Zwift Chat

[<Tommy>]

Well done guys! Superb 💪 👍

The Danish are always amongst the toughest nuts to crack aren’t they! Both because there seems to be a small army of them, and also because they have so many really strong cyclists.

Is the ‘results’ column showing total number of results across the series? If so the BZR team / one bloke (?), who finished up 4th had a pretty solid seirrw

The individual C cat winner is easily a B cat contender, his average HR 50bpm below peak. Literally cruising in zone 1 then dropping 1140W sprint to win

Think this is the same across all the categories really isn’t it? The grey area between the category boundaries as it were…. But I’ve noticed people sometimes get a bit touchy when you mention it, so probably best not to 😇

 

[mjd1988]

I've just noticed the Garmin app now estimates a vo2 max and a "cycling vo2 max" is that new? Think it only used to have one reading.

 

[Whorty]

The individual C cat winner is easily a B cat contender, his average HR 50bpm below peak. Literally cruising in zone 1 then dropping 1140W sprint to win

Yes, he won 4 of the 5 races and came 3rd in a bunch sprint on the one he didn't win. He wins most C races he joins .. .he unfortunately is a B rider that knows how to play the game and keeps himself in C to sandbag the races. Bugger all you can do though so no point worrying about it.

I was on my @rse last night, holding on at the end. Nearly dropped a few times over that last 2-3 km .... thankfully I had a bit left to hang on to wheels and out sprint the cap in 3rd but I was totally drained afterwards. Had to lie down for 10 mins before my shower which is unusual.

Merry Christmas everyone. 🎄🎅🦃🍮🍷🍾

Back at ya

 

[<Tommy>]

I've just noticed the Garmin app now estimates a vo2 max and a "cycling vo2 max" is that new? Think it only used to have one reading.

you know what the difference is?

 

[<Tommy>]

Yes, he won 4 of the 5 races and came 3rd in a bunch sprint on the one he didn't win. He wins most C races he joins .. .he unfortunately is a B rider that knows how to play the game and keeps himself in C to sandbag the races. Bugger all you can do though so no point worrying about it.

I was on my @rse last night, holding on at the end. Nearly dropped a few times over that last 2-3 km .... thankfully I had a bit left to hang on to wheels and out sprint the cap in 3rd but I was totally drained afterwards. Had to lie down for 10 mins before my shower which is unusual.



Back at ya

😄

All good Carl 👍

It actually reminded me of a guy in zsunr who bounces between A and B (mostly sat at the top of B). It’s obvious what he’s doing. Super comfortable most of the time in a B race so he’s always got reserves for the climbs and sprint. In fact he has zwift power open constantly to monitor his and the people around him in races power number. He’s an A cat rider in everything but name. Like you way, what can you do…

 

[CXRAndy]

Well done guys! Superb 💪 👍

The Danish are always amongst the toughest nuts to crack aren’t they! Both because there seems to be a small army of them, and also because they have so many really strong cyclists.

Is the ‘results’ column showing total number of results across the series? If so the BZR team / one bloke (?), who finished up 4th had a pretty solid seirrw



Think this is the same across all the categories really isn’t it? The grey area between the category boundaries as it were…. But I’ve noticed people sometimes get a bit touchy when you mention it, so probably best not to 😇

If you look at his ZP history. He has ridden B cats done fairly well. His ave HR for B cat was around mid 150s peaking at 170 ish. That's what I would call having a good hard race effort. His C cat efforts were 120 ave HR which is pedestrian.

He has for purposely dropped into C so could win virtually all the events with ease in DBVR series

Nothing you can really do apart from point out to him when he appears in C events that he's a capable B cat rider.

 

[<Tommy>]

If you look at his ZP history. He has ridden B cats done fairly well. His ave HR for B cat was around mid 150s peaking at 170 ish. That's what I would call having a good hard race effort. His C cat efforts were 120 ave HR which is pedestrian.

He has for purposely dropped into C so could win virtually all the events with ease in DBVR series

Nothing you can really do apart from point out to him when he appears in C events that he's a capable B cat rider.

No doubt…

But what can you do honestly. As I said above every cat is littered with them. Well, apart from A+ I guess. And this is just the most obvious stuff. Just assume a large portion of zwifter weight dope too.

 

[CXRAndy]

I will be moving up to C for Crits initially, to help boost my peak power and make me run at an average higher power.

My last D cat Crit where I was comfortable for most of the event- crapped the finish-shoddy tactics by me. Never the less my ave W/kg puts me just into C now

 

[mjd1988]

you know what the difference is?

Guess it makes sense that you adapt for each sport but presumably one builds the other. Significantly higher number now which is good!

Yeah there are definitely shades of sandbagging. Some people are so far over the line though it is ridiculous. That example of someone with a HR of 120- in the long term it must be deconditioning for fitness? You also see people who enter multiple races in a day and win them all

 

[Whorty]

View attachment 623073

😄

All good Carl 👍

It actually reminded me of a guy in zsunr who bounces between A and B (mostly sat at the top of B). It’s obvious what he’s doing. Super comfortable most of the time in a B race so he’s always got reserves for the climbs and sprint. In fact he has zwift power open constantly to monitor his and the people around him in races power number. He’s an A cat rider in everything but name. Like you way, what can you do…

It's quite common that people have ZP open to watch their power to keep within boundaries ... but, the game is there to be played so nothing you can do about it.

More annoying is when someone with a B cat rides in a C race (we had 10+ last night). This means they chase down any attacks so there is no point attacking, they pull on the front so the stronger C's can sit in and wait for the sprint without having to work as hard, and they generally interfere with the race. But again, nothing you can do to stop this so hey ho!

 

[Johnsop99]

Well, that "recovery" ride went rather well. ZP doesn't tell the whole story though. On zwift companion I was 9th/30 on the road so 23 DQ'd/DNF! Leith Hill after Party. I managed to hang on to the lead group till the bottom of the hill before getting dropped. Appears that everyone who dropped me were sandbaggers!

 

[<Tommy>]

More annoying is when someone with a B cat rides in a C race

I think they can be one and the same though really. That B cat guy is the same as the C cat guy. Just not as adept at hiding it maybe.

 

[<Tommy>]

I will be moving up to C for Crits initially, to help boost my peak power and make me run at an average higher power.

My last D cat Crit where I was comfortable for most of the event- crapped the finish-shoddy tactics by me. Never the less my ave W/kg puts me just into C now

Those crit races are a bit of an outlier aren’t they. Fantastic workout and also great if you want to make the jump up a division. Not so great if you want to stay in the division thats more realistic for your average race.

Is there a case for changing the cat boundaries specific for this races maybe?

 

[Whorty]

Those crit races are a bit of an outlier aren’t they. Fantastic workout and also great if you want to make the jump up a division. Not so great if you want to stay in the division thats more realistic for your average race.

Is there a case for changing the cat boundaries specific for this races maybe?

Would prefer a points based categorisation .... would stop sandbagging dead in it's tracks as anyone winning lots of races would automatically be bumped up. Be so much harder to game a system based on points, but the current system is much easier.

Would also mean the D races are better represented too, with proper D racers rather than the odd D and the rest B's (why is it most often the B's that race out of cat?)

 

[bridgy]

Does changing weights complicate that as it'll wind up on zwiftpower?

Ah yeah that's a very good point which I'd forgotten about. Scrap that idea then!