Is Zwift really "riding" ?

In November I decided to buy myself a smart trainer. A Tacx Flux to be precise. wheel off, direct drive, with good resistance. Why? Well Zwift of course! Having had my attention drawn to it, and watched many videos on YouTube about it, and smart trainers, it sounded right up my street.

I am no gamer, I have owned many consoles and all have gone unused until I sold them. So the attraction to Zwift is certainly not that of a gamer. My mindset when buying was a simple one, don't let my legs get lazy on off days, or days it was not practical to get out and ride. Having had a few injuries (non cycling related) over the years, I thought it would be nice to be able to jump on and do a few miles without too much strain on the feet and legs, with the added bonus of not ending up stranded somewhere if all went wrong.

The main aim though, I admit, was to get more riding in when I was feeling too lazy to go for a ride in the cold and damp of winter. However, before I get bombarded with people saying I should man up and get out onto the roads and ride like a real man.... I commute 5 days a week, cover about 100 miles and don't let the weather bother me, unless the conditions are going to make things a little too risky to take on South London's roads at rush hour. I'm brave, but not stupid!

So far this month (January) I have covered about 700 miles, 265 were Zwift, and the remainder split between commuting (which to some doesn't count either) and road rides. 22,894ft of elevation. Again 9,692 on Zwift (Three Sisters you bitches!!) and 13,202 real world.
Were any of the Zwift miles easier, sure they were, no wind in my face, controlled temperature etc. But I should also point out that the power figures were similar to road rides, so my legs were working pretty hard all the same. The nice thing I have found of course on Zwift is, on days that I have been tired, I have been able to pace myself, and still get in pedalling time.

As for the elevation, again no it was not "real" riding, but the effort made, power developed, and nausea which was induced was all pretty damn real. Strengthening my legs, allowing me to develop my climbing, practise out of saddle efforts, and improve myself. While all the time putting my body through the mill.

Something to be aware of, which some "real road or die" people might no know, is that depending how you ride, stopping pedalling on a trainer is just not the done thing. Where you can enjoy freewheeling a descent after a long climb, this feels less natural on a trainer and Zwift, so you are inclined to keep pedalling and developing power. So you are right, its NOT the same, you end up putting more effort in.

I am aware of the differences between riding up real hills and virtual hills. I am no pro rider, but I do like a challenge, so pushing my heavy body up the hills in Southern Spain in the summer has been fun. As have some of the nice little hills in the UK, up to Pyg Track, the Horseshoe Pass etc. Both have their challenges, both take it out of you, but I completely agree that riding on a real road up a real hill feels..... real'er ?

My view on the comparison between real and Zwift is simple. The real road stuff is great, nothing like having a leisurely ride with a friend, stopping for coffee, taking in the sights, snapping some pictures, and making a lovely Relive video at the end. Lighting up some more of the heatmap. I love it, and enjoy getting out on the bikes as often as possible.

Sometimes however, it is just not sensible to go out on a bike, especially solo. Kudos to anyone who does, but for me there are limits, and they start with my own safety. Damp roads and super low temperatures, meaning slippery roads, nope, I will use the trainer thanks. I have had my fair share of spills now, and picked up injuries which have kept me off the bikes for weeks, so I do not wish to repeat any of those.
Torrential rain with a forecast which says it won't let up for the whole weekend. Again, no thanks. I am more than happy to ride in the rain, but again I have my limits. Catching pneumonia is not on my bucket list. Me and fully waterproof jackets don't get on, the feelings of bathing in buckets of sweat is just not me. Sweat and breathable clothing, great, but wearing things like my Proviz 360 for hours on end are not my favourite thing to do. Not to say I have not done 60-70 mile rides in them, but would rather not do it.

Of course there are other reasons to ride at home, or spend time on a trainer. First of course being structured and controlled training. But that doesn't seem to be an issue for people. Clocking up miles on trainers while "training" is OK, but less so for Zwifting, for some reason. Maybe it is the "game" aspect which offends? Cycling is serious don't you know!
Then there are other commitments, like looking after your kids, being limited by time, no one to ride with, and many other good genuine reasons why people feel uncomfortable getting out on their bikes.

To simply sneer and jeer at people for their decisions of when and when not to ride "properly" is a little childish really. We all have our own reasons and limitations, so respect them, don't make people feel bad for not wanting to go outside their comfort zone. When I say that I mean it with regards to the arena they choose to ride in. Of course we should all be well outside our comfort zones when it comes to physically riding. No pain, no gain and all that.

Now while I am defending the merits of Zwift, please don't think I don't understand what some peoples point is, of course I do. When it comes to challenges on Strava there need to be parameters, and a way to differentiate between real and virtual rides. Veloviewer does a lovely job of this, and you are able to break down your data by riding type, bike, efforts and much more. As long as I can see a breakdown of my own data like that, I am happy. So it would be nice to see the same divisions to be drawn for challenges which allow virtual rides to be included.

When it comes down to leaderboards, I am very unlikely to figure anywhere higher than the midway. At 245lbs, build is against me there, so I am happy to muddle along. However I can understand the frustrations of those nearer the top, battling for that extra position or two, and being pipped to the post by someone doing virtual rides.

Even the segments which emulate real world sections of road should not be compared, and would not be for a second by any sane person. Box Hill on Zwift is certainly not the same riding experience as it is in the real world. But both are good to ride in their own individual rights.

Would be interesting to see how many people are happy to allow their miles and elevations numbers to count towards their annual totals, but still dispute their inclusion in challenges. And more to the point, it would be interesting to know how many trainer haters even use one, or have experience on platforms such as Zwift.

One important note of course... The cheats. Those entering false body weight and data to fool the algorithms, and thus gain a power advantage are only cheating themselves. However I can imagine such people really do piss off those at the top end of their game. There, and just about only there, can I see a point.

I guess what I am saying here is..
1/ Don't beat up on other people who's riding life differs to yours. Not everyone has the same fitness, time or ability to commit as you.
2/ Pushing along at 90% FTP for 2 hours is near as damnit as hard work on the road as it is on a good trainer. Especially with elevation and resistance changes.
3/ There should indeed be a way to differentiate and split results on Strava between real world, and trainer miles.
4/ Cycling is meant to be enjoyable to at least a certain level. Stop stressing and enjoy life.

My cycling goals for 2018.

I have been pondering for the last week now about how to verbalise my cycling goals for 2018, without sounding like they are some sort of resolution, or set in stone target. After much consideration, I thought I would put it all in a blog entry. One I can come back to this time next year and check how I did. As well as visiting throughout the year to check, and update.

This is my 3rd full year of cycling for leisure, and my first year of commuting. I started commuting around March 2017. Looking over last years results I was pleased to say the least. A huge jump in totals. Over 3,500 miles, 105,000ft of elevation, many hours and so on. In short, smashed it! 2,000 miles alone was commuting.

However it is worth noting that for 17 weeks of the year, through illness and laziness, no cycling happened. In total I rode for about 170 days out of the 365 available. So statistically I could have doubled my mileage. However I am not that naive! In reality I could have done more, that is the long and the short of it.

Before I get on to this years goals, I just wanted to add that after much back and forth at the hospital and specialists, I have also been given the green light to start running again. So some time and energy will be expelled getting back into shape, which in turn I hope will help with my riding. Fingers crossed, no injuries this time around, now I have learned that I need to take it a bit easier.
I have also added a Tacx Flux to my cycling equipment list, so during bad weather, or when the mood takes me, I can get some proper miles done indoors, rather than looking out of the window and saying sod that! Less excuses!

So, onto 2018. The goals...

Mileage of about 4,250 would be nice. Based on last years numbers and available ride time, it should be doable. As the year progresses, we will see, but I am hopeful.

Distance rides. I have never done a 100 mile ride, so I thought committing to doing 4 this year was the way to go. I don't think the mileage is really an issue, as long as the route is right. 76 miles with 4,500ft of elevation is my longest yet, so 100 with 1,000ft should be fine.

Gran Fondos. I hit a few last year, and one maybe two in 2016. This year, I want them ALL! One every month would be lovely. Although maybe a bit unrealistic, we shall see. I am aiming for one a month for now.

Power. This is a tough one for me. Breaking a lot, and hurting myself by pushing too hard has become a common occurrence for me, so I have slowly started to learn my limits. However I DO like numbers, so hitting a few power figures is never a bad thing. Now I can do this indoors, in the comfort of a controlled environment, I am happier pushing a bit here and there. So have set myself some power goals which are within reach of current achievements. But when it comes to FTP , I am less interested. I like to see what I do on rides. When I feel like pushing, I like to be able to.

Climbing. One of my weakenesses, and something I am slowly addressing. With the last ride of the year being on a single speed 48/18 Langster, and being 40 miles, with 2,250ft of elevation, I am happy with my progress for sure. But I want to improve here. Having downloaded the two Top 100 Climb lists on my phone, I have already started on them, and hope to tick off as many as I can this year. So getting my climbing legs on is key. Obviously being almost 250lbs, climbs are a battle against gravity. So hopefully the small life style changes will drop maybe 10% off that number during the year.

Sportives. A few events this year will make me happy, with some official recognition of my commitment to the sport. Just enough to keep me grinning. London to Brighton, Cotswolds, Ride London 100, and Hayward Howler are all lined up for now.

So that is about it for now.
Improve power to assist with climbs. Cover more miles, including more elevation. Longer rides, some being sportives.

Oh one final thing.
My aim is to ride (any distance) for as many days as I can this year. My Veloviewer and Strava infographics look a bit lacking from last year, so this year, I will fill in more spaces !

Watch this space!

Dropping the med dose.

It has been a few weeks now since I dropped my dose of Citalopram from 40mg to 30mg, with the blessing and guidance of the doctor that is. I have to say, it could have gone better!
That said, it hasn't been a disaster. A few strange feelings and dreams as my body lowered the amount of drug in my system, a few moments of being a little bit distant, but nothing unexpected.

The last few weeks have been a bit of a challenge in their own right, so it is unfair to base any of that in a drop of medication. Maybe a small wobble from dealing with things with a slightly less assisted mind, but other than that, I have coped well. I think anyway, you would have to ask Ann if she has seen any other changes, but I don't think there have been.

In the meantime, I have been speaking with a couple of friends who are going through the mill a bit right now, and have recently started following another blogger who is just starting out on their journey with dealing with their feelings, and the highs and lows life throws at us.

Distraction is a good tool always, so needless to say I have been cycling a lot too. No escapism this time, but more exercise to keep the goodness flowing through my body, and ensure I am well exercised, and ready for a good nights sleep. That said, looking at me and my data, it would be hard to believe that I am achieving either right now.

Weight is hanging on for dear life, after I failed to launch into a new round of fitness. With injuries to my foot and knee, I sucked it up and accepted that I need to take things a bit easier, certainly until I am in better shape again.
As for sleep, my Garmin sleep tracker supports the theory that I am not doing too well at getting a good nights sleep recently. Thankfully my get up and go seems unaffected, with me heading out early for work, to get more miles in on the bike.

I have blood tests coming up next week to see how I am getting along with my uric acid levels, hopefully all is still well there. Then a review, yet to be booked, to see if and when I will drop to 20mg of Citalopram. Add to that physio, MSK and Orthotics all at Lewisham hospital over the coming week, and I am rather busy.
With all that going on, my main aim remains to achieve my cycling distance goal which I set last year, of 3,000 miles. With the amount of time I have had out of the saddle this year, I am shocked I am this close, but happy at the same time.

Hopefully next year will be kinder to me, and I can set a really decent goal. I think looking back, I have probably missed a good three solid months of cycling due to foot and leg issues. Really not ideal.

Before I go, I should add that I have taken a huge leap of faith today, and stepped away from something I have long considered a support to me. Recently realising it caused me more stress and anguish, than good and help, I cut ties today, and already feel better for it.
The manner in which it happened was proof enough that it was the right thing to do.

So, here's to a good weekend for all, I look forward to conversing with anyone out there who wishes to. And next week I can again start chasing my numbers on the bike, consider my next step with meds, and forget all about Xmas lol


Stay in touch people :)

To push, or not to push, that is the question!

Since turning to a single speed bike, and commuting to work, I have learned a lot, about both about myself, and cycling in general.
Having spent the past year on 22 speed bikes, it turns out I have been spoilt. Learning to ride within rather variable thresholds, and if the going gets tough, drop a gear.
Obviously with a single speed (SS) this is not possible, so it is all about planning a manageable route, and at the same time approaching it with the right mindset. Something that has taken me a while to grasp. I have already found a few hills which have defeated me, but will be giving them another go in months to come.

Starting out with my first SS being the Claud Butler Lombard St with a 46/16 set up, I learned the basics of getting into a comfortable rhythm, and discovered what my pace was, or there abouts. Then switching to the Specialized Langster, with a 48/16 set up, the going got a little tougher, especially on the inclines. To give an idea of the sort of elevation I am doing on an SS, I average about 500-750ft on a 10-15 mile commute. So not terrible, but there are a couple of little climbs that get the old ticker working harder.

One thing I have really learned to respect, especially over the past couple of windy weeks, is when to push and when to just go with the flow. Riding a roadie with 22 options of gear to be in, it is so easy to just drop a cog and keep pushing. It takes a while to learn the difference between change in elevation and road surfaces, to the resistance of the wind. When its just elevation, and fatigue, dropping a gear makes sense. But when you are into a steady headwind, it is pointless pushing too hard, otherwise you are just burning energy for nothing. In some winds, you can only push so hard.

With the SS, it is quite obvious when such a moment arises, your speed drops rapidly, the effort increases, and you quickly learn to ease up and go with the flow. Something I have struggled with for a long time now, feeling its all about attacking with all you have, all the time.
For me, pushing too hard at the wrong times, causes rapid muscle fatigue, which takes some time to recover from. So on the SS I have slowly learned my limits for pushing, and how long and hard I can push for, before reaching the stage of really slow recovery (1-2 mins before I can push on at normal pace again)

Having grasped that basic, it has enabled me to work on my next weakness, standing and pedalling. For the whole of last year, standing to do a climb has been impossible, because of my stubbornness to train. However with the SS, it is something I have had to just shut up and get on with. And I am pleased to say that I have seen a huge improvement in my ability. To the point that I lapped Richmond last weekend, and managed to stay in a higher gear, while pushing on up one of the little climbs, and reached the top with only a short period of recovery riding needed. Still more than I had planned on, but the power and cadence figures made me smile, so that's what counts.

As the ability has grown, so has the confidence. And with that comes more miles. First few weeks I did the straight point to point ride to and from work. 5 miles each way, no elevation to speak of, and a 20 min ride at best each way. As I got braver, adding a few extra miles in here and there seemed the right thing to do, and before I knew it I was doing 7-10 miles each way. Seeing the miles clocking up on Strava, I suddenly got motivated. With 2 months of no riding leaving me with a mileage deficit for the year on my 3,000 mile goal, commuting was going to get me back on track. Sure enough, as the weeks have gone by, so have the miles, and today I am finally back ahead of the curve.

I can average 100 miles a week now, double that of which is required. And with the weather improving (not including this cold windy spell we are going through) the distances are creeping up more. With 144 miles being the most for a week this year, this week is looking pretty good, with just shy of 100 miles up until Thurs AM ride, plenty of time to add to that, and ever closer to my first 1,000 miles of the year. 4 months in, 1/3 of the way, and with some time spent away from the bike, I feel positive.

The SS has really helped me find my riding style, and for anyone looking to build themselves up from a plateau, I can't recommend it enough. What was a simple cost saving exercise, and a replacement for my Smart Car commute to work, has become a new passion for me. Constantly wanting to broaden my horizons, and push the boundaries of the commute. In recent days I have been doing 20 mile one way journeys, with slightly shorter return trips, clocking up 30 miles a day, rather than the 10 required. I am hooked. Now I find myself wanting to make changes to Luigi too (the Langster SS)

Today I ventured to Woolwich in the hope of catching the ferry to the North side, then passing City Airport on my way to work. Alas it was not running, so maybe next time eh.  Til then, I will keep pushing, look forwards to any rides on the Mekk's I can get in with friends, and watch that mileage tally rise.