Smart trainers and software

[Mr Purple]

New pet hate - people who sit in the pack until the climb on a competitive group ride (Off the MAAP today) and then hit the 'coffee break' button for the climb before turning it off to compete the sprint finish.

Yeah, it's not a race. But that's clearly just cheating. Fair enough if you're actually fried, but don't compete the finish if you're doing that.

Also the idiot who burned me in the climb finish today that was 76kg on Zwiftpower yesterday, and 68kg today.

[warthog1]

Mr P I think you need to do some real aged based racing in a vets club or something. You will smash it and there is no cheating, unlike the make believe races.

[g-boaf]

New pet hate - people who sit in the pack until the climb on a competitive group ride (Off the MAAP today) and then hit the 'coffee break' button for the climb before turning it off to compete the sprint finish.

Yeah, it's not a race. But that's clearly just cheating. Fair enough if you're actually fried, but don't compete the finish if you're doing that.

Also the idiot who burned me in the climb finish today that was 76kg on Zwiftpower yesterday, and 68kg today.

Annoyance #1, if they are the only one beside you and hit the coffee break, just drop to 0 watts, they will then drop to a stand-still and lose the coffee-break. Then you smash it while they roll to a stop. That only works if they are linked to your avatar for the coffee-break.

I did that to someone and you could see him immediately smash 8w/kg for a short while and then he expired. The Zwift racing crowd (on the official forums) actually encourages that way of using Coffee Stop, because they don't encounter it in races. They actually look down on anyone who doesn't race in Zwift as quite inferior.

Annoyance #2 contact Zwift with evidence and get those people banned.

[warthog1]

Annoyance #1, if they are the only one beside you and hit the coffee break, just drop to 0 watts, they will then drop to a stand-still and lose the coffee-break. Then you smash it while they roll to a stop. That only works if they are linked to your avatar for the coffee-break.

I did that to someone and you could see him immediately smash 8w/kg for a short while and then he expired. The Zwift racing crowd (on the official forums) actually encourages that way of using Coffee Stop, because they don't encounter it in races. They actually look down on anyone who doesn't race in Zwift as quite inferior.

Annoyance #2 contact Zwift with evidence and get those people banned.

[g-boaf]

Annoyance #1, if they are the only one beside you and hit the coffee break, just drop to 0 watts, they will then drop to a stand-still and lose the coffee-break. Then you smash it while they roll to a stop. That only works if they are linked to your avatar for the coffee-break.

I did that to someone and you could see him immediately smash 8w/kg for a short while and then he expired. The Zwift racing crowd (on the official forums) actually encourages that way of using Coffee Stop, because they don't encounter it in races. They actually look down on anyone who doesn't race in Zwift as quite inferior.

Annoyance #2 contact Zwift with evidence and get those people banned.

When that anti-coffee break trick was mentioned on the official Zwift forums a whole heap of people were fuming, absolutely erupting:

"oh why do you care"
"it's just a game"
"people are taking things too seriously"
"Zwift should hide coffee break icons" (so others cannot see when it is being used)

I guess these folk are the folks who use that function all the time. I've only ever used it once, I wanted to turn off the chat because some guy was spamming away, well as it turns out when using that coffee stop feature you can't access the settings menu to turn off chat. I've never had the need to use it any other time.

[warthog1]

When that anti-coffee break trick was mentioned on the official Zwift forums a whole heap of people were fuming, absolutely erupting:

"oh why do you care"
"it's just a game"
"people are taking things too seriously"
"Zwift should hide coffee break icons" (so others cannot see when it is being used)

I guess these folk are the folks who use that function all the time. I've only ever used it once, I wanted to turn off the chat because some guy was spamming away, well as it turns out when using that coffee stop feature you can't access the settings menu to turn off chat. I've never had the need to use it any other time.

Have never used it. I am there to exercise, so fail to see the point for my use.

[Mr Purple]

When that anti-coffee break trick was mentioned on the official Zwift forums a whole heap of people were fuming, absolutely erupting:

"oh why do you care"
"it's just a game"
"people are taking things too seriously"
"Zwift should hide coffee break icons" (so others cannot see when it is being used)

Yes, when I looked it up to see what it was this was the sort of conversation that I saw as well.

I don't mind them using it, just don't be an idiot and then contest the finish sprint afterwards. You either care about racing, or you don't. If you use the coffee break you don't.

Another guy took a solo break on the group ride today - sat at 5-6W/kg for a good 20km. And then went on to do almost 100km exactly at 5-6W/kg, and all his rides are 100km at 5-6W/kg. Strangely all his runs are 30km at 4:16min/km.

Pretty sure that's just a number generator.

[g-boaf]

Yeah that's a bot for sure. Never mind the 50yo Korean lady riding at 1200w and 61km/h for hours.

Yes, when I looked it up to see what it was this was the sort of conversation that I saw as well.

One of them was complaining in another topic about not having enough power over some amount of time. I was nearly going to suggest if he put as much effort into riding as he did trolling and sarcastic replies (re: the above and various other things) he'd make some progress. But I'm too well mannered for that.

One thing for sure, don't get in the way of their "coffee breaks" or workout modes on hills or heaven help you...

[Mr Purple]

One of them was complaining in another topic about not having enough power over some amount of time. I was nearly going to suggest if he put as much effort into riding as he did trolling and sarcastic replies (re: the above and various other things) he'd make some progress. But I'm too well mannered for that.

One thing for sure, don't get in the way of their "coffee breaks" or workout modes on hills or heaven help you...

Same as some (not all) of the e-bike riders.

'But I'm not fast enough to keep up otherwise'. No, and if you keep on letting the machine do the actual work you never will be. Absolutely fine if you're older/injured/not interested in fitness, but don't complain about not being able to keep up without doing anything to improve that situation.

E-bikes are at least useful for getting places. But taking shortcuts on an indoor training app is the definition of pointless.

[Arbuckle23]

fail to see the point for my use.

Nature breaks on a longer group ride. I am an old man!

[warthog1]

fail to see the point for my use.

Nature breaks on a longer group ride. I am an old man!

Fair enough! I am up for a pee 2 or 3 times a night too now.

[g-boaf]

fail to see the point for my use.

Nature breaks on a longer group ride. I am an old man!

They should have just put the teleport feature instead.

But no, everyone wants those virtual kms and the associated unlock.

But there is actually a trick around the unlocks on those event rides, if you join the ride and do nothing and wait for the end of the ride you apparently get whatever unlock is provided, be it different cycling kit, a helmet or whatever. I haven't tried it.

[Mr Purple]

First official ‘A’ grade ride today. And I picked a flat JETT 40km ride for it to be extra hard.

Brutal. Averaged 273W for the first 20 minutes (4.5W/kg) and shelled out the back towards the end of the Jungle climb. 270W NP for 31/41 overall.

A certain individual won it with 363W average but the rest were all genuine I think.

Race score down from 702 to 700. The cut off for ‘B’ is 690. Mind you I would have won B by a minute so I’m probably in the right grade.

[am50em]

Norcal on Zwift.

[Mr Purple]

Now that is a guy with power to burn!

I once did a 111km/1660m 'Uber Pretzel' Zwift race. Everyone took off at 5W/kg then quit at 40km.

49 starters, 6 finishers. It was easter, so ate a whole pack of hot cross buns.

[g-boaf]

Now that is a guy with power to burn!

I once did a 111km/1660m 'Uber Pretzel' Zwift race. Everyone took off at 5W/kg then quit at 40km.

49 starters, 6 finishers. It was easter, so ate a whole pack of hot cross buns.

That's because in Zwift nobody likes anything other than "tiny races" preferably on the flattest course possible. If you propose mountains they all quit in protest.

[Mr Purple]

That's because in Zwift nobody likes anything other than "tiny races" preferably on the flattest course possible. If you propose mountains they all quit in protest.

I've noticed they like the 'after party' courses in particular.

These seem carefully calculated to be completely flat for 30-40km and then finish with a climb.

I suspect the design of the courses is to absolutely wreck the actual climbers with repeated attacks on the flat before they get to the climb. It works, unfortunately!

Most of my events from here will be simply keeping in touch with the group as long as possible. The only advantage on having the power to finish mid-field in A grade is that you can actually often dominate the mixed grade/ungraded rides in comparison.

[g-boaf]

I suspect the design of the courses is to absolutely wreck the actual climbers with repeated attacks on the flat before they get to the climb. It works, unfortunately!

Zwift is built for the majority of their riders, they do a lot of UX research into the target users and those target users are definitely not lightweight climbers. That's just how it is.

If they build courses that are mountainous then people will complain and cancel their subscriptions.

Some of the users are very, very noisy whenever they think their preferred flat riding or sit-in and sprint is at risk.

[Mr Purple]

Caught in a bit of a bizarre 8 person A grade race this morning. Came third, but the guy who came first was disqualified into oblivion (no activity on Zwiftpower, Strava or Zwift companion), the A+ rider in our group exploded on the Hilly KOM and we dropped him by three minutes and the other half of A grade finished more than 5 minutes down, including one guy who averaged 2.3W/kg and was 15 minutes slower over 25km.

Amused by the comment of the bloke who placed fifth on Strava 'Please, god, give me a lower category'.

Anyway, it's all good training. Pretty happy with two consecutive 400W+ 'Hilly KOM's' in a ride averaging 4.7W/kg NP.

[Mr Purple]

Just put my Fulgaz membership on hold.

Debating whether to provide any feedback to the administration team as to 'why'. The answer is I've been progressively unhappy with their failure to provide any support for those of us intending to use an indoor training app as a competitive environment.

It's pretty wearing holding hundreds of virtual KOMs and getting multiple 'uh-oh' messages on Strava every week. All invariably consisting of some idiot beating you with 500W at 95bpm, or a quarter of your power.

Not to mention this pretence they have of organising timed events, all being won by the same guy in his 60s on a magnetic resistance dumb trainer with a power output drawn with a straight line through 320W.

At least on Zwift you're not always being beaten by cheats. Often, yes, but not always!

[jasonc]

At least on Zwift you're not always being beaten by cheats. Often, yes, but not always!

this should be zwift's slogan

I would tell fulgaz. if they ignore you, it's on them

[Arbuckle23]

My Zwift will finish soon, as I normally do for summer.
I finish work at the end of the week and now debating if I go back (to Zwift) at the end of April.
As won't be working, I will be able to pick and choose what days and what time I ride, so not sure it will be worth paying for again.

[Mr Purple]

I would tell fulgaz. if they ignore you, it's on them

Yep, I think I'll send an e-mail to some of the support guys I've been working with in ride uploading and editing.

It's just annoying, and a relatively easy fix:
- No dumb trainers in challenges or Strava uploads.
- Limit your weight to something reasonable (even 45kg would be fine, currently people set it at 0kg).
- Take the ability to change CdA away completely (people set it at 0).
- If your numbers would have you winning the Tour de France comfortably, please prove you're actually a professional cyclist.

Doing that would probably lose them about five subscribers (all idiots) and potentially stop them losing hundreds more.

[g-boaf]

At least on Zwift you're not always being beaten by cheats. Often, yes, but not always!

this should be zwift's slogan

I would tell fulgaz. if they ignore you, it's on them

Just don't ride on Alpe du Zwift, nearly every day you'll get someone zooming up there with 4-5 laps done all at 35 minutes each.

[warthog1]

My Zwift will finish soon, as I normally do for summer.
I finish work at the end of the week and now debating if I go back (to Zwift) at the end of April.
As won't be working, I will be able to pick and choose what days and what time I ride, so not sure it will be worth paying for again.

You lucky bugger. Enjoy!
I only use it when away on call and can't ride otherwise.
It is marginally better than not riding.
Haven't used it the last 3 blocks of leave. Won't even set it up next time.