant to the course I'm on and runs consistently from left to right?

NO!  That really annoys me.  The elevation graph is too small. doesn't seem to be intuitive and just not right

There are several things about the software that aren't great, IMO. Just one is when you finish a route and fancy choosing another you have no option other to quit and log back in.

[Legs]

Why can't you change your bike and kit without starting a ride?
Why can't you find out your progress on challenges without starting a ride?
Why does the companion app show you people's age and height, but not their weight or FTP?
Why is event spectating so complicated?
Why can you not specify your weight to decimal places of a kilogram?  (I'm currently in imperial because 73.5kg ~ 162lb)

[L CC]

You can specify your weight to fractions of a kilogram but you have to do it in Zwift itself, rather than the website or the companion app.

You can also go from one route to another without leaving, but it's a hack : set up a meetup. Zwift will save your effort as two rides, which is a bit of a pain if you want it as a single activity for Strava/ Training Peaks/ whatever. I have Zwift on my phone that I never use for Zwifting, just for changing my outfit /bike when I'm not in the game, checking where I am in challenges, how far to levelling up or which badges I'm missing.

It surprises/appals me how much of the structure of the game is legacy stuff from when Jon Mayfield made it to give himself something to look at when he was training.

[Legs]

Thanks for that!

I'd initially had Zwift on my phone for the purposes you suggest, but had deleted it because it guzzles the battery.

I was aware of the meetup hack, but it's a bit wank.  I'm always a bit nervous about exiting activities because Zwift is not great at saving and processing activities, and my laptop often gets the Blue Circle of Doom (Not Responding) when transitioning.  I did a TT a few weeks ago and Zwiftpower has been unable to get the FIT file data.  Apparently that sometimes happens if you exit too quickly after crossing the finish line.  Since then, I'll always softpedal to at least the end of the current mile (picking up the XP!).  But I did another TT on Saturday which shows up fine in Zwiftpower but it's not registered properly on my Zwift profile and hasn't come through to Strava. 

[Legs]

... Apparently that sometimes happens if you exit too quickly after crossing the finish line.  Since then, I'll always softpedal to at least the end of the current mile (picking up the XP!)...

This reminds me - how irritating is it that you can't bring up analysis on part of a ride - the power, speed, cadence stats in Zwift for my rides are all lower than they ought to be because they take the enforced cool-down into account!

[L CC]

Get yourself into metric ASAP - more XP that way!

I was aware of the meetup hack, but it's a bit wank. 

Yup.
I feel like this about so much of it. It feels like it would be so so easy to just sort out these stupid niggles- but it obviously isn't or they would have done it- users have been complaining for ever.

I did a TT a few weeks ago and Zwiftpower has been unable to get the FIT file data. 

Ever since Zwift bought ZP and brought it in house this has been happening. It's not how soon you exit, it's the connection between Zwift and Zwiftpower. One man ("sticky") used to run ZP, but it was brought into Zwift and has been a bit shit ever since. If you do big events (Tour de Zwift at popular times, WTRL ZRL) your stats just don't get brought over properly.
They've grown faster than they have capacity for, thanks to lockdowns.
We want to think that the purpose of Zwift is to give us, the user, a really good experience, but it's not. It's to make money. And while they're still attracting both users and investment income faster than they're shedding users through irritation at the shortcomings, they're still winning.

[Notsototalnewbie]

I started a 90 minute workout by mistake yesterday then thought sod it and forced myself to finish it.

The second I crossed the 'finish line', Zwift quit. The ride shows up in my activities but no other stats. The fit file is 'malformed' according to Strava. First time that's happened.

[gibbo]

I started a 90 minute workout by mistake yesterday then thought sod it and forced myself to finish it.

The second I crossed the 'finish line', Zwift quit. The ride shows up in my activities but no other stats. The fit file is 'malformed' according to Strava. First time that's happened.

I had the same thing recently, not with a workout but on a group 100km ride. Bit pissed off really but given the shit that's going on I've put it down to a first world problem and got over it quickly. Interestingly Zwift/ Zwiftpower did record 97.3km of the ride.

If the FIT file is malformed, according to Zwift, then they can't retrieve the data. I tried to fix the file using an online tool but to no avail.

[Notsototalnewbie]

I started a 90 minute workout by mistake yesterday then thought sod it and forced myself to finish it.

The second I crossed the 'finish line', Zwift quit. The ride shows up in my activities but no other stats. The fit file is 'malformed' according to Strava. First time that's happened.

I had the same thing recently, not with a workout but on a group 100km ride. Bit pissed off really but given the shit that's going on I've put it down to a first world problem and got over it quickly. Interestingly Zwift/ Zwiftpower did record 97.3km of the ride.

If the FIT file is malformed, according to Zwift, then they can't retrieve the data. I tried to fix the file using an online tool but to no avail.

Yeah, I'm certainly not quite as upset as some of the people I found posting on various forums (not this one) when I googled the issue. I wasn't bothered enough to try to fix it and from what you said it might not have worked anyway. I still got the actual exercise and that's the main thing. I'll be a bit put out if it starts happening repeatedly.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Why can't you change your bike and kit without starting a ride?
Why can't you find out your progress on challenges without starting a ride?
Why does the companion app show you people's age and height, but not their weight or FTP?
Why is event spectating so complicated?
Why can you not specify your weight to decimal places of a kilogram?  (I'm currently in imperial because 73.5kg ~ 162lb)

For ages I thought I had missed some way of doing those things (apart from decimal kg, my scales are not that clever!) so I am pleased it's not just me.

I'd a problem the other day when Zwift simply would not let me end a ride when I decided to.  I did a few extra km thanks to that  

[chrisbainbridge]

Managed to finish the TdZ just now by doing stages 2 and 6 today.  Must admit I did expect a slightly bigger confetti shower or something!

[Legs]

Well done Chris.  At least you get the snazzy jersey to keep, though!

[gibbo]

Well done Chris.  At least you get the snazzy jersey to keep, though!

You can even buy the full kit to wear IRL!

[chrisbainbridge]

Well done Chris.  At least you get the snazzy jersey to keep, though!

You can even buy the full kit to wear IRL!

That would be sad!!