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Moderate Cyclist
Australia
Приєднався 2 жов 2023
A quest to become the best Moderate Cyclist I can be!
🛹 After an unexpected turn of events I swapped my skateboard for a road bike and haven't looked back since. This channel is a real-time chronicle of my experience with equipment, training, racing, and the open road.
🚴♂️ I will be sharing my journey into the world of road cycling. From the equipment I use, the places I go, the challenges I tackle. I will be putting it all to the test on the roads of Australia, and the virtual roads of Watopia (Zwift).
🕰️ I will aim to upload a RACE and VLOG video each week. I would love to hear about your journey, and anything you have learned along the way.
🛎️ Hit subscribe, turn on notifications, and let's make up for lost time as we challenge moderate together.
🛹 After an unexpected turn of events I swapped my skateboard for a road bike and haven't looked back since. This channel is a real-time chronicle of my experience with equipment, training, racing, and the open road.
🚴♂️ I will be sharing my journey into the world of road cycling. From the equipment I use, the places I go, the challenges I tackle. I will be putting it all to the test on the roads of Australia, and the virtual roads of Watopia (Zwift).
🕰️ I will aim to upload a RACE and VLOG video each week. I would love to hear about your journey, and anything you have learned along the way.
🛎️ Hit subscribe, turn on notifications, and let's make up for lost time as we challenge moderate together.
Garmin Edge 1050 First Impressions
I managed to get my hands on the new Garmin Edge 1050, taking it out for a spin to see what all the hype is about (this is not sponsored content). I share my first impressions, and seek to address the number 1 concern "will it fit on my bike?".
Solution for Garmin Edge 1050 on Black Inc: GoPro Extension - amzn.asia/d/dxzved3
🚴♂️Big Northern Beaches loop. McCarrs Creek Road, Duffeys Forest, Wakehurst Parkway and Manly. 67km 827m www.strava.com/activities/11997815804
🏷️ #Cycling #RoadCycling #Garmin
🎵 Find all the tracks from all my videos in this handy playlist (Referral link) share.epidemicsound.com/8lgfzh/?playlist=xlf2mzt3lywqdnhq9dxdo5lbgejd9v11
🎥 Want to try the new Insta360 X4? Support the channel by buying with this link www.insta360.com/sal/x4?INR0VZA
➡️ moderate.cc
➡️ www.strava.com/athletes/bkpaton
Solution for Garmin Edge 1050 on Black Inc: GoPro Extension - amzn.asia/d/dxzved3
🚴♂️Big Northern Beaches loop. McCarrs Creek Road, Duffeys Forest, Wakehurst Parkway and Manly. 67km 827m www.strava.com/activities/11997815804
🏷️ #Cycling #RoadCycling #Garmin
🎵 Find all the tracks from all my videos in this handy playlist (Referral link) share.epidemicsound.com/8lgfzh/?playlist=xlf2mzt3lywqdnhq9dxdo5lbgejd9v11
🎥 Want to try the new Insta360 X4? Support the channel by buying with this link www.insta360.com/sal/x4?INR0VZA
➡️ moderate.cc
➡️ www.strava.com/athletes/bkpaton
Переглядів: 7 671
Відео
Attaquer Intra: Training ready? Value for money?
Переглядів 30921 день тому
Braving the cold with the help of the new @attaquer9698 Intra Winter Kit. Inspired by the Tour de France reaching the Pyrenees I tackle 3 local climbs to put this training oriented kit through its paces. This review is not sponsored by Attaquer. I purchased the kit myself. 🚴♂️ McCarrs Creek Road, then both sides of Bobbin Head. A wild crack at a PR on the East side. www.strava.com/activities/1...
What happens between training blocks
Переглядів 341Місяць тому
Sometimes you just got to get out! After finishing a heavy training block smack bang into a heavy block of life. This one took a few weeks to pull together, as I collect my thoughts ahead of my run into the Bowral Classic (my next Gran Fondo event). strava.app.link/brj4luID0Kb 🏷️ #Cycling #RoadCycling #Insta360X4 🎵 Find all the tracks from all my videos in this handy playlist (Referral link) sh...
The problem with Category B - Zwift
Переглядів 11 тис.Місяць тому
Zwift Racing lives and dies by its categorisation. If a rider is too strong for a category it is unfair, but if a category is too strong for a rider to compete then it is a poor experience for the rider. The leap from Category B to Category A is a jarring experience. It takes most riders to a place where it is impossible to compete. Because of this, many savvy riders sandbag or exploit the loop...
Cool ideas for Strava - What do you think about while riding?
Переглядів 4832 місяці тому
Does you mind wander when you cycling? What do you think about? I have been thinking about some improved features for Strava to help with structured training, and exploration. 🚴♂️ Fairly routing lap around the extended beaches area. Last outside ride before a couple of weeks of solo parenting lockdown. 66km 770m strava.app.link/o7Slms93fKb 🏷️ #Cycling #RoadCycling #ShowerThoughts 🎵 Find all th...
Racing Time to the Patonga Ferry - Cycling Adventure
Переглядів 6192 місяці тому
Ghostly forest roads, cold weather, super cars, and suprise climbs. Long on my must ride list, the Ettalong Ferry loop in Sydney's North. Large ocean swells saw the ferry re-routed to Patonga Beach. Chasing the unknown I race against time to ensure I am on the ferry home! 🚴♂️ Departing through Kuringai, up McCarrs Creek Road, over to Bobbin Head, then down Brooklyn. Over the Mooney Mooney brid...
5 Great Tried & Tested Cycling Purchases
Переглядів 7 тис.2 місяці тому
00:00 - Introduction 00:22 - Ride Montage 02:26 - Only Opinions 02:42 - Shokz Open Run Pro 05:13 - Dynaplugger 06:38 - Elite Fly Bidons 07:45 - Attaquer Jerseys 09:44 - Precision Hydration Sodium 10:53 - Wrap-up
Getting going with Zwift without the BORING!
Переглядів 2,2 тис.3 місяці тому
When the rain won’t stop falling we have no choice but to turn to pur indoor trainer. But it doesnt have to be boring! This is how I stay engaged on Zwift! 🚴♂️Stuck inside I take on three Zwift rides. 40km with B Jacques Robopacer, then 20km of Structured Training, followed by 30km of racing (includes warm up and cool down). 🏷️ #Cycling #RoadCycling #zwift 🎵 Find all the tracks from all my vid...
Riding All of the Northern Beaches (Part B)
Переглядів 3543 місяці тому
Closing out on my Palm Beach to North Head tour of Sydney's Northern Beaches. I reflect on my current events, dealing with illness, potential Mudgee Classic, the end of Zwift Racing League, and remedial massage. 🚴♂️ Southbound beaches run into Manly and up to North Head. Then blasting a TT style effort back through Seaforth, Wakehurst, and Forest Way to the National Park. 80km 976m strava.app....
Race Show - Zwift Racing League Finals 2024 - Oceanic A1 Plate
Переглядів 1643 місяці тому
In the exciting conclusion to Zwift Racing League I try out a new sports broadcast style for presenting the race. Learn about the league, the lead-up, the finals and how the race was run. 🚴♂️ Zwift Racing League Final - Oceanic West A1 Plate - Double Header on Glasgow Crit Circuit (15.3km 166m) then Glasgow Crit Circuit Reverse (16.3km 172m) 🏷️ #Zwift #ZwiftRacing #ZwiftRacingLeague 🎵 Find all...
Riding All of the Northern Beaches (Part A)
Переглядів 9413 місяці тому
I take on a more casual ride today while trying to fend off illness. A rapid journey down the Northern Beaches of Sydney ticking off all of the eastern facing beaches. Caught out on multiple occasions with some wild steep street, and some high power KOM attempts. 🚴♂️ My regular Palm Beach loop with a few extra to down to all the beches. A fairly gentle 56km with 922m elevation in th end. Defin...
Beginner to Moderate Cycling Milestones - Is coaching next?
Переглядів 1,2 тис.3 місяці тому
Have you ever considered getting a cycling coach? I started thinking about it this week and it prompted me to consider the major progress milestones I have taken so far on a path from Beginner to Moderate in cycling. Plus a serendipidous small world encounter. 🚴♂️ Following a route from som local legends I loop up McCarrs Creek Road, out to Duffeys Forrest then back home via Allambie Hill (Thi...
Zwift Race - 🪶Powered Monster Minute - Lap It Up Stage 3 (New filming tech)
Переглядів 2223 місяці тому
After missing Stage 2 I was ready to rumble. Best A rider on the day, out done by the A boys. 4th over the line, but official 3rd in ZwiftPower. Trying out some new tech in th filming. Elgato HD60x video capture box taking a feed out of my AppleTV, and audio via Rode Wireless Go microphones. Let me know what you think of the new format! 🗣️ When should have I attacked in this race? Would an endu...
Road Cycling Recovery Techniques - West Head Loop
Переглядів 1,2 тис.4 місяці тому
Getting out after a massive down pour in Sydney. This recovery ride turns into a chat about recovery techniques, and a look at the road to recovery for the roads in Kuringai National Park. Learn about how I use the Theragun and Foam Rolling to prevent injury, and manage fueling through weight and calorie tracking. 🚴♂️ Chasing the monthly West Head races my loop tackles the West Head out and ba...
Zwift Race - Cooked 7wkg Long Sprint - Lap It Up Stage 1
Переглядів 1754 місяці тому
Zwift Race - Cooked 7wkg Long Sprint - Lap It Up Stage 1
Cycling Adventure into the Royal National Park
Переглядів 2,6 тис.4 місяці тому
Cycling Adventure into the Royal National Park
Zwift Race - Cat B does A - Zwift Games Glasgow Crit Circuit
Переглядів 1104 місяці тому
Zwift Race - Cat B does A - Zwift Games Glasgow Crit Circuit
Bobbin Head Classic 2024 + FTP Goal
Переглядів 1,7 тис.4 місяці тому
Bobbin Head Classic 2024 FTP Goal
What would I do differently? - Peaks Challenge 2024
Переглядів 3,3 тис.4 місяці тому
What would I do differently? - Peaks Challenge 2024
Hardest Ride Ever - Peaks Challenge 2024 Falls Creek
Переглядів 23 тис.5 місяців тому
Hardest Ride Ever - Peaks Challenge 2024 Falls Creek
Pushing my limit: 10 Reps of the Toughest Hill Climb in My Area
Переглядів 1,2 тис.5 місяців тому
Pushing my limit: 10 Reps of the Toughest Hill Climb in My Area
Zwift Race - TTThe Struggle is Real - ZRL Out and Back Again
Переглядів 925 місяців тому
Zwift Race - TTThe Struggle is Real - ZRL Out and Back Again
Sydney's Top 10 Road Cycling Climbs
Переглядів 1,8 тис.5 місяців тому
Sydney's Top 10 Road Cycling Climbs
Zwift Race - Points races are confusing - ZRL Chasing the Sun
Переглядів 765 місяців тому
Zwift Race - Points races are confusing - ZRL Chasing the Sun
Zwift Race - Bursting to Bridge then Trying Not to Die - ZRL Innsbrukring
Переглядів 4756 місяців тому
Zwift Race - Bursting to Bridge then Trying Not to Die - ZRL Innsbrukring
How to Train for 235km Gran Fondo in 4 Weeks - 3 Peaks Challenge
Переглядів 4,4 тис.6 місяців тому
How to Train for 235km Gran Fondo in 4 Weeks - 3 Peaks Challenge
Zwift Race - Heartbreak on the Brae - Race like a Champ Stage 1
Переглядів 4076 місяців тому
Zwift Race - Heartbreak on the Brae - Race like a Champ Stage 1
Zwift FTP Test with COVID-19 | 4w/kg? Can I hold it?
Переглядів 1446 місяців тому
Zwift FTP Test with COVID-19 | 4w/kg? Can I hold it?
What Cycling with Whoop taught me about myself
Переглядів 2526 місяців тому
What Cycling with Whoop taught me about myself
Zwift Race - Carnage! TTT the weakest link - ZRL Cat-A Triple Flat Loop
Переглядів 416 місяців тому
Zwift Race - Carnage! TTT the weakest link - ZRL Cat-A Triple Flat Loop
Using 840. I like buttons and size of unit, but don't like small screen. Don't understand WHY Garmin uses so big spaces around the screen. Like the 1050 screen, going to buy it. But really sometimes want to wait for 850. But what about battery. 1040 has 35h 1050 has 20h battery life. 840 has 26h so if Garmin will make 850 with the same technology as 1050, it will have some about 10h of battery? Oh even 12 is too small. So what is the future of 850 and 550 ? Maybe amoled with some kind of always on? In any case I don't see future for small units with 1050 screen technology,
my strava wish: (is for the over 50's) to be able to reset your segment times each year ... so you don't have to watch your segment times get slower year on year. With a reset, you can get the rush of the best time of the year, rather than being constantly reminded that no matter how hard you try you were better five years ago. I know that.
TrainingPeaks does this, you get yearly and 90d Power and HR medals. Those “all-time” medals are getting rarer and rarer for me 😜.
Chapeau. Especially for keeping it real - showing the struggle and the walking too! Watching this as I've just booked a place for this March, it will be my third and hopefully my first under 10 hours. I'll need more than four weeks of training through. Thanks for the inspiration
Thank Gary. Peaks was crazy hard, especially in the heat. But such an amazing event. Stoked that you have signed up again, thanks for sharing. With the necessary preparation I am sure you can get there!
I order my new mount for the Garmin 1050 from framesandgear, great quality.
Nice, how is the mount point to the headset? Clean and flush?
@@ModerateCyclist yes, looks really good , I ordered for my trek Madone.
Nice vid! Which software did you use for Garmin data overlay in this video?
I am using the Insta360 X4 and it is built into their software. It integrates directly with Garmin Connect. Pretty cool. Referral link in the description if you are interested.
That helmet with those two big openings in the front make you look even more like an alien. 👽
That’s a new one. Thanks for watching.
8 from 8:32 min video you show us your face, not garmin 1050 !
Sorry to disappoint. I will try and include some more b-roll during the wrap up.
Firstly a great Vid. Thank you. I have a solar 1040, which I really rate and I’m not a 100% certain I need to shift up to the 1050. The handlebar out-front is an issue as I alternate between 3 bikes. You can appreciate with that number of bikes in operation the cost of right-sizing may prove costly. Kudos on your work around that is a really useful option. I have noticed with the new “hazard” flagging the white text on red background is hard for me to read. It seems a tad blurry, too small and not on long enough. Another aspect I experience on the 1040 is when rain falls on the screen, the screen goes haywire, jumping all over the place. I suspect it gets confused into thinking it’s multiple touches. The only way I can deal with it is to lock the screen. Lastly, my major gripe is I have an Apple phone weighing in excess of 350 grams. Surely, if Apple or even Samsung can activate a their watches to have phone functionality the same potential must exist for a Garmin head-unit. Again, great review and an excellent presentation. Thanks
Thanks Fabian, I appreciate your positive feedback. Multiple mounts would definitely prove costly. I’m yet to experience the 1050 in the wet.
I have been considering moving my garmin to the top of the stem with the band on pucks - better to have it a little closer.
I did give this a thought. Not sure how secure it would be though.
It fits exactly on my Cube Litening with Hide my Bell mount.
Thanks for sharing! Hopefully helps someone out.
Looking at this after my 810 died. Love that. Happy riding
Haven’t had any issues with the mount that came with the unit. Fits great and the unit is absolutely 💯!
Perfect fit for those with round bars. Aero bars can be a real pain sometimes.
I bought the 1050 about 2 days after it was released. I own a Canyon Endurace cf-SLX and to my surprise it fit perfectly on my canyon mount, but just barely. I believe I have about 1-2 mm of spare room. Overall I love the the 1050. I've set the voice assistant to remind me of 10 mile increments. The battery life, even though it's not as long as on the 1040, which my 1050 replaced, is still everything good. I went on a 3 hour ride and still had about 83% left. The display truly is eye candy and ez to read. The connectIQ store is still playing catchup with compatibility. Other than that, the 1050 rocks. IMHO
Good to know it fits on the Canyon mount. I am yet to explore the voice command stuff. Might try and set it up for structured work.
I'm really confused as to why one would replace the 1040 with the 1050…
@@EmmanuelNataf because I can 😂
@@coolcatrandy so can I dude. Doesn't mean it's smart.
min is mounted on 2 bikes on the excactly same mounts as i used for my edge 1030 and no issues at all
That is super handy. What type of mounts / headsets are you using?
@@ModerateCyclist on my gravel its a standard garmin outfront On my aero racer its a custom outfront in painted alu
Tarmac SL8 Pro with the standard barfly mount fits fine for me. It's CLOSE but fits.
The Tarmac mount system seems fairly well equipped for these sorts of changes. Good to confirm thanks.
Good to know. I have a SW SL8 and a K3 and I’m about to give this 1050 a try.
Factor Ostro VAM V1 fits perfectly with the Silca 3D titanium printed mount for black inc
Really appreciate this comment. I did look at that one. How is the connection point with the headset?
I can post a picture later when iam home
I have a Garmin 1040 and switched from wahoo after the wahoo died. I loved the simplicity of wahoo but I have the solar 1040 and the battery life is the best and now that I am finally use to the Garmin interface I ditched my Apple Watch for a Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire and love how much health data as Apple Watch does not talk well with Garmin. I am a very happy Garmin user
I did wonder about the Solar models and how big of a factor the battery life would be. I guess it just means you rarely have to charge your device. Also very interesting about the flip from Apple Watch to Garmin Watch. I must admin part of my reason for exploring Garmin is the Connect ecosystem. It is unfortunate it is so closed off to other inputs.
@@ModerateCyclist I do audax rides and some are 400km over night and not having to charge is great. Garmin watch you can’t use as a phone but I never used that feature. I love not having to charge my watch everyday.
Ok that makes a lot of sense. Epic adventures was the one thing I thought might push the boundaries. Appreciate the feedback. I have some videos planned to explore this topic more in the coming months.
It looks like a super nice bit of kit. It would be wasted on me because I don't have a power meter. If you could do a review on bicycle GPS units, that would be great. I enjoyed the review.
This has got a pretty nice GPS, but certainly overkill if that is all you need 😜
Nice video mate. I have been using the 830 for a few years now. I know it won't last forever so I have been thinking of upgrades.
Thanks dude. I will let you know how the 1050 goes longer term. I am sure you could Garmin Pay epic amounts of Pastries 🥐!
Yep, been thinking the same with my 830. I'm torn between jumping now with the 1050 but really not sure on how big it is (will look enormous at first) or waiting as I am sure the next release will be a 850 with same features and screen res in a smaller unit (and smaller price than 1050).
I believe a lot of the software updates from the 1050 are being pushed down to the existing units, not sure if it is limited to the x40 line though.
So far really happy with my 1050, been working great, I was keen to go to a touch screen and it did not disappoint. Yep a little big, but must admit I use the size and have no complaints.
How are you finding the touch screen in winter? I agree that when you use the space it feels powerful and not so big.
@@ModerateCyclist Only 1 ride in the minus's C's, but no issue, but must admit that ride I did not really use the touch screen, I was in the cold box just riding haha
Thanks for the review (and the Northern Beaches B-Roll). Is it just me, but I don't want that much screen on my bike. I can't help thinking it's an unnecessary distraction (rather like a bell that involves you taking your hands off the bars, looking at your comp, and requiring multilple screen taps)
It is quite the adjustment to have such a large device on the headset. I don’t normally have a bell so it’s nice having the option. I wonder if you can map the bell to the extra Di2 buttons 🤔
@@ModerateCyclist Yes, you can use the extra Di2 buttons on the shifters for the bell.
G stands for Garmin and equals Gimmicks and Glitches. I wish you luck, not for me. I lost it with Garmin when they told me that there 1030 wasn’t designed to read my stages power meter, which blew me away as my 1000 didn’t have a problem. And I won’t mention there customer support or should I say lack thereof. I’ll be interested to see what you think long term.
Wow that is a far from glowing review. You would hope such a large company could provide better support. What did you switch to?
I went to Wahoo and haven’t looked back, that’s about 6 years ago now, they’re simple to use and does everything you need it to. And it just works without any hiccups every time. My first 1030 was replaced under warranty, my second one which lost 2 of my rides while doing 7 peaks 🤬 and telling me I was doing 155 kmh while climbing up from Omeo to Dinner Plain amongst other issues, when I went back to the place of purchase I was told by the shop to contact Garmin direct after multiple phone calls and hood times of around 45 mins, with every time just been told to do a factory reset, which rectified nothing. With the final outcome been told Sorry mate you’re on your own. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
It will be exciting to see what Wahoo does with their next unit. I did consider upgrading from the Roam V1 to the V2 for the extra software features. It does seem like they are chasing Garmin though with some of their recent integration announcements. Sorry to hear you had such a poor experience with Garmin, fingers cross this one plays nice.
I'm a long time Garmin user and have not had any issues. Started with an edge 510 and now use a 530. I have wondered about a bigger screen but I dislike the bulk of the units. I now struggle to read some of the data due to deteriorating eyesight (age I'm told!) I guess I can get by with less data on each screen and flicking between screens using the Di2 buttons
It boils down to what you want out of your computer. I see a lot of guys just rolling with 3-4 metrics. I guess you probably don't need much more, but it is nice to have. A trigger point for me was the Back of Falls at Peaks this year. I really wanted the ClimbPro style feature to help manage my effort (and morale). This experience is a lot better with extra screen real estate.
I was lucky enough to squeeze in an afternoon ride today, it was a beautiful winters day in northern Sydney, full summer kit is all that was needed. Do you worry about all black kit for visibility?
Sounds like the dream. The thought has crossed my mind. I ride with lights front and back, and I have been trying to pair with white shoes and helmet.
I still can’t justify spending money on a winter kit, to be honest. Instead, I am wearing my Uniqlo thermal shirt under my loose-fit Pearl Izumi Quest summer jersey and its matching tights over my summer bib. It does the job by keeping me warm through the ride at a fraction of the cost.
I think that is fair. I have been holding off for a number of years now. Leg warmers / Arm warmers are a good stop gap.
Congratulations on the PR. That chamois pad does look cheap. That said, it does look nice. I did like the black on black look that you chose. I'll just be wearing my work clothes when I commute to work.
Cheers mate, PR felt good. Can probably go faster on that one in the future. Commuter wear is a whole other ball game. Nobody likes strutting past colleagues in lycra 😜
Criminally underated video
Thanks Cranston, I appreciate the feedback!
Did it 3 times, all pre covid. Never cracked the 10 (family commitments = poor training) Similar lead in every time, 3 month prior 20'ish hours training per week, mix of Beach Road, trainer programme and adding hills and 10 hour rides in the month before. The best result (10.18) was getting into the early gate and cracking the descent. Newspaper down the front of the jersey to stay warm, dump it at Tawonga before the climb. (Fattys go down fast). Holding the wheel of every one who came past from then on. I also learnt how to add / remove layers on the bike. Year 1 I lost at least 20 minutes pulling over and adding / removing layers for descents / climbs. You can never have to many gear inches, ever, like ever. Spinning 80 rpm on the meg on a 50/34 - 11-36 while passing folks standing up grinding their semis with 25’s was the (very brief) highlight. Tins of creamed rice in the lunch pack (other option was the provided curry bread roll 🤢) Tear tops means you can chug 600 calories in < 30 seconds. Put more mars bars and cans of coke in your valets than u think you can consume, then double it. If you don’t drink it, you can sell the coke can for 100 gazzilion dollars to the struggling dentist on the Pinarello (no offence to either … but I made $400) Don’t get cocky on Hotham. You’ll think you’ve finished, you start pushing it and then Hotham V2 waves her little “oh hi” middle finger at you and drains your will to live. Trust your Garmin … when it says there’s more to come, there really is more to come. Never stop moving, even if it means walking, just don’t be stationary. If you have to walk, fold your socks down over your ankles in your shoes so you don’t blister (year one lesson) or just ride SPD’s Pack a foil blanket … I gave mine to some pour soul on back of Falls who looked like he was being given last rights ... by himself, I hope he made it. Cry when you see the dam (mandatory) and don’t drop your chain 30 metres before the finish line (those photos never go away). Best and worst day hours(s)of my life
Sounds like they need to add another category: like a+,A,BC ? The other trouble with 5 minute power and or ftp test, is people can easily compromise the test, by not exceeding the numbers they want to stay in B?
Seems like we are getting our wish. Racing score should help address this concern.
How do you take any racing on zwift seriously, with all the silly things allowed to reduce time that have nothing to do with real racing.
At the end of the day, power is power. Improvement in one will improve the other. But Zwift Racing and Road Racing are very different and we should hope for them to be exactly the same. I love doing long Gran Fondo road races, but couldn't imagine anything worse on Zwift. I love bunch sprinting at 13wkg on Zwift, but would fear for my life IRL.
It’s interesting you mentioned Whoop. I had one and it didn’t even see my subscription out before realising it was junk. The reason I say this is I raced the Long Dirty Warrny a 250 km gravel race (have done twice now), although I’m sure you’ve heard of it. The following day after the race, I was feeling a little worse for wear and yet my Whoop recovery score was at 96%, tbh I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. So for Whoop to be telling me I’m ready to perform at my maximum was an absolute joke. My TSS just for the race was in excess of 550. It also did this to me on a couple of 200 km plus gravel training rides. When I asked it’s AI chat how this was possible it advised me to call emergency services if I was feeling suicidal. Wtf!! After that it went straight into the bin. Cheers and keep up the great content, love the new editing.
That is a pretty poor experience with Whoop. No wonder you decided against it. My experience has been better than that, but I agree it definitely has misfires. The tech in an Apple Watch is 10x better, but what Whoop does with the data (assuming it is correct) is miles ahead. I am definitely going to do a more in depth video on my decision making process as my renewal looms. How did you go in the Warrny?
I'm in Melbourne. It's been so cold. The gravel bike interests me. What end of the gravel spectrum are you aiming for? Light gravel or something more gnarly? I also need more kilometres on the bike. Not feeling the motivation for that at the moment.
Looking to expand the horizons. Probably will try and get to Gears and Beers later this year. Not sure if that is considered gnarly or not. The rain has been the biggest downer in Sydney. I was all ready for a ride this morning and then it started again. 100km on Zwift instead...
Winter kit out here in the Valley. Compression long thights with fleece lined leggings over the top and knicks. Long sleeve thermal under shirt, jersey and wind jacket. Thin fleece gloves with thicker full finger gloves over top. Thermal neck warmer, Thermal skull cap under helmet. Fleece lined shoe covers over cyling shoes. Snug as a bug in 0°C temps.
This video is all whining from somebody that wants to win a race and do not want to compete with people way better than him. The issue you mention is exactly the same for a D that just got promoted to C, or a C that just got in into B. Sure as you go up, going higher is always harder. The real issue with Zwift is what you are doing, A riders that want to stick to B and ruin it to all the real B riders. Maybe Zwift should have an A+ category for the pros. But at the end of the day there can only be a finite number of categories and each category there are people at the top that have a good shot at winning, and there are people at the bottom of that category that have no chance of winning. That's the way it is in Zwift and in the real world too. In the pro pelotons most riders have no chance of winning any race.
Thanks for watching. I worry you might have missed the point of my video. Good news is the new race score system seems set to balance things out a little better.
@@ModerateCyclist New score system looks good indeed.
made me a little more motivated :D cheers
Awesome dude. See you out there!
And you discovered this Zwift problem in 2024? Bro, it's the same from the beginning. 😊 If you want to do some credible indoor cycling races, go to Indievelo.
This is essentially how bike racing works on the road, you move up and suffer.
Totally right with that one. I think there is a lot Zwift could learn from how real world racing does categories.
Whatever it is, B just sucked a lot more this year compared to the year prior even after my fitness and race craft had improved. Races also suffer because everyone is gun shy to do a strong 20 minute effort too. It's just dump the tank racing which absolutely sucks when you are mid grade. Sub 20 way over power efforts get you a lot of climbs and sprints that blow the doors off the mid grade competition. Not to get too salty, I do also like being pushed and don't really care about race results. But the cat system needs work and everyone knows it.
It is very hard to make a break in Cat B. Largely because there is generally a lot of power resting in the peloton. You are better off just holding out until within the final 2km.
They should go base in HR at said threshold power. If a 30 year old rider is winning a B race averaging 3.8 wpk but his average HR is 130 beats then hes obviously sandbagging the B race.
Haha, I would probably be in Cat D with those rules
Can't believe you "only" have 874 subscriber... such a good content, and high quality video... keep on!!!
Thanks mate, I really appreciate comments like this!
The fact that there are literally people riding a bicycle shaped game controller in their living room and huffing and grunting at their TV is hilarious. Just when you thought roadies were max cringe they go even harder.
Thanks for watching Don
Cool video. Consider decreasing the music volume a bit to make it easier to hear you.
Thank you, feedback note. As a matter of interest, how did you watch the video (as in what was the sound coming out of)?
@@ModerateCyclist On TV through Chromecast :)
@@jokakiller85 thanks Jonas, I will make sure I do TV testing for the next one.
Isn’t it normal you find it more difficult when you upgrade from cat
No arguments there, I think it is more a question of when and who should be upgraded.
I have half a dozen mates who ride competitively in A in club races (in real life), but can easily sandbag in B on Zwift. If you sit in and just sprint, it's not difficult to stay out of the grading system's algorithm. Perhaps more factors need to be included in the grading equation - a certain number of podiums in a given time pushes you up a grade, etc?
I think this is right on point.
Its called Sandbagging and 8 out 10 of the top 10 finishers in A,B and C races are Sandbaggers.
Who is sandbagging A? Definitely agree about the others though!
@@ModerateCyclist The pros a sandbagging A, they should not race mere mortals.
Add weight to the problem with cat B and fixed w/KG limits. Try a 4.2w/kg 65 kg rider vs a 4.2w/kg 95kg rider - who will win? Flat - the heavy rider by a large margin. Climb - still the heavy rider, but only by a small margin. Most of the best B riders have big numbers, and alot of kilos.
I think this is what keeps a lot of riders in B too. Not to mention most casual races feature very little elevation, which never gives lighter riders a chance to leverage their advantage. That said, I have a young guy in my race team who has a FTP of 4.6wkg, but he is not heavy enough to move up from Cat C. He can keep pace with Cat A through everything other than bunch sprints.
Its like I'm watching an episode from 5-6 years ago. Has been a problem ever since, Zwift never cared about improving this. Have a look at IndieVelo, you won't get mismatched racers given they have done a few races so IndieVelo knows your power. Its super easy to implement shows the one-man army behind IndieVel. With Zwifts workforce of more than 1.000 employees, you can only conclude that racing in general is not a priority for Zwift. Their number one priority is marketing and getting as many subscribers as possible who don't use the platform. Avid racers are not withing the scope of this marketed group. It has been like this for years and it will continue like this for years as Zwift is controlled by external stakeholders who have a vision that doesn't go further than the yearly (short term) result.
I kinda like being on the stronger end of the Cat B races and being able to make significant attacks or work to pull back breaks and not just hanging on for dear life
💯 keeps it interesting!
I picked up cycling, I did a cat D race as a noob and boom upgraded to cat C! I was like, what!? 😮 Never raced again! 😂
I would have expected the opposite. It's time you got your race on!
But how?? 😮 Just wondering: Did you win it? What's your new detected FTP that pushed you up?
Good stuff. Zwift Racing Score (and hence, results-based racing categories) can't launch soon enough. Looking forward to it.
Is it actually coming? I read your article about it, and it has been a while since. There is no longer any references to it in the product. I think it would make a lot of sense.
Yes, it’s coming. Look for news very soon on it in fact. (Also, Zwift isn’t our product. We’re just a fansite!)
Sorry I didn’t mean to type “your”. Where are you getting the intel on this from?
Contacts within ZHQ! Nothing public yet, but it’s coming very soon.
If your goal is to up your FTP to 4.5 you should just stop crying and race A CAT. It’s hard for everyone. More categories = less populated race. LAME.
Definitely racing in A. As I mentioned in another comment, ZRL is happening at the moment, and with the 4 rider teams, there are now enough to have Divisions in the Oceanic region. Having A1 and A2 really gets the field right IMO. I agree that less populated races are not good, but I guess ultimately what I am saying is more Cat B riders should be in A.
Ramp overestimated my FTP by about 60-70W, I wouldn’t touch it with a 10m pole.
I agree that ramp tests are not the most accurate measure. I use it because it is the yard stick I have been using. But I am considering maybe flipping to 20m tests instead.
I’m now on my whoosh (I’m only doing structured trainings from the coach and don’t race). I’m using power passport protocol and it’s dead accurate, completely neglects my overpowered low end.
I’m going to have to check it out. Good having some healthy competition between the platforms.