2023 Cruzbike Summer Challenge

CruzLike

CruzLike

Guru
Hello Zwift Tribe


Just recently Zwift has released a new version of the game. This new version includes 8 climbs made famous by the Tour De France. These are located in a “Climb Portal”


I would like to “throw down the gauntlet” and challenge all to some hill climbs.


If you beat me up all 8 of the climbs you win a CB T-shirt.

If you don't win. You have the glow that remains from a close competition. That is all.


About myself. On Zwift I'm a high D rider. I'm currently over 210 lbs and have not ridden for a month. 210 is a lot to drag up the hills.


To read more, see your email from Zwift about rel. 1.43. or click this link. Climb Portal



The Challenge: Ride all 8 TDF Climbs between June 30 and July 30, 2023 faster than Ken


Rules:

+ Post ride to Strava and send link to Kholzhausen1@comcast.net.

+ You can begin riding as soon as July 1. Or begin later, it's up to you.

+ Ride eligibility will end Aug 1, 2023. Send a link prior to Aug 3.

+ Riders must weigh themselves and ensure their Zwift profile is current.

+ Any bike can be used. If you are lucky enough to catch a draft uphill, more power to you.

+ Rides will be counted individually. Not timed as in succession like the TDF.

+ Routes can be ridden multiple times to improve your time.



The following idea is still a little sketchy. Additional discussion necessary.

Bonus Rides:

The fastest riders will be placed in brackets and run head-to-head up the climb. Only TT bikes will be used. Additional details and rules to follow.



Please reply to thread if you would like to take part. Or just send me a link to a Strava ride.

I will begin posting my ride times next week as I complete them.
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I'm in Ken - Thanks for putting this together. I have only ridden a few times since Oct, so this will be interesting.
I went out today - and could barely avg 150 watts- a year ago I could ride 25mph for 4 hours, now I can barely ride 21mph for 1 hour!! :(
Now that the Cruzeum building is done, I intend to get back on the bike and train more.
 
CruzLike

CruzLike

Guru
I'm echoing Larry's experience. Just finished one of the easy climbs, Cote De Trebiac @ 17:37 https://www.strava.com/activities/9377666357
I started like gang busters, then settled into a rhythm and a short time later I was huffing and puffing. I'm counting this up to practice. I plan to do this again hoping to better my time.

To Find the Climb Portal, Go to the Home screen in Zwift. On the top row select the challenge that has a date of Jul 1-Aug 1. and is light blue. This will take you to a screen that asks if you want to join the Climb portal. Select yes and you are in.

On the warm up to the climb, it looks like Watopia or France. When you get near the beginning of the climb, you will turn off the common path and head toward a portal similar to the one Austin Powers used to go back in time.

The ride was a little different. I expected a course that was on par with Alpe Du Zwift. It was much simpler set of graphics. The path was color coded for the gradient. That was helpful when going thru the steep sections. The other misnomer was 2.86 miles @ 4.2%. The grade on this climb was all over the place. Over 20 and a short time downhill. I expected it to be a steady grade.

Come and ride. This might be an easy way to get a T-shirt.
 
trplay

trplay

Zen MBB Master
I'm in but if I climb up all 8 routes faster than Ken I'll expect a new Vendetta. Are you listening Lucia?
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I just finished my ride of Cote De Trebiac @ 15:57 https://www.strava.com/activities/9392753913/analysis/249/1206
Climb Portal - Mont Saint-Michel in France.jpeg
II know I am as weak as I have ever been, but to add insult to injury: that Zwift reports avg power at 177w when I clearly rode each of the 9 segments of the climb at powers higher than that - see image below. (Maybe it is including the warm up?)
Strava shows average power for the Cote De Trebiac segment as 196w, which makes more sense - although still sadly weak! :( - but what can I expect since I have only ridden a handfull of times since last Oct, and only l have 1/2 a heart to boot!
1688562545261.png

Your turn Hardy (and Connie too) - Yeah - also waiting for @Jim and @Maria to ride this one!
 
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trplay

trplay

Zen MBB Master
This is Connie. I’m in if I can figure out all the particulars. I’ve got my go to guy to help me.
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I completed the 2nd of the climbs in Stage 1 this morning: Col de Aravis - time of 20:43 (something to shoot for Ken!)

Follow Larry on Strava to see this activity. Join for free.

Join Larry and get inspired for your next workout
www.strava.com www.strava.com

Definitely a little harder than the Cote De Trebiac I did 2 days ago - this one took me about 5 mins longer at basically the same avg power.
I still finished it in about 1/2 the time it said an average rider would - so not sure where they are getting those estimates from - cuase I know I am way below average at this point! :rolleyes:
 
CruzLike

CruzLike

Guru
Hi Team
2 down. I marched up Col de Aravis this morning. This morning my approach was a little different, better. I rode around Watopia for 15 minutes to get a nice long warm-up. I put some ice cubes in my water bottle. I rode the 1-mile lead-in to the climb with a ramp in speed prior to the portal. I was hoping to carry some momentum into the climb. With all those going for me, I eked out 22:45. Well past Larry's climb. Well done Larry.

Here are the current standings.
1688831024340.png

While riding, this climb. I didn't run out of air. A couple weeks ago I had the bright idea to sleep with the window open. (I do this many nights in the spring and fall,) What was different was the air quality. Canadian forest fire smoke was heavy. I looked similar to fog. I awoke at 4am congested. I spent an hour in the lazyboy watching TV and hacking. I thought everything had passed. When I exert myself, I feel it in my lungs first. Cote De Trebiac I remember thinking, I wish I could breathe more air. Today's ride was better.

As you can see. There is room on the spread sheet for your name. It's not to late to start. Come join us, It's "fun".
 
trplay

trplay

Zen MBB Master
Trebiac at 19.22 still trying to figure out how to send you the data. This may work? 1688912831921.jpeg
 
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CruzLike

CruzLike

Guru
 That's great Jeff.
BTW, being our local Frenchman.

Do any of the climbs translate interestingly?

Do you have any experience with any of the routes either by bike or lesser modes of traveling?
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
I've decided to tackle them in order of increasig "hardness", so I am going to ride Cote de Pike tomorrow morning at 8am (if there are any takers for riding together) :)
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
trplay said:
Trebiac at 19.22 still trying to figure out how to send you the data. This may work?
Click to expand...
Great ride Hardy - Not sure if you do this, but I have all my Zwift rides automatically uploaded to Strava - the climb segment will show up in Strava - and all you have to do is send your Strava link to Ken.
 
M

Marquisdesod

Member
CruzLike said:
 That's great Jeff.
BTW, being our local Frenchman.

Do any of the climbs translate interestingly?

Do you have any experience with any of the routes either by bike or lesser modes of traveling?
Click to expand...
The only climb in category I have done in France was the Col de la Forclaz, however , thankfully, in a car! :) And , unless Platzerwassel means something cute in Alsatian , the others are just names of locations.
Jeff
 
CruzLike

CruzLike

Guru
Hi All
Just this morning I completed another climb. Cote de Pike. Larry gave me a blistering time to chase. The difference this time is not minutes, but seconds. I feel like I went outside of myself and put up a 13:19 with a 2.5 W/kg. Solid. There was a lot of orange and red in my graph.

Follow Ken on Strava to see this activity. Join for free.

Join Ken and get inspired for your next workout
www.strava.com www.strava.com

Here are the current standings.
1689079101424.png
 
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