Ygduf

I figure you all should put as much stock into zwift power numbers as you do strava koms.

Maybe they mean 5w/kg for whoever is on front, and 3/wkg or tempo for everyone sitting in. 5.5 for 5 minutes with 8min rest might be doable for me outside for like.. an hour. It would be challenging. Indoors I doubt I could do it more than once.

globecanvas

I did 5.5 for 5 minutes once. In a race. While getting dropped by that same 5 w/kg tempo guy. Chased back on though. But got dropped again on the next hill after a few more minutes at 5.5. Chased back on though. But got dropped again on the next hill after a few more minutes at 5.5.

Hey, maybe I should do these training rides!

Ygduf

Rossi does a lot of his work on the trainer. Says that if you can hit a certain power/time on the trainer, doing it outdoors is easy. Mental toughness (which I don't yet have) is probably Gary's biggest strength. Training in a hotbox cinderblock basement staring a blank wall makes you hard!

gsteinb

of course I'm training in an air conditioned, carpeted basement, with oak built-ins, and a lake view.

globecanvas

But I heard you had to let your palm frond waving minion go, when they raised the minimum wage. Thanks Obama!

gsteinb

One of the nice things about training indoors, which I suspect that Zwift folks will come to appreciate, is the repeatability of intervals. If I had a 20-25 minute climb nearby I'd be an outdoor training advocate.

Grumpy McTrumpy

One thing that comes to mind:

In Graeme Obree's book on training, he mentions that his mag trainer (which he had modified to be dead-solid perfect in terms of repeatable results for intervals regardless of temperature) would be the *first thing he would save in a house fire*

Ygduf

I prefer to picture it more like a jail cell where you pee in a sink.

globecanvas

I feel bad for his kids.

Rich Gibson 

Sheesh that's depressing! At 73 I ride for an hour and a half, reach 24 miles and average 1.0 w/g.

I tried Zwift but I use a smartphone for my s/c, power and hrm sensor and it doesn't work. I'll have to buy a dongle now to plug into my laptop if I want to use it. Given that everyone will be passing me anyway it doesn't seem like too much of a benefit.

Rich

carpediemracing 

I should be back on Zwift for real in a few days. My trainer is whacked, my SRM battery (spider) is whacked.

I have a new to me trainer.

I should be replacing the battery soon.

I hope to have the insoles I first tried yesterday (made me feel super solid on the bike, not that I'm not already solid enough).

Grumpy McTrumpy

The climb today wasn't 5.5w/kg. It was 6.5.

I watched them go up the road.

globecanvas

90 minutes @ 5.2 w/kg (AP!) for the guy on the front ... that's just mean.

gsteinb

shrug.that would be me at race weight holding 40 watts over my 5 min pr for 12 mins?

Grumpy McTrumpy

Not 12 but 3:45. Then keeping to the AP required to make 5.2 for 90 minutes with a hard climb every lap.

gsteinb

oh. certainly shifts the frame. need to ponder the numbers

Grumpy McTrumpy

In the past when I have seen a 3:45 time on that climb it had always been dubious data. If it were not someone I have actually raced in real life I would have made the same assumption today. Still it's possible that it's a generous wahoo kickr

Ygduf

do the zwift people come to your house and verify your weight? 5.2 for 90 minutes would win about every race I have been in.

6.5 for 3:45 or whatever is beyond my all-time pr for that duration and they're doing that repeatedly on a trainer? gtfo. Unless this is some pro team full of 20 year old phenoms.

TheKillerPenguin

Finkraft sits curmudgeonly at the tip top of the east coast watts masters FTP pyramid.

globecanvas

Like grumpy said, it could be a generous trainer. I doubt they are fibbing about their weight. They are not curmudgeons but they are usually the strongest guys in any given race at this level.

https://www.road-results.com/team/10703

TheKillerPenguin

Curmudgeonly was meant as a term of endearment, they're universally friendly dudes. I'm only friends with one of them on Strava but his data makes sense from what I've seen when riding with him.

gsteinb

I may never use Zwift, but I like this thread. Nice work Shovel.

Ygduf

@mattm and I have raced p12 against the team that put 5 dudes in the top 10 at elite nats. I do not beat them, but in a pure w/kg hillclimb it took the champ like 20 minutes to gap me. Repeatable 6+ for 3+ minutes should allow them to ride away any time there is a terrain feature which reduces draft advantage.

If those are legit honest-to-god numbers those guys should be terrified of increased testing.

shovelhd

Thank you gsteinb. You approved it.

It's very easy to cheat at Zwift with any kind of roller based trainer by backing off the tension. I've got my Bushido dialed in to the middle of the green band.

I missed last nights racing because I was getting pre-approval for next year's club road race from the town that almost shut us down this year. Priorities. I have been looking forward to these races though. Next week. My club now has a Virtual Ride section in our forum. This is going to grow.

globecanvas

@Ygduf, don't [strike]go to Europe[/strike] race east coast masters.