Well, my Zwift went to shit. First of all my Macbook wouldn’t log on (it’s getting old). Then I went for iPad, no issues, selected what I thought was Ventop but after doing 20km on the flat, I realised I was on the wrong route. (I went through the 'Balloon Field?)
Figured I’d go back into Paris and get a cheap badge on the Champs but after 7km, the rendering broke down to be all but useless. I know it’s not my wifi, I think my h/w is just getting on.
I have zero issues in races or club rides when there are few people. I think my Mac is 1o yrs old and my iPad mini 32gb is 7yrs old.
Had issues ‘in France’ today, tried the Petit Boucle, got to just past the turn off to the Ventoux lower slopes where there was a shit load of people either on the side of the road or just setting off and Zwift just dropped out, re-started “do you want to resume?” hit yes and it just sent me up Ventoux instead of turning off, carried on to a total of 2600ft climbed and binned it, bastard.
I come from a different era but in Sydney (and most of Oz), when I started riding, I very quickly got interested in racing. I knew handling wouldn’t be an issue from the moto racing.
What I didn’t realise though, was how relatively quickly I got into it. Back then, if you were in a club, you raced. You couldn’t get a Aus Cycling licence without being in a club and there weren’t really anything like ‘club associate members’. (there could be now).
Through that I almost straight away got into TTs. I bought a TT bike because I thought everybody else did. The TTs led me to tri (instead of the other way around).
I didn’t really realise there was any other type of riding, except mtb (and we didn’t mix with those stoners )
To be fair, that may just be my angle as I’ve had nothing to do with cycling at all, beyond riding my mtb about 15 miles a day as a kid to see my mates!
In the first lockdown we were all convinced all the zwift racers would hit the road and circuit races and cause utter carnage, but of course racing still hasn’t started, is it going to be even worse after a year I wonder!
When racing does start up again, there’s usually crit racing at westpoint - as you can imagine not the most exciting circuit! But there’s some nice road circuits with proper hill efforts, all 2/3/4 though so you get an absolute spanking, but that generally applies to all road races outside the southeast and slightly lesser extent northeast.
When I arrived in the UK, I was coming out of C Grade. (I got up to B but back issues saw me go down a grade). I then applied for my race licence with BC and got exempted from Cat4 and straight to Cat3.
IIRC, my first race was at Goodwood and it was windy and wet AF. A club mate said to watch out for the D graders as we were going through but TBH, there were crashes in all grades. D was worst but the long lay off over winter was showing.
People were racing like it was mid season and dry and had not lost any of their skill (which they had). I stayed upright and finished in the main bunch. TBH, I was glad it was over.
In Sydney, they cancel races in the wet for insurance. It was a learning curve for sure racing over here.
Hmm, if I expand my race ranking I get this, which explains it I think, looks like 5 races?
I’ll just leave it as voodoo and try harder
Race Ranking 293.57 pts in 4,190th
Category 2,264th
Age Group 327th
Weight Group 1,804th
Team 1st
Country 830th
Best 5: 227.31, 259.99, 313.32, 332.83, 334.40
…I reckon I could do 305W for an hour now. Maybe 310W at a push. Possibly 315W with a number on my back. At least that’s how I’d be pacing a 25TT, if I felt good.
Just learning how to hurt is good.
I’m going to “sandbag” to remain in B, unlike Nick
Just learn how it works.
It wasn’t too busy in Watopia last night - I bagged 2 climbers’ jerseys on the figure of 8 circuit and I weigh 95kg, so all the “real” climbers must have been elsewhere
I cannot see Bike racing taking any kind of big boost. Zwift racing is what it is: convenient. Thousands of people are not going to start going through the monetary, logistical and administrative FAFF, of going to IRL bike races.
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