Cruzbike Time Trial Challenge 2020

[RojoRacing]

Should weight include shoes and helmet (even though no helmet on Zwift)?

I'm not weighing myself clothed I hardly weigh myself at all period as my weigh never seems to change no matter when I've checked it in the last 10 years, at this point the international association for measured weights could classify me as a known unit of weight like the Kg.

 

[RojoRacing]

By the way my PR on the zwift segment is only like 26 or so mins so it's rather short. Aren't TT usually like 40 min or am I think 40km?

 

[ccf]

highest avg cadence? cadence doesn't seem like something to consider like the other categories since it's not really related to ability and more a products of equipment choice.

"Greatest mental growth" could replace highest average HR and would be measured as the greatest % growth in average HR throughout the season.

Oh, C'mon. I'm been thinking my 145mm cranks and hummingbird heart will win me some awards. ;-)

 

[RojoRacing]

..
Yes - I ride Zwift a lot because I do it while I work - but honestly I can't see why someone can't go outside at least once a week and ride 12-miles.

It's like me not understanding why everyone can't just go climb a 5000' continuous mountain each week. Location location location

thanks for adding zwift for us dense city and mountain dwellers.

 

[RojoRacing]

Oh, C'mon. I'm been thinking my 145mm cranks and hummingbird heart will win me some awards. ;-)

I could maybe podium in the highest HR class but on average I have an old slow HR for my age. The other class I stand a good chance is the most consistent, just by looking at how each week last time I was only able to eek out 5-10 seconds each week since I was always on the limit.

 

[ratz]

run two events with two prizes. i will provide the prize of choice for the zwift indoor crew. from https://www.redbubble.com/people/pluckyblond/shop?asc=u

i will participate in zwift even though i am moving across country. will require that you are on the zwift power cruzbike team. your spouse. or picture of you on your scale to verify your weight. that should make it easy for larry

 

[Bill Wightman]

I hit a pothole wider than the width of the laptop I'm typing this on at 33 mph

I did my TT tonight and had to dodge a raccoon and an opossum and I had to swallow two small bugs because they landed too far back in my throat to spit out, but no potholes. Lots of critters coming out in the warmth of south Texas springtime.

 

[LarryOz]

It's like me not understanding why everyone can't just go climb a 5000' continuous mountain each week. Location location location
thanks for adding zwift for us dense city and mountain dwellers.

Jason,
If you want to make your 12mile TT a 6 mile climb up the steepest mountain to you can find followed by a hair-raising decent - go for it. There is really no limitation to the amount of climbing your Segment can have. I merely suggested as flat a route as possible as that will be the easiest and safest for most people to attempt when going all out.

 

[LarryOz]

Should weight include shoes and helmet (even though no helmet on Zwift)?

Just be consistent. I get on the scale each morning in the my birthday suite. It is used for the Watts/KG stat, so less is more, but 1 or 2 lbs of gear is not going to make all that big of a difference.

 

[LarryOz]

@LarryOz highest avg cadence? cadence doesn't seem like something to consider like the other categories since it's not really related to ability and more a products of equipment choice.

Everyone is a critic!
Hey Jason, I am happy to consider other Challenges and we may even add a few if Cruzbike approves of them.
But most time trialers will tell you that higher cadence is better because the load on your legs for the same power is significantly less which means you can usually ride at a higher power output, or at least train up to it. It will also lead to greater aerobic capacity in most cases and eventually a higher avg heart rate. I specifically put this challenge in here because I want people to stretch their limits and experiment with some different things to see how they react and grow. It all about personal achievement. The points and Challenges are just something extra to make it interesting and motivating to a wider audience

 

[LarryOz]

By the way my PR on the zwift segment is only like 26 or so mins so it's rather short. Aren't TT usually like 40 min or am I think 40km?

We had to pick distance. Sure 12 miles is short to a speedster like you (but just ride a slower bike if you want it to take longer), but we have people riding Quests and S40's and other less efficient bike - some are spending an hour riding as hard as they can. Maybe we should have a total watts expended category. If you can do 40k (~25miles) in 40 mins - my hat is off to you. This challenge will stay at 12 miles. that is what everyone is used to from last year and obviously to change anything now would not be possible

 

[Pollock]

For those using Zwift for the TT, @trplay and I have done some scouting on the route this week. As a reminder, this is the Fuego du Lollipop segment. If you ride the desert route, the Strava segment is likely hidden. I starred the segment so it always shows up.

If you look at the segment on Strava, it is not clear where it starts. Searching online gave me no answers either. Rather than each of us fumbling around to find the start/stop points, I took screenshots last night while riding my TT.

The segment starts almost 10km into the Tempus Fugit route. It is just before the turn around at the other end of the desert. Just to the left of me, on the other side of the road, is a marker that Zwift uses to designate game segments. We are heading to the circle, but that is the start of the segment.



From here, we are going to ride around the circle we are next to, the head back across the desert. Ride around the circle at that side, then come back across the desert again. Finally, ride around the circle out in the desert once more and finish at the line. All told, you cross that line in the road 4 times. Here is a shot of the line coming up during my ride. I believe this was after the first time going around the first circle.

 

[Pollock]

I should say, this is at least our best guess at the segment. These are the directions I used last night. On Sunday, I thought it started earlier and probably added 2k to my TT.

 

[DARYLHANGER945]

Love reading everybody trying to change the rules Larry has set forth. He bent the the Zwift exclusion and then more changes are wanted. This is why I don't bend to criticisms of decisions I have made and don't apologize for them either. Don't expect an apology for this comment either if it offended you. Keep up the great work you are doing Larry!

Also I never tend to pay too much attention to my average cadence for a ride or segment and was happy that mine for this weeks TT was not in the neighborhood of Masher Mike's 60 rpm. Will try and pay attention next week and try and raise it just a little to see what it does to my speed.

 

[benphyr]

Jason,
If you want to make your 12mile TT a 6 mile climb up the steepest mountain to you can find followed by a hair-raising decent - go for it...

@RojoRacing ate you going to use alpe du Zwift?

 

[Emeljay]

try and raise it just a little to see what it does to my speed

In my experience one needs to become acclimated to a higher cadence, and once acclimated, then the higher cadence allows a higher speed for a much longer time.

If I up my cadence beyond what I'm acclimated to, then I tend to bonk earlier. For me at the present time, if I pay attention to my cadence it is about 90, otherwise cadence goes down to about 80 when I'm in la-la land and I then notice my pace has become a little slower.

 

[nobrakes]

A good warm up routine that also works on getting a smooth high cadence is the British Cycling 20 minute warm up - I use it at the start of all my trainer sessions.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/bc_files/sportivetrainingplans/20_MINUTE_WARM_UP.pdf

 

[ratz]

Love reading everybody trying to change the rules Larry has set forth. He bent the the Zwift exclusion and then more changes are wanted. This is why I don't bend to criticisms of decisions I have made and don't apologize for them either. Don't expect an apology for this comment either if it offended you. Keep up the great work you are doing Larry!

Also I never tend to pay too much attention to my average cadence for a ride or segment and was happy that mine for this weeks TT was not in the neighborhood of Masher Mike's 60 rpm. Will try and pay attention next week and try and raise it just a little to see what it does to my speed.

I would like to announce the first annual cruzbike forum keyboard racing TT competition; the winner will be the person that harasses @LarryOz the most and the prize will be an autographed glass etching of @DARYLHANGER945 racing my beloved yellow vendetta 2.0.

 

[RojoRacing]

@RojoRacing ate you going to use alpe du Zwift?

I'd climb mount baldy behind my house before I'd do the alp. I can climb the alp in under 45mins but baldy is just over an hour so even the biggest steepest climb in zwift still gets overshadowed by the climb out my backyard.

I find your times over a few months on a big climb will vary much more than on a flat TT route because there's so much more technique, pacing and timing involved because the grade is always changing and so should your power to maximize time gained. In the spirit of what Larry is trying to do it better do simulate a flat TT instead of an outdoor hill climb.

 

[benphyr]

Thank you for the explanation. And wow it sounds like you live in a pretty impressive part of the world. I grew up in the mountains in B.C. but now the "Mountain" here is the euphemism for the Niagara escarpment that splits town in half. It is at most 100m elevation - fairly steep but short and not remotely a mountain like I was used to! (And by-the-way thanks for stopping in on the TTT.)