Zwift - Cruzbike Activities (races and group rides)

[RojoRacing]

Decent ear bud headphones with little foam ear piece to keep out noise at best. I use my phone on the handlebars for music or discord as well. Ceiling fan is fine for easy rides but when you're pushing hard something directly from the front on your body and face is best. The faster the air moves the less sweat will bead on your skin.

 

[CruzLike]

Another thing high on the wish list is a central on/off button to turn all the gadgets on/off with one push.

I have a surge protector / power strip that my Kickr and two fans are plugged into. That might save you a few buttons to push.

 

[super slim]

The "D" group rides are 1.0 w/kg to 2.2 w/kg. You should fit right in.
And they will kick you out (to the C group) when you get your Froome legs!

I have the Neo and it is nice and quiet, especially if you put it in your lowest gear when using erg mode (but you cannot use erg mode in group rides as far as I know).
The neo has a built-in power meter. You will not "need" the Watteam crank arm PM when using the Neo (but it is super nice to use the same PM both indoors and outdoors).

I use a Lasko "Wind Tunnel" fan. It's a floor model but I place it on a stand at body level.
It is fairly cheap and does an adequate job. It's best feature is 3-speed with wireless remote control. The remote control makes it easy to turn on and bump up the air flow as you get warmed up.

I think I am below the 1.0 w/kg at this stage! Is there a "E" group?
I will find out once I start on the Neo!
I have a damaged right knee, so the Wattteam is mainly to check right/left power balance!

 

[Jeffrey Ritter]

The best I have done was 1.9 w/kg on a 5.6 km long 4.9% average grade, Norton Hill Climb, in 2009, when training for a ride across Tibet, and I am UNFIT now!!!
I want to get my Watts/kg close to that, before entering races and being embarrassed by being last by a large margin!

To be honest, you will find the Zwift tribe as supportive of any group other than this one. Rather than racing as such, start doing the group rides at 1.5 w/kg, perhaps even the 2.0 w/kg and get used to how the game flows with drafts, climbs, descents in a group. Then keeping moving up to the point you feel ready. The nice thing about the slower w/kg rides are the sweepers really do work to keep you in the group. Don't worry about being embarrassed.

 

[CruzLike]

Great Ride and story. Hardy and Miss Daisy

Love the pics of your Zwift room. Well done.

What is the gadget on Hardy's bike? The white ball.

 

[Tigerpaw]

Thank you. it is a Blue Ice microphone. One point about these silly stories is to point out you don't have to be a super duper fast guy to have fun on these Cruzthings. Of course we love the fast guys and gurls and hope for more but there is a lot of fun going on between Jason and the slowest Cruzbiker. The more you guys will share the better the board becomes.

Hardy, you have gone all in my friend. I need to head your way and check out the Moose ‘zwift’ Cave one day.

 

[Jayrob]

I didn't know anyone who rides a bike even knew where Cochran, GA was! I was born about 65 miles east of there in Vidalia, GA, oh, about 65 years ago. You have almost convinced me to buy a trainer and get on Zwift. Almost. Maybe this winter.

 

[Jayrob]

I have checked out Zwift. It is just that I love riding in the country only seeing about 8-10 cars in a couple of hours.

 

[RojoRacing]

Well I since I don't have a detected zwift bike or room I can't seem to find the motivation to get back online. I can't live stream my real life rides but I can still post them up on YouTube. I'll try and post a few more and see if the motivation sticks. I still need a second camera to the front and then we'll be in business.

I'll get back on zwift eventually and I'll be sure to let you know when that happens. Always look forward to those first couple A races where I get rekt by the fast guys until I adapted to the zwift racing thing again.

 

[Jayrob]

If my mentor and coach gives me the go ahead, I will be getting a Kinetic Smart Fluid trainer this winter and joining the Zwift rides. It will take this old fart a few weeks or months to get it all figured out. My five and three year old grands might have to help me out with the tech stuff. They know way more about this stuff than I do. They show me all the time what my cell phone and laptop can do. I thought they were just for forums and buying stuff! Anyway, maybe by Nov/Dec I'll be there.

 

[Eric Winn]

Looks like you could use a custom blackout curtain or cover for that window...

Looks like you two are having a blast.

...

 

[super slim]

Looks like you could use a custom blackout curtain or cover for that window...

Looks like you two are having a blast.

A black out curtain with Team Moose AND Cruzbike on it!

Is the ceiling fan effective enough for your cooling, and is the window open to let fresh air in?

 

[ratz]

Something they don't have and would be really nice (almost mandatory) is a remote control switch. Our next fans will have remotes. I think most Zwifters will agree with this.

until you drop the remote. Just put them on high; if you are cold at the start; pedal harder.

 

[ratz]

Seriously though; love that fan. We have one. On setting 1 that's florida wind; on setting 2 that's West coast wind. Get two of them and put them on level 3 and that's Midwestern Jetstream wind on a calm day.

 

[RojoRacing]

Seriously though; love that fan. We have one. On setting 1 that's florida wind; on setting 2 that's West coast wind. Get two of them and put them on level 3 and that's Midwestern Jetstream wind on a calm day.

You obviously have never experienced level 4 during my commute to work :lol

 

[Gary123]

Isn't it harder to ride in such a headwind

 

[RojoRacing]

Isn't it harder to ride in such a headwind

I run my fan behind me when zwifting to help push my avatar along.

 

[Gary123]

Now that makes more sense.

 

[ratz]

The new expansion route opened in Zwift and it only allows riders at level 10 entry. Zwift really has a wicked sense of humor.

That's actually kind of sad, marketing through artificial exclusivity was a 2005 tactic; between the new ugly logo and stuff like this one has to wonder the credentials of their marketing leadership. I listened to an interview with some of their marketing team and there was a lot of fluff between the ears, they couldn't even state a strategy about the logo change other than "we like it" *sigh* . With their venture funding running out; and stuff like this; I will place a wager that the days of the $10 a month subscription are soon to be over. By next June this will be a $16-20 a month service. (it might be worth it but that's going to hinder adoption)

 

[ratz]

Just finished the new jungle route and its the by far the best yet. My bet is folks wont like it other than the graphics as there is a lot of climbing. There is an old saying about nice doctors get sued a lot less than not so nice ones and I think this applies to the Zwift team. Maybe their marketing is not so great but they're nice people so they can get away with it.

Actually that's cool the other climbing route was cool but it could get boring. They kept me at level 15 (account was inactive) so now I can go look at it tomorrow.